Buxom Don't Miss A Beat Full-On Lip Polish Collection Review

           Buxom lip gloss is something I have wanted to try to for a while now and when my birthday came around I used the Sephora coupon to pick this up at a discounted price. This set includes six mini lip polishes in Destiny, Nicole, Ava, Jennifer, Kayla and Dolly for $32(CAD). Unfortunately this set is no longer available but there is a larger set on Sephora and all of these products are available for purchase individually. 

           According to the Sephora website: 

What it does: For kisses that’ll keep them coming back for more, try this sheer, high-shine lip polish. It creates the look of fuller, more voluptuous lips with a refreshing tingling sensation and gentle plumping effect. Vitamins A and E help keep lips soft, supple, and protected, ensuring your smoothest moves ever. 

          I just love these glosses, they are sheer but give a hint of colour and look great over lip liner or lipstick. Some other lip plumping products can be very uncomfortable but these have a pleasant tingling sensation and last much longer than most glosses I have tried. The overall effect is full, glossy and moisturized lips. If I could justify buying the $74(CAD), 15 piece Full-On Lip Polish and Lip Creme it would already be on its way to me. I will certainly be keeping an eye out for any more sets Buxom offers and cross my fingers for them to go on Hautelook.  

           If you are looking for glosses that are subtle enough for everyday glam or perfect gloss to compliment another lip colour I suggest picking up some of the Buxom glosses. 

Thanks for reading!

A.

@dirty_cupcake

Check out some of my other posts.

Haul Winter 2015

          This is a collective haul I have been sitting on for a while and naturally I have lost the paper I have all my notes on, including the prices. We have some new loves and some items I have already passed on. Let's go:

Mally Beauty Lip Gloss

          I got these off Hautlook and while they are not a bad product I just have others I prefer and I will be passing them on to my cousin without really using them.

Nars Lip Crayons

         I got these as a birthday gift from Sephora as a beauty insider perk. Nars is just one of those cult beauty brands and I was thrilled to receive these. The red is a matte finish and it is beautiful, non-drying and long lasting. The pink is a satin finish and not as long lasting but a beautiful, subtle colour. 

Julep Lipgloss

         I have had a couple Julep lip glosses and am a big fan, I can not find this gloss to save my life and it breaks my heart. It is pretty close to being the perfect red gloss, it has enough colour without being so pigmented that if it gets messed up you look like a crazy person.

Julep Break the Ice Full Coverage Creme Lipstick Mini Trio 

          I really enjoy Julep lip products and I truly believe all lip colours should come in mini sizes. How often do you really use a whole lipstick? Plus it fits on your purse or pockets so much better.  The shades are mingle, primp and charm, all perfect for the season. The little box they came in is also super handy as it is magnetic so it stays shut in your purse or travel bag. 

Kat Von D Lock-it Featherweight Primer + Base

           I had such high hopes for this primer but I was pretty underwhelmed, I have not completely given up on it but I was not immediately wowed. I also suspect that it made my foundation oxidize but more research is required for that one. The packaging is on point though. 

Hard Candy Sheer Glow Illuminator

          I really do not know why I bought this, seriously. Not a clue. My only guess is that I was looking at it and Beast hurried me along so I tossed it in my basket instead of putting it back. I have used it a couple time as a liquid highlighter as well as on my arms and chest for Christmas parties. 

Mally Beauty Liquid Face Defender

From the Mally Beauty website- Shaded Liquid Face Defender is a new art technology and formula that takes your makeup routine to the next level. It mattifies the skin on contact, and can be worn under or over your regular foundation. This innovative formula not only blends beautifully to match your skin tone, but it protects your makeup from fading, creasing, and settling into those pesky lines and wrinkles that seem to love to absorb all that gorgeous makeup you put on!

           Well with a description like that how can you go wrong? I do find this helps my makeup blend very easily. I will also wear it under powder on errand days.I don't know that I would purchase it again, maybe if it was on Hautelook again.

