First Impressions

     I've got some new stuff recently, I have only used them once so far so I'm not ready to do a full out review yet but I do have some first reactions.

     First up, Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Sunset Peach ...... approx $7

     I bought this because it looked similar to an Avon Glazewear shade I loved called Peach Fizz which has since been discontinued (boo!). I bought a Milani 3D Glitzy Glamor Gloss for the same reason, however that one, while a lovely gloss, is very sheer and thus not really a dupe.
     So, I had seen this shade or at least a similar shade in the Revlon Colorburst gloss line on the VintageorTacky blog (which I follow) and Youtube Channel (which I subscribe too)...she's awesome if you haven't discovered her yet!
     Anyway, because I had seen that the Revlon Colorburst gloss line had some peach shades available I though I would give them  look because you just don't see many peach glosses, even in the high-end spectrum. Well, maybe a little more often now because I guess "orange lips" are kind of in right now? I don't really follow fashion trends, I find what works for me. Well, it made me happy that the Colorburst Glosses had about 3 peachy shades available, (possibly 4) and I picked up Sunset Peach which I felt most closely matched the Peach Fizz shade.
     I didn't open in right away, I usually do, but I've been insanely overworked and have been too exhausted lately to bother with makeup so I didn't pull this out until last night when I went to see a play.
     My verdict so far, it's okay. I don't really care for the formula, it's kinda thick for my tastes and a bit sticky. I find NYC Liquid Lip Shine also too thick for my tastes, but they aren't as sticky. This revlon gloss is thick, kinda sticky and not something I love the feel of. HOWEVER, the formula also lasts longer than my other glosses so that could potentially bring up the favor factor in the future. I'm guessing it's supposed to be a longer-wearing gloss which could explain the thick/stickyness.
     I'm also not a fan of the applicator, it's a sponge tip which is fine, but its weirdly shaped. Its tapered on two sides which makes the spongy bit very bendy..I don't want to necessarily call it flimsy because it's not the kind of bendy that makes me feel it's gonna break everytime I use it, maybe..springy? Either way it makes it a little trickier to apply. I think maybe they wanted to make it a brush applicator but a full out brush was too expensive so they settled for a weird bendy sponge tip applicator that could be the love-child of a sponge tip and a brush...I dunno.
     Some positive things about it, it does have a nice color if you can get past the texture and it does last. The packaging is cute and compact. The shape of the tube is square so it's stackable and otherwise easy to organize if you have multiple shades. At this point I'm not ready to repurchase, but I may change my mind as I adjust to it. We shall see!

Next Product Hard Candy MoonGlow Translucent Luminizing Powder ..... $6

     This, I've wanted for a while. I wanted it for a highlighter mostly because the one "highlighter" powder I have I'm not a big fan of (not that I don't use other types of highlight!). I thought this would make a pretty, yet subtle highlight.
     So I pulled it out for the first time yesterday as well..now I already have the mattifying powder so I don't explore the packaging to much...though sadly I did drop it as I was trying to get the plastic shrink wrap off so it started to come out of the pan a little (sad face). I don't really blame the product quality so much as my own clumsiness though! The powder is pretty fine and soft so even though it is a pressed powder, it's easy to get it on your brush.
     Anyway, I applied it using my usual highlighter brush in the usual places I apply highlight and I found it didn't provide enough concentration. This product really does provide a subtle glow! I could see myself using this as a finishing powder on occasion with my usual highlighting brush, however to use this just for highlighting, I will need a denser brush than I normally would use.
     So far, I like it, but I definitely need to use it more and in a variety of ways to decide what it's best suited for. Right now I find it too subtle to effectively highlight much, however a denser brush could solve that problem as it would apply the product in a more concentrated manner.... so I will have to experiment!

     I'm only gonna cover the two right now because these are my newest products, so far one is currently more liked than the  other, but I want to use them a bit more before making my ultimate ruling!

