NEW AT THE DRUGSTORE - Wet N Wild Highlighters and Metallic Liquid Lipsticks!

I'm so bad at keeping up with Wet N Wild lately...and so of course they've been killing it. Part of their limited edition Summer 2016 collection consists of metallic liquid lipsticks (you had me at "metallic" tbh) and HIGHLIGHTERS. Okay, ya know this girl is all about the glow. I want my highlight to be visible from the moon and I'm always on the hunt for cheap highlighters that don't break the bank the way the beautiful Becca highlights do. I actually had no clue about this release until a coworker wore one of the lippies to work and spilled the beans. She saved me my usual WNW questing trip (I probably went to twenty different Walgreens to find the spring collection) and picked up everything for me! Anyway, this is pretty much just a first impressions/swatching post because I haven't played with these products long enough to feel comfortable giving a full on review but so far I'm quite pleased; spoiler alert!

Wet N Wild is so affordable that I never even bat a lash at purchasing entire collections; I don't know the individual prices but I do know that I owed her about $25 for six lip products and two highlighters. So, yeah, the entire collection (mind you, I don't have everything - there are cream highlighting sticks and also nail polishes in this collection) is super affordable. In retrospect, do you need everything? Nah, there are two nude lipsticks and two pink ones, and you can skip one and just pick up the tone you like best. Wet N Wild also has some of the best shade names in the makeup game...and they killed it this time. The comicbook and music nerd in me would have bought two of these simply for the names. But we'll get into that later. Here's a link to the Nouveau Cheap post about this collection if you want any more info!

FTC Disclaimer I purchased these items with my own money. I'm not affiliated with Wet N Wild, nor do they even know who I am. I'm receiving no compensation for this post, and, as always, all of my opinions are my own.

Hard Candy Wish For A Kiss Review (HOLIDAY 2015)

Spoiler alert; this set f*****g sucks. I'm actually offended that Hard Candy was able to waste my $4.88, what a joke. I know, I know, language and all that. But seriously, this gift set is literally trash, and that's where these glosses are going after this bloody review. Okay, okay, I'm never this negative about these things, ever. But this is a special occasion. So let's talk about brands cheaping the crap out on their holiday sets. Because what the actual hell is this shit, Hard Candy??

FTC DISCLAIMER: I, clearly, purchased this set with my own money. My thoughts and opinions are all my own. I'm not sponsored, nor affiliated with Hard Candy, and I receive no compensation for this review. Obviously. If I HAD gotten this for free, I would have honestly been even MORE offended that they actually wanted to waste my time.

Circa Beauty First Impressions - Eyeshadow Trio & Lipsticks!

I have another Walgreens exclusive first impressions post for y'all! Circa Beauty is another "masstige" brand, sold only at Walgreens, similar to the Colour Prevails range (I posted about a couple nail polishes here). It's a pretty complete range for being so new; consisting of a decent selection of face, eyes, and lip products.

I opted to pick up three things because this brand is on the pricier side of drugstore; the shadow trio is $12 and the lipsticks are $10 each. This is not a full review; I've only had these for about three day now, but I will be posting an update and more comprehensive review after I've had a chance to fully play with these products!

FTC Disclaimer: I purchased these products with my own money. I am not affiliated with this company, nor am I being sponsored or compensated for this post. My opinions are, as always, my own.

Colour Prevails First Impressions - Nail Polish!

I want to start out this post by stating that I am a total nail polish amateur; I love the stuff and I buy it frequently BUT I am horrible at upkeep and application. So apologies in advance for my sloppy swatches! That being said I love trying out new lines, especially at drugstores. This range is upper level drugstore or masstige; prices are on the higher end of affordable. These polishes are $8 per bottle, which puts them at an Essie or OPI level, when you consider these bottles hold less product.

I always feel guilty when I buy brands that aren't sold at Ulta; I can justify my makeup hoarding by saying it's "product education" but I can't do that when we don't sell the brand!! :D That being said, my curiosity got the better of me and I splurged. I actually intended on only purchasing the cream polish in "All Nighter" but I love glitters and I loved the name of the second one; "Mr. Wrong", and I couldn't hold myself back! The Colour Prevails range is pretty substantial, featuring face, eyes, and lip products, along with the nail polishes, but as of right now I've only tried the polishes.

