BITE Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Cranberry (Holidays 2013 Limited Edition @ SEPHORA)

Hey Y'all!!!

Today, I would like to share with you a new, limited-edition, lip product for the upcoming Holiday season. 

BITE is one of my favorite brands for lip products. I own two creme lipsticks, Shiraz and Pepper, and another high pigment lip pencil in the shade Rhubarb. I have also recently purchased BITE's Cashmere gloss in the shade Port. BITE Cashmere glosses is a new addition by the brand. I have not tried it yet, but am looking forward to reviewing it for y'all soon. 

BITE Cranberry is one of the products I purchased from Sephora during their recent VIB sale. These lip pencils cost $25. I paid about $20 after using my VIB 20% off coupon. 

I am a big fan of multi-functional lip products, i.e., lipstick for full impact color, lip-pencil for the definition, lip-balm for the moisture and comfort, and gloss for a youthful plumping sheen. Therefore, I am a huge fan of this new and upcoming trend of chubby lip crayons. Personally, I don't think every brand that has released these chubby lip crayons has done so successfully. However, some brands have really mastered the design of these chubby lip crayons, such as Tarte, Revlon, and BITE. 

If you are currently in the market for a multi-functional lip product or a deep berry blue-red for the Holidays, then I would definitely recommend BITE's Cranberry. If you enjoy wearing and collecting red lipsticks, then BITE Cranberry is a must-have for you. Lastly, I think this would serve as a great gift for the makeup lovers in your life this Christmas. So, don't drive, but fly to the Sephora near you, because when I purchased mine, there were only two left in stock. 

Please be aware that not all Sephora stores carry a complete stock of BITE products. Some stores only carry BITE gift sets, which are usually displayed in the waiting area leading up to the cash registers. BITE Cranberry is sold as part of a gift set. It is sold separately only at the stores that carry the entire range of the BITE brand. I would suggest calling the store near you before making a trip. 

I would describe BITE Cranberry as a berry red with blue undertones. This product is highly, highly, highly pigmented! I was able to line, define, and fill in using a single product. Although BITE Cranberry is a creamy lip color, it is not overly buttery and provides a youthful plumping sheen effect of a gloss or liquid lipstick, without the stickiness or heaviness of a gloss or liquid lipstick. This lip product feels smooth on the lips and non-drying; it does not consume the natural moisture of your lips. 

I would like to give BITE Cranberry a perfect score of 5 on 5, for its superior pigmentation, beautiful color apt for the seasonal release, comfortable texture, multi-functional aspect, user-friendly design/packaging, and alleged "natural" ingredients. The staying power is average (i.e., eating/drinking = wear off and transfer), however, because of the rich pigmentation and depth of color, a stain remains on the lips once the product wears off. 

Do you like the sweater? It is available right now at Target for $29.99. Also, if you have the patience to set up a "coupon printer," Target.com has a "$5 off of $25 or more"up on the site right now. I adore this sweater because it is so cozy and colorful. My wardrobe consists of mostly monochrome and neutral solid shades, with too many black, white, and gray items, so this adds much needed vibrance. 

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DEAL ALERT: *New* Revlon ColorBurst Matte and Lacquer Balms (Whimsical, Coy, Shameless, Standout, Enticing...) on SALE!!!

Hey Y'all!!! 

ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! HURRY SCURRY YOURSELF TO WALGREENS NOW! 

Why???

Did you like the new Revlon ColorBurst Balms? Did you love a particular color and want backups? Did you not buy any yet, waiting for a sale? Do you want to stock up on stocking stuffers for the makeup lovers in your life? Go to Walgreens while the sale and supplies last. 

All Revlon Cosmetics are 40% off at Walgreens right now. Walgreens also has coupon booklets by the entrance and these booklets contain "$2 off of Revlon ColorBurst Balms" coupons. If all this is not enough, the cashier in the beauty department found a stack of "$1 off any one Revlon item" coupons in her drawer and allowed me to use one. 

I spent about $16 (round figure / give or take a few cents) on five Revlon ColorBurst Balms. Typically, each Balm retails for $8.99 at Walgreens and $6.99 at Walmart, so this is quite a bargain.

Read my reviews on Revlon's ColorBurst Matte and Lacquer Balms here and Revlon Evening Opulence ColorBurst Gloss in Embellished here.

I would definitely recommend Revlon ColorBurst Gloss in Embellished,  Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Standout, and Revlon's ColorBurst Lacquer Balm in Enticing, especially for the Fall and Winter, festive Holiday seasons.

