NEW! Maybelline Electric Neon Baby Lips - Swatches & Review

Hello everyone! It's been a while since I last posted...I've been busy with other things and a bit lazy too.. :( Anyway, today I would like to bring you a quick look at Maybelline's recent expansion to their Baby Lips line, with 6 new electric neon shades!

These have surfaced in the United States a couple months ago and since then I've been on a small but constant lookout for them to start appearing in our drugstores. I spotted these at my local Wal-Mart last week and have played with them for the past few days. They were in the permanent display along with the original shades and there is no indication to these being limited edition. Read on to find out my thoughts on how they compare to the original release of Baby Lips!

If you are not familiar with the Baby Lips formula, here is a quick blurb to get you up to speed. They are marketed as tinted moisturizing lip balms that provides 8 hours of moisture and gives a sheer wash of colour. The Baby Lips are lightly flavoured and it more or less related to the name and colour of the particular shade. So yes, each as a unique flavour! They are also lightweight and non-sticky.

These new shades in the range appear to be fun, bright, neon colours that seem like an awesome idea for summertime. The tubes are black for all but the writing on the cap corresponds to the colour of the lip balm inside. I find them so fun to carry around in my purse and there is a teeny bit of excitement that I get everytime I pull one out to use :P On the package it states that these are made "with shea butter & vitamin E". Both ingredientshave a reputation of being moisturizing. However, these new shades do not have SPF (sun protection), whereas the original shades do have SPF 20. **Fun fact: The limited edition shades also did not have any SPF.**

70 Pink Shock: This is a sheer hot pink shade, no shimmer. Perhaps the most pigmented of the bunch, it definitely gave the lips a pretty layer of pink that may replace the need for lipstick. This shade is slightly cherry candy scented, quite pleasant to me. The scent does linger on the lips for a while.

75 Fierce N Tangy: This shade appears "highlighter"-kind of neon yellow in the tube but swatches pretty much clear. It does not produce any colour on the lips and might as well be a clear lip balm. It is still very moisturizing and smells like lemons. However, the scent and taste is reminiscent to lemon-scented dish soap so that wasn't quite as enjoyable...

80 Berry Bomb: This is sheer purple shade with no shimmer. Even though it's name is Berry Bomb, I found the scent and taste resembling more that of grape than berry. A light, sweet kind of grape, nothing overwhelming and I quite enjoyed this one. This colour does not come off very strong on the lips, but it managed to give it just enough purple tinge that my natural lip colour deepened, but also enhanced the natural pink undertones.

85 Oh! Orange!: This one is pretty obvious, it's the orange shade! I also think the name of this shade is rather cute :) Unfortunately, this colour was not flattering on my lips or my skintone, it also seemed to accentuate my dry skin on the lips. The colour payoff is there though, so if yo're in the market for a fun sheer orange lip balm, this could be the one for you. It has a light minty orange scent.

90 Minty Sheer: So another one with no colour! This is the green one and true to its name, it's super sheer and it has a minty scent. However, this type of mint comes with a touch of "plant" to it...so not my favourite kind of mint. I personally much prefer the Peppermint scent of the original baby lips (clear balm in the green tube) over this one.

95 Strike A Rose: This is a great sheer red-pink colour, also no shimmer. Compared to Pink Shock, this looks more neon in the tube but comes off less neon on the swatch and on the lips. The end result for me was a healthy shade of pink with a lot of shine and a sweet fruity scent. I can't pinpoint it to a certain kind of fruit on this particular shade. I enjoyed this shade and I like how it gives colour but still sheer enough that your natural lip colour shows through.

Overall Impression: I think I enjoy most of these new Baby Lips shade! The texture of these new ones are even more soft and less sticky/slick than the original so I find that a great improvement on the formla, making me love it even more than the old. The colours aren't the most exciting thing ever but they work. Nothing would be scary to wear out of the house, however, for most of these you won't want to be caught applying them without a mirror because if you miss your lip lines, they are pigmented enough to let everyone know :P Also, it would be advisable to still use some sort of light lip balm with SPF prior to applying these Baby Lips, especially in the summertime with lots of sunlight, becase your lips get can get sunburned too! Lips are the most common place on the body that is neglected when it comes to applying sunscreen and there are a number of cases of pre-cancer being diagnosed from the lips. So please don't forget to shower your lips with some sun protection love too!! These were purchased at Wal-Mart for CAD$3.96 + tax, so the price is not too bad. I think these are a great option if you want something light, quick & easy, and affordable! 

