Bring It On - Lippies Version

Okay... this is my 2nd time writing this GRRR!!! Blogspot...

Okay so this is another product battle and this time it is between Revlon's Colorburst lipstick vs. Maybelline's Colorsensational lipstick.





In my opinion, these are some of the most hyped drugstore lippies and I can see why!

1) First of all - look at the packaging!!!! Man these packaging can rival the high end ones! So cute. However, I think I like the Revlon one a lot more just because of the quilted pattern... I mean... CUTE!

2) When you open it up, there is no gross smell - none on the Revlon and a slight caramel scent on the Maybelline one. Now, other reviewers have mentioned that the Maybelline one can smell disgusting so be aware of that. No nasty taste either - hooray.

3) PIGMENTATION is amazing!! What you see in the tube is what you'll see on your lips. Let me tell you, I have pigmented lips myself but these colors overcame that. HOORAH I say!

4) I also love that both lines have really fantastic color choices.
However - Maybelline has way more color selection and they categorize their lipstick colors into "Pink", "Neutrals", "Plums"... etc which is really nice. I think Maybelline also has more finishes.

I still love the Revlon selection but I believe they all have cream finishes. Now this will probably fit me more since I love cream finishes. I also think that the colors here are more bold - so less "everyday" colors to choose from. This line has a really intense nude shade - Soft Nude.

5) Lasting power are pretty good compared to all my other drugstore lipsticks. I think they can last 3-4 hours on me so that's pretty amazing! I actually think the Revlon one is better... not sure about that though.

6) It sits comfortable on the lips - not slick or runny - they both feel really light on my lips.





Revlon's Colorburst Soft Rose: this color is between pink and red - a pretty berry color. A face brightener but it isn't as bold as red. I love wearing this because brings color and light into my face... also it makes me look more dressed up than I am. Really like this color! If you are looking for something bright for Spring - this might be a color that you should look into!

Maybelline's Colorsensational in Warm Me Up: this is a "my lips but better" but w/ a hint of pink which is so nice. I love that this color is warm because those shades look better on me. I am always looking for good neutrals and this is it! I think you should definitely look into this color - so easy to wear and it looks good too!




The flash makes the pink show through a lot but it's very neutral!


Of course they both have flaws. For me, the biggest one is moisturizing ability.

Yes, both of these lippies are not moisturizing but they aren't commercialized as that. However, I think the Maybelline one is more drying and accentuate my dry lips. I'd recommend you use a lip balm when you use these lipsticks but more so for the Maybelline one. I also think Revlon one is creamier and easier to apply.

So overall, I like the to try more of these lipsticks but mostly the Revlon one. I just love the way it looks and the way it goes on and mostly for the staying power. As for Maybelline, I love the color choice and pigmentation as well as lasting power. Too bad it is kind of drying. Either way, both of these lipsticks are great and definitely worth a try.

What do color would you recommend me trying next from these lines OR recommendation for a better drugstore lipstick!?



♥ 3 day weekend!!!
♥ I had lunch w/ an old friend today - I love catching up with old friends.
♥ Finishing up House season 4 and 5! Good show... I love 13 and Kutner... Okay, I love the entire new team.
♥ GOLDEN GLOBES!! Go Christian Bale and Natalie Portman.
♥ Watching the Golden Globes makes me want to watch: The Social Network, The Fighter, How To Train Your Dragon, True Grit, Black Swan
♥ I went to a basketball game and then played tennis all on Saturday - what's w/ that! So much sport in one day!
♥ Looked at some old pictures - like past years and found some hilarious pictures of me, my friends, and family - really fun, you should do it once in awhile

Product Battle: $1 vs. $18

I think eye primers are truly important and I think I would pay $18 to have a great shadow primer that helps with minimal creasing and fading throughout the day. I think that creasing is the worst when it comes to wearing eye shadow. It's like a nasty little line that draws all the attention to your eyes and scream: "Look at me... I'm GROSS!".

This is actually one of the reasons why I didn't wear shadows until I finally bought the UDPP. Then I got the TFSI to compare. But a month or two ago, I went to Target and found ANOTHER primer for $1! And I thought to myself - I need need need to do a comparison! I mean, $18 for a great primer that keeps your look fresh is pretty awesome. But if a $1 product can do the same thing... WELL... I might as well save that $17 and go buy myself a nice dinner or something!

