Showing posts with label ULTA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ULTA. Show all posts

Thursday, July 13, 2017

HASK Coconut Milk and Organic Honey Curl Care Collection Review


Affordability. Quality. Performance. Results. Natural. This is what we - the consumers - look for when investing money in beauty products. Shampoos and conditioners are staple products in our beauty regiments. Let’s be honest – they are simply not sexy like a coconut sea salt spray to get those exotic beach waves or a new shade of a hot-orange lipstick or bakery scented body butter. I mean I would rather buy a new lipstick than the basic amenities, right! However, we just cannot skip out on the shampoo and conditioner dynamic-duo because after all it is a matter of personal hygiene at the very least if not a “me-time” pampering sort of moment in the shower involving a soothing scalp massage.

What I am actually trying to say is that hair care is important. I think a good hair day plays a role in seizing the day! We feel confident and put together when our hair looks healthy and well maintained. Our hair frames our face and our face is what people look at (or should be looking at) during a conversation. It is no fun to spend $15-30 on a bottle of shampoo and/or conditioner and that too multiple times a year.

My favorite affordable drugstore hair care brand is HASK. I was introduced to HASK a little over a year ago when I was accepted to review their Bamboo line. In fact, my husband is a loyal HASK user as well! He and I have purchased and tried the Monoi Coconut Oil, Argan Oil, and Keratin Protein lines over the past year.  I have also introduced HASK to a few of my close friends when they asked me for a recommendation of a “healthy, natural, and affordable shampoo brand that actually works.” Now they are all HASK fans and have thanked me for inspiring them to wear their hair naturally (i.e., not heat-styled or loaded with styling products) and feel confident about doing so. 

Recently, I was given the opportunity to try one of the latest HASK lines – Coconut Milk & Organic Honey Curl Care.  Doesn’t that sound delicious, especially as we are amidst the summer season? It literally sounds like a summery beach-time cocktail, but for our hair.  If you are a fan of the virgin coconut oil scent, you are going to love this line.  The coconut scent of this line is even more dominantly coconut than the scent of the Monoi Coconut Oil line. 

I am glad that I was already using the HASK Coconut Monoi Oil shampoo and conditioner (purchased myself from Bed, Bath, & Beyond Harmon’s) before I was sent the HASK Coconut Milk and Organic Honey shampoo and conditioner for review purposes because I think I am able to give a more informed review to those of you contemplating which one of the two Coconut varieties to purchase. 

The consistency of the HASK Coconut Milk and Organic Honey shampoo and conditioner is thicker than the HASK Coconut Monoi Oil shampoo and conditioner.  However, once you massage the Coconut Monoi Oil shampoo into your hair, it lathers into a heavier, more emollient and creamier consistency than the Coconut Milk and Organic Honey shampoo.  I also noticed that I felt the need to use more of the Coconut Milk and Organic Honey conditioner than the Coconut Monoi Oil conditioner because the latter is more emollient and only two-quarter size squirts of it is needed for my long (below-waist length) hair. 

My hair is naturally curly, voluminous, and frizzy.  I have dealt with frizzy hair since I grew out my hair (from a no-fuss boy-cut) during my pre-teen, early adolescent years. I rarely heat-style my hair and have never used bleach or lightener on it so it is just naturally frizzy and constantly in major need of conditioning.  I love having long hair and don’t want to compromise on the length of it because of the frizz.  About five or six years ago, I started getting keratin conditioning treatments annually, which helped eliminate the unmanageable volume and frizz, and gave my hair a smoother, wavy look, and allowed me to keep my hair long.  However, keratin conditioning treatments alone are not enough and I would not recommend getting them too often… only as needed because one, you don’t want your hair to become desensitized to the treatment (as with over-doing anything) and two, it is quite an investment monetarily.  Even though my stylist recommends using the shampoo and conditioner that comes in the Keratin treatment product line, I don’t because it is very expensive for the quantity you get and I prefer my affordable, sulfate-free HASK shampoo and conditioners instead. Yes, indeed the HASK line not only helps maintain the Keratin treatment by not stripping it, but also adds to the conditioning my hair needs. 

