Maybelline: Colorsensational Vivids in Vivid Rose

Oh Em Gee...I freakin love this lipstick! Bright Magenta goodness is Vivid Rose in a nutshell. The color is super pigmented, bright, but very wearable and not garish at all. The formula of these lipsticks are also great. They aren't drying, have great staying power, and no off putting scent. There is a great color range and although some of the pinks are not exact dupes, if you were ever interested in MAC's Pink Pigeon or Candy Yum Yum, this line is a great affordable alternative. I found at regular price, these lipsticks were cheaper at Walmart (where I purchased mine) and Target compared to all the other drugstores. Of course drugstores usually have some deal going on, so you should definitely take advantage when Maybelline is on sale and pick up some of these vivid amazingnesses.  I definitely need more of these in my life!

Now bask in the glory of that which is called Vivid Rose!

NYC: Smooch Proof 16HR Lip Stain

Wow, I just noticed this is my 3rd post about lip stains in less than a week! So I raved in my previous two posts: Revlon Balm Stain and L'OREAL Wet Shine Stain about how much I really liked those products, so let's see how this product faired.

As I mentioned before, I'm not a big fan of marker type lip stains. I've tried affordable and high end ones and I've never been impressed to the point that I wanted to try more. About a month ago, I was at Rite Aid and noticed that NYC was buy one get one free (aka a deal you should never pass up). NYC is one of the drugstore brands that I'm least familiar with as I've only tried one.. maybe  two products from the brand. I saw that the lip stains were running scarce and figured people must like them if there aren't that many left.

They retail for $4.99 and with the promo going on, even if I hate them, I was only out $5. I picked up two colors: Forever Fuchsia and Forever Freesia.

These marker type lip stains claim the following (taken from NYC's website):

• Color lasts up to 16 hours
• Will not transfer, rub off or smear, even when eating or drinking
• Lightweight formula, bare lip feel, matte finish
• Precise and even application
• Allows you to build color

So let me break it down real quick about the claims and my experience with the product.

L'OREAL: Colour Caresse Wet Shine Stain

I finally got around to trying the notorious dupe for the YSL Glossy Stains that I have been hearing about for months now! I don't own any YSL Glossy Stains and the most I have had in contact with them is swatching them on my hand a long time ago at Sephora, so I'll have to take everyone's word for it. What did intrigue me though, was the fact that a lip product that costs $10 rivals a high end product going for $34! (I mean let's face it, those are always the best finds!)

I remembered seeing these when they first came out and thought the packaging was really nice, the applicator looked interesting, and there was a nice selection of pinks (my fave!). Months went by and I never purchased them because I just thought they were a lip gloss...nothing special and I have so many already, I don't need anymore.

Then a coupon popped up in my email I think, $2 off a L'OREAL lip product. So I did what any responsible shopper would do. I bought something I didn't need, and told myself the coupon justifies the purchase. Right?! No?! Whatever.

So I picked up Pink Rebellion which from the package looked like a hot magenta color. Totally right up my alley. I have to admit though, I was not a big fan that these do not come sealed...who knows what people do with them or where their hands have been. Hello, germ fest! Anyways, I picked the one that looked the least tampered with and I'm happy to report no herpes...yet.

Polka Dots & Floral Print Nails

Spring has arrived! Polka Dots & Floral Print are definitely on trend this Spring so I thought I'd combine the two for an easy but very cute nail look. Instead of using all pastel colors which would also look great, I decided to make it a little retro by using the good ol' black and white combo. Enjoy!

Polishes Used

Black: Wet n Wild Ebony Hates Chris 

White: Circus Reverso

Darker Pink: Sinful Colors Beautiful Girl

Lighter Pink: Spoiled My Button Fell Off

Green: Mixed Julie G Gelato in Venice with Color Club Age of Aquarius

Fergalicious Cheetah Nails

I entered a Facebook contest in the beginning of March that Wet n Wild is hosting featuring the Fergie line of polishes. You can vote here: Fergie Polish Contest by clicking that link and hitting 'like' (voting ends April 27th).  I decided to do 2 fun looks and I have been asked what colors I used. For the first look, I did a "rainbow" gradient with cheetah spots. Again, I used all Wet n Wild polishes from the Fergie line to achieve this look. I'll post part 2 by tomorrow. Hope you like it!

