REVIEW - Maybelline The Mattes Lipsticks

Recently, Maybelline released their new fall lipstick collection, which is their Color Sensational The Mattes collection! This is Maybelline's first launch of a matte lipstick, which is super exciting for me, since I absolutely adore Maybelline's Vivids.

I'm usually pretty hesitant about matte lipsticks, because I really dislike the uncomfortable, heavy, drying feeling that you often find with them. I love the Wet n Wild Megalast lipsticks, for instance, but they are so uncomfortable and they really drag on the lips. You pretty much have to wear a gloss on top to keep your lips from cracking. I often feel the same way about the matte MAC lipsticks as well. That being said, lets move on to the lipsticks I am reviewing today!

The colors I purchased are "Divine Wine" and "Mesmerizing Magenta." I felt that these two colors were right up my alley, especially "Divine Wine," since I've been loving deep wine lips lately!

There are ten shades in this collection (so far), ranging from subtle nudes to bright pinks to deep berries. The packaging is exactly the same as the classic Maybelline Color Sensational lipsticks, except that the caps are a matte, frosted glass finish. They are all the same color, which means you either have to open up the tube or flip it over in order to figure out which one is which. It's not really a problem, but it's something worth noting. I usually store these lipsticks upside down, which the square packing is great for! 

It is absolutely unbelievable just how smoothly these lipsticks apply. As you may be able to tell from the swatches, they aren't what I would consider a true matte, like MAC's matte lipsticks, for example. However, I much prefer this formula! While these lipsticks aren't a true matte when you look at them with a critical eye, they are just creamy enough to make application a breeze, but matte enough to give the appearance of a classic matte lip!

As for pigmentation, the swatches above were done in one quick swipe. That alone should tell you a lot! They are incredibly creamy for a matte lipstick, which makes them very comfortable on the lips. One of my biggest complaints with matte lipsticks is that they often dry out my lips too much, making my lips look chapped and just not so appealing. With these lipsticks, I don't have that problem at all!

Final Thoughts? This collection has a fantastic range of shades, and I believe that it is permanent so I wouldn't be surprised if they add more. The finish is just matte enough, without being drying, and is just creamy enough to make application easy and comfortable. For a drugstore lipstick, I am incredibly impressed! 

I definitely plan to be purchasing more of these lipsticks, and I'm even planning to send a few over to Sarah, who unfortunately can't get them yet. As far as I know, this collection is only available in the US so far, but if you can get your hands on them, they are definitely worth picking up!

Are you planning on purchasing any of this collection?

- D. 

Coppery Fall Eyes

Nothing excites me more than being able to bust out the dark lipsticks and nail colors. This fall, I finally get to experience a true change in season! While it still hasn't really changed seasons here, it has been raining quite a lot, and I've been wearing sweaters more often than not. Because of all the rain, I've been inspired to do my first fall look of the year!

For this look, I used primarily Makeup Geek shadows. Because I was planning on using a pigment all over the lid, I waited until I was finished with the eyes to do my foundation.

I started out using "Beaches and Cream" all over the lid, to ensure everything would blend together easily. Then, I went straight in with "Vegas Lights" on a wet flat brush, and painted the foiled pigment all over the mobile lid, stopping at the inner third. While applying "Vegas Lights," I made sure to use a tissue under the eye to catch any potential fall out, to make clean up much easier in the long run. When using this pigment wet, it is much harder to blend out, which is why we used "Beaches and Cream" as a base color. After "Vegas Lights" dried down a bit, I took a fluffy brush and began to blend the edges of the color. If there was any spot that was particularly difficult to blend, I took a mix of "Beaches and Cream" and "Unexpected," and blended it into the crease.

Once I was happy with the blended pigment, I took "Unexpected" on a stiff domed brush and blended this into the crease to add depth to the eye. Because it wasn't coming out quite as deep as I had hoped, I took "Corrupt" on a pencil brush and added it into the outer corner, as well as into the crease. I then took "Cinderella" and filled in the inner third of the lid. To finish off the eyeshadow, I took "Unexpected" on a small pencil brush and blended it along the outer two-thirds of the lower lashline, and placed "Shimma Shimma" on the inner corner and along the inner third of the lower lashline. I also used "Shimma Shimma" lightly under the browbone as a highlight.

To complete the eyes, I took a cotton swab with some makeup remover, and really sharpened the outer edge of the eye makeup, before applying my Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner in "Blackest Black" to create a crisp winged liner, which you can find a tutorial for here. I then curled my lashes and applied Maybelline's The Rocket Mascara on both my upper and lower lashes.

Now that the eyes were finished, I moved onto my skin. Before even starting my skin, though, I made sure to wipe off any fall out from the eyes. Then, I used my CoverGirl Outlast 3-in-1 Foundation with my Beauty Blender, to achieve a medium coverage. Blast-from-the-past time, I decided to use my Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer to cover up any darkness under the eyes, and then I used my trusty Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer to conceal any blemishes or redness on my skin. 

For my blush, I brought out another old favorite (as you may be able to tell...it's very well-loved), and used the Wet n Wild Color Icon Blusher in "Mellow Wine." To double up products, I used "Unexpected" in the hollows of my cheeks as a contour shade. On my brows, I used the Anastasia DipBrow Pomade in "Dark Brown." Finally, to really complete this fall look, I used the OCC Matte Lip Tar in "Black Dahlia" all over the lips!

That's it for this look! I couldn't think of a creative title for this, so "Coppery Fall Eyes" will have to do for now. If you can think of a better name for this look, let me know in the comments below!

- D.

