Review: Menow Generation Liquid Lipsticks

I have had these products for months and months, and I've been meaning to post about them forever. But, you know, life and all...

If you've spent at least three or four minutes in the beauty blog-o-sphere, you have seen these lipsticks - they are everywhere. They are being touted as dupes for products 18x more expensive - supposedly, these are just as good as Kat Von D and Lime Crime liquid matte lipsticks. I have not tried those, myself (lolol you think I'm going to spend $18+ for a lipstick? Child, please.)

These are sold all over ebay and aliexpress - simply type in "lipstick" or "lip gloss", and it will be one of the first results. They are sold for about $0.99, often less.

I was curious about these, because these (allegedly) are lip glosses that dry matte, they last all day without needing re-application, and they don't transfer? You mean I can drink coffee and water, kiss my husband, kiss attack my son, and I will still have lipstick on? Well, say no more - I'm interested.


So, on to my review...

Click for more swatches and review details.

FOTD - Before and After

Wow. Let me just say, it was weird seeing this side-by-side. You don't really realize how big of a difference makeup can make until you see a before and after like this.

I often go without makeup when I'm at home and have no plans. I feel like I look sick or something without makeup. I need a little color!

Here's a before and after comparison. I do always wear glasses, but in the after picture I'm not wearing them...

Before and After

Products Used:

Face

• New York Color Smooth Skin Perfecting Primer
• Revlon Age Defying Makeup in Nude Beige
• Madison Street Beauty mineral foundation in Almond
• E.L.F Baked Blush in Rich Rose

Eyes

• Hard Candy Foiled Again stick in Ecstasy
• NYX Ultra Pearl Mania in Nude Pearl
• Madison Street Beauty mineral eyeshadow in Chai
• Kiss My Sass eyeshadow in Fall Harvest
• Milani Color Brilliance eye pencil in Black
• Jordana Best Lash Extreme mascara
• E.L.F. Eyebrow Lifter and Filler in Medium

Lips

• New York Color lip shine in Pink Breeze

Swatches: Digging out forgotten, unloved makeup

I don't know how this happened.

I wanted you. I needed you in my collection. I purchased you, brought you home...and then forgot all about you.

I'm sorry. It wasn't intentional, it just...happened. I lost interest. You now sit in the bottom of my makeup kit, all dusty, unused, and neglected.

Don't look at me like that. Sometimes growing apart happens, I mean --


Okay, does this happen to anyone else? You get all excited about a product, can't wait to use it, and next thing you know...something more exciting comes along. You forget about your old stuff.

I'm totally guilty of this. It's like I have Makeup Attention Deficit Disorder or something!

So, I decided to dig out some old products and try to get reacquainted with them. Sad to say, I probably haven't used any of these in at least a year. Bad!

I'm kind of sad I ignored these little dudes because they're actually good products! As far as I know, none of these are limited edition, and are still on the market.

Brands are: Hard Candy, Sally Girl, NYX, and ELF.

Swatches ahead.

Review: Wet n Wild Megalast Lipstick in Dollhouse Pink

Pretty much every lipstick fiend has already tried the Wet n Wild Megalast lipsticks. They are known for their matte finish, smooth texture, high pigmentation, and long lasting time.

For a tiny price tag of $2, you really cannot find a better lipstick for the money.

Today I'm going to discuss the shade Dollhouse Pink. This is a cute bright, cool pink that Barbie would feel very much comfortable with wearing. Unfortunately, I don't feel like this particular color works on me.

I have yellow undertones in my skin, and I feel this color clashes rather badly. I love bright lip colors, especially pinks, but I don't think I can pull off Dollhouse Pink.

I'm not going to lie, I found this color difficult to work with. I looks patchy on my lips, even with lip balm underneath. It was hard to take decent pictures of this color, especially on my lips...eek.

I love several of the other Megalast shades, Just Peachy and Mauve Outta Here being two of my favorites. As much as I want to wear Dollhouse Pink, it just doesn't seem like a good fit. I feel like I have to check the mirror often to ensure my lipstick isn't all patchy and uneven. Not cool.

