Review: Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Shine (Fuchsia in Excess)

Can somebody please tell me why Yves Saint Laurent can do no wrong? From their Touche Éclat to their Glossy Stains almost all of the products they've debuted in the past few years have become cult favorites. One of these cult products is their Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Shine ($35). From the beautiful packaging to the perfect quality everything about this lipstick screams amazing. It took a long time for me to finally cave in and purchase one but I'm so glad that I did.

If I could I'd buy every shade of this lipstick but since I'm a 21 year old girl on a college student budget I had to decide on just one. I ended up opting for the Sephora exclusive shade Fuchsia in Excess. Described as a bright luminous pink on the website this shade is definitely bright and bold. As a huge fan of statement lip colors, I immediately fell in love with this shade and have been incorporating it into almost all of my makeup looks these days. A neutral eye with the Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Shine as a pop of color has been my go-to lately.

The product itself performs exceptionally well. Highly pigmented and easy to apply, the color lasts for up to 3 hours before I need to reapply. While that is rather weak in terms of staying power, the product makes up for the lack of longevity by being very hydrating. I don't feel the need to apply lip balm like I do with MAC lipsticks and I prefer to have hydrated lips than a long-lasting lipstick.

As if the Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Shine doesn't already sound amazing, the packaging is gorgeous. You can see from my photos that it comes in a decadent gold tube with an intricate YSL design around the center. The lipstick feels slightly heavier than most other tubes but it gives the product a more luxurious feel. It is by far my most beautiful lipstick on display in my makeup collection.

If you can't tell by now I am absolutely smitten with the Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Shine and I definitely intend on purchasing more shades. It's even beat out my Chanel Rouge Allure! I'd definitely recommend this product to anyone and everyone who is in the market for a high-end lipstick. I'm also looking in to picking up one or two of the Glossy Stains since I had such an amazing experience with the Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Shine. If you have any shades to recommend please do so!
♥
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Review: Buxom Full Bodied Lipstick in Scoundrel

I have to be honest, I've never been interested in trying any Buxom products. In my mind the brand was well-known for their plumping lip glosses and I'm not a fan of lip plumping products. What eventually changed my mind and convinced me to purchase this Buxom Full Bodied Lipstick ($21) in  Scoundrel was one of my girlfriends. She was wearing the lipstick in a different shade while we were shopping in Sephora and of course the makeup junkie in me had to buy one for myself. It also didn't help that we were in a Sephora and I can never walk out of that store without purchasing something. I ended up picking up the shade Scoundrel because a girl can never have too many red lipsticks, right?

The lipstick comes in an hourglass shaped mirrored tube that functions like a normal lipstick. I'm not the biggest fan of the packaging since it gets dirty very easily. Although the mirror exterior helps if you are trying to apply lipstick without a proper mirror on hand, it picks up fingerprints almost as easily as NARS' signature rubber black packaging.

Scoundrel is a blue red shade, which is flattering on all skin tones. The color stays vibrant for 4-6 hours and I can go through lunch without needing to touch-up. There is no feathering from the lipstick even without the use of a lip liner. But be wary of smudging some on your teeth and transferring the color onto other objects (i.e. cups, food, your boyfriend, etc.), since I've done both in my experience. 

I would purchase another Buxom Full Bodied Lipstick but I have to say that the shade range is rather limited. While there are pinks, reds and plums, each shade only has a few variations. However, the staying power and intense opacity definitely makes up for the lack of color selection. On top of that, the product is not drying so you don't need to worry about chapped lips and needing lip balm.
If I were to buy other shades of the Buxom Full Bodied Lipstick I'd most likely purchase Exhibitionist and/or Hooligan. Both shades were beautiful when I swatched them and I almost picked Exhibitionist over Scoundrel. ♥
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Colors of the Rainbow Tag!

The Colors of the Rainbow Tag has been floating around YouTube for quite some time now. Since it's the most current and popular tag at the moment, I decided to give it a shot and I had a lot of fun with it! The colors are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, pink and multicolored and you're supposed to find beauty and fashion products that correspond to those colors.

