Pink/Peach Haul

Spring is finally, finally here, thank God.  I don't think I could've handled the cold for much longer.  So in celebration of the warm weather and freshly tanned skin, I picked up a few pinky/peachy beauty products for Spring.

L to R: (Top Row) Maybelline 24 Hour Color Tattoos in Inked in Pink, MAC Sheertone Blush in Peaches, Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids Lipstick in Pink Pop, Revlon Just Bitten Lacquer Balm in Demure, Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Snow Pink.

Here's Peaches:

I've been eyeing up this blush for a long time!  It's a lovely sheer matte peach, giving a soft, subtle glow.  MAC Blush in Peaches, $21, maccosmetics.com.

This is just a soft pinky-nude shimmery gloss that goes perfectly over a nude lip for a bit of shine!  Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Snow Pink, $5.99, Target.

This is such an adorable Barbie pink lipstick.  Goes on smoothly, has a soft touch of shine. It's just so adorable for spring and summer.  Maybelline always has the best lipsticks at the drugstore!  Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids in Pink Pop, $7.49, Ulta.

These little guys are all over the beauty blogs.  Revlon Color Burst Just Bitten Lacquer Balms!  I had my eye on these for a little while, and being that Ulta just had a buy one get one sale going on last week, I thought I should give it a go.  It was adorable.  So cute for everyday!  Revlon Color Burst Just Bitten Lacquer Balm in Demure, $8.99, Ulta.

If you've read my past blogs, you know I'm a massive fan of the Maybelline Color Tattoos.  The cream eyeshadows work as a base, a highlight, and even work very well on their own.  This soft, shimmery pink is my second-favorite inner corner highlight (next to Urban Decay's Dust!) and works incredibly well as a chic pop of color on the lid.  These are great for anyone wanting to try out brightly colored lids but aren't sure where to start.  All around great eyeshadows! Maybelline 24 Hour Color Tattoo Eyeshadow in Inked in Pink, $6.99, Ulta.

That's all for my little pink/peach haul!  Check back in for a MAC Peaches Blush review soon.  Until then,

xxoo,

Alexis

Spring Beauty Favorites

There are so many beauty and skincare products I've been loving so far for Spring!  Pops of pink and shimmering orchids have been my go-to as the weather warms up; I can't get enough!

I've grabbed a bunch of my favorite beauty products and photographed them outside, because the weather was just too gorgeous to resist!

So here you go, my 2014 Spring Beauty Favorites.

Top Row:  elf blush in Pink Passion, Lorac TANtalizer Highlighter & Matte Bronzer Duo, Ralph Lauren Polo for Women Big Pony #2.

Bottom Row: Formula 10.0.6 Pores Be Pure Skin Clarifying Mud Mask, Tarte Airbrush Finish Bamboo Blush Brush, Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser, Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in #53, Light Beige.

Left to Right: MAC Cremesheen lipstick in Creme Cup, Rimmel London Lasting Finish Kate Moss Lipstick in 109, Maybelline Color Whisper in #40, Orange Attitude, Revlon Super Lustrous Gloss in #230, Sugar Violet, Nivea Lip Butter in Raspberry Rose' Kiss.

Top Row: Urban Decay Naked3 Palette.

Bottom Row: Benefit Posie Tint, Maybelline Color Tattoos in Bad to the Bronze and Pomegranate Pink, Benefit High Beam Highlighter.

*NOTE: these reviews have gotten a bit lengthy, so feel free to skip to the products that interest you most!

xxoo,

Alexis 

Swatches and Reviews:

Pores Be Pure Skin-Clarifying Mud Mask: 

I adore this mask!  It's perfect for oily skin like mine.  Just a quarter-sized dab all over the face for fifteen minutes does the trick!  It gets rid of so many blackheads on my nose and chin, tightens my skin, and minimizes my pores. I can even feel the mask warming and tingling as I wear it.  It's also got a sweet, strawberry scent that's pleasant while you've got it on.  Glowing, lovely skin all around!  $5.99, Ulta

