NYX: Xtreme Lip Cream

I had mentioned these lippies in my last post and realized I have never reviewed or posted swatches of them yet. NYX lip products are some of my absolute favorites and these Xtreme Lip Creams are another great addition to that category!

These Xtreme Lip Creams fall into the lipstick/lipgloss hybrid category. I love these kinds of lip products because not only are they a time saver, they are so convenient! It's nice to only have to bring one lip product with you instead of a couple (definitely not trying to add to the madness that is my make up bag). Oh and the pigmentation of these Xtreme Lip Cream's...amazing! As I mentioned in my last review, these are very similar to Rimmel's Show Off Lip Lacquers as far as consistency. They are a bit drier in formula and a little less shiny than the Rimmel Show Off's but that's being super technical and it's nothing overly obvious. If you have tried NYX's soft matte creams, they are a bit thicker in formula and more hydrating. They are definitely very comfortable on the lips and last for at least 3-4 hours on me.

The only major negative to them is the scent. If plastic & play-doh were a desirable scent, then NYX totally nailed it. Unfortunately, I don't know many people that look for that scent in a lip product, I know I sure don't. The good news is the scent isn't really noticeable once the product is applied. Thank Goodness.

Rimmel: Show Off Lip Lacquer Celestial & Luna

Finally! I got my hands on the long awaited Apocalips by Rimmel! I was a little disappointed that they changed the name for the US release...Apocalips is so much better than Show Off Lip Lacquer. Not sure why the name was changed...are you trying to tell us something Rimmel? Are we Americans not worthy of a cool lipgloss name?! Well, we did get 14 shades whereas the UK only have 8, so that's pretty awesome...I guess all is forgiven.

Anyways, I've been waiting for months for these bad boys to make an appearance here in the U.S. and I was at my Walgreens as soon as I heard they had arrived. To my dismay, not only were a lot of the colors sold out, the ones left over had been opened. So annoying.

There is a seal on the product but like most drugstore makeup, a little clear sticker doesn't prevent tampering. If you aren't familiar with this product, there is a way to tell if the applicator has been pulled out all the way or not.

From L-R: If the center section is clear like the photo on the left, then the applicator has not been pulled out of the tube. Regardless if the seal is broken, if you see a clear section, that means no one has pulled the applicator out yet. The photo in the middle shows the applicator about to be pulled out. You can see the color start to fill the section. The photo on the far right is what happens as the applicator is being taken completely out of the tube. If you see a gloss that has a center section filled with product, then you know someone has pulled the entire applicator out.

After searching forever for just one gloss that hadn't been tampered with, I was eventually able to get my hands on Celestial and Luna. There were shimmer shades but I was only interested in the creme finishes. Though these weren't my top picks, they were new and sealed and that's all that mattered to me!

Review: Dr. Scholl's For Her High Heel Insoles

Here's my horrible attempt at a quick stop motion vine featuring the Dr. Scholl's for Her High Heel Insoles that I received complimentary from Influenster.

I love high heels...I actually prefer them to flat shoes but as I get older, my tolerance for wearing them for a long period of time diminishes. My feet just don't support me the way the used to. 

When getting ready for a night out, a laundry list of thoughts go through my head when picking out what shoes to wear. I always think about where I'm going to be; am I going to be standing a lot, walking a lot, etc.  Definitely a result of many late nights and mornings where I want to cut my feet off. #girlproblems My feet are starting to throb just thinking about all those endless nights of dancing, clubbing, walking the strip of Vegas, etc. Oh to be young again!

SinfulShine At Sea

Previously I reviewed VIP from the SinfulShine line and mentioned that I wanted to try a few more to see if the formula was the same in all of them. Lucky for me, I had received At Sea in my Influenster box to test out. I'm so glad I did, because I absolutely love it!

Almost every negative I had mentioned in my review (which you can read here), was the complete opposite with At Sea! The formula was so much better with this color. It was almost opaque in 1 coat, the formula wasn't too thick, dried in a reasonable amount of time, and it lasted a few days without chipping! I also like that I can get away with not having to put a top coat on because these polishes dry with a nice shine finish.

I definitely have my eye on a few more colors that I need to add to my collection!

At Sea

Review: Maybelline Fit Me Shine-Free Foundation

I think the last time I tried a stick foundation I was in highschool...and that was ages ago. It was a Clinique or Estee Lauder one, and I hated it. Fast forward to today, and stick foundations have caught my attention again, but this time at the drugstore.

Ooo...foundation in stick form and shine free...this sounds convenient!

Picking out a shade was a little difficult because there's a number sticker on the top of the cap that obstructs your view a bit. Yes, there's the big ass color wheel but the foundations weren't exactly the color of the display.

The main thing you will notice is the different color core in the middle of the stick. Some were more pink and some more yellow. I noticed that the shade I thought would match me best had a pink core so I had to focus only on the shades that had the more yellow core.

I purchased Shade 310- Sun Beige (which turned out to be a good match) and for reference again, I'm an NC35 at MAC. I paid $8.99 for .32 oz at Walgreens but I know Target sells it for $6.99. Eitherway, it's a very affordable foundation coming in at under $10.

It's about the size of a lipstick but a bit wider which makes it really convenient for on-the-go.

I do appreciate that the sticks are sealed but just like lipsticks, the seals can be broken extremely easily. When the cap is shut, you can't tell the seal is broken with a quick glance. I always pull the cap just a bit to see if the seal has already been broken or not.

4th of July Nails

*Never got this post up in time but thought I'd post it anyway*

In true nail art addict fashion, I of course had to pay homage to America on my nails. My nails still have not grown out and this was super last minute...not my best work for sure. I came across my Julep polish in 'America' (how appropriate) and did a quick mani before all the BBQ's and celebrating ensued.

(L-R) 

ColorClub- Insta-This

Julep- America

Circus by Andrea's Choice- Reverso

Nailtini- Bloody Mary

Happy Birthday 'Merica!

Summer Beauty Essentials & Tips

Already midway through summer here in Cali and I can't believe it! Seriously, where does the time go?!

This post was suppose to go up right after the July 4th weekend, but here we are...July 17th, whoops.

Over the July 4th holiday weekend I went hiking, to the beach, wine tasting, rafting, and tried to keep cool in the ridiculous heat (if that counts as an activity). I know us Californians are known to be somewhat of weather snobs...complaining at temperatures that are laughable to other states and countries, but it's home, and anything over 80 degrees is hot in my opinion. (don't judge)

Over the 5 day weekend, I brought along some products that proved to be great for the warmer weather and being in water.