Personally, I find that the HASK Coconut Monoi Oil shampoo and conditioner is better suited for people with long, thick, voluminous, coarse, dry, and frizzy hair, while the Coconut Milk and Organic Honey shampoo and conditioner is better suited for people with short to medium length, fine, thin, brittle, and frizzy hair.  Both lines of shampoo and conditioner provide the needed moisture and hydration to combat the frizz and get a smoother, shinier look to your hair.  For some people the effect of the Coconut Milk and Organic Honey might not be enough and for others the effect of Coconut Monoi Oil might be too much so deciding which one you think you might need, I will leave that up to you.  As for the Coconut Milk and Organic Honey line’s curl care claim, I did not observe anything noticeable when comparing it to the performance of the Coconut Monoi Oil line or any of the other HASK lines I have tried previously (Bamboo, Argan, and Keratin). 

HASK products are available at Ulta (in-store and online), Target (in-store and online), and at select Bed, Bath, & Beyond (Harmon’s) stores. 
   http://haskbeauty.com/
 ♡ http://www.ulta.com/brand/hask

FTC Disclaimer: I would like to thank HASK and Brandbacker for providing press sample for this post.
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 Yours Truly,
The Lipsticks-Ninja
Meesha 

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Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Lipstick Queen Sinner Lipstick Natural

Many actresses, whether in real-life or in the world of drama, wear a trademark lip color that we associate them with.  Taylor Swift is known for wearing a creamy, bright, fire engine red lipstick.  Jennifer Lopez is known for wearing a glossy, warm-toned, golden-beige lip color.  Drew Barrymore is known for the wine-red tinted lips.  Victoria Grayson and her daughter Charlotte from Revenge as well as Gloria Delgado from the Modern Family always have on a bold burgundy or deep wine-red lip color.  Where am I going with this? We all watch television and drool over celebrity fashion trends, but that is not my point here.  

I think to myself as I reflect upon my unreasonably extensive lipstick collection, do I have a signature lip color? I have reviewed a few lipsticks in the past, which I have deemed as the one and only lip color that I could survive with for the rest of my life.  Disclaimer - if you are not that passionate about makeup and wearing makeup is just something like brushing your teeth, then you will find this post overly dramatic.  I must admit that I am not very loyal to any single lip color I own.  

Obviously I am not a celebrity or actress, so I feel that my signature lip color cannot be a bright red or a bold burgundy.  I have also struggled to find my ideal n*de lipstick.  Because of my olive-beige skin-tone and more pigmented lips, n*de lip colors look patchy, streaky, and dry on me.  So I have to settle for the "my lips but better" shades that fall in the mix of pink-brown-rosy-mauve family or currently better known as the "Kylie lip" or "90s lip."  

I am making my point! Be patient! Last week ULTA (e)mailed out a 20% off (no exclusions) coupon. I rarely, unless there is a special occasion, purchase high-end (or even drug-store) makeup without a promotion or coupon or sale or bargain.  High-end makeup is rarely discounted.  Rarely!  Gifts with purchase deals don't really entice me because the quality of the "gifts" is not always up to par as the makeup you are buying.  However,  I do appreciate samples or deluxe samples of permanent products because as a blogger, I am always curious to try new products.  Anyway,  I had a fixed list of what I wanted to purchase with my coupon.  Fortunately for the funds, it was a modest one too.  The last time I received a coupon from ULTA was back in April (these coupons circulate every late fall, mid-spring).  Since then I refrained from buying anything high-end in anticipation for the next coupon and instead maintained a shopping-list here on my blog.  

Lipstick Queen was not on my list, but I am attracted to the brand for some unknown reason.  I think it is the name because I have ordained myself a lipstick queen.  In addition to the lipstick, which I am reviewing at present, I only own one other lipstick from Lipstick Queen called Jungle Queen.  Although I always glance at this brand in ULTA, none of the lip products with the exception of Jungle Queen has impressed me.  By chance I decided to try the shade Natural from the Sinner collection of Lipstick Queen lip products.  I presumed I would not like this color, but I decided to try it anyway.  