FTC Disclaimer: I purchased these products myself. I'm not affiliated with this company, nor am I sponsored nor being compensated in any form for this post. My opinions are, as always, my own.

NYC Satin Matte Lipsticks - FAIL

I got SO EXCITED when I saw these in Meijer. I have five of the original Expert Last lipsticks and I really love them! But I'm a matte lippy kinda gal, and when I saw the "satin matte" label, I freaked out because these are so cheap ($1.99 at most stores) and easier to find than the Jordana ones. This post isn't going to have a jump, sorry for the potential inconvenience! THIS IS NOT A REVIEW. It's more of a mini rant!


From L-R: "448 Smooth Beige", "449 Creamy Mauve", "450 Pure Coral", "451 Velvety Fuchsia", and "452 Red Suede".
The original lipsticks are creamy and smooth and comfortable, which is rare for a long-wearing product. Personally, I don't find them to last the full six hours as NYC claims, but they wear for about four hours if you're not drinking, eating, or chatting a lot. They wear off nice and evenly and don't leave that dreaded outer ring of color that some lip products can do. Overall, I really like everything about this formula except for the scent and taste (it's REALLY strong and the taste is...not good) and I was so excited to see a matte offering, plus the colors all looked great!

So, why the fail? These aren't effin' matte. Not even close. Newsflash N.Y.C., I know most of your lip products contain that frosty shimmer that I'm not into, but taking out the shimmer and having a cream formula does not equal matte. Basically, I almost want my ten bucks back, I feel cheated! I even let them dry down for twenty minutes to see if they'd mattify. Nope. And I know I should have expected this from the name "satin matte", right? Because the definition of "satin" is of or like satin; smooth; glossy. Here's the definition of "matte": having a dull or lusterless surface. What a bloody oxymoron, right? I was expecting the matte, all they provided was the satin. Bummer! Don't call something matte if it's not, basically.


From L-R: "448 Smooth Beige", "449 Creamy Mauve", "450 Pure Coral", "451 Velvety Fuchsia", and "452 Red Suede".
Beautifully pigmented colors. Beautiful color selection. They wear the same as the original lipsticks. I still recommend these shades, don't get me wrong! They're great and this lipstick formula is quite enjoyable and they're so cheap that...how can ya not, right? But don't buy them because you're expecting a shine-free, comfortable matte finish. These are basically an extended color selection of their original lipsticks, nothing new or matte to be found here at all. If you would like a full review with lip swatches and the whole production, let me know because I have the pics edited and saved. I would like to reiterate - These are not poor quality lipsticks; they're actually quite nice! But I bought these under the assumption that they would be matte, and not an extended color range of the original formula, which they are. So, yeah, I'm kinda bummed out. Buy these if you like the shades or the Expert Last formula, don't buy if you're wanting a nice matte finish!


From L-R: "418 Sugar Plum", "440 Creamy Caramel", "445 Coralista", "446 Smooch", "447 Forever Fuchsia", "448 Smooth Beige", "449 Creamy Mauve", "450 Pure Coral", "451 Velvety Fuchsia", and "452 Red Suede".


From L-R: "446 Smooch", "449 Creamy Mauve", Jordana Matte Lipstick in "Pink Passion", Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in "Elusive", Milani Color Statement Moisture Matte lipstick in "Matte Blissful", and Jordana Modern Matte lipstick in "Matte Tease". The last four are way more matte, whereas the first two look like the same exact finish.