Polishes Used

Gradient from cuticle to tip of nail:

Glowstick

Miami Spirit

Fergalicious

Layered 'New Years Kiss' on top of the gradient for some sparkle

For the cheetah spots:

Going Platinum

Blue Eyed Soul

Revlon: Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

Let's just cut to the chase, Revlon you've done did it again in the lip department! I am lovin' the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains! I purchased Honey and Cherish and it's the only lip products I have been wearing since I purchased them!

In general I'm a fan of lip stains in theory, but I've tried numerous marker type lip stains (including Revlon's Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm) and I'm still not big on them. For me, the formula of the marker type stains always fade in the most random places on my lips. They also go on weird on me: either really streaky or leave my lips looking like I've used red food coloring to stain my lips. I don't know if any of that makes sense but my point is, I don't like it. What makes this stain nice is the formula; the fact that they are a creamy "balm" consistency allows them to apply more evenly to the lips than most of the marker type stains I have tried. These balm stains remind me a lot of Revlon's beloved Lip Butters but in chubby stick form which makes them even easier to use. They have a mint scent which is not overpowering so I actually find it quite nice and refreshing. They also require no sharpening which is great! The two I tried had a surprising amount of pigmentation which again is reminiscent of the Lip Butters. As far as lasting power, I can get a good 3 hours of wear before I reapply again and that's with drinking and eating. Again, the chubby stick makes it so easy to apply that I never use a mirror when reapplying. Bonus points for major convenience!

Pastel Nails

Whenever Spring starts to shine its way through, I'm always in the mood to paint my nails in pastel colors. Maybe it's all the Easter merch that pops up everywhere but to me, pastels = spring! Using all drugstore polishes, I went for a different color on each finger because it was just more fun. (Plus, it's a good way to rock all the colors you love if you can't decide...haha.) This picture is taken on the 4th day of wear and I'm quite impressed nothing has noticeably chipped yet!

Polishes Used:

Pinky Finger: Sinful Colors  Sugar Rush

Ring Finger: Revlon Sunshine Sparkle

Middle Finger: Sinful Colors Candy Coated

Pointer Finger: Sinful Colors Orange Cream

Thumb: Julie G Gelato in Venice

Rimmel: Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipsticks

From L-R: #103, #110, #06, #10

I haven't been to Walgreens in a hot minute so I was shocked when I was there about a week ago and saw that all Kate Moss Lasting Finish lipsticks were 50% OFF! Yes, you read that right...50% off! Originally $5.79, which is not a bad price to begin with, $2.89 is a freaking steal! I've always wanted to try these lipsticks and what better time to do so. I'm not sure how long they are running this promo but I do know that all Rimmel is 50% until Saturday, 3/16, so it's a great time to buy!

The selection was a bit scarce at my local Walgreens but I picked up a few colors that weren't destroyed by someone previously mangling with the product. (I know you have come across those lipsticks that looks like someone half bit it/used it to draw like a 3 yr. old would..ugh.)

Easy St. Patrick's Day Nail Look

I posted this photo on the new Gaudy Glam instagram yesterday (@Gaudy__Glam) and as promised, here are the polishes used. This look was super easy to do and took maybe 10 mins including the drying time. I hope it inspires you to create some of your own awesome St. Patty's day looks as well! I'm really digging the green glitter base combo :)

Green base color: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Going Green
Green glitter top coat: Sinful Colors in Call You Later
Gold Glitter Accent Nail: OPI When Monkeys Fly
For the Rainbow-
Red: L.A. Colors Art Deco in Red Glitter
Orange: Circus by Andrea's Choice in Spectacle
Yellow: China Glaze in Lighthouse
Blue: L.A. Colors Art Deco in Blue Glitter
Purple: Color Club in Jingle Jangle

OPI: When Monkeys Fly

While browsing online, I saw a photo of OPI's Oz The Great and Powerful collection and I wasn't that impressed...at all. Then a few days later, I find myself gawking over a swatch of When Monkeys Fly at a local beauty store. Seriously, holographic glitter with large flecks of gold...yes, please. I had no idea from my initial online pursuing that those large gold flecks were part of the polish. It just looked like another gold glitter polish online. So of course, I had to have it and I put it on immediately when I got home.

