Rimmel New Product Launches

Rimmel is a pretty good drugstore brand in my opinion. They have some hits and some misses. But nothing in the line really gets me excited. I didn't even flinch at the sexy curves mascara- yawn. But these two new items definitely caught my eye! 

Stay Glossy Lip Gloss

Lasts up to six hours and comes in 11 shades.

The Max Volume Flash Mascara

Their biggest brush ever! Up to 14x volume.

Wow! Long lasting lipgloss and mascara with a big brush in a PINK tube! These are products I could get excited about! Except one thing- they're UK only releases! Boo!

Where's our exciting products Rimmel? Where's our pink tubed mascara and long lasting lip gloss?

Hopefully these will be released here in the States. Soon. 

Would you be interested in these products if they were released here?

E.L.F. Swatches and Comparisons

Concealers and Lip products

1. e.l.f. concealer pencil (and brush) in fair

2. e.l.f. eyebrow lifter (and filler) in ivory (ivory is the lifter color included with every brow shade)

3. e.l.f. corrective concealer palette nude shade

4. e.l.f. corrective concealer palette beige shade

5. e.l.f. corrective concealer palette green shade

6. e.l.f. corrective concealer palette lilac shade (this is listed as lilac but looks more pink)

7. e.l.f. lip definer (and shaper), definer side

8. e.l.f. lip primer (and plumper), primer side

9. e.l.f. lip (definer) and shaper, shaper side

Eyebrow Products

From left to right-

• e.l.f. eyebrow lifter and filler, filler side in medium $3

This pencil goes on very easy, maybe too easy. It's very creamy. Surprisingly though, this was the hardest thing to wipe off with my makeup remover cloth so it has amazing staying power. The shade for me is a little dark. I think this might work better applied with a brush with a powder on top. 

• Anastasia Brows in Bloom kit in brunette, color #2 $28

This powder is not so much too dark as not really brown toned. It seems grayish. Applies funny, the powder is very dry, and is the opposite of powdery, hard to explain the consistency. Very pigmented though and goes where put-not every where else. I think this shade would be good for a more mature woman whose hair has maybe faded over the years.

• Anastasia Brows in Bloom kit in brunette, color #1 

Same as the other color, only slightly better in tone.

• Rimmel professional eyebrow pencil in dark brown $3.19

Only pennies more than e.l.f., this is a great, easy to apply eyebrow pencil. The color is a little reddish for me, not everyone has reddish tones in their brunette hair. This only comes in 3 color choices- hazel, dark brown, and black. Hazel might be a better color for me. This blends really well and even has a brush on the cap. 

• e.l.f. eyebrow kit in medium, wax side $3

I love this! I like the little brush included also but I think I might need a little stiffer brush. This is an ideal color for me. No red tones, not too dark. A lot of eyebrow products go on so severely, you have to barely apply. Not with this, you can apply with normal pressure and it never looks like too much. Very natural. Doesn't hold brows in place as well as my other brow wax. Still a must have, and the price tag is the cherry on top. This will be a stocking stuffer this Christmas!

• e.l.f. eyebrow kit in medium, powder side

Again, just like the wax side, this is the perfect shade. Not overboard. You can apply like a normal product and don't have to worry about your brows looking fake. The little brush is perfect for applying this powder. Love. 

Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder

From top to bottom-

• Bronzing Powder applied with finger, 2 swipes

• Bronzing Powder applied with e.l.f. blush brush, one time

• Blush applied with blush brush, 2 times

• Blush applied with finger, 3 swipes

Eye Primer & Liner Sealer- Liner Sealer Side

I tried the liner sealer side with Loreal Hip Shocking Shadow Pigments in Valiant. It took several times to get a decent line, but I think it would work better with a mineral pigment as this shade sometimes doesn't work well in general. The bottom is the liner sealer with the pigment plus more pigment patted on top. This one was the easiest to wipe off. I will have to work with this product a little more. Also, you just wipe the brush before replacing in the bottle, there was some concerns that this might not work but so far it does and even though the brush stained the color doesn't transfer in the bottle and the brush works like new on the next color. Although I think they should package this in an eyedropper type bottle and sell it like that. 

