Review: TheBalm Nude Tude Palette & Swatches

Aloha Everyone!

   

I mentioned in my previous blog post that I have TheBalm's Nude'tude palette. Since everyone and their mother is coming out with a "naked" palette with essential neutrals, I figured it'd be a useful to do a review on this one! Let's start off with the packaging.

     

 The Nude'tude has such adorable packaging. First off, it's super sleek, long, and thin, so it's super easy for travel. On the front their is a picture of an old-school, vintage room where I would imagine one would do their makeup & gussy up for a night out. 

 The actual shadows are strategically placed over a bunch of very glamorous  yet very naked women. (haha!) Such a funny and cute idea. The back of the palette lists the ingredients, and has picture swatches of all the shadows which is a nice addition. The palette also comes with a double ended mini brush, one with a defined slanted edge for liner, and one for a softer, more blended look.

Swatches without flash and no primer.

The palette features 12 neutral shadows ranging from light to dark. Top: 1-6 Bottom:7-12

1. Sassy- A frosty white.                                       7. Snobby- A shimmery yellow gold.

2. Stubborn- A creamy pink with sheen.              8. Stand-offish- A neutral pink with sparkle.

3. Selfish- A shimmery medium grey.                  9. Sultry- A perfect, light matte brown.

4. Sophisticated- A shimmery medium               10. A shimmery version of sultry.

    brown with a grey undertone.

5. Sexy- A matte burgundy/purple.                    11. Silly- A deep matte brown with gold sparkle.

6. A standard matte black.                                  12. Sleek- An intense, super dark matte brown.

Swatches with flash and no primer.

As you can tell from the pictures above, the pigmentation of these shadows incredible. These were swatched with zero primer, imagine how they would look with one! I was very impressed, as they are the first and only shadows from TheBalm that I have tried to date. 

This palette retails for $36 on thebalm.com, but I got it for $18 on HauteLook. I would recommend this to those who love their neutrals, but also aren't afraid to wear darker looks. I say this because while yes you can get plenty of lighter looks with this palette, you wouldn't get use out of the other half. 

I can definitely see myself repurchasing this because it is just a great staple to have in any collection. I would say go for it and pick it up! You won't regret it :)

Thanks so much for reading! 

xoxo, Sam :)

Review: TheBalm TimeBalm Face Primer

Aloha Everyone!

"TimeBalm Face Primer is designed to be worn alone for visibly softer skin, or under makeup so your look stays put. It also helps even out skin tone and minimizes the appearance of fine lines and pores. " - Claims from thebalm.com website.

I wanted to share my thoughts on TheBalm's TimeBalm Face Primer today. TheBalm is such an awesome brand in my opinion. Being first recommended by EmilyNoel83, it has really never let me down. I've tried their liquid and cream concealer, the Nude 'Tude Palette, etc. and have had good results with everything. This is no different!

Price: $30. This is the major downside to  this primer,   because   it's  only  1 0z.   of    product. TheBalm is usually on Hautelook at 50% off, so I   got   mine   for  $15. (Making   it   a bit  more justifiable!)

Color: This comes in one, translucent shade.

Packaging: TheBalm has awesome packaging! It's always so fun, bright, and friendly. This comes in a very sleek, bright pink tube. It's very sanitary which I like.

Scent: This scent is difficult to describe. It smells like silicone & baby powder. It's pleasant, and not overwhelming whatsoever!

SPF: None

Before any primer

After applied

Finish: This leaves a matte finish to my face as you can see from the picture, it took away all oils. Also, it helps fill in and blur out pores majorly!

Texture: Very smooth, slick, & silicone-y.

Staying Power: This is supposed to make your makeup last longer. Since it leaves a smooth canvas, the foundation/powder or any other makeup doesn't have anything to "stick" to. However, it does make everything apply much easier, virtually gliding on, and that's where the staying power comes from. 

Photo Friendliness: The primer's finish itself is matte, so it's great for photos.

Who's it best for? Really, anyone. It really helps to blur lines, fill in pores, and leaves a matte finish. Since it does leave a matte finish, dry skin types may not love it but it depends what each person is looking for.

Would I repurchase? Full price? No. To me, it's a nice primer and all, but not worth $30. However, it does exactly what it claims to, and I would definitely buy it on sale again. In the meantime, I'll probably try something else.

Thanks so much for reading!

xoxo, Sam :)

    

Review: ELF Essential Lip Stain

Aloha Everyone!

   

   Today I will be doing a quick review of ELF's semi-new Lip Stain from their Essentials line. Up until this point, I have liked everything I have reviewed. Sadly, this will be a first dislike. When I first started using it, which was (let's be honest) right in the target parking lot, I thought I found a real keeper. At only $2 a pop, I was super excited to find a long-lasting stain that actually stains.

Color Selection: This comes in four shades, so not a big one.

Packaging: Cheap, plastic casing but simple.

Top: 22124 Crimson Crush
Bottom: 22122 Nude Nectar

Scent: While I love having a nice smelling lip product, if they don't smell like anything it doesn't bother me. Crimson Crush doesn't have any crazy scent, however, Nude Nectar has an incredibly odd almost vomit like scent. It is  seriously gross!

Finish: A matte "stain".

Texture: Very dry, after all it is a stain.

