Haul - Sephora VIB Sale & Revlon Ultra HD lipstick and Lip Lacquer

Hello everyone,

I hope your weekend is off to a good start. I'm happy just having a weekend off to myself even if I'm not doing anything.

Sephora VIB sale started couple days ago. There was some trouble with their website but eventually I managed to order some more stuff but for now, these are a few products I picked up in store.

Here's the new VIB bag...yeah another bag but I like the design though. I wished they would switch things up a bit and give us something different for a change.

Anastasia Brow Powder Duo ($23) - I chose the color Ebony, a deep neutral dark brown.

Anastasia Brush #12 ($18) - I've been wanting a good brown brush. This one has a spoolie attached which is quite convenient. The bristles aren't scratchy but firm. I tried it the other day and I'm not sure if I like it yet. I find it a bit too thin for my liking. I'm gonna keep trying it out for the next few days and see if I can get use to it.

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser ($15) - this cleanser had a pretty high rating so I hope it doesn't disappoint. I picked the 1.7 oz to try out.

Jack Black Lip Balm ($7.50) - My favorite lip balm because it has the perfect texture. Not too thick or thin and non-sticky. Keeps my lips moisturized and comfortable for hours. I was gonna get the holiday trio pack but I didn't care for the mint flavor so I decided to just get these individually. I got Lemon & Chamomile and Black Tea & Blackberry.

L'Occitane Shea Butter Delights ($16) - I like their hand creams but I was particularly interested in the 100% shea butter cream in this set. It's been getting cold and my skin is feeling dryer. I wanted to try out the 100% shea butter for my cuticles and dry hands. I'm still debating if I should get the 5 oz tin but dang it's so expensive.

Sephora Perfection Mist Airbrush Foundation Light ($28) - I was in the market for a new high-end foundation. After doing some research, this Sephora foundation had pretty good reviews and the price won't break the bank so I just had to give it a try.

I redeemed 100 points for this Origins Ginzin eye cream.

Oh and the other day, my friends got me this L'Occitane hand cream and lip balm set. I was thrilled. It has a nice vanilla scent but the lip balm kinda taste like soap, haha.

I stopped by Walgreens yesterday to stock up on cough drops...Ughh...I'm sick and tired of this cough that just won't go away.
While I was there I spotted these new Revlon Ultra HD lipstick and lip lacquers. They were on BOGO 50% off sale. I was intrigued and the fancy name made me more curious to try. The packaging for the lipstick is meh a little disappointing, but the lipgloss looked nice!

Revlon Ultra HD Lip Lacquer Citrine

Revlon Ultra HD Lipstick Snapdragon

What did you get from the VIB sale?

Sephora VIB Haul Online Purchase (Part Two)

This day didn't start very well for me. First, my daughter misses the bus and I had to drop her off at school and then as I was driving to work, she calls me and tells me that she is feeling sick and wants me to pick her up so I ended up being late for work. I was like, why did I even bother sending you to school? I really don't feel like working today but we have a mandatory all staff meeting this afternoon...I hope things get better this weekend.

I finally received my VIB order. The moment of truth and all I gotta say is DAMNNN I better not do anymore damage after this.

Jack Black It's The Balm Lip Quad ($25), one of the best lip balms out there and what's even better is getting a set of 4: natural mint, mango & mandarin, shea butter, and black cherry & pomegranate. The set is exclusive to Sephora and I think it's now sold out online. Some stores don't carry the Jack Black products. I just found out that my local Sephora doesn't. Anyways, even if you can't find this set, if you need a good lip balm, you can still purchase them individually.

So I was torn between the Urban Decay Ocho Loco 2 set and the Black Market set but with all the recent damages, I decided to go with the Black Market ($36) which is a little cheaper. It's got a nice range of shade that I find easy to wear. Plus, I never finish an eyeliner before it dries out so I'm content with the size of these. The good news is both of the eyeliner sets are still available.

West, Desperation, Black Market, Riot, Apathy, Ink

Origins A Perfect World ($52) anti-aging serum. I tried a little sample of it and liked it so I decided to take advantage of the sale to get it. You gotta test this in store next time you go to Sephora. The texture is so silky and buttery and has a fresh gentle scent. 

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE COSMETICS Lip Tar All-Star Mini Set ($20). I've always wanted to try them. People rave about how pigmented they are and there's no doubt about it. They are extremely saturated. However, I can't really justify purchasing the regular tube (at $18 a pot) considering I have tons of lip products already so I was pleased to see this mini set for just $20. They do look small but because they are very pigmented you really do not need a whole lot per application so these will still last you a while and the full size is probably going to last you forever unless you use it every day.

Memento, NSFW, Anime, Black Dahlia

Yes, I indulged on some more L'Occitane. I have been eyeing this Almond Oil ($40). I think I especially need it for the cold months for my dry skin. It looks a lot smaller than I thought. 

Ok so I guess I have a thing for Almond. I purchased the L'Occitane Delicious Almond Set ($60). I'm going to be seriously pampering my skin this winter :). 

This set includes:

• 8.4 oz Almond Cleansing and Softening Shower Oil 
• 3.5 oz Almond Firming and Smoothing Milk Concentrate 
• 1.7 oz Almond Cleansing and Exfoliating Delicious Soap 
• 0.5 oz Almond Firming and Soothing Supple Skin Oil 
• 1 oz Almond Delicous Hand Cream

I redeemed a 100 points for the First Aid Beauty 1oz Ultra Repair Cream. Can't wait to find out how this cream works. It's supposed to be good for very dry skin.

