Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks Iconic Vintage Collection: Jungle Peach, Snow Peach, and Fifth Avenue Red (Limited Edition)

Hey y'all! Today, I would like to share my review and swatches of three of the five recently re-released Iconic Vintage Revlon Superlustrous shades.  The collection includes five shades: Icy Violet (1946), Sandstorm (1999), Jungle Peach (1963), Snow Peach (1956), and Fifth Avenue Red (1958). 

 I found the limited edition display yesterday morning at my local Walgreens.  The beauty advisor had set it up moments before I came in, so the display was untouched and fresh for the picking.  

Individually, the lipsticks are marked down from $8.29 to $6.99.  If you purchase two, then you get an additional discount.  I purchased Jungle Peach first, which costed $6.99.  I like to make purchases in smaller increments rather than all in one go.  It is a bit overwhelming and I do like to ponder on whether I really desire the items at all.  So, I kept Snow Peach and Fifth Avenue Red on hold, tested out Jungle Peach, thought over it, and then purchased the remaining two shades last night. I paid $6.99 for the first lipstick and $3.49 for the second one (minus the retail tax).  

Unlike some other beauty bloggers, I was not per say desperate (i.e., eager / no negativity implied here) to find these lipsticks, but I must admit that the sentimentality behind the fact that these lipsticks are vintage shades and might bring back memories for those fashionistas who rocked these shades in their heydays allured me to buy at least one.  I am not a fan of frost or shimmer finishes and did not even consider trying Icy Violet or Sandstorm.  Here are the three creme shades I bought: 

1963's JUNGLE PEACH

1956's SNOW PEACH and 1958's FIFTH AVENUE RED 

The formula of these particular shades was especially creamy and appropriately emollient.  I own a few Revlon Superlustrous lipsticks and do like the formula in general, but these lipsticks glided on buttery smooth.  I think this was the main reason I opted to purchase two more shades.  These lipsticks feel moisturizing like a quality balm.  Jungle Peach looks a bit streaky on my natural (medium) pigmented lips, but it does not bother me because I am in love with the texture. These lipsticks also have a subtle sheen, which gives a plump and healthy appearance to your lips.  I might need to occasionally blend Jungle Peach out or apply a few swipes to make it look less streaky, but Snow Peach and Fifth Avenue Red come off fully opaque in one swipe. The traditional tear-drop shape of the Revlon Superlustrous bullet helps with applying the color within the lips outline. 

Overall, I am definitely happy with these three additions to my ever-growing collection of lipsticks.  I would definitely recommend purchasing these soon because these lipsticks have been re-released for a limited time only, the displays only carry two of each of the five shades, and they are currently on sale at Walgreens. 

I hope y'all enjoyed this review and found it helpful.  I am not as chatty today as I usually am in my blog posts.  I have not been feeling well for the past few weeks and am behind on studies and other work, and still recovering.  "I am so tired," is my currently coined phrase.  Fortunately, I had surgery (wisdom teeth extraction) a few days ago and now the four impacted monstrous wisdom teeth, which actually sucked all the wisdom out of my life for the past three weeks, are gone. Yay! 

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COVERGIRL Lip Perfection Lip Color in Delicious (Pastelicious Collection)

Hey y'all!!! Today, I am reviewing Cover Girl's Lip Perfection Lip Color in Delicious. 

I adore lilac, lavender, and mauve shades. Although these shades look very flattering as nail colors my hands, I have not had the best luck finding one that suits me in the form of a lip color. 

It's sort of ironic how trends change. I remember when matching lips and nails or cheeks and lips was a fashion no no, but I am under the impression that it is quite trendy at present. Boy o boy! I would be ever so ecstatic if I found the ideal lilac, lavender, or mauve shades for me to pair up with the overwhelming number of nail polishes I have in these particular shades. 

When I saw the display of the Pastelicious collection at my Walgreens, I was thrilled over the moon about it. Walgreens had marked down the Cover Girl lipsticks to $6.99 about a month ago. My Beau bought it as part of my birthday makeup shopping escapade. 

I had seen a couple of swatches, but not many, and no reviews at all. Inferring from the few swatches I saw online and the colored cube at the bottom of the lipstick tube, I assumed Delicious was a deep mauve-pink shade. It definitely looks like that  swatched on my arm, right? I shrieked with joy when I swatched it on my arm. 