What do you think of Dollhouse Pink? Is it wearable, or too much of a novelty color to wear out of the house?

The item in this review was purchased by me. 

Review: Maybelline Vivids Fuchsia Flash lipstick

I was Valentines shopping for my hubby, when I suddenly found myself in the cosmetics section. Funny how that happens...

I was eyeballing the Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids lipsticks and the shade Fuchsia Flash caught my eye. I just can't resist a bright lollipop hued pink!

I have several of the Maybelline Color Sensational lipsticks, and they are honestly my favorite drugstore lippie. They come in a huge amount of shades and finishes, they last a good amount of time, and they're super affordable at around $5-7 a tube. Come to mama!

 The lipsticks rival MAC in terms of color payoff and texture. These lipsticks have a soft honey-vanilla fragrance which I find pleasing and inoffensive. They are not drying and last about average time for a lipstick, a few hours.

Maybelline wasn't kidding when they called these Vivids. Hello, pigmentation! This lipstick means business in the color department! Fuchsia Flash is a super fun color. It's a yummy bright cool pink that makes a statement.

This color packs serious color and does leave a stain after it wears off. That's a plus, for me.

Depending on the lighting, it looks purply-pink, or hot pink.

I'm very impressed with this color and plan on buying more Vivids very soon.

 

Click for more pictures and lip swatches...

FOTD

My final exams are finally over for the semester; I took my last one today. I am SO relieved! I passed everything. ;)

One semester left and then I graduate!

Here's today's face of the day. I wanted to use a deep, vampy lip color.

Review: MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Hot Gossip

Ahhh, again, I am getting behind on posting! I do apologize.

I started a new job (and quit the other one I blogged about previously) over a week ago. I am now working in retail (oh, Lordy!) and even though it's supposed to be a part-time job, my hours are looking an awful lot like full-time.

So between working and school, I've been fairly busy every day. When I get home, I'm so tired, and I just want to plop down in a chair and watch something from Netflix. I'm really into watching Bollywood movies lately - they are just so upbeat and carefree. Sometimes I just want some cheerful entertainment to lighten the mood.

Anyway! Let's talk about one of my favorite things: lipstick.

Today I'll be reviewing one of my favorite MAC lipsticks in Hot Gossip.

MAC Hot Gossip Cremesheen lipstick

Hot Gossip is part of the permanent line, and is described as a "mid-tone pinky plum"; it is sold in the Cremesheen formula for $15.00. Personally, having tried a few other finishes, Cremesheen is my favorite MAC lipstick finish. Not everyone likes the finish because they find it drying - I, on the other hand, find it quite the opposite. I find it to be quite moisturizing and my lips feel soft even long after the lipstick has worn off.

True to its name, the Cremesheen finish applies with a creamy feel and a slight "shine" without looking too glossy. I find I get a decent amount of wear from it, about two hours before it fades to a slight pink tint on my lips.

Hot Gossip is a medium pink with a slight purple tinge to it, it leans oh-so-slightly "cool" if you ask me - but it isn't too cool that warm skin tones couldn't pull it off. I have some yellow skin undertones and I love this color.

The color is a cream with no shimmer. It looks great with a variety of makeup looks. It's a nice, soft pink that is noticeable without being too loud.




















If you are not familiar with the classic MAC lipstick scent, oh, I adore it. It is a lovely vanilla scent that reminds me of vanilla ice cream, vanilla cupcakes, vanilla pudding - all things deliciously vanilla. Makeup companies, please take note. A lip product's scent will make or break it for me sometimes. But I love vanilla scented products!

I only have a handful of MAC lipsticks because the price is a tad steep for me. I'm not one of those bloggers that has tons of MAC lippies (woe is me!). I also do not have a MAC counter anywhere near me, so I am left with online purchasing. So when I do decide to buy a MAC lipstick, I research shade reviews and swatches extensively before I decide to make the plunge and order some. I hope my review helps if you are thinking about buying this shade!

Review: Star Crushed Minerals

Finally, a beauty-related post!

I have for you a review of a relatively new indie cosmetic company - Star Crushed Minerals.

