March Favorites 2012

My March 2012 Favorites!

EOS Lip Balm in Summer Fruit: This is one of the cutest lip balms out there but I tend to be picky about lip balms so I wasn't sure if it would live up to all the hype. However, I must say that it is a very moisturizing and fairly long lasting lip balm and I am quite happy with it. The top screws off of the little egg-shaped container to reveal a half-sphere of lip balm. It smells fruity and sweet and reminds me almost exactly of the smell of Trident Tropical Twist gum in the orange packaging. It applies smoothly to the lips and tastes really sweet. I usually don't like flavored lip products but this is one that I don't mind accidentally licking off of my lips. I don't think I like it as much as my beloved Burt's Bees lip balm but it is definitely a close runner up. 

EOS Lip Balm in Summer Fruit

L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in 818 Nourishing Nude: I hauled this not very long ago but it has quickly become a favorite of mine. I find myself throwing it into my purse almost every single day, especially on days that I don't feel like wearing lipstick or lipgloss but still want a light wash of color on my lips. It feels moisturizing like a lip balm and slightly enhances my natural lip color while giving off a glossy (but not too glossy) sheen. I love it! 

L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in 818 Nourishing Nude

Wet n Wild Megalast Lip Color in 902C Bare it All: I have finally found the perfect nude lipstick after what seems like a forever long lasting treasure hunt and this is it you guys! It's a beautiful, semi-matte lipstick that is extremely opaque and is seriously the most perfect nude color for my skin tone. I always pick up nude lipsticks here and there to try out but they always end up making me look washed out and/or dead. This one gives me the nude look I want but I still look alive! Yay! :) 

Wet n Wild Megalast Lip Color in 902C Bare it All

  
Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in 08: Kate Moss is pretty much my favorite model of all time so I had to pick one of these lipsticks up no matter what. I went with 08 and I'm so glad I did because it is a beautiful mauvy-nude that really enhances the natural color of my lips. It feels creamy and smooth and is moisturizing enough to be worn alone or you can top it off with lipgloss. It has a slightly sweet smell but isn't too overbearing. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in 08

Swatches: L'Oreal Nourishing Nude, Wet n Wild 902C Bare it All, Rimmel 08 (warm lighting)

Swatches: L'Oreal Nourishing Nude, Wet n Wild 902C Bare it All, Rimmel 08 (cool lighting)

ELF Studio Tinted Moisturizer in Porcelain: This tinted moisturizer is perfect to wear in Guam's hot & humid weather. It never looks shiny or greasy on me (even with my combination/oily skin) but I always top it off with a powder anyway (usually my MAC MSF Natural). Plus, you have got to love the $3 price tag! I'm not sure why it's called "Porcelain" though because it matches my skin very well and I have more of a medium skin tone.  

ELF Studio Tinted Moisturizer in Porcelain

Swatch of ELF Studio Tinted Moisturizer in Porcelain

Wet n Wild Coloricon Eyeliner in White: This white eyeliner is great for lining the waterline of your eyes to really make them pop and give you that bright wide-eyed look. It applies smoothly and shows up well but isn't super long lasting. I love that you get a ton of product and it has a great price point. 

Wet n Wild Coloricon Eyeliner in White

Posh Crease Brush Duo: I absolutely love these crease brushes and use them almost every single time I apply eyeshadow. They are super soft and never shed and allow for very precise eyeshadow application. I never hear anyone talk about Posh makeup brushes but they are really high quality and I love the red handles. I would definitely recommend these to everyone.

Posh Crease Brush Duo

ELF Cream Eyeliner in Copper: As you can see, this eyeliner is more of a bronze than a copper. It applies creamy and opaque and I've really been liking it this month as a way to branch out from my signature black eyeliner. Sure, it's not a drastic change but I'm taking baby steps, alright? (lol) 

ELF Cream Eyeliner in Copper

ELF Cream Eyeshadow in Bronze: I never ever hear anyone talk about the ELF Cream Eyeshadows and I don't understand why! I own two of them and love them both. I have been using this one a lot this month because I have really been loving brown eyeshadow looks. Sometimes I wear it alone and sometimes I layer powder shadows over it. It's long lasting on my eyes and doesn't crease (keep in mind that I do not  have oily eyelids). It can be applied sheer or built up to be darker and opaque.