 Now as much as I love how awesome this polish can look...it was a BIOTCH to work with. To achieve the look I wanted, I had to blob that shit on..literally. The formula is a bit thick and the application of gold flecks was sporadic with each coat. Like I said, I just blobbed it all over my nails to get the gold flecks to pack onto my nails. The gold flecks are basically confetti pieces placed throughout the polish so it might have been easier to just apply confetti pieces to my nails for the look I wanted. It dried pretty quickly which was a plus side for how much I was putting on, but if you hate glitter polishes in general...steer clear of this one.  I personally don't like this as a top coat but rather worn alone which I show in the second photo.

The photos below are a bit blurry but hopefully you get the idea.

*For the final look, again I "blobbed" or rather patted the brush on my nails instead of using a swiping motion so I could get the nails packed full of the gold flecks.

Finger-Licious Nail Entry

Hey there beautiful people!

I decided to enter a little nail contest on Facebook that Wet n Wild is hosting. The most likes wins so if you like the nail looks I created using all Wet n Wild polishes from the Fergie line, please go here: Fergified Nail Look Entry and 'like' the photo! It would make me one happy girl! Thanks!

Oz: The Great and Powerful Inspired Look

In honor of the movie Oz: The Great and Powerful coming out tomorrow, I thought I'd bust out my Urban Decay Theodora palette and do an eye look. I'm so excited to see the movie, I hope it doesn't disappoint!

Colors Used:

Brow Highlight: Broken

Above the crease: Beware

In the crease: West

Lid and lower lash line: Jealous (darker green side)

Outer Corner: Spell (Black shadow)

Lips: UD Super Saturated High Gloss Lip Color in Theodora 

*You can find my initial review of the palette here: Urban Decay Theodora Palette

Other products used:

Foundation: Revlon Colorstay in 330 Natural Tan

Powder: Sephora Microsmooth face powder in 30-Medium

Blush: Benefit Dallas

Eyeliner: MAC fluidline in Blacktrack.
Water Line: Too Faced Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Perfect Black

Brows: Benefit Brow Zings 

False Lashes: Ardell Wispies

Mascara: L'OREAL Telescopic Shocking Extensions


*Bonus: Oz inspired nails!

How fitting that pantone named Emerald as the color for 2013 and Oz comes out in 2013...(hello, Emerald City...get it?!) Anyway, I love this green glitter polish I found at Walmart for under $2. The color is I'll Behave by Pure Ice (which is like an exact dupe of OPI's Fresh Frog of Bel Air). I decided to pair it with black polish just to give it some contrast but the polish also looks great on its own.

Essie: Nothing Else Metals

Hi. My name is Kristina and I am obsessed with nail polish. My addiction love for nail polish is so bad that I decided to give it up for lent...buying new ones that is. So how am I doing with that? Ummm....I struggled for lasted 2 weeks! So 14 days out of 40...that's almost 50% of the way! (Pathetic I know...baby steps.)

Anyways, I had a coupon for $2 off an Essie polish at Rite Aid so of course I had to use it. I'm not the biggest fan of Essie because I find the formula to be streaky but I'm all about giving things another chance. I have always loved the colors that Essie comes out with and Nothing Else Metals caught my eye. It's a shiny, metal finish polish that has a silver lavender hue to it.

The thing with metal polishes is they all tend to be streaky and show any imperfection you may have on your nail...this unfortunately was no different. I love the color of this polish and how it looks from far away, but up close, ugh. Every time I look at my nails with this polish on, I am reminded that I should take better care of them...maybe drink more milk, buy a nail buffer...ugh. Yea, so this polish is going back (Love Rite Aid's return policy) and the metal polish hunt continues.
*Best metal like polish I have found so far is from Fergie's line for Wet n Wild which I swatched here: Going Platinum.

2 coats of polish were applied in these photos. The formula dried quickly and lasted a solid 4 days with no chipping.

Here are some close up shots where u can see the streaking, bubbling, and all my nail imperfections highlighted:

Review: CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation

After hearing all the rave reviews about this foundation, I had to see what the hype was all about. I purchased mine at Rite Aid for $12.79 but I know the price ranges from about $10-$13 depending on where you purchase it. I purchased 842-Medium Beige and for reference I am an NC 35 at MAC. I have combo to oily skin and a lot of acne scarring/discoloration, so a medium to full coverage foundation is what I look for. I currently use Revlon ColorStay and am very happy with the performance of that foundation and haven't felt the need to try any other drugstore foundations. So what made me bite the bullet and give this a try? I heard a few people say this foundation has replaced their Revlon Colorstay! Say what?! 10 mins later I'm in my car on a mission to get this in my possession.

