Coral Collection: Coral Lip Colors

With summer around the corner, I'm breaking out my bright, neon lipsticks. One of my favorite shades to wear in the summer is coral. It looks great with my skin tone and even more glorious with a tan! Here is my collection of coral lip colors:

I'll start from the more sheer, subtle coral shades to the BAM! In your face shades.

The most sheer one I have is the Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya. There are a lot of mixed feelings about these lip butters, but I personally like them and think their great for a sheer wash of color that's low maintenance. It is more on the peachy side of coral and makes it very wearable.

I love my Pixi Shea Lip Balm in Coral Crush! It's so moisturizing and packs a surprising punch of color for being a tinted lip balm. Mine has been well loved obviously! It's also great for the hot summer months when you don't want to worry about your lip color.

I own several Jordana Twist & Shine Lip Balm Stains, and Candied Coral is a more muted coral shade that is long wearing AND moisturizing. It leans more pink in color. I have found that this is great to put on first before another coral lip color so as it wears off, the stain is still there. On it's own its fantastic too! And it's cheap, like around 3 bucks.

The next two lean more orangey red and are bold for sure. The Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick in Craving Coral is so gorgeous! It's matte, it's creamy and oh boy is it pigmented. In general this line of lipsticks is incredible anyways, and this is no exception. Love love love!

Last but not least, my Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick Duo in Tangerine is everything. EVERYTHING! I have a few of these lipstick duos, and they are amazing if you want a fantastic creamy lipstick but don't want to pay for the full size. Who goes through a whole lipstick anyways? It's extremely opaque and extremely bright, and great paired with a tan.

I've linked where you can find all these lipsticks and the prices.

Annnnnd every time I said coral in here this was all I was thinking of:

I couldn't help myself, haha. :)

Well that's my coral collection! What is your favorite coral lipstick?

Formula 10.0.6 Masks Review

Lately I've been on a mask kick, and I'm trying a variety of different kinds of masks. Ulta recently had a sale on a brand I've never tried before, Formula 10.0.6, so I thought I'd try a few out. They are all normally priced at Ulta for $5.99 each, so very affordable! Also, the packaging suckered me in.

Here we go!

I picked up:

Get Your Glow On, Brightening Peel Off Mask

Keep Your Cool, Skin Calming Gel Mask

Pores Be Pure, Skin-Clarifying Mud Mask

The first one I tried was the Keep Your Cool gel mask. First off, it smells SO GOOD. It has cucumber and coconut in it and it makes it smell so refreshing and clean.

It comes out more like a lotion/serum than a gel to me, but regardless it glides on to the face and it gives a gentle cooling, hydrating feeling. It almost leans towards feeling oily in my opinion and sinks into the skin instead of just sitting on top which is interesting. It can be washed off after 15 minutes or worn overnight.

I used it when I had a big breakout, and it certainly helped calm it down a little bit. I have found it to be a more gentle mask, and isn't drying at all. But if I want a really "deep cleaning" mask, I still prefer my Body Shop Tea Tree Face Mask. This is a good mask though, and I will definitely still keep it in my rotation!

The Get Your Glow On peel off mask is probably the most satisfying mask out of the three for me because I'm a weirdo and love the sensation of peeling off things off my skin. My favorite thing to do in elementary school was to rub glue all over my hands and peel it off when it dried. Yeah, I was that kid.

Again, it smells really nice since it has citrus and papaya infused in it, which gives it an invigorating, fresh scent that I love. The consistency is a thick gel that well...feels like lube if I'm being honest haha. It's kinda slippery and you really have to work it to get it to smooth all over your face in an even layer. It grossed me out a little at first since I made that connection in my brain but the end result is so worth it!

Once it dries, you peel it off! And it never gets old. I love the feeling and it's abnormally fun for me. I didn't notice a huge difference in the brightness of my skin, but it did look a tad healthier and smoother.Still, I enjoy this one!

The last one I have is the Pores Be Pure mud mask, which is like your typical mud mask that dries after 10-15 minutes. This however, has the same consistency and smell as strawberry GoGurt. Not even kidding.

I literally laugh every time I use it because honest to God, I think someone switched it with yogurt. It has a very intense strawberry scent and a creamy, thick texture. It feels really good on the skin though, and once it starts drying I notice that the smell isn't as strong.

