Benefit Cosmetics: Erase Paste Concealer

Hi everyone,

Today's review is of the Benefit Cosmetics Erase Paste Concealer. The full-sized product retails for $26 for 0.15 oz of product from Sephora, Ulta, and the Benefit Cosmetics website. Sephora describes this concealer as "Benefit Erase Paste is a concentrated, creamy, blendable concealer that instantly brightens and camouflages all-in-one. It has an innovative formula which makes sure signs of stress and fatigue are a thing of the past."

The concealer comes in a small box and includes a mini plastic spatula to scoop the product out and a step-by-step guide with tips and tricks for application. While it is more sanitary to use the scoop to get the product out, I found that as you use up the product it can be difficult to get the final bits out with the scoop and I ended up just using my fingers. Since this product is a thicker and very creamy consistency, you really want to use your fingers to apply this product because the warmth from your fingers helps to heat up the product and apply it smoothly and evenly to the under eye area.

This concealer comes in three different shades: No. 1 Fair, No 2. Medium, and No. 3 Deep. I purchased the shade No. 1 Fair. This concealer has a salmon/peach/pink color to it which acts as a corrector to help brighten the under eyes. While there are only three shades available, since this product is a correcting concealer, you can use it in conjunction with another concealer that perfectly matches your skin tone.

As I mentioned above, the formula of this concealer is very thick and creamy, and it is incredibly moisturizing while still providing great coverage. I struggle with extremely dry under eyes, so not only does this concealer help to correct the dark shadows and bags under my eyes (which we all definitely have), it also provides a lot of moisture and keeps my under eyes hydrated all day long.

As someone with large pores, I was very worried that the moisturizing and light reflecting qualities of this concealer, while canceling out my dark circles, would actually highlight my large pores. I'm happy to report that is definitely not the case! It's amazing how smooth this product makes my under eyes look and how much brightness it brings to my face. I was also extremely impressed with how well this product layers with other concealers, foundations, and powders without looking cakey. I have a ton of fine lines around my eyes and didn't notice this concealer creasing, which is a miracle for me! I think people with more mature skin would also really enjoy this product for that exact reason as it won't settle into wrinkles.

While a lot of pot concealers will dry out pretty quickly (within 6 months I'd say), Erase Paste lasted me for over a year without drying out. 

Final Verdict:
I absolutely love this concealer and it's definitely holy grail status for me. Not only does this product conceal it also color corrects my dark under eye circles and helps bring so much brightness to my under eyes. I really enjoy the thick, creamy formula of this concealer because it provides a ton of coverage but it's also very moisturizing at the same time. Overall, I absolutely love this concealer and I always need to have it on hand. I highly recommend you check it out if you haven't already!

What do you think of Benefit's Erase Paste Concealer? Have you tried any other Benefit concealers like Boi-ing or FakeUp? (Click here to see my review of FakeUp). Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading!
-Meg

Eyes Lips Face (ELF): Moisturizing Lipstick in Wink Pink, Party in the Buff, & Rosy-Go-Round

Hi everyone!

Thanks so much for taking the time to check out my blog, I really appreciate it! Today's post is a review of the Eyes Lips Face (ELF) Moisturizing Lipsticks in the shades Wink Pink, Party in the Buff, & Rosy-Go-Round. These lipsticks retail for $3 from ELF website and there are 16 shades in the product line, ranging from nudes all the way to a black shade and covering everything in between. ELF describes these lipsticks as "The velvety, satin texture glides on lips with vibrant color and luminous shine. Enriched with Shea and Vitamins A, C, & E to nourish and hydrate the lips. The rich, creamy formula seals in moisture for long-lasting wear and comfort."

The packaging of the lipsticks is simple and sleek. It's a solid black tube with the color of the lipstick visible on the bottom.

I really enjoyed the pigmentation and ease of applying Wink Pink and Rosy-Go-Round. I did not like Party in the Buff because it was very patchy and hard to apply an even coat to the lips, as you can see below. Of the three, Rosy-Go-Round is my favorite in terms of formula and Wink Pink is my favorite in terms of lipstick color.