Pigmentation: Like I said earlier, I did like these at first because Crimson Crush swatched especially nice for only being $2. After only one week, the pigmentation diminished greatly, getting virtually none. The swatches above are about ten times back and forth. Nude Nectar never had great pigmentation, just a weird smell! 

Staying Power: This being a stain, I expected it to do so... Stain my lips! However, it didn't. While if you rub on the swatch it won't come off, it lasted only about an hour or two before needing to be reapplied. Also, if you got any water/moisture on your lips, it came right off. Hence, defeating the "stain" idea!

Easy to Remove: Yes.
                                                                      
Who's it best for? While I'd like to say for $2 bucks you can't go wrong, I can't. I'd say skip out on this one! The scent/pigmentation just isn't worth it for me.

Thanks so much for reading!

xoxo, Sam :)

New Product Alert!: Clean & Clear Morning Burst Hydrating Gel Moisturizer Review

Aloha, Everyone!

Clean & Clear has released a new line of ultra hydrating skin products this July. While it still hasn't reached most stores, I was able to find the last one at Walmart yesterday for $5.94.                                    

The moisturizer comes with 3 oz. of incredibly moisturizing gel, and a little goes a long way. It is water-based, oil-free, contains no alcohol which is usually ideal, and it's third main ingredient is glycerin. Glycerin is a humectant used to attract water to your skin, hence soothing and hydrating.

This reminds me a lot of the Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief, which retails at $37 for 1.7 oz. They have the same consistency, and both are super lightweight yet still intense. Also, I find both moisturizers to have a cooling feel when applied which is nice. It keeps the actual skin dry to the touch, after moisture has been deposited. In other words, it doesn't feel like you have vaseline or a heavy, thick cream on your face. The only big, obvious difference is the price tag. Personally, I know skin care is something I'd rather spend more money on for better results, but when there is almost an exact dupe at drugstore price, it is just plain silly to pay $37 for the high-end brand.

Clean & Clear on the left, Clinique on the right!

I would recommend the Clean & Clear Morning Burst Hydrating Gel Moisturizer to all skin types. Yup, that's everything from extremely dry to even oily skin types. Having oily skin, I can say that it is one of the best moisturizers I've tried. It is oil-free which is great, and it doesn't leave me already looking oily to start my day. 

I think anyone would have a pleasant experience with this product, and for $6, you can't go wrong! 

Thanks so much for reading! 

xoxo, Sam :)

Review: Revlon Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon & Swatch

Aloha Everyone!

(How a lip butter should look! Courtesy of missbudgetbeauty.)

The Revlon Lip Butters have been cult favorites ever since they were first released a couple of years ago. I have always been very interested in them, as I have always heard they are super moisturizing while still having an amazing color payoff at the same time. For whatever reason, I never picked one up until now. After reading Amarixe's blogpost on these bad boys, I needed to pick up Wild Watermelon.... ASAP! She couldn't have described it better, like you just ate a cherry popsicle. :)

Price: $6.48 at Walmart.

Color Selection: The Lip Butter line comes in 20 shades ranging from super bright to nude, and everything in between. It was this spring that they released 4 new shades, including Wild Watermelon.

Packaging: I love the packaging because the "top" matches to the color of the lip butter, making it easy to choose from in a pile of lip products. (Especially if you're a makeup lover!)

Scent: A slight sweet scent, but nothing else. 

Finish: This shade itself contains no shimmer, but has a ton of shine. 

Texture: It is super creamy and smooth on the lips!

Pigmentation: This has crazy pigmentation, yet is extremely easy to work with. 

Staying Power: This is by no means a long lasting "lipstick". It lasts about 3 hours before I need to reapply. (It does transfer a bit.)

Who's it best for? Anyone who wants a bright, moisturizing, fun lipstick for the summer season. I wouldn't recommend it to people who need something long lasting. 

Downsides: Since it is super creamy, it will melt! So just be sure to keep it in a cooler place if you can. 

(After being in super hot weather, sadly it was melted & a bit ruined.)

Would I repurchase? Yes, I definitely want to pick up some more lip butters. They're awesome. :)

Thanks so much for reading! 

xoxo, Sam :)

Review: BH Cosmetics 10 Color Professional Blush Palette & Swatches

Aloha Everyone!

Today I thought I'd do a review on another cult favorite, the BH Cosmetics 10 Color Professional Blush Palette. I've had this for over a year now, so I have a pretty solid opinion on it.

Heavily swatched

Price: $16.95 on the BH Website, but it's always on sale! :)

Favorite Colors: My most worn and biggest loves include (top row) 1st & 4th (bottom row) 1st, 3rd (love the bright orange!) 4th, and 5th :) 

Packaging: Sleek, matte finish. Nothing fancy, but sturdy.

Finish: Many of these shades are matte, and none of them are highly shimmery. 

Texture: As you can see most of them are nicely pigmented. But, overall they can tend to be more dry, and sometimes you have to "skim the top off" to get to the pigmentation when they are dry.

Staying Power: Some of these wear off easily and barely show up, but most of them stay well! 

Who's it best for? Anyone who wants to expand there blush collection, you can't lose. 10 blushes for $16?! Bargain.

Would I repurchase? Yes. Like I said, you can't go wrong, and when you need a blush for a certain look, or want to experiment, palettes like these are very handy.

Overall I think this is a great palette and a nice staple for any beauty lover to have.

Thanks so much for reading! 

xoxo, Sam :)