Playing Around with ELF

Hokay! So, I am off today, and it was raining, and I was bored, and I had some new make-up stuff to play with and then that morphed into kinda doing a whole face. Most of the products I used were ELF so i thought I'd show ya what I did. I won't go into in-depth review of this stuff because I plan to eventually do vids, but I thought I show ya in picture form. With the exception of my concealer/foundation and a lip gloss..everything I used is by ELF..mostly the studio line.

So, here be the whole look:

And a slightly closer look

Used products:

Concealer: Maybelline Dream Mousse (tryin to use it up as Maybelline does animal testing...kinda sad since I actually do like it..maybe it's good they discontinued it so I won't be tempted...)
"Foundation": Physician's Formula Mineral Wear Talc Free spf 16 Powder (what a mouthful!) in Buff Beige

Eyes:
ELF Studio eyeshadow-liner stick in green/moss ... $3
ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit ... $3

Lips:
ELF Essential Lipstick in Seductive ... $1!
Avon "Shine" Glazewear in Iced Pink (shh!) ... price varies depending on various sales..lets say avg $3

Face:
ELF Essentials all over color stick in Golden Peach ... $1
ELF Studio Blush and Bronzer Contouring duo ... $3

Lets break er down!
shadow-liner stick

Shadow side-very sheer coverage, might be a pretty base but otherwise provides the lightest wash of color and light shimmer..pretty but just sorta so-so
Liner Side- even more so-so, liner lacks precision once the initial point wears down, have to go over liner multiple times for it to be noticable
Bonus...it broke and I've only used it once! :-(

Verdict: save your money, there are much better options for a liner out there and, while I would like to try the shadow side as a base, it is also the side that broke so.... I couldn't even swatch it for you!

 Here is the liner swatch.... it comes out better on my had than my eye

Brow Kit
Not entirely sure why I felt the need to pick this up considering my brows are naturally pretty dark and I seldom fill them in. I think i saw it get a positive review on BeautyBroadcast and was all..I want to try that jut for the heck of it!  This product doesn't really "fill - in" so much as makes your existing brow hairs look thicker thus making your brows look fuller. The waxy/gel side acts like a brow gel and keeps the stubborn hairs in place while the taupe-y powder sets it.

Verdict: a nice product to have if your brow hairs tend to not hold their shape throughout the day, however I feel this would only really work if your brows are already naturally dark and need minimal fill-in..however I also don't have a set of 'fair' brows to test this theory...

Essentials Lipstick
pretty creamy, matte, quite pink. I find it a hair too pink for me to wear alone, but it does look lovely paired with a gloss..I think the Iced Pink worked well.

And just look at that swatch!

Verdict:A steal for the price Nice color pay-off in a matte formula that is not as dry as some lipsticks I have tried. Not particularly long-lasting, but I have used it for a show and reapplied at intermission. I'm not a huge fan of lipsticks, but I see no other real issues with this product other than sometimes in settles into fine lines or gets a little clumpy..but thats probably more of a matter of not quite hydrated-enough lips and to-thick of an application on my part rather than the formula itself because it doesn't happen all the time!
Usually I pair this with a gloss, it looks phenomenal with NYC Liquid Lip Shine in Dusty Rose!

Avon  Glazewear

What can I say? Avon Glazewear is like, my favorite lip gloss..even though they discontinued a shade I loved (boo!) Super shiney and pretty I find it the perfect consistency for me. While, being a gloss, it isn't that long lasting, it remains one of my fave lip products..most of the time I just throw on a glazewear on my lips. However, today I thought this color might be pretty with the lipstick

Verdict:..do you really have to ask?

All over Color Stick

I initially bought this for use as a blush color but i prefer to use it as an occasional highlight color. Theoretically you could use it on your eyes or lips as well as the face, but the formula (at least mine anyway!) is rather dry so I find it works best on my cheeks...plus I think using the same product on all parts of your face is kinds grody and unsanitary, If I were to want to use this elsewhere, I would probably get a separate one just to try and keep the spread of bacteria at a minimum...pretty color though

 Hmm...can't really see the swtch, but it is there, I promise!