Well, without further ado:


Yes, you've guessed it - I'm talking about UDPP vs. ELF $1 primer!

So, I bought the EFL primer on July 20th and it is now September 25! So I have been testing this out for 2 months now. This primer was definitely put to the test since I live in 100* F weather all summer and even til now it is still in the late 90s* F.

What I have been doing is wearing the ELF primer on the right eye and the UDPP on the other. When I'm lazy, I just wear the ELF primer. And at one point, I even switched - wearing the ELF primer on the left eye while UDPP is on my right. Note that I wearing eye shadows about 3-4 times a week on average.

Yeah, I really wanted to be thorough! So these are pretty much my opinions - I'm being totally honest. I'm just stating what I noticed while using these products and it is really up to you guys to make the decision whether to buy the high-end primer to stick to a cheaper alternative.

Packaging: Well, obviously the UDPP one is cooler and more intricate while the ELF one is pretty simple. I mean, that is one thing you should expect from ELF is that their packaging is not amazing! But that doesn't mean that the quality is horrible. In ELF's case, you shouldn't judge the "book by its cover!". Both are wand applicators and both are pretty much the same. I think the ELF one is fluffier - doesn't bother me and shouldn't really bother anyone, really.
The good thing about the ELF's packaging is that you can see all the products that you have. With the UDPP's packaging, you have to deal with the whole depotting thing... which doesn't sound too appealing. Plus, if you have to depot - the ELF one is obviously the easier to do.

Quantity: ELF: 0.17 fl oz for $1; UDPP: 0.34 fl oz for $18 --> 0.01 fl oz for $1 (please let me know if my math is wrong!).

Quality: So this is the part you guys actually want to read right? Yeah, well I have to lay out a background, don't I?

Texture: I think that UDPP's texture is better. It is creamier and therefore easier to blend out. The ELF one is a bit runnier so when I apply too much (and since it is so cheap, I don't mind applying a bit more than UDPP), it gets a bit messy to blend into my skin. Which brings me to the next point is UDPP blends into my skin way easier - not to say that the ELF doesn't. It just takes a bit more blending to get it to set. Still, it's not really something I'd complain about. I just wish that all the primers in the world has UDPP's texture - nice and creamy. If you guys recall, I feel that TFSI's texture is runnier as well.
Here's the important thing to note: ELF primer isn't invisible when it dries like the UDPP. I think it leaves a light beigy cast on the skin. Sometimes if I'm not careful and I apply too much, the blending is a bit messy and I can see the cast that the primer makes. It's kinda hard to explain but just know that it doesn't dry to a clear finish.

Creasing: This is when the ELF one really impressed me. Every time I wear ELF on one lid and UDPP on the other, the creasing is pretty much the same on both lids. Never was there an incident when one product showed creasing while the other didn't. So either I get creasing on both eyes or no creasing at all - which is really nice!

Fading: Now, when it comes to fading, the ELF primer couldn't really beat UDPP. However, I would say that ELF effectiveness is 85% of UDPP's when it comes to fading. That's not bad, especially when you just want to wear an easy color all over the lids for everyday look.

Color Improvement: Hmm... well, I think picture speaks louder than words.

Covergirl's quad in Tropical Fusion; the green color
As you can see, UDPP does a much better job of making a color more bright and vibrant. ELF primer helps a little bit but nothing compare! It is definitely better than having NO primer at all though.
Again, this is fine for me since I don't want such strong colors on my lids for school. But if I go out and I want a more dramatic look - I'd go to UDPP to get a more vibrant color.

My opinion: I think that for $1, ELF is a fantastic and a must in any make up collection! WHY? Because for an everyday look, this is perfect. It will help with creasing and fading and will keep your eye look nice and neutral. Only when I go out, do I want to use UDPP to make sure my shadows don't crease and remain bold throughout the night. I think that if the ELF primer can help the colors to be more vibrant, Urban Decay would be out of business. Then again, some people are bothered by the packaging. Yeah, the ELF one looks cheaper but I think the quality is fantastic!