Have you picked up any? Interested in trying them out too? Let me know below! :)

Joanne

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigments - Swatches and Review!

One of the latest and possibly most highly anticipated drugstore items are these Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigments! Ever since Maybelline uploaded a sneak peak picture on instagram I've been on the lookout for when these pigments will land in the drugstore. I finally came across them last week and I picked up all 10 shades that are offered to play with them.

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons why these pigments are so anticipated by drugstore makeup enthusiasts is because pigments are quite rare in the drugstore makeup department. There really aren't many brands that have ventured into pigment/loose eyeshadows. More over, Maybelline has some pretty impressive claims for its new product, as follows: "Double-dipped pigments create intense eyeshadow colour intnsity. Superior staying Power, for crease-proof wear all day long." -maybelline.ca

Well, doesn't that just make it sound like these pigments are a must-try product? Let's see some swatches below.

Part 1: The Neutrals

3 swipes, no primer

(L to R)
1) 30 Black Mystery - The darkest colour of the entire range. This is a blackened deep charcoal colour that could be built up to an intense black if several layers are used. The finish has a subtle sheen to it, but the most notable feature of this particular shade is that it contains a fair amount of deep blue glitter/shimmer in it that catches the light. The overall colour reminds me of a star-filled night sky.

2) 45 Downtown Browm - A brown colour pigment that leans toward the cool end of the specturm. This is a very easy to use neutral colour that can be incorporated into almost any eye look. There are a small amount of pearl color shimmer in this pigment but it is not super noticable, so the overall finish is simply a pearly brown colour. Colour is buildable, and will definitely work well as an outer corner or crease colour. It will come in very handy for a wearable daytime smokey eye look.

3) 35 Breaking Bronze - A colour that is very true to its name; this is a straightforward bronze colour. Nothing fancy to spice it up, but this colour itself will be able to create for you as fancy a look as you would, or as toned down as you like. I personally think this colour would compliment a tanned complexion beautifully for the summer, or it will look great even on fair skintones for a spiced up night look.

4) 60 Buff and Tuff - This is like a lightened version of downtown brown, and also a bit warmer in tone. There are noticable gold shimmer flecks in this particular colour, which I am personally not a fan of. I would have liked this shade more if they did pearl/silver shimmer instead.

5) 55 Barely Brazen - This is the lightest colour of the entire range, and it's a classic nude champagne-y colour that is perfect as an all-over lid colour to add some sparkle to your eye. Or for a more intense look, this colour can be used as an inner-corner highlight and browbone highlight. There are not mch shimmer/glitter specks noticed in this shade because the entire finish of this colour is just so reflective already.

Part 2: The Brights

3 swipes, no primer

1) 25 Wild Gold - A true-to-pot, solid yellow-gold colour. I personally would consider using this colour as an under eye liner right beneath the lower lashline to add a fun pop of colour. If you have too much yellow tones in your skin already this would not work too well as a main lid colour as it would accentuate the yellow tones too much.

2) 20 Pink Rebel - Unfortunately, this colour did not come off as pink and vibrant as I expected from just looking at the pot, but the colour is still very pretty. The colour is more like a toned-down hot pink, with purple undertones, almost like a fuchsia pink colour. It does have a small amount of silver glitter specks incorporated in it, so it gives a sparkly look when the colour overall catches the light.

3) 15 Potent Purple - A grape-toned pruple colour. This one is almost like the dud of the entire range because it was the hardest to swatch with intense colour, and was also quite patchy and uneven when I tried to swatch it on my arm for the above photo. The colour is pretty, and the finish has a nice sheen, bit it is not easy to work with.

4) 10 Brash Blue - A truely intense cobalt blue colour. The colour payoff on this shade was excellent, true to pan, and brightly intense. Although this colour is definitely not for the faint-of-heart and can't really be used for "every day looks" , I know I will be having lots of fun using this colour to create looks for halloween makeup this year! This is also a great colour that I can consider using under my lower lashline as an eyeliner.

5) 05 Never Fade Jade - This is a type of forest-y pine green colour that isn't really that close to the colour of actual jades. This type of green has quite a bit of blue undertone to it so that it appears cooler and darker. Still this is a gorgeous colour and is considerable for anyone who enjoys using greens often, especially because it compliments brown eyes beautifully and really makes them pop. This is also a great colour that I can consider using under my lower lashline as an eyeliner.

Overall Thoughts...

As exciting as these are to the drugstore makeup world, after playing around and experimenting for one week, I don't think these are a groundbreaking product by any means. The following breakdown will likely explain why that is.