Hard Candy 1000 Lashes Fiberized Lash Weave Mascara

          I am all about mascara and have been trying to find one to replace my love, the Two Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. I did really like this mascara but I have to wear my make up for up to 16 hours and this mascara started to bother me around hour 8, not a bad product but I would only use it on days that I wont have to wear my makeup for such a long period of time.

Marcelle XTRENSION PLUS + PROLASH Growlash Complex

           This mascara, however, I do really like; mostly because of the brush. One set of bristles are longer than the rest so they are perfect for separating and defining lashes. I have not noticed much in terms of growth but I am not losing many eyelashes so maybe it is working.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Mascara
           I have a problem, I know this. I do not think I have ever been disappointed with a Rimmel mascara, this one gives great volume and curl. I am not sure what about it makes me think this but I feel it gives a great retro vibe.

Redken Diamond Oil Bulletproof shine, Intense

           Normally I do not use hair oil but I wanted something I could put in my hair as an overnight treatment or the occasional hot oil treatment. This is a lovely product, it has helped repair my damaged ends and smells amazing. I have also used on persistent dry skin patches. In 17 years when I use this up I will repurchase the light version so I could use it during the day as well without it being too heavy.

Redken Pillow Proof Blow Dry Express Primer

          Love. Love. Love. This product smoothes my hair, helps it dry faster and protects from heat damage. I will repurchase this as long as they make it.

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy in Ace of Spades, Checkmate, and Hold 'em
          I occasionally have to work in a restaurant setting and I think there are not many things that look worse than someone serving your food with chipped nail polish. When I was in the restaurant on a regular basis I discovered gel polish and all other nail polish was ruined for me. It was just so durable and did not chip. Unfortunately I have an awful habit of peeling off my gel manicure rather than soaking it off so my nails got pretty haggard. I decided to give Revlon a shot, not expecting much. Then I fell in love. This product was a life changer, it is the ease of regular nail polish with the look of gel and is quite durable.

Thanks for reading!

A

Check out my last haul

@dirty_cupcake

Birchbox Canada November 2015 GlamLifeGuru Box

                    

          Let me start by fangirling just a little bit. I adore Tati Westbrook and when I saw that she was curating a box there was no question, I was getting it. Tati is a beauty YouTuber and has been for the last five years. She consistently posts five videos a week that range from tutorials, reviews, Hot or Not on new releases/products, and hauls for both high end and drugstore beauty products. Before starting you tube Tati was an Image Consultant which she describes as a 9-5 desk job putting together programs with makeup, health and fashion items. Tati is in her early thirties and a little older than most of the beauty YouTubers, which I love. She has the knowledge and experience to recommend products that I know are going to work. I would love to have her makeup skills and her hair is just always perfect, Tati is easily in my top 3 YouTubers.  OK, embarrassing gushing done. If Tati was to read this, unlikely, I would probably die of embarrassment and hope to god I had my facts straight. Lets talk about the actual products in the box.

            

Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels Full Size 8 for $33, Sample Value $4.13
           These are not my favourite eye pads on the market but I can not deny that they work to reduce puffiness and are a great pampering item. I am currently on vacation so these will be great to help me unwind. I think I will take Tati's suggestion and put them in the fridge for a little bit first.


Living Proof Perfect hair Day PhD. Dry Shampoo Full Size $28, Sample Value $13.01
          I am not one of those lucky girls that can wash their hair every few days or even every other day. I have tried a few different dry shampoos without much luck, mostly I use them to make my hair less disgusting for the gym, to run quick errands or if I use too much product in my hair. I am not ready to give up on day two hair and based on the reviews from Tati and others this is an amazing dry shampoo. 


theBalm Cosmetics Frat Boy Blush/Shadow Full Size $27 Value $1.69ish
           I have tried a few things from theBalm and love everything I have tried. Check out this haul for more. Lately I have also been looking to expand my blush collection so I am quite excited to try this out. The only issue I can foresee is that my blush brush is much too large for the pan. Swatch below.


