SHOPPING THERAPY: Spring 2014 Drugstore Makeup Haul

As I explained in my previous post, I have completed a series of retail therapy sessions due to work-related stress. Although these therapy sessions result in a depletion of my funds, I have to admit that I have fun shopping and it does help in relieving some of my stress…at least, that's what I tell myself…and that's my story and I'm going to stick with it. So, as part of my retail therapy, I ended up purchasing a few makeup items from the drugstore in addition to my purchases from Sephora. Here's a rundown of what I purchased over the course of this past Spring.

SOURCE: Drugstore.com

1.  CoverGirl Lash Exact Waterproof Mascara in Very Black

I am totally in love with the CoverGirl Lash Blast Fusion mascara, but the applicator is a bit too chunky to use on my tiny, measly bottom lashes. Thus, I usually go without applying mascara on my bottom lashes. However, I am always on the hunt for a mascara that would be great to create some volume and length to my nonexistent bottom lashes.

What instantly attracted me to this product was its skinny, long applicator that I thought would be better at grabbing my nonexistent bottom lashes rather than the short, chubby applicator of my Lash Blast Fusion mascara. The website states, "no clumps on the brush means no clumps on the lashes for a defined and long lash look". This product is also waterproof, which is a must, especially for my lower lash line.

So far, so good. I've been using this product off-and-on for about a month. The formula is waterproof, but comes off easily when I remove my makeup at the end of the day. I find that the applicator is great for my bottom lashes too. I'll try to post a full review on this product later.

SOURCE: Drugstore.com

2.  L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Butterfly Waterproof Mascara in Blackest Black

Like I previously stated, the CoverGirl Lash Blast Fusion Mascara is my favorite mascara, but that doesn't mean that I am not willing to try other mascaras available on the market. After all, cosmetic companies are constantly coming out with the latest and greatest.

I saw a number of positive reviews of this product on YouTube and decided to give it try. I have to admit that I haven't had much luck with L'Oreal mascara products. I tried the L'Oreal Paris Voluminous False Fiber Lashes mascara and didn't like it. See, my previous beauty review. Thus, I was a bit skeptical about this mascara.

I should have trusted my initial skepticism because while I like the butterfly applicator brush, the formula is a nightmare to remove from your lashes. I still use this mascara from time to time, but I have learned my lesson and will only apply a light single coat to my lashes. I'll try to post a full review on this product later.

SOURCE: Drugstore.com

3.  Physician's Formula Nude Wear Glowing Nude Blush in Rose

I don't know why I keep buying blushes. I'm getting a little better at exercising some restraint these days. I bought this product on a whim one night as I was perusing the makeup aisle of Longs. I am a fan of Physician's Formula products even though the you need to pay a little more.

I thought that the packaging of this product was super cute with the bow. The website states that the multi-colored palette of blushing shades brightens and enhances skin tone while adding a touch of naturally radiant color. This compact includes a small mirror and applicator brush on the bottom.

I haven't tried this product out yet. I have so many other blushes in my makeup drawer that I reach for those out of habit and routine. Speaking of makeup drawers, I have a new setup for my makeup, which I hope to post an entry soon (hopefully sooner rather than later)! I'll try to post a full review on this product later when I have a chance to try it out.

SOURCE: Walgreens.com

4.  Wet n Wild Fergie Shimmer Palette in Rose Champagne Glow

I am a big fan of Wet n Wild products. Honestly, you are getting the most bang for your buck when purchasing Wet n Wild products because the quality is really good. I have a variety of the Wet n Wild ColorIcon products and love them!

I discovered the Fergie Center Stage line while watching YouTube beauty videos. I was intrigued by this new line, but decided to hold off because I knew that I already had way more than enough blushes. However, I then discovered that the Rose Champagne Glow was more of a highlighter than a blush. I was instantly sold because I wanted a couple more highlighter shades to add to my makeup collection. I always use NARS in Albatross, but sometimes I was in the mood for a more pinkish glow.

I like this product thus far and have been using it on-and-off for about three months now. It is not too sparkly and does give you a nice healthy glow. I'll try to post a full review on this product later.

