Revlon Lip Butter Swatches and Review

Revlon’s latest Colorburst Lip Butter lipsticks are a new soft and buttery  conditioning lipstick formula that promises to leave your lips baby smooth while delivering a burst of color! I absolutely love this product because they are very nourishing on the lips and eliminate the need for a lip gloss -  they provide excellent shine! I’m a fan of the ‘no frills’ or ‘throw on and go’ products and Revlon’s Lip Butters certainly fall within that category!

Some of the colors I picked up are quite pigmented while others are rather sheer. Available in 20 shades, you’re bound to find a color you love! See below for swatches of the shades I picked up.

(L-R) Red Velvet, Raspberry Pie, Cotton Candy, Pink Truffle, Tutti Fruiti, Peach Parfait

(L-R) Red Velvet, Raspberry Pie, Cotton Candy, Pink Truffle, Tutti Fruiti, Peach Parfait

(L-R) Red Velvet, Raspberry Pie, Cotton Candy, Pink Truffle, Tutti Fruiti, Peach Parfait

I’m happy to see drugstore brands are catching wind of high-end beauty trends and offering these new products. We’ve seen brands such as Chanel, Dior and Clinique offer lip butter lipsticks in the last few years with high success and I’m very excited by this new, cost-effective option.

I would highly recommend these lipsticks but would suggest checking out swatches before purchasing. I’ve found many of the colors (especially the more sheer ones) are similar and you won’t want to buy two that are alike. The Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters will be available permanently as of January 2012 (yay!!).

Have you tried Revlon’s Colorburst Lip Butters? What do you think of them?

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick – Review and Swatches

CoverGirl’s Lip Perfection lipsticks are one of my favorite lipstick formulations at the drug store. They’re pigmented, creamy, and wear for a surprisingly long time without drying out your lips. I also love the packaging, the price (between $6 and $8 dollars) and their lack of odor. With a giant shade selection, your bound to find a color that suits you well – or 7 for any flavor of the week!

I’ve accumulated four of these babies since they came out last year – Delish (a warm, peachy nude), Heavenly (a warm, peachy pink), Darling (a cool, mid tone pink) and Spell Bound (a bright, bold magenta). See below for swatches of these shades, and be sure to check out my full length video review!

(L-R) Delish, Heavenly, Darling, Spell Bound

(L-R) Delish, Heavenly, Darling, Spell Bound

(L-R) Delish, Heavenly, Darling, Spell Bound

Check out my video review:

Review: Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation

When I first caught word of Chanel’s new Perfection Lumiere foundation I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it – a new long wear foundation with a matte finish from Chanel? Sounds fabulous! When it came time to cash in some handy dandy AMEX points in the form of a Nordstrom gift card, I couldn’t help but treat myself to a full size bottle of this new formula from Chanel.

Chanel Perfection Lumiere in B20

While I found a few aspects of this foundation I really enjoy, my overall experience with Perfection Lumiere has been one of trial AND error. My favorite aspect of this formula is how light weight it is. It has a medium, buildable coverage that looks natural and is great for everyday use. I also love the packaging; the pump is super handy and you gotta love the iconic ‘Chanel’ emblem on the cap.

In terms of long wear, I found Perfection Lumiere to hold up for a majority of the day (about 8 hours), but this formula didn’t hold a candle to some of my other favorite long-wear formulas such as Estee Lauder Double Wear / Double Wear Light, Mac Pro Longwear and Revlon Colorstay. By the end of the day, I could see the coverage dissipating with a good amount of oil breakthrough. With that, I found the finish to be a bit tricky – what starts out as extremely matte upon first application (almost too matte) quickly becomes natural, or almost ‘dewy’ by the end of the day. As someone who typically loves a matte finish, I found the finish of Perfection Lumiere to be overly matte, almost making my face look flat and one-dimensional for the first few hours of wear. The foundation also has a fast drying time, making application a bit difficult and in the ‘high maintenance’ category. This definitely isn’t a ‘throw on and go’ foundation like Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, which seems to diminish my skin’s imperfections and make it appear healthy and radiant.

While Chanel offers 20 shades in this formula in three color families, I still had a hard time finding a color match. I had read other reviews saying the foundation oxidizes a bit, making the color appear darker over time so I chose opt for a lighter shade than I typically wear in Vitalumiere Aqua (B30) and bought B20. At first it seemed too light, however after trying a sample in B30 I confirmed B20 was a better match. While B30 was too dark, I still feel B20 makes me look a bit ghostly. Be forewarned, while the color labeling system in Perfection Lumiere and Vitalumiere Aqua are the same, the actual shades are not.

