ELF Studio Conditioning Balm SPF 15 Review + Lip Swatches

I'm just going to be doing a quick review on the ELF Studio Conditioning Balms which have I've seen to have a lot of great reviews. Since I own a couple myself, I figured I would do my own review on these! Today I'll be reviewing these in the colors Nice & Natural, Peaceful Pink, and Mellow Melon as well as telling you how I apply these.

When my older sister first saw these the first thing she said was "oh my god. why are they like that?" She was referring to the packaging, haha. The packaging of these are really unnecessarily bulky. Some people have some issues with this, such as my older sister, but I myself don't mind all that much.

Sursly nao? Anyway, these are the 3 lightest colors that they have available right now. I was able to snag Mellow Melon for only a $1.80 at my local K-Mart. The other two I got for $3 each at the same K-Mart.

Some Things to Note + Application:

• These are very comfortable on the lips. I am very particular about how lip products feel on my lips. If it feels too greasy or too dry I will take it off shortly after because I really don't have the tolerance for it. I really have no problem with these.
  
  
• If you take too long to apply these they will become really greasy feeling. So, work diligently when spreading these on your lips! I had a huge problem with this when applying Peaceful Pink.
  
  
• This product has an SPF of 15 which I think is excellent. It not only is a great lip balm but it adds additional protection when conditioning your lips.
  
  
• These have a sweet smell and taste that I think is similar to the ELF Hypershine Lip Glosses.
  
  
• These can be applied very opaquely or they can be sheered out. What I do if I want an opaque application is that I pick out a chunk onto the top of the longest nail I have and I place the chunk onto my lips. Using my fingers I apply it because it warms the product up making it easier to spread out. It sounds kind of silly but it works for me! Thus I don't have to get any product stuck under my nails.
  
  
• You can apply these with a lip brush but make sure it's a short bristled dense one for more precise control!
  
  
• One very important thing to note is the fact that people have had some reactions to the formulation of this. They have noted some warm stinging sensations, some being unable to continue using this product because of it. Me, personally, I do feel a bit of a warm sensation but it isn't anything that I cannot tolerate. I'm looking at the ingredients and I'm thinking maybe it's the Mineral Oil?

Top: Nice & Natural, L-R Bottom: Mellow Melon, Peaceful Pink

• Nice & Natural is a really light nude color with a pink tint to it. Out of the 3 I have, this is the least pigmented. Just like any nude lip color it will accentuate the dry spots on your lips so just beware. For my skin color which is an NC 35 it is such a perfect nude for me. This didn't last very long on my lips though.
  
  
• Mellow Melon is a bright watermelon color. This was the most pigmented of the bunch. I had the least problems as far as streakiness and application.
  
  
• Peaceful Pink is a light bubblegum pink. This didn't work well with my skin color very well at all. I noticed that the more I spread it out on my lips the lighter the color got than what it was in the pot.

Lip Swatches

Verdict?
Well, I think these are a great alternative to lipsticks since they aren't extremely bold and opaque but they do give a great color payoff. Plus the added bonuses such as SPF and the conditioning property! What I do think is that they should try and figure out what is going on with the stinging sensation and how they should change the formula. I really am happy with these and I'm actually interested in getting Blissful Berry so hopefully I'll get one of those sooner or later.

Have you tried these? What do you think? Let me know!

F21 love & beauty Nourishing Lip Color - Brick, Cherry, Light Pink Review + Lip Swatches

I recently went on a bit of a blogging hiatus but now I'm back, kinda! I'll be still posting reviews and stuff but maybe more spread out than my usual quota of at least 3 a day, haha. Anyway, I'll be doing a review on the love & beauty by Forever 21 Nourishing Lip Colors in Brick, Cherry, and Light Pink!

These lip colors (I'll call them lipsticks from now on) are semi-sheer. They have two finishes being a creme finish, which Cherry has, and then a shimmer finish, which Brick and Light Pink have.

L-R: Brick, Cherry, Light Pink

Here you can see the difference in finishes, Brick and Light Pink looking a lot drier in texture than Cherry which looks a lot more shiny and smoother looking.

L-R: Cherry, Light Pink, Brick

This picture depicts really well what the colors look like in the tube. Cherry looks kinda gross, huh? I think it looks like that because the consistency of the lipstick was so thin that it was probably a little more difficult to shape into a certain form.

