Product Review: Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush

I really wanted to do a review on this product, because ever since I started wearing makeup, blush was the one thing I never used. I've actually had this blush for about 2 years now, and it's held up pretty well, but soon I will be doing a little research to determine whether or not I should toss it and get a new one.

It's the Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush, and I own it in color #20 - Peach Satin. This blush is what made me add blushing to my makeup routine. It's soft, creamy and subtle. Sometimes I get carried away with it because it's so subtle... if the lighting is not exactly right I can't tell I'm putting it on. I actually like that, because it means I can't possible make myself look clown-ish. But it gives the perfect amount of color and adds a glow to your face - and I love this stuff!

Okay. So first let me tell you about the texture. It's soft and creamy like a mousse, but had a bit of a powdery texture, so it tends to crumble a little. This doesn't really bother me too much, I just rub my finger in it and let the crumbly bits fall back into the container. It goes on like butter and has a little bit of shimmer to it. I especially love this color, because it works beautifully with my skin tone. I'd really like to see swatches/reviews of the other colors if anyone has used this product!

This is my go-to blush. Considering it's the first blush I've ever bought or used, that's kind of a given. However, I did recently purchase E.L.F.'s HD Blush in Superstar, but I haven't used it. To be honest, I'm scared of it! It is liquid/cream and very pigmented. I will give it a shot soon, though, since I did pay for it. We'll have to wait and see how that turns out.

What is your go-to blush?

Look of the Day - Work

Ok so here's a quick Look of the Day for you. This is how I did my makeup for work this morning. Here are the products used:

Elf Tinted Moisturizer, Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer/Dark Circle Eraser, Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush/20 Peach Satin, CoverGirl EyeEnhancers Eyeshadow/Snow Blossom, E.L.F. Pressed Mineral Eyeshadow/First Date, E.L.F. Eyeliner & Shadow Stick/Purple & Plum, Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Mascara and E.L.F. Lip Stain (w/gloss)/Heartbreaker.

This was a quick, effective process and turned out to be a really nice look for work that wasn't overbearing. Just something to make me look awake and presentable.

I applied the tinted moisturizer first. This was my 2nd time using it - I think the last time I used too little, and it didn't seem to cover much. This time I used more and I have a new appreciation for this product. I followed that with some concealer to hide my dark circles and any blemishes.

Next, I applied the Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in #20: Peach Satin to my cheeks. Check back soon for a review exclusively on this product.

The white eyeshadow was applied below my brow and in the inner corners of my eyes, followed by the pink shadow all over my lid. Then I used the shadow stick. I applied the plum eyeliner to my upper lashline, and the used the subtle purple shadow stick for my crease and outer corners - this added contrast between the white and pink shadows as they were both so light it was hard to tell the difference between them, and just looked like my whole eye was one color.

Next of course, the mascara. I love Maybelline's mascaras. I have tried several of them and have no complaints. This one in particular applies nicely without clumping or sticking.

Lastly, I applied the lipstain, let it dry, then coated with the gloss.

I picked all these products out last night before bed and laid them out like in the picture above. I was striving for a way to do my makeup before work that was fast and covered all the critical bases: flawless skin, eyes, and lips.

Here is the finished face (PS. Aren't my earrings ADORABLE!?!?):

Look of the Day

So I don't really have a name for this look, it's just how I ended up doing my makeup for the day. I will post a list of each product used a little later.

So I started off (after moisturizing my face) with a little concealer on my trouble spots: under my eyes for my dark circles, and anywhere I had redness. Then I applied foundation all over, about medium coverage. I also used a peach blush on my cheeks.

The next thing I did was take a semi-shimmery white eye shadow, and applied it under my brow and in the inner corners of my eyes.

I followed that up with a light-beige shadow and used it all over my lid, followed by a gold/bronze shadow that I applied to my crease & outer corners.

Next up, I used a soft pink blended shadow (I'll add a picture of it later) and blended that in the middle of my lid. This added a soft touch and I blended it into the gold/bronze color.

Lastly for the eyeshadow, I used a pigment shadow in a deep purple to add a pop of color to the outer corner & crease of my eyes.

I curled my lashes, then applied a thin line of liquid eyeliner in black to my upper and lower eyelid line. To finish up my eyes, mascara of course, in black.

Lastly was the lips. I had already used a lip balm to soften them beforehand. So I used a nude lipstick and blotted it as a primer so my lipcolor would realy stand out. I lined my lips with a peach lipliner, filled them in with an orange-colored lipstick and topped with a pretty pink gloss.

So that's my look of the day, hope you like it!

Current Collection - Lipstick Reviews

Hey guys! Finally a chance to do a REAL post! 

Today I'm going to show you swatches of my current lipstick collection and give you reviews. Keep in mind that my makeup collection is fairly new, as I threw most of my old stuff away.

Hope you enjoy and feel free to comment!

Ok, so I'm going to start off with what I think is probably a little-known company. It's called HoneyBee Gardens. The website is honeybeegardens.com and they are a cruelty-free company. They have a small selection of products, and honestly this is the only one I have bought from them because they're kind of pricey.

