ULTA BEAUTY HAUL | ChaiTimewithMeesha

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RIMMEL LONDON STAY BLUSHED LIQUID CHEEK TINT: Apricot Glow 005, Pop of Pink 001, Touch of Berry 002, and Sunkissed Cherry 004

Hey y'all! As a beauty enthusiast, trying out a new shades and different brands of lipstick or blush is generally exciting.  However, it is especially exciting to try out a new "concept" or "innovation" in the beauty world. 

In my opinion, the Rimmel London Stay Blush Liquid Cheek Tints are quite innovative.  Perhaps makeup artists or more experienced beauty bloggers than myself may have already tried a product such as these cheek tints, but for me its definitely the first time. 

I seem to only be capable of writing an extensive review on a product when my experience with or opinion of the product is in the intermediate or gray-zone.  When I am fully satisfied and happy or dissatisfied and regretful, then my reviews seem to be brief.  Well, not always, but let us continue with the review... 

What can I say? Well, let me begin by saying that I simply adore these cheek tints!  Sometimes I think that I really need to spice up my reviews, add a little "masala" to them. After all, I am Indian.  Instead of building up the suspense, I already gave y'all my conclusion. 

Availability / Price 

Thus far I have only spotted these at one of my local Walmarts. So, these might be hard to find for now.   The display at my local Walmart only had five shades.  I picked up four of the five with the assumption that the shade I opted not to buy would have been too light for my skin-tone.  These cheek tints are very affordable - about $2.99 each.  The price sort of surprised me.  After all, these tubes are the size of a typical lip gloss tube and drug-store lip glosses cost about $5 to $10 at a minimum.  I don't really compare or think about product price in terms of product quantity when it comes to makeup.  I care more for product quality when considering product price.  As far as quality is considered, the low price of these cheek tints blows me away in a good way. 

Packaging 

Considering the formula of the product, I like that these cheek tints come in a tube.  The tube is easy to squeeze and the product comes out nicely - no over flow, no excessive squeezing required.  The tube opening stays relatively clean.  I like the wash of color against the white background as the tube's external design.  The color scheme also gives you an idea of what cheek tint shade to expect.  These tubes are not sealed though, so I would remove the cap and check the tube opening to make sure that no one has tampered with it. 

Colors / Pigmentation / Scent 

The swatches in the pictures below are in the following order, your left to right: Apricot Glow (001), Pop of Pink (004), Sun-kissed Cherry (005), and Touch of Berry (002).  

These cheek tints have a beautiful, subtle rose-floral scent.  Personally, the scent reminds me of high-end makeup scents.  

My favorite two shades are Touch of Berry and Sun-kissed Cherry.  Sun-kissed Berry is a deeper version of Apricot Glow and Touch of Berry is a deeper version of Pop of Pink.

The pigmentation is demonstrated by the pictures below.  I used two pumps of the deeper two shade and three pumps of the lighter two shades to achieve the look I desired.  Of course I blended it out more on my face than I did on my arms.  The swatches on my arms are less blended out, so I can show the variation amongst the shades.  Now for your reference, I am one of those people that like a "pop of color" or "flushed" look rather than a very subtle wash of color.

The following picture shows the product when I initially squeezed it out of the tube.  Each drop equals one pump. 

Formula / Application / Staying Power 

I would describe the formula of these cheek tints as a mousse-gel hybrid.  I like to apply these cheek tints using my fingers.  It does not feel unhygienic to me.  I think using a stippling brush might over blend these cheek tints and misguide you into believing that these cheek tints are not nicely pigmented.   

Once applied on the cheeks, you may notice a very slight dewy appearance, but when you touch your cheeks, you will not feel any stickiness or tackiness.  Another feature of these cheek tints that blew me away was the staying power.  As you all know I don't wear face base makeup and despite the fact that I had nothing on to set this product in place, my cheeks stayed "tinted" for more than the average 

three to four hours.  Dare I say, the Touch of Berry cheek tint stayed on my cheeks for a seven hour drive.  Of course it gradually faded out and reapplication would be necessary for a fresher look, but it did not completely disappear.  I used two pumps of the product on each cheek. 

In the picture below I have blended out the cheek tints with my fingers.  These swatches below were captured in natural light. 

The following picture is taken with flash. 

In the picture below, I added a pinch more product to each swatch.  Pictures sometimes tend to wash out the effect of the colors.  This picture was taken in natural light. 

These cheek tints would be great for someone who does not have a lot of time to get ready in the morning.  The small size and ease of application, makes these cheek tints excellent for travel, carry-on luggage, to keep in your purse, touch up during a bathroom break, and in general on-the-go.  These days everyone seems like they are catchin' a train that they are extremely late for - huffin' and puffin' away. 