Although I am not a fan of some of the shades in the ColorBurst Balm range on me, I really do like the formula, texture, application, and staying power of some of these shades. The fact that I picked up a few more shades to try out, like Whimsical, Coy, and Shameless, shows that this product is definitely worth trying if you find a shade that suits you. The colors are a little tricky because as per my experience they appear brighter than I anticipated on the lips.

I like Standout and Enticing so much that I bought extras. I hope that Revlon produces some more colors once this range of lip products becomes a permanently available collection in stores.

Enticing (lacquer), Whimsical (lacquer), Standout (matte), Coy (lacquer), and Shameless (matte)... 

The prominent shimmer of the lacquer balms, which is well captured in the pictures below did not show up on my lips. So, no need to fret, these lacquer balms are not frosty. 

Whimsical (3/5) requires a few swipes for the color to show up. I would describe Whimsical as a hot mid-tone pink with blue-purple undertones. I deducted points based on impressiveness / uniqueness of color and pigmentation. Coy (5/5) is a caramel coffee brown that shows up well in a single swipe. This is not a common shade. It looks unique, yet very wearable. 

Shameless (4/5) is a potent and bold purple shade with blue-red undertones; does not apply patchy and can be toned down, but it is still a bold and unusual lip color no matter how much you tone it down. I deducted points because for me, personally, wearing shameless makes me feel slightly shameful (i.e, embarrassing, shocking, scandalous). It is a such a bold color. I was hoping that this was a wearable blackberry or grape jam sort of purple, but it is not. Also, it gives off a weird cast on my face and teeth.  

Take a look at a more in-depth review and swatches of Standout, Enticing, and other shades here.

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Revlon Colorburst Gloss Embellished (Evening Opulence Collection)

Hey Y'all!

Today, I would like to share a new gloss from Revlon's Holiday 2013 "Evening Opulence" collection. This shade, called "Embellished," is a new addition to the ColorBurst gloss range, but for a limited time only. 

I decided to purchase this shade for two reasons: the gorgeous deep wine red color and comfortable texture of Revlon's ColorBurst glosses. 

Also, these glosses are affordable - $6.99 - 7.99. I have spotted this collection at my local ULTA and Walgreens. 

If you want a deep red-wine lip color for the Holiday season, but don't like to wear full impact vampy lip colors, then this is a great option for you. This shade can be sheered out or worn full force. I like to sheer this shade out on my lips, which makes my lips appear naturally deeply pigmented. If I wear about two coats, then I attain a glossy, classy, "evening" dark lip look. Although a deep color, I feel quite comfortable wearing this shade to school. I do not feel comfortable straying away from MLBB colors for school, but this one has been an exception. 

Take a look at the pictures below to get a better idea of the shade. Again, this gloss is so pigmented for being a gloss and very comfortable. Of course this is not a sticky or heavy gloss, therefore you cannot expect this product to be long wearing. However, I must add that the staying power of this gloss is not at all "fickle" as that of some glossy products, i.e., YSL Rouge Volupte Shines. 

Go get yourself one as soon as possible!!! 

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REVLON COLOR BURST MATTE AND LACQUER BALMS: Elusive, Showy, Sultry, Standout, Ingenue, and Enticing

When Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains were released, I was so excited. I wanted to buy at least half of the collection. Ultimately, I only tried the colors Adore and Honey. I was tempted to buy Crush also, but some purple-plum toned lip colors don't suit me because they transform into a bright magenta on my lips, and bright magenta is just not my favored cup of tea. Adore looked like a sheer burnt red-orange-brown on me. Yuck! I had heard others describe Adore as a deep red. Well, where was the deep red? Honey looked like a bright silvery mid-tone pink. Yuck, again! This one had been described as a subtle pinky-mauve "MLBB" shade. Well, not on me! 

So, when I first heard about Revlon Colorburst Matte and Lacquer Balms, I once again joined everyone else in the "hyped-up" group. However, I grounded my expectations as I recalled my experience with the Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains.

PRICE and AVAILABILITY 
$6.99 @ Walmart
$8.99 @ CVS, Rite Aid, ULTA
I have not spotted these yet at Walgreens. ULTA just got these last week. 