• Cherry is a semi-sheer dark pink color with a super smooth texture. It kind of reminds me a bit of the Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm in Cherry Me but with a bit more pigmentation and the fact that Cherry me is more red. It also doesn't have any flavor.
  
  
• Light Pink is a semi-sheer light pink color with silver shimmer. In the tube it looks a lot darker but when applied to the lips, since it's sheer, it turns lighter. When you first apply this it will feel extremely dry and uncomfortable but after your lips warms it up a little it will go on much smoother. It will feel a bit gritty though. I'm not sure if they've stopped making this color because I haven't seen it in stores recently. I bought it when these first came out.
  
  
• Brick is a a rusted brick red color with gold shimmer. This also applies sheer and looks a tiny lighter on the lips than in the tube. Out of all 3, this was the driest feeling to apply and the grittiest feeling.
  
  
  Each go for $1.50!

Here are some lip swatches!

All of these lip sticks work with the color of your lips and thus this is how they showed up on me in natural lighting.

Verdict?
Incredibly priced with great colors, how can you go wrong with these? They can be found in every Forever 21, so they're easy to get a hold of. They have great wearable colors and they are actually rather "nourishing" which is especially true for Cherry which is very moisturizing. I would definitely recommend these!

Would you buy these? What do you think?

*First Image was taken from Google

Revlon Colorburst Lipsticks - Ruby, Carnation, Soft Nude, Peach, Blush

I've been holding off on doing this review on these lipsticks for the longest time! Why? One particular lipstick that gave me the HARDEST time to apply it correctly. Today, I was finally somewhat successful and I was able to move on and finish the rest of the swatches and now post a quick review on these lippies. Today I'll be doing a review on 5 Revlon Colorburst Lipsticks: Ruby, Carnation, Soft Nude, Peach, and Blush. Let's get started!

I love the packaging of these lipsticks! With a quilt-esque design and a sleek mixture of shine & matte black, I just adore the look of these. The colors on the top makes it easy to see which one you want and they just happen to be such cute ones too!

[L-R] Peach, Carnation, Blush, Soft Nude, Ruby

Here are the lipsticks I'll be reviewing for you today! You can see already how smooth these are looking at the shine it gives off in the tube! (Especially the Ruby one!)

About the lipsticks:

• They're actually surprisingly sheer so you're going to have to layer this on, even with the darker colors! You could even describe them as a bit... liquidy?
  
  
• In comparison to other lipsticks, these are extremely moisturizing; they're very smooth to apply.
  
  
• I personally thought these kind of had an icky smell... Yeah, I know, why would you smell a lipstick? I did, and I didn't like it.
  
  
• Often shades are discontinued unexpectedly. For example, I bought Blush and Ruby on sale unaware they would be the last ones I'd ever see!
  
  
• These are pretty comfortable to wear but like I said they have an icky smell... sometimes it's off putting to wear these.
  
  
• Colors?
  - Soft Nude: This lipstick was the one that gave me all hell. Like most nude lipsticks you have to dab this on instead of doing the normal swipes; this one was no exception. Funny enough though that even with a dabbing motion this is so difficult to apply anyway! The formula of this lipstick is a bit thin so you have to apply a lot of layers to get a full opaque color. Unfortunately this can get rather streaky so be ready to use your finger to blend it in to your liking which is what I had to do. The color is a beautiful nude with a pink undertone to it with no shimmer or anything. A perfect nude.. but sadly not for me. This color was a bit too light for my skin tone and it oddly brought out the brown pigmentation on my top lip that I didn't know existed. Uh, not a good look. It also showed the dryness of my lips that didn't show at all with any other of the lipsticks. It was just a huge mess with what could have been a wonderful experience.
  
  -Blush: Blush is a somewhat sheer shimmery peachy pink color. Since it is sheer it works with the natural color of your lips. For example my lips are decently pigmented so instead of showing as the pretty peachy pink in the tube, it turned into a light pink color. It's absolutely beautiful! If you put on enough it will start looking like the color in the tube but I prefer not to, since it's shimmery. I can easily call this a MLBB color.
  
  -Carnation: This lipstick is a shimmery blue toned medium pink with a bit of a blue sheen to it. This is also a sheer colored lipstick that works with the color of your lips. I noticed that even when applying a ton of layers that it was still not to it's full opaque color that shows in the tube. When you see the lip swatches you'll notice that it practically turned almost purple! Why? I really cannot understand and it really surprised me. It's beautiful in the tube but meh on the lips.
  