I found this etsy shop a few months ago and ordered during the grand opening sale. The prices were too good to pass up.

I was pleased with the service. The owner was very kind, and my items were shipped promptly. Everything arrived quickly, and she thoughtfully sent me a free sample of eye primer. Score!

I bought some eye shadows: Meteorite, Moon Dust, Earthy Gold, Teal, and Neptune Star. I also bought two blushes: Peachy Sheen, and Apricot.

The shades are all very beautiful. They are pigmented, with rich colors. The texture is super smooth, and blend easily. No weird clumpy texture like some loose shadows sometimes have.

Alright.... let's see some pictures! 

Click for more. 

Review: Rimmel Stay Gloss 3D lip gloss

Let it be known, I am a self-proclaimed lip gloss junkie. I have so many, you'd think I have 10 pairs of lips (now there's a weird mental image...).

So whenever a new lip gloss hits the drugstore shelves and I can actually find it in my small town, I snap it up. Today, I'll be talking about Rimmel's new Stay Glossy 3D gloss.

 This is a new version of Rimmel's regular Stay Glossy product. I rather like the Stay Glossy line because for the price, it's a really nice lip gloss. It claims to last up to 6 hours - well, I think we all know that isn't going to happen with ANY lip product. But for me, they normally last on my lips at least a full two hours, so I think that's pretty sweet.

Rimmel says the Stay Glossy 3D glosses make your lips look fuller, thanks to "multi-colored shine" and "color-changing sparkles". Count me in!

 I found my gloss at CVS, and it was about $4-something. I believe you could find this cheaper at, say, Walmart, but either way, it's a good price for this gloss.


When I saw the display, my eye went directly to the shade, "Lights, Camera, Action". I love peachy-orange shades, and the beautiful sparkles intrigued me.

This has the same packaging as Rimmel's regular Stay Glossy lip glosses, with a long spatula-style applicator. It also has the same scent, which I would describe as sort of a powdery floral scent. At first, I didn't like the smell - but it has grown on me and I almost do not notice it. I actually like it, now. It's different from all the usual vanilla or sugary scents many lip products have.

 

On the lips, this shade shows up as a sheer peachy pink color, with noticeable sparkles. The sparkles are thankfully not gritty at all - you do not feel them on your lips. This looks bright in the tube, but no worries - this would be a great everyday kind of shade.

I almost want to say that these make me think of MAC Dazzleglass. Oh, snap - Yes, I  said it. It's way cheaper version, though, for a similar finish - for $4 you can have the same super sparkly duochrome look from Rimmel.

 

 

Well, the verdict is - I like it!

Disclaimer: The product in this review was purchased by me.

Colorburst True Red

Today was a bold red lip kind of day. My husband loves when I wear red lipstick, but it isn't something I do on a regular basis. I'm more of a pale pink or peachy lipstick kind of girl. Since hubby and I were spending the day together, I figured I'd wear it.

But, there's just something so feminine and chic about matte red lips, don't you agree? A swipe of red lipstick and a scarf, and suddenly I felt more like a lady.

 

Revlon Colorburst in True Red

Review: ELF Studio 144 Piece Neutral Palette

What is it: e.l.f. Studio 144-Piece Ultimate Eyeshadow Palette

Where to get it: ELF website 

How much: Regularly $30, but often on sale for $15 or even $7.50

 This is my first-ever beauty review post. I hope to do many, many more. :)

Okay, let's be real for a second. I love makeup. I love makeup more than life itself - okay, wait, that was a bit extreme. But makeup is definitely something I am enthusiastic about; all the makeup junkies out there know the feeling. Makeup is just fun.

For my first product review, I wanted to talk about the ELF 144 neutral palette. I caught a great 50% off sale on ELF's website not too long ago (but honestly, it seems like ELF is always having some amazing sale every week), and one of the items I was most excited to try was this palette.

This palette is huge. There's something especially yummy about palettes, isn't there? All those lovely colors all in one place; it gives you that childlike feeling of being in art class. What color to use first?! Well, with this palette, there is no shortage of colors - with 144 different colors, you will certainly find plenty of inspiration for your makeup routine.