PACKAGING 

Mattes

Lacquers 

Protective Seal - Other beauty bloggers criticized this flimsy seal, but I like it. Firstly, it is not flimsy. You really have to make an effort to get it to come off. I still have the seal on mine even though I have opened and closed the lipstick several times. Secondly, I was able to see the color before purchasing the shades. Of course I did not swatch the colors in the store, which is what some people might do with a shade like this. I suppose some may argue that even just opening to take a peek at the color is not okay because the product gets exposed to air, but then I would like to rebut by saying that drugstore brands should consider allowing stores to keep testers, rather than losing profits through customer returns. However, others might argue that the brands have enough of a margin that returns don't really put a dent in their profits, so whatever. Let's leave economics for another day. 

COLORS

Mattes - Sultry, Standout 

Lacquers - Ingenue, Enticing 

SWATCHES

Standout, Sultry, Elusive, and Showy (B-T) 

Ingenue, Enticing (T-B) 

Elusive (1/5) - I decided to give one point solely because I like the packaging of the Matte balms. First, other beauty bloggers described Elusive as a MLBB shade. Goodness gracious, does this look like a MLBB shade on me? No! It looks like a horrid light medicinal pink. It looks "chalkier" in person than this picture captures it to be. The formula is a true matte, but on overdrive or shall I say over-dry. 

Showy (1/5) - 1 point given for packaging as with Elusive above. The color is the biggest issue here. Honestly, on my lips and due to the "chemistry" of the lip color and my lips, these shades (Elusive, Showy, Sultry) appear quite stark, bright, pastel-like, and/or neon-ish on me. I don't know why! Like I said, be prepared for this to dry out your lips, even if your lips are normal like mine. I don't have naturally dry lips. 

Sultry (1/5) - 1 point awarded for packaging as with Elusive and Showy above. Many beauty bloggers have described Sultry as a deep neutral mauve-pink. From the looks of the packaging color, I expected the shade to be a light reddish-brown berry shade. However, on me, as you can see in the picture below, this shade looks like a coral pink with golden sheen. Personally, I am not a fan of coral pink or coral rosy shades. The formula of this shade is a true matte. Don't let the sheen fool you. As soon as I applied it, my lips transformed from appearing smooth and plump to dry and wrinkled. I had high expectation for this shade. I was definitely disappointed. 

Standout (5/5) - If you want to try these Matte balms, the one color you aught to try, is Standout. And for those who have a fascination with red lip colors, you need to buy this shade and add it to your collection. I really like this shade. Once again keep in mind that lip colors may appear drastically different on varying skin tone. For example, on many fair skinned beauty bloggers, Standout looks like a deep port-wine red shade. On the other hand, on me this shade looks like a bright red. In fact it is so bright on me that I might even like to describe it as the ideal, summer trend, "red-orange." Even though this is not a blue-toned red, it makes me teeth sparkle and look whiter than the natural teeth white. Standout is the perfect matte formula. It looks matte, but doesn't feel like a matte. This particular shade did not make my lips look dry, wrinkled, or chalky. You can observe a slight sheen in the picture below. The shade lacks the slip and "greasy" texture of a creme, but has the comfort of a creme, while the color stays put. I have worn this shade for hours! This lasted a lot longer than my usually three to fours hours of wear from most, if not all, of my lip products. I cannot say exactly how long, but perhaps five to seven hours. Yes, seriously, even if I ate a meal, this leave behind a full of apple red stained effect! Lastly, Standout does not transfer easily, which is great because red can be such a messy color. Whenever my mom and dad come to visit me, I always cry a lot once it is time for them to leave. So, as my dad hugged me goodbye, told me to stay happy, and that I'm his Princess, I was concerned that my lipstick would stain his white dress shirt sleeve, but surprisingly it did not. 

Ingenue (1/5) - This shade is a joke. A waste of your $7 to $9. There is minuscule to no color pay off. The formula is nice, so Ingenue gets one point. However, I am being very generous because nice does not imply great or unique. Ingenue just provides a sheen on your lips, like a lip balm would, however, it does not provide the hydration akin to a traditionally superior balm. Don't except your chapped lips to be treated. If you are a clear lip gloss lover, this is not for you either, because it does not have the glossy impact of a gloss. It only provides a slight sheen and disappears very quickly, leaving behind a little shimmer on your lips. This might look nice on someone with a very fair skin tone and lightly pigmented lips, but even they may need to apply it several times to get even a subtle effect. 

Enticing (4/5) - This shade is the glossy, sheer, subdued version of Standout. However, I thought the two shades were distinct enough to keep both. This shade is not as long lasting as Standout, but it stays in place until you eat food. I'm not too fond of the packaging for Ingenue and Enticing. It is festive and reminds me of Christmas ornaments, so I like it for now as we approach the Holidays, but otherwise it is looks cheap. The matte packaging looks more clean and subtle, yet color-oriented, thus user-friendly. 