Tarte Airbrush Finish Bamboo Blush Brush:

There's a mouthful.  This brush is absolutely insane.  I found it on Amazon a while back, and it was on sale for only $12 at the time.  I'd been wanting to purchase a high end brush, but I just didn't want to splurge!  But I must say... what a miracle this little baby was.  Its bamboo handle is strong and sleek, and the golden detail is gorgeous.  It's made from natural, cruelty-free materials (Tarte is VERY big on that, and it's one of my favorite things about the brand!) and feels like silk on my skin.  It holds product very well, and is incredibly easy to apply and blend my blush with.  I can't seem to find it at Sephora or tarte.com anymore, but a similar brush, the Bamboo Foundation blush can be found online!  $32, Sephora.

Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser:

Maybelline's lovechild of the massively popular Baby Lips line and a new "pore erasing" skin primer.  It's slick and blendable, and reminds me of Smashbox's Photo Finish Light Primer, which is one of my favorite skin primers.  It has a bit of a silicone feel to it, and glides onto the skin.  I recommend washing your face and ridding it of oil before you apply this primer, though, if you have oily skin.  But I must say, this is a great dupe of the Smashbox primer!  Minimizes my pores, helps my foundation go on more easily, keeps it all in place!  Great new product from Maybelline.  $6.99, Ulta. 

Lorac TANtalizer Highlighter & Matte Bronzer Duo:

This was originally a last-minute pickup at the Ulta checkout counter for me.  The Lorac bronzer duo comes in a full size and a mini for the makeup bag, which is the one I grabbed a few months ago.  I'm not a massive fan of shimmery bronzers for everyday wear, so this matte one was perfect for me!  Just a dab of this blended along the hollows of my cheeks and along my jawline and temples gives me a healthy sun-kissed glow.  The shimmering highighter looks great brushed along cheekbones, and it really brightens up the face.  Great go-to bronzing kit!  $12, Ulta.

Ralph Lauren Polo for Women Big Pony #2:

My favorite springtime scent!  Big Pony has a soft, fruity scent that's fun, light and easy to wear.  I've worn this for nearly three years and it hasn't failed me yet!  $56 for 1.7 oz, Sephora.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in #53, Light Beige.

This is a product I've heard about for ages from YouTube beauty vloggers, most notably Estee' EssieButton (one of my favorite favorite favorite vloggers, click the link and check her out!) who talks about her love of this foundation in so many videos! (<<<click click)  But this foundation feels like heaven on the skin.  No, really.  It's the greatest formulation I've ever come across.  It's hydrating, but doesn't make my skin oilier.  It just gives me a soft, subtle glow.  Though, the shades are a bit yellow toned, so if you have more pink undertones to your skin, I recommend trying before you buy.  The package claims 16 hour wear, and I find with a primer and a setting powder, mine really does last a long time.  It is made with fruit extracts as well, which gives a refreshing touch to the skin.  All in all, a gorgeous, foundation!  Though, I have yet to find a store that sells the Bourjois brand in the States.  I purchased mine from Asos online, but if anyone knows of a retailer in the US, leave a comment please!  $18.80, Asos.

elf Blush in Pink Passion:
This is just such a lovely blush.  A pretty pop of pink, well pigmented, and a lovely highlight on the cheeks.  And such a bargain!  I live for well-made drugstore products.  I have three shades of elf blushes, but Pink Passion is such a favorite, especially for the Spring!  $3, Target (in store), elf.com

Top to Bottom: Nivea Lip Butter in Raspberry Rose' Kiss, Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Sugar Violet, Maybelline Color Whispers in Orange Attitude, Rimmel London Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick in 109, MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Creme Cup.

Lipsticks:

These five lip products all have different finishes, and are perfect for any occasion.

I love using the Nivea Lip Butter at night to wake up with softer lips, or whenever they're feeling a bit chapped, I pop this on and get a light pink shine and a lot of moisture. $2.99, Ulta.