Texture: The texture for most of these pigments are very smooth and forgiving. The exceptions would be Potent Purple and Pink Rebel, as they came off quite uneven and splotchy. The ones that have noticeable glitter in the pigments did not feel gritty on the eyelids either.

Fallout: YES, these pigments will be a major fallout pain if you don't prepare a sticky base for them. Therefore, an EYE PRIMER is a must in order to use them because otherwise you will find a fair amount of the colour on your cheeks. Also, to further avoid fallout, do not use the swipe motion with your brush to apply them. Instead, the pigment should be patted into the eyelid with a flat eyeshadow brush, sponge-tip applicator, or even your fingers to ensure minimal fallout.

Pigmentation: Pigmentation is strong for most of these colours, again with the exceptions being Potent Purple and Pink Rebel. However, I don't think it's as exceptional as what Maybelline appears to claim it being. When compared to the minimal track record of drugstore pigments, Maybelline has done a really good job with these already, but by no means will it be turning be away from my MAC pigments any time soon. Using these pigments on top of an eyeshadow base definitely intensified the colour payoff for me, and another great way to get strong colour payoff is actually to use a Color Tattoo Cream Shadow in a corresponding colour (i.e. Never Fade Jade & Edgy Emerald, Wild Gold & Bold Gold, Breaking Bronze & Bad to the Bronze, etc etc) as its base, because that is also a nice and sticky, long lasting base trick! I really believe Maybelline meant for these pigments to be paired with the Color Tattoo Cream shadows...what do you think?? :)

Lasting Power: I needed to use a good base underneath the pigments on my eyelids in order for them to last most of the day and remain crease free. Without a base, the colour started fading quite fast and also started to fallout onto my face o.O" So I would have to deem the claim of "for crease-proof wear all day long" to be another fail, as that was not possible unless extra measures were taken. When a primer type of product was used prior to the application of the pigment, the performance of the pigments were significantly better than without.

So overall, I enjoyed trying out these new pigments but I don't think they are an absolute must-have by any means at this point in time. The colours are nice and I like how the range is separated into neutrals and brights, so there will be something for everybody :) If you enjoy using loose, mineral eyeshadows and pigment type of eyeshadows, you will likely enjoy trying these out. If you prefer something that is less messy to work with then I'd say stick to the regular eyeshadows in pan-forms, because these can be quite a disaster if not used carefully.

These pigments retail for $7-10 each for 1.3g of product depending on which drugstore location you get yours at. These are new, permanent items to Maybelline's lineup. I imagine we may be seeing new, limited edition colours in later Maybelline collection launches.

Have you spotted these are your local drugstore makeup departments yet? Will you be trying them out? Let me know! :) Thanks for reading~

Joanne


Disclaimer: Products mentioned in the above post were all purchased by myself with personal funds. This post and its content are not sponsored in anyway and all are my personal, honest opinions. 

TOPBOX June 2013 - Open Box Time!

Time for June Topbox! I'm so happy that Topbox has been shipping out of Vancouver lately, such that I receive mine right the next day the shipment notification email is sent from Topbox :)

This month I've opted for the regular box (AGAIN) as I was not intrigued by any of the Prive Box choices (AGAIN). Well, if there are a good number of subscribers out there like me, then at least those who opted for any of the Prive Boxes will probably be guaranteed their choice. Anyway, this month I quite enjoyed the contents of my regular box, so lets jump in to everything!

Wrapped within the typical purple tissue paper I found 4 products that were all makeup related so I am very happy about that. It also looks like everything was a pretty decent size!

BENEFIT Ultra Plush Gloss in Sugarbomb

BENEFIT Ultra Plush Gloss in Sugarbomb - 6.5mL: "Silky & luxurious shimmering pinky nude lip gloss. Full Size: $19 (15mL)". I can never say no to a Benefit product, especially when it's one that I already know I love. I know it kind of defeats the purpose of Topbox's original intentions of letting me try new products and broaden my experience, but hey, I'd prefer a product I know I like rather than an unknown one that I end up not enjoying. I've previously received a similar lipgloss sample, but in the shade "Dandelion", from February's Benefit Prive Box (my first and ONLY prive box to date). The texture of these glosses are really smooth and non-sticky, however, due to the lack of slick they don't tend to be the longest lasting product out there. The colour is on the sheer sid eof the spectrum but still enough colour that it can be used on its own for my lips, given them a great "my lips but better and shinier" appearance :) $19 for the full size sounds a little steep, but don't forget to look at the SIZE of the tube...15mL is quite hefty for a lipgloss, considering most brands offer only half or less of that! The size of the sample here already beats a lot of lip glosses in my collection haha. Value: $8.23.