L’Oréal Infallible® Pro-Spray & Set Makeup Extender Setting Spray REVIEW

Let's talk about a most exciting release! I'm sure everyone has heard of the UD All Nighter setting spray by now, and certainly the Skindinavia sprays! But here's a setting spray from the drugstore that is actually effective! From the Infallible line by L’Oréal, this spray contains 3.4 oz and retails for $16.99, but if you live in the midwest near a Meijer, I found mine at Meijer for $13.99 AND on a BOGO50% sale! Definitely check places like grocery stores such as Meijer or Walmart instead of Walgreens or CVS because you will probably find it for a bit cheaper! Also, this is a fairly new release, which means the price will probably drop as the product is out on the shelves for longer.

e.l.f. Cosmetics makes a Studio product called Mist and Set, and if this product works for you, that's AWESOME because this particular spray is only $3 and you can frequently get e.l.f. products for 50% off! Unfortunately, this spray doesn't prolong the wear of my makeup, plus it contains parabens (Methylparaben，Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, and Butylparaben, to be exact) so this isn't an option for me.

I'm hoping that, as this product is out on the shelves longer, they begin to bring out different formulations of this setting spray because, REVIEW SPOILER, I am in love with this product! BUT I have dry, flaky skin in the winter and insanely greasy and sweaty skin in the summer months and the All Nighter doesn't work so hot for me during that period so I'm not positive as to how well this spray will fare in those conditions. I HAVE worn it during hot and sweaty truck unloading shifts and it has held up beautifully during those, so fingers crossed. I would love if they came out with an oil control formula though!

NEW AT THE DRUGSTORE - Maybelline Edition

So, I'm not even going to try to give some kind of lame ass sob story. Basically, I've been a terrible blogger, but I just bought a Macbook Pro AND a new DSLR so I'm planning on coming back with a vengeance. ANYWAY, have a new at the drugstore type of post! I knew about the new lipsticks from Maybelline, but I had NO CLUE about these products! Also found but not featured are several new shades of the Brow Drama brow gel, including a transparent shade, but I didn't pick any of those up. I purchased all of these things from my local Meijer, and I found them on an endcap display!

Note: this is not a review, this is basically a haul post. I haven't put any of these on my face yet!

Hard Candy All Glossed Up Metallics REVIEW

Hard Candy has been on the ball with some great new product releases, such as their new eyeshadow palettes and their first brow product EVER (!!) but they've also expanded some of their permanent ranges, and the All Glossed Up Hydrating Balm Stains are one of those lines.

I LOVE chubby lip pencils, okay. I own a ton, from almost every brand. I've tried the regular All Glossed Up pencils before and they're okay. They weren't horrible, they weren't the best. They were just...middle of the road. When I saw they had some new shades, at first I was going to completely pass, because these are a "metallic" finish, and normally I'm not into that. However, I'm a sucker.

e.l.f. Ariel Treasure Within Beauty Book REVIEW

One of the times I was questing at Walgreens (for the new Maybelline "The Nudes" palette, which I finally found at Ulta; review soon!) I spotted a display that caught my eye. Now last Halloween (or maybe two Halloweens ago) e.l.f. did a collaboration with Disney and had some gift sets based off of villains. This is a similar concept, except with Ariel!

Truth be told, I'm actually not a HUGE Little Mermaid fan, but the packaging and the concept suckered me in and I ended up with two kits; a lip set (review to be coming) and this "Treasure Within" Beauty Book. The packaging of this is GORGEOUS, can we just take a minute? I'm so in love with the aesthetic aspects of this palette. But how do the products inside stack up?

(I'll be including page anchors so if you just want to see swatches or read about just one part, you can skip to that particular part and not have to fuss around, since I can get...really verbose, especially when talking about so many products in one mega-post.)

FTC Disclaimer: All of the product(s) shown in this review were purchased by me, with my own money. I am not affiliated with e.l.f., nor am I being compensated or sponsored for my review. All opinions are, as always, my own.

WNW Summer '14 All Access Beauty Mega Last Polishes REVIEW

Okay, so I have been obsessed with nail polish lately. And, the Wet N Wild Mega Last polishes have been my favorite drugstore nail polish since they came out. I love the variety of finishes and colors, I even love the packaging and the brush. And who doesn't love the price, right?? These six colors came out with the All Access Beauty summer collection, and I'm still seeing these all over my Walgreens, so hopefully I didn't get this review up too late (I'm so sorry, I wanted to wear each of these to see if they wore differently!)

I own about 20 colors from the permanent range and for whatever reason, I've never talked about them before. (This could be because I am horrible at doing nail swatches, apologies in advance.) This collection also includes some bronzer/blush palettes that I've already reviewed here!

