What’s In My Purse

pursepals

I love those “what’s in my purse” posts and videos, and this pic got a lot of interest when I posted it on Instagram, so I thought why not share it all?! Some of these are pretty much permanent purse staples, others are just products I’m loving on lately.

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Avon Product of the Week: mark. Ultimate Hook Up Kit

markhookupkit

Now that I’m an Avon representative I will be featuring an Avon or mark. product each week. It might be a full review, or it might just be something cool that I thought might be fun to share. This time it’s a pretty sweet deal, and a great gift idea, the mark. Ultimate Hook Up Kit.

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Senna Cosmetics Summer 2013 Pictures & Swatches Part 1

sennaSenna Cosmetics has done it again and created a stunner of a collection for Summer 2013! The Sunglow collection is a relatively small 11-piece collection (small if you’re used to the giant launches of the likes of MAC etc., but plenty for normal people lol) and I have pics and swatches!!!

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The Benefits of Benefit Cosmetics

Benefit_Logo

About a month ago (yeah, this post is overdue…what else is new…) I attended a fun Benefit event at Macy’s in Westminster. I got my makeup done by supersweet MUA Katie, and she and I talked about the latest and greatest (and some cult favs) from Benefit! Inspired, here is my list of favorites from Benefit. If you’re new to the brand, or just want to try some new things, check these out! [Read more…]

Favorite Natural Beauty Products

earth-day

And so you have this Earth, kay…

It’s Earth Day! So even though eco-friendly/natural beauty isn’t the primary focus of this blog, I couldn’t let Earth Day just go by without talking about it. Thus, my favorite natural beauty products…ready, go!

ecobeautycropped

1. LUSH Lemony Flutter – How could I do a post about natural beauty products and not mention LUSH? Lemony Flutter is a faaaaabulous cuticle cream with an herbal-lemon fragrance. It just plain works wonders on cuticles. It’s also great for super dry skin like maybe on your elbows or heels. A little bit goes a long way, and the packaging is recyclable! ($16.95, LUSH)

2. LUSH Honey Trap – I walked into my local LUSH and pretty much said “I have super duper dry lips. HELP!” and the sweeties in there suggested Honey Trap. They said any of their lip balms are great, but that this one is the best. It’s compact (again, recyclable packaging), a great texture/consistency, smells nice, and most of all it moisturizes like a dream! It works well as an overnight treatment if you slather it on, too. I’ve had my little tin for ages and it doesn’t really show signs of getting used up OR turning bad any time soon, but when it does I will definitely replace it. ($7.25, LUSH)

3. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush – I have a lot of beloved products from Tarte but this one was my top pick. The Amazonian Clay Blushes are touted as a 12-hour blush. I rarely need to make my makeup last 12 hours but this blush definitely lasts all day. I love the texture of them (not too powdery, not too hard), the packaging, and all the fun shades! I have about half a dozen of these, but Exposed is my favorite. It’s a rosy nude shade that I think every pale girl needs in her arsenal. ($26, Tarte)

4. Korres Cherry Oil Full Color Lip Gloss – I actually don’t own any of these anymore, because my mom loves them so much I gave mine to her. ;) But they are really lovely lip glosses that smell good enough to eat thanks to the cherry oil. The formula is extremely non-sticky and lightweight with a nice amount of both shine and color. If you don’t think you’re a lip gloss person, try these. Mom did and was hooked! ($17, Sephora)

5. LUSH Bubblegum Lip Scrub – This post isn’t sponsored by LUSH I swear, haha. But it’s a delicious flavored, PINK colored sugar you exfoliate your lips with. It’s yummy (cmon, it’s SUGAR), so this is one of those products where not only can you eat it, you’ll actually want to. But save some for your lips please…! ($9.95, LUSH)

6. Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque – Somewhere, Krissy from Addicted To All Things Pretty is reading this and nodding going “I TOLD YOU”, because she’s the one responsible for me trying this product. This mask smells amazing, and makes my hair feel like buttah. That’s because it has both macadamia and argan oils in it. I use it about once a week or so to keep my hair looking and feeling great. I have the small size pictured because that’s what I have, but I’ll definitely be getting a larger size once this is gone. ;) ($16, Macadamia)

7. Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water – This stuff just rocks, simply said. It’s a luxurious, effective cleansing water that is extremely gentle. Its main ingredients (besides water!) are plant extracts. It really is a spa water and will leave you feeling pretty pampered. The herbs and minerals are highly soothing. Try it once and you’ll definitely want to come back for more. ($39, Sephora)

Lipstick Lover’s Paradise

I just wanted to share a little something with you that makes me extremely happy. Voila:

That’s my main lipstuff storage. I’m kind of obsessed. I like to open the drawer and just stare at it.

*stares*

NYX Mood Gloss Review

One of the things I snagged at IMATS LA was this NYX Mood Lip Gloss. This is their original first shade. It’s still sold packaged like this through Cherry Culture, but no longer through NYX. NYX has since renamed this shade “Romantic Love” and changed the packaging since they have other colors now. But they were selling these older packaging tubes at the show (probably to get rid of the old packaging). As with many things stuck near the cash register just to entice you, this did just that. [Read more…]

Rimmel Stay Glossy Lip Gloss Review

I first heard about Rimmel Stay Glossy lip glosses while watching a video by EmilyNoel83 on Youtube (love her, you should watch her if you don’t already!). She described them as having a really nice formula, and I have tried a lot of the same ones she has and liked them so I thought I’d like the Rimmel Stay Glossies too. ‘Cause I’m smart like that. ;)
Turns out, I was right! Ha. I picked up the first one on a whim when I was in CVS just after New Year’s. I had some extra bucks that made the gloss only about $2. They’re not very expensive (around $5) anyway, but at that price trying one was a no brainer! The shade I grabbed was Captivate Me (on top in the picture above), which is a berry pink color. Since then I’ve also picked up All Night Seduction, which is a peachy pink infused with gold (sort of similar to something like MAC Nymphette).
The first thing I noticed was these have a really unusual applicator. It’s a doefoot, but it’s shaped really… weird. Weird good though! It’s like a tapered paddle shape that makes applying the gloss to the lips really easy. Check it out:
The above picture is a side view of the doefoot applicator from All Night Seduction. Here’s a view of the top:
Neat huh? I like it. It’s really soft and cushy feeling too. I feel like it actually helps application rather than just smears it all around. 
The formula of the gloss itself is pretty unique. I’ve tried a lot of different glosses and none of them feel like these. It has a very cushiony feel on the lips. When you rub your lips together with this gloss on, it almost feels like a balm. It’s not that sticky, either! I’m most impressed with how moisturizing this gloss is. Very few are truly moisturizing for me. Usually they’re just “not drying” or worse. 
The tube says these provide up to 6 hours of shine. I don’t know if it’s 6 hours, but these do last a long time on the lips. You’ll need to reapply if you eat something, but otherwise these wear pretty darn long. The color does fade a little toward the end, but you’ll still have shine and the color fades evenly (no ring around the mouth effect).
Swatches!
Top: All Night Seduction
Bottom: Captivate Me
Overall I really love these, and have been wearing them very often. I almost always have one or both in my purse these days. I definitely plan on getting more shades. The pigmentation with these isn’t super bright on these particular shades, but there are others (a hot pink and a red) that look pretty bright. There’s also a black shade that intrigues me. ;)
Have you tried Rimmel Stay Glossy lip gloss? What do you think?