Whether you are a fan of creme blushes or not a fan, you may want to try these cheek tints.  Overall, these cheek tints are Meesha approved, stamped, and sealed!  Y'all know I only say this when I am very excited to share my thoughts on a product. 

I hope this post was informative and helpful. Your friendly comments are much appreciated. 

Come back soon. Thanks!

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Announcement: I already mentioned this in my previous post.  I apologize for the redundancy, but just want to make sure I reach out to anyone interested.  I am planning on having a blog sale in the near future, possibly May or June.  I am graduating this May from law school and moving, so I would like to clean out and downsize my makeup collection.  Some of the items that I am planning to sell include Tarte blushes in Natural Beauty and Exposed, The Balm In-stain blush in Houndstooth, YSL lipsticks, Chanel lipsticks, and Too Faced lipsticks. The items I plan to sell have been swatched for blogging purposes and that is the extent of their use. Please feel free to email me if you are interested and share this with your friends. I have not decided on the prices yet.  I will most probably post the sale on here and Instagram. 

Radiant Orchid: Pantone Color of the Year 2014 (Beauty Edition)

Hey y'all. Today's post has been inspired by the gradient of shades that fall under the umbrella of Radiant Orchid. When I first heard that Pantone's "Color of the Year" for 2014 was deemed Radiant Orchid, I thought to myself, "I was already rockin' this last year." In fact, for the past two or three years, especially around Spring and Summer, I have been drawn to - with blinders on - lilac, lavender, and fuchsia-purple pastel shades. 

At first I was not planning on doing a post dedicated to the Radiant Orchid theme. I don't find purple based makeup particularly flattering on me. The closest I come to wearing purple based makeup is by wearing deep mauve pink and plum shades. Recently, I tried a lipstick by Cover Girl in the shade Delicious. Although I have plenty of nail colors like the shade Delicious and do think such a shade looks lovely on my hands, I cannot carry off such shades on my lips against my skin-tone. Fortunately, thereafter I purchased another shade by Cover Girl called Tantalize. I believe Tantalize is exactly what I had expected Delicious to look like on me. So, Tantalize, which is the color I am wearing in the picture below, is the better suited version of Delicious for girls with a similar skin-tone as me. 

My research for today's post began with this look below: 

What am I wearing? Cover Girl Bombshell Shine Shadow in Oh La La Lilac on the eyes deepened with a matte plum purple shade in the crease and blended out; Milani Baked Matte Blush in Delizioso Pink; Cover Girl Bombshell Lip Perfection Lipstick in Tantalize. 

However, I did not stop here. I selected two more blushes and plenty of more lip colors as y'all can see from the pictures. I posted one of these images on my Instagram to give a preview, but then I got carried away. 

The picture on the top left corner, first box, are my blush selections: Milani Baked Matte Blush in Delizioso Pink (bottom), Milani Baked Blush in Fantasia Mauve (middle), and Sleek Makeup Blush in Pomegranate (top). 

The picture on the bottom right, fourth box, displays the swatches for four of my top five lipstick "Radiant Orchid" lip color selections are: Cover Girl Bombshell Lip Perfection Lipstick in Tantalize (bottom left), Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Lipstick in #47 L'Amoureuse (top left), Purminerals 

Chateau de Vine Lipstick in Show Off (top right), and Milani Power Lip in Raspberry Tart (bottom right). 

Here are the lip swatches to match the arm swatches above: Cover Girl Bombshell Lip Perfection Lipstick in Tantalize (first), Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Lipstick in #47 L'Amoureuse (second), Purminerals Chateau de Vine Lipstick in Show Off (third), and Milani Power Lip in Raspberry Tart (fourth). Adding Rimmel London Lasting Finish Colour Balm in Viva Violet (fifth) was an afterthought, so I do not have an arm swatch for it.

Y'all may think the inquiry stopped once I added a fifth shade, right? Hereafter, I posted the picture above where I have displayed all of Radiant Orchid selections on Instagram. I think I gravitated towards the products mentioned above because they are all new additions to my makeup collection. 

Once I posted the picture on Instagram, I thought to myself that I must have other colors that might qualify as a Radiant Orchid shade. Indeed, I was right! 

At this point I was overwhelmed by my findings - so many similar shades! What was I thinking when I purchased all of these lipsticks? I was also feeling too exhausted to create more makeup looks or photograph these shades on my lips, so I hope y'all won't mind the arm swatches. I will add links to the review posts for any of these lip colors below that I may have already reviewed. 

