Review: Stila Color Me Pretty Lip and Cheek Palette

It's no secret that my favorite high end highlighter is from Stila cosmetics. It's called "Kitten" and it's a duo shade compact with 2 highlight shades. I love it so much. So, when I spotted this Color Me Pretty Lip and Cheek Palette from Stila, it looked beautiful. But then, I noticed that it had a shade that was also called "Kitten". Just like my HG powder highlighter, only this is a cream formulation. So, basically all I'm saying, is that I had to get it.

 

This palette has a tin housing that holds 5 different cream shades that can be used for blush or lip colors. The instructions say that for blush, tap it onto cheeks, and for lips, press it on. The 5 shades are:

Kitten: A highy pigmented shimmery champagne

Peony: A dusty rose shade

Gerbera: A sweet rosy pink shade

Rose: A deep mauve shade, &

Petunia: A bright, coral pink.

 

 

All 5 shades have a somewhat dewy finish. Some more than others. And all of them are very pigmented. Peony, Gerbera, and Rose all have a staining effect on my skin and stick around a very long time. Overall this palette is a phenomenal value, and can be purchased at Ulta.com or at a discounted rate right now at beauty.com! It retails for $28 but is $12.60 at beauty.com. For $12.60, this really cannot be beat if you are into cream products. This palette is versatile, and can be used for a variety of different looks on your face as well as lips! I love the formulation and the pigmentation as well.  

My only complaint is that the packaging feels pretty cheap. The tin is somewhat flimsy, but the real problem is the part where the pans are housed. The black part inside is super flimsy and whenever you press your finger into a shade it goes down, and I feel like it's going to break. So, for this reason, I'm giving it 4/5 winks!

Now, I'm sure you are all wondering how the "kitten" shade in this palette compares to the All Over Shimmer Duo. I've done a detailed picture graph below, but as you can see the darker shade from the All Over Shimmer Duo in "kitten" is the exact same shade that is in this palette! The only thing that I can tell as far as when it's swatched, is that the cream formulation from this palette is very shiny/dewy as opposed to the pressed powder found in the All Over Shimmer Duo. I love both equally and I'm so happy with this purchase! 

Smackdown: Tarte "Park Avenue Princess" Lipgloss vs. Burt's Bees "Sunny Day" Lipgloss

I'm really excited for this smackdown. As you may have gathered if you are a regular reader of my blog, I like my more natural cosmetic products. I definitely have products that are the opposite of natural, and use them a lot. But for my day to day looks, I try to steer it towards good brands.

Two of my favorite brands for natural products are Tarte and Burt's Bees. And when I noticed that they both have a bronzy, shimmery lipgloss I knew I had to compare them. Tarte's "Park Avenue Princess" Lipgloss is brand new for summer. And Burt's Bees "Sunny Day" Lipgloss has been around for years.

I hauled the Burt's Bees lipgloss last week, so I got it for next to nothing (regular retail $8.99) .Tarte's "Park Avenue Princess" retails for $19. Tarte's "Park Avenue Princess" comes in a 0.27 oz. tube, where Burt's Bees is 0.2 oz. So, you're getting a little more gloss with Tarte.

Both of these glosses have a scent, and they smell very similar. A sort of light vanilla, honey smell.  Tarte's "Park Avenue Princess" has a stronger smell, though. The application is the exact same, with a doe foot applicator wand. The shapes of the wands are a bit different, but they feel the same on the lips.

Both of these glosses have a golden shimmer. Tarte's "Park Avenue Princess" has a bit bigger flakes of gold in it. The hue of these glosses is very similar, however, there is clearly more color payoff with Tarte.

We start to run into major differences when we talk about the formulation of these glosses. Burt's Bees is definitely more of a dry formula than the Tarte. Tarte, although is a bit more moisturizing product, isn't terribly comfortable for me since I can feel the gold flakes on my lips, and it's a little more tacky. For those reasons, I think formula wise, I like Burt's Bees better. I've swatched them below for you to see for yourself what they look like. And, although the Tarte clearly has more color payoff, once sheered out on the lips, they look very alike. I'm going to let the Burt's Bees win this one, for better formula and smaller price tag! 