Swatches: ELF Cream Eyeliner in Copper, ELF Cream Eyeshadow in Bronze (warm lighting)

Swatches: ELF Cream Eyeliner in Copper, ELF Cream Eyeshadow in Bronze (cool lighting)

Revlon Top Speed Fast Dry Nail Enamel in 570 Vintage: You may recall this as I only just recently hauled it when I picked up some sale items from K-Mart. I had been looking for a color like this for such a long time and this deep berry/burgundy shade is simply gorgeous. I apply about 3 thin coats to get it 100% opaque. It shows up a bit darker on your nails once it is dry than how it looks in the bottle.

Revlon Top Speed Fast Dry Nail Enamel in 570 Vintage

Hope you all had a fabulous March and have a fabulous April as well! I'm super excited because my birthday is at the end of this month. Do I see new makeup in my future? hehe :) Take care! xoxo

2 Mini Makeup Hauls + First Impressions + Swatches

Hey lovely readers! :) I recently took pictures of two small hauls from the NEX and from K-Mart which are both here in Guam. I decided to combine both hauls because they would have been so short by themselves! So far I'm loving everything I purchased aside from the mascara which I haven't opened yet (I have way too many mascaras open at the moment so I need to use them up! If you're a mascara addict like myself, then you know how that goes! lol!). Anyway, here's what all I got...  

NEX Haul

Revlon PhotoReady 3D Volume Mascara, Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters in Tutti Frutti & Cherry Tart

Revlon PhotoReady 3D Volume Mascara: I haven't opened this product yet so I can't comment on it, although I am very intrigued by the brush!

Revlon PhotoReady 3D Volume Mascara (close up of the brush) 

Swatches of Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters in 015 Tutti Frutti & 070 Cherry Tart

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters 015 Tutti Frutti & 070 Cherry Tart

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti: This is a bright yet sheer orange that can be worn sheer or built up for a more opaque look like my swatch above. It's not 100% opaque like a lipstick would be so I think it's a perfect choice for someone who wants to try out a bright color but is a little unsure about something too bright. My lips are pigmented so this doesn't show up as the true orange that you see in the swatch. It ends up being almost a coral/orangy red. So pretty and perfect for Spring & Summer! These aren't long lasting so you will have to reapply throughout the day. 

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter 015 Tutti Frutti

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Cherry Tart: I think this is the perfect color for anyone who is intimidated to wear red lipstick but secretly wants to try it. It gives a sheer wash of red that reminds me of the effect of eating red candy or drinking red Kool-aid. It's moisturizing and slightly glossy so it feels really nice on the lips. It's not long lasting so it will have to be reapplied throughout the day. 

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter 070 Cherry Tart

K-Mart Haul

L'Oreal Colour Riche Balms in Caring Coral & Nourishing Nude, ELF Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Baby Lips, ELF Hypershine Lipgloss in Flirt

Swatches of L'Oreal Colour Riche Balms in 418 Caring Coral & 818 Nourishing Nude

L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm 418 Caring Coral & 818 Nourishing Nude

L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in Caring Coral: This balm gives your lips the slightest wash of a peachy/coral color that looks really natural. It's glossy but not as much as an actual lipgloss and is super moisturizing. I love these because they enhance the natural color of my lips.These seem to get bad ratings because people compare them to Revlon Lip Butters and obviously these are nowhere near as pigmented. However, I really don't think they're meant to be. These are essentially tinted lip balms which aren't meant to be deeply pigmented. These are sheer and very wearable.

L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm 418 Caring Coral

L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in Nourishing Nude: This balm gives your lips a sheer wash of pinky nude. It's really pretty and is also extremely moisturizing and enhances your natural lip color. For me it's that "your lips but better" shade.

