What's The Difference Between NYX Butter Gloss and NYX Intense Butter Gloss?

Press Samples

Sunday Mimosa, Sugar Plum, Cherry Custard, Summer Fruit

NYX is one of those companies that always has something new coming out. I swear to god every time I take my weekly trip to ULTA there's another damn lip product from them and I honestly can't keep track. Back in the day, when the Butter Glosses came out, they were revolutionary! A pigmented gloss that felt good on the lips at an accessible drugstore price? Sign me up! Somewhere along the way, NYX introduced the Intense Butter Glosses. Personally, I don't see the need to mess with a good thing, but in this day and age if you're not constantly updating than you're outdated. So... what's the difference between these two items? Why did NYX choose to keep the old formula even though there's a new and (possibly) improved one? And which of the two do I prefer?

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Stilazzi Synthetic Brush S122 Review

Press Sample

Stilazzi is a brand that I'd never heard of prior to The Makeup Show LA. Stilazzi is a brand aimed at the professional makeup artist whose inventory widely covers pro MUA tools and supplies, like this S122 Synthetic Brush. I'm a lover of synthetic brushes, but I tend to be pretty picky about the quality of them. Does this simple eyeshadow brush hit the mark, or does it fall flat?

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Leave a Comment Brush, Drugstore, Pro Brands, Review, Stilazzi

Crown Brush Ultra Skinny Eye Marker Review + Swatch

Press Sample

Fun fact about me: I NEVER use liquid liner. I have upturned eyes that happen to have a pretty severe downturned hood, so the idea of winged liner is quite a laughable notion. I received this Crown Brush Ultra Skinny Eye Marker as part of my Blogger bag for The Makeup Show LA, and I've been putting off reviewing it because it honestly does not fit into my makeup routine at all because of my aforementioned predicament. I was also pretty iffy because I know Crown Brush as a decent, but cheap brush company. I've tried another one of their makeup products, which I used in my Rainbow Concealer tutorial, and it was pretty "ok" and I didn't know what to expect with this $7 liquid liner.

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Skinfix Ultra Rich Hand Cream Review

Press Sample, Affiliate Links

I always have a tube of hand cream at my desk to slap on when I'm working. I can't stand the feeling of slightly dry skin, plus giving yourself a little 3 minute hand massage is a good way to take a small break and indulge in a little self care. The hand cream that has taken up residence at my work station as of late is the Skinfix Ultra Rich Hand Cream and oh boy is it super-charged with hydration power!

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About Serums and My Personal Faves

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If you would have asked me 5 years ago what serums were I would have given you a blank stare. Back then I was young and didn't really know much about skin care beyond cleanser, moisturizer, exfoliator, and the occasional mask. Now that I'm approaching my mid-20's (scoff if you must, but it's mildly terrifying for me) I'm starting to take my skincare seriously since I'm beginning to see the beginning of some wrinkles forming and I am not having it. Serums actually play a pretty big part in my skincare routine, and while I'm still discovering what works for me and what doesn't, I've definitely got a few that I stand by. Before we get into my favorite serums, let's do a little skincare 101 and actually discuss what they are and what they do.

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Leave a Comment Algenist, Derma e, Drugstore, High End, Ole Henriksen, pur~lisse, Skin Care

Hask Charcoal Purifying Line Review

PR Sample, Affiliate Links

After my minor hair fiasco with the L'Oreal Cleansing Balm, I was pretty hesitant to try a different hair line from my usual coveted Redken All Soft, especially after color correcting my awful orange grow out. The fact that this hair care line is a purifying one made me even more nervous. So did this budget friendly selection made the grade or end up in the bin?

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1 comment Drugstore, Hair Care, Hask, Review

Summer Lip Care for Under $10

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Ah, summer. That time of the year everyone looks forward to until you remember the scorching heat and bodily damage from all that blasted sunshine. There's a lot you should be doing for your body as the thermometer creeps higher and higher, like staying hydrated, wearing sunnies, and protecting yourself from the sun, but if there is one thing I can't live without during 3 months of hell on earth the warmer months it's lip care. There is nothing worse than being hot AND thirsty AND feeling like  your lips have turned into a landing strip for dessicants and hot sauce, which is why, dear readers, I wish to share some of my favorite lip products to keep your kissers plump, protected, and properly hydrated while you wait for fall. Oh, and they're pretty inexpensive.

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2 comments Drugstore, elf, High End, Jack Black, Makeup, Sephora, Skin Care

L'Oreal EverCréme 6-in-1 Cleansing Balm Review

PR Samples, Afilliate Links

Cleansing conditioners and me have never really gotten along. I mean, I really like the IDEA of them since they theoretically can cut down your hair care routine down from several products to only one, but I have het to find one that works. RenPure did nothing for me, the Herbal Essence Cleansing Conditioner was basically just plain conditioner in a bottle, Wen worked for me initially but also ended up in the bin... and now this, which didn't break the cycle. Initially I was pretty excited to try it out because of all the fancy claims. This 6-in-1 product is supposed to cleanse, treat, soften, condition, detangle, and shine up your dry and damaged hair while still being a low-lather, non-stripping, and no build up cleanser without silicone, sulfates, or dyes for your mop... or so it claims.

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2 comments Drugstore, Hair Care, L'Oreal, Review

essence Make Me Brow "Browny Brows" Review + Swatch

Press Sample, Affiliate Links

Tinted brow gels have been my go-to brow routine for a while now, so I've experienced a plethora from different brands. I can say with confidence that this is my favorite one from the drugstore. It hits the three categories that I look for in a brow gel product; it tints the hairs, it shapes the brow, and it fills in sparse spots as well.