  - Peach: As the name states, this is a beautiful peach color with a bit of shimmer. It is one of the more opaque colors that gave me no trouble with application. It does show a bit lighter on the lips than what shows on the tube so beware those who are looking for an orangey peach color.
  
  - Ruby: Ruby, in the tube, is a deep bombshell red with no shimmer that just looks absolutely stunning. Sadly this doesn't show on your lips thus making this the most disappointing out of the bunch. When applied, it's a sheer red that ends up almost looking like a pigmented red gloss because it's so sheer. The wow factor that you'd expect with a color like this just completely disappears. It didn't apply easily and it was almost a bit streaky and you can see on the lip swatch below that it sat in the lines of your lips which is something I have never experienced with such a deep color lipstick. This made me sad...

Lip swatches!

*All taken in natural lighting.

Verdict?
Overall, these are great lipsticks. I do have an issue with their lack of opacity but that doesn't take away the beauty of them. My favorite out of all of them are definitely Peach and Blush. Peach should be in stores but unfortunately Blush has been discontinued as far as I'm aware but you still should be able to find it online or some other places such as Big Lots. I wouldn't necessarily say that all of these lipsticks are hit or miss but I can say that some can be more preferable to your liking than others depending on your opinion.

Hope you enjoyed my review & my lip swatches! What do you think of these?

I'm really starting to put a dent on my web picture album that uploads my pictures! Eep! What to do, what to do!

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks - Creme [Daring Pink, Demure, Just Enough Buff, Mink, Ravish Me Red] + Lip Swatches

Previously I had made a post reviewing 4 Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks but I thought I'd be more organized and keep the creme finish lipsticks with the creme finish lipsticks, the frosts with the frosts, and so on and so forth. Sooo, here is a recreation of that quick review but specifically for creme finish lipsticks. I bring forth to you Daring Pink, Demure, Just Enough Buff, Mink, and Ravish Me Red!

Out of the 3 finishes from the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks, these ones are my favorite. They're always easy to apply and they're very comfortable on the lips. It's interesting why they'd classify these as "creme" for all of the ones I'm going to review today though, since I was lead to believe that creme finish lipsticks had no shimmer or glitter to it.

About the lipsticks:

• Daring Pink - Daring Pink is hardly daring at all, in my opinion. It's a muted down raspberry color with gold glitter in it. The formula of this is a bit more dry than the other lipsticks of this line. It also feels a tad bit gritty to apply. It's surprisingly sheer for the color it is. You'd have to apply at least 2 layers to get an opaque lip!
  
  
• Mink - This lipstick is absolutely beautiful. That's surprising to hear myself say since it's a brown lippie. Yes, brown. It's a light brown with a tinge of pink to it and has a true creme finish. You can wear this somewhat sheer or build it up to your liking. It's very moisturizing and easy to apply and the more layers you apply the shinier it will appear on your lips.
  
  
• Ravish Me Red - This color is a bright orange lipstick that definitely leans more towards red. This also has a true creme finish. This lipstick is a very pigmented one and is definitely a bright color so be careful with it! It's very moisturizing and very smooth for easy application and opacity.
  
  
• Demure - Demure is such a beautiful color even though it's rather sheer. It is a pinky peach color with silver/gold shimmer. It's a definite "My Lips But Better" color. It is possible to build this up but it can get a big slippery and sit on top of your lips and can also get a bit streaky. It's very smooth and so moisturizing to the point where I used this as a lip balm at some point!
  
  
• Just Enough Buff - This color is even more sheer than Demure. It's a light nude color with light pink and gold shimmer in it. It's a bit dry surprisingly and it's a bit of a hard color to build up. Like I've said it's extremely sheer so don't expect a lot of color pay off no matter how much you build it up because I honestly find this a bit frosty.

L-R: Just Enough Buff, Demure, Ravish Me Red, Daring Pink, Mink

The staying power always varies with these lipsticks depending on finish, how much you put on, the actions which you'd be doing (eating, etc.), and so on and so forth, so I really can't tell you that. I can say though that Demure and Just Enough Buff are rather sheer so they do wear off easily. It shouldn't cause problems such as bunching up on dry patches of your lips and cause too much damage, look wise.

Now onto lip swatches!

Anyway, I love these lipsticks so. Very. MUCH! Some particular lipsticks lack some things to be desired but overall, they're incredible lipsticks and if not one of the best in the drugstore end of cosmetics. I hope to buy more of them soon but until then, I'll appreciate and love the ones I have now.