So what did I think?

NYX Round Lipstick

I noticed I had acquired quite the collection of NYX round lipsticks, so I thought I'd share some swatches and a quick review for those out there looking to try these or add to their collection. I only own 21 shades out of the line and I say only because there's 124 to choose from! If there was an award for creating the most variations of a color...NYX would win, hands down.

These lipsticks are super affordable at $4 each on the NYX Cosmetics site, and you can find them even cheaper on sites like cherryculture.com and Ulta. They claim to be a velvet texture lipstick that resists smudging...the velvet texture maybe but resists smudging? NO. I find these lipsticks to be a very creamy formula which is nice because they are moisturizing to the lips. However, the creamy formula also contributes to the product sliding a bit so I'm not sure what they mean by resists smudging. Last time I accidentally swiped my hand over my lips, I was rocking lipstick on my face...not cool. Although I don't agree with the smudge proof claim, these are great lipsticks (Just don't swipe your hand over your lips and face). They are creamy, not heavy or thick on the lips, color range is great, super pigmented, no noticeable scent, and very affordable. I also love the packaging because the actual color of the lipstick is visible at the bottom of the tube. This is great not only when you are buying these in person but also when I'm storing them upside down. I can easily see what is what which is so convenient. The wear time for me is about 3 hours before I need to re-apply.
I definitely recommend these for any lip junkie that is looking for some extra colors to add to their collection!

*Cherry Culture is currently having their 20% off sale again so these lipsticks come to $2.40!!! Sale ends March 10th, code: MMM2013

Now on to what's most important, THE SWATCHES!

Wet n Wild: Mega Last Lipstick

For me, Wet n Wild had always been the brand that was crappy in quality but so cheap I couldn't be that disappointed..that is until a few years back. Talk about stepping up your game Wet n Wild! To this day, I still think Wet n Wild has some of the best quality eyeshadows and blushes at the drugstore and at a ridiculously affordable price!

I recently became reunited with my Wet n Wild stash of lip products and forgot how much I enjoy using them! I'd have to say that any cons to the product are pretty much justified by the price...$1.99. Yes, $1.99....AND most of the time Wet n Wild is BOGO 50% off or BOGO free. You could pretty much find change on the ground and get yourself some of these lippies...crazy.

So what's the good vs the bad?

Cheap Thrills: Rite Aid Deals!

Rite Aid has some awesome deals on beauty items right now, I just had to share! I'm sure it depends on your area, but I find Rite Aid in general is better priced than CVS and Walgreens on identical items to begin with. On top of that, if you visit their video values site: Rite Aid Video Values (totally free btw), you can score some additional coupons on items you were already going to purchase. I always check this site before going to Rite Aid and this time there were some great coupons! Basically when you visit the site, you can browse what items are currently being offered a coupon. You select which one you want, watch a short video (most are 30 sec. to a min.), enter a captcha code when the video is over, and boom...savings! You do have to print the coupons but they will all print on the same page so you aren't wasting paper. Another thing, and this goes for all drugstores, sign up for their free member cards. It's FREE and it gives you their weekly discounts plus emailed coupons.

Ok, now on to the awesome finds for this week! 

February 2013 Favorites

It's that time again: Monthly Favorites! For the month of February I loved so many things it was hard to choose. A few of the items I chose I have been using for awhile now, but I noticed that I either repurchased them again this month or continued to reach for it which means they work and are worth my money!

• Aveeno Clear Complexion Daily Cleansing Pads
• Splendid Soft Skin Body Butter in Ruby Grapefruit
• Josie Maran Aragan Oil
• Be a Bombshell Eyeliner in Onyx
• Lorac Eye Shadow in Serenity
• CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick in 325-Spellbound
• Sephora MicroSmooth Foundation Face Powder

NYX Slim Lip Pencil

Whoa! It's been a hot minute since my last post so I decided to do another swatch post to get my blog ball rolling again. I noticed that my post on the NYX Mega Shine lip gloss has probably received the most hits thus far so I thought I'd do a post on their lip pencils.

