First Impression: Maybelline Baby Lips Dr. Rescue

          This will be my first impression of the Maybelline Baby Lips Dr. Rescue Menthol External Analgesic Medicated Balm. (Whew! Some title!). I have it in 2 colors, Berry Soft (#60) and Soothing Sorbet (#50). I picked these up from Ulta. They were $4.29, but I got them for buy 1 get one 50% off. Ulta also has a $3.50 off coupon on their website just add a few more items and you can get this even cheaper!

         So right off the bat, these are the claims the product makes on their packaging:
          Quickly soothes
          Provides Relief
          12 hrs hydration

          This is how to use the product according to the packaging:
          For the temporary relief of pain associated with fever blisters and cold sores.

         Active ingredients:
         Menthol 0.5%- external analgesic

         Warnings, according to the packaging:
         External use only
         Do not get in eyes
         Do not swallow (well it says if swallowed get medical help or contact poison control)

         Directions, per packaging:
         For adult use only. Apply to affected area not more than 3 to 4 times daily.

        Now some interesting facts about this product:      

1. No parabens.
2. There is an expiration date.
3. They do test on animals. 

        As for my thoughts on this product, I honestly think this product is very similar to the Baby Lips line in terms of color pay off, wear, texture, and smoothness of the product. The only thing that sets this product off from the others is the Menthol which leaves a somewhat minty, tingle feeling on your lips. I find that to be quite soothing especially on chapped lips. I'm not sure it this will help against fever blisters or cold sores (as I do not get those), but it does soothe chapped lips.

My Overall Rating: 92/100

If you have tried these, what do you think?


UPDATE:
          So after using these for a while, I have notice that formulation wise, these are very different from the actual baby lips line (even the electro line). They don't melt onto your lips like the other baby lips do and the formula is slightly thicker.  However, the differences are VERY VERY minor. Still doesn't change my rating though, because I still think it's a great balm!

Until next time...
-Cindy

First Impression: Revlon Colorstay Shadowlinks

L to R: Oyster, Taupe, Peacock

L to R: Periwinkle, Lilac, Plum

          This will be my first impression of the Revlon Colorstay Shadowlinks. I picked up 6 colors from this collection. The first one is Oyster (#20) which is a metallic finish, Taupe (#60) which is a satin finish, Peacock (#150) which is a pearl finish, Periwinkle (#140) which is a pearl finish, Lilac (#90) which is a pearl finish, and Plum (#110) which is a matte finish. Oyster is shimmery cream color. Taupe is a shimmery light brown color. Peacock is a shimmery dark aqua color. Periwinkle is an in-between purple/blue color with shimmer. Lilac is a shimmery pinky purple color. Plum is a dark cranberry color. There is 0.05oz/1.4gram of product. These were $2.99 at my local Rite Aid. However, I was lucky enough to pick them up buy one, get one 50% off. There is also a Revlon coupon for $2 off any Colorstay product so you can get these for dirt cheap!
          From what I can tell, there are 18 colors in the collection. All of them seem to be muted for fall. I tried to find some information about this product and the claims on the Revlon website, but I guess it is too new to have a webpage decided to it just yet. From what I can tell, there is no parabens (however, the font is so small I may be wrong in this). This product is also made in the USA.
          As for my thoughts on this product, lets start with packaging. The size is quite convenient. It's small, and compared to other trios I have (say Wet n Wild, or NYX Love in Rio palettes) these are compacted and small. As for the linking property of these shadows, they link up well. They seem to slid in and lock in well. However, they aren't as sturdy as I would like them to be. They bend a little once you link them, and I can foresee them breaking off with enough impact. As for the shadows themselves, I was quite disappointed. For $3, they are quite small for single eyeshadows. With $3 you can get a giant baked E.L.F. eyeshadow, Wet n Wild eyeshadow trio, or for a few dollars more you can get a quad from Revlon. They also aren't very buttery, or opaque as I expected them to be. They blend okay, I find that it depends on the shadow. The matte color blends beautifully, while all the shimmery colors takes a bit of work. Also all the satin, pearl, metallic finishes seem to be all the same: full of glitter and shimmer. See for yourself:
     

L to R: Oyster, Taupe, Peacock

L to R: Periwinkle, Lilac, Plum

My Overall Rating: 70/100

So if you picked up these shadows, what is your opinion on them?