I fell in love with this shade the moment I tried it.  It was a "I have to have you" shade.  I admired it on myself, bordering narcissism. Why do I love this particular lipstick so much?  First, I had presumed it would be a boring, mid-tone pink-rose shade.  Secondly, these sort of "my lips but better" shades just seem to get lost on my face as if I just have a lip balm on.  Lastly, I had heard that the Sinner collection of lipsticks can be drying and I like to stay far far far away from dry formulas.  However, this lipstick proved me wrong.  

This lipstick is not hydrating, but it is not drying either.  When my lips are dry to begin with and  I apply this lipstick without getting rid of the chapped dead skin, I can see the flakiness, but only if I look very closely.  I think because this shade is deep and opaque it does not appear dry despite the satin-matte formula.  

The main reason I am so fond of Lipstick Queen Sinner Natural is that it wears true to the color of the bullet.  You get what you see with this one.  Most rosy-brown shades show up much lighter on my skin-tone than they do on women fairer than me.  It seems natural to desire what we do not have and  take for granted what we do have. Women with fairer skin-tones tan, while women who are tan protect themselves from the sun with umbrellas and complexion-lightening creams.  My point is I am a fan of a deep rosy red lip, which looks very natural.  This shade reminds of a lip color I associate with women from the medieval era or homely milk-maids.  I told my fiancé that this is the type of color I could wear if I were acting in the Game of Thrones.  As you can tell from my elaborate explanation, this shade was a special find.  So, what was my point ultimately?  Well, I feel like this shade could possibly be my signature shade.  This shade is exactly the kind of red shade that I can wear to the courtroom... don't you think so?  

I am saving the best news till the end.  During this particular trip to ULTA I made a new sweet friend!  I love making friends out of the blue, when I am least expecting it.  Obviously we all fall into social circumstances in the classroom or the office, but to make a friend in an unexpected way is truly memorable.  I am a very shy person, but when I feel a connection with someone, the shyness disappears.  My new friend is a makeup artist and what makeup-loving blogger would not be more than happy to find another makeup-loving confidant.  She happened to be working at ULTA the day I decided to go there.  It is one of my current points of positivity and just thought I should share.  Sometimes in this mechanical material world we must take a moment to cherish random occurrences that we so often take for granted - like making a new friend.  If the Omnipotent Being sends along a person who puts a smile on your face, while allowing you to be in your element, and does not make you feel obliged is worth that which words cannot justify.  I always make it a point to express to my close friends how much they mean to me.  Give your friend a call! 
I hope this post was informative and helpful. Your friendly comments are much appreciated.  Come back soon. Please follow, like, share, connect, and subscribe. Thank you!

Sunday, June 22, 2014

NYX Butter Glosses: Red Velvet, Cherry Pie, Praline, Angel Food Cake, and Madeleine

Hey y'all! Happy Sunday, everyone.  If you have not yet heard about the butter glosses, then you must be living under a rock.  Well, I suppose same applies to me because I did not try these myself until this past March.  NYX Butter Gloss is a well-liked product. Since the end of last year, I have become quite adventurous with makeup and experimented with different brands and a broader range of colors.    After reading and hearing positive reviews of NYX products, I decided to purchase a few of the NYX Butter Glosses when NYX released a few new shades.  The original line of NYX Butter Glosses were released a couple of years ago and recently they released more shades, which offer richer pigmentation than the original ones.  All of the shades mentioned below, except for Cherry Pie, are newly released shades.  NYX Butter Glosses are affordably priced at about $4.99 and can cost even less if you purchase them during a sale.  NYX cosmetics are sold online on the company's website and at all ULTA stores. Some CVS and Target stores are now also carrying this brand.  
Dessert, anyone? Dessert names are obviously a marketing scheme of some sort. Praline, Angel Food Cake, Madeleine, Cherry Pie, and Red Velvet (left to right) 
Red Velvet, Cherry Pie, Praline, Angel Food Cake, and Madeleine (top to bottom) 
Red Velvet, Cherry Pie, Praline, Angel Food Cake, and Madeleine (top to bottom) 

So, now that I have tried out the NYX Butter Glosses myself, do I agree with the other beauty bloggers? Are NYX Butter Glosses worth the hype? Yes! 

