Maybelline Dream Wonder Powder

Maybelline gets points for most hippie product line name.... Dream Wonder? What does that even mean... aight before I ponder too much let's quit the existential crap and get to the review. Maybelline recently launched a new line of products and included a reformulation of their 'Dream Wonder Powder.' I'm not exactly sure what's so new about it but let's take a peek, shall we?

 Props for rose gold coloring... perhaps that's what made me purchase this? This powder comes in a little compact as pictured. I love when powders come in compacts because they're...well... compact. I love my Revlon nearly naked powder but it comes packaged in a bulky rectangle...nahhh son.

Open up the compact and there's the powder sitting on top of a short cylinder of sorts...something I'm not a huge fan of thus far with this product is that little rim around the powder. I can imagine that getting all sorts of dirty when powder falls into it. The powder kind of has a weird texture at first; almost wavy looking and not the perfect stamped nearly fabric looking appearance that most powders have.

Lift up where the powder is and there's a little mirror and sponge, all included in one nifty little compact. I'll be holding onto the sponge for on the go application. These things are really handy for pressing powder onto the skin using a blotting motion.

At my drugstore where I picked this up I saw about 12 different colors to choose from. That's pretty great as far as color selection and it included all sorts of different tones.  I selected the color Ivory and so far I think it has suited me well.  It's not quite as yellow-toned as it's showing in this picture and in fact, when compared side by side to other colors in the collection, this was one of the more pinker colors. I'm pink and proud!

This powder is. so. SOFT. Seriously, I'm in love and I just want to pet this powder all day long. Alas, I shall refrain because I don't want to become a weird Gollum-y powder lady.

Can you see the powder on my skin? If you can't really, that means I did a damn good job in selecting colors! Hopefully now you can see the peachy-pinkiness of this showing through a bit more.  When powdered onto the face, this stuff goes on like a dream. I've been wearing it for a couple days now and it does the job as far as diffusing imperfections and setting my foundation. I have oily/combination skin so I get worried about makeup caking up on me as my skin gets oily through out the day at my busy job. This stuff stays put and can you keep a secret? I even worked out with this stuff on (I know you shouldn't work out with make up on but ain't nobody got time to take off your makeup and then put it back on when you're done!!), and I still remained cake and mostly shine free.

Overall, I'm loving this powder a lot and I think it'll be a good powder to use while I'm building up a tan and am dark enough to use my Physician's Formula BB powder because that stuff is just too dark for my alabaster skin right now. But a girl can dream...a girl can wonder...a girl can dream wonder. Powder.

I found my powder at Harmon's at Bed Bath and Beyond for $7.29.
xxSJ

NYX Butter Glosses: Worth the Hype?

One of the newer products to hit the shelves and take the beauty community by storm are the NYX Butter Glosses, so I knew I had to get my hands on some of these during my last trip to Ulta. The selection was seriously picked over but I managed to get my hands on two colors: Creme Brulee and Eclair:

Creme Brulee and Eclair

The packaging of these glosses is very minimalist and I really like it. The tubes are clear...yes, that is indeed the matte, creamy gloss within the tube! The cap is in a matching plastic to the color of the gloss. The size of these are roughly the same size as a MAC lipglass.

The applicators are small  doe foot applicators and I find them to be a really nice size. This gloss is so creamy and pigmented that you do need at least a tiny bit of precision when applying it!

Creme Brulee (on the left) is a peachy pink color while Eclair is a blue toned baby pink. I just realized that the Revlon lipsticks I reviewed a couple days ago are these exact colors... whoops! Clearly I'm feelin' this color scheme!
The product is super soft and applies like a dream. I really like that these colors are completely matte with no shimmer or glitters. Definitely not a look I will opt for all the time, however they are something a little different from what is already in my collection.

Top: Creme Brulee, Bottom: Eclair

These colors are a bit similar on the lips on their own and since they are matte, they are a bit bland with out a lipstick on underneath. I can't speak for the darker colors in this collection, but I definitely wouldn't wear these glosses on their own as it could create a rather washed out effect on my pale skin as the matte creaminess almost makes these colors milky.
Overall, I understand the hype. These butter glosses literally melt on my lips when I put them on and they mask all of my wrinkles and imperfections. I have grossly dry lips (tmi...don't currrrrr) and so I have to be careful that lip products I choose don't highlight any flakes or nastiness that could be forming on my lippies. This gloss does the trick as far as mattifying and evening out my skin. :)

xxSJ

Youtube Favorite: NYX Powder Blush in 'Bourgeois Pig'

I spend much of my spare time researching makeup products as a hobby...I can't explain it, buuuuuut I love it. I have many a Youtube beauty subscription to feed this obsession of mine and I buy certain products simply because a certain beauty guru raves about it. I thought I'd start a new blog series titled 'Youtube Favorite' which basically means youtube made me buy it....whoops!
My first product I'm reviewing for this series is a blush raved about by the girls on the EleventhGorgeous channel. It is the NYX blush in 'Bourgeois Pig:'

In buying this blush I was definitely biased toward loving it since I freakin' love the word 'bourgeois' and I especially love when people use the slang 'bourgey.' Yes...just, yes.