L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm 818 Nourishing Nude

Swatches of ELF Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Baby Lips & ELF Hypershine Lipgloss in Flirt

ELF Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Baby Lips: I wouldn't call this a lipstick by any means simply because it's not as pigmented as a lipstick. It is definitely more of a lipgloss and has is a sheer nude-pink color. It feels a bit thick on the lips but not too sticky. I don't mind the feeling but if you don't like thick lipglosses then you won't like how this feels at all. It applies by twisting the bottom so that the product comes out onto the fuzzy angled applicator.

ELF Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Baby Lips (fuzzy angled applicator)

ELF Hypershine Lipgloss in Flirt: This lipgloss is a really pretty medium pink. This gloss doesn't feel as thick as the Liquid Lipstick but is still a bit heavy but not overly sticky. It applies by twisting the bottom so that the product comes out into a soft lip brush. 

ELF Hypershine Lipgloss in Flirt (brush)

I hope this info was helpful to you all. I'm really enjoying every single one of these lip products and have been wearing one of the six every single day. I will eventually post a review on the mascara once I open it up. Take care everyone & leave a comment if you have a question about any of these products! :) 

*All items from the NEX were gifts. 

St. Patrick's Day NOTD & EOTD

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY EVERYONE! 

Hope you all have fun today/tonight! Please be safe and don't drink & drive! 

Just wanted to make a quick post showing you all my St. Patrick's nails! :) 

St. Patrick's NOTD using Revlon Emerald City and Nicole by OPI The Next CEO

Revlon Emerald City

 

Revlon Emerald City

Nicole by OPI The Next CEO

 

Nicole by OPI The Next CEO

St. Patrick's EOTD

EOTD Products: 

-ELF Primer 

-MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study 

-all eyeshadows (gold, medium green, dark green, beige) from a Sephora palette

-L'Oreal Voluminous mascara

-Maybelline Colossal mascara 

-L'Oreal Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner in Green

ELF Haul & First Impressions

A little over a month ago I had $40 that I wanted to spend specifically on makeup so I decided to order some ELF products online that I had been wanting to try out. I ended up ordering on a day when the ELF website was having free shipping which was awesome! You gotta love all the sales that ELF has! They are always offering amazing deals. It took a while to get my package (about 4 weeks!) but I suppose that's to be expected since I'm all the way in Guam. However most companies get their packages here within 1-2 weeks so I'd say my only complaint about ELF is their slow shipping. Here's what I ended up with & my first impressions of the items. 

What I ordered: Nine Studio blushes, a Studio Cream Eyeliner in Copper, a Studio Matte Lip Color in Coral, two Studio Conditioning Lip Balms in Peaceful Pink and Mellow Melon, and an Essential Duo Eye Shadow Cream in Butter Pecan.

Studio blushes: So far I really love every single one of the Studio blushes! They are super pigmented and really gorgeous colors! I will definitely be doing a follow up post reviewing each color & posting clearer photos of each one. 

Studio Conditioning Lip Balms in Peaceful Pink and Mellow Melon: So far I've worn each color once. They feel smooth on the lips and are not sticky at all. They are also pretty well pigmented which I enjoy because the colors are so pretty. My only complaint is that they seem to have a tingling sensation that was a bit annoying, like the feeling of a plumping lip gloss with cinnamon in it. These don't state that they are for plumping so I thought maybe it was just a weird reaction I was having. I had my mom try them out and she felt the tingling too. It's not painful or anything but does feel a bit strange.

Studio Matte Lip Color in Coral: So far I've only swatched this so I'm not sure how it wears on the lips yet. The color is a lot more "nude" than "coral" though but I still like it. 

Studio Cream Eyeliner in Copper: I've worn this once so far and I liked it a lot! It's very creamy but it's definitely more of a "bronze" color than a "copper."

Essential Duo Eye Shadow Cream in Butter Pecan: I haven't worn this yet on my eyes but when I swatched it on my hand I could already tell that it seems like it's going to be a miss. It's barely pigmented at all. I find this disappointing because when I looked at swatches online before I ordered it, it appeared much more pigmented than mine does. Maybe I'm not applying enough of it. I'm not sure yet so I'll have to test it out more. 