Belvada Mini Eyelash Curler

Belvada Mini Eyelash Curler: "Compact and easy to use, this curler will create a natural looking curl. Full-size: $5.99" So this eyelash curler does not have any metal parts to it, so on top of it being very compact, it is also very lightweight. I have never used an eyelash curler apart from the typical metal ones (my current one is from Shu Uemura). I find that because I have a rather typical Asian eye shape, which means my lash line does not have much curve to them, many eyelash curlers actually don't fit my eye and cannot get to all of the lashes. So far just looking at this eyelash curler, it seems flatter than the usual metal ones so perhaps I will be able to use this. There is a small flap in the back that pulls down to become the lever for the curler and folds back up and locks when it's not being used. I think I will give this a shot tomorrow when I do my makeup hehe. Value: $5.99

Jelly Pong Pong Fairy Lashes Mascara - 8 mL: "A mascara specially formulated to make eyelashes flutter and flap. Full Size: $24(8mL)" Well well! A full size makeup product that is NOT a nail polish, how exciting! Honestly, I have not heard of this brand previously, so I went to take a look at their online site and found that this brand sold a lot of cute makeup items! It seems that it is an Europe-based company that produces its products in Italy, and the top selling-point of this brand is that it infuses botanical (plant) essence into its products that are good for your skin at the same time as making you pretty. The price point seems to be mid-high end, so I'm hoping this is going to be good stuff. But again, I am aware that of all makeup items, mascaras are the most common culprit in the emotional roller-coaster of rants and raves, especially when you have Asian eyelashes like me hahaha. I'm interested to try this mascara out soon, but first I must finish the one I am currently using (Maybelline The Rocket non-waterproof, I like this stuff!) as I like to keep only one open and used mascara at any given time. Value: $24

PARI Beauty Colour Cubes - 1.3g each x 2: "Multi-purpose mineral prigments in convenient stakcs. Use as eyeshadows or mix for versatile use. Full Size: $30 (5 stack, 7g), $35 (8 stack, 11g)" I was so super excited when I saw this in the box this month! I personally LOVE eyeshadow pigments and the remind me so much of the stacks I have from the brand Naked Cosmetics and I love those so much! I'm pretty surprised that this sample contained 2 colours as I think giving just 1 colour would be more typical of what TopBox tends to do. (Not complaining here! Thank you TopBox for the pleasant surprise!) The top colour appears quite yellow in the pot but when applied to skin it is more of a pearly white colour with gold reflects in the light. It is a very pretty colour and it makes a great highlight in the inner corners and the browbone. The second colour is a reddish pink with a sheen to the finish. I don't think I would choose this colour as a first choice for everyday eyeshadow, but for special occasions that may call for a more dramatic eye look I think this would be good. Also I think this colour, applied with a very light hand, will actually pass for a pretty blush colour! Because of the sheen, it may even double as a cheek highlight. The texture to these are great, very smooth and very pigmented! The info card mentioned that this brand can be purchased at Sears, which I have not seen before in Vancouver. If I come across it I'd be interested in trying out more of these mineral pigments for sure! Value: $8.75

Total value of box: $46.97

I'd say this is a very impressive month for TopBox from what I have received so far, and I am actually very happy with it! And I will use everything in it!! My experiences with the previous regular boxes haven't been too shabby either; at this rate I may never have to choose a Prive Box! Of course if there is one that is really really enticing I will go for it, but the regular boxes don't seem to be too big a disappointment :) Good job TopBox! Absolutely looking forward to the July one!

If you are interested in joining TopBox for $12+tax per month and receiving your own monthly subscription, check out their website at www.topbox.ca (this is NOT an affilated link).

Disclaimer: Monthly subscription paid for with personal funds. This post and its contents are not sponsored in anyway, and all opinions are honest and personal.

May 2013 IPSY Bag

My IPSY bag arrived in the mailbox today and there is a surprisingly large bulge in the package!

Since my previous experience with IPSY bags have been pretty much all positive, I have some high hopes for it every month, and no difference this month because all the sneak peek pictures seemed to be very promising! I like how IPSY releases sneak peak pictures that hint at what products are included in the bag each month, and often those are very cute and fun to look at and perhaps take a guess at what they might actually be.