Swatch of Perfection Lumiere in B20

As a total foundation junkie I was super excited to give this new Chanel foundation a try, but I’m sad to report I think Perfection Lumiere may be going back to Nordstrom! At $55 a bottle for 1 fluid oz., I’d prefer to stick with another one of my much-loved foundations that performs better with a lower price tag (re: Mac Matchmaster below).  

As a side note, I bought Mac’s Matchmaster foundation a couple weeks before trying Perfection Lumiere and I find them to have a lot of similar properties (long wear, light weight, matte finish, etc) but I’ve much preferred the Matchmaster. In general, I found Matchmaster to have better color matching properties (designed to adjust to skin’s natural undertones), a more luminous demi-matte finish that seems to make my skin look radiant while controlling oil and longer wear (despite not being classified as a ‘long wear’ formula). At $32.50 and 1.18 fl oz. I’d definitely recommend checking out Matchmaster as a cost effective alternative to Perfection Lumiere.

Mac Matchmaster Foundation Review

Mac’s Product Description:

New Foundation technology using translucent pigments to enable a fully personalized finish influenced by the subtleties of your own skin’s undertone. Moisturizing demi-matte finish. Medium buildable coverage. Line-reducing soft-focus powders.

My Opinion:

I’m loving this foundation! As someone with a neutral undertone, I’ve always had a difficult time finding a color match, especially with Mac’s NW/NC coloring system (NW is a bit too pink and NC way too yellow). Mac’s Matchmaster foundation truly takes the guesswork out of finding the perfect foundation shade, as it blends and adjusts to your natural undertone. Wearing this foundation, I have virtually NO foundation line. I wear Matchmaster in the color 1.5 (typically I’m an NW20), although I’m sure I could wear 2.0, as this foundation blends and adjusts seamlessly into the skin.

Matchmaster has a demi-matte finish that is great for those with normal to oily skin. The finish isn’t overly matte or drying, but perfect for those that don’t want a glowing or ‘dewy’ finish. I would consider the coverage of this foundation to be light to medium buildable coverage. If you’re looking for a bit of extra coverage, I’d recommend pairing this with a good concealer, particularly for the under eye area. Because this foundation isn’t full coverage, you’ll definitely need to partner it with a good concealer for your ‘problem’ areas.

As for longevity, I wouldn’t consider this a long wear formula (which it doesn’t claim to be), but it definitely holds up for a good 8-10 hours. As someone with normal to oily skin, I didn’t find myself needing to blot or powder as frequently as I usually do with this foundation, which makes me think there may be something oil-controlling about the formula. As for the ‘soft focus powders’, I can’t say anything about that because I don’t have many fine lines or wrinkles.

At $32.50, the price is a bit steep, but Mac has thrown in an extra 5 ML (or 0.2 fl oz). Even though $32.50 is a lot of money to spend on a Mac foundation, I do believe it is worth the money for the great color match!

For swatches and a color matching guide, visit Karla Sugar here.

Love: Estee Lauder Sumptuous Mascara

Why did it take me so long to find this mascara? Seriously, why didn’t anyone ever tell me about this?

I’m genuinely surprised I’ve never heard a single beauty blogger mention, recommend or use this product in a tutorial – I swear, it must be a HIDDEN GEM! Luckily, I discovered this product myself via an Estee Lauder gift with purchase a few months back and let me just say I’M IN LOVE.

What do I love about this mascara?

• Dramatic but without clumps – perfect for everyday use
• Lengthens, thickens and curls all at once
• Eliminates the need for an eyelash curler
• Brush is large enough to grab all my lashes, but not so large that I’m constantly wiping mascara off my lids
• Doesn’t flake or run throughout the day
• Doesn’t irritate my sensitive eyes
• Easily washes off at the end of the day

To recap: If you haven’t tried this mascara, please do! This rivals my former (and perhaps still) favorite mascara, Tarte’s Lights Camera Lashes. I will certainly be purchasing a full size tube once my tester runs out.

PS: Has anyone tried Estee Lauder’s Sumptuous Extreme Mascara? I wonder how is compares to Sumptuous. . .