I'm having lots of fun testing out my new stuff! Have you tried any of these products? How did you like them? :)

February Favorites 2012

Well, another month has flown by which means it's time for me to share my favorites with you all! Enjoy! 

Bekah's February Favorites for 2012!

ELF Little Black Beauty Book Volume 1

ELF Little Black Beauty Book Volume 1: I've had this product for 4-5 months but recently I have been grabbing for it constantly. I love all the neutral colors it has so it's always easy to create a quick yet pretty eye look for the daytime. Some shadows are better pigmented than others but I find that most of them work quite well. A few of the colors are more powdery than others so I tend to avoid those but all in all this little book is super convenient! 

OPI Matte Nail Envy & OPI It's My Year

OPI Matte Nail Envy Nail Strengthener: I originally purchased this with the intentions of of using it as a matte topcoat over other nail polishes, but quickly realized that it's not as matte as I was hoping for or expecting (it has more of a satin finish that resembles the natural sheen of your bare nails). I will continue my hunt for a matte topcoat but I found that this works as a great base coat. It really seems to help my nail polishes stay on a bit longer. I can't say whether it has strengthened my nails because I honestly haven't noticed a difference. (Warning! After purchasing this I found out it has formaldehyde in the ingredients. This doesn't frighten me enough to toss it out, but I will not be repurchasing this product.)

OPI It's My Year (Miss Universe Collection): This gorgeous color instantly caught my eye. At first glance it looks purple but it contains tons of the tiniest copper/bronze shimmer specks (the photo above really doesn't do it justice!). When worn on the nails it usually appears purple but when you tilt your hands (especially in the sun) it sometimes appears as if it magically changes into a copper polish. The purple base is somewhat sheer but 2 coats will make the polish opaque on your nails. The only thing I didn't like about this polish was that it stained my nails, even with one coat of base coat, and that hadn't happened to me in years. So make sure you double up on your base coat!

Clinique City Block Sheer Tint SPF 15

Clinique City Block Sheer Tint SPF 15 Light/Medium

Clinique City Block Sheer Tint SPF15 in Light/Medium: I found this tube in my mom's bathroom and she said I could take it since she was trying out a new makeup. After only wearing it a few times I found that it felt really good on my skin. It's not super moisturizing which I don't need since my skin is oily and I live in a super hot/humid climate. I like how it sinks into my skin and doesn't look shiny. It provides sheer coverage which I don't mind because anything too heavy in this climate just melts and rubs off anyway. (Unfortunately this product has been discontinued although I believe Clinique sells new formulas.)

Covergirl 415 Siren, Revlon Super Lustrous Pink Pop, Wet n Wild 514A Cherry Frost

Covergirl 415 Siren (top), Revlon Super Lustrous Pink Pop (middle), Wet n Wild 514A Cherry Frost (bottom)

Covergirl Lip Perfection Lipstick in 415 Siren: This poor lipstick hadn't seen any love from me since last summer so I decided to pull it out and start using it again. It's such a fun, bright, beautiful pink that is perfect as we begin to transition into wearing Spring colors.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Pink Pop: This lipgloss makes a perfect partner for my Covergirl Siren lipstick! It also looks great alone because the color shows up really opaque. It's definitely buildable so you can wear it very sheer or build it up to be opaque like the swatch above.

Wet n Wild in 514A Cherry Frost: This is my absolute favorite red lipstick. It is a true cherry red (I wish it didn't show up as magenta-ish in the swatch above! The photo of the lipstick in the tube is much more true to color.). It has tiny gold micro-glitter specks but it's not noticeable on your lips whatsoever (so don't be afraid if you don't like glitter). I love the cool tone of this red because it makes your teeth appear super white!

Nail Polish Remover Pads in Jasmin

Nail Polish Remover Pads in Jasmin: I found this at a gift shop at the Micronesia Mall here in Guam and wow wow wow these little things work amazingly! What I thought was cool is that they don't contain alcohol or acetone which we all know are damaging ingredients for our nails. They have an oily consistency and take off nail polish sooo easily! And smell amazing! They are made by Natural Products and can be found here. I believe they can also be found on Amazon.com.