NYC Plumping Lipgloss in Pleasantly Plump Pink

Hi All!
    Today I wanted to bring a review on a lip gloss that I had a chance to try from the drugstore (and extremely affordable) brand, NYC.  I like a lot of NYC products, it's actually one of those brands that I first got into because it was so affordable to a young teenager like myself (at the time).  Today's gloss is the NYC Plumping Lipgloss in 467 Pleasantly Plump Pink. **I was sent this gloss to try out and after playing around with it for a few days, I've developed an opinion regarding it.

The official NYC website advertises this gloss as the following:

So how did the gloss match up to the claims? Let's delve into it!

Claim: Get voluminous lips in one effortless stroke/ 50% more volume to your lips

Reality: This gloss does make your lips look more voluminous, it fills in those lines and just makes them look plump. the 50% claim is a bit false because if my lips really did go up 50%, I'd be lookin like Angelina Jolie.   For the actual "plumping effect" I'd have to say it's slim to none.  There is a light minty feeling, but the best way to describe it is if you took a tiny TINY bite of sweet mint gum.  (random association I know)

Claim: 4 hours shine

Top Left: Gloss with flash Bottom Left: No flash. Top Right: Sunny day no flash

Reality: This gloss lasted a long time on my lips.  It is a bit thick/heavy on the lips and is a bit sticky, hence the long stay.  As I wore this gloss through the day, it would get tackier.  It didn't really last the full 4 hours, but it does last longer than most of my other glosses.

Additional Comments: While the shade I got was really pretty, the smell of this gloss is something I can't get over.  This gloss has a sickly-floral-old-lady-violet-mint smell.  Not only does the smell affect you, but it just gets into your mouth and you taste it too.  I tried several times to wear this gloss, but I just can't deal with the smell.  It's bad enough that I wouldn't want to kiss my fiance while wearing it.

Final Call: I would say, that with so many other glosses available even in the NYC line, I would pass on this particular gloss ONLY because of the smell.  I can deal with a lot of different fragrances, but when it comes to lip products and scents, I am particular and this is one scent and taste I can't deal with.

Have you tried this gloss?
What did you think about it?
xoxo,
Emi

**I was sent this gloss complimentary of Influenster, yet it does not affect my opinion of said product.

ELF Studio Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter in Glow/Fair

So I haven't seen really any reviews in the youtube world about this particular product.  I'm not really sure why, I guess out of all the products ELF offers, it just hasn't risen to the top, which is not to say that it is nessessarily a bad product. I got the shade Glow/ Fair, and from the ELF website it seems that the highlighter (Glow) is the same in each tube, and just the concealer changes.  The concealer only goes up to medium, so for the darker skinned ladies out there, this would not be the concealer for you.

"Correct under eye problematic areas such as dark circles and bags easily and effectively! Contains vitamins A & E, chamomile, caffeine and green tea to moisturize, soothe, and tighten the skin around the delicate eye area. Blends in easily and evenly to provide a smooth and natural finish."

These claims are actually pretty true.  I've been using this concealer for several months already and have found that it easily covers my dark circles and reduces the puffiness.  It does not crease under my eyes and stays put (when set with powder) for a good length of time.  It is not long wearing, but I get several hours wear before a light touchup.  

As you notice this is a dual ended product, and there is a white colored highlighter.  This is something I do not like at all because it has shimmers.  I tried using this as a cheek highlighter and patted in with my fingers left a white line across my face, but rubbing it in caused it to disappear and a line of obvious glitter left on my cheek. Either way it didn't look good nor was it flattering.  

I would repurchase this product simply because the concealer was so good.  I'd rather have a full tube of the concealer than the actual duo. But at 3.00 I would repurchase it again... if I even get through this tube in my lifetime!

Have you tried this product?   

Birchbox Series: Pomega5

Hey all,

   So many of us have signed up for the subscription services like Birchbox, MyGlam etc etc with the allure of trying new products for a low price of 10 bucks (or around that) per box.  The main point of these companies is to give you the sample, once you try it out, you then have the option to purchase the full-sized product.  I always hear about people unveiling their boxes via youtube or here on blogs, but how often do we really use them up and review them? Do these samples really work and make me want to purchase it? Well, I wanted to start a series (as I work through my samples) and give my two cents on them and if my Birchbox has done it's job and made me want to purchase the product. Please remember, these are my own thoughts and opinions and if I disliked it, it just means that I have different preferences and that they are different from yours :) So what is on the chopping block first?