FTC DISCLAIMER: These products were purchased by me with my own money. I am not affiliated with Wet N Wild, nor am I sponsored or receiving compensation for this review. As always, all opinions are my own! :)

The Mega Last polishes are $1.99 at most places, but they often go on sale at Walgreens. I haven't seen the All Access Beauty collection in Rite Aid but I've seen it in Walgreens, so I don't know if this collection is only available there, or what? All of these colors are fun, summery colors (although admittedly not insanely original; you might have these shades in your collection already, if you're a polish addict!)

WNW Summer '14 All Access Beauty Bronzer & Blushes REVIEW

I have been searching all over for these dang things! I'm so jealous of people who can find the LE WNW stuff super fast because it takes my area FOREVER to get them. Anyway, these are the Bronzer & Blush compacts. I have all three of these products and I'm pretty excited to share. The theme this summer seems to be based off of festival life, according to the display.

Now these displays are sell-through, so once the product is gone, it's gone, unless the store gets an entirely new display. If you want these, I recommend buying them when you find them.

I found mine at Walgreens for $3.99 and an interesting thing to note is that, normally even LE products will still be on sale. WNW products are currently 30% off on select products, including the permanent line color icon bronzers (which have the same packaging and size, just different colors) but these weren't ringing up with the sale price; same for the nail polishes. I mean, WNW is pretty inexpensive, but that's still a bit of a bummer. Yes, I have the Wellness card, before anyone asks.

FTC Disclaimer: I purchased these products with my own money. I am neither affiliated nor being sponsored by Wet N Wild or Markwins, nor am I being compensated for this post. All opinions are, as always, my own!

Covergirl Ready, Set, Gorgeous Summer 2014 FIRST IMPRESSIONS/REVIEW

Okay, so a few days ago I had posted a new CG products haul post (you can find that here if you're interested) and three of the new products were new face products. Now, unfortunately, I don't have good news, personally. I've heard horror stories about CG's Clean makeup, which can break people out like crazy. I've also read that some people have bad reactions to ALL Covergirl makeup. One of my favorite foundations is the Outlast Stay Fabulous liquid foundation. I wore it six days a week for three months, with no wonky reactions.

I do not have acne-prone skin. I get a pimple every couple of months, maybe. There has only been one other product that has ever had this bad of an effect on my non-sensitive skin, and that was a serum-moisturizer from Garnier. I mentioned in the haul post that I thought I was having a reaction to the concealer, because I developed six pimples only on my undereye area...yeah, no.

The way these products work is similar to Maybelline's Fit Me line; you select your liquid foundation shade and from there you can pick out the corresponding powder and concealer. My shade in the foundation is "215 Warm Beige" and my shade in both the powder and concealer is "Medium", which is for shades 215 and 220.

Okay, let's get this party started. WARNING: this post is photo-heavy and there is A LOT of text. And contains a lot of pics of my derpy-ass face. I apologize in advance. (I'm adding page anchors, so you can skip to whichever part you're interested in.) And, yeah, I will never switch to contacts. Just...no.

FTC Disclaimer: Everything mentioned in this post was purchased by me, with my own money. I am not compensated for this review, I am not affiliated with Covergirl or Proctor & Gamble, and all opinions are, as always, my own.

Covergirl Lipslicks Smoochies in #smooch REVIEW

I was pretty tardy to the party, as far as these Covergirl Lipslicks Smoochies go. I had read/watched a few reviews and everyone seemed pretty down on these; the biggest complaint seemed to be that these had a lack of pigmentation. And if you've been around on my blog for a while, you know one of my biggest pet peeves is when a balm claims to be tinted and then isn't. So basically, I wasn't interested in trying these. Now, I used to have a couple of the CG old school Lipslicks, and I remembered liking those alright. Finally, curiosity killed the Kate and a makeup haul brought her back.

