Collective (Drugstore) Haul & Swatches - Things I've Hauled While I Was Away

So while I was away, I did buy makeup here and there. I was intrigued by the LA Splash liquid lipsticks so I picked up a few shades. There was many other shades that appealed to me but decided to just pick these colors to see how I liked them. I love and hate these, lol. Will tell you more on my review.

Revlon Photoready Eye Art Desert Dazzle and Peach Prism - Swatch and Review

I spotted these new Revlon products a few weeks ago at Walgreens. I had to do a double take at first because I thought they were nail polishes since they had some nail polishes that came in similar packaging. But as I take a closer look, the display mentioned that these are for eyes. They are a pair of cream eyeshadow and glitter eyeliner.

Packaging

• Cream eyeshadow on one side with a doe foot applicator. Glitter liner on the other side with a brush applicator.
• .1 oz or 3 ml

Product

• Desert Dazzle has a shimmery green gold cream shadow, which I thought was really pretty but applied a bit patchy. It gives you a few seconds to blend but sets fairly quick. It can be layered once or twice without looking cakey. The glitter liner is just a gold glitter. I find that the wet base did take at least a minute to set.
•  Peach Prism has a peachy pink metallic sheen. Sets fairly quickly so you want to work with it fast. The glitter liner is a bit holographic with color shifting from gold, green, and purple. 
• I find that the shadow and liner colors are nicely paired. The glitters are not over the top yet noticeable. They just had a little bit of glimmer along the lash line. You can definitely wear these during the day. 
• I usually have better luck with cream shadows in a pot but didn't find these too difficult to work with. They have good pigmentation, can be layered, and set within a few seconds. To my surprise, they lasted 8 hours without creasing and some minor fading at the end of the day. 

Final Thought

These are nice and manageable though I wished the cream shadow didn't set so quick and that the liner would set a little quicker. They last almost all day without a primer and don't crease, which is awesome. I didn't have any issues with the glitters, they pretty much stayed put where I applied them. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Price:  $8-$9

Availability: Walgreens

Revlon Ultra HD Lip Lacquer Citrine - Review and Swatches

Hello all!

I hope you had a happy and delicious Thanksgiving, if you celebrate Thanksgiving that is. I'm thankful to have a long and relaxing weekend. Have you started your Black Friday shopping yet? I got my hands on some Tarte blushes already, he he he.


Packaging

• I like the clear tube since I can see the color of the product. What I found interesting is that on top of the cap, there is a clear rhinestone. I wonder why they didn't had the same touch to the Revlon Ultra HD lipsticks.
• It has a brush applicator with short bristles. I'm usually not a fan of brush applicator, I find the doe foot applicators apply more evenly.
• .20 oz or 5.9 ml

Product

• Citrine is a medium coral with greenish gold shimmers running through it. It's so pretty!
• The pigmentation is medium to almost full coverage. The gloss feels a little thick and tacky. 
• The sad thing is this gloss doesn't last very long either. I'd say 2 hours at the most. As it fades, I also notice that some of it goops at the corner of my lips. Eh weird! 
• It has a sweet, caramel-like scent. 

Final Thought

The color applies evenly and looks beautiful. The formula is a little tacky and uncomfortable for me. In spite of that, I am surprised at how quickly it faded. I don't think I'd be repurchasing these.

Rating: 7.5/10

Price: $8-$9
Availability: Walgreens

Revlon Ultra HD Lipstick Snapdragon - Review and Swatches

Few days ago, I saw a new Revlon lipstick and lip gloss display. Most of the lipstick colors didn't really call out to me but I was intrigued about this new HD formula so I had to pick one of each to satisfy my curiosity. 

Packaging

• I was not thrilled with the packaging from first glance at the product. The silver tube and clear plastic cover looks plain and cheap but the bright side is you get to see the color of the lipstick inside. Also I didn't like the fact that the lipstick doesn't twist all the way down so you'd  have to be very careful when removing and replacing the cap. 
• .1 oz or 3 g

Product

• Snapdragon is a warm medium nude brown with a cream finish. It looks dark in the tube but it's actually a very flattering shade.
• The first thing I noticed when I applied the lipstick is that it is very soft, creamy, and slippery. Even with a gentle pressure, it almost felt like it was gonna melt. I'm guessing that may be due to the wax-free formula. 
• The pigmentation was alright. You can get sheer to medium coverage when layered. It like that it has a smooth coverage.
• It was light-weight, comfortable, and slightly moisturizing.
• It wears about 2 hours and is completely gone in 3 hours.
• It has a very weird scent. Kinda sweet, kinda fruity, but in a very artificial way. The scent fades fairly quickly and it doesn't have a funny taste. Doesn't really bother me but can't say that I like it. 