As claimed, I found these lipsticks to be very moisturizing and they provided a nice sheen to the lips. In my opinion, they sort of felt more like a lip balm than a traditional lipstick. They have a lot of slip and as a result can be a little messy. I did not apply these lipsticks with a lip liner, but that might be an option to consider if you want to use one of the more bold colors but don't want to worry about it falling outside your lip line or getting messy. I also found that the color pigmentation of Rosy-Go-Round lasted much longer on my lips than the other two shades which I found I had to reapply fairly often to maintain the color.

Final Verdict

Overall, I think the quality of the lipstick formula varies greatly between shades. I really like and recommend the shades Wink Pink and Rosy-Go-Round, but Party in the Buff was definitely a miss in my opinion because it applied very patchy to the lips. For $3, these lipsticks are definitely a steal, but make sure you do your research on which shades are great and which you should pass by.

Have you tried any of the ELF Moisturizing Lipsticks? Which shades are your favorites? Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading!

-Meg

NARS: Lip Gloss in Orgasm

Hi everyone, 

Today's review is of the NARS Lip Gloss in the shade Orgasm. This has long been a cult favorite shade of the NARS blush with the same name, so I was curious to try it as a lipgloss. I have a deluxe sample size of the lip gloss which I received from a Sephora purchase I made a little while ago, but the full size lip gloss retails for $26 at Sephora and the NARS website.

NARS describes this shade as "peach pink with shimmer," which I think is completely accurate. They claim that this is "a moisturizing lip gloss that supports antiaging and imparts long-wearing, sophisticated shine and stunning color for subtle, everyday glamour."

The packaging of this lip gloss is gorgeous and sleek like all NARS products. The wand handle is rubbery while the tube is clear plastic so you can see the color of the product. I also really like the wand applicator, it's designed to hug the lip and it applies the gloss nicely and evenly.

Usually the stickier the lip gloss the longer it lasts on the lips but I really like that this lip gloss formula is non-sticky and yet lasts for a relatively long time on the lips. There's no taste or smell to the product, and once applied the lip gloss stays in place and doesn't slide off the lips. If you like a very shiny lip gloss, this one definitely qualifies!

When swatched on the hand, it shows good color pigmentation, but on the lips, it's pretty much a my lips but better color but with shimmer. I generally dislike shimmer in my lip glosses and this is no different. I love the formula of this lip gloss, but I really hate the shimmer which is probably why I generally don't gravitate toward this lip product over others even though the formula is top-notch. I guess compared to some other glitter lip glosses, this is much more subtle but it's still there and there's a lot of it. 
This lip gloss also claims to be moisturizing which I didn't find to be completely true. It does claim to be enriched with Vitamin E to help lips feel supple and hydrated. It definitely doesn't dry out your lips, but I don't think it really added any moisture to my lips.

Final Verdict

Overall, I really like this lip gloss formula and I highly recommend it if you're a lip gloss lover. I am curious to try some of the non-shimmery high shine shades in this lip gloss line, like Salamanca or Chihuahua, to see if I like those better since I do like the formula of the gloss, just not the shimmer.

Have you tried any of the NARS lip glosses in either the shimmery or high shine finishes? Which shades are your favorites? Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you! 

Thanks for reading!
-Meg

Japonesque: Velvet Touch Concealer (Shades 1 & 2)

Hi everyone,

Today's review is of Japonesque's Velvet Touch Concealer. This concealer retails for $20 for 0.052 oz of product from Ulta. Japonesque describes this concealer as, "Instant blemish perfector. This classic cream concealer provides superb matte coverage. It's flexible texture provides a fuller coverage for skin blemishes, discoloration and imperfections, and gives an elegant soft-focus finish."

This concealer is available in five different colors, labeled as Shades 1 through 5, with 1 being the lightest and 5 being the darkest. I purchased this concealer in Shades 1 and 2. Shade 1 is the perfect shade for covering my under eye circles and brightening my under eyes at the same time, while Shade 2 is the perfect shade to match my skin tone and cover blemishes and imperfections. I will say, I was surprised at how dark the lightest shade is, so if you have a very light skin tone I think shade one might be too dark for you. On the other end of the spectrum, Shade 5 isn't the deepest color so I'm not sure how well it would work for people with darker skin tones. Overall, I highly recommend testing out the colors in the store prior to buying since the color range is very narrow. I also did find that these concealers lean to a more yellow undertone, and since that's my skin's undertone, I found this concealer color to be very flattering for me.