Eye Primer & Liner Sealer- Primer sideTop is with primer, bottom is without. NYX pearl mania (not sure of color). Several swipes on each. I like how this is sticky and holds loose products well. I also wear a concealer under it and haven't had an issue with creasing so far. I don't have any experience with UDPP or TFSI so I feel unqualified to even say this product is good as a primer. I have Loreal Hip paint in secretive which is just too dry for me and makes my eyeshadows look cakey. So this works well for me since it feels oil based. It does have a weird smell though. Smells like the makeup you buy for Halloween. Like chemicals. Smell doesn't bother me though, it's the thought of what's making it smell that way that bothers me. 

New e.l.f. product! 

2 in 1 conditioning gloss 

You might be saying to yourself...this looks familiar. When I first seen this my initial thought was, lame. I mean, I'd really like to see them come out with some amazing lip gloss in an amazing package. Then this pops up on the website. I started reading about how everyone thinks it looks like Smashbox's hybrid lip gloss. But I kept thinking I'd seen it somewhere else. Well, I have. I've seen it several places...e.l.f.'s version, 2 in 1 conditioning gloss $3Smashbox's version, Hybrid 2 in 1 color and shine lip gloss $18 but on sale for $13.50 right nowTarte's version, Double Dose $21

Laura Gellar's version, Lip heal and seal lip gloss $18

So maybe e.l.f. is on to something here and theirs looks just as nice for a lower price! 

Keep it up e.l.f.! But I'm still waiting on that ultra chic lip gloss so get to working on that!

New Skin Care Routine

My face is so not happy lately so I've purchased some new items for my skin care. It's only been a day but I really like everything so far! Usually my skin knows right off the bat if it dislikes something. Here's what I'm trying-Olay Complete All Day Moisture Lotion SPF 15 for Sensitive Skin

Cetaphil Antibacterial Gentle Cleansing Bar

Both were cheap! $3 and some change for the bar and around $10 for the lotion. I've read really good reviews on the Cetaphil. My facial cleanser has not worked for me since I bought it but I kept using it anyways, my face was tight and dry and just not getting better with it. I was using Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash but I really think my skin does not like salicylic acid which this (along with many other acne treatments) has in it. The Cetaphil smells soapy, like a hotel soap. But it rinses really well, makes my skin feel clean, not dry, and feels really gentle. The lotion is also gentle, doesn't make me itchy, red and splotchy like every other lotion seems to do. It feels light and doesn't make me overly moisturized- i.e. oily. No strong smell. Plus it comes in a really generous sized bottle and has a screw on cap so if I throw it in my bag I won't worry about it leaking anywhere.

My first impressions have me impressed, but I'll do a proper review after I use these for a few weeks. Wish me luck! 

Blast Those Bumps! (Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque Review)

Ok so this review is long over due but I really was on the fence with this initially. Don't get me wrong, it's a great, cheap, easy to acquire product. But I was so expecting to be blown away right off the bat and really wasn't. I love a mask, but this was no better than others- or so I thought. From all the reviews I've read, I expected my face to be transformed into Heidi Klum when I washed the green stuff off. It wasn't! Bummer huh? Haha! But after using this mask off and on for a few months here's my opinion- 

This really is a MUST HAVE product. 

First off- This product is soooo easy to find. Usually when I read about a product and decide I want to buy it, the search for it begins. Not with this. I got mine at Sally's Beauty Supply but I have seen this mask at every big box retailer and drugstore I've been to. 

Second- This product is so so cheap. I paid $3.29! And you get a good amount of product for your money.

Third- It works. It really does. You can use it as a mask or as a spot treatment. The mask feels like it's sucking the gunk out of your pores, and the spot treatment seriously reduces the size of my breakouts. Put it on at night and by morning the pimple has shrunk.

Overall- I love this product and will continue to buy it over and over again from now on. I've had a red dot on my nose since I was 16 (yes 16! I'm 24) and I could not get it to go away for anything. Using this, with a combo of the much talked about aspirin mask, has made my spot disappear! Poof! Gone. 

I also want to try all the other Queen Helene mask, scrubs, and creams. I've seen a mud mask that looks so good! Has anyone tried any other Queen Helene items? And I don't know why I chose the jar but I know this also comes in a tube and I was wondering how much of a difference (if any) it is. 