Here's a look at what came in the pink envelope this month:

IPSY May 2013 Theme: Spring Fling

1) The bag with products
2) The "Spring Fling" theme card
3) A NuMe special offer card for $110 off when ordering from their website for hair styling tools

The material of this month's IPSY bag is quite similar to the March bag (navy/white stripes with anchors), I have to say the quality of April's bag is so far the best. The colourful chevron print is very cute though.

And the above is what greeted me when I first popped the bag open. And honestly my first thought was "what kind of colour is THAT for a lipgloss....??" And my next thought was "darn! I wanted the Macadamia hair oil sample!" LOL

Here is a closer look at the contents of my IPSY bag this month.

NuMe Finishing Serum - Conditions and Seals (10mL): "This light, greaseless, and humidity resistant formula delivers a straight up glossy finish. NuMe Finishing Serum protects your hair from environmental and physical stress, treating split ends and sealing hair with added, brilliant shine. Full Size (50mL) - $29" So even though I was initially disappointed for not receiving the Macadamia healing hair oil treatment sample like some other people did with their bags, this product from NuMe appears to be of similar use and also smells really good! The scent is light and refreshing, slightly perfume-y but not too overpowering for my taste. I went ahead and tried some first on the back of my hand and then at the ends of my hair. The consistency of this product is more on the thick side, but it gets absorbed amazingly fast and leaves no greasy or heavy feeling at all! The samples is a generous size at 10mL and I'm sure I will get more than just a few uses out of it. However, as NuMe is still currently only available online, I'm not sure I will consider purchasing a full size even if I end up really loving this, since shipping to Canada is often way too expensive. Value: $5.80

YABY Cosmetics Concealer 20mm Refill Pan (Full-Size): YABY online description claims: 

» creamy texture, extremely easy to apply. 

» highly pigmented to correct any imperfection on the face and body, creamy and gentle for around the eyes.
» tear proof! a concealer that won't run away with your tears.
» vegan friendly - contains no animal byproducts. 
» heavy duty metal pans are designed to be sturdy and not easily warped. 
» reusable pan - sanitize empty pans with alcohol and keep some in your kit for special mixing needs. 

As the website states that their refill pans are 20mm in diameter, 3.50g, and sold for $4.85, I took out a ruler and measured the pan I have. Sure enough, it measured to be 20mm in diameter, so I am claiming this to be a full size item! The colour I received was cc008 buff, and it looks like a pretty light colour but I think I can make this work for me used as an undereye concealer. I think I will be trying this out tomorrow and storing this metal pan in with the eyeshadow samples, also from YABY, that I keep in my Z-palette :) Value: $4.85

Juicy Beauty Reflecting Gloss in Champagne (4mL Full Size): "This Reflecting Gloss will give your lips the most brilliant shine on earth. The combination of antioxidant-rich berries, minerals and sweet agave will wrap your lips in radiant colour." This is a full sized product according to product description on the juicybeauty.com website. The packaging is of a standard lipgloss size, and has a foggy matte tube. This type of external packaging often distorts the colour of the product and may give false initial impressions. This was that case for me as when I first saw it inside my IPSY bag I was not happy at all with the colour selection for me, especially since I know this product was available in 3 other shades, which seemed to be more "normal" lipgloss colours because they were more red/pinks. This lipgloss has a doe-foot applicator which I like, and I swatched the product on the back of my hand. The colour "Champagne" appears to be a light peachy golden hue in the tube but actually comes off almost completely clear with just tiny, reflective shimmers. This would be a gloss that I can use to top off pretty much any lip colour I choose to wear to give a glossy finish. Wearing this gloss just over the middle parts of the lips would enhance the shape of your lips and give an illusion of fuller lips :) The scent is strangely full of citrus! I really do like it, but count me as surprised because I've come to expect lipglosses to be sweet and more often than not vanilla-scented. Value: $15.00

ZOYA Nail Polish in PIAF (15mL Full-Sized): PIAF, a creamy daisy yellow with silver micro glitter, is from ZOYA's Lovely Collection for Spring 2013. I love how IPSY offers its subscribers nail polishes from recent collections! To be honest, I am not one for yellow polishes normally, as in I likely would not choose to purchase one for myself. This is the reason why I like the idea of beauty subscription services because it opens up opportunities to branch out! I swatched PIAF on my nail colour wheel and the effect was quite lovely. Full opacity was achieved in 2 coats, and there were no leveling issues at all. The polish is non-streaky considering the fact that it does have all that micro glitter in it. The finish was very glossy and can probably pass without a top coat (but I always add a top coat because I LOVE my Seche Vite!) Although this was part of a Spring collection, I think it is going to be a beautiful summer colour and I would definitely wear it as such. Value: $8.00

