Maybelline

My Favorite Nude Lipsticks for Every Occasion and Budget

May 2nd, 2016 by Anna Oh 22 Comments

ysl rouge volupte 3 beige ultimate maybelline nude lust — An old favorite nude lipstick, and a new favorite nude lipstick: YSL Rouge Volupte, and Maybelline Color Sensational

I’m going to guess that you’re like me and LOVE peeking into someone else’s makeup bag. Well, no need to ask, because today I’m going to share my go-to nude lipsticks. I always have these on hand. They’re my good luck charms, like my Tide to Go (because I’m too lazy to reapply dark lip colors after eating), and these will work for beauty lovers of every budget, yay!

Marcella will also be sharing her nude lipstick favorites in another post, and I can’t wait to see what she picks for hers.

For work: YSL Rouge Volupte “3 Beige Ultimate”

So this one is actually a good luck charm for me. I’ve worn this to every job interview, and so far I’ve had a 100% success rate with it!

I’m half-kidding because I haven’t had THAT many full-time job interviews, but I usually wear a long fitted black blazer with some smart pleated pants with this beauty of a lipstick in my pocket. It’s the YSL Rouge Volupte Silky Sensual Radiant Lipstick in Beige Ultimate ($37). Even at that price point, I don’t think this lipstick disappoints. Heavy golden metal, not-too-sweet-watermelon scent, and amazing pigmentation in one swipe.

Infused with oils, it sits comfortably on my lips, and I barely notice I’m wearing it while talking to friends and interviewers alike. YSL wins the award for my top luxury lip choice.

For play: Maybelline The Buffs “Nude Lust”

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Maybelline Baby Lips Dr. Rescue Medicated Balm

April 22nd, 2016 by Jessica Revitte 22 Comments

The long-running Unsung Heroes series here on Makeup and Beauty Blog features some of our all-time favorite permanent collection products.

I’ve got dry lips.

Like, Sonoran Desert dry.

Many have tried to figure out why, I assure you, and many have failed. Between the overall dryness of my skin, to its tendency to eczema and how my lips aggravatingly seem to need to really get in the mood for our six-month winter here in the arctic tundra that is Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, my lips are wrinkled and peeling for way more of the year than I’d like.

I’ve gone through favorite lip balms like Taylor Swift goes through boyfriends. (Too soon? Sorry, T, just shake it off.)

I repeatedly feel like I’ve found “the one” and love it for weeks — months, even — and go through a whole slew of backups only to see my lips eventually reject the formula seemingly out of the freaking blue. It drives me nuts. What I don’t do is write songs about it… Maybe Taylor can help me with that?

Anyway, when Maybelline released their main Baby Lips line a few years ago, I tried one of the original tinted formulation balms and wasn’t that impressed. It looked great, but because of my lips, it felt like the balm itself was just sitting on top of my dry lips, rather than sinking in and really making a difference.

So I gave them a pass until I noticed a new product in the Baby Lips fam called Baby Lips Dr. Rescue, which I spotted while ~~getting some much needed “mommy alone time”~~ running errands. I grabbed the clear balm and applied it immediately in the car.

*queue angels singing*

It felt INCREDIBLE.

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Blur the Line Between Drugstore and High End with Maybelline’s Master Contour Kits

April 19th, 2016 by Jessica Revitte 23 Comments

Maybelline Master Contour Kit in Light to Medium 10 — Mid-application of Maybelline’s Master Contour Kit in Light to Medium 10

I seriously love me some Maybelline. The first palettes I gravitated to as a tween makeup lover were Maybelline, and, as an adult makeup lover, the brand continues to be, by far, the most purchased affordable makeup in my collection. At their price point, I often find their quality to be unrivaled — finely milled powders, fabulous cream shadows that apply like By Terry’s Ombre Blackstars and long-lasting pigment for days.

First time I saw the new Master Contour Palette in Light to Medium 10, which goes for $12.99 (available in Medium to Deep 20, as well), I was immediately reminded of Estée Lauder’s 2016 Bronze Goddess Summer Glow Multi Palette, which retails for over four times as much!

Comprised of a contour shade, a coordinating classic pink blush and a champagne highlighter, this gem poses as an excellent and wallet-friendly substitute to some similar, considerably more expensive summer 2016 releases.

Maybelline Master Contour Kit in Light to Medium 10

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3 of My Favorite Affordable Unsung Makeup Heroes

April 19th, 2016 by Jen Clark 34 Comments

The long-running Unsung Heroes series here on Makeup and Beauty Blog features some of our all-time favorite permanent collection products.

When I was looking through all of my makeup, trying to decide what I should write about for a Makeup Unsung Heroes post, I realized that most of what I have are things that everyone else loves, and that’s probably why I bought them. Rarely do I just go out and buy a product because I think it looks good. But sometimes those are the best ones!

Here are three products that I sort of took a chance on and ended up loving, and I think you might like them, too. 🙂

Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder

When I heard about Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder, it was only about $7 bucks, and I was using a super expensive Makeup Forever powder at the time. I wanted to find something cheaper, and I was really loving how loose powders worked, especially for baking under the eyes.

The first time I tried it, I used my beautyblender and pressed it into my concealer under my eyes. The soft formula made my under-eye area feel like silk, ’cause it kind of absorbed the concealer. It made everything look perfect under my eyes, and that’s mostly why I love it.

I also use it to set the rest of my face, and here’s a trick. If you put a little bit more than you normally would where you’re going to be putting your contour, that helps your contour not go all patchy, like mine tends to do sometimes. It just helps everything blend so much better on top.