NYX blushes come in a lightweight shiny plastic container and have an adorable quilted design stamped on them. They are extremely affordable coming in at $5.99 a pop and NYX cosmetics is almost always having a buy one get one 50% off sale. Also, maybe I'm a germaphobe, but NYX blushes come shrink-wrapped so you know no one's been swatching up a storm with your blush before you get a chance to use it.

This stuff is PIGMENTED! Wowza. One quick swipe of my finger left my arm nice and pinked up. The formula is extremely soft and nearly creamy feeling rather than chalky meaning this stuff can be easily blendable on the skin. Be wary that if you pick up too much of this with your makeup brush you may have some clown cheeks!

Here is a very sheer amount of this blush on my cheeks... It leaves my cheeks appearing flushed and is quite pretty but I have to repeat myself: be careful you don't pick an ultra dense brush to apply this stuff and make sure to tap off any excess product before putting this on your cheeks. This can very easily shift into clown territory with the amount of pink on your cheeks!!
Overall I like this blush a lot and I think this is a win for the girls at EleventhGorgeous. I'm glad I purchased this and will definitely be wearing it through the year!

xxSJ

NOTD: Essie 'Splash of Grenadine'

Cocktails, anyone? Today's nail of the day is Essie's 'Splash of Grenadine,' a  pretty pink meets purple shade:

This color is so sweet and I got many compliments while wearing it! The formula is really nice and easy to apply (full opacity in 2 coats, as usual for Essie polishes!) and the finish had a nice jelly appearance to it. Really soft around the edges rather than a harsh line from the opaque creamy color.

I will definitely be sporting this polish many times in the coming months. :)

Essie polishes can be found at various drug stores and Ulta for around $8.50 for a half ounce of product.

xxSJ

The Balm blush in 'Frat Boy'

I have never had a product from The Balm before but I have always adored and admired their products from afar... does that make me a stalker? Maybe....do I care? Nope. The Balm is known for having the most adorable packaging and names for their products and I finally decided to get my hands on a blush I thought would suit me well: 'Frat Boy:'

Are you understanding what I'm tossin' out at you about the adorable packaging? The blush comes in a cardboard container about the size of my palm and includes a magnetic closure. Some people may think the cardboard looks cheap but I think it adds to the cuteness of the product. Also if you drop the blush, the cardboard will absorb much of the impact and avoid cracking!

Inside the compact there is a small mirror outlined by a football field design. Adorbs!!! 

And as I mentioned earlier, the compact shuts tight with magnets located within the cardboard. It's a satisfying snap shut and this blush will not open on its own if you have any concern about that... if you remain worried, you can keep the thin sleeve the product comes in to keep it shut.

Now onto the actual color and product after I've gotten my obsession with the packaging out of the way...the color is a peachy pink that I always lust after as it suits my complexion so well. This blush is fairly matte with only slight hints of shimmer in certain light...this shimmer does not translate to the skin. I liken this color to NARS Orgasm but with out all of the gold reflect. 

This blush is pigmented like crazy so using a light hand when applying this is key. Don't use a brush that will pick up and deposit boat loads of color... you might regret that as you will look a tad clownish!

Here is the blush on my cheek...it's so pretty and gives the perfect flushed look to my cheeks for Spring. 

This product retails for $21.00 (though you can find it for cheaper on Amazon...shhhhh!) and can be found at some Nordstrom's, on The Balm's website (www.thebalm.com), and sometimes for a steal on dailylook.com.  

$21 may seem like a lot but did you see on the first picture I took how much product you get? 8.5g! That's a ton! For reference, MAC blushes hold 6g of product and retail for $21 and NARS blushes hold 4.8g of product and retail for $30. 

All in all, this product is far more than adorable packaging. It houses a gorgeous blush that I think may be a go to for the Spring and Summer months (and it'll last for that long as well given the sheer amount of product in the container!).

xxSJ

Sunday Funday: A few of my favorite things from the week

It's been a while since a Sunday Funday post but life is pretty fantastic right now and I feel like sharing my activities with the world! Here we go:
1. Tiny Giraffes!
On my boyfriend's latest business trip to Taiwan he decided to bring me back a nanoblock kit...'what's a nanoblock?' you ask? It's a TINY lego.  TIIIIINY. I love legos and I love tiny things so this was basically the most spectacular of gifts:

It's tiny and it's a giraffe.  Things got kind of serious when I was putting it together...I'm a lego fiend and wanted my boyfriend to be alarmed by my speed and dexterity upon putting this guy together.