LOC One & Done Shadow Stick in Day Trip Full Size $12
            Love of Color is Birchbox's new makeup line and Tati collaborated with them to make this first collection. I bought the Ultimate Collection so I already have this but I am still glad to have another as it is not a permanent collection. These shadow sticks are amazing, I normally avoid cream shadows but these do not budge at all. For a full review of these and the the matte lipsticks check this out.

                           

Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre (24 hour miricle cream) Full Size $28 Sample Value $1.87
          I received this in either my last Birchbox or Ipsy bag and I don't hate having another sample. I have very oily skin so finding a moisturizer to wear under my makeup can be a challenge. I find this one absorbs quickly and does not leave my face feeling any greasier than normal. The sample may look tiny but you need such a small amount that I have not even used half of the first sample I have and I use it at least five days a week.


           Overall this box has a value of $32.70, not huge but a good value for a $10/$15 box. A couple of items are not items I would choose myself but I am glad to receive them all the same. I think I am most excited about the blush and shadow stick. 

Check out Tati's YouTube Channel

Thanks for reading!

A.

@dirty_cupcake

Check out my last Birchbox

L'Oréal Pop Balm Collection Review + Bonus Nude Balm and Colour Riche

          I picked up one of the L'Oreal Pop Balm lip products as pick me up after a rough day and within the week I picked up three more and then a Nude Balm and Colour Riche Balm. I found them for a couple different prices but they were all under $10.

          I now own 518 Tender Mauve , 430 Fiery Red, 410 Wild Lily, 440 Electric Pink, from the Nude Balm line 318 Heavenly Berry, and from the Colour Riche line 819 Caramel Comfort. 

          The first swatch of each colour is one swipe and the second is with it built up a little bit. 

          The bottom swatches here are the originally swatches of Electric Pink and Heavenly Berry. At first I was disappointed because the pigmentation was so lacking but then I twisted up the product to see the tip was discoloured and dried out. I used a card to slice off the top portion and got the top swatches. I bought these two at Walmart and the rest at Shoppers so I think it is more of a commentary on the product control or whatever at Walmart then on L'Oreal. 

          The first one I bought was Tender Mauve and I loved it enough to go buy the whole Pop Balm collection. It really feels like a balm and moisturizers like one as well. I am a huge fan of lip products but not of maintaining the look throughout the day. With these you get a wash of colour that moisturizers, goes on like butter and you don't even need a mirror to apply. I get the most use out of Tender Mauve, Fiery Red and Caramel Comfort. I am ecstatic that I found a nude lip colour I am comfortable wearing. In writing this I realized I haven't really used Heavenly Berry so I will have to dig that one out (to return it and then get a new one). The other colours will be put into my lipstick organizer and come back out in the spring/summer. Overall I am a big fan of this line and will be looking into the Nude Balm and Colour Riche lines some more once my Christmas Shopping is done. 

Thanks for reading!

A.

Check out some other reviews! 

PS I do not know why the formatting is so off on this but it just wont fix.

          

Clinique Acne Solutions Clear Skin System Review + Bonus Moisture Surge Overnight Mask Review

The product: Clinique Acne Solutions Clear Skin System

Step 1: Acne Solutions Cleansing Foam

Step 2: Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion

Step 3: Acne Solutions All-Over Clearing Treatment

Cost: $44 (CAN)

How to: After washing you hands cleanse face with the Cleansing Foam, apply Clarifying Lotion with cotton pad or ball, follow with a thin layer of the All Over Clearing Treatment. Apply twice daily. Fair skinned individuals should begin with one application.

The Claims:

From day one:

Helps banish acne causing agents on contact with medicated cleansing foam

Clears away dirt and oil

Unclogs pores

After one week:

Visibly reduces blemish size

Skin looks clearer, less oily

After two weeks:

Reduces the look of pores

Controls the appearance of excess shine and oil

Feel confident with clearer skin

          I have never had a problem with acne, all through school to have more than three blemishes was unusual. Lately that has not been the case, I have had more breakouts and oiliness then ever before. I had tried a number of face washes like Clean and Clear and Neutrogena but nothing was making much of a difference. I came across this Clinique Acne Solutions while browsing Sephora and decided to give it a try. 