Eco Emi: March 2014 Box

Have you heard of Eco-Emi? It's a monthly subscription service that's $15/month, and every month they send you a box full of earth-friendly, Eco-friendly goodies! Most of them are sample sized, but some are full sized! This month there were 4 full sized products, that together valued over $25! It comes in a small sized Priority Mail box, and it is always packaged so nicely, and this months theme was "slumber party". I have been subscribed for a year now, and I've never been disappointed. I always get my moneys worth and more as well. Here is a list and short description of the products (from the card you get within the box) that I got in March's box:

1. Shea Butter by Karitex $10.00/200 gram pouch (full size product in Eco Emi box!)
Organic and 100% raw, this Shea Butter is a must! It naturally contains vitamin A, which aids in restoring a number of skin conditions. Perfect for treatment of minor cuts or scrapes. Shea Butter accelerates the healing process.

2. 2N1 Lip Therapy and Cuticle Treatment by The Lano Company $5 (full size product in Eco Emi box!)
Infused with jojoba, coconut, and sweet almond oils, this applicator helps alleviate dry and chapped skin by replenishing moisture. It is in a great travel sized tube making it convienient to use on the go, great for overnight relief as well.

3. Dawn Lip Gloss by Purely You minerals $8 (full size product in Eco Emi box!)
Drench your lips in moisture and kiss them with color! If you want to go for a more natural look, Dawn is the perfect shade for you. This vegan lip gloss contains all natural vitamins, oils, and minerals.

4. Red Popcorn by Kitts Kernel $6.25/1.5 lb bag
This flavorful popcorn is a great choice for movie night! Each kernel is non-GMO and grown naturally, enhancing the corn flavor.

5. Eco-Beauty Waterproof Makeup Remover Wipes by La Fresh $9.99/pouch
Say good-bye to oily makeup removers, and say hello to a clean, fresh face with La Fresh eco-beauty makeup remover. Use this to effortlessly and instantly remove waterproof makeup while soaking your skin with lavender aromatherapy.

Eco-Beauty Nail Polish Remover Pads by La Fresh $5.99/10 count
No need to use harsh, pungent, drying, conventional polish removers; these pads are acetone-free, have an incredibly delicious orange scent and won't dry out the skin. One pad cleans and conditions all 10 nails.

6. Almond Bar by Kuli Kuli $2.89/bar or $32.99/pack of 12
Sourced from West Africa, this sweet and salty snack bar is filled with a nutritious and medicinal plant called Morninga, making it gluten-free and vegan. Made with simple and understandable ingredients, this bar provides the protein, iron, and calcium you need throughout the day.

Tip Tuesday: DIY Lip Balm

Remember when we pressed all those loose eye shadows, and we were left with a bunch of empty jars? Well, this week I'm going to give you a yummy recipe for your lips that you can use those jars for! I call this "White chocolate gloss". Today, I'll be making this with lemon flavoring, however, feel free to use whatever flavor you like. Or omit the flavoring, since the chocolate has great flavor on it's own. I just think that white chocolate, and lemon are a dream together. Here is what you'll need:

Small chunk beeswax (about the size of a small grape)- or other hard wax that is safe for cosmetic use
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon petroleum jelly
1 candy melts (I used yellow, since I'm making it with lemon)
Zip-top plastic baggie
Bowl of HOT water
1-3 drops of an oil-based candy flavoring (depending on how much flavor you want in your gloss - mine is obviously lemon flavored)
2-3 Clean Empty jars

Place the beeswax, coconut oil, petroleum jelly, & candy melt into the baggie and zip it shut. Then place it into your hot water.

Leave it there for 5-10 minutes, or until everything is melted together (the wax will be the last to melt, so make sure there are no small chunks), you may need to replace the hot water if it cools too much. Then massage the ingredients until they are smooth.