Verdict: an okay product. I'm not gonna rave about it because it is dry and I find the concept behind the product unsanitary. However, for $1, I can put up with some dryness and sanitary-ness is more based on personal paractices rather than what the company says. Not sure if I'll repurchase, but it's not a definite 'no' either

 Studio Blush/Bronzer duo

 $3  gets you two sizable products that compliment each other as well as mist skin tones. If you look at the product in the pan, it does appear to be quite shimmery, However it is NOT shimmery on your skin. The bronzer is a nice, neutral contour shade and the blush offers a very light, barely perceptable flush..which suits my personal tastes just fine.

Verdict:  A nice product for the price, though the blush may be too light for many people's tastes. Also, this product probably wouldn't work so well with dark skin tones. The bronzer is doable for fairer skin tones so long as it is applied with a light hand. 


And Now for Some randoms!

1...my hair is getting quite long..I'm thinking of cutting it off because it is getting difficult to keep the ends from getting dry, I need at least a trim regardless...fine hair lines to be all splitty and breaky, especially when it is worn long

2. I cannot aim a timed release

3. I started an Adult Ballet class last night, so I dug out my old slippers....they're Capezio...hee!

Fact: I took dance lessons for 14 years before I went off to college and I kinda missed it.

What sort of fun make-up/activities have you been playing with?

Brush Holders

So, you like your make-up brushes, great! You want to organize them, even better! You have no idea how to accomplish this goal? Not a problem!

Today I shall take you through the journey of making nifty make-up brush holders.... a la what you see in Sephora. Nothing too fancy here.

All you need is two things....a holder and some filler. These are completely up to you, this project can go from very cheap to very expensive depending on the products you use. Filler can be anything from rice to kidney beans or marbles, heck you could even use plain old sand if you want...but that might get a little messy. The container could be a box, a vase, a basket, a bucket..ANYTHING. let your creativity wander!

Here's what I got:

As you can see, I am making two holders. I found these 'jumbo pencil holders' in the office supply section at Wal-Mart. They aren't really to my liking, but I didn't want anything breakable because I'm kind of clumsy and have cats so the glass vases were kind of out, but most of the other suitable containers were either too small or too large, so I got these, figuring I could decorate them later.

The filler I chose is some little pebbles I picked up in the floral crafts section, also at Wal-Mart. there were many choices, marbles and seashells, as well as metallic gold and silver "sand"..which was more like little pebbles. I liked the color and size of these, but you could use larger stones if you want.

So, now that I have my supplies..lets begin!

First thing's first..these stickers have got to go....

These containers have some little divider things....shouldn't matter too much though...

Lets add some pebbles!

Hmm...I think I'd prefer a little more pebbles but this should do..I can always pick up some more later on.

Add in your brushes...POKE!

And now they are all organized!

My Cost:
Jumbo Pencil Holder(2): $1.88 each
Akasha Pebbles (2): $3 each
A few Minutes of Time....priceless (sorry, I couldn't resist)

Total: $9.76

Like I said, this is one of those projects where the cost can vary significantly depending on the materials. However it also offers great opportunity to personalize and customize your make-up storage so you could potentially match your brush holders to any themes you may have going on.

Pretty-fying Your Bargain Make-Up Storage!

So, since I play with make-up frequently..it tends to accumulate. Especially since I started watching and making youtube videos. Now, I had bought a Caboodle train case which, at the time, was sufficient for my make-up storage needs. However, my make-up collection has grown and some products have been replaced with bulkier items and so my collection no longer really fits. My make-up has started ending up EVERYWHERE!...I  mean that literally...since I don't have enough room anywhere for my make-up really, I tend to leave things lying around... my frequently used products ended up on a shelf with some books, individual lip balms have wandered their way into various rooms,  my larger eyeshadow palates got tossed on top of the pile that is my dresser, and my mascaras have gone every which way depending on where I pulled it out last for whatever reason. I am not exactly the neatest person in the world, never have been, but even I was getting annoyed with my lack of a real home for my make-up, so I finally decided to take a stand. Unfortunately, I am limited with how much I can do because there is very little space for me to work with. So after a late night cleaning spree in my bedroom, and a trip to Target and Michaels, I have added a special place just for my lip products..well..until they outgrow that one anyway.