          Every single bit of this review is based on what I experienced while using this product that I purchased with my own money.  I mean I wish Clinique was sending me things to review but that just is not my reality. 

          For the first week I recorded my impressions each day:

Day one: I used the entire system the night I purchased it and noticed my skin felt much more matte, even the next morning

Day two: In the a.m. I noticed some redness immediately after use but nothing more than a slight scrub would give me. There was also less oil under my makeup throughout the day.

Day three: I would not recommend this for someone with sensitive skin. It is a rather harsh system but I certainly noticed a reduction in size of my blemishes and they seem to have dried up quite a bit.

Day four: I developed a couple really dry patches and steps two and three are stinging. I switched out the All Over Treatment for my night time routine and just used a regular moisturizer.

Day five: I skipped the All Over Treatment again in the a.m. as my skin was still very dry even after layering two lotions. At night time I used the Clarifying Lotion and All Over Treatment only in problem areas and applied another moisturizer over all.

Day 6: I took a break from the whole routine today. I used a soothing sheet mask but I still had dryness and flakey skin. 

Day 7: After a night cream my skin was not as dry in the morning and compared to seven days ago there is a clear reduction in number, size and redness. 

          At this point I was noticing serious improvements in regards to both number and size of my blemishes but my skin was getting so dry and flakey. So dry that none of the moisturizers I had were making any improvement. I wanted to continue using this system because it was working. I decided to go looking for an intense moisturizing mask or treatment. I found another Clinique product, the Moisture Surge Overnight Mask.

          This is not something I would normally pick up but I am glad I did. I used this once overnight and once as a quick half hour treatment and the dry spots that no other moisturizer could do anything to help were completely gone. If you have dry skin go buy this. I currently alternate with my usual Julep night cream because it is too much for me to use nightly but I am sure this will be very helpful for dry winter skin.

The Verdict:

          Well I have already purchased a full sized version of all the products and when I did so I got a little sample of the 7 Day Scrub Cream which I also love. Overall I am impressed by the system once I got the dryness taken care of I had no further issues with dryness, stinging or redness. I am still struggling with blemishes but they are not nearly as noticeable and the healing process is so much faster. I do feel like my pores have been unclogged and even noticed a reduction in the number of blackheads on my nose. I do not, however, notice much in the way of pore size reduction but that is not something I was concerned about to begin with. I love using the all over clearing treatment in the morning before applying make up as it really mattifies my skin. After the initial reduction in oil and shine I do not feel that has continued which makes me think that the system is too harsh and I am producing excess sebum to make up for what my skin thinks it is lacking. I occasionally use a more gentle cleanser to balance that out but I still believe this system works. I would recommend anyone struggling with acne give this a try, if you have dry skin using it twice a day would probably be too much for you, at least at first.

          Next I want to try the Clinique makeup as I have only heard good things. I am looking forward to trying the primer, a foundation, maybe a powder and the chubby sticks. Hell I want to try it all!

Thank you for reading!

A 

@dirty_cupcake 

Primer Showdown

          As I had mentioned in an earlier post I have declared war on my oily skin. I won my first battle when I picked up some Clinique skin care products, I will link that down below. My next mission is primers. I bought four to try out in hopes the would be able to help me fight my oily skin. I wanted to start with drugstore products in hopes of finding the perfect primer without making my wallet cry.

          In order we have Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer, Gosh Velvet Touch Foundation Primer in Classic, Hard Candy Sheer Envy Shine Free Primer, and Rimmel London Stay Matte Primer. I will give you some information about each one, the price, where I got it and why and then give a little review. At the end I will rank each of them 1-4, 1 being the best obviously. 