Review: Maybelline Color Whisper in Pin Up Peach

The drugstore's been killing it lately! I recently raved about the Revlon Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon and the Maybelline Masterprecise Liquid Eyeliner, and now I'm going to rave about the Maybelline Color Whisper in Pin-up Peach ($5.94). Maybelline Color Whispers, along with Revlon Lip Butters have been the biggest hit at the drugstore in terms of lip products. I was skeptical at first of the Color Whispers, I figured they'd be just like the Revlon Lip Butters since they were marketed as sheer color with hydration. However, after testing it out and comparing the two they're definitely not the same product.

Review: Revlon Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon

I'm sure all my regular readers could already tell but in case you're new to this blog, I'm a huge fan of the Revlon Lip Butters! When I heard that a new set of shades were coming out for Spring/Summer I made a mental note to pick at least one of them up the next time I made a stop at Target to get groceries. I had done a little bit of research before I went and was really torn between the shades Juicy Papaya and Wild Watermelon ($6.49).

And the Winner is...

I am very pleased to announce that the winner of my 100+ Followers Giveaway is...
Tsering Yangzom!
She will receive one Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me, one Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait and one Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Sassy Mauve. Congratulations Tsering and I hope you enjoy your prize~
Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway and even if you didn't win this time, don't worry because I am sure to have more contests coming up soon!
♥
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Review: Inglot Lipstick in Shade #279

Inglot Lipstick in Shade #279 ($12) was the one lipstick I ended up purchasing while at NYC IMATS and even though I mentioned I didn't really need or want it, I don't regret it at all. I didn't expect much from this product because honestly I haven't heard many people ranting or raving about Inglot lipsticks. However, I was surprised to find that I really liked it and has me considering more Inglot lipsticks.

Packaging: The packaging on this product is extremely boring. It comes in a plain glossy black tube with the words Inglot written on the side of the cap in white letters. One thing I'd like to mention, that stood out to me, is that when you put the cap back on it seems to almost suction itself close instead of the usual click on caps that lipsticks come in. Other than that, it's very ordinary.

Formula: The formula of this lipstick is very soft and smooth. The shade is an orangey-coral with a satin finish and absolutely no glitter.

Application: The lipstick glides on the lips very easily, though I prefer to pat it on since it is such a bright shade. It didn't dry out my lips at all but regardless, I do like to apply a lip balm before I apply my lipstick.

Longevity: It lasts approximately 3-4 hours before you'd need a touch up and it doesn't feather past your lips so don't worry about looking like a three year old trying to put on makeup.
As I  mentioned before, this lipstick took me by surprise. I had no idea how much I was going to love it. It's definitely going to be one of my favorite spring/summer bright lipstick shades and I'm probably going to look into purchasing more Inglot lipsticks.
♥
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NYC IMATS Haul! | China Glaze, Ardell, Inglot, OCC + Julie G

This post is way overdue but I finally have the time to sit down and write it. On Saturday, April 6th, I went with my friend Jessy to New York City IMATS. While I'm pretty sure almost all of you already know what IMATS is, in case you don't it stands for "International Makeup Artist Trade Show." It's a makeup convention where you can attend classes, purchase discounted makeup products and meet fellow makeup enthusiasts. IMATS is also known to be a great place to meet beauty gurus from YouTube and while I didn't get to meet anyone (I had to go home early to study for a midterm *booooo*), I did get to see Tracy & Stefanie of 11th Gorgeous and Julie G.

Being our first IMATS, Jessy and I wandered around completely lost and overwhelmed for a good 20 minutes trying to get our bearings and figure out how everything worked. Both of us were aiming to get a BeautyBlender from Alcone but we couldn't find the stand for the life of us and by the time we did they were all sold out. In order to make up for it we stopped off at Ardell where they were selling 5 for $15 China Glaze nail polishes and 4 for $10 Ardell false eyelashes.