Pomega5 Green Tea Mattifying Moisturizer (February 2011) Full size: $58

Sorry for the unclear photograph, I've been working with my sister's old camera since mine broke!

According to Birchbox:

“ This silky moisturizer gives your skin the powerhouse ingredients and hydration it needs without feeling heavy. It’s perfect for combination and oily skin because it skins in quickly and leaves your face fresh and supple. Plus we love the citrusy-fresh scent. 

My Take:

I had about a 3-4 day sample given, and I used it both day and night.The color was a fleshy toned product that was a little on the thinner side.  I didn’t know this was labeled as “mattifying” because the container didn’t say it was (not that it made any difference because I didn’t notice my skin becoming matte!) It left a nice feeling on my skin, and it didn’t break me out (points right there for natural products!) and was light in texture but still kept my skin moisturized during some really bad cold and wind. BUT a citrusy-fresh scent? That left my head scratching, this was more of a very sweet pomagranet-y smell boarding on a hard candy. I would have purchased this product if it wasn’t for this super sweet scent, ( I got NO notes of citrus) This sample was nice, but having a large bottle of this stuff would have left me nauseous. I don’t enjoy my face products to have such a strong scent, and one that doesn’t leave me with “clean” feeling. Because of the smell I kept having this image that I was putting some sugary product on my face. 

What is the full size?

1.7 oz. That is a pretty small bottle for 58 bucks to be honest. 

 

Did my birchbox get me to want this product?

Not really. Yes it was a nice sized sample, but it caused me to underscore the fact that I dislike certain scents on my face but I will be now on a search for a similar textured product! The product also did not leave my skin matte, so it didn't really do it's job.

Product Review: Stile Smudgeproof Eye Definer in Peacock

Hi Everyone,
            So going on with my products I'm working on getting through/ finally using, I decided to use the Stile Smudge proof Waterproof Eye Definer in the color Peacock.  I got this a few months back through my Birchbox and yep...JUST now started using it.  I've never used Stile products before although I have had a "makeover" done at Sephora using just Stila products.So you can imagine that I was rather excited to see how this color and product would work on me.

          The consistency of the liner is so smooth and creamy, so I can understand all the fuss about their texture. It went onto my waterline very nicely and even when I swatched it on my hand it was consistent and not bumpy or chunky. The color is this beautiful deep aqua with a metallic finish to it. I have never used a color like this before but it added such a nice emphasis on my blue eyes and gave me something different than my typical browns.
        I wore this color with a purple/ neutral eye to just allow for the blue to really pop but the purple makes the look come together. I have been able to wear this look to my job which is very conservative and my boss had no issues with the color so that is an added bonus! (yay)
       Now for the disappointing part of this product (there just always seems to be one!) This liner was not waterproof nor smudge proof. When I swatched it on my hand it was tough to get off and all I could think about was how awesome this would be on the water line. WRONG! Within an hour the color faded from the deep aqua to a lighter aqua (still pretty but if I wanted a light aqua I'd BUY a light aqua). While it didn't smudge easily, it still had a decent amount of smudginess that actually left lil lines of the color right under my eye. I don't know if I could say that it is waterproof because it did obviously start to breakdown after 2 hours or so.

Final Verdict?
- I like the color and the product but if I am going to purchase a product that claims to be smudge proof and waterproof....it better BE smudge proof and waterproof. It isn't a repurchase but I do like it for just that added boost.

Have you tried this product? Can anyone suggest a good liner that is REALLY waterproof?
xoxo Ema
     

Smashbox Lip Gloss Set Deal!

My awesome deal for $20.00!

Hello lovely readers! It has been gorgeous in my area and I just don't think I can wait for summer to really arrive! All that said, it doesn't deter me from finding some lovely products. My newest and probably most exciting was my chance to buy this box of lip glosses by the high end brand called smashbox. They are lovely shades that I have really enjoyed.  They are thick enough that they stay on the lips and don't feel super slippery, which I personally enjoy the most.  My awesome friend, Jamie, got me into these. She picked me up this pack from Nordstrom Rack for $20. You get 2 full-sized products and 4 minis.