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation

I wore Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Foundation in a recent video, and I received a flood of requests for a review on this foundation. The foundation is designed to be the light weight version of Estee Lauder’s ever-popular Double Wear Foundation. Unlike the traditional Double Wear Foundation, the Double Wear Light comes in a plastic squeeze tube. The foundation comes in six different shades called intensity levels, but does not come in a variety of undertones. In my experience, most of the shades tend to have a neutral to yellow undertone.

This foundation is known for having light-medium coverage and a staying power of 15 hours. It also has a lightweight feel and is good for taking photographs (unlike the traditional Double Wear that reflects the flash and gives a “white face” appearance). The foundation is also oil-free and good for hot/humid environments as it won’t slip or sweat off throughout the day.

I really like this foundation because it provides less coverage than the traditional Double Wear, yet still provides enough coverage to even out the skin tone and conceal minor flaws. Double Wear Light IS NOT comparable to a tinted moisturizer, as its definitely provides a good amount of coverage. I also prefer it to Lancome Teint Idole Fresh Wear (another light and long wear foundation marketed to oily skin types) because the high alcohol content of the fresh wear made my skin super dry (which is a rarity)!

My only gripe with this foundation is the color selection. As someone with a neutral to cool undertone, I’ve found it difficult to find a perfect color match. Intensity #2 suits my skin tone fairly well, but is slightly too yellow toned, and Intensity #1 is a little too fair for me. I wish they’d make this foundation in more shades. Also, I don’t think it lasts as long as the traditional Double Wear Foundation, but that is to be expected because the coverage is less.

Overall I’d definitely recommend checking out this product. Its a unique product in that it is long wearing, yet provides light to medium coverage. This kind of foundation is is difficult to find as most long wear foundations are very full coverage. I find the Double Wear Light is more wearable and suits a variety of skin types. Plus, its a bonus that it works with flash photography!

Revlon Soft and Smooth Lip Color

I’ve been discovering some amazing products lately, including their Soft and Smooth long wearing lip color. I’m not sure how long this formula has been in stores, but I just spotted it this week at Meijer, and I was curious to try this long wearing formula. I’m not a fan of Revlon’s traditional Super Lustrous lipstick formula, because I don’t find them creamy or long wearing enough, something these Soft and Smooth lipsticks DO have going for them.

The Revlon Soft and Smooth Lip Colors are definitely a long wearing formula. They aren’t transfer resistant, but I wore them for several hours without fading. Even after eating a drinking, my lips still had color on them (although it had faded slightly). Another thing I really like about these lipsticks is that they aren’t drying! Many long wear lip colors, such as Mac’s Pro Longwear Lip Color and Revlon’s Liquid Lipstick, are extremely drying and make the lips crack and peel. I didn’t find this to be the case with the Revlon Soft and Smooth Lip Color.

They are also very pigmented in color, you don’t have to use more than one layer because the color really pops right away. Also, they glide on the lips so smoothly but dry to a matte finish (which I like). If you’re looking for something with a glossy or sheer finish, these lipsticks aren’t for you, however you can top them off with a gloss to add a nice shine.

I picked up two in the colors Creamy Coral and Satin Rosewood. I was hoping to pick up one of the pink shades buy my store was sold out. I’ll be keeping my eyes pealed for those. See below for swatches and images of me wearing them!

Revlon Soft and Smooth Lip Color in Creamy Coral

Revlon Soft and Smooth Lip Color in Satin Rosewood

Top: Satin Rosewood, Botton: Creamy Coral

Benefit’s NEW Bella Bamba Cheek Powder

Benefit recently released their new Bella Bamba Boxed Cheek Powder. Bella Bamba claims to create the illusion of sculpted cheek bones with its 3D features and watermelon hue. Not only is this the first “3D” innovation from Benefit, but the company has switched up the packaging  a bit adding a flip open lid with mirror and a new and improved tapered blush brush.

While I’m not typically a fan of Benefit’s flat, blunt cut brushes included in their previous boxed powders, the new and improved tapered version applied to the cheeks very nicely. I’d still prefer using an angled face or fluffy blush brush but the new applicator, flip up top and mirror make application much easier during those “gal on the go” moments.

The color of Bella Bamba is divine! Its a highly pigmented watermelon pink with subtle golden shimmer. I enjoy the shimmer in Bella Bamba because it apparent yet not obvious. I think the color of this blush would be universally flattering on anyone from a fair to deep skin tone. In my humble opinion, Bella Bamba is even more universally flattering that NARS’ infamous Orgasm blush. I didn’t notice any “3D” or sculpting effects, but I definitely think this helps bring out the cheeks bones (as most blushes do).

