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.

Review: Wet N Wild Fergie Lipstick - D'Vinely Chilled

Long time, no post!

Wow! I haven't posted in months. Pregnancy and being a new mom really zapped most of my free time. It's been a huge life change and my son has brought me a lot of joy (and sleeplessness).



My days mainly consist of diaper changing, sitting on the couch nursing, trying to find some sleep, and occasionally doing some dishes or something. Hmm.



While sitting on the couch nursing I also binge watch Netflix to help pass the time. My husband and I have been watching Breaking Bad. What an amazing show. It is totally not something I would normally like, but we've been drawn in and have been racing to finish the series. I haven't been this into a show since LOST.

I've really been missing blogging lately and decided I would post something. I actually meant to post this a long time ago - I've had these swatch pictures ready to go but never posted them.

So, today I'm going to talk about a Wet n Wild lipstick in the Fergie range. The shade is called D'Vinely Chilled. I loved the way the color looked in the tube - a warm shimmering wine shade.

D'Vinely Chilled

Oooh. Sparkly.

I'm not going to front. This is frosty. Frost has a bit of a bad reputation these days as being too dated or cheap looking. Well, call me cheap (it wouldn't be the first time), but I like a bit of frost sometimes - in the right amount, I think frost can be pretty and feminine. In astronomical amounts, you're veering into powdered donut lips territory. Not cute.



It definitely swatches frosty as well. It's got good pigmentation and you can layer the color if desired. I like the way it looks as a swatch. On me, though...



I don't like the way it looks on me. I don't know, it feels matronly or something. It feels very dry as well. I feel like it ages me in an unflattering manner. I bet it would look great on someone with a deeper skin tone, I can see it reading as a gorgeous shimmering berry. On me...I'll pass.

I haven't even touched it since swatching the product for this post. Now that I think about it, I bet it would look and feel much nicer with some lip gloss on top. I'll give it a shot.

Review: LA Colors Moisture Lipstick in Dusty Rose

LA Colors is a brand that I don't see many reviews on. However, they are one of my favorite bargain brands: they are available in almost any dollar store, and I've also seen them in discount department stores and even grocery stores. You can also find LA Colors online. Many people ignore LA Colors because of the cheap prices, and the non-fancy packaging. Yeah, the packaging isn't pretty or cute: but it's the product inside that counts, right?

I'll admit, I also passed over LA Colors for years, until deciding to try some of their products a while back as a broke student. Most of their products can be found for a $1, which is crazy. If you don't like it, you're only out a dollar, so why not try it? I've found many of their products to be quite good, especially for the price. I love their eye shadows, powder compacts, nail polishes, and also lipsticks.

I have several of these Moisture Lipsticks, but today I'll be reviewing the shade Dusty Rose. I may do some swatches of the other colors, soon. :)


LA Colors Moisture Lipsticks are enriched with Vitamin E and Aloe Vera. They have an extremely smooth texture, they are lightweight and feel like wearing a lip balm. They do not feel heavy, aren't sticky, and are very comfortable to wear. Because they are so moisturizing and lightweight, the wear time isn't that long. But for $1, I'll sacrifice some longevity in exchange for a smooth, lip balm-style texture. They come in several shades, in creme, frost, satin, and shimmer finishes.

They smell awesome. Seriously, they smell like yummy vanilla ice cream. The scent reminds me of MAC lipsticks. I know, that sounds weird, a $1 lipstick that smells as good as MAC? Well, I kid you not.

Dusty Rose is a soft rosy mauve/pink color, with shimmer. Yeah, I know, that was a weird description, LOL. It's an every day kind of color that would look great with a variety of makeup looks. The shimmer doesn't bother me, since I rather like shimmery lip colors, but if shimmer isn't your thing, I'd try another shade.

For $1, I definitely recommend LA Colors Moisture Lipsticks. You can find them in pretty much any Dollar Tree or Dollar General store. The packaging definitely isn't pretty, but overall, I like the lipsticks anyway.

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

Red...or Pink?

Sometimes it's a red lipstick kind of day...

LA Colors: Envy

...Or maybe, a baby pink lipstick kind of day.

Rimmel: Pink Chic

Swatches: Soft, shimmering neutrals from Madison Street Beauty

Lately, I have really been into soft neutral shades. When I was younger, I was all about bright, vibrant colors - purples, blues, greens, etc. Now...seems like I'm starting to gravitate towards browns, taupes, and peaches.

I've had these eyeshadows from Madison Street Beauty for a while now (since the summer), but lately I've been using them a lot. Their soft, subtle shimmer has really been hitting the spot.

I just felt like swatching these for you today. Ooooh, the sparkles....

Here's some swatches of three shades I randomly grabbed from my stash of MSB shadows: Peach Fizz, Champagne, and Chai. All of these were swatched over a base; without, they are much more subtle.

Pretty, right? Overall, I really like these shades. There is some fallout, but I believe that tends to come with the territory of mineral/loose eyeshadows in general. Use a sticky base and you'll be good to go.
The prices of Madison Street Beauty is cheap as can be - their products seem to be perpetually on sale. Check them out on their Etsy shop.

Disclaimer: The items in this review were purchased by me.

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...

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.