Sephora + Ulta Haul

Recently, I've bought a couple of things from Sephora and Ulta. Of course, being a broke college student, I should know better. Buuuut...obviously makeup is my weakness. And if we're being honest, I'm pretty excited about the free stuff I got as well, so I'm including that in this haul as well!

First, let's start with a couple of things I got from Ulta.

As I was scouting the drugstore aisle, I spotted this bright teal gel liner from NYX. My first thought was, "That would make my eye color pop so well!" And then I saw the name of it, which just so happened to be Danielle. Of course, I automatically assumed it was meant to be, and picked it up. It is absolutely gorgeous and wears beautifully as well.

I think I spent all spring and summer looking for the perfect muted melony coral color. I found a few, but they all just came off too orange, and most other came off way too pink. Essie's "Haute as Hello" is the perfect in between! Despite how much I've been wanting it to be fall, I have been wearing this polish as a last hurrah for the summer. Mostly since I have been looking for this exact shade all summer long!

I had heard such amazing things about the Maybelline Color Tattoo Leather collection, so I had to try it! I decided to pick up a neutral color that could be used as an all-over cream base, I picked up the color "Creamy Beige," which dries down to a satin, kind of brown, kind of taupe color, and is perfect for all over the lid!

Sephora was having an amazing sale, where select items were up to 50% off! I was in desperate need of a new body scrub, so I picked up the Soap & Glory Scrub 'Em and Leave 'Em Body Buff. This scrub is normally $25, but I got it for a total steal at $15!  It isn't the classic pink scent, but very similar, with just a hint of musk.

This is probably my favorite item in this haul! Sephora was selling limited edition OCC duos, with a full sized lip tar and full sized nail polish! I picked up the set in "Black Dahlia," for only $15! This is seriously the best deal ever, considering the full size of the lip tars are normally $18, and the full size of the nail polish is normally $10! Unfortunately you can no longer purchase this set.

Of course, I also have to talk about free stuff. They had a promo code for a deluxe sample size of the Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet, so of course I grabbed that. I'll probably save it for when the weather gets cold and dry, since my skin hasn't been particularly dry as of late. With my Beauty Insider points, I also grabbed a sample size of the Benefit The Porefessional, which everyone raves about but I have yet to try. 

That's it for this haul! Sorry I've been so AWOL lately, life has been so hectic! I do have a few posts planned, so keep an eye out for those!

- D. 

August Favorites!

Today, the first day of my second week of school, and I'm laying in bed, sick. Leave it to my horrible immune system to put me out by the second week of school. I thought I'd at least try to be a bit productive, though, and bust out a blog post. You might notice a bit of a recurring theme with my favorites this month. I've absolutely been loving The Body Shop! But let's go ahead and get started and I'll let you know why.

Also, please excuse the weird lighting in these photos. Because I did just move, I'm still trying to figure out the best place to take photos!

The Body Shop Brazil Nut Body Butter. Okay, so I'm hopping on the late train. But earlier this month, The Body Shop was having a sale where, if you bought $30 worth of merchandise, you received a full-sized body butter for just $5! Which is a total steal, seeing as their body butters are normally $20. I was already at $28 anyway, so I decided I would just purchase a single-use mask for $2.50 and grab a body butter as well. I'm hooked. First of all, the brazil nut scent is absolutely amazing. It isn't overwhelming and it doesn't smell cheap or artificial, and it just makes my skin feel so soft! I've been using this body butter almost every day after I step out of the shower and my skin has never felt softer.

The Body Shop Seaweed Pore-Cleansing Facial Exfoliator. Since moving, my skin has been doing all kinds of weird stuff. Something I noticed is that my skin was doing this weird peeling thing. I figured maybe it needed to be exfoliated, so while I was at The Body Shop, I talked to the woman at the counter about the problem I was having. I told her I wasn't sure what my skin wanted to do, but that normally I have dry-combo skin. She recommended this to me, and I've never loved a facial scrub more than this! It leaves my skin feeling smooth and refreshed, but definitely not at all stripped.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Body Wash. This isn't a new discovery by any means, but I never really appreciated it until I moved some place that was truly humid. Since moving, I have found that ordinary body washes just don't make me feel refreshed when I get out of the shower. I often find most of them to be too hydrating. For a long time, I only used this body wash on areas that were prone to breakouts, but since moving, I find that this body wash helps keep me feeling refreshed and squeaky clean!

CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation. I haven't been this impressed by a drugstore foundation in ages. Not only does this foundation match my skin perfectly, but it really does outlast any of my other foundations! It can easily be built up to a full coverage, but I prefer to apply it lightly with a Beauty Blender. It stays on all day without slipping and sliding, which is a huge deal in 90% humidity!

Better Homes and Gardens Dual-Scented Wax Cubes in Spiced Apple Pie. Unfortunately, because my apartment is owned by my school, I have to follow similar rules to the dorms. Which means no candles. However, I have discovered a love for wax warmers because of it, and currently these are my favorite wax cubes! It is a pack of two scents, and together, they smell absolutely amazing. It reminds me so much of my so-loved Leaves candle from Bath and Body Works, and I think I might go out and buy some of my favorite candles to break up into wax chunks for my wax warmer!

What have you been loving this month?

- D. 

p.s. Also, I would like to make a shout out to my dear friend Sarah. About a week ago, she tagged me to do "The Cat Tag," after having finished it herself. I'm sad to say that Sarah's beloved kitten, Claflin, passed away this past weekend, after being hit by a car. Sarah needs a lot of support right now, and I know she would love it if some of you would head over to her blog and let her know she has your support!

R.I.P. Claflin

11/7/13 - 8/31/14