I think I will keep repurchasing it because I think it is great for everyday looks. And I sometimes use a cream shadow base underneath and it really helps promote the color of my shadow.

I still love my UDPP and will continue to use it - but I will save it for the more special occasions!

I hope you guys enjoyed this review! I think it is a bit long but eh... just wanted to be detailed.

Blogger, How Have You Been?

Hello everyone! I am back with more goodness - and I'm kinda excited to do this PRODUCTS BATTLE!!!

This time, it is between three brands and this time it is about CREME BLUSHES!!!



Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush // Revlon Cream Blush // NYC Blushable Creme Stick

The Colors:

Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Rose Petal - neutral pink with a bit of shimmer to it
Revlon Cream Blush in Berry Flirtatious - berry pink; matte finish
NYC Creme Stick in Big Apple Blush - neutral pink with a hint of coral; dewy finish

Pigmentation:

I would say that the Revlon has the most pigmentation - but that just might be because it has the brightest color which shows up better on my face.

NYC one is pretty sheer but the color is very buildable so you can easily achieve the color you desire.

Maybelline mousse blush is sheer too - unfortunately it has little glitter particles so the more you build this color up, more shimmer will follow.

NOTE: putting a powder blush over these creme blushes can make the powder blush look more vibrant and last longer.

Texture:

Maybelline's mousse blush is well known for the awesome texture! So it feels like mousse and blends like a dream - it is so light and creamy, it feels like this is meant to be eaten.

NYC creme stick is the second best - blends easily at first but if you are building the color, you might have to do more work. Thus - you might ruin the make up that is underneath.

This is where the Revlon one has trouble. It is so hard to blend with this... ugh... I'm still trying to figure out best way to apply it.

Lasting Power:

I think that the Revlon had the longest lasting power because it is so hard to budge off the skin - same reason why it is hard to blend.

NYC one is again in the middle. It can last up to 3-4 hours for me - which is pretty good!

Alas, Maybelline mousse blush seem to last a very short time on my face.

NOTE: By putting a powder blush over the top, I tend to get a really nice staying power for my blushes... so I rarely wear creme blushes on they own.

OVERALL: I would totally recommend the new NYC blush creme stick!!! This stuff is great and they have a dewy finish but not exactly shimmery like my Maybelline one. I think the color choices are really nice and since it is the cheapest one out of all three, I'm planning to get a few more. By the way, you get 8 grams per stick! DANG that's a lot.

I also really enjoy the Maybelline mousse blush because of the texture! I just wish it shows up better and that it doesn't have as much glitter in it. I also like it more if it lasted longer on my face. But that's okay.

And finally - I think I probably won't buy another Revlon creme blush just because I hate blending it. It takes quite a bit of energy... does anyone else have this problem too??

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So... my birthday is tomorrow... and my parents got me a netbook!!! Yay - it would be perfect for school. I'm so excited. It's white and adorable.




So, I'm turning 21... yay right? Well I am planning to hang out with my friends and go out but I don't feel like being 21 will be any different! Although I am a year older... yuck... I hate being older.

But now I need some advice: what should I get for myself? A bunch of drugstore items (I've been wanting to try out the new WnW palettes and matte lipsticks) or one really nice high end item?

And by high end item - which one do you guys recommend???

PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

Battle of the Primers

VS.

Who will win?

So the idea of an eye primer is to make the quality of the shadows better - more pigmentation, better "blendibility", and greater staying power.

Hearing this news, I was like "Yeah! Give me some-a-that!" When I watch youtube vids or read makeupalley reviews on these primers, I was given the impression that these will prevent my shadows from creasing and fading through out the day.

** I'm sorry that there are no pictures... first of all it's kinda hard for my camera to pick up on all the details of my make up... and also I haven't had time! SORRY!

These primers - as you both know are $17 - but I bought them for cheaper prices from blog sales. So I got both for $11 each... so I don't know, look out for those sales! For a while, I would use both primers at the same time to compare the results. My findings surprised me:

- my shadows STILL CREASED!!! And they still faded... and I was somewhat disappointed. I thought this was gonna be my lifesaver and would make my eye make up look fresh and awesome throughout the day. No, no, no - alas... no. But you know what, it really did help the pigmentation of these shadows. I also think it helps w/ blending because they both turn my lids into very smooth canvases. So the application process is a great improvement but the wear isn't that great.