2. MUSICCCCCC

John Legend's 'All of Me' is seriously a beautiful song... Gahhhh  I can't even listen to it because its so good!!!!

3. Being over ambitious

Those are swirls from Aqui's.... and those are not the only drinks that were had that evening. If you don't know what a swirl is, you best figure that out soon and go get you some. They are delicious but toxic drinks from Aqui's and all that needs to be said is we were overambitious. Worth it, but never again.

4. Kitten Lust
I have cat fever and I want a fuzzy guy to cuddle and love and snuggle with so much! I've been torturing myself by looking at cute cat photos and I've  fallen in love with the most gorgeous kitty ever. Follow this link and look at photos 1 and 6 to see my kitty inspiration.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/allyson/8-cats-that-are-prettier-than-most-humans-cepf

5. Pretty Pastels

Spring is coming and I have been LOVING the look of my pretty pastel polishes :) Looking down at my nails makes me so happy and my boyfriend very adorably told me he liked the lighter and brighter shades on my nails...I guess we're both tired of the burgundies and deep reds!

That's all for this week! Until next time!

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick 'Pink in the Afternoon' and 'Primrose'

Ahhhhhhh new lipstick :) Lipsticks are my favorite beauty product though I am REALLY picky when it comes to my lipstick. My favorite drugstore lipstick brand is Revlon and I picked up two new ones yesterday:

I chose two creme colors, Primrose and Pink in the Afternoon.

Primrose (on the left) is a beautiful baby pink color with blue undertones.  It reminds me a lot of Angel by MAC. Pink in the afternoon (on the right) is a peachy pink color that looks coral-ish to me.

I wish everything in life could be as pretty and perfect as a brand new tube of lipstick. 

These lipsticks swatch beautifully and they feel so luxurious on the skin. They are ultra creamy and pigmented with out being chalky or blotchy.

Here is Primrose swatched on my lips. The lipsticks give a great wash of color with out highlighting or settling into fine lines and wrinkles. 

And here is Pink in the Afternoon which I was pleasantly surprised at how gorgeous this looked on. A perfect peachy pink color that completely erased any imperfections on my lips!

Overall, I love Revlon lipsticks so much and these colors will be perfect for the coming Spring and Summer months. As a side note, I love how Revlon lipsticks come packaged in plastic in store so you know you are the first ones to touch the product:

Other lip products that just have the simple sticker blocking people from opening the container are no match for beauty girls who want to swatch in the drugstore! These plastic outer layers keep people's mittens off the inside of the products!

Whats your favorite Revlon lip color?

xxSJ

NOTD: Essie 'Off the Shoulder'

Today's nail of the day is going back to the bright and cheery colors for Spring! It is Essie's 'Off the Shoulder' from the Summer 2012 collection:

This bright pink creme is so pretty and the perfect barbie pink. I'm obsessed with the no shimmer, high gloss look of this polish.

I love this pink so much because instead of it leaning more fuschia or hot pink, it is instead just bright! I find it to be quite eye-catching.

2 coats is what it took for me to reach full opacity though I did have a streaking problem on some of my nails... that was remedied by using a thin coat of polish to even everything out.

What color are you looking forward to rocking this Spring?

xxSJ

NOTD: Essie 'Buy Me a Cameo'

Ehhhhhhhhhhh.

That's how I feel about today's nail of the day. It is Essie's 'Buy Me a Cameo' polish which is a pretty rosey copper color. Observe:

I don't hate this color, but I don't love it either. It's really pleasant and pretty on the nails but I almost forget it's there because it kind of blends in to my fingers. It is simply a color I never really grab for or am in the mood for when I'm about to give myself a manicure.

The application of this polish was quite easy and it lasted chip free for many days. I think this polish is an old faithful...nothin' really special or stand out-ish about it but certainly dependable as a nice neutral staple.

I feel bad for not givin' more love to 'Buy Me a Cameo,' but it's just not one of my faves!

xxSJ

NOTD: OPI 'Do You Lilac It?'

This girl is still SO READY and excited for Spring, thus the pretty pastels continue. Today's nail of the day is  pretty purple by OPI called 'Do You Lilac It?:

This is a perfect medium blue-toned purple shade. A bit darker than Lilacism but not quite as dark as a standard purple color. I love rocking purples on my nails...they just make me so happy! They are a bright and pretty pop of color but you don't get sick of the color too quickly. Very important!

This color has an awesome application and is near opaque in just one coat. Two coats will eliminate any streaks and leave a perfect finish. No pooling at the nail beds or trouble controlling this formula!

I really recommend this shade if you're looking for a pretty purple to add to your collection. It is definitely one of OPI's better formulations. You may have to shake this up if it is sitting for too long as it tends to separate a bit but it's perfectly find after a few good shakes.