PACIFICA Island Vanilla Perfume Roll-On (10mL): Inspired bu the unique magic of Tahitian vanilla, this sensual blend sets sweet and sultry vanilla absolute, with honey-jasmine notes and a touch of fruitiness, against a deep and beautiful base of tea. 100% vegan." While I have not yet owned any products myself from Pacifica, I have come to know this brand as one that just has fabulous scents! There are several that I personally enjoy and have such an urge to bite the bullet each time I try out samples at a store, but so far I haven't done so. I am so pleased that IPSY has given, yet again, another more than generous item this month. This is more than just a sample tube, this is a "full-sized" roller-ball. The scent is rather sweet, definitely a day-time fragrance choice for myself. I know I will be making good use of this product as well and it will probably be totally gone before this summer ends! Value: $12.00

  Total Value: $45.65

I think I have once again been wow'ed by the value IPSY delivers month after month since they have launched in Canada. The colour selections of the products included this month are not really my favourite, I do have others in mind if I got to choose for myself. However, I am very happy with the type of products included this month and so far IPSY continues to be my top pick for beauty subscription service.

You can get your own IPSY bag for $10/month (+$4.95 shipping to Canada). It would be amazing if you opt to use my referral link here: http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-h050ed8nabt8mci but you certainly don't have to!

I hope you enjoyed this post, thank you for reading! 

TOPBOX May 2013 - Open Box Time!

It's time to talk about the May 2013 Topbox! This month I actually had no time to check out any sneak peaks of products other people have received because the shipping time for this box was insanely fast.

The email from Topbox with the tracking number for my box was received at 7:30am, which I did not read until 10am, and at 12:25pm I received the delivery notice from Canada Post! I was pretty shocked at the speed!

And then of course I procrastinate about preparing this post until after the weekend... :( I am trying my best to be regular with these posts! I opted (once again!) for the Regular TopBox, because similarly to the previous months, the Prive Boxes just did not appeal to me. Besides, I enjoy being surprised by the products as opposed to knowing exactly what will come 2 weeks beforehand.

Here are what I received this month:

Cuccio Colour Nail Lacquer in Tel-Aviv About It!

Cuccio Colour Nail Lacquer - 13ml (0.43 Fl. Oz): "Triple pigmented colour, DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde FREE, High Shine Professional Nail Colours. Full Size: $10". I am very pleased with the colour that I received, as this is a work-appropriate nude colour, with a hint of tan undertones, that I can definitely wear everyday! I haven't tried it out on my nails just yet, but the swatch on my nail wheel proved this to really be a pigmented polish. The colour applied very smooth, without streaks, and has excellent self-levelling abilities, indeed providing a very shiny finish. The fact that this is a 3-free company makes it even more appealing! Value: $10.00

Lise Watier Haute Couleur High Coverage Liq Lacquer in Stylelista

Lise Watier HAUTE COULEUR High Coverage Lip Lacquer - 1.5mL: "INtense Colour, Extreme Shine, Long Lasting. Full Size: $23 (6mL)". A nice sample from a local Canadian Company based in Quebec, well-repected for quality products. I am pleased with the size and presentation of this sample. Lise Watier is not one to capture attention with highly innovative products or outrageous packaging, but I personally do enjoy several of their colour cosmetics. This lip gloss is a nice berry colour, that is nicely pigmented. While I do not find this to be a particularly spring-y/summer-y shade, I do enjoy having colour selections like these in my collection for night-outs, or when the colder season rolls around. This sample comes with a doe foot applicator, which I enjoy for precise application. The texture of this lipgloss is more on the sticky side, and is not esepcially long lasting, but I enjoy the overall effect and will continue to use this. However, I doubt I will purchase a full size since it is pretty much a standard lip gloss, and I can get similar effect from a drugstore selection. Value: $5.75.

Yaby Eyeshadow in ES135 Green Delicious

Yaby Eyeshadow Refill - "Highly pigmented eyeshadow with super smooth texture that blends effortlessly. Professional eyeshadow palettes from $127." I had a bit of a dejavu moment when I took this item out of the box, and then I remembered...I received 2 eyeshadows samples just like this one from Yaby in my March 2013 Ipsy Bag! Well...it does seem like Ipsy is perhaps a bit more generous? Anyway, this green colour would not be something that I would reach for on a day-to-day basis, but it is definitely fun for adding a pop of colour every now and then for a day out in the sun with friends, relaxing from work! The Texture of this eyeshadow is smooth and pigmented, but doesn't $127 for a palette sound quite steep?? I think I will stick to shopping at Sephora, The Bay, and drugstores for my eyeshadows hehe :) Value: unknown.