However, once I brought it up to my face to apply it on the lips, I got a whiff of the lipstick and it was not pleasant. I recently reviewed a Cover Girl lipstick from the Bombshell Collection, which also had a strong scent, but it was not unpleasant or unbearable as this one. I would describe the scent as a strong plastic smell, not medicinal, but rather unnatural and obviously not pleasant, like fruity or floral or sweet  scents. 

Lastly, after finally applying it on my lips, I did not like the color at all. I removed it right away. I tried it once more and applied a pink gloss on top, but it did not look good on me. I felt clownish wearing this shade because it turned into a bright, pastel, milky lavender shade on my lips. 

Ugh! At this point I am utterly confused. I think I need to read a book about undertones - warm, cool, neutral, blue, yellow. Some blue-reds, not all, definitely suit me, but blue-toned pinks don't suit me. It is as if these shades transform from blue to yellow toned on me and make my teeth looks yellower than Shrek's (slight exaggeration). Yes, my teeth are not pearly white, but they are a natural white, and pretty decent given that I am an avid coffee drinker. I need someone to explain this trick on the eyes, please! I think that warmer mauve lip colors that one would associate with the Fall/Autumn season look nice on me, but the lighter, more Springy shades do not. So, unfortunately, Orchid is definitely not my lip color of the year. I stay far away from blue-purple toned pinks and yellow, orange, and brown toned reds. The boring warm and neutral tones keep me good company. 

This is a creme formulation and it feels creamy. This shade applies smoothly and appears opaque in one to two swipes. Generally, I find that the Lip Perfection formula is drying. Now, I don't want to mislead y'all with this statement. It makes my lips look dry and feel dry, while I am wearing it, but it does not suck the moisture out of my lips like Stila Stay All Day liquid lipsticks or any true matte, highly pigmented, staining lipsticks. The deeper shade (Ravish from the Bombshell) collection, which I reviewed a few posts ago, did not look as drying as this one. I attribute that to Delicious being a lighter and pastel shade, while Ravish was a deeper reddish-pink shade. 

Overall, I would only recommend this lipstick to those who are not sensitive to the strong, cosmetic-plastic, scent and like such shades. Before purchasing this lipstick, the swatches I found were on fairer skin-tones. This shade looks much brighter and pastel-like on my beige skin-tone, while it looked like a subtle mauve-pink on them. 

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FLOWER BEAUTY Kiss Me Twice Lip & Cheek Chubby in Raisin the Roof, Apricot-a-lot, Think Pink, & Rosie Posie...

Hey y'all! If y'all follow me on Instagram, then y'all have been seeing pictures of these new Lip and Cheek Chubbies I bought from Walmart. I have also purchased other new products from Drew Barrymore's Flower Beauty Spring release. For now I am going to start off with a review on this two-in-one lip and cheek product. 

I purchased four of the five shades displayed in my local Walmart. The fifth shade that I did not purchase was a deep hot fuchsia shade, which I thought would not suit my skin-tone. 

I must begin my review by saying that this was a difficult product to test out. I am quite boggled by this product. Although this is a two-in-one product, I preferred one shade shade for the lips, another shade for the cheeks, and neither of the remaining shades for either lips or cheeks. 

Availability / Price: Walmart, $9.99 

Packaging 

Image #1: Rosie Posie, Think Pink, Apricot-a-lot, and Raisin the Roof

Image #2: Raisin the Roof, Rosie Posie, Apricot-a-lot, and Think Pink

Color / Pigmentation 

On the arms... 

Image #1: top to bottom shades Apricot-a-lot, Think Pink, Rosie Posie, and Raisin the Roof 

Image #2: same shades blended out 

On the lips... 

Raisin the Roof is a deep berry red. This is the only shade that applied appropriately on the lips. It felt and looked like velvet. Very pigmented! 

Think Pink is a bright hot pink with a yellow undertone. On the lips, this shade looks lighter and more like a bubble gum pink. From a far I think it looks normal, but as you get closer it looks unusually patchy and dry. I would not even describe it as matte. I even tried lip balm, which did not improve the appearance whatsoever. Very pigmented! 