Dry off the outside of your baggy very well! You don't want water getting into your gloss. Then open your bag and drop in your flavoring. I used a medicine dropper for this, most pharmacy's will give them to you for free.

Snip the corner off of the baggy.

Start piping your gloss into your cleaned out jars. Tap the jars gently to get the gloss evened out. Then let them cool down. I placed mine in the fridge for a few hours.

This recipe filled 1 of my bigger jars, and 2 smaller jars. You can double or even triple the recipe if you want! These would make a great inexpensive gift, or they would be a great addition to a treat bag or gift bag for a party! Have fun, and make sure you come back for next tip Tuesday!

Friday Haul: Revlon, NYC & Almay!

I am SO excited to share this weeks haul with you guys! I know last week, I mentioned that there were some good deals to be had this week at CVS. However, upon closer look, and the release of next weeks ad, I decided to wait until next week to haul some of the items I've been wanting, so I'll get a better deal on them then. I did end up getting 1 thing at CVS, though and I'll share that with you. So, on to the haul. I got 5 items this week, 4 from Rite Aid, then one at CVS when I went in for something else entirely (dang those beauty deals :).

1. I got 2 NYC liquid lipshine's in "Fashion Ave Fuchsia" & "Prospect Pink". These were from Rite Aid and they were on sale buy one get one free. They retailed at $1.99 each, so I paid $1.99 for both of them making them about $1 each.

 2. Almay Shadow Softies in "Creme Brulee". This also came from Rite Aid this week where all Almay cosmetics were 40% off. This had a retail of $4.99, and I printed a coupon for $2 off from here. So, with combining the sale and the coupon savings, I ended up paying about $1 for this eye shadow.

3. The last item I got from Rite Aid this week is a Revlon blush in "Haute Pink". This was also 40% off this week. Retail for this beauty is $9.99 and, I used a manufacturer coupon from here for $2 off and a Rite Aid coupon from here for $3 off, making this $10 blush only about $1 after sale and coupons. That's a 90% savings!! Not to mention, it's a perfect bright blush for spring.

4. Last but not least, I got another Almay Shadow Softies in "Hot Fudge". This one was from CVS, and was not on sale at all. But I went into CVS to get some chocolate for an afternoon fix, and I scanned my extra-care card at the wonderful magical coupon machine inside most all CVS stores, and it printed a lovely coupon for me to use that was for $4 off any Almay color cosmetic item. So, of course I marched myself over to the Almay display and found that their Shadow Softies were only $4.99 (you can see the price in the background of the above picture). So, I scored this Almay Shadow Softies for only about $1. BUT WAIT!!! I'm a member of the CVS beauty club, which gives me $5 extra-bucks for every $50 I spend in the beauty department. That $50 is BEFORE coupons. So, even though I only paid $1, the full price of $4.99 will go towards the beauty club balance. So, if you take the $5 for every $50, and think of that as 10% off of your beauty purchase, 10% off of $4.99 is about 50 cents. So, my grand total after all is said and done, was about 50 cents for this Almay Shadow Softies.

There you have it! I got $24 worth of makeup this week for only $4.50!!! That's a huge savings. Make sure you visit next weeks Friday haul where I show you how you can make money on your beauty purchases from the drug store.

Friday Haul: NYX, tarte, Benefit and more!

As a makeup hoarder, I tend to buy makeup or some sort of beauty item every single week. Sometimes lots, sometimes just 1 thing. But, just about every week, I get myself a little something to add to my collection. I'm a true hoarder. And, what's crazy, is that I normally use everything I buy. And, whats great, is that if you absolutely hate something, most places will take things back!  So, if you've been dying to try something, but aren't quite sure if you'll like it, save your receipt. You normally have nothing to lose :)


So, here is my haul for this week. I'll do a breakdown of what I got, and even how much I paid for it, so you can try to get the same deals before the week is over!