This is their lipstick in Karma. It's a matte-nude color. Unfortunately, it turned out to be too pale for me, and it makes me look like I have no lips. It's also a tiny bit sticky. The good news is, however, I find this lipstick works AWESOME as a primer. It has a good consistency to make any lipcolor stick to your lips and the flesh tone of this can make any lipcolor really pop. 

Here is E.LF.'s Essential Lipstick in Captivating. This is almost a clay-like orange color. It's not too bright, but has tons of pigment. It works really well with my pale-olive skin. 

Here is E.L.F.'s Mineral Lipstick in Party Pink. I tend avoid any lipstick with "pink" in the name, because I'm really picky about lipcolor. I tend to lean towards peach/coral colors. However, I liked the way the website swatched this color and thought I might like it in person - and I do! It's not blue-toned pink, so it turns out it is really pretty with my skin tone.

E.L.F.'s Mineral Lipstick in Nicely Nude. I'm always scared to by "nude" lipsticks, because I don't want them to wash me out or make my lips "disappear" the way the honeybee gardens one did. I actually haven't worn this one yet, but I really dig the color, even when I swatched it on my skin! I think it will work really well for a clean, "corporate" style look. I definitely want to try this one with a look for going to work. 

Here is Maybelline's Colorsensation Lipcolor in Born With It. Another pink/nude color I think will look awesome in a corporate look or when doing a look that focuses on the eyes. 

Maybelline's Colorsensational Lipcolor in Peachy Scene. I love this color. Like I mentioned, I love a peach/coral color, and this one is very pretty. It adds a nice pop of color to a daytime/casual look.

Maybelline's Colorsensational Pearls Lipcolor in Champagne Shimmer. I have to admit, I don't really use this one. It doesn't have a lot of pigment. I'd consider it a sheer/nude color. But it is actually very pretty and would go really well with a look that focuses on the eyes.

Maybelline's SuperStay 14 Hour Lipstick in Never Ending Nude. This one's okay. It's a little too brown for my taste. It doesn't have that peachy tone that I look for in a lipstick. This was another lipstick I grabbed when I was searching for a nude lipcolor that would work for me. It is a nice color, but I've only worn it once so far, and unfortunately I don't recall what kind of "staying power" it had, considering it's called 14-hour lipstick. I promise the next time I give this one a try, I will focus on it's wearability and blog about it again in the future.

This was a beauty-store, spontaneous buy. I love it!!! It's NYX Diamond Sparkle Lipstick in Sparkling Apricot. This is another lipstick that is a little more sheer than I would like, but it does have some pigment, and the color is very, very pretty. It has that pink/peach color I strive for and it's super sparkly. I would recommend this with a babydoll/innocent face for daytime. 

Revlon's SuperLustrous Lipstick in Coralberry. There's the keyword: coral! I love coral-colored lipsticks. This one is a pretty hue and is nice and vibrant without being overbearing. It looks really good with a smokey eye, evening face.

Well, that's my current lipstick collection. Like I said, it's not very big! But that's ok because I am working on growing my entire makeup collection, and there will be more to come in the future. Hope you like it, and I'd love to see your thoughts or questions on any of these lipsticks, so comment away!!!

Faves & Fails

Okay so nothing too exciting to post yet. I'm actually waiting for a delivery from E.L.F. (eyeslipsface.com) Cosmetics before I start my official reviews. My haul should be here this Saturday, but I'm hoping it will come before Friday (because I have a date that night).

So for now I thought I'd list a few of my favorite products and a few that failed for me. Here goes:


Faves:


L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara. So far it's the best mascara I've ever tried. It transforms my skimpy, short lashes into long, full ones. It doesn't clump, and it doesn't flake. This is my go-to mascara for a dramatic eye.

CoverGirl Lashblast Fusion Mascara. I absolutley LOVE this for a casual look. It does just enough to make you look "cleaned up" without being dramatic or noticeable. This is what I use to just freshen up my look, for instance if I'm just going to hang out at the boyfriend's house, but I don't want to look tired or like I just don't care, I wear a little concealer to cover my dark circles, and brush a little Lashblast on my lashes. It seperates, darkens and lenthens just a little bit. It doesn't look like you have mascara on, it looks like you have gorgeous, natural lashes! The only negative thing I can say about it, which really is not a big deal, is it has a wierd "peanut" smell, but you only smell it when you're applying.


Fails:

L'oreal Telescopic Explosion Mascara. I used it once, now it just sits in my collection. I should just throw it away, but I only used it once!  I found the brush too small, which made it difficult to apply and made my lashes stick together. My mom told me she hated it and my aunt hated it as well.

HUGE FAIL:

Sally Hansen. UGH! I can't stand Sally Hansen's nail products. Now, obviously I have not tried them all, but any of the products I have tried to strengthen, protect or grow my nails have not worked AT ALL. So whenever I shop for nail products I look for ANY other brand besides Sally Hansen. Sorry, Sally.



Alright, that's all for now. I hope this was helpful!