SOURCE: Drugstore.com

5.  Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede Lipstick

This is actually my most recent discovery, so I am not sure if this counts as a Spring or Summer purchase, but I'll just sneak it in under the Spring haul since who knows when I will be able to get around to posting a Summer haul entry. I am a huge fan of the Revlon Color Burst Lip Butters and own seven shades thus far. However, I wanted a lipstick with more staying power than the Lip Butter lipsticks, but that apply just as smooth as the Lip Butter lipsticks.

The website claims that this product provides instant moisture and all-day color with a soft suede finish. I bought two colors in Fashionista and Socialite and then went back and bought two more in Couture and Iconic.

I like the smooth application of this lipstick and it truly provides all-day color. It doesn't rub off when you drink or eat, which I find fabulous. The one problem that I have with these lipsticks so far is that they can be a bit drying, but not to the point where your lips chap. I'll try to post a full review on this product later.

So, that's it for Spring 2014. I admit that my retail therapy sessions were quite successful and stimulating. I also hope that these blog posts will help me get back into the swing of things and blog more often. I've been really terrible. We'll see how it goes. Wish me luck!

BEAUTY REVIEW: Revlon ColorStay Liquid Eye Pen in Blackest Black

SOURCE:  Drugstore.com

I've been doing a lot of nail polish reviews lately, so I thought I would shake things up a bit by selecting another type of beauty product to review.  I am still in the process of slowly cleaning out and reorganizing my beauty products.  I admit that I've kept some of these products way too long, but only for the purpose of posting a beauty review before tossing them out.

Revlon's ColorStay Liquid Eye Pen is one of those products that I have been keeping to review.  As you all know, I am a fan of the felt tip liner.  For some reason, I'm not very good at applying eyeliner with a brush tip unless its the Physicians Formula's Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum.  Perhaps with more practice, I will be able to apply my eyeliner with a brush tip like a pro, but until that happens, I am more than satisfied with using a felt tip eyeliner.  Thus, Revlon's ColorStay Liquid Eye Pen seemed to fit my criteria and I had to try it, especially after some of the beauty gurus on YouTube raved about this product.

THE PROS:

• Application:  The felt tip liner applies the product smoothly across the lash line, but I suggest using this product for only your upper lash line and using a pencil eyeliner to line your bottom lash line.  I use short small strokes along my lash line to apply the product.  The felt tip allows you to apply a fine to bold line depending on the look you want.  This is also a great product to easily achieve a cat eye look.
• Availability:  Revlon cosmetic products are widely available at all major drugstore chains.  However, this seems to be a very popular product so stores tend to run out of this product fast, especially when Revlon products are on sale.
• Price:  The felt tip liner retails for about $9 to $10, which is a deal considering the price of other high end eyeliners.

THE CONS:

• Performance:  The eyeliner formula is not as dark as I would like it to be, even if it was in "blackest black", but it is darker than some other black eyeliners I've used before.  A huge drawback for me was that it is not waterproof.  It tends to smear on my lids, especially around the corners of my eyes where moisture tends to collect.  I also noticed a little bit of smearing under my bottom eyelid area.  Boo hiss.  I am not a fan of raccoon eyes.
• Variety:  This eyeliner only comes in three colors:  Blackest Black, Black, and Blackened Brown.  Even though I usually use jet black eyeliners, having a wider variety of colors would probably make this product even more attractive.

Again, I have more pro points than con points, but the performance of a product is an paramount factor in my book when it comes to eyeliners.  I don't hate this product, but I am not totally in love with it either since I have other eyeliners that I feel perform better than this one.

BEAUTY REVIEW: Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner Pencil in Black

SOURCE:  Drugstore.com

As I mentioned previously, I found my holy grail eyeliner.  Well, liquid eyeliner.  I am still in the hunt for a pencil eyeliner that will stay put along my bottom waterline.  Like a lot of my cosmetics, I have some conditions or preferences when it comes to my pencil eyeliners.

First, the pencil has to be waterproof, smudge proof, and fade proof.  Second, I also prefer a pigmented liner.  Finally, I prefer a retractable pencil rather than a regular pencil that requires sharpening.  However, that part is becoming a negotiable feature if the pencil is waterproof and smudge proof.  I guess I am a picky-picky girl, but I honestly just know what I like.

The Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner Pencil looked like it fulfilled all my requirements.  It claims to contain a waterproof formula that lasts up to 16 hours and won't smudge, smear, or fade away.  The pencil is a retractable crayon with a pull out sharpener to get your crayon to a nice shape point for thin precise line. Lastly, its carbon black formula is rich and intense.

Unfortunately, my water eyes are too much for this product to handle because by lunchtime, my eyeliner along my bottom waterline was fading and smearing fast.  My raccoon eyes were developing and I ended up taking a tissue and gently wiping the eyeliner along my bottom waterline away.  I had such high hopes for this product, but after about a week of consistent daily use, I decided that this was not the pencil for me.  I still use this product from time to time, but only for short periods of time before the raccoon in me makes an appearance.

BEAUTY REVIEW: Revlon Ceramic Wet and Dry Hair Straightener and Curling Iron

SOURCE:  Folica.com

I was trying to figure out what to blog about today and nothing came to my mind.  I didn't feel like doing a review on makeup, although I did buy two Wet N Wild Color Icon Bronzers today at the drugstore in "Princess" and "Goddess," but I didn't think that was enough to warrant a haul post.  Nothing popped into my head that spurred a ramble post, so basically, I was stuck.  I decided to quickly scan my bedroom and write about the first thing that caught my eye.  POOF!  I spotted my straightener and curling iron.  I should've taken a picture of my actual hot tool, but in the interest of time, I found this picture online that was the closest to mine minus the wet and dry feature.

I have to say that this is my favorite hot styling tool because it does an excellent job at straightening my hair without damaging it.  My hair comes silky and smooth and can be used on wet or dry hair with a flip of a switch.  I have to admit though that I haven't used the dryer feature on my tool.

For the curling iron feature, simply lock the barrel and use the curling iron clip to grip onto your hair.  The ceramic barrel is smooth to allow you to twist the segments of your hair around it.  However, I find that the clip does not hold my hair segments tight enough against the barrel in order for me to achieve tighter curls rather than waves.  Thus, I use the flat iron feature far more than the curling iron.

This hot tool comes with cool tips to make it easier for you clamp and pull the tool through your hair and heats up pretty fast.  The swivel cord prevents the cord from getting tangled and knotted while the auto shutoff saves you from the all day worry of whether you remembered to turn off you curling iron.  This is a great tool to travel with because you just need to bring one tool rather than two and saves space in your suitcase!  I highly recommend this hot styling tool and so glad that I have it.

BEAUTY REVIEW: Revlon Quick Dry Base Coat

I used to do my mails all the time, so my collection of nail polishes and treatments was quite large at one point in time.  However, in the midst of moving, I got rid of a lot of old polishes and started to only give myself manicures without the polish at the end to save on the time that would have been spent on application and drying.  As a result, my polishes and nail treatments sat idle.  So much so that I recently threw out more polishes to shrink my stash even more.

The other day, after a long hiatus, I decided to polish my nails.  I was tired to looking at my naked nails and remembered the good old days.  Unfortunately, my bottle of base coat had seen better days and I tossed it.  My local drugstore was having a sale on Revlon cosmetics, so I took picked up a bottle of the Revlon Quick Dry Base Coat.  I used to use the Revlon Double Twist Base and Top Coat treatment, but stopped using that once I became a dedicated Seche Vite top coat user.  Besides, I think Revlon discontinued that and now sells the Multi Care Base + Top Coat.

The Revlon Quick Dry Base Coat looks milky white in the bottle, but applies clear on your nail.  It has a super fast drying formula for impatient people like me and (according to the Revlon website) helps to prevent nails from yellowing, peeling, and splitting.  It also supposedly helps lock in natural moisture and forms a hard, flexible, shatterproof shield.

I did my nails on Saturday night and gave myself a french manicure using:

• A single coat of the Revlon Quick Base Coat;
• A single coat on my nail tips of the Revlon Nail Enamel in White on White;
• A double coat of Revlon Nail Enamel in Sheer Heaven (I don't know if Revlon still has this color); and
• A double coat of the Seche Vite top coat.

It's Tuesday and so far so good.  Despite all my constant computer keyboard typing at work, my polish is not lifting from the nail, so that's a good sign.  The base coat is a little on the thicker side so one coat seemed sufficient upon application.  It also dried with a glossy shine, which made the color application easier.  All in all, I recommend this product.