Honestly, the way I actually wear makeup in reality does not justify my lipstick collection. Gel eyeliner and lip balm are my staple. I rarely actually wear makeup unless my Beau is taking me out. Sigh! I am glad I had this eye opening experience, however, because now I think I might place a ban on my lipstick shopping as I did with nail polishes last Summer. The nail polish ban was not difficult at all and I continued the ban till January. I am planning on doing a blog sale. I have mixed feelings about it though.

(1) Shiseido Perfect Rouge Lipstick in RS745 Fantasia (2) Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Rapture (3) Estee Lauder Pure Color Lipstick in Deep Lilac (4) Chanel Rouge Allure in #108 Determinee (5) Revlon Super Lustrous Shine Lipstick in Plum Velour (6) Milani Power Lip in Raspberry Tart (7) Rimmel London Lasting Finish Colour Balm in Viva Violet (8) Chanel Rouge Coco in #42 Culte (9) Sonia Kashuk Shine Luxe Sheer Lip Color in Sheer Plum (10) Revlon Super Lustrous Shine Lipstick in Berry Couture (11) Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Lipstick in #47 L'Amoureuse (12) Cover Girl Bombshell Lip Perfection Lipstick in Tantalize (13) MAC Satin Lipstick (LE) in Private Party (14) L'oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick in Purple Prelude (15) Purminerals Chateau de Vine Lipstick in Show Off 

(1) Shiseido Perfect Rouge Lipstick in RS745 Fantasia (2) Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Rapture (3) Estee Lauder Pure Color Lipstick in Deep Lilac (5) Revlon Super Lustrous Shine Lipstick in Plum Velour (8) Chanel Rouge Coco in #42 Culte (9) Sonia Kashuk Shine Luxe Sheer Lip Color in Sheer Plum (10) Revlon Super Lustrous Shine Lipstick in Berry Couture (12) Cover Girl Bombshell Lip Perfection Lipstick in Tantalize (13) MAC Satin Lipstick (LE) in Private Party (14) L'oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick in Purple Prelude

*I decided not to swatch (4) Chanel Rouge Allure in #108 Determinee because it is more of a muted mauve pink with a brown base, so it does not truly come under the Radiant Orchid category. This post took a lot of work. I kept going back and forth, adding more lipsticks, taking more pictures, editing, watermarking, and it all happened in annoying incriminates. At this point it would have driven me nut crackers to take another picture without (4). 

(16) Maybelline Color Elixir in Mystic Mauve (17) Maybelline Color Elixir in Amethyst Potion (18) Rimmel London Lasting Finish Colour Balm in Keep Mauving

I hope this post was informative and helpful. Your friendly comments are much appreciated. 

Come back soon. Thanks!

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Rimmel London Lasting Finish Colour Rush Balms: Not An Illusion, Keep Mauving, The Redder The Better, Viva Violet, On Fire, Lady Marmalade, and All You Need Is Pink

Hey y'all! Today's post is a review on the Rimmel London Lasting Finish Colour Rush Balms. This collection includes a total of fourteen shades: Give Me A Cuddle, Make Me Blush, All You Need Is Pink, I Want Candy, Keep Mauving, Boom Chic A Boom, Rumor Has It, Viva Violet, The Redder The Better, On Fire, Sun Kissed, Lady Marmalade, Not An Illusion, and Drive Me Nude. 

I purchased seven shades, which are displayed and swatched below on my arm as well as lips. 

Availability / Price 

I purchased these new lip products from Rimmel at my local Walmart. These balms are reasonably priced at $4.97 each (minus state sales tax). I have not yet spotted these anywhere else locally where drugstore makeup might be sold. 

Packaging 

What can I say? Yes, I am one of those people, whose inner child is tangled up with unfounded liking for makeup, and easily enticed by colorful, chubby, stationary-like packaging. The packaging of the Rimmel Colour Balms is lightweight, plastic, and colored in the same shade as the product inside. There is nothing unique or luxe about these retractable crayon shaped lipsticks.  

Not An Illusion, On Fire, The Redder The Better, Viva Violet, All You Need Is Pink, Keep Mauving, and Lady Marmalade (left - right).

All You Need Is Pink, Not An Illusion, Keep Mauving, The Redder The Better, Viva Violet, On Fire, and Lady Marmalade (left - right).

Colors / Pigmentation

The pigmentation of this product is medium to full. I am trying very hard to explain the look of this product as descriptively as I can. The pigmentation is intense as these colors lean on the bright side and my lips are definitely concealed with color, but the color still has this transparent sheer finish. It looks sheer, but is not sheer, sort of like a jelly nail polish. 

Lady Marmalade, On Fire, Viva Violet, The Redder The Better, Keep Mauving, Not An Illusion, and All You Need Is Pink (top - bottom). 

