colourpop haul + review.

i've loved colourpop since their humble beginnings two years ago. i started my "collection" with 3-4 lippies and their matching lippie stix. when i placed my order this time, i was running low on a few other items, so i decided to try some of their other products. here's what i received:

- echo park ultra satin lip

- aquarius lippie

- ellarie lippie

- banging brunette brow pencil

- get leid blush

- between the sheets blush

- no shame creme gel colour

- shadow to-a-t

- weho mini gloss (promo)

-piranha mini gloss (promo)

- finders keepers mini gloss (promo)

wearing echo park ultra satin lip +

creme gel color (eggplant-color eyeliner)

my thoughts:

the retractable brow pencil was soft and applied smooth, but the color was too dark for my preference. i do still use on occasion, but a bit too severe for everyday. i definitely recommend, but i just happen to fall in between the blonde and brunette shades.

i had high hopes for the creme gel colour, but the formula is very dry/drying. it's not very forgiving if you are messy or make mistakes during application. it became so dry and hard on my lids that it changed my eye shape! it was like i was wearing tape on my lids which gave me a double eyelid. will not repurchase.

the ultra satin lip was definitely my favorite. the formula is very liquidy and the applicator picks up a lot of product...i have to wipe off excess product several times before applying, but it feels nice on the lips and is not drying. it's long wearing; i usually don't have to reapply throughout most of the day.

the classic lippies are always great. they apply well, smell good, and look nice. i did begin to notice that they are a little drying, so i usually don't reapply since they may make my lips peel.

the shadows and blushes look amazing in their pots but don't have much pigmentation. you really have to use a lot of product or apply heavily with your fingers as they sometimes recommend. i still like them, though, as i don't wear heavy makeup. i can layer up for more color if need. i thought get leid was going to be way too bright, but i actually like it better than the mauve. 

have you tried colourpop?

what's your favorite colourpop product?

ricky's nyc valentine's haul.

warning: cuteness overload.

seriously...how cute are these?

well...what are they, you ask?

who cares, lol! the moment i saw these, i knew they would make great valentine's gifts, regardless of what they were. they were just too cute.

after i got past the cuteness, i clicked thru to Ricky's NYC to find that these were actually facial sprays and lip glosses. i've been looking for a hydrating spray to use throughout the day, so i was excited to try the tony moly pocket bunny moist mist. the lip glosses come in nine flavors, each with a different bunny face. 

(straight out of the package)

first off, i was sent the wrong mist AND the sticker seals on two of the lip glosses were broken. not only broken, but misaligned...meaning the caps were twisted. they were on pretty tight, so i don't think it shifted during shipping. i randomly opened #5 which looked new and untouched, so i figured i'd let it go. i emailed them about the wrong product and within a few days, the correct product showed up in the mail. great quick response.

(does it look used?)

then, about a week later, i was getting ready to wrap up these cuties and my gut told me to check the gloss, and sure enough i wasn't so lucky with #4. i don't know if it was used or tested, but it definitely looked tampered with. how embarrassing would that have been if i gave that to someone?!

if you are physically packing orders, wouldn't you want to give your customers the best? if the seal was broken, give them one that wasn't? at minimum check the product?

but...by the way they responded to my wrong order, i have no doubt that they would have remedied the situation. it's just a hassle, and i wouldn't have received another one in time for valentine's day.

(received: #2, #4, #5)

i did not try these since they were gifts, but reviews were pretty consistent in that they aren't very pigmented and there isn't much of a color difference between the different flavors. as i was typing this, i realized that i had again received the wrong product. you order these by flavors on the website, but the actual product is labelled with numbers. i ordered peach (#5), orange (#6), and grape (#2), but received cherry (#4) instead.

aside from that, the cute packaging is still worth its affordable price and if not for a colored gloss, something that you could use on top of another lipstick for a little shine.