So, first thing's first, I went to Target after getting off of work in order to pick up an athletic, fitted shirt for an adult ballet class I am starting next week. Now I took dance lessons for 14 years growing up, but after a six+ year hiatus, much of my old attire is no longer with me. So, to target I went, unfortunately the one I had my eye on was no longer available, but I did find a suitable alternative on clearance, leaving me extra money to play with. Then, I popped by the ELF section to pick up a product I had seen on youtube that intrigued me, and then I found another thing that caught my fancy....actually several things, but I only bought one other product. Then I realized..I keep buying all this make-up even though I have no place to put it...to the storage!

    So, I found one of these small desk-top three-drawer Sterilite devices that I decided would be good for my lip products....

BUT! I decided it was boring and plain, which made me sad so I decided I want to make it pretty. Since Target doesn't really have a great craft section.... I traipsed over to the nearby Michaels! I initially was gonna get some stencils and paint..but upon looking at the stencils, I realized stickers would be less-messy and more time-saving...so I found some pretty stickers from the scrapbooking section. Then I figured stickers wouldn't stick so well to the plastic so I got some Modge-Podge to seal them onto the device...the bottle I got has GLITTER!

(please to cock your head to the left until I get around to fixing the rotation on this one)

Of course, I needed an tool to spread the Modge-Podge..I opted for an inexpensive paint brush because I figured it would work the best for my task, but for the really budget conscious, you can pick up a sponge on a stick for less than $.50

So I got home and took a long nap since I had just gotten off work, when I woke up I started my project. I stuck the stickers on..they actually stuck better than I expected them to, but I wouldnt trust them for very long. They were vinyl stickers so they probably were a bit stickier than more traditional ones.

It looked pretty good, but I decided something was missing still.

So I found some old rhine stones! These I've had for a long time, I think I bought them the time I was making a masquerade mask for a dance when I was in college.

No, they are not self-stick, so I needed some glue. Alas, I didn't know where my tacky glue was, so I used a flexible adhesive instead and I applied it with a toothpick. Again, theses are items I happened to have at hand, I actually bought the adhesive to re-attach my character shoes' soles as I couldn't afford a new pair and I needed them...they are still holding strong!!!!!

Once I got the sparklies on the knobs, I modge-podged it up! The glitter delighted me...probably because I am currently sleep deprived due to work, but you can get modge-podge without glitter and in a variety of finishes. Modge podge is relatively inexpensive, but on a real tight budget, you can mix Elmer's liquid glue with some water and it'll accomplish the same thing.

Then I let er dry. I was concerned the finish would be tackier than I wanted, especially since the bottle suggested using an acrylic sealant to make the surface not tacky and I had another modge-podged craft tat was a bit tacky...but it DID NOT! I don't know if it was just the type of material or what, but I find it hardly tacky at all so I'm gonna run with it.

Now, let's tally up my costs for this project

Drawer Device...$6.99
Stickers... $1.99 per sheet
Glitter Modge-Podge (2oz)... $3.49
Paint Brush....$2.99
Rhine Stones...$0 since I had them already
Lock Tite Flexible Adhesive...$0 again, since I already had it
Toothpicks...$0..my house is almost never without them

MY TOTAL = $17.45 (plus tax) for a customized and durable make-up storage device...less than a hard-back novel!

Of course, depending on the products you use and what you happen to have lying around, you might spend a little more or a little less. Many of the products can be replaced with something cheaper (i.e...sponge for brush and glue for modge podge)..but I also like to think of purchases as an investment. Sure, a brush could be more expensive initially, but you can re-use it and it will hold up longer than a sponge would. The rhine stones I have had for years and I still have some left over, same thing with the modge-podge. So it's important to think of things that way as well, not just what might be cheap initially, but what will be inexpensive in the long-run.

Happy organizing!