First Impressions: Colourpop Lippiestix in Fancy, Tootsi, Pinch, and Lumiere

ColourPop is a budget friendly cosmetics company that has been all the rage for bloggers and YouTubers alike. Not only is it painfully affordable, its fashionable and chic with its branding and packaging. ColourPop was "born, raised and made with love in the City of Angels (LA)" and is "100% fur baby friendly." They have tons of lip shades to choose from and also have an extensive line of blushes, eye shadows, bronzers, and highlights to boot! The lowest priced single item begins at $5.00 USD and the most expensive priced single item is $8.00 USD. ColourPop also has sets that begin at $20.00 USD.

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First Impressions: Milani's Powder Blush in Romantic Rose and Bella Eyes in Bella Champagne

Milani has made its way into the hearts of many people over the years. Not only are these products reasonably affordable, the quality is stellar. Though, as with all companies, there will be some misses. However, with every item I have purchased from Milani, I have not been disappointed. I was and still am a big fan of their Liquid Eye pencil and am also a fan of their lipsticks, so I did not hesitate to get these two items.

After being a limited edition item, the Milani Powder Blushes are now part of the permanent collection. I remember when I first saw these among the blogging community, they were selling like hotcakes and very quickly, sold out. So for those of you who couldn't get your hands on these beautiful blushes before, you can easily get them now! The blushes retail for $7.99 for 17g of product. I know it will be a while before I even make a dent in this powder, however I still can't help but be a little sad when the rose embellishment fades away.

This is a matte blush, which means no shimmer and can be for many people too flat for their complexion. However I think this would be great for photos as it won't make a person look too glowy or dewy. It would also be ideal for those with problematic skin such as acne scars. Due to its lack of shimmer or glitter, this blush would not enhance or bring attention to these problem areas. Romantic Rose would be perfect for light to medium skin tones, deeper complexions may find this too ashy. When I swatched this with my fingers on the back of my hand, it was patchy, but I do not have that problem when applying with a brush. I think the color is beautiful and great for everyday. Thumbs up for me!

The Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow I'm kind of on the fence about. Bella Champagne not as buttery or opaque as I would hoped it would be. However, I did pick up the Shimmer finish (there are a total of three finishes: Shimmer, Satin Matte, and Metallic). Overall it's a lovely shadow, but I will need to put a primer over my lids and perhaps a base color in order for this particular shade to shine. Surprisingly enough, this is the only shadow missing on the website itself, I wonder if it's out of stock or discontinued. While this shade didn't fully impress me, I am still interested in trying out other shades and finishes from the collection.

Have you tried any of these products? If so, what did you think? Happy Hump day!

First Impression: L'Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinary Lip Color

I saw these beautiful little golden bullets on display in my local Walgreens and instantly went, "oooooh." After Maybelline released their Color Elixirs (impression on that soon!) L'Oreal followed suit and came out with their own version. It's their Colour Riche Extraordinary Lip Color. There are 16 shades total, ranging of nudes to pinks to oranges to reds to purples. Basically there is something for everyone. The packaging feels very luxurious but as with all gold/shiny things, it gets fingerprints very easily. The bullet displays the color on the side which is very true to the product color. Another thing I noticed and loved was the names of all the shades. Each had a play on music, like Rose Melody or Plum Adagio. How cute is that?

Out of all the shades, I chose the two that would be most wearable to me. I don't get fancy very often and on most days I just like to look put together so I decided on 101 Rose Melody and 601 Nude Ballet. I am so happy with the choices I picked. Both are very pigmented and apply beautifully. I was afraid Nude Ballet would not show up on my lips at all but it definitely mutes my pigmented lips just enough. Rose Melody is a warm rose-y pink that gives me a polished look. 

As with all L'Oreal lip products, there is a scent. I find it very pleasant but it can be overpowering for those who have sensitive noses. Compared to the Maybelline Elixirs, these tend to be more floral while the Maybelline ones are a little sweeter. Both don't bother me but it's definitely something to take into consideration if you are looking to purchase either one. The staying power depends per person. If you are a lip licker I don't see these lasting very long since they are not tacky at all. For me these lasted about two hours which is pretty decent for a gloss.

Rose Melody and Nude Ballet

So far I am really enjoying these. I have seen swatches of the reds and oranges and those are beautiful as well. Between the Maybelline Elixirs and the L'Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinary lip color, I prefer the L'Oreal. It wins in pigmentation hands down and over looks more sophisticated. Have you tried these? Which is your favorite?

First Impression: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure

When Hourglass announced they would release a line of Ambient Lighting Blushes, I tried my best to ignore the ads and blog posts about it. I mean, I'm only kidding myself when I tell myself I need a blush. Alas, I failed and decided to purchase one of the Hourglass blushes when Sephora released it early for the VIB Rouge holders. Fail whale.

There are six shades total, each color is intertwined with their ever so popular Ambient Lightning Powder to create a "seamless, soft-focus and multidimensional color." According to Hourglass, they are offering a different approach to powder blush, which can look flat on the face. With these blushes they claim you can achieve that glow from within.

Out of the six shades, I decided on Mood Exposure. It's described as a soft plum. When I received it and took a swatch it looked a little warm on me. I think depending on your skintone, the color will change from warm or more neutral/cool. The blush is mixed with Mood Light which on it's own is described as "a soft, sheer lavender pink that mimics the softest, most forgiving light and brightens the complexion."

I am absolutely in love with the texture of this blush. Like their Ambient powders, it's finely milled and applies flawlessly onto skin. It never looks caked on or too powdery, even with my dry skin. When applied, it gives me this beautiful glow without it being shimmery or glittery.

A single swipe, the top is natural light, bottom is with flash


This is quickly climbing the list of being on of my favorite blushes and I may, when it's released in stores take a gander at the other shades. If you missed out of the VIB Rouge sale, the blushes will be available in Sephora stores 2/21. Or if you can't wait for it to be in stores, the Hourglass website also has these available.