Rosie Posie is a dusty mauve-pink with a brown base. On my lips, this shade looks like a baby pink, but chalky and powdery as you can see in the picture below. Optimal pigmentation for a natural looking blush. 

Apricot-a-lot is a light peach. On my lips, this shade looks chalky and white as you can see in the picture below. Poor pigmentation on the cheeks. I did not bother taking a picture of this on my cheeks because it did not show up at all. 

Formula: Cream to powder.

Texture: Applies wet, but dries fast. 

Application: The product dries fast. It turns from cream to a powder that sort of sticks in place very quickly. The product is difficult to control and blend. I used a lot of force to blend it out, which did not feel pleasant. 

Longevity: two to three hours. 

On the cheeks... 

Image #1: Raisin the Roof / Image #2: Rosie Posie 

Images #1-3: Think Pink 

In these pictures I'm demonstrating for y'all how I applied these. First, I applied Think Pink in a horizontal tear drop shape or in the shape of my cheek bones. Second, I used the Elf Stippling Brush (Target $3) for this shade (Think Pink) and the Real Techniques Buffing Brush (ULTA $8.99) for other three shades. Finally, I thought I may have applied too much product, so I used a towel to buff it out. At this point, I concluded that I had roughhoused with my poor cheeks and felt immense guilt. I turned 25 a few weeks ago and am experiencing the quarter-life-crisis and treating my physical appearance (skin, hair, etc.) as a fleeting moment to capture and cherish while it lasts. 

In a nutshell... 

I liked Raisin the Roof as a lip color and Rosie Posie as a cheek color. Although I liked the concept behind the product, I am not at all impressed by the execution. Honestly, $9.99 is a hefty price to pay for a two-in-one product that is only partially meeting its function. I was really looking forward to trying these, but now I am feeling overwhelmed by the fact that I bought four of them and cannot wait to return them. As a beauty blogger I invest a lot in purchasing products to review for my readers, but I it would not feel right to waste hard earned money on something I cannot imagine using ever again. I would not even give these away to someone. Lastly, I want to point out that typically creme blushes are recommended for individuals with dry skin, right! Or am I wrong? Well, when I was applying these, I thought to myself that maybe if I had an emollient base on like foundation, I could maybe blend these blushes better rather than tugging at my cheeks with my stippling or buffing brushes. 

Likes 

• Color Selection 
• Excellent Pigmentation (except Apricot-a-lot) 
• Cute "Chubby" Packaging 

Dislikes

• Expensive for drug-store makeup or Walmart makeup. 
• Time consuming - not meant for someone who applies makeup on the go, at a stop sign, or at a red light. 
• Hard to control and blend product 
• Application process is rough on cheeks
• Application will not be easy for makeup beginners 
• Formula / Texture is tough to decipher - is it a cream, a powder, or a sticky powder? 

Well, that's all folks. Have a beautiful day! 

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The Balm INSTAIN Long Wear Staining Powder Blush: Argyle, Toile, and Houndstooth

Hey y'all!!! 

I watched one Youtube review (by Beauty Broadcast) on theBalm INSTAIN blushes and was immediately convinced that I wanted to buy a few.  These beautiful babies made their debut last year, but around that time my local Sephora stopped carrying theBalm brand and I am not much of an online shopper.  I tried to purchase these blushes during theBalm's 50% off flash sale in the Fall of 2013, but the website crashed and I received an error page whenever I attempted to checkout. 

Out of the blue, Kohl's remodeled and expanded its beauty department, and theBalm is one of the brands it began selling.  I think I have a beautiful "material girl in a material world" angel up in heaven, who listens to all my girly whims, and grants my wishes.  I am by no means joking.  I firmly believe this is true. 

Availability / Price 

TheBalm INSTAIN blushes are sold at Kohl's, Kohls.com, and theBalm.com; $22 each as sold separately; $34 for a set of three blushes (the amount of product of each blush in the set is equal to the amount of product of each blush sold separately, so do not assume that the amount in the set is less because of the excellent bargain price - $11.33/blush-in-set). 