Wearing my favorite shade of the whole bunch - Standout! Basically, "Standout" is the only shade that stood out to me. I love it!!! It is my version of a matte Hollywood red. 

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Maybelline Color Elixir by Color Sensational: Caviar Couture, Amethyst Potion, Mystic Mauve, Intoxicating Spice, Caramel Infused, Raspberry Rhapsody, Rose Redefined, and Signature Scarlet.

New Lip Colors by Maybelline: COLOR ELIXIR by COLOR SENSATIONAL 

Caviar Couture, Amethyst Potion, Mystic Mauve, and Signature Scarlet... 

Intoxicating Spice, Caramel Infused, Raspberry Rhapsody, and Rose Redefined...

Signature Scarlet, Mystic Mauve, Amethyst Potion, and Caviar Couture... 

Caramel Infusion, Raspberry Rhapsody, Rose Redefined, and Intoxicating Spice... 

 

Rose Redefined 

Intoxicating Spice 

Caramel Infused 

Raspberry Rhapsody 

Mystic Mauve 

Amethyst Potion 

Signature Scarlet 

Caviar Couture 

REVIEW

The first time I heard of these new Maybelline's Color Elixir lip colors was on Nouveau Cheap and Musings of the Muse (my favorite blog, motivation, and inspiration). I was waiting eagerly for these to arrive at my local drugstores. Some people, who live near a Bed, Bath, & Beyond, were able to get their hands on these fresh out of the "makeup release" oven. However, I don't live near a BBB with a beauty department, so I have been waiting almost two to three weeks since I first heard of these. I finally was able to buy my first round of these at a Walmart ($7) and the second round at Walgreens ($8.99 - BOGO). I cannot express the extent of my admiration for these amazing lip colors. I love these Color Elixirs. 

So, what are Color Elixirs? Maybelline Color Elixir is described by Maybelline as a lipstick, lip gloss, and lip balm, three in one product. Do I agree with Maybelline's description of the Color Elixirs? Yes!!! In my opinion these Color Elixirs have a gel-like formula. What do I mean by gel-like formula? These lip colors are richly pigmented and opaque, yet appear "glassy" on the lips. Yes, glassy as well as glossy. Color Elixirs do not feel heavy or sticky. These lip colors are non-drying and feel pleasant on the lips. I am not sure whether or not this lip product can heal chapped lips like a traditional balm, however, this product definitely does not take the moisture out of your lips. In fact, my lips feel pretty smooth, with a slight balmy feeling, once the color wears off. The color selection is great as you can see above. Of course this product is not long-wearing like a stain, but Color Elixir is not a staining product. I definitely do not feel the need to continuously reapply these, unless I eat a proper meal. So, you can expect the butteriness and pigmentation of a creamy lipstick, subtle shimmer and/or intense sheen of a gloss, and balmy feeling of a not-so-overbearing lip balm. Lastly, the more this product "absorbs" or "sets" into your lips, the better it looks as the glossiness subdues and color becomes richer. 

Although I would never purchase a high-end nail polish and only own drug-store/salon brand nail colors, I am sort of a snob when it comes to lip products. I mostly own high-end lip products because drug-store lip products have been a disappointment most of the time. If you feel the way I do, I encourage you to try a Maybelline Color Elixir. I think this lip product meets and exceeds the standard of almost all of the high-end lipsticks I have tried. For example, these Color Elixirs are far better than the Chanel's lacquer glosses, Bobbi Brown full color glosses, Lancome's lacquer glosses, Marc Jacobs full color glosses, etc. Shall I say more? The just feel and look excellent. 

Packaging: 5/5

Pigmentation: 5/5

Color Range/Selection: 5/5

Formula: 5/5

Application: 5/5

Staying Power: 3/5

Affordability: 5/5 (Almost thought 4, but then again these are most definitely worth every penny!) 

Sunscreen: n/a (If this product contained sunscreen, it would be a miracle product!)

I have two last comment on these amazing lip colors. They have surpassed my admiration for Rimmel's  "Show Off" Lacquers and my only gripe is that there should be a deeper red berry or port-wine shade, somewhere in the middle of Caviar Couture and Signature Scarlet. I think Signature Scarlet is more suitable for lighter skin-toned gals. 

I might update this post if I purchase any more shades or think of more wonderful things to say about these new lip products. I was too eager to post these and let y'all get a sniff of the goods. 

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