Because I did 2 separate order, I received more samples. I got some manly sample for my son and some for myself. I gotta say that the Dolce & Gabbana The One perfume smells REALLY nice. I'm thinking about getting it already....my conscience is slapping me in the back of my head and saying "oh just stop it right now!" lol...
I'm glad I didn't buy too much makeup and invested more on skincare. If you missed my first haul, you can see it HERE.

Okie dokie...Gotta go to...Hope you had fun looking at my haul. What did you purchase from the VIB sale?

Revlon Matte Balm - Swatch and Review

What a day! Sometimes, it feels like being in a circus full of clowns that aren't funny. I hope tomorrow is a better day.

As far as drugstore lip product goes, Revlon has always been my favorite and I probably own more Revlon lip products than any other brands. When I heard that they came out with these new matte balm and some people said good things about them, I knew I had to check them out. They've recently popped at my local CVS and I was stoked when I stumbled upon them and was able to get them on BOGO along with using some of my Extra Care bucks.


Packaging

• Retractable jumbo lip pencil with a matte finish on the packaging as well
• .095 oz or 2.7 g

• Audacious, I'd have to agree that you need to be audacious to wear this color. It is a very bright coral matte. I find the formula and coverage for this color a bit problematic. It settles into lip line and has an odd texture to it. 

• Standout - OMG totally in love with this color. If you are looking for the perfect matte neutral red, this is the one you need to pick up.

• Shameless is probably one of boldest purple shade I've seen in a drugstore product. This shade applied a bit blotchy but you can't really tell from afar. I really had to tweak the editing on this one in order for the color to look as accurate in real life as possible. I couldn't get the color to look accurate on the facial picture so decided not to post it. Well basically, it turns out just like the color of the packaging, if that can be of any help. I've googled swatches from other people and well I guess I don't feel too bad because none of them look accurate either, lol. It's just one of those colors that looks wack on the camera. 

Striking is a warm matte red leaning coral in a way. The pigmentation is nice but it seems to lack a bit compared to the other shades.

• Sultry is a medium mauve rose.

• The lip color feels lightweight, applied creamy, and has a velvety feel to them. They don't look quite matte when you first apply. It has just a little bit of shine, kinda like a satin finish. 
• Overall, the pigmentation is good but probably due to the formula, you may have to do a couple swipe in order to get a full and even coverage. 
• There is a slight variation in texture and pigmentation between the shades. I found that Standout, Striking, and Sultry, have a smoother finish, though Striking seem to give less opaque coverage. Shameless is a little blotchy when you look up close but not so obvious from afar. Audacious, I don't know what when wrong with this one and how I managed to make it look smooth on the swatch but it doesn't look that smooth and even when applied. 
• They feel quite moisturizing I must say and are very comfortable for up to 6 hours. At least for me. 
• I am able to get up to 5 hours of wear with very minimal fading when having a few drinks. It does fade quite significantly when you're going through a meal but most lipsticks will do that anyways. However, even so, the color stains a bit which prolongs the wear belong the 5 hours even if it is a little faded. 
• Yes, they have the same minty scent as the balm stains. 

Final Thought

They're semi-matte with a light weight, moisturizing, and comfortable wear that is long-wearing. There is a slight variation with the formula and opacity between shades. They will highlight any imperfection and dryness on your lips so exfoliating and prepping your lips is a must before use. They're not quite perfect and I was expecting a little more based on what I heard but in the end I think they are still fairly good overall. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Pricing: $7-$8

Availability: CVS

Have you tried? If yes, tell me what you think. 

Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stains - Swatch and Review (very pic heavy)

I was supposed to review these a long time ago but this post have been delayed so with no further ado, here it is! All the pictures took me a long time to finish but it was definitely worthwhile.

Packaging

• Jumbo twist up pencil. The shape and size of it is exactly like the Revlon Balm Stains. The only difference is that the Revlon Balm Stains have a silver cover at the end. 
• .095 oz or 2.7 g, also the same amount of product as the Revlon Balm Stains. 

Product

• I find that they glide nicely and easily on the lips without having too much slip. The glossiness last about 3 hours but the stain can last up to 12 hours or more depending on the shade. Well actually, I find them all giving a fair amount of staining power, particularly the darker shades. The only one that didn't really stain much at all was Nude Chic. They do fade a bit unevenly.
• In terms of pigmentation, I think they do offer a fairly good pigmentation in spite of having a bit of translucency in them. 
• They are very comfortable and feel hydrating up until the glossiness fades. You will likely need a lip balm or reapply if your lips are starting to feel dry. 
• They have a sweet fruity scent, which I don't mind. 

Final Thought

These Jordana Balm Stains are definitely comparable to the Revlon Balm Stains and I think they are actually slightly more moisturizing. In spite of the uneven fading, overall, I think these are a hit with a very nice price tag attached to it.

Rating: 9/10

Price: $2.99
Availability: Walgreens


Did you already snag some for yourself? If not, which one will you get?

Rock n Rouge is a cool toned bright red cherry color. 

Tropical Frenzy is a blue base bright pink, almost neon. 

Sweet Pink is also a blue base pink, similar to Tropical Frenzy but less bright. When I swatched them on my arm, I thought they looked almost identical but on the lips, you can definitely tell the difference. 

Nude Chic, this one was interesting because it had light reflecting silver shimmers in it giving your lips a slight frosty shine and finish. I've been reaching for this one a lot! It's like my lip but better.

Terra Crave is a lovely light brown with a bit of red undertone to it. It's gorgeous and so easy to wear. Perfect for daytime looks or the office.

Honey Love is a pinkish nude brown. It's demure and very flattering. 

Cranberry Crush is a medium raspberry color. A bit brighter than I anticipated so the name is a bit misleading but I love the color nonetheless.