An important thing to note is that both primers are not very consistant. I mean, I always apply these primers in the same way - place the product on my lids and smooth out w/ my finger. But these primers would work great one day, crease another, and many other things varying in between. I guess it also really depends on the weather. They both wear better in cooler temperature... but you don't need me to tell you that.

And they both work pretty much the same on me... like one would crease one day and the other would crease the other day.... OR BOTH creased on the same day. So when it comes down to which one do I like better I have a lot of other factors helping me make this decision.

- TEXTURE - UDPP has a creamier texture while I find TFSI kinda runny and wet. Being runny and wet - TFSI has the higher tendency to come apart - into oil and product. I am starting to notice that w/ my TFSI. While the UDPP still holding on strong to it's texture.

- PACKAGING - UDPP has that wand that I like... I don't know why but I like that you can directly place the product on your lids. This allows me to calculate how much product I should use. W/ TFSI, even though it is in a tube and stuff, I never know how much product to use. It's weird - it's probably just me... you can probably ignore this fact.

- WHAT I NOTICED - is that UDPP, once set, is drier than TFSI - this means YAY to those girls w/ really oily lids. UDPP actually grabs on the shadows better - I've noticed. But this means that it is harder to blend.

So, seriously - which would I choose??? UDPP, my friend, is the winner. I just like using it better. Thing is that both products work the same on me that you can't really compare them in that way - so it really comes down to personal preference. But I just think that UDPP lasts longer than TFSI.

However, do you guys think eye primers are really that necessary? I know for me, before using primers, my shadows would crease and whatever but my shadows still creased when I used primers. I think I should experiment on that more and let you know.

And if I run out of UDPP - I will be looking into ELF and L'Oreal Decrease to figure out which is better. I don't think I'd want to spend $17 all the time on one product.

This is probably such a horrible post b/c there are no pics and stuff... I'm sorry! This was totally an impromtu post. I just find myself at liberty this morning.

And for you lovely ladies that commented on my last post - Thank you so much! You guys are really sweet and I'm so lucky to have gotten to know you through this blogging journey.... HUGS AND KISSES for all of you!!!

Oh and speaking of which - I can't believe I've been on blogspot for a year now!!! WOO HOO!! I probably can't have a giveaway - b/c I'm so broke, it isn't even funny. But maybe I will do something in the summer!!!

LOVE YOU ALL - thanks for the awesome comments. I hope this helped.

Battle of the Duos

So I posted that I got the Milani Sunset Duos a while back and I thought of doing a review on the product. But since I'm inspired by the Olympics, I shall compare two products side by side...

Who will win GOLD???

Keep reading to find out ;P

So, this is the product I just mentioned:

Got it for 75% at CVS a month ago.

This is me, wearing the duo + some highlighter, also from Milani called Glimmer Stripes in Honey Glimmer.




What do I think? I think I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE the bronzer. It is such a nice color when it comes to perking up your complexion a bit. Not too overwhelming and not shimmery either. I do notice a sort of light reflect but not so much that my face is shiny. No, this is a really great bronzer. The only complaint I have is the pigmentation, but it really isn't a complaint really. This bronzer is not the most pigmented (which is really beneficial for fair skin ladies) so I do have to build it up little by little. But since this is bronzer and no one wants to look like their just got hit in the face with faker tanner, less pigmentation is good and safe to use.

Now the blush is really pretty. However, I don't think it shows up on me as well as I hope. It is shimmery which I think looks nice in conjunction w/ the highlighter. BUT I really wish this blush goes on me a little better. Even so, I love this blush and I think when the eyes are really smoked out, it is nice to have a lighter shade of blush so the face doesn't look like a clown.

So, what I think of this duo??? I think it is fantastic! Definitely something I'd look into repurchasing.

----------------->>>

So, how does it compare to my ELF blush and bronzer duo??


I would say this is a really really close race!! And it is something that I'm, the judge and the consumer, is still debating about. Trust me, I've watched the replay vid over and over again just to make the call... but I can't do it.

I did a review on this before and I said this was the BEST buy of January! I say that this has the better blush! The blush in this is gorgeous on me and other people too. The only qualm is the bronzer being a bit darker than I would like but, again, really isn't a complaint because it looks fine on me.