From left to right:
1. China Glaze Nail Polish in Nova ($5.00) - A silver glitter top coat that I thought would look beautiful on top of other polishes or used in one of my nail art designs.
2. China Glaze Holographic Nail Polish in Cosmic Dust ($4.95) - I have no idea what it means to be a holographic nail polish so I had to pick this one up just to see. I haven't used it yet but as soon as I do I'll definitely be instagramming a pic! It's a metallic silver gray that looks very reflective.
3. China Glaze Nail Polish in Wicked Style ($4.37) - The only really colorful polish of the bunch. It's a berry pink that I thought would look great for the summer.
4. China Glaze Nail Polish in Avalanche ($2.51) - It looks a lot like the holographic polish I picked up but since it's not labeled as a holographic polish I guess it's not. It's a much darker silver gray than Cosmic Dust but it has the same metallic sheen.
5. China Glaze Nail Polish in Snow Globe ($4.90) - A white glitter topcoat that literally looks like the snow within a snow globe. It was too beautiful to pass up and I thought it'd be perfect for nail art when Winter comes back around.

From top to bottom, left to right:
1. Ardell Color Impact Lashes in Demi Wispies Blue ($3.97) - This was actually my last pick of the bunch and I only got it since I figured it'd be good to get some falsies for when I go to rages. I was planning on going to Electric Zoo later in August but the tickets are so expensive I can't really afford it.
2. Ardell Runway Lashes in Fancy ($5.73) - I got sucked in by the four rhinestones at the ends of the lashes. I thought they'd be perfect for clubbing.
3. Ardell Natural Lashes in Wispies Black ($3.93) - I wanted a natural pair of lashes for everyday use or if I do decide to start making YouTube videos. I was really looking for Demi Wispies but they didn't seem to have any in stock so I went with the closest I could get.
4. Ardell Double Up in 204 Black ($7.99) - Jessy convinced me to get these because I really couldn't decide on anything. I never tried really full and dramatic falsies before so I figured "4 for $10 how could I go wrong?"

Our next stop was Inglot since Jessy was on the hunt for a dark red lipstick. I had been wanting to try the Inglot Freedom System for a while and I always heard their eyeshadows were amazing so I decided to make my own palette.

1. Inglot Lipstick in 279 ($12) - When Jessy was looking for a red lipstick I got suckered into buying THIS coral orange shade for my own collection even though I really didn't need it but it was only $9 so I guess it's not too bad.
2. Inglot Freedom System (Eyeshadows $6 each + Palette $10) - The individual shadows were $5 each and the palette was $8 so my palette came out to a total of $28. From left to right, top to bottom I got the shades 397, 74, 14 and 40. I promise an in-depth review as soon as I use this palette enough times.

Then we headed over to Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics since both of us wanted to try a lip tar for the first time. After we purchased our lip tars we realized neither of us had a lip brush so we headed over to Royal & Langnickel to get a lip brush. 1. Royal & Langnickel Taklon Pointed Lip Brush ($4) - I don't believe these brushes are sold online unfortunately. I've yet to use it but the bristles feel extremely soft and it's the perfect shape. 2. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Queen ($18) - I really have a thing for pinks and corals so it came to no surprise that I'd fall for a neon red coral lip tar. What sold me even more was the fact that the product's name was Queen. I only paid $12 for the lip tar as opposed to $18 retail so that made me even happier!

Our last stop was at the Jesse's Girl booth, which we didn't even plan to stop at. It was on our way to the exit and we saw that the Julie G polishes were 3 for $10 so being polish addicts we got sidetracked. I only wanted 2 shades and she only wanted 1 so we ended up going 2 and 1 on the 3 for $10. That's quite a lot of numbers! 1. Julie G Nail Color in You-Niverse ($3.99) - I can't seem to find the individual shade online but I know these are typically sold at Rite Aids. I picked this shade up since it looked like a dupe for Deborah Lippmann's Sugar Daddy. I instagrammed a picture of this on my nails recently and I have to admit it looks really nice! It's a gold duo-chrome polish with a metallic finish. 2. Julie G Nail Color in Mermaid's Tale ($3.99) - A green glitter polish suspended in a blue base, this product looks like the darker sister of Deborah Lippmann's Mermaid's Dream. Is it also a coincidence that both these polishes have the word Mermaid in their name? I really had a great time at NYC IMATS and hopefully I'll get to go back next year. I'll definitely be more prepared for all the crowds and craziness. Jessy and I are also planning to attend LA IMATS next year if we can afford it so here's to hoping! I've heard that the IMATS in LA is a lot bigger and a lot more brands and YTers show up, if you've ever been to LA IMATS share your experience in a comment below. ♥
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100+ Followers Giveaway! [CLOSED]

