Tinted Lip Balm

It seems like every brand is coming out with their own version of a tinted lip balm wither it is in the form of a crayon, stick, tube, tub, or pot their everywhere. I think that tinted lips balms are becoming so popular because they are so easy and effortless. You can throw them in your bag or pocket and apply without a mirror; just glide them across your lips, rub and go. From high-end to drugstore tinted lip balms are abundant. Honestly I'm a fan of the drugstore versions because I use them so often that I go through them constantly (I never run out though because I'm a lip balm hoarder). That said splurging on a Sugar lip balm is definitely worth it. Or you can go with the middle ground and pick up a Burt's Bees balm instead. 

Top 3

• Maybelline Baby Lips: EVERY COLOR
• Sugar: Honey, Berry
• Covergirl Jumbo Gloss Balm: Rose Twist

NARS brand overview (starter kit) $400

1. Sheer Glow Foundation: $46
2. Radiant Creamy Concealer: $28
3. The "Multiple Stick": $39
4. Laguna Bronzing Powder: $40
5. Orgasm Blush: $33
6. Orgasm and Laguna duo: $41
7. Eyeshadow Duo in Bellisima: $34
8. Eyeshadow Duo in Alhambra: $34
9. Larger Than Life Eyeliner In Via Veneto: $24
10. Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base: $24
11. Lip Gloss in Turkish Delight: $25

LIp scrubs. . . Worth it?

TREND LIP SCRUBS… Worth it?
So Lately a product that it is really popular with beauty lovers and gurus on youtube and blogs are lip scrubs. If you don’t know what I lip scrub is it is the same as a body scrub but comes in a smaller pot and is for the sole purpose of getting the flaky skin off of your lips. By using a lip scrub it prevents having peely (sorry for the spelling) lips and also helps chapped lips repair. A lot of brands have lip scrubs that are sugar based, that are made of honey, olive oil and other oils that condition your lips but has large pieces or sugar to exfoliate your lips. The lip polish on the right from Fresh is 17g or .6 oz and retails for 22 dollars while the lush bubble gum lip scrub is 9.95 (unknown amount). I have used and tried both scrubs from either friends having it and purchasing it. I can honestly say that I don’t really like this trend. Mostly because they are so expensive. If I had to repurchase one it would be the lush scrub because it is cheaper. But honestly you can DIY lip scrubs so easily and for about zero dollars. All you have to do is save one of your old toothbrushes get it a little wet put some vasiline, oilve oil, or honey on it and scrub away. This does just as good as a job and barely costs anything. I don’t see the point in buying a little jar of lip scrub when I can easily make it myself.

DIY LIP SCRUB

1. Buy a jar or save a small jar from a travel kit, or old lip balm
2. Buy some sugar that comes in a large crystalline form I suggest the brand Sugar In The Raw
3. Lay out some wax paper as a working space
4. Pour some sugar into the little jar to see how much you will need
5. Take the sugar that is in your jar and pour on to the wax paper
6. Drop a few drops of honey or olive oli into the sugar and sort of mix it into a thick paste.
7. scoop/plop the paste in to the jar, close the lid
8. take a small label sticker and with a pen write Lip scrub (optional but so cute)

what is most important with this DIY is that there is more sugar than honey or olive oil. Because, otherwise the sugar will dissolve over time into the liquid. Hope that this DIY was helpful and will save you some money.

Coastal Scents Hot Pots (rave)

So I have heard a lot about coastal scents and I finally bought some stuff. Coastal Scents individual eye shadows Hot Pots were on SALE! Usually hot pots are 1.95$ but they were on sale for 95 cents. can you say MAJOR STEAL, because I had heard through the web-sphere that they are so pigmented and amazing so this was just too hard to pass up.

I bought a total of 8 shadows because I didn’t want to buy too many find out that they weren’t that good and be stuck with them. But guess what THEY’RE AMAZING so. . . As always I got neutrals because I’m always looking for the best neutral eye combos and products. I got 4 shimmer and 4 matt to really try out most of what Coastal Scents has to offer. I also purchased a magnetic palette that holds 12 eye-shadows, and fits mac shadows.

General information:

Coastal Scents shadows are the same size of MAC shadows but they have a little less product.  They also don’t test on animals and are totally cruelty free. The shadows come in a basic metal pan, with a sticker on the back saying the name of the shadow. I don’t think the pans are magnetized but they will stick to a magnetized palette really well because they are metal. The Costal Scents hot pots come in about a million colors and in three textures shimmer, satin and matt.

Shimmer Shadows (light to dark)

·      Vanilla sky 

• White shadow with golden shimmer (very, very small glitter flecks). Almost has a champagne tone to it but it is definitely white. This is a good highlight color for the inner corner, and the brow bone. It is super blend-able and very pigmented.