Too Much Blush Giveaway!

Too Much Blush is having an amazing giveaway featuring Jemma Kidd products! Here's the loot-

Pretty nice huh?? Well all you have to do is head over to her blog by clicking here and entering.

Everyday Minerals Sample Kit

A few weeks back I ordered the 5 piece sample kit from Everyday Minerals and received it about a week later. The kit was free but I had to pay shipping which equaled out to $3 and some change for me. You get to pick three base colors, one concealer, and a blush. They arrived in the cutest little containers which I plan to find use for after they're emptied. There seems to be a good amount of product in them. And as much as I don't feel like I'm a mineral kinda girl...I really like this product. I've used each color and of the three I chose, two of them seem like a decent match. I chose fair, golden fair and ivory. Fair was the one that seemed a little off but I'll have to try again to be sure. The concealer doesn't seem real effective for me, I've tried applying it with my fingers then also with a brush. I'm going to try a few different brushes and maybe a regular concealer with this on top would work good. The blush is so pretty, I got it in pink ribbon which describes it perfectly. All the blushes have the cutest names. The only complaint about any of the items is- it's drying! I'm really oily, but have dry patches so it was good in some places, bad in others.

I looked on the sight today and see they've changed the kits and now have different try me kits which are $5 each but you can pick one free with your order. They also took down the starter kits from what I can see. I can't find them anywhere on the site, but maybe I missed them.

Here's my kit- 

I recommend anyone looking into minerals or already using them to try this line, I love it!

Elf Haul (pic heavy)

Ok so I got my e.l.f. haul on Thursday, it wasn't due til Friday but came on Wednesday and I missed it. This is all stuff from the 75% off code and I did it when it was free shipping but the code didn't work on eyeshadows or blushes so unfortunately I don't have any of those...yet. I do however, absolutely love everything I got! And I might change my mind on that whole not buying from them again. I did have another item missing from this order, the translucent powder. Again, they charged the full amount. I wonder if this is how they're making money... Anyways, I contacted them again, got a nicer person, she said I'd be credited, still have not been credited... I dunno- I'm not real worried since I got all this stuff (24 items) for $18.75!!! 

Here it is...

clockwise from left complexion brush, blush brush, fan brush, concealer brush, the dome brush, eyeshadow "c" brush, small angled brush, small precision brush, small smudge brush, 2 makeup remover cleansing cloths, 2 eyelash curlers, mini eyelash curler, waterproof lengthening and volumizing mascara, golden bronzer, contouring blush and bronzing powder, 2 eyebrow kits (one in light one in medium), hollywood lash kit, undereye concealer and highlighter, concealer pencil and brush, eyebrow lifter and filler, lip definer and shaper. 

I haven't tried and won't be trying this mascara because it's a gift for someone, as is some of the other stuff. I looked at it a bit though and it seems pretty average, except the awkwardly long handle which I had already heard about on youtube. Looks like liquid liner. 

This is also a gift for someone but I'm having to try hard to resist keeping it for myself. It's just so pretty and sparkly. It also looks like it would be light enough for my fair skin.

It's only been a couple of weeks since my last haul but they're already changing stuff. The wipes on the left are the new and it seems improved version. The wipes on the right are the ones I got in my last haul. The new ones have a small metal grommet(?) for probably hanging on a rack at stores. Good idea since most stores don't have actual e.l.f. displays and instead just throw the stuff on hooks. The most noticeable change is that the old ones were 3.2" x 3.8" while the new ones are much larger at 7" x 7". Yes, twice as large basically! I really like these, they're cheap, really work, and come in nice/functional packaging. 

EDIT- Even though the packages state different sizes- these are exactly the same size!

I got nine brushes, I already had the powder brush so now the only one I'm missing is the angled foundation brush. I don't know why I didn't get it. I really like all these brushes. The smaller ones came in that foil ziploc type packaging which I really like better than the plain e.l.f. plastic ones. All the brushes smelled like...new sneakers...but that went away in them when I washed them- except in the powder brush from last time-it smells even worse it seems. I can't compare these with any expensive brushes because I don't own any but they all seem like decent brushes. I haven't tried all of them yet so I'll update if anything goes terribly wrong or anything. I've had a little shedding, nothing major. I think these are really worth the $3, I'd probably even pay more for some of them.

