Review: Maybelline Color Sensational Color Elixir in Petal Push and Nude Illusion

I had originally purchased these Maybelline Color Elixirs first but fell in love with the L'Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinary lip glosses more (check my post here!). Now that being said, this isn't a bad product at all. It all depends on what you are looking for. Compared to the L'Oreal counterpart, these are sheerer. I prefer more opaque glosses that only take one to two coats as opposed to two or more. These Maybelline Color Elixirs took me two to three coats to get the opacity I like but then it felt slightly heavy because I had so many coats on. 

When it comes to the scent, it smells sweet, like a vanilla candy, but with a floral background. It's definitely not for those who prefer lighter scents. There is a slight tack to the product but nothing obnoxious. I didn't notice any peeling on my lips but this does go on much better if your lips are smooth as they tend to settle in lip lines. The packaging itself is, cute. It's not my favorite, but that's because I prefer sleeker, more sophisticated packing. This tends to lean more towards teen, young adult in my opinion.

The wand is excellent. It allows for precise application on all lip sizes. It also picks up enough product for one full application which is nice. Out of the two I picked up, I enjoy both colors. They are great for every day and for people of all ages (despite the packaging). 

All in all, I enjoy these glosses but they didn't make me jump out of my seat. Unless there is a color I really want or has excellent reviews, I don't think I will be repurchasing these.

Pros:

-Over 20 shades

-Felt hydrating
-Affordable and easily accessible

Cons:

-Not as opaque as in the packaging

-Scent for sensitive noses
-Packaging may not appeal to everyone

Repurchase? Highly unlikely

February Favorites!

Happy March! I'm counting down the days till spring because I'm sick of all this cold and snow! The picture above describes exactly how I feel about the winter this year. So spring, hurry up already! Anyway, onto the favorites. It's been a quiet month in terms of beauty products since I've been feeling that natural, but put together look. 

1-The Lorac Pro palette- I love this palette, it sneaks past the Naked palettes in terms of versatility because it includes all shades of neutrals like a purple, rust, and a slate. I always bring this with me when I travel as well since it's so slim and lightweight.

2-Benefit Gimme Brow in Medium/Deep- So, I tried the Anastasia Dipbrow pomade in three colors, chocolate, dark brown, and ebony and did not like any of them. They all seemed too warm for my hair coloring so I returned them all. Now I use this in conjunction with the Shu Uemura brow pencil in stone grey or the Anastasia Brow Wiz in Ebony. What I love the most is the small brush it comes with, it always makes for precise application and leaves no mess. My brows look natural but detailed at the same time. 

3-The Body Shop Wild Rose Hand Cream- I got this for free during The Body Shop's Christmas giveaway and love it. I'm a fan of rose scents so I love slathering this on. The cream itself is airy, lightweight, and absorbs very easily into the skin. I have the almond scented one by my bed to use on my hands and feet at night. 

4- Shu Uemura Hard Brow Pencil in Stone Grey- On days where I don't wear makeup, I usually use this on its own. When I use quick strokes of this on my brow, it creates a soft, full look. While this is pretty pricey for an eyebrow pencil, this thing will last for ages because a little goes a long way. I do not recommend this for anyone who has really, sparse brows. It won't draw on brows like the Brow Wiz. 

5- BareMinerals Marvelous Moxie lipgloss in Rebel- I love minty glosses so I knew right away I would enjoy these. I believe Rebel is the one of the few cream finishes in the line. There is a slight tack and a bit of a tingle, not crazy lip plumping burn your lips off tingly, but it does plump lips slightly and decreases the appearance of lip lines. 

6- NARS Pressed Light Reflecting Setting Powder- This is an awesome setting powder. When you first get it, you need to, in a sense, scratch the surface with a real haired brush and then the powder is magic. No cakiness at all and it makes my skin look flawless. If I really want to look super ethereal, I'll dust on some Houglass Ambient Lighting Powder on my high points and call it a day. 

Hope you enjoyed the post! Also hope you are staying warm in this very blustery weather!

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?

Review: Maybelline The Buffs Lipstick Review

After searching online and in my local drugstores, I was finally able to get my hands on two of these ever so popular Maybelline The Buffs lipsticks. To be honest, at first I was kinda meh about the line and was going to skip out on it. Of course after reading blog posts and seeing swatches on Instagram and YouTube, I totally changed my mind and the collector in me needed to add these to my already large collection of lipsticks.

The formula is the same as the original Maybelline ColorSensational line. This means that the consistency, scent and texture are pretty much the same as its predecessor. So if you didn't like those, I would skip these. I personally don't mind the smell and find the texture to be creamy and slightly hydrating. Both lasted at least three hours on me without eating. With eating, I had to reapply after the meal.

The Buffs has ten permanent shades to choose from. The old me would have purchased all ten but after much debate, I decided on 915 Blush Beige and 945 Stormy Sahara. Some of the other colors were more brown and I'm more of a fan pinky/coral nudes. Blush Beige is the lighter of the two and definitely accentuates any flakes or dryness on your lips so exfoliation and balm is a must! Stormy Sahara is more of a "peachy, orange" nude that I just love. Both can be paired with a smokey eye or a natural eye, it all depends on your preference. Out of the two, Stormy Sahara is easier to wear, since it doesn't accentuate flaws as easily. 

Blush Beige and Stormy Sahara

If you love or like nudes, I suggest you check out the line. The ten shades provide a variety that go from very pale to vampy so there is something for everyone. Plus the drugstore price makes it more wallet friendly (the BoGo sales always help too!).

Pros:

-Creamy
-Ten shades
-Part of the permanent line
-Afforable

-Available in drugstore and online

Cons:
-Scent for some
-Not all shades have same texture

Repurchase/Recommend? Yes and yes.