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2 comments Drugstore, essence, Makeup, Review

Derma e Purifying 2-in-1 Charcoal Mask Review

Press Sample

As someone with combination/oily skin that is also very acne prone, I appreciate a good detoxifying/purifying mask. This Derma e Charcoal Mask is definitely a food detoxifying/purifying mask, and it comes in a sanitary squeeze tube, opposed to an icky pot that you have to dip into like a lot of other masks on the market. This product, along with the rest of the range is formulated without parabens, phthalates, sodium laurel sulfate, petrolatum, mineral oil, artificial colors, or GMOs. In addition to having awesome purifying ingredients like activated charcoal, and two oil absorbing clays (bentonite and kaolin if you were wondering), it also has exfoliating apricot seed grans that turns it into a scrub once you're ready to rinse.

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1 comment Derma e, Drugstore, Review, Skin Care

My 5 Favorite Fragrances

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While my wardrobe choices stick to exclusively to my lesbian chic vibe, my tastes in fragrances are a little more varied. Spicy, fresh, floral, or sappy sweet... my preference changes daily and I'd like to share with you my favorite perfumes.

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Leave a Comment Balenciaga, Drugstore, Elizabeth and James, Fragances, High End, Jimmy Choo, Love +Toast, Molton Brown

City Color Shimmer Shadow Review + Swatches

Press Sample

City Color is one of those brands that randomly shows up with the occasional product of two in an end display at my local Rite Aid, and prior to getting their Timeless Beauty Palette at Generation Beauty I never paid them much mind. After trying out a few things from their line, like these Shimmer Shadows, I'm kicking myself for not picking up some of their stuff sooner. These affordable singles are a-ma-zing.

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NYX "Pink Lust" Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick Review + Swatch

Honestly, I don't get NYX. They're always coming out with new products, which I normally wouldn't mind, except they put out multiple products that are so similar to one another and it makes me hella confused. NYX started with liquid matte lip products years back with their Soft Matte Lip Creams, but new they have Lip Lingerie, Whipped Lip & Cheek Soufflé, and the Liquid Suede things. Is it really necessary to saturate your own line? Where does the madness end!?

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Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water Review

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Micellar waters are definitely trending in skincare and this Garnier one is the latest to hit the drugstore. I'm gonna be honest with you guys, prior to trying this one, I'd only ever used two others - the one from Simple, and a long discontinued and highly fragranced YSL micellar water. Even with my limited exposure, I can still say that I feel a bit "eh" about this one. It falls right in the middle of the two, meaning I don't love it, but I don't think it's horrible.

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6 comments Drugstore, Garnier, Skin Care

Essence Sheer & Shine Lipsticks in "BFF" and "Frosted" Review + Swatches

The lovely people at Essence sent me these for consideration. All opinions and thoughts expressed are my own.

Here we have another Essence Spring 2016 launch! I posted about their Liquid Lipsticks earlier this week if you'd like to check that out. Sheer washes of color really scream spring to me, and these Sheer & Shine lippies provide just that. Sure, full opaque lipsticks are near and dear to my heat, but sometimes you've gotta have a low maintenance option like these babes.

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Dr Lip Bang's Lip Freak "Sinister Berry" Review + Swatch

Impulse buy areas are one of my major downfalls, and that is where I found this weirdo lip balm. I mean, the packaging was so interesting and the wording "the strongest buzzing lip balm in the world" were too hard to resist.

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Leave a Comment Dr. Lip Bang, Drugstore, Review, Skin Care

Essence Liquid Lipstick "Almost Real", "Colour Party", and "Show Off" Review + Swatches

These liquid lipsticks were sent to me for consideration. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Essence released these new liquid lipsticks as part of their Spring 2016 lineup. I was sent 3 of the six shades - "Almost Real", a light nude, "Colour Party", a creamy light pink, and "Show Off", a creamy coral red. These liquid lipsticks are supposed to combine "the best of both lipstick and lip gloss", i.e. you're supposed to "get the impact and coverage of a lipstick with the moisturizing shine of a gloss". I honestly think that "liquid lipstick" is a misnomer. These are more of a pigmented gloss than a true liquid lipstick, and they behave and wear like so. I'm definitely not a gloss fan, but I'll try my best to be objective.

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NYX Be Gone! Lip Color Remover Review

This product is a PR sample given to me for consideration. I posted this review because I wanted to, not because I had to and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

With long wearing lip products and liquid lipstick becoming increasingly popular, there's been a need for a gentle and effective removal method. If you're a liquid lipstick lover or do lip swatch videos, you may want to pick this up and make your life a little easier and less painful. This product is supposed to thoroughly condition and pamper the lips while effectively wiping away long-lasting lip color, and it does just that.

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2 comments Drugstore, NYX, Review, Skin Care

Recent Acquisitions Vol. 2

I've been a bit of a bad broke blogger and picked up some things recently. Can you really blame me though? I got dumped at the end of last month and I've been dealing with mad crazy tech issues and need some comfort. Over the past few weeks I've compiled quite a nice little haul that includes some brand new products, and some brands that are either totally new, or totally new to me. Let's get acquainted with my recent acquisitions!

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Leave a Comment Dr. Lip Bang, Drugstore, Haul, High End, Make Up Eraser, Makeup, Marc Jacobs, Mario Badescu, NYC, Revolution, Wet n Wild, Winky Lux

Essence The Gel Nail Polish in "Rock My World!" Reveiw

Aaaand we've got another PR sample from my Gen Beauty cocktail swag bag. All opinions and thoughts expressed are my own and I am not being monetarily compensated for featuring this product. You know the drill by now.

I've been a fan of Essence nail polishes since 2007. No joke. I've been through a packaging change, and now a reformulation since the regular polishes have been replaced by this "The Gel" polish. "Rock My World!" is a dark, stormy blue/green based grey.

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