Maybelline Dream Nude Airfoam

What The Website Says: "Our most lightweight foundation for 100% Nude Perfection. Lightweight foam for a flawless finish. Ideal for normal skin"

 I tried this out on a day that I worked, so it got the full test: sweat, pain, blood, tears... okay maybe not all that. But it definitely got a workout! I have to agree with the claims from the company this time. The foundation is extremely light, and the finish is gorgeous. I wasn't even sure what color I should be when I bought the produt, but this blended beautifully with my skin. (I'm 200 Creamy Natural.) It lasted pretty well the whole day... I didn't notice it wearing off until 8 or 9 that night. It didn't break me out at all, which is actually a little weird. My skin is finicky at best. Even my super expensive MAC base breaks me out!
(This runs for about $10 a bottle, and my MAC foundation is $45... Can you tell which one I'm leaning toward?)

Other products used: Urban Decay Potion Primer, Maybelline 24/7 Color Tattoo Shadow in Tough as Taupe, Lancome eyeshadow in Click, Giorgio Armani Lip Wax in No. 1

Maybelline Color Tattoo Shadows - First Look

 I went out to different stores and bought the whole collection, except for Too Cool. It's a semi-sheer white that I feel isn't very unique. (Temptalia has a swatch of it if you're still interested in seeing what it looks like.) Anyway, if you have tried to hunt these products down in stores, you know that they're hard to find. Normally new releases in the drugstore world don't get that much attention, but these are getting some hype! It was one reviewer's opinion that the Color Tattoo gel shadows actually perform better than the MAC Paint Pots.

(From top left to bottom right:) Bold Gold, Painted Purple, Tough as Taupe, Tenacious Teal, Edgy Emerald, Pomegranate Punk, Fierce and Tangy, and Audacious Asphalt.

 Dare I hope it to be true? I couldn't let such an opportunity get away! I have a love-hate relationship with Paint Pots. They are so pretty and useful-sounding, but there are certain ones that crease within minutes on me.

(From left to right:) Bold Gold, Painted Purple, Tough as Taupe, Tenacious Teal, Edgy Emerald, Pomegranate Punk, Fierce and Tangy, and Audacious Asphalt.

 Let's get into the basics. A review on long term wear will be coming later.
-Bold Gold: shimmery true gold; almost fully opaque, but can be layered
-Painted Purple: matte mid-tone purple. This one is actually light in terms of cover. It needs a few layers to reach complete opacity. 
-Tough as Taupe: matte taupe. completely opaque and very easy to make into a smoky eye
-Tenacious Teal: shimmery turquoise blue. I'm not sure where the reference to teal came from, but whatever you say Maybelline. fantastic in terms of coverage. For those of you who missed out on the cult favorite Peace eyeshadow by Urban Decay, try this. It would be a practical replacement.
-Edgy Emerald: This is the most moody of the collection, in my opinion. Its sheer like the purple, but can be layered to change opacity. With one layer, it's a light seafoam green. Add more and it gets a lime quality about it.
-Pomegranate Punk: very subtle shimmer (barely even noticeable) in a reddish-brown base. opaque.
-Fierce and Tangy: neon orange, looks matte but actually has teeny little microshimmers. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this one. It's a great base for orange shadows to make them super vibrant. Decent coverage, though the mattes in this collection didn't perform up to the shimmers.
-Audacious Asphalt: Charcoal gray with silver shimmer, opaque.

smudge test!

I let the swatches set for ten minutes (with no primer) and then rubbed them really hard. The smudge test tells you a lot about a product. These held up amazingly well, even though I pretty much attacked my arm. The mattes won out in this category. They may be more sheer, but they stayed on without budging.

MAC Kissable Lipcolours

Note: These are limited edition, so if you want to get them.. hurry!

MAC has released several kissable lipcolours with their "Shop MAC" collection. They're $19 a piece, which is a bit steep, but the product is very different from other lip products. It actually reminds me more of the NYX Lip Cremes than anything else.

Let me just go ahead and say that the packaging for this collection is beyond adorable! The lipcolours were released as part of another collection a while back, but the tube was re-designed for this one. I believe the formula remained the same. These have the color of a lipstick with the application of a gloss. The name doesn't lie! These babies are pretty strong! They last a few hours without major eating or drinking.

Enchantee, So Vain, and Woo Me

Enchantee and Woo Me are from this collection, and So Vain is from the past one, though it was also re-promoted. This is just to show the difference in the tubes. On to the swatches!

Enchantee, So Vain, and Woo Me

Enchantee is a bluish light pink very similar to Viva Glam Gaga I. It's coverage is only semi-opaque, but it literally is my "lip color but better" product.

So Vain is a surprisingly wearable coral. Once on the lips, it's not as dramatic as the tube looks. 

Woo Me is a peachy nude. It's pretty, but I can see some of the lighter skin tones not liking this one. It washes me out. I'll definitely have to pair it with something.

MAC Vera Pearlglide Intense Liner in "Undercurrent"

First off, let me say that I normally wear Urban Decay's 24/7 liners, and I literally have too many of them. So I tend to not stray from the path when it comes to eyeliner. However, a man friend bought me this (How charming!) and I couldn't say no to an eyeliner from MAC!
What MAC says:
"An eye pencil that provides rich luxurious color with a touch of shimmer and sparkle. Soft, smooth creamy formula glides on for a perfectly intense line yet its soft texture allows you to blend. Long-wearing. Smudge-proof."
Undercurrent is a beautiful sparkly teal. It has a sheen to it that's difficult to catch with a camera. This pencil is a liner, but can also be used as a base. It's actually a re-promote from the MAC Art Supplies collection a while back. (There were so many items from that collection I could have kicked myself for not getting.) Anyways, the liner is very blendable and smudgy before it sets, and it definitely does have a good wear time. It lasted a good four hours on me without fading or moving any, which is actually better than the 24/7 liners.

with flash to show sparkle

in normal daylight

after the smudge test! (i.e. allowing it to dry then rubbing it viciously)

"

Viva Glam Nicki

I just received the new lipstick by MAC, fronted by Nicki Minaj! It's a gorgeous yellow pink with a satin finish. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it on my skintone yet, but I'll test it out and let you know. For now, here are some swatches:

Meow! Paul & Joe Spring Collection

Paul & Joe has released some of the cutest little cat lipsticks in the past... Now they've taken it up a notch with their Spring 2012 collection. Click the pictures to enlarge them. Now I'm going to let their promo images do the talking:

for your listening enjoyment.

Keri Hilson - Bahm, Bahm (Do It Once Again)

Modella Getaway Set Review

Normally my reviews are reserved for beauty products, but I found this set and fell in love! It was only $20 at Wal-Mart, and you can read about the company on their Facebook. No guys, I wasn't paid to write this. I just happen to SQUEE whenever I see cute things! To start off with, here's a picture of the set as it comes:

The set includes 5 bags of varying sizes, all featuring the cutest prints! I actually use these bags to organize and carry my essentials for my makeup jobs. (i.e. hand sanitizer, gum, alcohol, wipes, sponges, brushes, q-tips, etc.)

That's all on this one guys! There's not too much to say. Just found a great deal and wanted to share it with friends!