Out of all of them, I think this one preforms the best at sticking to its job description of cleaning out my pores. Again, after 10-15 minutes you wash it off to reveal cleaner, smaller pores! You do sort of have to scrub it off though, like most mud masks.

Yes, I'm rocking my Hogwarts shirt. I'm a HUGE Harry Potter nerd, like I have a Harry Potter related tattoo. Anyways...

Overall, I like them all, but I don't think they were outstanding in anyway. It's perfect for mask beginners and one of the more affordable ones. They do have other skin care products, and I'm curious to try their face wash and moisturizers!

Tried any of these before? Let's talk about it in the comments!

Top 5 under $5

If I only had $5 to spend on a beauty item, I would most likely buy one of these items I'm about to mention. They are great quality AND are dirt cheap! Most aren't surprising because they are continually talked about in the make up world, and for good reason.

So whether you are ballin' on a budget or just want a fantastic product from the drugstore, try one of these products!

I tried to choose a variety of products that could produce almost a whole look (pretty much just the basics). First up is the NYC Smooth Skin Loose Face Powder in Translucent, which is $2.77 at Walmart. I've mentioned it a lot now, so if you've read my recent posts you know that I love it. It's a great face powder for setting foundation that leaves your skin looking flawless, not cakey. 'Nuff said.

This other NYC product is already famous for being one of the few matte drugstore bronzers, and that is the NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Powder in Sunny. It's available at Target for $2.79. It's a matte bronzer that isn't too dark or orange but still gives your face warmth like you've been in the sun for a while. The packaging is cheap (obviously), and the closure broke on mine but I don't really care since the product itself is fantastic.

The e.l.f Blush in Glow from the Essentials line is an amazing shimmering peach blush that is perfect for spring/summer. It gives a lovely sheen to the cheeks and no highlighter is needed if you just want a subtle glow as the name implies. Plus, it's only $2. It is a little grainy and powdery, but that can be easily overlooked for me.

Another e.l.f favorite is the e.l.f Studio Baked Highlighter in Blush Gems. It's supposedly a dupe for Mac Soft n' Gentle highlighter too! It's a glorious champagne/bronze highlight that isn't too overpowering. Price? $3.00. YAS.

Last, but not least, Wet N' Wild Comfort Zone eyeshadow palette. DEAR GOD IT'S AMAZING.

Angels have descended from the heavens and gave us an 8 pan eyeshadow palette for $4.68. These all satin/shimmer shadows are creamy, buttery and smooth. The shade variety is also incredible for creating a multitude of eye looks from the everyday to the dramatic.

Left side swatches

Right side swatches

The bottom right "Definer" shade is a duo chrome red-brown/blue that is phenomenal. My favorite shades are the taupe, pink, copper brown, and champagne brow bone highlight that is honestly my favorite brow bone highlight. All are fantastic though!

That's it for my top 5 under $5! What are your top 5 picks?

April Favorites!

It's that time again to reflect on some of the standout products I've been using for the month of April. Some are new, and some are old favorites I've re-discovered my love for.  I actually don't have too many products this time because I've been trying to rotate and use a wide variety of products that I have.

Here we go!

I just posted a review on the Balm Nude Dude palette so for a more in depth look, check out that post! I honestly used this palette everyday since I got it a few weeks ago, so it definitely deserves a place in my favorites this month.

I've had The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder for a while now, but I have been using it so much this past month. It's a fantastic matte bronzer that has a smooth feel and leaves a natural, light sun kissed look to the skin. It's a must have for fair skin girls for sure since they have even lighter shades. I have mine in the shade 03 Medium Matte. 

My fav lip products are my EOS lip balm in Vanilla Mint and NYX Butter Lipstick in Pops. I find that EOS lip balms are great for moisturizing the lips before applying lipstick because it's such a light texture that easily absorbs instead of a thicker, more glossy balm. It also just smells nice and minty. 

The NYX Butter lipstick, a product I got in an Ipsy bag a while back, has been my savior if I'm rushing out the door and don't want to have to worry or fuss about what lipstick I'm going to wear. It's such a creamy, smooth formula that is similar to a lip balm with a beautiful opaque color. Pops is a shade that is a mauvey nude that is close to my natural lip color. For this reason it's a staple I keep in my purse!