I do have two shades in this, but I couldn't find the other one, so I'll review the individual shade on my Tumblr when I locate it, but since buying those two, I've purchased a few more, and there's not a wide change in the formula, so this is going to be a stand alone review. These widely vary in price for me, they're about $4.99 or so at Walmart and $7.99 at Walgreens, so YMMV for sure. The only difference is that Walgreens has sales and coupons and their Wellness card or whatnot, so you can actually get rewards and stuff for purchasing them there. Also, CG often goes on those BOGO50 sales.

I'm not typically a huge CG fan in the slightest, but lately they've been impressing me with their face products and some of their lip and nail products, so who knows. Eye product-wise...eh, their shadows are not my favorite, but you usually can't go wrong with Lash Blast mascara.

NEW COVERGIRL HAUL

I'm sure everyone has noticed that there are quite a lot of new products at the drugstore. I actually feel a bit overwhelmed, haha. I only knew about a couple of the new Covergirl releases, so imagine my surprise when I was browsing my local Walgreens and spotted a whole new face products display for Covergirl.

Judging by the packaging and the titles, I'm thinking that the powder foundation and the concealer are just repackaged and reformulated Fresh Complexion powder and concealer, especially since it says "Fresh Complexion" on the new packaging AND the products look pretty much identical (except for the whole "Ready, Set, Gorgeous" stuff and the color is now white instead of blue.) Downside is that all of this stuff is so new that it isn't even up on the website yet.

I've been using all of these products for about five days now, so I will be doing some first impression posts on my Tumblr because it's a bit easier to blog from there, BUT full reviews will still be up on this main blog.

Maybelline Dream Wonder Pressed Powder REVIEW

So...Maybelline is one of my favorite drugstore brands, typically. And this is going to be an interesting review, because, while I like the way this powder functions, I can't recommend it. I know, I know, that seems weird, and I'll definitely explain in-depth. This product is fairly new, so it's still a bit more expensive; about $8.99 at most places. I imagine the price will drop a bit the longer the product exists. This isn't being promoted as a powder foundation, so I'm not going into it expecting crazy amounts of coverage.

Also, I tend to prefer light coverage face products anyway, so keep that in mind! :)

L'Oréal Colour Riche Extraordinaire in Pink Tremolo 105 REVIEW

This is going to be a review on a new lip product from L'Oréal; the Colour Riche Extaordinaire liquid lipstick. This is basically one of those lipstick/lip gloss hybrids. I'm pretty sure this is their version of the Maybelline The Elixir lippies they have out. The formulas are pretty similar in texture. These are pretty pricy for a lip product; they're currently $9.99 according to L'Oréal's website and that is a lot of money for a drugstore lip gloss. The tube is small and compact, which is nice but at the same time...this product contains 0.18 fl. oz./5.5 mL, which is more than the amount in the Revlon Super Lustrous glosses (0.13 fl. oz./3.9 mL) BUT less than what comes in the Le Glosses from L'Oréal, which are also only seven dollars at most places. (0.40 fl. oz./12 mL)

I only own the one color but I might be picking up a few more and I do really like this particular lip product. The shade I own is "105 Pink Tremolo" and it's a really pretty hot pink. It's not too blue-based and I think it would work well with a variety of skin tones. t's easier for me to type up individual color reviews so this is probably going to be how reviews get done lately, lol. If you like smaller posts like this instead of my huge multi-color reviews, please leave a comment and let me know! :) Thanks in advance.

e.l.f. Studio Lip Exfoliator PRODUCT RAVE/FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I'm not sure if it's just in Michigan, but everyone I know, including me, has been suffering from SUPER CHRONIC DRY SKIN. My hands are absolutely disgusting; my fingers are cracked and scabby. My arms and legs feel practically like sand paper. And my lips...oh, my lips. I tend towards more of a matte finish lip and there is no way in HELL that I can pull off matte lips right now without looking like a hot mess!

So when e.l.f. had a huge sale (50% off EVERYTHING plus free shipping!), I snagged two of the lip exfoliators. I just got my order in today, but I'm making this post the same night because I am actually in love with this product. This is probably the best lip scrub I've used and it's only $3! The Bliss scrubs and Lush scrubs are at least $10 each, plus they come in pots, and this product blows them out of the dang water!