The NYX Butter Glosses exude the aroma of a bakery - fresh out of the oven vanilla cupcakes. The pigmentation varies from shade to shade, but overall is excellent.  One of the reasons I dislike glosses and prefer glossy lipsticks or liquid lipsticks is because generally glosses do not provide rich pigmentation. NYX Butter Glosses are an exception as demonstrated by the picture above.  It is very disappointing when brands release a massive collection of glosses in 20 different shades, but once you apply the shades, there is weak to absolutely no color pay off.  Lastly, I like the formula and texture of this product. This gloss is unlike most glosses that I have tried.  It does not feel sticky, tacky, or heavy. It pairs well with a lipstick worn underneath and does not drag the base color away.  Again, it is pigmented enough that it does not have to be paired with a lipstick underneath.  The staying power is obviously mediocre, but not poor, because this is not a sticky gloss.  This gloss feels luxurious, lightweight, smooth, but not slippery, and does not dry (or "exfoliate") your lips as some sticky glosses tend to do.  Although I love red, orange, and other bright shades, at heart I am most drawn to neutral shades, so Praline, Angel Food Cake, and Madeleine are my favorite shades.  

I hope this post was informative and helpful. Your friendly comments are much appreciated.  Come back soon. Thanks!
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Friday, January 31, 2014

Urban Decay Revolution Lipsticks: Liar, Spirit, Shame, Rush, Venom, and Fiend! (Review + Swatches)

Hey y'all!!!

This post will only include a brief and updated review of the Urban Decay Revolution Lipsticks. For my in-depth and original review, please click here.

The Urban Decay Revolution lipsticks were released around August, which is when I purchased my first one. The first shade I bought was called Rapture. Once again, click the link above to read about my initial impression of these lipsticks and see swatches of Rapture.

Obviously, that fact that I bought six more shades implies that I really liked the Revolution lipsticks, right? 
Availability / Price 
I bought some of the additional shades during the Urban Decay Friends and Family 20% off sale and others at ULTA, when I received a 20% non-exclusives coupon. I took advantage of the Urban Decay sale because Shame was sold out at various ULTA stores and Strip is an Urban Decay online exclusive shade. Purchasing more than one color on their website qualified me for free shipping. Urban Decay also sent me a free-sample pencil eyeliner in the shade zero (black). 
These lipsticks cost $22 each (minus tax), but with the discount (minus tax), these costed $17.60. 
Formula / Texture / Application / Longevity  
The formula of the Revolution lipsticks is creme no doubt, but the feel is not fully creamy per se. I would describe the feel as more of a creamy-semi-matte. These lipsticks do not glide onto your lips buttery soft. Although the lipsticks go on smoothly, I do feel slight friction as I apply them. The warmth of my lips does not make the product emollient. The benefit of this sort of formula and texture is that you only need one or two swipes of this shade to pack on intensely opaque color. You compromise the buttery creme feel for the intense color pay off. For example, I am wearing one swipe of Shame down below and then dabbed some off with my finger. The arm swatches are just one swipe. Also, I need to do heavy duty exfoliating on my arms to remove the swatches; makeup remover plus soap and water was not enough. The lighter shades, such as Liar and Rush, may require two or more swipes (as per personal liking), but only to even out the color. With only one swipe, these two shades tend to look slightly streaky due to my natural lip lines, so I do two to three swipes or spread it out using a finger. Strip, Rapture, and Field apply more like Shame and Venom even though they are lighter shades.
Colors 
Shame (dark oxblood, dark blackened burgundy) (Note: I regret buying this shade. It looks too "vampy" and "mature" and "dated" on me. It makes me look like I am twice my age. It does not have enough red in it. I would not describe it as a deep wine shade because it does not have enough red in it. It is a blend of black, red, and plum.) 



Strip (pinky-mauve nude with taupe undertone / neutral to cool-toned) (Note: this is my ideal true nude because in person it does not look pink at all. It looks more like a latte-light-brown-nude Love it!) 