The complexion brush is soooooo soft. I'm kinda wondering if it will apply anything seeing just how soft it is... It's a good size, now too big to still use with blush, not too small for face powder. The blush brush is my favorite so far! I love the way it looks and feels. It's quite smaller than I thought but I can work with it. It's got a nice pointed edge for getting in the hallows of your cheeks. I like how the handle is the same width all the way down. 

This is the studio eyeshadow "c" brush verses the e.l.f. one below it verses an older e.l.f. one below that. The studio one is shorter, wider, longer and denser than both of the others. I thought I liked shorter handles on brushes but this brush makes me think I like the longer handles.

This is the dome brush verses the e.l.f. blending brush verses an Avon rounded shadow brush. It's shorter and more "bullet" like than the other two. It's longer and more dense than both. I really like this one so far but I did read several reviews about where the brush seemed like it wasn't filled enough with bristles and the ferrule wasn't crimped. Well I'm pretty sure the ferrule shouldn't be crimped on this type of brush but I can see how if you move the bristles to the side there's a large gap. Maybe a few more bristles would have done the trick. Some ladies talked about how this made the metal scratch their eye, I don't see how exactly but I'll let you know if this happens to me. By the way, I also love this Avon brush and only paid around $1.99 for it!

This is the Sonia Kashuk 01 brush compared to the complexion brush. The Sonia Kashuk brush is bigger and much more fluffy though not as soft.  

This is the studio concealer brush compared to an Avon concealer brush (another $1.99 deal). The e.l.f. brush is shorter thinner and wider. I wasn't planning on using this as a concealer brush but I think I will now that I've seen it.

Here is the blush/bronzer with the eyebrow kit (shown in medium). You can see how much smaller the eyebrow kit is. Both come in the sleek black compacts. These are both must haves! I have read rave reviews all over the web and from my own personal experience so far, they live up to the hype. I really liked how easy the brow gel stuff was to use and the little brush it comes with (imo) is very usable.

Compacts closed.

This is the regular $1 line e.l.f. eyelash curler verses the studio line curler. I like the $1 one much better for me. I also seen they have a $1 one in pink under the sugar kiss line. 

The studio mini eyelash curler on left verses the full sized studio curler.

These are all really great products. The eyebrow filler is dark and pigmented so use with a very light hand, the lifter is great and really adds lift. The lip definer is a nice lip liner in a brown color, and the shaper adds a golden sheen to your cupids bow. I like this but it is not a must have. The concealer works well and the thick brush on the end is great! I recommend saving the black tops after you use these products up if you plan on ordering more. I understand why they put a sharpener on the end as a cap, since it needs it's own due to size and the cap idea is more economical than giving you a sharpener with every product. I haven't had any problems with the sharpener cutting into my pencils, although I store them well and probably won't be throwing them into my purse or anything. 

This concealer works better than many other's I have tried. It really brightened up my eyes even before I put the highlighter on. I like the highlighter also but I say don't overblend it since it will vanish with too much blending. I love love love this packaging. I wish they would take this package and out lipgloss inside. It feels like rubber/plastic/satin with the look of frosted glass. Very chic, it looks/feels so expensive! I think the concealer might be trying to leak out a little tough...not sure.

So overall I love these cheap little thrills. They all do their job and keep my money where it belongs- in my pocket. They make great gifts also, Imma start stocking up for Christmas cause i know they'll be out of stock! Also, they actually sell their own stockings-check it out!

And has anyone tried their body line? It's $4 a piece and I've read mixed reviews so far. Let me know if you have!

P.S.If you haven't been to check out the studio line lately, they've added a new lipgloss, which looks like it belongs in the one dollar line to me...

Santa Gets His Nails Did!

I'm not sure how many of you have heard of Elfster.com but I just heard about it today and it's genius! It's a modern day secret santa program and MagicXMaid has decided to invite us all to join. Basically, we'll sign up now, then on November 1st Elfster will let you know who you're being secret santa for, but they won't know who you are and you won't know your secret santa- you can ask questions to the person, get an idea of what to buy- plus they have wishlist you can fill up. Sounds like fun huh? You must sign up! Click Here 

Image Via: FauxFoodDiner

Tarte 40% Off

Now you can save 40% off Tarte Cosmetics with the friends and family offer code ff09. This sale lasts til August 21st but if you miss it you can always save 30% with your first order by signing up for their email. Free shipping with $60 purchase. Another special they've got going is their famous Toolbox for only $4! This kit has everything you need for picture perfect eyebrows.  