L to R: Pout, Luster, Tease, Candy, Aura, Radiant

Pout is a baby pink, with a creme texture. It has very fine gold/ pink shimmer
Luster is a golden/ nude with pink, silver and pink shimmer.
Tease is a red wine colored gloss with no shimmer but still shine
Candy is a coral-pink with red and gold shimmer in it.
Aura is pinky nude with gold, silver and pink shimmer.
Radiant is a creamy red wine color with gold and pink/ red shimmer.


My favorite of the bunch is Tease because its a lovely deep color without it being too overpowering. I would say if you have a chance to pick this up, please do.

ELF Cream Liner Vs. WetnWild Liner

Hey everyone!

So I am a HUGE fan of cream eyeliners. I remember falling in love with AVON Cream Liner, but sadly it disappeared (funny how that happens) and I went without for a while. Drugstores didn't carry it and by the time I came around to AVON again, it was no longer in stock :(. It wasn't until I came to the beauty community on youtube and came across emilynoel83 who got me interested in the ELF brand. (if you don't know her, she's the sweetest and most honest guru out there that I have come across. I have bought several products because of her reviews and have LOVED) I don't have a Target in my area, nor for the next 15 miles, so I had never heard of this brand. So during Christmastime I went ahead and ordered from them, and bought myself a cream eyeliner in coffee. (review on this below) I was recently in my Harmon's Discount Beauty Store, when I saw that WetnWild came out with a cream eyeliner! I had heard that their formulas improved greatly, and was excited especially since it was a lovely eggplant shade.

So now the review.

ELF Cream Eyeliner in Coffee

This product is a great amount of payoff. It's nice and thick, and very manageable, even for a person like me who can't use liquid liner for her life. This product comes from the studio line, so it is $3 for a 4.7gram container and a brush. It's nice packaging except a little bulky. I have been using it daily since January and still have so much of this product left. It comes basically full to the top and the bottom half is clear so you can have an idea of how much you really have left. Overall an AMAZING find and deal. They come in several shades like deep blue, purple, copper, gunmetal, ivory, coffee, black and I believe one or two other colors. It has great staying power and washes off easily. My only suggestion for any cream liner, don't use on the waterline!

WetnWild Cream Liner in Eggplant

I saw this product and was thrilled, because the hype from the beauty community was how awesome WNW had become and how they reformulated so much. I guess they didn't redo anything with this product. I believe this is a newer product because I hadn't seen it around. It cost me $3.99 and also came with a small brush, but was only 3.8 grams. It's similar to ELF with a clear bottom, but its got a very weird aspect of packaging. The purple comes up to the full top, looking like the eyeliner had melted, been tossed around, and then re-hardened. It was purple all the way up to the top, and when i tried to scratch it off of the sides, it wouldn't come off at all. The payoff of color is also poor, its a liquidy consistency and when smudged in, almost disappears. My product also has a strange sent to it that's not particularly pleasant.

Overview:

In the end I will be repurchasing the ELF cream liner. I feel like I got much more of a payoff, nicer product, and spent a tiny bit less for it. With tax at my Harmon's I could have still bought an extra $1 ELF product instead of an off-smelling eye product. Skip the Wet N Wild cream liner and wait until they work out the kinks in this product.

Happy Shopping!

Ema

I Tried To Love You...But It's Just Not Working Out

Augh, I'm sure I'm not the only one who has had to deal with products that they saw from the same brand they have enjoyed from the past or just heard raived about by friends and makeup gurus, only to purchase and find out that it's NOTHING like you were hoping it to be. So you try to accept that maybe it's just you, and that you need to work with it because of course makeup doesn't work the exact same way each time. But then you come to that point when you hide the products in the back of your drawer hoping to just forget about it. Weeks turn into months, and you finally reach that point where you have to face the facts.
This product didn't and point blank won't work. You wasted money on what you thought would be amazing.

Hey, trust me your not alone!!We have all been there, and I'm sure you (my awesome reader) are sitting here nodding thinking of those particular products, be then nice and on sale...or on the more bitter side...expensive and what was counted as a splurge. (ouch, my sympathies)

Let face it, I'm a college girl and buying high brand makeup is a major luxury that is reserved for holiday or birthday wishes (or if I could finally win a youtube giveaway! *wishful thinking*).
So this post (okay yeah you are probably okay girl this is rambling BUT I'm getting to my point) is about a few of my own products that I got that I was really kinda sad about and my reasons why (also a few prices if I remember them) Enjoy and let me know how they worked for you!