OPI nail polishes can be found at ULTA, some department stores and some drug stores for $9 a bottle.

What do you think of this pretty purple?

xxSJ

Out the Door vs Seche Vite Top Coat: Which one will reign supreme??

Today's post is my take on two extremely popular top coats: Seche Vite and inm's Out the Door.  Both are quick drying polishes and I used to have an infatuation with Seche Vite because it dried super fast and left a gel like finish on my nails. I recently become a lover of Out the Door and I'll let you know why:

Both products come with roughly the same amount of polish inside but Seche Vite will set you back about $10. Out the door is usually around $3-$4. Even if these were the exact same price (or if Out the Door was MORE expensive) I would still prefer Out the Door for the following reasons:
-Out the Door dries to a hard chip resistant finish as fast as Seche Vite
-Out the Door does not have a shrinkage problem like Seche Vite where the tips of the nails start to recede (speaking of shrinkage: 'I was IN THE POOL!!!' Name that character!)
-Out the Door is a 3Free polish and doesn't contain any controversial or potentially harmful ingredients such as Tuolene or Formaldehyde
-Out the Door doesn't get hard and sticky at the bottom of the bottle. Seche Vite becomes impossible to use when you're only about half way done with the product

This is a bottle of Seche Vite upside down. Do you see that stuff at the top? Ya it's not going anywhere. When the product gets this low I know its time to toss it out because its useless.

The brush starts to get frayed at the ends as the product gets so tacky and gloppy.

Out the door polish remains smooth and just like new through the very end of the container. The brush is also a bit bigger than Seche Vite's meaning you can spread the product across more of the nail in less strokes.

Overall, Out the Door takes the cake in my opinion. Its cheaper, doesn't dry up, doesn't have the controversy surrounding it, and it leaves a beautiful finish on the nail. If you haven't checked out this top coat yet, I highly recommend it. I have seen Out the Door at various drugstores, Target, and Bed Bath and Beyond so go get you some!

xxSJ

NOTD: Butter London 'Trout Pout'

Today's nail of the day is an oldie but a goodie. It is Butter London's Trout Pout:

I consider this color the perfect coral and since Spring time is peekin' around the corner, I knew I had to bust this polish out! This color is seriously SO pretty when you're out in the sun. It turns the most gorgeous peachy pink shade. It can look a little orange under fluorescent or unnatural lighting but no worries, it mostly has this lovely pink tinge to it :)

The one down side to this product is that it is rather sheer upon application. It took me three coats to get opaque coverage. I will say though that the polish never got gloppy or unruly even with a three coat application so that says a lot for the formulation of the polish!

Butter London polishes are $15 a pop... yikes! They are a 3 Free polish so no controversial ingredients in this product if you mind that sort of thing. I would say splurge on a Butter London polish if it is a color you absolutely love! Otherwise, find a cheaper alternative and be nice to  your wallet:)

xxSJ

Jordana Fabuliner Liquid Eyeliner in 01 Black

This stuff. This stuff RIGHT here is what made me seek out and go into my first Walgreen's. I'm all about breaking down barriers and experiencing new things so what was it that made me venture out of my CVS and Target comfort zone? The Jordana Fabuliner liquid eyeliner:

This stuff is popular in the beauty community and after the death of my Stila stay all day liquid eyeliner I've been on the search for a good replacement at a better cost than the steep $20 price tag. At $1.99, this Jordana liner certainly has Stila beat in price:

The packaging and appearance of the product is really similar with its sleek plastic casing and felt tip pen. The cap snaps closed really tightly so any concern about black eyeliner getting everywhere in a purse or a makeup bag disappeared!

The tip comes to a super skinny point giving you ultimate control of where this eyeliner goes. I like that! The thing I noticed when I swatched this bad boy is that the tip of the pen is VERY stiff. There is no give whatsoever which is a huge differentiation between this and the Stila pen.

Here is the Jordana liner swatched next to other faves of mine: Stila liquid eyeliner, Revlon colorstay liquid liner, and Urban Decay Perversion 24/7 eyeliner pencil. As far as color is concerned, this liner keeps up with the A team. It may not be as inky black as the Stila pen, but the differences are pretty minimal. I think it certainly knocks the gray toned Revlon out of the park.

When applying to my lash line, I definitely noticed the stiffness of the applicator... it was very pointy and required a light touch so I wouldn't poke my eyeball! That may take some getting used to but the overall effect I think is similar to the Stila stay all day liquid eyeliner pen. This stuff didn't smudge or budge after application and it stayed inky black all day. Also the firm tip gave me a very precise hand when applying so I could apply my winged out liner exactly how I wanted.

I'll have to wait and see how long this product takes to dry up, but as of now, it definitely has become a new favorite of mine and a product I will be repurchasing!

xxSJ