Revlon Colorburst Lip Glosses

Because Revlon’s Colorburst lipsticks became so popular so quickly, I was excited to try the Colorburst lip glosses when they came out. They run about $7-$8 at the drugstore, but I got them with a BOGO 1/2 off deal. The two colors I have are Strawberry (top) and Peony. The shade range is pretty comprehensive, with warm and cool shades, pinks, reds, nudes, a lovely peach (next on my list!), and a clear one too for good measure. I imagine that like Revlon’s other awesome lip gloss the Superlustrous gloss, limited edition shades will probably be released of these too. 
The first thing that struck me about these is how similar the packaging is to Chanel’s Glossimer lip glosses. See what I mean?
It’s a little hard to tell because of the angle, but the tubes are identical in length and width. The tube of Revlon’s glosses is a little bit longer (as in the cap starts lower down on the tube than on Revlon’s) but the packaging is very, very similar. I like it. It feels luxe without the Chanel price tag (what are they now, $28 apiece? yikes!)
The applicator on these is kind of weird though. It’s a doe foot, but it’s flat. It’s like a duck foot, lol. Here’s what I mean:
I’ve been told that the reason for these flat doe foot applicators is to “hug the lips” and provide more precise application in one coat. Kay. I just like poking fun at them because they’re kinda funny. But I’m mean. The glosses themselves are delightful! Both colors are very pigmented, and not sticky. They are a little thin and not quite as moisturizing as the Rain Cosmetics gloss I reviewed yesterday, but they’re still pretty nice. I’d recommend these to anyone who likes a lip gloss with a lot of color, but not much stickiness. They do have a scent, and it’s kind of hard for me to decide what I think it smells like. I guess the closest thing I can come up with is vanilla, but it’s not quite right. Vanilla root beer? What do you think?
Revlon Colorburst lip gloss in Strawberry (top) and Peony – direct sunlight. Ew my nails are stained.
Revlon Colorburst lip glosses in natural light

Rain Cosmetics Gloss of Fame

You all know by now that I love trying out new brands of makeup I’ve never tried before. So when I was contacted by Rain Cosmetics, I jumped at the chance to try them out. Rain Cosmetics is based in Las Vegas, and the inspiration from Vegas strip is apparent in the products. The packaging is shiny and chic without being gaudy, and many of the products have Vegas-themed names. It’s a lot of fun, especially if you love the glam experience of Las Vegas. I also just recently heard that Rain Cosmetics is the official cosmetics sponsor of the Miss USA! How cool is that? Starting in June, Rain Cosmetics has offered to share their tips & “get the look” info as they work with the Miss USA contestants. 
The packaging reminds for these glosses me of the lights of the strip and the fountains in front of the Venetian. The glosses have a very nice (no splaying) brush applicator. The color I tried is called Wine Newton. All of the shades are puns of people who have performed on Vegas. The other shades are Praline Dion, Presley Pink, Raisin Copperfield, Peach Midler, and my personal favorite, Berry Manilow. The gloss photographs a bit darker than it is when I take pics of it in the tube. I tried to color-correct to fix it, but I had difficulty. It photographs much more accurately when swatched. Think of it this way – this particular wine is more of a blush wine than a red wine, more the color of white zinfandel – 
Personally I think this take on a wine color is actually quite a bit more universally flattering, and it made this gloss an everyday wearable favorite as opposed to a bold color I only wear on certain occasions. The formula itself is very nice. It’s not sticky at all, and very moisturizing. It’s very high shine and keeps my pucker looking plump and glossy. Pigmentation-wise these are on the sheerer side. This just adds an overall tint and brightness to my lips, maybe making them look a little pinker, but not a huge difference. The brightness I’m sure comes from the beautiful multi-dimensional shimmer. It does not translate to glittery lips by any means, but just gives the color more depth.
And of course, swatches! I encourage you to click to view full size to really see all the pretty sparkles.
Here’s a (sort of blurry) shot that shows more of the multicolored shimmer pretty well…
Rain Cosmetics Gloss of Fame retails for $18. It is available at their website, or at select stores (mostly in Las Vegas but not all – check here for store locations). You can also follow @Rain_Cosmetics on Twitter.
Sample provided for editorial purposes.