I hit over 100 followers not too long ago and I promised that I'd do a celebratory giveaway so here it is. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to give away but I've finally decided to give away three of my favorite drugstore lippies. I'll be giving away one Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me, one Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait and one Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Sassy Mauve to one lucky winner!
3 Prizes | 1 Winner | International

The products featured in the above pictures are my own lippies and the winner will be getting brand new ones in their original packaging. This is my first ever giveaway and my first time using Rafflecopter so be sure to read their Terms & Conditions before entering to win!

This giveaway will be open for one month (3/30/13-4/30/13) and is open internationally. Feel free to contact me by email if you have any questions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck! ♥
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Review: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Sassy Mauve

If you remember, I purchased this Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Sassy Mauve ($4.99) as part of my Target & Lush haul last month. This has quickly become my favorite lip shade for the Fall and I'm sure it will continue being a favorite into the Winter.

Packaging: The lipstick comes in the classic black Revlon lipstick tube with the gold stripe around the center. It looks very Chanel-esque and luxurious. I also like how the top of the container has a little window so you can see the lip color inside.

Quality: For a drugstore lipstick costing me ~$4.99 the quality is amazing, but I expect no less from Revlon. This specific shade is a pinkish mauve with a satin finish. It looks great when worn alone and would look beautiful with a gloss on top. It also isn't too drying but I still like to apply lip balm before I apply my lipstick.

Application: Since it's a typical stick formula lipstick it's easy to apply like you would any normal lipstick. For this specific shade, I actually prefer to pat it onto my lips instead of swiping it on normally because it can be a bit bold. The color payoff is amazing as you can see from the swatch above.

Longevity: The lipstick isn't particularly long wearing, it lasts for maybe 4-5 hours until you need to reapply but even as it fades it still adds a nice color to your lips. I would definitely repurchase this lipstick and I just love Revlon products in general. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for an easy to wear every day Fall shade. It works with just about any kind of eye makeup and any kind of outfit, and it looks great day or night.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream - Antwerp

I had this NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream ($6) in the shade Antwerp listed on my August Beauty Wish List and shortly after I wrote the post I decided to check Amazon and see if they had it. Sure enough, I found it and placed my order. The shipment arrived rather quickly in four business days and I was super excited to try it out.

This is my first ever NYX product so there was a lot of pressure on this lip cream to be a thumbs up, and it was. The product is like a mix between a lipstick and a lip gloss. It goes on like a creamy lip gloss at first but then dries matte to look and feel like a lipstick. I really like the texture and feel of it on my lips because it isn't sticky but the color stays for quite some time.

The product comes in a typical lip gloss tube and has a doe-foot applicator. I especially like doe-foot applicators for these kinds of products because I feel you get a good amount of product on the applicator and its easy to use and maneuver. The packaging feels pretty sturdy and looks very simple and classic.

The shade I got, Antwerp, swatches as a dark coral pink on the hand but when applied to the lips it dries to a lighter shade of coral. When you first apply it it looks very chalky and uneven but once it settles onto your lips it sort of becomes like a stain. I have noticed that if there is any sort of dry skin on your lips the product will cling to it and accentuate it so be careful!

(Top: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream - Antwerp w/o flash; Bottom: Natural w/o flash)

Overall, I really like the product and if happen to stumble upon some more I may purchase a few, but NYX is very hard to come by in stores in NYC. The product is relatively inexpensive and comes in plain but decent packaging. The product itself is highly pigmented and lasts for a few hours on the lips, if you don't eat or drink. I still don't know exactly how to describe it because it's pretty unique but I'd have to say its a lipstick-lip gloss-lip stain hybrid all in one!