Other products I've found my way back to is my Urban Decay De-Slick Setting Spray. I've been using others but this one is just the best since it produces a fine mist and keeps my oil at bay all day. 

The Maybelline Rocket Mascara is probably my favorite mascara ever. It's a rubber brush that separates and volumizes my lashes without clumping and I always come back to it after trying other mascaras. L'oreal Voluminous mascara is a new one I'm trying and I definitely have been loving it in conjunction with the Rocket. It adds volume and lengthens my lashes, and the brush is small enough to get into the corners of my eyes. Love 'em both!

The NYC Smooth Skin Loose Powder in Translucent has been a game changer for me. It's so silky and finely milled that it blurs pores and gives the most smooth finish to the skin. It is an AMAZING setting powder with a little added coverage and I highly recommend it. AND it's only $3. Like WHAT!? Put down your computer and run to Target and get it now. You won't regret it. Shout out to Jessica Murphy on Youtube who opened my eyes to this amazing product!

It comes with a sifter but I took mine off to minimize the powdery mess it creates. So I just dip my brush directly in it and tap off the excess back in.

I also have a non-beauty related product, and that's this book called Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh. Her cartoons and stories are absolutely hilarious and a great read when you want a pick me up and to laugh your ass off. I literally laugh out loud by myself while reading it. Plus Hyperbole and a Half memes are among my favorite. :) WARNING: She does use profanity so if you are not into that beware. She also has a blog so check it out here for more of her stories and cartoons!

Well, that wraps up another month of favorites for me.What are your favorites for month? Any suggestions for products to try? Comment down below!

the Balm Nude Dude Palette Review and Swatches

I've been thinking about getting the Nude Dude eyeshadow palette from the Balm for a while, but I've been resisting getting yet another eyeshadow palette...
Until I got a super cute single shadow that I fell in love with in my April Ipsy bag and an Ipsy offer to get the whole palette for only $20 instead of $36.

I basically had to right?

The Nude Dude palette is the second edition to the Balms nude eyeshadow palette. the original Nude 'Tude palette. This palette is definitely on trend with the rosy mauve shades we all have been obsessing over. Plus the quality of the shadows are silky smooth and a little on the powdery side but blend out nicely. For the most part all the shades are great, except one or two that are a little patchy or have mediocre color payoff.

Let's be real, the packaging was a big factor in purchasing it. It has "nude" men in it! It's so damn cute. It has 12 shades, just as the last one and a good mixture of satin/shimmer and matte shades.

Unlike the original Nude 'Tude, I definitely find myself reaching for this palette more than that one. It has more shades that appeal to me and because there are more decent mid-toned blending, crease shades that the other palette lacked for me.

Here are some swatches!

Fearless is a great cream shade to put all over the lid to help all the shadows blend together, similar to my beloved Wet N' Wild Creme Brulee single shadow. Flawless and Feisty are perfect matte transition shades, but I found Feisty didn't have the best pigmentation and you really have to build it up to get any color. Fabulous is a golden-white, good for highlighting your brow bone and inner corner.

My favorite shades to put all over the lid to give it some shimmer are Faithful, Fit and Flirty. Flirty pleasantly surprised me because it looks much darker and almost looks brown but once swatched its a beautiful violet with a golden sheen. 

Fierce is a shimmering black, and Fine is a deep satin brown for darkening and defining the outer corner and crease. Funny is a satin warm, reddish brown and Firm is a satin bronzey taupe shade.

I was a little disappointed with Friendly, a matte deep plum, because it's very patchy and hard to blend,

I love the variety in this palette, which I find is difficult to do in a palette with a rosy, mauve color scheme because it can sometimes be a little redundant and produce similar looking eye looks.

Already own the Nude 'Tude? No problem. This one is definitely different enough to justify getting the Nude Dude palette as well. It's a great companion palette to the original and addition to anyone's collection on its own for sure.

 If you don't have either and are thinking about picking up one, it's all about preference really. If you are obsessed with rosy pinks, coppers and mauves like me then I say grab this one, If you are looking for a palette that has a wider shade range and a more versatile palette in general, than the Nude 'Tude is for you.

Kohls now carries the Balm, and this brand is always featured on Hautelook pretty regularly so keep your eye out for this at a discounted price! Even not on sale, I would still buy it. Plus, it's not as spendy as some other palettes either.

Love it? Leave it? Your thoughts are welcome!