Venom (dark magenta-purple blend with blue-magenta shimmer) (Note: This shade looked scary on me. It was too flashy. I felt like I could only wear it on Halloween. I returned this one. I thought the blue in it would make my teeth look brighter, but it had the opposite effect.) 

Fiend (medium warm pink with yellow undertone) (Note: many have described this shade as their MLBB, but for me it was too pink with yellow base, so it was not flattering and washed my teeth with a yellow shadow. I returned this one as well.) 

Rush (milky pinky-mauve nude / neutral to cool-toned) (Note: this shade does not have the taupe (lilac-gray-brown) undertone as Strip; another favorite. This shade is ideal for a delicate and playful look. It made my complexion and teeth look more vibrant, unlike Shame, Venom, and Fiend. This is a nice alternative for Fiend. I feel this is neutral to cool-toned. Love it!) 

Liar (peachy-caramel-brown-nude / neutral to warm-toned) (Note: this is a very unique shade in my lipstick collection. I do not own anything like this. This is another shade I really like. It brightens up my complexion and teeth/smile.) 



Rapture is a beautiful shade as well and another favorite, so make sure to check my review on it. 
Overall A-
Why? I would like a better deep red lip option. F-bomb was too clown-like and bright and Shame was too vampy. Also, I do like the formula and am okay with sacrificing the butteriness for the color payoff, but I wish these were just a tad bit more creamy. These lipsticks are not drying, but the shades do appear matte on the lips. I don't expect hydration either, just a smoother application I suppose. A little lip balm underneath is good enough for me. Honestly, I do appreciate the formula to an extent because the shades like Liar and Rush would not show up on me as well as they do if the formula would have been either more buttery or more matte, these shades would not have suited me at all. Four favorites out of seven tried is a pretty great deal! 

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Thursday, January 23, 2014

BEAUTY HAUL! ULTA! (Birthday Edition + Brief Reviews)

Hey y'all!!! 

I have not posted a beauty "haul" in a long while. Honestly, I feel a little awkward just showing y'all products I have gotten without a review or swatches. Product reviews are the main reason I have a blog. 

However, I do enjoy and look forward to haul videos on Youtube. It is a nice way of discovering new things or similar to friends sharing what all they bought at the end of a shopping trip. Moreover, I always receive positive feedback when I post a haul, so maybe it is interesting. 

My Beau took me shopping recently for my birthday and gifted the items I have shown below. I am truly lucky to have a best friend and partner like him. I don't say this because he bought me makeup, but because he is always so patient with me and on my special day he was extra-patient and involved. He gave me his opinion about what colors looked suitable on me, what did not, and what I should try out for my blog, etc. For the one hour we spent in ULTA, his company was priceless. For someone who is a complete "dude" being patient with a full on "girly girl" makes me one lucky duck! 

I plan to review most of these items in the following weeks. Please comment below to let me know if y'all have any special review requests and I will do my best to fulfill it.

Coupon-ing! It will drive you crazy! ULTA recently emailed a Friends and Family 20% off coupon with very limited exclusions to anyone who signed up for the coupon on their website. This coupon was for one-time use and applied to the entire purchase.  I received my very first 20% off (no exclusion, entire purchase) coupon last year in late March. I received it again in October of last year. The F&F coupon was similar in that it could be used on most high-end brands, but some items, like UD Naked 1, 2, and 3 palettes, were excluded. I recently received yet another 20% off (entire purchase, including prestige brands) coupon in my email with different limited exclusions, such as fragrances. I like that ULTA sends out these coupons once in a while, like once every season, not only because I get a discount, but also discipline myself. It is also something to look forward to, like a gift. I am a ULTA platinum rewards member, so I received a free CK One mascara and $10 off anything (including prestige) coupon.

Viva La Juicy by Juicy Couture (3.4 fl. oz. $90) is my signature scent. I hope it never gets discontinued or retired because never have I ever liked a perfume as much as I adore this one. This is the fragrance I imagine I will wear as a bride. I received 20% off on this and paid nothing for it in actual money. Why? I have been saving my reward points for months and finally had enough to cover the price of this perfume. ULTA had a different reward program before the current one and even then I accumulated my points and got this same fragrance. This was my first luxe fragrance. Although I did use it sparingly, my first bottle lasted me quite a few years.
Viva La Juicy is not a musky-mature or a heavily sweet scent. It is a light (but not faint) floral scent with a subtle hint of fruitiness. It reminds me of a garden. I like to describe scents by what I am reminded of. This fragrance is not rosy. It is not herbal (lavender) or too citrusy. It is definitely not sweet like a bakery or fruity candy.