FOTD

I'm a little camera shy and I'm new with false lashes, so bear with me. I have no idea why my mouth is open in that second one either. I had bed head and my camera sucks so it really was more vibrant in person. Is that enough excuses? Haha! O and I'm loving the ELF primer, it makes the Strayin' l/s so much more wearable on me.  

Even though my lashes did look like crap- they didn't look this bad-I think this was a bad angle.

Face: 

Avon Magix primer

E.l.f. primer palette using the lightest skintoned shade

Jane be pure mineral corrective concealer in green

Hard Candy complexion perfection in sugar cookie

E.l.f. blush/bronzer duo ( I so over did the contouring!)

Eyes:

E.l.f. eye primer

Sugar Cosmetics pink dust 

L.A. Colors eyeshadow palette eye candy using the pink, purple, orange, blue and white

Loreal Hip pigment in valiant

Jordana eyeliner pen in black

E.l.f. hollywood lashes

Rimmel brow pencil in brown

Carlos Di Roma eyeliner pencil in azure

Too Face Lash Injection mascara

Lips:

E.l.f. primer/plumper

Mac lipstick in strayin'

Mac lipstick in saint germain

Maybelline Wet Shine Liquid Diamonds in rhinestone pink 

Finally...Elf Haul

I have been so excited to receive my order from EyeLipsFace.com and am really happy with everything I got, but I don't think I'll be ordering from them again after I receive my next order. I got the package a little earlier today and was getting everything together to take pictures when I noticed I didn't receive an item. I checked the invoice and it was on there but it was circled and I read on the bottom where it says basically if any item is circled then that item was out of stock and you weren't charged for it. Well, I went online to EyesLipsFace.com and checked my order on there, I was charged. I went to check my bank statement, charged. So I wrote an email to customer service. I did get a response extremely fast- like within the hour. But the rep says if I was charged then I will be refunded which may take up to 2 weeks. Two weeks from when? It's been ten days since my purchase so 2 weeks from then or two weeks from now? I don't like the idea that I won't know if I'm not receiving an item til my package is delivered, and I don't like being charged and then refunded. I kinda doubt I'll get my refund so I'll be checking. I'd rather have my product. They should really update the website where you can't order out of stock items or do like so many other places and promise to ship it at a later date. I know it's a place that sells one dollar and three dollar items but I still expect more than this. ELF says to keep checking back for my item to be in stock so I can reorder it but the item is/was/never has been listed as out of stock. Ok, enough ranting, here's my haul- even though ELF sucked all the fun out of it for me.

Here's everything I got. I have to admit, I was impressed. Packaging is super nice and first looks have seem ok. I love how they put it in a bag like you went shopping. I haven't seen anything to back up all the complaints I've read/heard. The lip plumper doesn't "burn like crazy", nothings broke so far, my eyelash curler seems easy to use-I read a lot of reviews where people said it was stiff or hard to use, no extreme smells, everything seems to do what it's job is. The lip primer could be a little dryer but I think it will work well with powder over it. I really do like the makeup remover cloths- if I do ever order from them again- it'll probably be for these. The blush/bronzer is so pretty and gives me a very natural flush glow. I haven't figured out how to put on the lashes yet, I think I need better glue. The powder brush seems nice but I'm not sure what I'm going to use it for yet- powder or liquid. I did notice the chemical smell everyone was saying about this one brush, smells like new plastic is all, nothing a little soap won't cure. The blending brush is not what it looks like on the website, it's shorter and stiffer, like a bullet. I like it though! It seems really good for $1. I had read reviews of some brushes not being crimped and I didn't really get what they meant until I was looking at the little concealer brush that came with the palette. It looked like the bristles were just standing there in the middle. Like the metal around them hadn't been "crimped" down. So I smashed it down myself and good as new! Not hard at all. Nice little brush.