Deborah Lippmann Smooth Operator Buffer File

Deborah Lippmann Smooth Operator Buffer File: "An ultra-modern 4 way nail buffer. Simply follow the 4 steps to give nails a clean, polished look in minutes. Retail Price: $12". I was pretty surprised to receive a nail buffer as a "sample", and to be quite honest, I didn't know what to think when I saw this. I wasn't excited by it, but I did not dislike it either, as I know that it is definitely something useful that I will make use out of. I believe this is simply a nail buffing block in the shape of a regular nail file. I like the idea, but practically it is hard to apply pressure on the nail for the buffing motion when I'm holding a flat popsicle stick. Being able to apply pressure is really important to getting that shiny buffed appearance. On the other hand, I am an absolute nail polish addict that I don't often go without polish on my fingertips, so I don't buff often at all (plus, buffing too much thins and weakens your nails). Not something I would readily dish out $12 for, but again, I am happy that this was included in my TopBox this month. Value: $12.00

Total Value of Box: $27.75 + unknown value of Yaby Eyeshadow

I think I enjoyed this month's TopBox a bit more than a couple of the previous ones. For one, I know that I will make good use of pretty much all of the products in this box! The value is not exceptional, but I don't think the money I've put into this monthly subscription has totally gone to waste. Overall, not bad! I look forward using these products and for next month's TopBox :)

If you are interested in joining TopBox for $12+tax per month and receiving your own monthly subscription, check out their website at www.topbox.ca (this is NOT an affilated link).

Disclaimer: Monthly subscription paid for with personal funds. This post and its contents are not sponsored in anyway, and all opinions are honest and personal.

NEW! CoverGirl Flamed Out Shadow Pencils - Swatches & Review

Hi there! Today I bring you a new drugstore product that I personally did not hear about beforehand, and was pleasantly surprised to find it in a store! These are new eyeshadow pencils that are by Covergirl and the line is called "Flamed Out Shadow Pencil".

On the display I found there were about 10 shades in the range, a few staple neutrals and others fun bright colours. For myself, I picked out 4 that were my type of everyday colours that I feel like I will get quite some use out of after this review :)

These are jumbo pencils type of stick shadows, but is not the automatic type. This will require sharpening with a cosmetics sharpeners. However, these are skinnier than most other shadow pencils on the market currently, namely NYX, Rimmel, Make Up Forever, etc, so it should be easier to find sharpeners this can fit into.

Of the 4 colours I have, they are mostly all the standard frosty shade that makes excellent bases for your eyeshadows to cling onto for some extra pop of intensity. The khaki colour has some chunkier glitter flecks in it but nothing unmanagable. Overall, the texture of all these are smooth and pigmented; they feel gentle on the eyelids and did not cause any tugging.

L-R, top-bottom: Crystal Flame, Ginger Flame, Ashen Glow Flame, Melted Caramel Flame

Swatched with 2 swipes

1) Crystal Flame: A classic frosty white shade that works great as an inner corner highlight on its own, or to prime the area for a powder shadow as a highlight to increase wear-time, as the tear duct area tends to be an area of fast fading.

2) Ginger Flame: A very cute pink shade with a slight warm golden undertone. There is a small amount of sliver glitter specks in this that reflects light nicely, but not enough to cause any fallout. This is a shade that I can consider wearing alone all over the lid on days when I am pressed for time. Of course, this is an excellent powder eyeshadow base as well.

3) Ashen Glow Flame: A rather unique khaki color that is not very common for drugstore cream shadows, so I was glad that CoverGirl decided to include one in their line. This colour is the only one that I currently own that contains, relatively, larger specks of silver glitter, but it does not feel gritty after applied to the eyelids. This is a colour that I would prefter to use more as a base for my green eyeshadows to increase the intensity of the colour.

4) Melted Caramel Flame: This is a beautifully rich chocolate brown colour, and I found that this is the most pigmented of the 4 that I own. This brown could make any of your brown shadows pop with intensity, I also find it to be an excellent choice of base for a smokey neutral eye on the outer-V, or smudged upwards from the top lashline. Another way I applied this was smudged beneath the bottom lashline, to create some smokey definition for the overall eye makeup.