NYX lip pencils are some of my favorites because they are super affordable and they offer a wide range of colors (60!). They aren't the creamiest formula nor do they tug on the lips so they live somewhere in that middle area. They have great pigmentation and can definitely be worn alone as an all over lip color which is how I like to use them. As far as lasting power, I can get a few hours of wear before I have to reapply again.

They retail for $3.50 which is a freaking steal and you can find them even cheaper from cherryculture.com which is where I purchase them. I mentioned this in the lip gloss post here: NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss.

Nude Pink and Natural are hands down my most used lip liners in general...they go with everything and are a must have! I also highly recommend Bloom if you like to rock hot pink/magenta lips (umm, who doesn't?!) Ok, enough with the words, here are the swatches of the pencils I own (pics taken in natural sunlight):

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

Happy Single's Awareness Day Valentine's Day!!!

Since today is about love, I thought I'd share the beauty products I absolutely LOVE. I'm talking holy grail, heaven sent, must have, would buy over and over again status. Enjoy!

LORAC PRO Palette $42.00

If I could only have one eye shadow palette, this is it. I can honestly say this has every shade I could need for a day or night time look. The variety of matte and shimmer shades are great and the quality of the shadows are amazing. Super pigmented, blends easily, and a must have in my opinion!

Revlon Colorstay Foundation $9.99

I have tried more foundations than I would like to admit but this foundation takes the cake for performance and price! I have combo, acne prone skin, and for color reference I'm about an NC35 at MAC. I use the shade 330-Natural Tan and I find that this has great coverage (medium but easily buildable to full coverage), lasts all day, works well with my yellow undertone skin, and does not feel heavy on the face. I find that I reach for this over any other foundation including my high end foundations. My only gripe is the packaging...no pump. Why Revlon? Why?!

e.l.f. Studio Powder Brush $3.00

This brush is amazing and for the price, I feel like e.l.f. is getting ripped off. I think everyone and their Mom has tried this brush, and for good reason. The bristles are soooo soft and the flat head shape is great for everything. I mainly use this for powder and contouring and it's perfect. I own like 7 of these, no joke. 

MAC Powder Blush in Blunt $21.00

This matte brown blush has been the perfect contour powder for my face. I've used this for almost 10 years (omg, just typing that made me feel so old). I've used this on fair skintones as well and it looks great. This is a very dark powder so blending is a must, but it really is one of the best contouring powders!

MAC Lipstick in Girl About Town $15.00

This lipstick is described as a bright blue fuchsia and it is exactly that. When I want to rock a bright lip, this is my go to color. I love that it's bright but not neon bright so it's wearable for most skintones. The cool tone of the lipstick is great in helping your teeth look whiter and it has a nice creme consistency. It lasts for hours on me and I usually wear it alone, no liner, no gloss. 

Birchbox Exclusive: Color Club in Insta-This $8.00

I am obsessed with this color! It's a bright cobalt blue that is opaque in one coat but I always do 2 coats by habit. I have nothing but good things to say about this polish but I'll just let the photo do the talking.

Julep Nail Vernis in Vivien $14.00

I love my glitter polishes and when I find a glitter polish that is opaque and can be worn alone, it tugs at my heart strings. I love the mix of large glitter and gold shimmer in this polish. In 2 coats this polish is opaque and the tone of the gold is so nice...it's like platinum gold. Ahhh, love!

Clark's Botanicals Smoothing Marine Cream $115.00

I know, I know...$115 for moisturizer?! I've never used La Mer, but I can only imagine my love for this is equivalent to those that pay for La Mer all the time. This stuff is amazing. It makes your skin soooo soft and the glycolic acid gently exfoliates your skin at the same time! I don't know how this stuff works but my skin is soft, break outs seems to have gone away, and acne scarring has lightened...totally worth it to me!

Salvatore Ferragamo Incanto Shine Eau De Toilette $30.00-$50.00

This is definitely top 3 for me for favorite perfumes. I purchased this back when it first came out in 2007 and I have gone through 5 bottles at least since then. It's a light, fruity/floral scent that's perfect for spring and summer. I'm not good at describing scents but let's just say I always get compliments when I wear this and I wear this year round. And did you notice the bottle?! Loves it!