EOS: Visibly Soft Lip Balm

This is a review of the new EOS Visibly Soft Lip Balm in the flavor Vanilla Mint. This is a newly released product by EOS and currently comes in two flavors - Vanilla Mint and Coconut Milk. This product retails for $3.29 on the EOS website, but you can also find it at Ulta and other drugstores for $3.49 each. I actually found mine near the checkout of my local Walgreens. They only had the Vanilla Mint left so I was unable to try the Coconut Milk flavor.

The product is 99% natural and is enriched with natural conditioning oils, moisturizing shea butter, and antioxidant vitamins C & E. EOS claims that it provides long-lasting moisture for immediately softer and more beautiful lips. I find this to be SO TRUE! I absolutely adore this product! I have long been a fan of the regular EOS lip balms, but the visibly Soft Lip Balms are even better! When I put it on my lips feel moisturized for hours. If I put it on before I go to bed then in the morning my lips are still moisturized and are so soft! I highly recommend this product if you are debating whether or not to purchase it instead of one of the regular EOS lip balms.

In terms of packaging, this product is the same size and shape as the regular EOS lip balms, but features a swirl design on the exterior. I assume they did this to illustrate that these have a lip moisturizer/conditioner infused into the product that is "swirled" in.

In terms of the actual product inside the container, like the regular EOS lip balms, the Visibly Soft EOS lip balms are clear in color when applied to the lips, even though the product appears to be yellow in the container. The Visibly Soft EOS lip balms apply the same way as the original EOS lip balms, but I do feel as soon as I put it on that my lips are more moisturized than with using one of the original lip balms.

One additional thing that I found interesting was that in the description for the regular EOS lip balms it says that the product is 95% organic and 100% natural. In contrast, the EOS Visibly Soft does not mention being organic, but does say that it is 99% natural. Not sure if this is good or bad, but I found it interesting that there was a difference in how natural the two different kinds of lip balm are.

All in all, I will definitely repurchase the Visibly Soft EOS lip balms first rather than the original EOS lip balms when I run out. They are amazing and are wealth worth a try!

Have you tried out either of the new Visibly Soft EOS lip balms yet? Please leave a comment below on your thoughts. I would love to hear from you!

City Color Cosmetics: Intense Exposure Highlighting Powder

This is a review for the Intense Exposure Highlighting Powder by City Color Cosmetics. City Color Cosmetics is a relatively new make up brand to me, but boy do they have lots of wonderful products at affordable prices! I first learned of this brand from a blush I received in an Ipsy bag a month or two ago. I loved the blush so much that I went ahead and ordered a bunch more (5!) as well as some additional products like this highlighter. I have not yet seen this brand in any drug stores or at Ulta, so if you're interested in purchasing products from them you'll have to buy them online from their website.

The Intense Exposure Highlighting Powder is a beautiful highlighting powder that provides a natural radiance to the skin. It retails for $2.99 on the City Colors website, and it contains .353 oz of product.

I have only recently started getting into highlighters so I'm no expert, but I think this is a really great one, especially for beginners! The shimmer in this highlighter is very fine so it doesn't look like you're just wearing glitter on your face. It catches the light beautifully and really gives the skin a subtle glow, accentuating the features on your face that you desire.

The packaging of this product is very sleek. It's a simple plastic compact with a see-thru lid, which is helpful when you're searching thru your make up for it. This would be a great item to travel with as there is a large quantity of product in the compact so you won't run out, and the packing isn't bulky or space-consuming. 

The pigmentation of this highlighter is incredible, especially for such a low price tag! Just barely running your finger or brush across the surface results in lots of the product transferring. 

The consistency of the highlighter's formula is incredibly silky smooth, which allows for easy application. I did find the product to be a little bit powdery (since it is a powder!), but it does buff into the skin very easily. In my swatch photos below I didn't buff the highlighter into my skin which makes it seem more dramatic in the pictures than it actually is in reality. In the swatch photos I used my fingers to apply the product rather than a brush, which would provide a more subtle application.

 

Please leave a comment below if you've been trying out the highlighter trend and what products are your current favorites. I would love to hear from you!

theBalm: InStain Long-Wearing Blushes

Today's review is of theBalm's InStain long-wearing blushes. This product comes in six different shades - Argyle, Lace, Houndstooth, Pinstripe, Swiss Dot, and Toile - that flatter all skin tones. 

I purchased four of the six shades - Lace, Houndstooth, Swiss Dot, and Toile. I decided not to purchase Pinstripe as I felt it was a little too dark for my light/medium skin tone, and I would have purchased Argyle, but unfortunately it was sold out at the time of my purchase. 

On theBalm's website, the InStain blushes retail for $22 each and contain .23oz of product. I was able to purchase mine on Overstock.com for only $14 each so I definitely recommend checking that site out if you're interested in purchasing this product.

The packaging of this product is absolutely adorable! The product comes in a small, cute cardboard case that has a depiction of a magazine cover on the front. Each blush has a different image on the front and states whether it is a fall or spring color. On the inside, there is a large mirror which is helpful when applying the product either on the go or when traveling. 

I found that this product definitely delivered in terms of being a highly pigmented, long-wearing blush. It truly has a "staining" power! I love this blush because you can apply it softly for a subtle glow or more intensely for a bold look, but no matter how you apply it, it always lasts all day! I love not having to worry about reapplication during the afternoon/ evening. The color of the blushes is extremely pigmented, but I found that they were easy to apply lightly when using a stippling brush. (I often use the Real Techniques stippling brush.) Additionally, the formula of the blushes is so smooth and creamy, not at all powdery or cakey. 

Swatches
Here are all four blushes swatched heavy on the left and light on the right. The first row is in natural light with no flash and the second row is with a camera flash.

Lace - bright pink with a matte finish

      

Houndstooth - mauve with a satin finish

Swiss Dot - peach/coral with a matte finish

Toile -  strawberry with a satin finish 

 
Final Verdict

All in all, I definitely think this is a great blush to purchase. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a new blush to try out!

Please leave a comment below if you've tried this blush and liked it or if there are any other blushes that you're loving right now! I would love to hear from you!

Welcome!

Hi everyone!

I have decided to start this blog to provide reviews and share swatches of make up. I'm hoping that this will be valuable to many readers! Please be patient as I start uploading posts.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog! 

Megan