If you’re really sensitive to scented makeup, this is probably the strongest smelling makeup item I have. It literally smells like the strongest synthetic floral scent in the word, and it reminds me of how my mom’s makeup used to smell in the ’90s. Good thing I can only smell it when I’m applying it, and I don’t smell it on my face the rest of the day.

But just a fair warning if you’re super sensitive to fragrances.

unsung makeup heroes coty airspun powder — Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder ($7)

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The Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24HR Concentrated Crayons: An Amazing Drugstore Find

April 14th, 2016 by Adia Goss 33 Comments

I’ve talked about how much I love eyeshadow sticks, so I was already primed and ready to like these Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24HR Concentrated Crayons.

I was not, however, expecting to LOVE ❤ them!

Here’s just a quick look at all 10 of these incredibly smooth and crazy pigmented eyeshadow sticks. Plus, they have major staying power. The packaging says up to 24 hours…but I didn’t test them for that long. Suffice to say, they last a full workday with no fading at all. I am so impressed with these shadows that I won’t be disrespectful and say that they’re only “good for a drugstore brand.” They’re just awesome period, and the icing on the cake is that you can get them at Target for $6 each.

Since there are 10 shades in the line, I broke them down by color family.

The pinks and purples…

maybelline eye studio color tattoo 24 hr concentrated crayon — Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24HR Concentrated Crayons in Pink Parfait, Lilac Lust and Lavish Lavender

As you can see, these are very sparkly, but still very pigmented. I find Pink Parfait to be very similar to Pink Pearl by Boots No. 7, and Lilac Lust and Lavish Lavender seem more unique to me, especially among the world of eyeshadow sticks.

Of this group, my favorite is Lilac Lust.

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Everyday Makeup Look: All Drugstore Products!

April 6th, 2016 by Adia Goss 32 Comments

When I was re-organizing my makeup collection, I realized that I have a fair amount of drugstore products. Most of my makeup is from Sephora or Nordstrom, but I’ve always mixed in drugstore buys into my everyday makeup routine. So, I wanted to challenge myself to see if I could do a full face of makeup only using my drugstore products. Turns out, I can! I actually really love all of the products that I used, so I’ll need to make a point to reach for them more often.

Foundation

drugstore makeup — Two great drugstore foundations: L’oreal True Match Lumi Cushion and L’oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation

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Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Matte Liquid Lip Color: Review & Swatches, Part 2

March 30th, 2016 by Adia Goss 16 Comments

Here are swatches of the second group of $6.99 Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Matte Liquid Lip Colors. (Click here to see pics and swatches of the first batch.)

Just as a recap, here are my thoughts on the formula overall…

First, these are incredibly vibrant, and almost all of the 10 available colors are completely opaque, even after a single layer. Unlike the name suggests, though, I didn’t find them to be particularly matte. I’d describe them more as satin, with some appearing a bit glossy. Also, they don’t ever completely dry down, and they aren’t nearly as transfer resistant as the liquid lipsticks by Kat Von D, ColourPop or Sephora, for example.

That being said, they aren’t as drying either, so there’s the big trade-off with this formula.

I love the color range and how comfortable these are. But, I don’t love the incredibly strong scent or how easily they smudge and transfer.

If you’re sensitive to fragrances, be very careful about these. Upon application, there’s a strong floral/powder scent (maybe freesia?) that I can still notice after 20 minutes (though it’s weakened by then).

I also feel a bit of a tingle on my lips after I apply them. I’m not sure if it’s a reaction to the scent or an ingredient in the lipsticks, but it isn’t painful and doesn’t make my lips red or swollen or anything like that. Just something I thought I should note.

Overall, if you’re looking for intense pigmentation in a comfortable and affordable liquid lipstick, these are worth checking out; however, if you’re looking for long-lasting lipsticks, you may be disappointed. And be careful if you’re sensitive to fragrances!

Here are swatches and details of the last five shades (the reds and purples) — Fuschia Ecstacy, Orange Shot, Rebel Red, Vivid Violet and Possessed Plum.

maybelline color sensational vivid matte liquid lip color — L to R: Fuschia Ecstasy, Orange Shot, Rebel Red, Vivid Violet and Possessed Plum

Fuschia Ecstacy.

Swatched on my arm, this looks like a pink/red, but on my lips it looks much redder.

I really like this color.

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One Wash Wonders: 4 Eyeshadows You’ll Love if You’re Lazy or Busy

March 29th, 2016 by Carolina Braina 14 Comments

KIKO Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow 06 Golden Brown — KIKO Long-Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in 06 Golden Brown on my eyes and MAC Velvetease Lip Pencil in Lover’s Lane on my lips

One Wash Wonder Eyeshadows — My favorite One Wash Wonders. Clockwise, from top left corner: Burberry Eye Colour Wet & Dry Glow Shadow in 002 Nude, Essence I Love Nude Eyeshadow in 04 Sweet Like Chocolate, Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Leather 24hr in Creamy Beige, KIKO Long-Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in 06 Golden Brown

Can we all please take a moment to thank the Beauty Gods profusely for creating One Wash Wonders?

Those magical neutrals that look amazing on their own, don’t require any makeup skills, and cut down the time you spend on your eyes to a handful of seconds are definitely the types of shadows I’m most grateful for.

In case you need a little inspiration for your first (or tenth) OWW purchase, here are my all-time favorites!

The Budget Buy: Essence I Love Nude Eyeshadow in 04 Sweet Like Chocolate (€3.19/$3.56)

Essence I Love Nude Eyeshadow 04 Sweet Like Chocolate — Wearing Essence I Love Nude Eyeshadow in 04 Sweet Like Chocolate last summer…

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