The Revlon Super Lustrous in Sugar Violet is a shimmering light violet color.  It's a bit of vivacious purple to go on top of a bright purple lipstick, or if you choose to tone it down and wear it alone, it's a pop of shimmer and sparkle.  $7.99, Ulta.

Maybelline Color Whispers are the best Spring and Summer lipsticks in my opinion.  They go on soft like a balm and leave a pretty wash of color on the lips without being sticky or overbearing.  Orange Attitude is a soft orange, more like a coral, and goes on weightlessly.  A great Spring shade!  $4.74, Target.

The Kate Moss line of lipsticks from Rimmel London were very high on my wish list for a long time, and I can definitely say they were worth the hype!  I bought two shades, but the one shown here is a gorgeous bright orange, shade 109.  It has a matte finish, but isn't drying on the lips.  Goes great with the Color Whispers over it for a soft glossy finish as well!  $5.49, Ulta.

I've done a blog post before on my MAC lipstick collection, and this gem was featured!  MAC's Creme Cup is a gorgeous pink-nude, soft and creamy with a subtle shine, it's the perfect color for everyday wear. $16, maccosmetics.com

Urban Decay Naked3 Eyeshadow Palette:

Boy, oh boy this is the greatest.  And I do not say that lightly.  This palette is my holy grail eyeshadow palette.  Pinks and golds and silvers and everything in between, the rose gold themed Naked palette caused a craze when it was released last November, and when I got mine, I just hugged it.  Really.  I hugged it.  It's so incredibly beautiful inside and out, with such wonderful color payoff.  I'm probably going to do a blog post/tutorial on it very soon!  $52, Ulta.

Benefit High Beam and Posietint:

Such an adorable highlighter and cheek stain.  Benefit's High Beam is a pearly, soft cream highlighter that's great for adding a bit of brightness to cheekbones and browbones, anywhere you want a little shimmer.  Paired with Posietint, a poppy pink lip and cheek stain, it's just the right amount of brightness.  Posietint on the lips makes for a gorgeous stain that really will stay all day.  $13 mini set, Ulta.

Maybelline Color Tattoos Cream Eyeshadows in Bad to the Bronze, left, and Pomegranate Pink, right.  (BTTB, top swatch, PP, bottom swatch) :

I've begun to love cream eyeshadows lately!  They're smooth, easy to apply, and have massive staying power.  When I'm in a rush, I just apply a bit of the eyeshadow on my lids and blend it out, and I've got a gorgeous pop of color that brightens my eyes.  It also works wonders as a base for eyeshadows in the Naked3 palette.  These gold and pink colors are fantastic on their own, or blended with other eyeshadows.  All in all, a great buy.  $6.99, Ulta.

I hope you enjoyed my Spring Beauty Favorites!  Just a little compilation of things to doll up with in the warmer weather.  

xxoo,

Alexis

My MAC Lipstick Collection

Since the first time I laid eyes on a MAC lipstick, I've been hooked.  The sleek packaging, the ever-growing selection of shades and finishes, the pretty warm vanilla scent-- it all draws me in!  With over 150 shades and ten finishes (retro matte, matte, satin, amplified, amplified creme, cremesheen, cremesheen pearl, lustre, frost, and glaze)* that flatter nearly every skin tone, it really isn't hard to see why MAC is a favorite of beauty darlings and makeup artists alike.

*An extensive explanation of the finishes here!

My first MAC lipstick purchase was just under a year ago when Rihanna released her first line with the company, the wildly popular RiRi-Hearts-Mac Summer collection.  It featured three shades of lipsticks, a cool blue-toned matte red, RiRi Woo (a cult favorite, and my first lipstick purchase!), a dirty berry, Heaux, and a playful lavender, RiRi Boy.  It sold out in record time and became so popular that MAC has done a series of two more RiRi Woo launches, both in Fall and Winter 2013.  I managed to snag RiRi Woo the afternoon it went on sale online, and after three grueling days of waiting, finally received my new treat in the mail.  With one glance of Rihanna's signature printed with a flourish on the side of the incredibly matte lipstick itself, I knew I was absolutely hooked on this brand.

