March Favorites

It's the end of the month, so I thought I'd share with you the stuff I've been using and enjoying this month.

Eco Tools Bronzer Brush -- I use this to apply pressed powder after my tinted moisturizer or foundation.  It has a densely packed bristles and is just so soft.  I love the feel of it!

Real Techniques Blush Brush -- The bristles on this one are a little long and the head is a little wide, but I like it for bright blushes since it doesn't deposit too much color.

LORAC Creamy Brow Pencil in Auburn -- I like that this has a spoolie for brushing through the brows on one end, and the color has a decent amount of red in it

Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush -- Pink and coral blushes together in the cutest heart packaging!

Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lipgloss in Naked -- Still a favorite for the minty taste and super shine.

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait -- A medium warm pink that gives soft shine and feels so moisturizing on the lips.

Neutrogena MoistureSmooth Color Stick in Fresh Papaya -- Light, somewhat bright pink coral that smells citrusy and is moisturizing.  Plus it makes my lips feel softer even after it has worn off.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser Treatment Concealer -- I love the packaging on this one.  It gives sheer to medium coverage and helps to brighten under the eyes.

Stila Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer -- This is a great everyday tinted moisturizer with SPF 20 that is gentle on the skin (uses mineral sunscreens titanium dioxide and zinc oxide).

What have been your favorites this month?

NYX Glam Gloss Aqua Luxe Lip Gloss in High Society and The Last Party Swatches

NYX has some really glittery lip glosses called Glam Gloss Aqua Luxe that I spied at Ulta recently.  I couldn't help myself and bought two of them.  I'm kind of like a magpie since I'm drawn to anything sparkly.

I chose High Society, a baby pink that NYX describes as sheer pink with pink, gold, and opal glitter, and The Last Party, a golden coral that NYX describes as deep coral with gold and opal glitter.

High Society and The Last Party

NYX says:  This intense, sparkling lip gloss instantly creates the look of fuller, more voluptuous lips with luminous shine.

From left:  High Society, The Last Party (no flash)

(with flash)

no color

NYX Aqua Luxe Lip Gloss in High Society lip swatch

NYX Glam Gloss Aqua Luxe in The Last Party lip swatch

(this one is purposely out of focus so you can see the glitter in it)

These are extremely sparkly due to the fine glitter in them.  They have a slippery texture, and are not at all sticky or gritty (which is great considering the amount of glitter they have).  I would say they are fairly sheer and don't give a lot of base color.  The color comes mostly from the color of the glitter.  These seem to last about 2-3 hours, and, like most glosses, feel fairly moisturizing while wearing them. I love these!

There are 11 colors in this formula and they retail for $6.00.

Clinique Butter Shine Lipstick in Pink Goddess

Clinique makes some lovely lipsticks.  My favorite formulas include the Chubby Stick, Almost Lipstick (in Black Honey, of course), and their Different Lipstick (Guava Stain is my fave).  I can now add their Butter Shine Lipsticks to my list.

Clinique says: The creamiest, richest, smoothest lip colour you can imagine. Our revolutionary gel formula delivers the shine of a gloss, the comfort of a lipstick. Drenches lips in moist, lush color that glides on buttery-soft, feels luxuriously smooth.

Pink Goddess is a medium berry pink.

Clinique Butter Shine Lipstick in Pink Goddess swatch (no flash)

(with flash)

This has a beautiful texture.  It is very smooth and leaves a wonderful soft shine on the lips.  It actually reminds me of the Revlon lip butters, but it is a little slicker.  It isn't particularly hydrating or long-wearing (I get maybe 2 hours before it starts to wear off), but Clinique doesn't claim these to be either.  It gives sheer to medium color opacity depending on how many coats you apply.

(no color)

with Clinique Butter Shine Lipstick in Pink Goddess

Pink Goddess doesn't seem to be available on the Clinique website, but it is on Sephora's which is where I got mine.

Have any favorite Clinique lippies?

CoverGirl Liquiline Blast Eyeliner in Blue Boom

I love Urban Decay's 24/7 eyeliners, but since I can't afford to own all of them and I wanted a bright blue eyeliner, I thought I would try CoverGirl's Liquiline Blast Eyeliner in Blue Boom.

CoverGirl says: With Liquiline blast, you'll get all the intensity and staying power of a liquid with the ease and blendability of a waterproof pencil. Use the liner as-is for intense definition or smoke-it-out with the built-in smudger end for a subtle, smoky look.

CoverGirl Liquiline Eye4liner in Blue Boom swatches (defined, smudged)

This pencil is very creamy, highly pigmented, and long-lasting.  It applies without any tugging or skipping, and the smudger works great to soften a harsh line if you want a softer look.  I don't think it is as long-lasting or waterproof as the Urban Decay pencils as this one moves and creases a little bit on my upper lid if I wear a thicker line and smudge it up to the crease.  It does wear very nicely on the waterline.

One of my favorite ways to wear this color is with a copper color on my lid and this as a pop of color on my lower waterline.

There are six colors in this formula, including a bright lime green that would be great for spring.

If you like bright, royal blue eyeliner CoverGirl Liquiline Blast Eyeliner in Blue Boom is a great, affordable option.  

Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blush in Coral Reef and Pinched Swatches

Last summer Revlon added some cream blushes to their PhotoReady line.  I bought Pinched and Coral Reef since I love coral blushes (especially for spring and summer).  They also make a hot pink color called Flushed which I am considering buying...