The best part of this blush is that its so highly pigmented. You barely need to use any product at all!  While Bella Bamba comes with only .28 oz of product (far less than the .35oz  or even .42 oz of product that come in the previous Benefit boxed powders) I still feel like it is worth the money because I prefer to use highly pigmented blushes. With Bella Bamba, gone are the days of layering and layering your blush so that it will show up!

Overall I think this is a great blush, and definitely a must have if you’re a fan of Benefit’s boxed blushes. Never tried a Benefit boxed blush before? I’d definitely opt for the Bella Bamba over all others Benefit boxed blushes – its about time Benefit made a super pigmented blush! This product definitely rivals NARS blushes in color payoff, texture and overall quality. I give it two thumbs up!

Tarte’s Smooth Operator Tinted Moisturizer

I picked up Tarte’s Smooth Operator Tinted Moisturizer during their December friends and family sale. The foundation typically retails for $36.00, however with the 40% off sale I picked this up for $22. This is the first tinted moisturizer I’ve ever used, and I have to say I’m really loving it so far.

The Claims:

• Lightweight, water based formula blends easily into the skin
• Formulated without oil so it won’t clog your pores
• Mineral pigments diffuse fine lines and wrinkles while giving a natural finish
• Contains SPF 20 to defend against harmful rays and a skinvigorating ingredients like chamomile that help repair dry skin
• Contains no parabens, synthetic fragrances or phthalates

My Experience

This tinted moisturizer is almost more like a foundation. It provides light to medium coverage and comes in a variety of shades (11 to be exact) with cool, neutral and warm undertones. The thick formula is moisturizing to the skin without making the skin appear greasy, oily or slick. As someone with combination oily skin, I’m typically apprehensive about “moisturizing” products as they make my skin look shiny, but I didn’t experience that with the Smooth Operator at all. While the product provides a more “natural” finish than matte, I didn’t feel as though it was an unflattering finish. If anything, it made my skin look extremely radiant.

I typically enjoy applying my foundation with a traditional foundation brush or a synthetic flat top kabuki or buffer brush however I found the best way to apply this foundation is with your finger tips. I did set this foundation with a power (but you may not need to if you have dryer skin), and still used my daily moisturizer underneath. The lasting power of this foundation is about 5-8 hours (depending on skin type, primers, whether you set it or not etc).

Overall, I really enjoy this tinted moisturizer and I’m really glad I gave it a try despite my original apprehension. I think this replaces my former “weekend” foundation of choice- – Bare Minerals. I find that the Tarte Smooth Operator gives me the same radiant finish as my Bare Minerals Original foundation, however the Bare Minerals made my face very itchy. I also like knowing I am applying all natural ingredients to my face. I never broke out or had skin irritation as a result of using this product.

I think the price is a little steep, but if you can pick this up during a sale I definitely think its worth the money. Tarte often has coupon codes available online, or you can get it at Sephora or Ulta during one of their sales. If you’re not someone with sensitive skin, or if you aren’t looking for something all-natural, fragrance free and vegan you might want to check out Cover Girl’s new Nature Luxe Foundation. I found the finish and coverage level of the Nature Luxe to be very similar to the Smooth Operator.

For more information on Tarte’s Smooth Operator, check out my video review below.

New Product: Clinique Chubby Sticks

New to Clinique this January is their Chubby Sticks! These chubby stick lip balms are designed to be super-nourishing and natural. The formula is loaded with mango and shea butters to help condition dry, delicate lips. They come in eight natural-looking lip tints in all, each with a subtle sheen.

I picked up two Clinique Chubby Sticks in Chubby Cherry and Mega Melon today and I’m loving them so far! The glossy formula makes my lips feel super smooth and the colors are surprisingly pigmented yet sheer at the same time. You can definitely layer the product to create a more or less intense color.

The Clinique Chubby Sticks retail for $15 and are surprisingly comparable to Tarte’s Lipsurgence Lip Stains, however the Chubby Stick don’t claim to “stain” or have long lasting color. If you’ve been interested in trying the Tarte Stains but didn’t want to shell out the $24.00 for those, I’d definitely check these out! At $15 these are definitely worth the money!

To view swatches on the colors I picked up and to see me wearing the color Chubby Cherry, check out my video below.

** As a side note, I’m not sure why these are advertised with Jello Jigglers. Come on Clinique, really? I think someone in the art department was hungry. . .