Until next time...
-Cindy

September Haul!

          This is a massive collective haul from the month of September! I really enjoy hauls and I think it gives people an idea of what to look out for when they are out shopping. Please keep in mind, some were gifts and some are gifts for other people. Also, none of this was bought at retail price except maybe the Stila Sponge. One last thing... I am in no way bragging, like I said before just giving you an idea of what to look out for when you are out and about :). 

Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Gloss

~$5.39 each

(They were actually cheaper than this since Rite Aid was doing $5 cash back for $15 of Maybelline products that was purchased. I happened to get $10 after spending $30. And had a $2 off coupon. As you will see I bought a lot of Maybelline products this month!)

Philosophy Kiss Me Color

Ula Beauty Steals-$5 each

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter

Peach Parfait (#025) ~$3.14 

(This was in the double pack at Target and was on Clearance for ~$6.28)

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick

Bogo 50% with FitMe Foundation-$4.44

L'oreal Color Riche Lipstick and Le Gloss

The Mystic's Kiss (#486) and The Mystic's Shine- $1.99 each 

Maybelline Great Lash

I See Blue, sfss in Violet, So Very Berry

Clearance for $2.69 each

Stila Double-Ended Blending Sponge

$12

Epielle Facial Essence Mask

Collagen with Vitamin E, Green Tea and Aloe, Firming and Lifting with Vitamin C

$0.69 each

NYX Retractable Lip Liner-Jewel

Ulta 40% off plus $3.50 coupon $2.24

NYX  Mechanical Eye Pencil-Deep Blue

Ulta 40% off plus $3.50 coupon $2.24

Wet n Wild Color Icon Trio

I Don't Camoflage, Zero Dark Flirty

Walgreens Sale $2

Essence Eyeshadow- Party All Night

$2.80

Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes 

With $3 off coupon- $3.54

Epielle Aloe Vera Cleansing Tissues

$1.99

Yes To Blueberries Age Refresh Brightening Eye Roller

Clearance for $9.99

Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil

Ulta Beauty Steals-$25

Lady Gaga Fame Eau de Parfum

TJ Maxx clearance- $29

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation Stick

$7.99

NYX HD Photogenic Concealer

Ulta 40% off plus $3.50 coupon $2.49

NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat HD Studio Photogenic Powder Foundation

Golden Beige (SMP08)

Ulta 40% off plus $3.50 coupon $4.97

Revlon ColorStay Whipped Foundation

Medium Beige (#250) 

Ulta 40% off plus $3.50 coupon $5.31

Parallel Worlds Box by NYX

On sale for $12.49 then used $3.50 off Coupon =$8.99

Lorac The Stylist Palette

Hautelook- $15

       
          Maybe went a bit overload with lip products... but this might be my last cosmetic buys for a while. If you have hauled makeup recently I would love to see or hear about what products you picked up and the deals you scored! :)

Review: Essence Silky Touch Blush

          This will be my review on the Essence Silky Touch Blush. You can find Essence at your local Ulta store or online at the Ulta website. The color I have is Natural Beauty (#40). It is a nice dusty rose pink color. There is some glitter in this blush but not an overwhelming amount like some baked blushes may give off. They normally retail for $2.99, but I was lucky enough to pick this up on clearance for $0.79. You also get 5 grams of product. 

         According to the Ulta website, this is the claim about this blush:

         "This innovative Powder Blush has a silky texture that blends evenly and easily. Silky Touch Blush adds a touch of natural freshness to your complexion."

         Do I agree that it blends evenly and easily? Yes, most definitely!
         Does it add a touch of natural freshness? Yes, but only if you use a light hand! Trust me!

         Some interesting facts to note about this product:

1. They do not test on animals according to the Essence website.
2. There are parabens in this product: Methylparaben, Propylparaben.  

          As for what I think about this product, I think it is great for the price! It is highly pigmented, which I was not expecting for this blush! If you apply it with a light hand, it does blend quite evenly and effortlessly. If you apply it with a heavily hand, it is quite hard for to take away product. However, this blush doesn't last all day. After an 8-hr work day, my cheeks had no color whatsoever.

My Overall Rating: 85/100

So.. if you have tried Essence products what do you think? Are the other products just as well made as the blush?

Until next time...
-Cindy