They are packaged in a clear pot with a black lid that has a sticker label with the name of the color.

Revlon says:

• Creamy blush provides buildable, beautiful flush of color
• Lightweight formula with silky soft feel on skin
• Blends evenly over cheeks for smooth application
• Photochromatic pigments bend and reflect light to provide cheeks with a beautiful glow

(Yeah, I gouged Pinched with my fingernail!)

Coral Reef is a bright orange-y coral with no shimmer.

Pinched is a light peach with gold shimmer.  

Coral Reef (heavy unblended swatch, blended)

Pinched (unblended, blended)

They have sort of a silicone-like feel to them and dry down to a powdery finish, so they don't really feel or apply like a traditional cream blush.  They look bright in the pot, but you can apply them sheerly and build up the color as desired.  Wear time on these is very good.

Pinched is quite a light color and works well as a highlighter as well as a subtle blush.

I think this is a really beautiful formula and they give a very pretty flush to the cheeks.  

Sephora Long-Lasting 12HR Wear Eye Liner in Glitter Violet and Metallic Gold

I've been on a liquid liner kick lately and I decided to try a couple of the Sephora Collection liquid liners.

These are packaged with a black end that holds the product, and a colored handle that matches the color of the liner.  They have a very fine felt-tip that makes creating a fine line very easy.  They layer nicely for a thicker line.

Sephora says:  A collection of ultra-pigmented eyeliners to create strong, beautiful lines.

Metallic Gold is a bright yellow gold.
Glitter Violet has a black base (but not completely opaque black) with lots of fine purple glitter.

Sephora Long-Lasting 12HR Eye Liner in Glitter Violet and Metallic Gold swatches

You can really see the purple glitter from this angle!

These do indeed have a nice, long wear time and don't smudge, but remove easily with makeup remover or cleanser.

I think the gold is great to add a little glimmer to the eye, and the Glitter Violet gives some sparkle without giving a "hey I'm wearing glitter eyeliner" look.

One possible way to wear them is with the violet close to the lash line and the gold just above it for a cool double liner look!

Have you tried any Sephora liners?

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Sugar Rose Tinted Swatches

Fresh makes one of my favorite lip balms.  The Sugar Lip Treatment is probably the only lip balm of which I have ever finished an entire tube.  It has a wonderful sweet lemony scent, and hydrates incredibly well (the sugar works as a natural humectant pulling moisture from the air to the lips).

The lip treatment comes in 7 colors, including a new one for spring called Petal (which I might need to try!), plus the clear treatment.

Last year's Sephora birthday present for Beauty Insiders was a set with a mini of the clear and a mini of the Rose color.  I have Rose to show you today.

It is described on the Sephora website as "sheer berry rose".

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Sugar Rose Tinted (without flash)

(with flash)

bare lips

with Rose Tint

These are expensive at $22.50 each for the full size, but work so well as balm and a some color that if you are willing to shell out the money they are well worth it!

SEPHORA + PANTONE UNIVERSE Color Theory Shadow Block in Eclipsed Swatches

I love green eyeshadow, so I was extremely excited when Pantone declared emerald the color of the year since I knew they would do a color collection with Sephora featuring it.  Last year's collaboration of Pantone and Sephora featuring Tangerine Tango was so beautiful and had such amazing products, so I knew the quality would be great.

Honestly, I was a little surprised by the color they call emerald.  It has much more blue in it and is lighter than what I consider to be emerald.  It seems more like a jade green to me.

Sephora + Pantone Universe says:  "Its distinct hue, falling exactly between true blue and true green on the color spectrum, makes Emerald a universally flattering tone that activates and enhances every eye color." (From the Sephora website)

I was immediately drawn to the eyeshadow trios and decided to pick up Eclipse, which has a medium shimmery cool green (Emerald), a shimmery forest warm green with lots of brown in it (Olivine), and a shimmery golden tan (Amberlight).

The packaging on this is quite interesting.  It has a clear cover and a mirror that are attached to one corner of the trio and they pivot to either side of the shadows.  They also "click" (I think with magnets) in place when they are pivoted back over the shadows.

Sephora says:  Enhance and invigorate your eyes with this shadow palette that delivers a trio of rich, satiny formulas for a smoky, elusive look. The reflective properties of diamond dust and micro-fine platinum powder diffuse light, creating a smoldering effect. The deep, neutral shades featured in this palette draw out a striking facet of Emerald for a gorgeous smoky eye lit with a hint of shimmer. No matter how you wear Emerald—from subtle to dramatic—its universally flattering tone complements and intensifies every iris. 

Here come the swatches!

From left: Emerald, Olivine, Amberlight (with flash)

Emerald, Olivine, Amberlight (indoor light, no flash)

Emerald, Olivine, Amberlight (sunlight)

Emerald

Olivine

Amberlight

These shadows are very soft and buttery, have excellent pigmentation, produce little fall out, and are long-lasting (I only saw a tiny bit of creasing after 6 hours without a primer).

Here, I used the Emerald color on the lid and the lower lashline and the Amberlight color in the crease.

For this look, I used Amberlight as a colorwash all over the lid.

I added Olivine to the outer corner and crease.

This is Olivine and Amberlight used to create a dramatic smokey look.

This is a gorgeous trio and totally worth the $26!  (Exclusive to Sephora and limited edition.)