The packaging of this concealer is so cute! I love the watercolor inspired case with different bright colors. The inside features a mirror which is great for touch ups and to use when traveling. The clasp of the concealer is very secure so it won't accidentally open in your bag. While the amount of concealer you get may seem like very little, a little bit truly goes a long way, especially since it's so creamy and easy to blend!

Shade 1 on the left and Shade 2 on the right

Japonesque recommends to "Apply with a concealer brush for fuller coverage over blemishes, discoloration and imperfections." I tend to just use my fingers to apply this concealer. The formula of the concealer is very creamy so I find that using my fingers warms up this product nicely and allows for an easy time applying it.

Swatch on the left: Shade 1, Swatch on the right: Shade 2

The formula is very creamy but at the same time provides great coverage. I did find that my Shade 2 concealer was a bit more creamy and smooth than Shade 1, not sure if that was just true for my concealers or if it is true for this entire line. Overall though, this product is everything I look for in a concealer! It is super easy to apply, goes on smoothly, blends well into your makeup to provide a flawless look, and covers over blemishes impeccably. I'm always amazed at how well it minimizes the redness in my skin and covers my purple under eye circles. This concealer truly stays all day looking flawless without needing touch ups. I didn't find this concealer to settle into my under eye creases or to clump at all. The formula isn't greasy or too matte, and I find that I don't need to set it with a powder.

Final Verdict:
All in all, I think this is a fantastic concealer and is definitely one of my all time favorites! I love how creamy and smooth it is while applying flawlessly and covering all my blemishes and red spots. For only $20, I think this product is a great high end concealer without being ridiculously expensive. I love this concealer and I have already purchased another of both shades because they are so great! I highly recommend giving this concealer a shot!

Have you tried any products from the brand Japonesque? What concealers are your all time faves? Please leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading!
-Meg

Maybelline: Define-A-Lash Mascara

Hi everyone,

Happy Mascara Monday and hope your week is off to a great start! Today's review is of Maybelline's Define-A-Lash Mascara. This mascara retails for $7.99 at Ulta and $6.19 at Target. This mascara does come in two different formulas, waterproof and washable. I will be reviewing the washable formula mascara, not the waterproof version.

Photo Courtesy of Target

Maybelline describes this mascara as, "This Maybelline New York Define-A-Lash Lengthening Mascara creates stunning length with clean definition and zero clumps. Patented shaped-to-the-lash flexible brush. Ophthalmologist tested, contact lens safe." Maybelline recommends to "Sweep mascara from your outer lash to inner lash, sweeping brush slowly from root to tip. Do not let dry between coats. Removes easily with soap and water or Eye Makeup Remover."

Overall, I think this is an awesome mascara that is very overlooked and underrated. I really love the fun green packaging of this mascara. The tube is rather slim which is great for traveling and bringing it with you for touch ups. The shade of this mascara is "very black" and it is just that - a very dark black mascara. I think the color of this mascara is perfect for everyday wear or special events. It's your perfect classic black mascara.

When I first saw the mascara wand I was really unsure if I would like it, but turns out I absolutely love it! The want is the perfect shape for getting at your inner and outer lashes. The wand itself isn't flexible but the bristle end is flexible. The rubber bristles of the brush do a great job of applying the product to your lashes. This mascara is especially wonderful for people (like me!) who have fine, thin, short lashes and who are trying to make them appear longer and thicker. I love that in addition to lengthening and volumizing my lashes, this mascara does a great job of separating my lashes too.

The formula of the mascara is more of a wet formula which I really enjoy. I did find that it applied a bit clumpy, since it provided lots of volume and makes lashes look dense and full I was willing to overlook it. I do think since I've had it for a while now, that the formula is clumping a bit more than it did originally - at the very beginning I don't remember this mascara clumping at all. Overall, I've been very impressed with how long this mascara lasts without drying out. I've had mine for 6+ months now (I don't use it everyday) and the formula is still very wet and perfect to use.

Maybelline Define-A-Lash Mascara applied without curling lashes

The one negative I have of this mascara is that there was a slight smell to it, a kind of rubbery, traditional mascara smell, but I didn't find it to be unbearable and I couldn't smell it after applying it. It's definitely not displeasing enough to not use this mascara.

