CoverGirl Hunger Games Catching Fire Glosstinis Nail Polishes

I spotted these new nail polishes at CVS the other day. They are from the Hunger Game Catching Fire collection and there was several other colors as well. I wasn't interested all of them but I snatched the ones I liked the most and here they are now :)

My nails are still short, especially the index but I must swatch these for you ASAP so please bear with my uneven nails, lol. 

Violet Flicker is medium dark purple with sparkling blue and pink shimmers. 

Scalding Emerald is a medium sage green with sparkling teal and gold shimmers.

Seared Bronzed is a medium warm bronze with sparkling green, gold, and red shimmers.

The formula was pretty consistent between the three shades. It's not too thin or thick but pigmentation is on the sheer. On their own you'd need 3 coats in order to get opaque coverage. The brush is medium size and round. I wished it was a little more flat. I think it would have made application easier. Application is patchy, especially on the first coat but if you pick up enough polish on  your brush, it should be easier to spread it out more evenly. Drying is slow but a fast dry top coat should speed that up. 

Aren't they beautiful? All those pretty mix of shimmers go so perfectly together. Have you spotted this collection? 

Revlon Evening Opulence Colorbust Lipglosses and Lip Butter - First Impression With Swatches

TGIF! I am tired as hell because I didn't get much sleep last night. This week felt really long for me, which is unusual considering I've been twice as busier than I used to. It's perhaps the tiredness that's getting to me.

Guess what! I haven't been checking out the beauty isle at Walgreens in a while so I decided to make a pit stop the other day on my way home from work. I saw the new Evening Opulence collection and thought the lipgloss colors looked interesting so I snatched them both along with a new lip butter. I saw the collection at Target a few weeks ago but the lipglosses were gone so I didn't have an idea of how they looked until now.

Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss Adorned...O-M-G this is one of the most vibrant pink ligloss that I have. It has that pretty berry pink gel-like look to it with lots of pink and purple shimmers in it. I LOVE how it looks and the shimmers are not overkill, just perfect. The pigmentation is incredible I think. Consistency is tad bit on the thick yet still manages to feel comfortable and non-sticky. It has a bit of a synthetic scent to it, not too strong and it fades very quickly. I noticed staining after I removed it so my gut feeling is that it will wear longer than the average lipgloss. Beware though, it does get on your teeth. If you love bright colors, you NEED this shade.

Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss Embellished looks like a deep vampy brownish purple in the tube with some lovely pink and purple sparkles in it. I'm slightly disappointed that it didn't translate the same on my lips. However, I find the color very wearable and. It ends up looking more like a semi sheer reddish/brown plum color. The shimmers are very subtle and hardly noticeable. Formula is neither thick or thin, just a good mix in between. It looks a little uneven on the lip swatch but in person it's not really that noticeable. 

Thoughts? Are you or will you pick anything from this collection? I think it's limited edition. 

Lastly, I love purple lipsticks so I was compelled to grabbed the new lip butter in the shade Provocative. I was actually pretty excited about this one but that excitement quickly went out the door once I swatched it. In the tube, it looked violet with some blue shimmers. Little did I know that, it was going to be sooo sheer! There's practically no color pay off at all. It just ends up looking like a sheer lip balm with tiny specks of shimmers. I guess this one is going back.

Overall, I'm quite happy with the glosses but I think you can just forget about the lip butters in this collection unless you plan on using them as lip balms.

Sonia Kashuk Velvety Matte Lip Crayon Nudey Nude - Swatch and Review

I guess one of the reason why I wanted to try the Sonia Kashuk lip crayon is because the packaging reminds me of NARS lip pencils...Ain't that funny eh? Ever bought something because it reminded you of something else? I do that quite often, especially if it reminded me of something I like.

