Review: Maybelline 24H Tattoo Eyeshadow

Maybelline 24H Tattoo Eyeshadow in Tough as Taupe

Left: Blended with a brush |  Right: Swatched with finger

There was a lot of buzz surrounding these eye shadows and they were being compared left and right to MAC's Paint Pots.  I've never tried the MAC Paint Pots, so I can't really comment on that. At the moment of buying this I was just looking for a nice cream eyeshadow. I was very surprised with this one. The formula is very creamy and can just as easily be used with a brush or with your fingertips. The color payoff is great, but with this particular shade I feel that the name is a bit off. I see this shadow as being more of a light grey than a taupe color. The most remarkable feature of this shadow is the lasting power. While I cannot testify to it lasting 24 hours (I find that a bit odd), I can say that this lasts from when I put on my make up till I take it off. Overall, I would say that these are great cream shadows regardless of whether they are similar to the MAC ones. I'm looking forward to trying some other shades, particularly Bad to the Bronze.

Review: Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Candy Coral

I got this little blush as an impulse buy. I feel in love with the bright coral shade and just had to try it. However, my experience with this product was very disappointing. The packaging looked really adorable. At first you get this really smooth looking product, but after a while it deflates and looks pretty messy. I did find that the texture of the product was very interesting, it felt very soft and airy. Maybelline suggests that you apply the blush with your fingertips and I must agree. The only way to really blend the blush is to use your fingers and well I didn't really find it too easy to blend. Another thing that disappointed me about the product was the pigmentation. I feel like it barely shows up on my skin tone, and for it to be noticeable I need to pile on the product.

Korres Mango Butter Lipstick

Mango Butter Lipstick SPF 10 in Purple

I picked up this little guy at TJ Maxx for just $4. I've been hearing a lot about the Korres products so I thought I would try this one out. The packaging is very simple but still attractive. It claims to be a "lipstick with a rich, intense colour for a brilliant high shine and wet look" and I couldn't agree more. The color payoff is good, it's not exactly as dark as it looks in the packaging but it's still a pretty good match on the lips. It does have a very shiny finish that reminds me more of a lip gloss than a lipstick but I don't mind. I think the shine makes the color look a little bit lighter and a bit more wearable (I am really afraid of dark lipsticks, but I stepped out of my comfort zone to try this one). The lipstick is also very smooth. It glides on effortlessly and it keeps my lips moisturized as long as I wear it. It has very good lasting power, it keeps the shine and color for around 5 to 6 hours.  This product left a very good first impression of the Korres brand. I'm definitely very excited to try some of their other products, specially their famous lip butters.

Review: Covergirl Lip Perfection Lipsticks

Sultry Sensuelle(left), Delish Regal(right)

Delish Regal

Sultry Sensuelle

I had been searching for some nude lipsticks for a while and recently my mom picked up these two shades for me. She actually chose the lipsticks because they don't dry out her lips and seeing how they worked for her I was happy to try them. These actually claim to smooth out your lips in a period of 7 days. I didn't actually see any difference but my lips don't dry out when I use these. The formula is very creamy, I would say that maybe a little bit too creamy. I try to use these with a light hand because they can buildup and look a bit gooey. If I go a little bit overboard, I just blot with some paper towels. As for wear, they're not really that extraordinary lasting around 4-5 hours. Overall, I would say these are good not great.

Review: Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Facial Cleanser

I talked a little bit about this cleanser in my previous skincare post so I thought I'd do a complete review. First off, the packaging. It has really simple no fuss packaging and a pump. Personally, I do prefer cleansers with a pump because I feel like you end up wasting less product. Another thing I really liked about the packaging was that it doesn't feel like a gimmick. There are tons of brands that are jumping on the natural and eco-friendly bandwagon and at the end of the day they don't really tell which ingredients they're using. The back of this cleanser has a sort of glossary of ingredients which I found very nice. I would say the product itself is great. It removes all of my make up easily and it leaves my skin looking brighter without that feeling of tightness you get from other cleansers. It has a very faint herbal scent which is plus for users with sensitive skin. The cleanser also claims to be suitable for acne prone skin and I must agree with this. I've been using it for almost two months and I've seen an improvement on my break outs and the frequency in which I get them. All in all I would say this is a suitable cleanser for all skin types and I am definitely going to repurchase.

What's your favorite cleanser?

Review: e.l.f. Zit Zapper

What motivated me to buy this product was the price. It is only $1, can you believe that?  I've used up almost the entire thing and if I could I would buy these in bulk. There are a lot of things that I love about this product. The first is the size. It's great for traveling and carrying it around in your purse. Although sometimes I do wish it was tiny bit bigger because I keep running out. Another thing that I love is that the formula's clear and it absorbs easily. I usually wear this under make up without any worries. As for its effectiveness, I think it works superbly. I apply it at night and by morning it has reduced the swelling and redness on all my break outs. The roller applicator was something that I wasn't used to in these kinds of products but I learned to enjoy it. It allowed me to apply the product consistently on the areas that are prone to break outs. I'd never been able to do this with other products because they were too drying and I was very happy to find out that I could do it with this one. So, yes, I would buy this product again in a heartbeat.