I lucked out because the three colors I wanted to buy were the exact three available as a set.  However, the sets change.  The first time I saw this set at Kohl's (around Thanksgiving), I did not buy it because I had only liked one of the shades in the selection of shades available at that time.  Recently, I was on the Kohl's website and noted that the selection of colors had changed.  I rushed to Kohl's the following day and exchanged the single blush I had bought (in the shade Toile) for the set of three blushes, which included Toile in addition to the two other colors I had wanted, Argyle and Houndstooth. 

Packaging 

The pictures below clearly demonstrate the creative, vintage, adorable packaging. The blushes open up like a miniature book and close securely because of a magnet between the top (lid) and bottom (product pan). The book-shaped packaging has an additional sleeve like cover than slides on top and it displays the same artwork in the front and back as the book-shaped blush that slides inside. I like the addition of a mirror and appreciate the lack of an applicator, which would have made the packaging unnecessarily bulky. The mirror has a little saying on top of it, which adds charm as well. "Wear it well... Vous va bien..."  

Toile... is a coral peachy-pink. 

Although leaning more warm-toned than neutral-to-cool, I appreciate that this blush does not have a yellowish undertone. It suits my beige/olive complexion beautifully. I cannot wear blushes that lean red, orange, amber, or bronze because it emphasizes the yellow undertones in my skin, which I dislike. Mauve-pink, plum-pink, and berry-pink shades are ideal for my skin-tone. So, Toile is a nice change from the boring same old shades because it has the right balance of warm coral and peach. It looks so natural and adds a healthy flush of color, which in turn brightens my complexion. 

Argyle... is a soft, neutral-toned, baby pink. 

I absolutely adore this color as much as Toile. Toile and Argyle are my favorites! Argyle is another unique addition to my collection because it is a pure pink, unlike the plummy, mauve, and berry pinks I own. It is a young, refreshing, and brightening shade. 

Houndstooth... is a subtle mauve-pink. 

This color did not show up on me very well, which is so surprising because it is second to the deepest shade in the entire collection of six shades. I swiped (not dabbed) my brush a few times to grab enough pigment to show up on my face. The color looks so beautiful in the pan, but I wish it had shown up on me. 

Formula / Texture / Application / Longevity 

TheBalm describes the INSTAIN blushes as a staining powder. I did not notice a "staining" effect. After watching the Beauty Broadcast review on these blushes, I was expecting intense pigmentation and a staining effect. So, when I first applied the Toile blush, I lightly dabbed my brush into the product. The light dabbing was not enough. I liberally swipe my brush twice or thrice across the pan and only then am able to pick up enough color to show up. Toile and Argyle show up beautifully and perhaps I might have overdone it so I could capture the shades for photographing purposes. I still remain unsatisfied with Houndstooth. 

These blushes feel velvety smooth to the touch and on the face. I really the like the texture, which I would describe as a buttery soft powder. The product blends out very nicely; not at all patchy or difficult to control and spread like NARS. Oh, the irony! I was surprised by the subtlety of the pigmentation, yet I appreciate the shade selections, application, and texture. Lastly, like I mentioned I did not notice "staining" and the wear-time was the typically four to five hours for me. Most of the blushes I own require touching up after a few hours. Please keep in mind that I do not wear base makeup, so the blush does not have anything other than my moisturizer to adhere to. Overall, my cons are that I was expecting wild pigmentation and "staining" effect. I thought a light dab of the brush would be enough. So, I have struggled with properly applying this blush because either the color is not showing up enough or I am applying too much. The pros are the color selection, texture, and blending capacity. I do not regret purchasing Toile and Argyle, but my experience with these blushes was definitely different from Emily's experience (Beauty Broadcast). 

Toile / Houndstooth / Argyle 

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Fashion Look Book # 2: What's trending in my closet? (#OOTDs)

Image #1: Sweater from Express; Jacket from Express; Head Band from Charming Charlie 

Image #2: Sweater from Express; Jacket from Express; Jeans by Celebrity Jeans from Dillard's; Boots from Francesca's; Earrings from Francesca's  

Image #1: Sweater from Express; Tights from Express; Boots from Francesca's; Tank-top from Kohl's;  Earrings from Icing's; Bracelet from Francesca's 

Image #2: Sweater from Express; Jeans by Celebrity Jeans from Dillard's; Boots from Bakers; Tank-top from Kohl's; Earrings from Target; Bracelets from Kohl's 

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Maybelline Color Sensational "The Buffs" Lipsticks in Touchable Taupe, Truffle Tease, Stormy Sahara, and Untainted Spice (Part 2)

Hey y'all! 