Final Verdict
The two things I always look for my mascara to do is to lengthen and volumize my lashes. This mascara does just that and I absolutely LOVE it! I love the overall look this mascara gives my lashes! I don't think this mascara gets enough hype so I've really been wanting to do a review of it so people know how great it is. I will definitely repurchase this mascara and I highly recommend giving it a try!

Have you tried this Maybelline mascara? Which other Maybelline mascaras do you love? Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading!
-Meg

Lush: Mint Julips Lip Scrub

Hi everyone,

Today's review is of the Mint Julips Lip Scrub by Lush. This product retails for $9.95 through the Lush website and contains 0.9oz of product. Lush describes this product as, "Just like the scrumptious cocktail served in hot southern summers, Mint Julips is packed full of fresh peppermint and sweet castor sugar. Peppermint is responsible for that ‘tingly feeling’ you get after brushing your teeth or using lip balm, so we thought it would make a perfect addition to our lip scrub! Plus, it makes Mint Julips tastes like a big, creamy bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream."

This is a sugar scrub and Lush uses Fair Trade sugar as the base of their lip scrubs which makes for an effective exfoliant. Lush recommends how to use this product as "Scrub your lips with our sugary Lip Scrubs to make them smooth and tempting. Take a pea-sized amount and scrub your lips soft, then lick off the excess!"

I've long been a fan of the ELF Studio Lip Exfoliator (retails for $3 full-price for 0.16 oz of product) and decided to try this Lush product to see how it would compare. While I like that the ELF product comes in a lipstick-style tube for convenience, I find that the actual scrub of the Lush product is much better. It's a finely milled sugar scrub that doesn't hurt when applied to even the most sensitive of lips.  I find that once you get to the bottom of the ELF Lip Exfoliator the product becomes quite hard and is painful to apply onto your lips. With the Lush scrub, when you move your lips back and forth the product scrubs your lips but it doesn't hurt at all. I actually find that I have to stop myself after about 30 seconds so that I don't overexfoliate my lips because you can't tell until after you wipe off the product if you've over exfoliated since it's doesn't ever hurt your lips. After using the scrub, I highly recommend applying your favorite lip balm to help renourish your lips. Personally, I love using the EOS Visibly Soft lip balms - see my review here. Additionally, I also like that Lush uses natural ingredients in their products so I don't have to worry about accidentally swallowing the product. In fact, Lush even recommend licking off the excess product on your lips. I find the flavor of this scrub to be very pleasant as it's minty fresh with some notes of cocoa. It truly tastes like a mint julip!

The price of this product might seem a little pricey, but truly, a little bit goes a LONG way. I've had mine for several months and I still have more than half of it left. I tend to use it about once a week so as to not over exfoliate my lips.

Final Verdict:

I really like this lip scrub! I think Lush did a great job of making a product that works for people with very sensitive lips and the flavor of this scrub is very minty fresh with hints of chocolate. I think for the price, this is a great item to try, especially with the winter months coming up which means lots of chapped, dry lips. If you like the ELF lip exfoliator definitely give this product a try, I highly recommend trying it!

What are your favorite Lush products? Please leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading!

-Meg

NARS: Sheer Matte Foundation

Happy Foundation Friday everyone!

Today's review is of the NARS Sheer Matte Foundation. I had been wanting to try this foundation for forever because I absolutely LOVE matte foundations. I purchased this foundation from Sephora for $45 for 1 oz of product, which is quite pricey for a foundation in my opinion!

I purchased the color Ceylan which Sephora describes as a light-medium shade with yellow undertones. Colorwise, I found that this shade matched my skin pretty perfectly, which is great since I just guessed as I bought it online. On the Sephora website, this product is available in 17 different shades, ranging from very fair to very dark with everything from pink to yellow undertones, so there's bound to be one that's a pretty perfect match to your skin. If you can, I do recommend going to Sephora and swatching the colors before purchasing just to ensure that you buy the right shade as this is a pricey item and you don't want to get a shade that is a poor match.

NARS describes this product as "This Sheer Matte Foundation enhances, without masking, your overall natural complexion. The weightless formula absorbs oil and keeps skin shine free all day long. The complexion brightening properties improve skin brightness, radiance, and texture, leaving the complexion with a luminous, fresh finish."