Smashbox Profinish Foundation Primer.  Full Size $40

          I decided to give this one a try because I have heard so many people on YouTube or different blogs talk about this like it is gelly gold. I did not want to drop forty bucks on it without trying it first so I bought a kit with a few different products from Smashbox in trial sizes. I will link that haul at the end of this post. It is oil free which is great because I have enough of that on my face already. The main focus of this primer is to reduce fine lines and reduce pores so it is not specifically for oil control but it is supposed to make your make up last longer. This primer has won tons of awards including the Sephora Award for Best Primer, one of Marie Claire's "25 Products That Will Change Your Life", an InStyle Best Beauty Buy and Martha Stewart Wedding Big-Day Beauty Awards Winner in 2013.

My Review: I am not one to go against Martha, she is a bad bitch who knows her shit, but this primer was complete crap. At least for me it was, my make up slid all around on my face to the point I could not even blot because it moved all my makeup around. I gave it many chances with different foundations, with and without lotion underneath and on days that required different makeup needs but it failed everyday. One day I wore it to work in the restaurant and near the end of my shift I just took all my makeup off because I looked terrible. I would say this actually made my makeup wear away faster and look worse while it was on my face. I will say that initially the clear gel went on really smooth, made my skin soft and my makeup went over it well. I gave this away to my sister I hope it will work for her, I mean it has won so many awards so it has to work for someone. 

Princess's Review: My sister said she did like it, that it was light and made her made her makeup last

Gosh Velvet Touch Foundation Primer in Classic   $25

          This was recommended to be by a woman in the Shoppers Boutique place, I told her I had oily skin and was considering trying the Smashbox primer but was not loving the price. I feel like she missed the part where I said I wanted a primer specifically for oily skin, this is the classic formula; maybe they have an oily skin formula. The bottle says "...is a perfect base for all makeup. It fills in fine lines and deep pores in the skin, creating a uniform, matt and silky soft surface" It is clear and about the of a gel consistency 

My Review: this was very similar to the Smashbox primer both in formula and effectiveness. The Gosh primer took a couple hours more to melt off my face but was still a disappointment. I did like how it felt going on and my skin looked smoother instantly. By the time I was halfway through my day my foundation was patchy and sliding around my face. I was going to just toss this but since it looked so nice by itself I think I will use it alone when I go to the gym to at least get some use out of it. 


Hard Candy Sheer Envy Shine Free Primer    $7.98
          I just saw this in Walmart and decided to give it a try since it said it will control shine for a matte finish. The back of the tube says : "Prevents oil build up and reduces sine while reducing the need for foundation touch ups. Lightweight primer is suggested for oily, sensitive or problem prone skin"

My Review: I had high hopes for this one since it was meant for oily skin, it had creamy texture and felt nice enough going on. My makeup did not slide around like the first two, it stayed put fairly well but I did have a lot of oil and shine, blotting was a must. Wearing a day lotion or serum underneath this one was impossible. I will use this but I will check to make sure to put blotting sheets in my bag.

 Rimmel London Stay Matte Primer    $9.99

           Another Walmart purchase, you can use this alone, under or over makeup to create a matte complexion that controls shine for eight hours.

My Review: I picked this up because I had tried the foundation from this line and found it was pretty decent for my oily skin. The formula was a little thicker, more like a cream. My foundation looked so natural on top of this. I did still have to blot a little after six or seven hours but there was not as much oil as the rest of the primers above. So while it did not solve all my problems it did perform a miracle: my foundation actually looked good under the fluorescent lights in the basement office! I will keep wearing it just for that. I did find that putting a little of the primer over top of my foundation but under powder did help control shine for a little bit of extra time.

The final standings:

4. SmashBox 

3. Gosh           

2. Hard Candy

1. Rimmel        

None of these were outstanding, I will keep using the Hard Candy and Rimmel primers under my foundation and the maybe the Gosh primer alone for the gym.

I will keep trying new primers and let you know what I think.

Thanks for reading!

A.

@dirty_cupcake

The HUGE drugstore haul where I got some of the primers