Yep! Yep! I bought not one more, but four more shades from the Maybelline Color Sensational "The Buffs" collection. I used a $1.25 off Target coupon on each. Originally, these cost $4.99 at Target. 

In this post, I will provide swatches and a brief updated review. Please click here to read my complete in-depth review of these new lipsticks from Maybelline. The first two colors I purchased from this collection are called Sin-a-Mon and Espresso Exposed, which the colors y'all will read about in the in-depth review post. The second time around, I purchased showing Stormy Sahara, Untainted Spice, Truffle Tease, and Touchable Taupe. 

Truffle Tease and Untainted Spice (L-R)

Stormy Sahara and Touchable Taupe (L-R)

Touchable Taupe (taupe-beige, but surprisingly equally gray, but more brown version of Sin-a-Mon) 

Truffle Tease (medium nude, i.e., corpse look for olive/beige skin-tones) 

Stormy Sahara (peachy nude)

Untainted Spice (deep rosy pink with a brown undertone)

Updated Review / Brief Overview

I think my two favorite shade out of the four shades above are Stormy Sahara and Truffle Tease. I really like Sin-a-Mon (see Part 1), so I think I should not have purchased Touchable Taupe as well. The two shades are quite similar, but I like Sin-a-Mon more. Sin-a-Mon is a milkier version of Touchable Taupe, with less brown and equal amount of gray. Sin-a-Mon seems trendier and more unique. 

I definitely did not need Untainted Spice. It is a better version of my natural lip color. Surprisingly, Untainted Spice is also the sheer shade of the bunch because as y'all can see in the picture above, it looks like it has a sheen and is not fully opaque. Unfortunately, I don't see myself reaching out for Untainted Spice at all, so I might return it. 

"The Buffs" is my favorite collection of the Maybelline Color Sensational lipsticks. I am now tempted to try the red-orange shade from "The Vivids" collection. Perhaps, I will exchange Untainted Spice for it. 

I have a tendency to shop for nail polishes in the drug-stores and lip products at more high-end stores, like Sephora, ULTA, and select department stores.    My brain automatically shuts out high-end nail polishes and I really don't know why and vise versa for lip products. Overall, I am a proponent of high-end lip products, unless a drug-store one seems like it deserves a second look. I would much rather buy one lip product I love and cannot stray away from rather than a few for the same price that I like, but can let go of. However, writing a beauty blog focused mainly on reviews has made me more experimental and as a result I have come across a few treasurable lip products at the drugstore. So, what makes "The Buffs"standout to me? 

What do I appreciate about these lipsticks? I appreciate that these nude shades apply so uniformly and opaque on my medium-pigmented lips in two or three swipes. These nude shades have deep brown and gray undertones, which creates a balance between warm and cool tones, making these nudes flattering for warmer, deeper, tanned, olive, and beige skin-tones. 

These lipsticks are creamy, but semi-matte.  I recommend using a dab of gloss to add shine to these shades, but only if you want the sheen effect (except for Untainted Spice). Personally, I would not use a gloss because I think the high-sheen effect would take away from the original charm of these nude shades. 

These lipsticks glide on smoothly, feel creamy on the lips, and are not dehydrating, but do not expect these to add hydration or moisturize your lips. After testing these lipsticks out for about a month now, I have observed that after the product has been on your lips for some time, reapplication might be necessary (per personal preference) for the lipstick to appear creamy again because the product tends to set in place like a semi-matte stain (without the staining power of course as this is not a stain). I am planning to wear a lip balm with these lipsticks because I prefer a creamy semi-matte appearance instead of fully matte nude lips. 

The mild cosmetic scent (i.e., mixture of candy and plastic) of these lipsticks are not bother me. I don't even notice a scent unless I intentionally sniff the tube. The scent is not as overpowering as the scent of the Cover Girl Lip Perfection and Milani Color Statement lipsticks. 

Lastly, I think the staying power of these lipsticks is quite good. Of course eating and drinking will cause color to transfer and wear off. 

Well, this synopsis is not brief at all as I had aimed it to be when I began writing this post, but please do take a look at the Part 1 post as well. Thanks! 

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