1. Essence Sun Club Matt Bronzing Powder for blondes. They also have this for brunettes/darker skin. This is a nice light bronzer that looks very natural on my skin, and I'm liking it so far. I got it at Ulta, and it was $4.99, so very bargain priced for such a large compact. 

2. Benefit They're real! mascara. I have the full size of this, and it's pretty good. Not worth the hype in my opinion, but it's good. I got an email from Ulta so I could get this mini size for free if I showed them the email. So, I paid nothing for this travel friendly sized mascara. Although, it did get me into their store so I had to look around, and ended up getting a few things while I was there.

3. Tarte Be MATTEnificent pallet. This sucker is limited edition, and like all things in the makeup world that are limited edition, if you see it, you need to get it or it will be gone the next time you go to the store. Mark my words, I cannot tell you how many times I've seen something at the store that is limited edition, and thought in my head "I like it, but I'll sleep on it and come back in a few days and get it then if I still want it" - only to find that a few days later it's gone. Then, in your desperation you ask the nice sales person when they'll get more in and they precede to tell you that what they had is all that they will get since it's limited edition. People, like I said above, if you hate it you can take it back. This pallet was a bit of splurge for me at $37. But I love, love, love it! I am so in love with tarte cosmetics, and this pallet is just awesome. The shadows are so silky, and the blush as I said in my tarte review on Monday, is my favorite, and this shade is so subtle and pretty. 

4. NYX nude on nude pallet. This was a TOTAL score for me! I love neutral shadows. They are just funner for me to work with, and I don't feel like I'm trying to hone in on my 80's past. Don't get me wrong, I'll still rock the blue eyeshadow here and there. But, normally it's the neutrals that get me excited. Plus, the lipgloss pans are pretty, too. I got this at Ulta this week. I read through the fabulous inter-web that Ulta was having a NYX overhaul and they were clearancing a bunch of their stuff, so of course I had to check it out. I found this baby amongst a bunch of things that were marked down (they had single eyeshadows, and smaller eyeshadow pallets as well as a few lip products at my store, too). I spotted this pallet with a sticker that said it was normally $25 and was now $12.50. Score! I was super excited about my find, and when I went to check out, it rang up at $4.99!!!! Holy crap! And, to make things even better, I have the Ulta app on my phone, that had a weekly offer for 20% off one single item. So, I scored a $25 pallet for $4. Even if I don't like this baby (which I know I will), at $4 I'll let my 6 year old daughter have it for playing with before I'll return it.

That's it! I normally don't spend over $50 in one week on cosmetics at all! But, tarte always gets me with their pretty packaging and great quality. Other than the tarte pallet, this was a very budget-friendly week, being that I got a free mascara, and a $25 pallet for only $4. Next week there will be a haul from CVS for sure. They have some great deals going on for the week that are sure to make for some cheap makeup! So I'll see you back here next Friday to share my findings!

Review: QVC excusive Tarte Colored Clay 7-Pc Collection with Bag

 Image taken from QVC's website

First, let me just start by saying, that my FAVORITE brand of makeup is tarte. I love that they promote a more natural line of makeup and skincare. Their ingredients are usually safe, and they are effective! I honestly have not bought something from the line that I haven't loved. So, when I saw this set as the 'todays special value' on QVC, I grabbed it.

This 7 piece set includes the following:

• clay eyeliner in Black
• LipSurgence Lip Gloss in True Love, a sheer raspberry shade
• clay blush bronzer in Pink Bronze
• colored clay SPF 15 liquid foundation
• colored clay CC primer
• lights, camera, LASHES mascara in Black
• Bamboo foundation brush
• and Bonus makeup bag

All items in this set are full size, and if you were to buy them separately, it would cost you well over $200. Currently, as I'm typing this blog post, it is for sale here for $65.96 with $7.22 S&H. You're saving well over 60% on this people!