 

On Fire and All You Need Is Pink are very similar. On Fire is a red with pink and orange undertones, while All You Need Is Pink is a red with pink and fuchsia undertones. Lady Marmalade is an orange-coral. Not An Illusion is a peachy brown. Keep Mauving is a mauve, leaning more purple than pink. Viva Violet is a brighter version of Keep Mauving, but here we have a hot fuchsia pink tone rather than the softer pink in Keep Mauving. The Redder The Better was not at all what I was expecting. This is not a cool-toned or blue-toned red. The Redder The Better has warm orange and yellow hues. It appears more like a red-orange on me than a true red. This is the type of red that can make your teeth look yellow. 

Of course y'all deeper skin-toned ladies can decide for yourselves, but I think these shades that I tried would look more flattering on skin-tones lighter than me. I would recommend shades like Keep Mauving, Viva Violet, and The Redder The Better for beige to deeper skin tones. It is all about personal preferences though. I am just here to share my review and give y'all an idea of the product. Now it is up to y'all to come to a conclusion for yourselves based on the information I have provided in this post. 

Not An Illusion*, Keep Mauving*, Viva Violet, Lady Marmalade, On Fire*, All You Need Is Pink*, and The Redder The Better (top to bottom). *The asterisked shades appear much brighter than captured in the pictures below. The arm swatches above are more accurate. 

Formula / Application 

This product is not a balm in the traditional sense. It might be mistaken as a balm because of the sheen, glossiness, and transparency of the shades. This product can be worn sheer or build up to full opacity in merely two swipes. These feel balmy and smooth on the lips, but this texture does not last for even an hour. This product did not moisturize my lips. After application, during wear, or once this product has worn off, my lips feel as they were (dry, chapped, or normal) before applying this product. 

Scent 

The scent of the Rimmel Colour Balms remind me of warm nutty coconut and sweet vanilla. Okay! Perhaps my description might overwhelm y'all more than the actual scent of these lipsticks. Yes, the scent is noticeable, but it is subtle and pleasant. However, if you are sensitive to scents, then you may not be able to avoid the scent, which I did not notice once I applied the product on the lips. 

Staying Power

The verbose title of this product includes the words "lasting finish." What does this mean? Lasting formula, color, or both? Obviously the pigmentation of this product does not last like a long-wearing, matte stain because that is not its intended purpose. The color wears off after eating. The color transfers onto your cup if you have a drink. If you do not eating, then the color stays on the lips for about three hours with lighter shades and five hours with deeper shades. Although the color does last a fair amount of time, especially the deeper shades, the sheen (glossiness) does not last as long as the color, which is the main disappointment. Lasting finish implies just that to me - lasting sheen. Right? 

Overall 

Likes: Excellent shade range; excellent pigmentation; very affordable; pleasant scent. 

Dislikes: Not moisturizing like a balm; sheen / glossiness does not last for the duration that the color remains on the lips. 

Would I purchase more shades or backups? I returned four shades. Once I opened them up at home, one of the pencils (The Redder The Better) was broken inside (as pictured above). Probably because someone opened it in the store and carelessly put the lid back on.  In addition to the fact that one of the pencils was damaged, all four of the shades I returned were too bright for my skin-tone and personal liking (Lady Marmalade, on Fire, and All I Need Is Pink). 

Update: Comparisons 

If y'all don't mind spending $4.97, which is how much a cup of coffee costs these days, and absolutely adore collecting and/or wearing lipsticks, then I don't think it can hurt to pick one of these up. I kept three of the seven shades I purchased and do not regret the decision to do so. We beauty bloggers know that we cannot afford to keep products that we will not use at all. So, I would like to clarify that this product was neither a disappointment, nor did it sweep me off my feet. 

Now let me make some comparisons for y'all. 

Jordana vs. Rimmel (Rimmel wins = pigmentation + formula)

Cover Girl vs. Rimmel (Rimmel wins = pigmentation) 

Neutrogena vs. Rimmel (Rimmel wins = pigmentation)

Clinique (Intense Color Collection) vs. Rimmel (Equal quality pigmentation, Clinique has better staying power, sheen disappears in both) 

Revlon (Lacquers) vs. Rimmel (Revlon is more balmy than Rimmel; Equal pigmentation and staying power)

Revlon (Original) vs. Rimmel (Rimmel wins; better color selection; equal pigmentation; equal staying power and wear-off effect)

I will not compare this product to Tarte Lip Surgence (Matte), Revlon (Matte), or Flower Beauty (Matte) because the formula is contrasting (Sheen vs. Matte). The comparison would not be fair.   

I think my holy-grail favorite pencil-lipstick product is by BITE Beauty. 

I hope this post was informative and helpful. Your friendly comments are much appreciated. 

Come back soon. Thanks!

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