Packaging

• Jumbo lip pencil. I like the fact that it has the plastic seal when you purchase it so you know that no one has tempered with the product.
• .08 oz or 2.3 g

Product

• The first time I opened the cap, I was overcome by this strong waxy plastic smell. Whew, it almost knocked me out but with use, I find that the smell isn't as potent as when I first cracked it open. It's still there though and wears off a few minutes after you've applied it.
• Nudey Nude is what I consider one of those nudes that are more flattering because it's not so light that it can make you look pale as a corpse. It's a nice medium brownish nude with just a bit of pink in it. 
• I find it to be decently pigmented and it applies smooth and creamy on the lips. If you look up close you can see a very faint shimmer in it; however, it still manages to look matte. 
• I didn't think it was moisturizing and neither drying
• I got about 2 1/2 or 3 hours of wear before it starts to fade. It really doesn't last very long. Most matte lipsticks I've tried usually last about 4 hours. 

Final Thought

The synthetic smell is a bit of a bother but not so much that I can't tolerate. Other than that my other complaint would be that it doesn't last long enough. The pigmentation and color is nice and the texture is smooth. Overall, I like but I don't love it. 

Rating: 7/10

Price: $7.59

Availability: Target

Smash Cosmetics Eyeshadows and Primer - Review and Swatches

Hello,

I hauled these eyeshadows a little while back and since I didn't use them much when I first got them my review had been slightly delayed. I purchased them from an Etsy seller. You can view her store by clicking this link http://www.etsy.com/shop/SMASHCOSMETICS

These are the eyeshadows that I got from the Blogger Review Pack, which is a pretty awesome deal, if you ask me. $4.50 for 5 eyeshadow samples, 5 lipstick samples, 2 lipgloss samples, and 1 eyeshadow primer sample. I haven't review the rest yet.

Like most eyeshadow pigments, these can be messy. Ingredients consist of titanium dioxide, mica, magnesium stearate, jojoba oil and may contain chromium oxide green, iron oxide, and tin oxide.

I'm not one of those people who always lurk my attention to the ingredient label...Shame on me I know but that is because I have no freaking clue of what some of it means. Anyways, to spare you from my lack of emaducation, I did google up what those are used for. If you already know, feel free to skip or correct me if I'm wrong.

Titanium dioxide - a mineral used in cosmetics as an opacifier and sunscreen.
Mica - a mineral used as colorant and opacifier.
Magnesium Stearate - lightweight filler to help improve adhesion and work as a thickening and binding agent.
Chromium Oxide Green - mineral pigment used as colorant, green of course.
Iron Oxide - a binary compound consisting of iron and oxygen, mostly used for base colors reds and browns.
Tin Oxide - used to coat mica and to create more vibrant color

XXX is a dark matte grey with a subtle pink shimmer. When swatched dry, it looked muddy and flat but when I used it over a primer it looks so much better. The picture on the seller's site is way different. I think mine is more accurate.

Pulchritudinous is my favorite out of the bunch and I've used this one the most since it's easier to wear to work. I find this color hard to describe. Shimmery bronze with a mauvy color shift? Has a bit of a red undertone and some specks of blue. I find that this color was easier to apply and blend.

Hurricane is a shimmery medium blue with a subtle teal sheen to it. I don't think this color is available anymore.

Majestic is a medium reddish purple with a very subtle blue, pink, and silver shimmer.

Blue Steel is a dark dusty blue with subtle light blue, pink, and silver shimmers. Looks more vibrant on the seller's site but it's really much darker in real life.

I love the colors of the eyeshadow. They require a little bit more patience and the best way to make them look nice is to pat them on and layer them to build up the color intensity. Also it's important to use a good eyeshadow base or primer to help prolong the wear and minimize fading.

The cream eyeshadow primer is very thick but I didn't have any issue applying and blending it over the skin. I really like how the eyeshadows look when I use this primer. It really makes them pop and look more vibrant. It binds to the pigment like glue, yet allows them to flow and blend effortlessly. The only problem I had with it is that I notice some creasing and fading after 5 hours of wear.

Ingredients: Shea Butter, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Emulsifying Wax, Mica, Magnesium Stearate, Titanium Dioxide, B5, Acrylate Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol

The seller has a very large selection of eyeshadow colors and they are reasonably priced. I did experience some delays in processing and shipping at the time I ordered so I hope that it is no longer an issue if these become of interest to you. 