MAC's packaging, presentation, and quality have made me come back over and over again, resulting in a collection of 11 different lipstick shades from the brand.  (Let's not do the math on eleven lipsticks at $16 a piece... Yikes.)

But without further ado, I present to you my extensive MAC lipstick collection, along with wrist and lip swatches!  Enjoy!

For reference:  My skin tone is a MAC "NC-20", Cover Girl "Buff Beige", Bourjois "Light Beige".

I've gone in order from my nudes and pinks, all the way to the brighter colors like the reds and plums.

First up: Nudes and Pinks!

Top Row:  Honeylove (Matte), Creme Cup (Cremesheen)
Bottom Row: Please Me (Matte), Candy Yum-Yum (Matte)

Honeylove is a warm, peachy-toned nude matte, and I find it personally to be my perfect nude!
Creme Cup, another cult favorite, is a very wearable pink-toned nude.  It's got a lovely sheen to it and is the perfect pair with a dark, smoky eye.
Please Me is a soft blue-toned pink.  Perfect with a gloss or on its own as a matte color.
Candy Yum-Yum is the truest of all Barbie pinks!  A bright neon punch of color, it's perfect with a simple cateye, and is so fun for going out.  I always get compliments on this baby!

Next in line: Reds!

Top Row: Relentlessly Red (Retro Matte), RiRi Woo (Retro Matte)
Bottom Row: Prepare for Pleasure (Cremesheen), Viva Glam Rihanna (Frost)

*NOTE: (I apologize for the lighting in these pictures!  It was difficult to capture the true color in these, but the wrist swatches below help to differentiate!)

Relentlessly Red is a true retro matte, meaning it is the most matte formulation MAC makes!  It has a lovely shine free finish, and is a pink-toned red, lighter than the others.
RiRi Woo is my absolute favorite, go-to red!  It is a perfect retro matte, blue-toned red, and the blue tones make your teeth look even whiter, a definite plus!  My absolute favorite.
Prepare for Pleasure was from MAC's Divine Night holiday 2013 collection, and has gorgeous gold packaging (shown below).  It is a soft, shiny cremesheen formulated magenta-red.  Soft, glossy, and lovely!
Viva Glam Rihanna is my latest purchase!  Its frosted formula gives it a slight shimmer with small golden flecks in the blue-red lipstick.  Also, every cent from the Viva Glam collection lipsticks goes to helping men, women, and children everywhere with AIDS.  Wonderful colors for a wonderful cause!

And, finally:  The Purples!

Top Row: Heroine (Matte), Rebel (Satin)
Bottom Row: Diva (Matte), Full Collection in Packaging

*NOTE: (Again, apologies for the lighting and swatch quality!  Better color payoff in wrist swatches below!)

Heroine was just recently re-released by MAC after its enormous popularity in a past collection, and it is new to me as well!  It is a matte, true purple.  A definite attention-getter!  This color looks phenomenal on women with dark skin tones!
Rebel is a satiny, creamy plum.  My first dark lipstick purchase as well!  It goes on like a dream, and looks even better with a plum liner underneath.  I use Rimmel's Ravishing, but MAC's Nightmoth liner is also a perfect match!
Diva, the classic, killer burgundy-wine matte is a fantastic Autumn-Winter shade. (Or wear it in the Summer or Spring, who needs rules to wear lipstick?)  Paired with strong brows and a confident attitude, no one can go wrong with Diva.

Wrist Swatches!

L to R:  Honeylove, Creme Cup, Please Me, Candy Yum-Yum, Relentlessly Red, RiRi Woo, Prepare for Pleasure, Viva Glam Rihanna, Heroine, Rebel, Diva.

(Here's that pretty gold packaging I told you about!)

So for anyone looking for a high quality lipstick with great color payoff, or if you're just looking for a way to treat yourself, MAC is definitely the route I choose to go!

*NOTE:  All lipsticks were applied without lipliner, these are swatches just how they appear in the tube.