(nude: mid-toned peach; forbidden: peach toned nude)

nudes are just like reds...you keep buying until you have the right shade. i had a bunch of nude shades in my cart, and when it was time to whittle down the choices, i unknowingly (based on the names, not descriptions) ended up with these two very similar shades. hate when that happens, haha!

tony moly moist mist description from website: Formulated with peach, raspberry and apple! Promotes skin elasticity with a sweet and lovely scent! Great for summer! Keep it in your purse to cool off on hot days!

tony moly has a moist mist and a sleek mist. the descriptions on the website are pretty vague, but i gathered [from other reviews] that the moist mist was for dry skin, while the sleek mist was for oily skin. the scent was sweet, not overwhelming. it's not a fine mist, so hold it away from your face to avoid getting too wet. my skin actually felt tight. this might work better on oily/combination skin.

again...i did initially get this for the cuteness factor, and these bottles are refillable. so you can refill them with some of your other favorite products or a DIY face mist.

overall, the products i ordered didn't have any wow factor, but the packaging is cute and still makes for cute gifts. you can find tony moly products at Ricky's NYC and Urban Outfitters.

*     *     *

still need a valentine's gift? here's a quick and affordable gift for your loved ones: valentine's candy-gram

a week of beauty. sephora haul + review.

sephora recently had their beauty insiders 15% off ticket,

so i picked up a few products i've been wanting to try.

here's what i got:

- beautyblender [pure for my sensitive skin]

- bite beauty agave lip mask

- obsessive compulsive cosmetics lip tar / matte in black dahlia

beautyblender pure, $20

i recently switched back to liquid foundation, so i decided to invest in a beautyblender. it does a nice job of applying the foundation evenly, and the end result feels lightweight. i used to use flat sponges (typically the ones that come with your makeup) to press and drag the makeup into my skin. after using the beautyblender to "bounce" the product into my skin, i can comparatively say that the beautyblender is much easier on the skin. is it worth it? yes. life changing? no. similar sponges would give you the same result for less money like this one by sephora ($13) and this one by real techniques ($6).

tips for using:

some people say that they end up using more product with the beautyblender. the type of foundation you use makes a difference. the sponge will naturally soak up liquid, so choose a foundation with a thicker consistency. if you pour a dab of liquid foundation on your hand and it immediately drips or runs, the beautyblender will soak it up and less product will make it to your face. 

tips for cleaning:

two words....ivory soap. don't wash your expensive products down the drain...literally! beautyblender has its own liquid ($18) and solid ($16) cleansers, and i've heard some people use their pricey face washes, like philosophy's purity ($23). if you want a cheaper alternative, ivory soap is pure (no synthetics) and simple and washes out easily. i used to bathe my kids with ivory, and if it's good enough for my kids, it's good enough for my brushes and sponges! baby shampoo works, too, if you have kids (and shampoo on hand). otherwise, you can get 10 bars of ivory for under $4 and use it for bathing, dish washing, and laundry!

bite beauty agave lip mask, $26

i've been desperate to find a product that works for my extremely dry and chapped lips. after hearing youtubers rave about this lip mask, i had to try it. this stuff works and keeps my lips hydrated all day. no more peeling!

it looks and feels like an ointment, is heavy but not uncomfortable, and has a nice scent. some may prefer to use it overnight, but i use it like a primer in the morning and apply my lipstick over it when i get to the office. it has a nice long-lasting shine if worn alone. although it's pricey, a little goes a long way. this little smudge on my finger is too much product for one application. is it worth it? yes. life changing? yes.

occ lip tar: matte in black dahlia, $18

i've been wanting a dark vampy red lip color, and i heard black dahlia was it. the product in the tube is intimidatingly dark, but one coat produces a beautiful radiant orchid shade (above). these lip tars are buildable and will easily give you that deep red with a couple of coats. the lip tar has great pigmentation, and lives up to the matte name. perfect for an event, particular look, or the runway.

the bad? they are super drying! it's like i took two steps forward with the agave lip mask, and one step back with the lip tar. my lips instantly dried up and peeled after using. (i expected some dryness with a matte product). you definitely need to use a lip primer (occ has their own here), and i had to apply lip balm to keep my lips moisturized throughout the day. the color also needed to be touched up after a few hours. because of the multi-step process (apply lip primer, unscrew cap, apply to brush, etc...) it would not be an everyday lip product for me. is it worth it? no. if you are looking for a deep red, try jordana matte lipstick in merlot. if you have tried regular or metallic occ lip tars, let me know your thoughts on those.

have you tried any of these products?

do you prefer brushes or sponges to apply your makeup?

shop the post:

a video. quick hello + mini haul.

sorry for the abrupt finish, my phone ran out of storage!
watch it on YouTube *     *     * shopping links: l'oreal sublime sun sunscreen enzo angiolini pumps - similar gray shirt - similar
*     *     *
stay tuned for a great giveaway coming up later today!