Clarisonic Cashmere Luxe Brush ($30) feels nothing like I had imagined it would. I definitely underestimated it. The first brush I tried was the one for acne-combination skin. The second brush I tried was for pores and it was so rough. I did not use it consistently because it really irritated my skin. It continued the "purging" even after the initial two-week purge that the brand claims will happen when you first use the system or change to a new brush. I never had any reaction to the acne brush though, so I returned the one for pores because I had bought a two-pack. It was expensive and I didn't want to waste my money. I purchased the Cashmere Luxe brush instead. This one is the most expensive. It feels  like the bristles are made from butter! Yes, butter! So far my skin has not become irritated, but it does not feel as squeaky clean as it did with the acne brush. This difference could also be attributed to the fact that I am using a different cleanser now.

Essie Good to Go Top Coat ($10) is much better (out of this world better) than Seche Vite or OPI. I would highly recommend this top-coat. I have been using this one for a couple of years now. I cannot sit still and wait too long for my nails to dry. I always seem to paint my nails on the go and in a rush or while I am doing something else. This allows my polish to dry within seconds, almost immediately.

Carol's Daughter Macadamia Oil Heat-Protectant Serum ($20) is an amazing styling product. I only like to use oils to style my hair. I don't like to use hair sprays, creams, mousse, or gels because those products make my hair feel stiff, tacky, and dry. I want to be able to run my fingers through my hair. This product feels lighter than oil, but conceals my split ends and makes my hair look set-in-place and silky smooth. I get a keratin treatment done once or twice in a year, so I don't fuss much with my hair otherwise. I don't use any heating/styling tools. Lastly, this serum smells like baked, warm, nutty, sweet dessert.

Real Techniques Buffing Brush ($8.99) 


Laura Geller Color Drenched Lip Gloss in Raspberry Roast ($19) 
*New* Too Faced La Creme Lipstick in Pink Chocolate ($22) 
*New* Tarte Amazonian Butter Lipsticks in Tulip and Plummy Rose ($16 each)
Benefit Cosmetics Cheek Powder in Dallas ($28)
Victoria Secret Matte Eyeshadow ($3 / Semi-annual clearance)
*New* Cover Girl Lip Perfection in Delicious ($6.99 / Limited Edition Spring 2014 "Pastelicious"Collection) 


Free! Free! Free! The following items are birthday gifts from ULTA, SEPHORA, and Bare Minerals. This year ULTA is giving out a free CK One mascara during your birthday month. This promotion might be limited to platinum reward members only, but I am not sure. I believe this year SEPHORA is giving out free Make Up For Ever Mascara-Lipstick-Eyeliner birthday gift-set to its VIB members. Bare Minerals sent me an email notification for a free eyeshadow. I am not a fan of mineral shadows, so I am going to save it for my aunt. 


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Monday, December 30, 2013

LORAC Pro Powder Cheek Stain - Rosy Glow

Hey Y'all!!! 

Today, I wanted to share another blush. As some of you might know, I gave up buying nail polishes since the end of July. My fast / no-buy was meant to end in December, but I am going to continue to resist the urge to buy nail polishes myself, especially those colors that are similar to what I already own in my collection. However, this fast / no-buy does not mean that secret fairies cannot leave a surprise one for me. Wink! Wink! Wink! (I like sets of three, always!) 

My mom bought three beautiful nail colors for me the other day at Meijer's and the colors are definitely nothing like I own. I know this is a shocker for some of my friends who believe I own every nail polish in the world. Disclaimer, I don't! She bought Cover Girl's Golden Opportunity and Bronze Beauty and a polish from the new L'Oreal Gold Dust collection called the Statement Piece. I will be posting swatches of one of these up next. These polishes are a great option from a New Year party manicure. Well, more on those polishes in upcoming posts. 