·      Caramel Ice

• Light golden pink color. I love to use this all over the lid and blend it with a bronze or a matt brown in the crease. This is perfect for a really laid back simple eye look

·   Light bronze

•   Light bronze is the most multidimensional color that I purchased. It is a bronze gold color but in the light can have a green undertone. This is a great color to use in the outer corner to intensify a look but not make it look too dramatic. It blends so well, that even though it is richly pigmented; it can be very sheer if you want it.

·      Amber bronze

•   This is a more red toned bronze color, with golden undertones. Like light bronze it is very multidimensional and can be used by it self. I like this color because it is intense but, not too dark that I couldn’t wear it during the day if I wanted to. This is a great color to set brown eyeliner with if you want a little extra pop.

Matt Shadows (light to dark)

·      Kokomo café

•   Kokomo café is a light grey brown color that reminds of Naked (from the naked 1 palette). This is a great light crease color if you want subtle definition. Blend-able, creamy, just a good shadow.

·      Barista

•   Medium brown tan color. This is great for a transition color in the outer V area. Isn’t to tan/red toned that it couldn’t be used in the crease . 

 

·      New Terrain

•    True medium brown color, this is a complete step up from Kokomo Café. Really just the perfect crease color for a more dramatic look. It also can be blended for a more natural finish.

·      Deep Roast

•   Dark milk chocolaty brown color. Doesn’t really need any further explanation. It is the color of a coffee bean so the name is perfect 

To sum everything up, I am very excited to fill my entire coastal scents palette up with hot pots and explore their amazing color range. These shadows are a steal for the price. They are smooth, and so pigmented and blend like a charm. I give these shadows 5 stars!

NYX Natural 6 Shadow Palette

I was shopping my makeup stash when I came across this little NYX palette. In NYC there aren't a ton of places to buy NYX cosmetics. For a long time the only place that I ever found it was at Rickey's. Some what recently Urban Outfitters started selling a ton of NYX products which is awesome. Urban Outfitters locations are all over the city, and there is one right near my house in Brooklyn. Now for the first time NYX products are available and easily obtainable. I was in line to pay for my items and I got trapped by the little boxes of products and trinkets that surround the check out area. As I was waiting and searching through the bins of products I came across this small eyeshadow palette called Natural. Since I am a sucker for neutral eyeshadow shades of course I bought it.

The NYX Natural palette comes with six shadows and there is also an alternative version called smokey. The palette retails of 7 dollars so you are paying about a 1.15$ per eyeshadow, not a bad deal if I say so my self. The shadows contain mineral oil and talc which is kind of disappointing but, the palette is cruelty free so I guess I can get mad over the ingredients.

Colors (they don't have names on the packaging :-( so I made them up)

1. light creamy vanilla color in a matt finish
2. golden champage with gold glitter
3. mid toned salmon in a matt finish
4. light tan bronze with a satin finish
5. medium taupe brown with small flecks of silver glitter in a satin finish
6. dark grey brown in a matt finish 

All together you get three matt shadows (a highlight, all over lid color and a contour), 2 satin finish bronze colors, and one shimmery glitter color.

Pigmentation

1.  The vanilla color is very sheer but, smooth and buttery 
2.  gold glitter color is utterly useless, the gillter goes everywhere and the shadow has no pigmentation this is my least favorite color in the palette 
3. the salmon color like the Vanilla is very sheer but, can be built up for more pigmentation 
4. tan bronze color has a little more pigmination than the others but it is still sheer
5. the taupe brown is nicely pigmented, but definitely could be more intense. This is my favorite from the palette
6. the grey brown is the most pigmented shadow in the palette but takes time to blend out nicely

Packaging
I would give NYX an A+ for the packaging. The case is easy to open but stays closed. The lid is thick, sturdy clear plastic that doesn't have any give. You could definitely throw this in your purse and not worry about the shadows cracking. The palette comes with a double sided sponge applicator, standard and useless.

These shadows give a very natural minimal look, they aren't anywhere near the amaze-ball-ness of the Naked Palettes. Now matter what, with these shadows you are going get a sheer look. You can build things up, and try to intensify them with the matt brown but otherwise that is it. I can't really complain because it was only seven dollars so I didn't break the bank for them. If you want to have a fuller look with this palette you need to use a colored base. I would suggest Mac's Paint Pot in Painterly, Color Tattoo Barely Branded, or Color Tattoo Bad to the Bronze.

Eyeshadow Collection

NYX; Natural 

L'oreal: Iced Latte

Urban Decay: Naked 1 

Elf: back to school neutral palette

Nars: India song duo

Costal Scents: Hot pot magnetic palette 

Wet and Wild: walking on egg shells trio

BH cosmetics 28 neutral palette

The Balm: Nude 'Tude palette

July Favorites

• Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush: Hot Tamale
• Covergirl Outlast stay fabulous 3 in 1 foudation: Classic Ivory
• Covergirl Clump Crusher: Brown
• Urban Decay primer potion
• Maybelline color tattoo: Barely Branded
• Jordana Fabuliner:  Black
• Wet and Wild color icon trio: Walking on Egg Shells
• Maybelline Color Whisper: Coral Ambition