On to my review. Lets start with the foundation. The colored clay SPF 15 liquid foundation as of right now is a QVC exclusive, and it is what makes this set stand out in my opinion. The set comes with a brush to apply it with, and the 2 products work together wonderfully! The foundation comes in the same jar as the Amazonian clay airbrush foundation. It has a net-like sifter that you touch your brush with to get a small amount of product, then you buff it onto your face. The lid of the jar has a stopper on the inside to prevent the foundation from spilling all over the place, and you are supposed to shake the jar before each use. This foundation is very build-able, and lasts all day with a satin matte finish. It is quickly replacing my go-to foundation (tarte's Amazonian clay 12-hour full coverage SPF 15). I have very oily patches, and also have some dry patches as well, and it wears very well on me throughout the day. It doesn't cling to my dry areas, and there is very little to no breakdown where I'm more oily.

Moving on to the colored clay CC primer. This product I'm a bit on the fence about. I like it enough that I will probably repurchase it, but it's definitely not my favorite primer of all time. Mainly because of the color it leaves on my skin. it has 4 chambers of color on a very chubby stick, that you drag across your face and then buff out with your fingers. 2 chambers are skin colored, 1 is a very light green that is supposed to counteract any redness on your face and then the last chamber is purple, which is supposed to even out and brighten your skin. I'm very pale, and I got the shade 'fair' in this stick, and it goes on a bit dark for me. Once I sheer it our with my fingers, and then apply foundation over it, it looks just fine. But, this isn't a product that I can use alone by any means like the description says.

The clay blush bronzer in Pink Bronze is one of the more disappointing products in this kit. Everyone who loves makeup knows that tarte's Amazonian clay 12-Hour blush is a cult favorite. And, this blush in comparison to those is just okay. The bronzer portion is very peachy and the blush portion is very pale and not very highly pigmented. when you swirl around the whole pan, you get a very brownish peachy pink color that has a slight shimmer to it. The staying power of this blush bronzer is decent, however not as good as the Amazonian clay blush that is a tarte favorite. Overall, I'm not sure tarte could have really gotten it any better after the Amazonian clay blush, to be honest. So if I weren't comparing this blush to that, then it would be okay.

 The clay eyeliner in Black is a nice addition to this kit as well. It is a waterproof twist up eyeliner, and the pigmentation is good, the staying power is great, and it is very smooth to apply. I used it in my waterline when I first got this, and it lasted about 6 hours, which is a decent amount of time for me. And, when worn as a normal eyeliner next to my lash line, it stays all day with no visible signs of wear. 

Next, the LipSurgence Lip Gloss in True Love is yet another QVC exclusive product as of right now. When I got this kit, I wasn't expecting to like this gloss very much. Being on the more pale side I try to steer clear of bold lip colors in general, but this one was surprisingly great. You can sheer it out for a more natural pinkish red look, or build it up to be a more intense berry red. The doe foot applicator has a divot at the top that holds a lot of product which has been something that most people haven't liked about this product. I'm okay with it, and I think it makes this lip gloss different. The divot forms to your lips better than a normal doe foot applicator, and it holds more product on it, too. It has a very pleasant and light scent, and a touch of sparkle.  It's not very sticky when you sheer it out like I like to do, and it would go on top of a berry or red toned lipstick awesomely! Another new hit from tarte! I can't wait to try new shades of these when they come out.

 
Lastly, the lights, camera, LASHES mascara is something that wasn't new to me at all. I've been using this mascara for a long time, and it is a go-to for me. It doesn't flake, it doesn't smudge and it separates your lashes very wonderfully. The snake skin purple packaging is adorable, and it lasts all day with out making you look like a raccoon by the end of it. Love!

The bag that comes with these products is rather large. it is a bright pink zip top bag, and it holds everything you get with this kit, plus LOTS more. It has a cute little golden tarte embellishment on one side and the material is a smooth polyester that feels pretty sturdy.

Overall, this set was a big hit for me. With the exception of the blush everything in this kit was stellar. QVC also has everything on auto-ship as well, and the auto-ship has a few changes every time. You can go here to see what you'll get next if you choose to do the auto-ship.

So, what do you think of this kit? A must have? Not a tarte fan? Don't think it's a great value? Let me know in the comments!