Overall Impression: I think these are a good addition to the selection of drugstore products as cream shadow pencils used to be a novelty that were mostly high-end products. Those that used to be available at the drugstore tends to lack wear-able shade selection and quality. That being said, the CoverGirl Flamed Out Shadow Pencils are not without faults. The colour, although relatively pigmented, does require a couple swipes for full opacity, but at least they are acceptably buildable. If worn without a primer on my eyelids, creasing did happen within a couple hours. Worn over an eyeshadow primer, creasing significantly decreased, and topped off with a powder eyeshadow, the total wear-time was excellent.

Within the range, there are several other colourful shades that may be interesting for those of you who enjoy using brighter and bolder colours for your eye makeup as those will serve as a good choice for bases. On a regular basis I enjoy using shadow pencils to outline a shape for my powder eyeshadows because I have much more maneuverability and precision with the placement of the colour using a pencil form than with my fingers from a pot, so cream shadows in a stick/pencil form are definitely my first pick with it comes to creating a detailed eye look!

Disclaimer: All products in this post were purchased by myself with personal funds. This post has not been sponsored in any way, shape, or form. I have not, and will never, accept monetary contributions for reviewing products.

April 2013 IPSY Bag

It's the pink bubble envelope time of the month! I couldn't help it and took a look at some spoiler posts prior to receiving my bag so I kind of knew the items in this bag seemed promising, it's theme being "Pretty In Pink". Nonetheless, I was still very excited with I actually had it in my hands waiting to unwrap hehe~ Let's take a look inside together!

This is April's IPSY bag, and it is surprisingly sturdy! The style is simple but still chic, the white fabric portion is quite thick and the pink pleather paired with pink zipper totally brings out the air of femininity. On the inside, the lining is pink and white striped with "IPSY...beauty by you" imprinted all over, as you can see from the following picture. Overall, I am very satisfied with this month's bag (so far the best by IPSY, in my opinion) and I am gladly transferring all my small makeup items into it as you read this to have this as my carry-around makeup bag!

This month's goodies stuffed to the brim!

So are this month's items as impressive as the bag that holds them? Let's take a look!

1) HealthySexyHair Soy Renewal Nourishing Styling Treatment - 25mL - This product is suppose to be able to speed up drying if applied to damp hair or reduce frizz if applied to dry hair. I think the sample size is quite decent and also the top is still sealed on the inside! I am happy knowing that this sample is for sure brand new and I thank ipsy for their professionalism when handling samples for their clients.

2) Two Cosmetics Duo Eyeshadow in Heartache - Full Size - This is a cute eyeshadow duo that contains two pink shades. The one on the left has a frosty finish and is a lighter pink where as the second one is more of a matte colour with a slight brownish-mauve undertone. On initial swatching, the shadows seemed pigmented but did appear to be on the more powdery side. I personally shy away from pink eyeshadows because they tend to make my eyes appear more tired than they really are. Perhaps I will give this a try on a day when I don't have to work. :)

3) Be a....Bombshell Powder Blush in Sweet Cheeks - full size (5gm) - This is the item I was MOST excited about in this month's bag! I am a total blush lover and the colour seemed pretty promising. I found the product to be of a great quality, this brand has made several appearances in IPSY bags before and so far they have not disappointed :) This blush is a wearable colour, the payoff is great and not too powdery. However, it is not totally matte otherwise I would've loved it to the moon and back. The finish has quite a strong sheen to it, so even though the colour is good it is likely that I would use it more as a highlighter-blush to top off a deeper blush colour at the cheekbones.

4) Sation Nail Lacquer for IPSY in Of Corset I'll Call You - full-size 15mL - fourth and final item in the bag is a full-size nail polish, right up my alley! While looking at spoiler posts for other peopl\e's bags, I noticed that there was another colour given and it is more of a peachy nude colour that didn't quite appeal to me. I was so relieved when I opened the box and found the pink polish because I know I would use this for sure! I haven't had a chance to give it a swatch yet but I should soon to see if this is a good quality polish. According to the box, this polish is a 3-free polish and is made in USA.

Once again, I am very satisfied overall with the value and quality of April's IPSY bag! There are 3 full-size products included and one generous sample of hair product, not to mention an uber cute bag that I will definitely be putting to work. :) I feel that IPSY actually pays more attention to what subscribers really do enjoy and seem to be working hard to fulfill our desires, thank you IPSY! I look forward (as always) to receiving my next bag in May!