** As you can see, Milani has the lighter bronzer and blush; and the blush is more shimmery and I would say more peachy.

** ELF on the other hand has the darker colors; the blush isn't as shimmery and it is more pinky but definitely has the peachy undertone.

----------------->>>

So there you have it. I guess to summarize it all, I would recommend BOTH :) But I think if you are fairer than me, I'd look into the Sunset duos first. The bronzers there are lighter and easier to work with. Of course, ELF is online and Milani can be found at drugstores... although Milani's been getting rarer and harder to find. Still, you can purchase this duo and other duos at Cherry Culture.

The rest of the look:





Thanks for reading!!

Oh and thanks so much for all the kind words!!!! I LOVE YOU GUYS!

Chai Latte vs. Coffee Bean

Anyways, as I'm at work - getting productive and actually doing my homework (YAY!), I decided to take a break and write a little post... about makeup... of course.

So, I am kinda falling in love all over again with Revlon. I bought a few products that I talked about in my last post, but now I am talking about a quad that I got from them.



Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow Quad in Coffee Beans
The bottom swatches are w/ UDPP underneath
** colors are better in person!

PROS:
+ Matte shadows!! Perfect for everyday look
+ I adore all of the shades - all really great colors
(especially the coppery color next to the darkest brown)
+ Not powdery texture
+ Very cheap - especially at Walmart :D
+ Good staying power! Up to 4-5 hours with no base :D

CONS:
+ Not the easiest to blend... but not bad though
+ You need a good base to get the best color payoff

OVERALL: 4/5
I wish it was a bit more pigmented and easier to blend however I think I like this quad more than the Maybelline Chai Latte.


- I love the highlight from the Revlon quad. It is pigmented but it is also matte so that's pretty cool. The Maybelline quad has an okay highlight but I HATE that it has glitter in it. Not just shimmer but GLITTER! So when I place it in my inner corner, the glitter gets everywhere on my lid. No, I bought matte shadows for a reason, I don't want glitter all over my eyes! *rant over*

- I like both the lid colors. The Revlon quad has a more cool-toned taupe lid color while the Maybelline has a warm-toned taupe color. Because of this, I think the Revlon color looks better on me just because the Maybelline color looks too much like my eyelid color. But again, both are good, no complaints. Both pigmented in the same degree.

- Now, I like the coppery shade WAY MORE than the gold shade. The coppery shade is actually more wearable than the gold shade. Again, I think it has to do something with how much more shimmery and maybe even glittery the gold color is. I just would rather wear the copper shade from Revlon. I think the Maybelline gold is more pigmented though - and these gold shades look really cool on the lower lashline during the holiday seasons :D

- For the final color, I think I like the Maybelline dark color more. I feel like dark colors should be blendable and I think Maybelline shadows are more soft and blendable than the Revlon shadows. However, again, the Revlon shadow color is more interesting because it has a plummy undertone while the Maybelline is just your typical chocolate brown color. With that said, the Chai Latte brown is what I use EVERYDAY to do my brows so I really do love it.

Overall, both are really good quads. If you like matte, natural colors looks like me, really look into these quads. They are great tools for beginners! Like me :)




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In other news:
I woke up w/ a swollen eye today - yeah, the skin around it is just puffy!! I don't know what is going on...?? Allergies? This has been happening to me so often that I'm starting to worry - sometimes my lips get puffy and some times other parts of my body also gets swollen... especially around my joints and stuff. And very often on Sunday mornings... when I have to go to work!! URGH. At least I took a Claritin and then wore my glasses to hide my puffy eye for the moment.

My mom asked if I had put on any make up on Saturday and, even though I did go to a hockey game, I was running late so all I had on was blush. This means that I haven't worn any eye make since Thursday. So I guess it is not make up related and leaning towards food related.

- My trick to divert people from looking at my puffy eyes:
1) Wear glasses
2) brighter color blush (Revlon A Floral Affair - Honeybunch) - you will look healthier :D
3) Fill in eyebrows - take a little bit of attention away from the eyes
4) Darker lipstick - Using my Lancome Mars
5) Flawless face - just another way to make you look healthier