Now ever since I have given up nail polishes, I have picked up a new fascination - blushes. I have discovered quite a few beautiful blushes over the last several months. 

Price
My mom and I had earned $20 worth of Kohl's cash. For those of you who may not know what Kohl's cash is, here is a brief explanation: once in a while Kohl's runs a special promotion, awarding $10 in Kohl's "cash" (i.e., a coupon or certificate worth $10 to be spent at Kohl's) for every $50 you spend prior to your local sales tax. This blush costs $20, so I got it for free. Free! Woohoo! Recently, Kohl's expanded its beauty department and carries quite a few popular high-end brands, such as theBalm, LORAC, and Pur Minerals. However, these brands are excluded from coupons, which I partly understand, but hope that Kohl's does create a once-a-year special coupon for these brands, like Sephora and ULTA does. One staff member in the beauty department told me that they exclude the brands from coupons because the makeup is sold at a lower original price. So, I did my research and compared the prices of a few products, but no the original price is the same. Of course Macy's, Dillard's, and Belk's also exclude cosmetics from coupons, but around Thanksgiving Belk issued a special coupon that did not exclude cosmetics. The makeup brands also hold "friends and family" sales on their own main websites, awarding 15 - 20% off and sometimes free shipping. My main point here though is to save your Kohl's cash and use it on the cosmetics because that is permitted. 



Packaging
The packaging is a simple traditional black with a clear portion in the lid. I like that the product can be seen through the clear lid. It is a lightweight compact. The pan appears small, doesn't it? It does not bother me though. I am not one to swirl my brush. The only blush I freely swirl my brush in is Benefit's Rockateur because of its box style packaging. I dab my brush in this and apply. The circumference of the Real Techniques blush brush is about the same as the pan of this blush. So, it is not as small as it looks here in these pictures. 





Color / Application / Formula 
This blush is a "rosy"medium pink with subtle silver speckles, which gives off the "glow". If you look extremely close, perhaps with a mirror an inch away from your face, you can notice the silver shimmer on your cheeks. Otherwise, it is not noticeable from a normal distance, like another person won't see it unless he/she is uncomfortably close to your face. Yikes! Eek! Hold on there, tiger! 

I am sure this blush would look flattering on most skin-tone. On fair to light skin-tones, this may look like a deeper true rose shade. On deeper skin-tones this shade may not show up. I think this shade would be very flattering for medium, beige, and olive skin-tones, like mine. 

I apply two strokes of this shade and then blend/buff it out. This blush has good pigmentation. It is not a sheer glow-from-within blush, but it is definitely not richly pigmented either. 

In order for blush to look just right, three things are required: (1) the right blush brush for the type of blush, (2) the right strokes and blending/buffing technique, (3) a non-dry and non-oily base. I do have the most perfect blush brush (ELLE at Kohl's). I love its shape. I have yet to master the technique of blush application. Ironically, I only like it on me when I apply it myself. I don't ever apply base makeup. So, when I say that this product applies a bit patchy, but then evens out once it settles in, take my words with a grain of salt (i.e., personal discretion). 

In addition to the beautiful color, I love the feel of this blush. It is very satiny and creamy. No, this is not a creme-to-powder or creme. This is a powder blush, yet it is not chalky or dry. This blush feels like a velvety powder. I would even recommend it for folks with dry skin who want to wear a powder blush, but feel forced to wear a creme blush because of their skin-type. 

My mom does not wear makeup and her style is simple and subtle. She adored this blush on herself. My mom is a shade lighter than me, but with more of a yellow undertone. One of my friends asked my recommendation for a work-appropriate blush. I recommend this and it ended up suiting her the most out of any others we tried on her. She is a shade or two lighter than me with a more yellow undertone. 




Longevity 
For now I do not feel comfortable commenting on the exact staying power of this blush. I may add an update later on. I am sorry to say, but it does not live up to its 12 hour claim. It might stay on that long if you apply a face primer or foundation to give it a base to adhere to. On me it lasted early afternoon (2-ish) to late evening (7-ish), but the flush-effect wore off into a very subtle hint of color.



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