1. Wet N Wild Idol Eyes (in Pixie and Graphite)
Ooooooh I remember this purchase. It was one of my first buys into makeup. It was cheap and I thought I was so cool, even though I had NO idea what I was looking for or going to do with it. I don't even know if they make these anymore! But it's a creme eyeshadow put into a thick pencil (think of NYX jumbo pencils for a more popular reference). It's a great idea,but where they went wrong: you try to smudge it in, and the product disappears. Seriously, like vanishing act. I sit there and try to figure out what to do with this because I'm reluctant to toss it yet. I figure I can use Pixie which is a golden beige color as a highlight, but it is not even creamy enough to hold powder shadows! On the site it says "long wearing and easy blending" Yeah... bout that. Maybe it's the newer formula, but mine didn't wear longer than the 30 seconds before I tried to blend.
Cost: $1.99 - yeah, it's cheap. But I'd rather have spent it on something else.

2. donna MICHELLE Makeup Foundation (Light 1)

Okay I'll preface this with, my local dollar store sells a lot of makeup, sometimes more wellkno

wn items and other times "no brand". My friend and I were in the dollar store when I mentioned I needed some foundation but didn't want to spend a large amount. My friend said that I HAD to try this one out, and for a buck I thought "Okay, if she is raving about it,

it must be gr

eat." Wrong. It comes out looking like regular foundation, but once I put it on my skin, it disappeared. Not like it covered or cleared up any blotchy spaces but just *poof* gone. No color. Nada. I guess that's what I get for buying this, but I am still trying to figure out how it worked so well for my friend. (scratch head moment). I suppose I can just use it mixed with my moisturizer and my loose powder foundation?

Cost: $1.00 - I know I know, one buck I'm gonna complain? Yes a little.

3. Freeman Feeling Beautiful Facial Peel-Off Mask, Cucumber

So I'm really sad about this product. I had seen a youtube guru praise this thing an

d I was just SO ready and excited to go out and purchase this product. It's like a clear gel (reminds me of Elmer's clear/light b

lue glue) that you put all over your face and it's claiming to "clarify and renew skin". I don't really know, but I just don't see it doing anything for me at all. I bought two of these at a CVS BOGO half off sale. I really do wish I could go back and return them, cause I use them and peel them off, and my skin doesn't feel any different. I tested it once to see if it would pick up on foundation powder, and it barely picked up any of the product. I have oily skin, and I feel like it left my face with an off texture. I also noticed breakouts (but I'm still narrowing down cause I started to use a few different products) which is not something I would expect from a "clarifying" product.

Cost: $4.99 regularly priced - Could've bought a Clean and Clear product instead.

4. N.Y.C. Mod Quad (in Peace-ful Pastels)

I love N.Y.C. and owned the Far-Out Fawns Quad which was actually pretty decent for the price I got that one at. But this one...Oh this one. It starts out with nice colors that I can imagine would be adorable to use on V-Day makeup look, or even for a more subtle smoky look. Where it goes wrong, there is almost no pigment. I use primer for my eyelids, and then put on the product. I packed it on, and then I started to blend. Bad Idea. It smudged all together in such a way that I looked like I had a black eye. (I can navigate myself around different colors/ trios of eye shadows rather well, fyi haha) Then this "cream liner" was totally dried out. I chipped it out with a box cutter cause it had NO use. The colors were really chalky, and I was really sad w

ith that quality :(.

Cost: $3.99

5. L.A. Colors 6 Color Metallic Eyeshadow (in Eye Candy)

Another one of those "I love the line but this product is a MISS". Maybe it's just me, but I bought this lil palette so I could add some fun colors that I don't normally see into my look. It's a discontinued product, and has been for a very lo

ng time. When I run my fingertip over the color you get this bright

metal color, but once put on the eyelid, it was really sheer! And once I blended a little bit, the color got very muddied, and all ended up looking the same...shimmer. Instead of being called "eye candy" it's more of a "pastel easter basket" palette.

Cost: $1 - $3 this maybe the one product I will end up tossing completely :(

Well these are my misses as of right now. I will continue to review my times with more products. Let me know how your experiences have been, or if you have any requests for similar products! :)

xoxo Ema

P.S. For some reason my blog didn't want to let me upload the last two photos but I will get onto that really soon!