Sally Hansen Extreme Wear Frazzle Dazzle and Insta-Dri Chop Chop Copper

Ehhhh it's only Wednesday! I am mad busy at work yet I get none of my crap done. The typical day has been getting through the constant interruptions for questions and issues others are having. Oh and before I forget, Urban Decay is having their friends and family sale going on right now. 20% off everything! Whoohoo!

Anyways, here are two fairly recently new polishes I picked up a few days ago from Walgreens.

Frazzle Dazzle is a copper glitter with large and small hex glitters and to my surprise it also has some sparse black bar glitters. I feel better off without it but I don't know why they decided it needed to be thrown in there. The clear base isn't too thick or too thin and the brush grabs enough glitters within the first pass. Easy peasy application. This glitter sets the mood for fall, don't you think? They had several other glitter colors but nothing that impressed me.

I probably have a handful, if not more, nail polishes that falls within this color family. Chop Chop Copper is a sparkling metallic bronze with some greenish gold shimmers running through it and some subtle pink shimmers. It's pretty sheer and thin so you'd need 3 coats in order to get a decent coverage. Otherwise, you can always use it as a layering polish over other colors. The wand is a bit wide and flat and acts like a slide for the nail polish and if I don't wipe off the excess the polish just come comes sliding down. 

I just had to swatch it next to Butter London Scuppered. Even though they don't look like twin, they sure look like sisters. Scruppered is a little darker and slightly more pigmented. It also has more prominent pink shimmers and more noticeable green. I tell ya, just top some green glitters over Chop Chop Copper and you'll be a happy camper. It will save you a few bucks too.

Lucky for me I swatched these when my nails were still in good shape but the slow growing process is making me antsy for the newbies I want to swatch.

What are your favorite fall colors?

Freeman Facial Brightening Paper Mask Rose - Review

I love the Asian facial sheet masks so when I spotted this paper mask at Wal-Mart, I wanted to give it a whirl and see how it compares especially since these Freeman products are more easily accessible.


Packaging

• The packaging is lovely and the roses and color are aesthetically pleasing for the eyes. 
• One packet holds a single, one time use, face mask. This mask has two layers, one layer almost feel like thin plastic and the other layer definitely feels like a thin piece of paper. Too thin and a bit too fragile I think. I had to be extra careful when I was peeling it off so that it doesn't rip apart. And trying to place that on my face was another challenge.
• When you pull it out of the packet, the mask is dripping wet. What's annoying is that the serum is also pinkish and can stain your clothes so watch out for that.
• The mask is pre-cut and of course isn't going to fit everyone's face perfectly. On myself, I find the eyes cut out are rather small and I already have small eyes to begin with. The mouth cut out is also small. 

Product

• This facial mask promises to brighten and tone. Supposedly contains Rose Extract to illuminates dull skin and White Tea and Licorice to help reduce age spots and even out skin tone. It also contains Lactic and Glycolic fruit acids, and Vitamin C.
• I didn't feel any tingly or cooling sensation while I was wearing the mask. I kept it on my face for 15 minutes, and then peeled it off. 
• The direction says not to rinse the face but I did not like the slightly sticky feel on my skin afterward and call me crazy but even with the Asian mask, I cannot wait to rinse my face with water. I just can't help myself. 
• After I rinsed, I noticed some blotchy light pink color on my skin, likely due to the tinted pink serum of the mask. Didn't like it but I used it at night and it was gone by morning. 
• Honestly, I didn't feel like this mask did anything for me. I didn't notice any brightening or toning effect. It wasn't drying but it wasn't moisturizing either. Granted it was a one time use, I was hoping it would at least make my skin feel good but I noticed no difference at all. 

Final Thought

I don't know if you need to use several of these masks before you start noticing any result but for a one time use, it made no difference at all to the condition of my skin. The material of the mask lack quality and because it is so thin, it doesn't absorbs much of the serum and can tear easily. Feels a little bit sticky after you remove and leaves a light stain behind. Overall, it was a fail for me. 

Rating: 2/10

Price: About $2.00

Available: Wal-Mart 

Tried it? Let me know what you think.