Final Thought

I'm not a fan of the packaging. The formula has a decent pigmentation and is smooth, creamy, a little slippery, and slightly moisturizing. My main disappointment is how quickly it faded. A few sip of water and 50% of it is gone. 

Rating: 8/10

Price: $8-$9

Availability: Walgreens

What do you think of this shade? Have you tried these yet?

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?

What I'm Currently Wearing...Revlon by Marchesa 3D Jewel Appliques Silk Rosette

Happy 4th of July everyone! I hope you enjoy the day, the fireworks, and stay safe. As for me, I'm not doing anything special. Will be hanging out with my sisters at home, grilling a good meal, gossip, and watch TV...Oh and I am off work for a week and I haven't figured out what to do with myself. Yeah, it was sort of a last minute decision. Fail. I don't mind sitting at home doing nothing but I don't like feeling like I'm wasting it.

I purchased these Revlon nail appliques months ago at CVS because I had some rewards bucks to use and I got them for a pretty sweet deal.
I'm wearing Milani High Speed Fast Dry White On the Spot as my base color and once dried, I applied the stickers. Yes, they are stick on nail designs.
You probably won't be able to find these in store anymore but who knows, you may find them somewhere.
The design is absolutely beautiful. I really love how they look on the nail but I find the application kind of a pain cause you have to be careful when positioning them during application. They are very sticky and if you have to re-position them, it can make them less sticky. I also had to trim them a bit so that they fit the contour of my cuticles and the edge of the nails. It's a meticulous process and takes time.
Another issue I came across is that they don't all stay flat on the rounded edge of my nail bed. So if I wash my hand or use lotion, the sticker gets a bit loose on the edges. It's so annoying cause I am itching to peel it off.

Have you tried nail appliques? What brands? And what do you love or hate about them? I love the beautiful design but hate the application process and the fact that I'm just itching to peel it off soon after I have them on.

I don't know, perhaps I'm not applying them correctly or there is a trick I don't know about. I have a few of these I have yet to use but not so inclined to reach for them. Do you have any tips or tricks?

Revlon Colorstay Skinny Liquid Liner Green Spark - Swatch and Review

Few days ago, I spotted this new Revlon liner at Walgreens and made a spontaneous purchase with it. Other than the fact that I am an eyeliner junkie and collector, I was drawn to the color and the fact that they advertise the applicator to be skinny or thin. That just made me want to try it out. These new liners come in 4 shades: Green Spark, Black Out, Electric Blue, and Mahogany Flame.

Packaging

• I do like that it comes sealed. That way I know that no one tampered with the product. 
• It has a long plastic handle with a color corresponding the shade inside. The handle is long but the wand is short. Nonetheless, I find it easy to handle. 
• It comes with a flexible skinny foam tip applicator. I would have liked it better if the applicator was just a little stiffer but otherwise, I didn't really have too much trouble working with it. The skinny applicator allows you to create really fine lines. It is .1mm if that matters. I don't think I have another liner that can make lines this thin. So if thin lines is what you want, you should check this liner out. 

Product

• Green Spark is a medium dark green with blue undertone and a subtle shimmer. I love the color and the pigmentation is decent. Definitely needs to be shaken before use. I do find myself going over it 2 or 3 times in order to get the result that I want and it could be in part because the line is so skinny, perhaps a little too skinny for my liking. 
• Although this liner doesn't claim to be waterproof or long-wearing. I didn't have any issues with smudging or fading. It stayed put all day long. 

Final Thought

They're not kidding about the skinny line. This liner does make really skinny lines. If you do like them a little thicker or more defined, you'd have to go over it 2 or 3 times. Pigmentation is fairly good. Applicator is flexible. The wear is also good as long as long as you don't rub your eyes, cry, or get the liner wet, it will remain intact through most of the day.

Rating: 9/10

Price: $7.99
Availability: Walgreens, Target

Revlon Gold Goddess

I picked up this polish a few days ago at Walgreens when I purchased the Spider-Man collection.

Gold Goddess is a dense yellow gold flaky. It looks like real gold. The formula is a bit thick yet I didn't have any issues with application. I did just one coat over a dark nail polish and it definitely picked up more flaky than I needed. I love it overall. It looks classy and chic. I believe it's a pretty good dupe for Zoya Maria Luisa so if you've been wanting it, this is a more budget friendly version. I added a clear top coat over the swatches.

What do you think?