I'll put it this way; I just placed an order for eight more backups because I love this product that much. Since I've literally only had this for one day, that's why I'm titling this blog post "first impressions" and not an actual review. If my opinions do a 180, I will definitely make an updated post. But it's a lip scrub, ya know? I doubt my opinions are going to change drastically, haha.

FTC Disclaimer: I purchased this product for myself, with my own money. I am not sponsored or affliated with the e.l.f. brand, nor am I being compensated for this review. As always, my opinions are my own! :)

N.Y.C. HD Color Trio in "Long Beach Sands" REVIEW

So, I've already failed my NY resolution, bummer! But Bloguary is not totally dead; I just need to stop being a lazy asshole. Let's get this started! This review is going to be on a trio from New York Color, or, N.Y.C. This is a drugstore brand with costs similar to Wet N Wild. However, while WNW has vastly improved their range and has put out products with impressive textures and quality, N.Y.C. has...not. They're known mostly for their matte bronzer in "Sunny", but their eyeshadows have been underwhelming for a long time.

These new trios are supposed to be an improved "HD" formula. They're still pretty cheap and easily accessible; only $2.99 at pretty much any drugstore and they come in 12 different color options, all of which are on the neutral side of the spectrum, mostly bronzes and taupes, with a few color options like plums and olives.

FTC Disclaimer: This product was provided for review purposes through the Influenster program. I am not affliated nor sponsored by New York Color, nor am I receiving any compensation for this review. If you're interested in joining Influenster, I do have a couple of invites left, so leave a comment! I've done a post on Influenster before; click here. I've also reviewed a couple more N.Y.C. products FROM Influenster before; glitter liner and lip gloss.

REVIEW e.l.f. Studio Vanilla & Coconut Lotion Wipes

So, I'm back from my ridiculous hiatus! With a ton of reviews! I'm going to be doing "Bloguary", where I post (at least) one blog per day during the month of January! My goal is to post two or three blogs a week, but I'm so behind that blogging every day in January seems incredibly legit to me, haha. Anyway, this is an e.l.f. Studio product review!

I am obsessed with wipes of any kind. I know, it's horrible for the environment and it's horrible for your wallet but the convenience factor is soooooo nice. Like those Super Goop sunscreen wipes? LOVE 'EM. I have bug spray in a wipe form as well. Let's be real here; who the hell wants to lug around full bottles of sunscreen and bug spray? Or carry around window cleaner in their car? I haven't hauled from e.l.f.'s website in quite a while because I was waiting for a decent sale (I did haul a ton of stuff during their 50% off/free shipping so there will be a LOAD of reviews when I get that stuff!). Luckily my local Targets and Hardings carry select e.l.f. products. I found these at Hardings and they're $3, the same price as through the website (minus shipping!) They only had one scent available but lotion wipes? Sounds good to me! I'm so lazy when it comes to applying body lotion and, again, who wants to drag a bottle of lotion around with them!?

FTC Disclaimer: I purchased these with my own money. I am not being compensated for this review. I am not affliated with the company. I am not being sponsored and, as always, all opinions are entirely my own.

Maybelline Eye Studio® Color Tattoo™ Metal REVIEW (Barely Branded and Gold Rush)

Okay, so this is obvious proof as to how damn far behind I am...curse you, hockey! Anyway, I picked up these two cream shadows way back when they first came out...I know, I know, long frickin' time ago, right? Well, better late than never? Haha, yeah, that's what I tell myself to sleep at night. ANYWHO, I was terribly interested in this new line of Color Tattoo products from Maybelline. I did a review on the whole line when they first came out (there are ten permanent shades in the regular collection and I have all of them) which you can read at the link. And if you've already read that post, then you know I really like these things!

Since I do have a full blog post on these products and how they function, etc, I'm not going to go way into depth explaining that stuff here. I have a couple of the limited edition shades and they all function very similar to each other, to be honest. There are definitely textural differences, depending on the finishes and the color payoff also varies. It's that kind of thing I'll talk about here. So I'd just like to say that these wear like iron on me, do not crease, smudge, or budge, and make excellent color bases.

Now that we have that jazz out of the way, let's go!