Do any of you have a particular favorite in this line? How do you feel about these overall?

Next up, Revlon Super Lustrous Matte Lipsticks!

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick : Airy Fairy, Just So, In Vogue, Kasbah Review + Lip Swatches

I have actually done a review on these lipsticks before but that was when I had a piece of crap camera and I only had 2 lipsticks to review. Well, here's a new an improved review with lip swatches, and 2 more colors. The colors I'll be reviewing are Airy Fairy, Just So, In Vogue, and Kasbah.

These by far are my favorite drug store lipsticks. Not only are they sold at great prices but because of just so many other factors; pigmentation, taste/smell, etc. Let's be a little more specific:

• These lipsticks definitely have a great feel to them on your lips, applying and applied. They go on extremely smooth and for the most part these are all extremely pigmented. I have extremely pigmented lips and these just covered them without a stitch! Some formulas are a little drier than others. For example In Vogue was a lot smoother than Airy Fairy but at the same time In Vogue moved around a little more than Airy Fairy did.
• They have the most amazing scent a lipstick could ever have. Out of all the lipsticks I have tried, these are my absolute favorite. They smell sweet like cotton candy and they don't have any extremely unpleasant taste unlike the NYX Round Lipsticks (SMH.)
• As far as moisture goes, I have realized that the lighter colors were less moisturizing than the darker colors. Out of all 4, In Vogue was by far the most moisturizing.
• Do they enhance wrinkles and dryness on your lips? I have to say it depends on the color you plan on wearing. My lips were a little dried up and irritated from so much lipstick swatching within the past few days but they didn't seem to emphasize it. If anything it covered it up!
• With most lipsticks, they tend to change colors with different lighting. In yellow toned lighting lipsticks look darker, in blue light they look lighter. Just a warning!

Now onto the long awaited swatches!

First, arm swatches, of course. L-R: In Vogue, Kasbah, Just So, Airy Fairy

Of course there's a smirk with the last one... FYI, these were all taken with natural lighting and no flash. I've realized that with different colors goes different skin tones for me... Hmm.

Me with In Vogue on. Def not looking my greatest. -_-

Would I recommend these? Of course! As I've said, these are my favorite drugstore lipsticks so far. You've read my review and now it's up for you to decide.

Would you buy these? Have you tried them before? What's your feelings on these.

Maybelline Super Stay 10 Hr Stain Gloss Review + Lip Swatches

If you read in a previous post I received these from my brother's girlfriend on Christmas and I was so excited to receive them. Here's a quick review and some lip swatches with these on. Enjoy!

These gloss stains are supposed to last up to 10 hours on your lips. My experience? Dear god, do they stain. Hahaha. With applying these, all of them were so incredibly difficult to take off. Difficult to the point where I had to scrub my lips with a toothbrush raw and I still could not get all of it off! What I love about these is that they don't slip and slide around which is great and such a pet peeve of mine when it comes to stuff that is extremely pigmented on my lips. The consistency of these vary. I'll explain that later on.

L-R: Luxurious Lilac, Blissful Brown, Cool Coral, Ruby Indulgence

Now onto the lip swatches!

The ones I like the best are Ruby Indulgence and Cool Coral. Here's why:

• Ruby Indulgence is smooth and extremely pigmented. I had no problem applying this and it dries beautifully on my lips. It has no shimmer so it kind of looks like blood! After applying this, dab your lips with a tissue and you'll get a beautiful "just-ate-a-red-popsicle" look! This is probably the only red lip I'd ever be comfortable with!
• Cool Coral is such a beautiful color. It is indeed a coral color with gold sparkle that gave no issues as far as streaking. It has the 2nd thinnest consistency of all 4.
• Luxurious Lilac is my least favorite of them all. It has the thickest consistency and it's just... purple! It just did not work with my skin tone at all. The pigmentation though, is incredible. It's a bright neon purple with blue shimmer to it. It did streak quite a bit so I wouldn't suggest wearing this alone.
• Blissful Brown was the sheerest of them all but don't get me wrong, it is still very pigmented. On my lip swatch above I packed it on as much as I could and it still sheered out a little bit. It does have some silver sparkle in it but it's not very noticeable. I wouldn't suggest wearing this by itself.

In this picture I literally just woke up and I thought to myself "Hey, let's sport a red lip shall we?" Haha. (Me with Ruby Indulgence on)

I really love these and I'll be looking into getting these in more colors. Have you seen these in stores yet? Would you try these?