In terms of packaging, this lives up to the beautiful packaging that NARS is known for. I like the frosted glass bottle, it looks absolutely gorgeous! The only downside in my opinion is that it doesn't come with a pump. The foundation is very runny so pouring it out on your hand is an absolute MESS. You can buy a pump separately for $6 from the NARS website, but when I'm already paying almost $50 for a foundation, I want it to have a pump and I don't want to pay even more for one.

The formula of this product is VERY sheer, it actually surprised me how sheer it was. I know the word "sheer" is in the name of the product, but this product really didn't cover up my red spots or blemishes very well. I think this is a good product if you don't have many skin imperfections and aren't trying to hide anything. Honestly though, I don't have too much to hide, but I felt like this foundation just helped to even my skin tone a tiny bit but really didn't have much to offer in terms of coverage. If I'm going to put a liquid foundation on, I want to see medium to full coverage, otherwise I tend to use more powder foundations for light to medium coverage days because I think that helps my skin breathe more.

Top Row: Light Swatch, Heavier Swatch
Bottom Row: Blended out Swatch

Applying this foundation was very interesting to apply. It was okay at blending out, but not the best. Also, a long time after applying this foundation my skin looked dewy which I thought was very strange. Eventually, maybe 20 minutes later, it would mattify, it was just strange to put it on and immediately look dewy. I did apply a setting powder with this product to help mattify it faster and add a little more coverage. I don't think you have to apply a finishing powder but I generally prefer to no matter what foundation I'm using.

This product is for normal to oily skin so it probably wasn't the best product for me since I tend to have normal to dry skin and I definitely did notice it sticking to my dry patches. If you do have oily and super oily skin and don't need much coverage I would highly recommend checking out this foundation - I think it would be perfect for you! This foundation does say that it's buildable to get a little more coverage, but I find when I did that I looked very cakey and it didn't look very natural.

My problem areas show through!

Final Verdict:
All in all, this just wasn't a good foundation for me so I did return it back to Sephora. I wanted to love it so badly, but it just wasn't right for me. Having normal to dry skin just didn't mesh well with this foundation as it enhanced my dry patches and it also offered such little coverage that it wasn't worth the expensive price tag for me. I do think this is a great product for someone who doesn't need much coverage and doesn't really have any skin imperfections that they're trying to hide. If you don't like a matte foundation, NARS also has a Sheer Glow Foundation which I believe is a pretty similar formula except gives you a glowy, dewy look.

Have you tried any Nars Foundations? What do you think, are they worth the hype? Please leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading!

Maybelline: Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipsticks

Hi everyone,

Today's post is on Maybelline's Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipsticks. These lipsticks retail for $7.99 at Ulta, $8.29 at CVS, $7.29 at Walgreens, and $5.49 at Target, and each contains 0.15 oz of product. Maybelline describes this product as "The Creamy Mattes by Color Sensational deliver a burst of bold lip color and a surge of creamy texture in make-a-statement shades, for mattes your lips will love to wear!"

There are currently 10 shades in the line and I own and will be reviewing four of them:
          - Daringly Nude (#655)
          - Lust for Blush (#665)
          - Touch of Spice (#660)
          - Mesmerizing Magenta (#680)

The packaging of these lipsticks is very simple and sleek for a drugstore lipstick. I really like the silver packaging with the semi-transparent purple casing. The packaging is sturdy enough that you can through the lipstick in your purse and not worry about it getting crushed or anything.

Overall, I absolutely love these lipsticks!! They are a long-lasting, very comfortable to wear matte lipstick that's so affordable! I was really surprised when applying these lipsticks by how creamy they are for a matte lipstick. They do seem to dry down to a little after a couple of minutes to application, but they are still very comfortable to wear and they do last for hours. These lipsticks are also very opaque and pigmented, especially for a drugstore lipstick.

Now here are some additional photos and swatches of each of the shades!

Daringly Nude

Lust for Blush

Touch of Spice

Mesmerizing Magenta

Final Verdict:
This is a matte lipstick that you have to have!! I absolutely adore the shade Daringly Nude and highly recommend it to nude lipstick lovers. These lipsticks are so affordable and they are so comfortable to wear while looking gorgeous! I'm definitely tempted to buy some more shades in the line!

Which shades of the Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipsticks are your favorite? Please leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading!
-Meg