Sleek MakeUp pout polish Frosting and Bonaire, Pan Tao blush REVIEW and Swatches

Sleek Makeup is a cosmetics company in England that makes fashion forward products at an affordable price. I remember while I was in England one summer I fell in love with their cosmetics! I am so glad they ship to the USA and also recently made international shipping so much lower. I actually just ordered more items from their website due to their new webpage look and lowered shipping. I wanted to review the Sleek Makeup products I have currently so you can decide if you want to give them a try!

Today, I am reviewing a blush in Pan Tao and two pout polishes in Bonaire and Frosting. See below for review and swatches!

Pan Tao blush (left), Bonaire and Frosting Pout polishes (right)

Sleek Pan Tao blush, 8g/0.27 oz, $5.99

Pan Tao is a matte orange blush. It is very bright and has a hint of coral apricoty color. This is limited edition.

Too Faced La Creme Color Drenched Lip Creams in Juicy Melons REVIEW and swatches

I love pretty lip colors but a lot do not show up on my pigmented red lips. And if they do, chances are they are too stark white which leaves me looking like a clown or dry my lips out. Good thing I tried Too Faced La Creme color drenched lip creams at Sephora! They are so buttery and so pigmented. I chose the color Juicy Melons, which is a creamy bright coral color with a hint of pink. It really stood out on my lips. See below for swatches and review.

Too Faced La Creme in Juicy Melons, 0.11 oz, $21

A swatch of Juicy Melons

Chanel Fleur de Lotus Joues Contraste powder blush REVIEW and swatches

As usual, I caved to Chanel's Joues Contraste powder blushes. I told myself that I chose Rose Initiale a month ago and should just be content. However, I keep seeing reviews of it and I couldn't stop thinking about how pretty it looked! Then one morning, I saw an email from Chanel and saw that Fleur de Lotus JC blush was now available online! It was definitely meant to be. This was an Asian exclusive limited edition product from spring 2012 and Nordstroms had it available exclusively for their anniversary sale.  I am glad it is now finally available on chanel.com!

See below for review and swatches!

Chanel Joues Contraste Powder blush in Fleur de Lotus, 0.14 oz, $43

MAC styleseeker Supercontinental blush swatches and REVIEW

I don't think I have ever heard a sales associate be so adamant on a product before when I ask for her opinion. They always shy away and try to get your input on the item first then suggest accordingly. At my recent visit to a MAC counter in Macy's, I was deciding between MAC's StyleSeeker collection blushes in Hidden Treasure and Supercontinental. Hidden Treasure is a rich burnt red color and is very pigmented with a touch of shimmer. Supercontinental is a cute pink color with a sheen finish. Both are gorgeous in my book.

As I stood there swatching and contemplating, the SA came over to ask if I needed some help. I explained to her my indecisiveness on the two blushes. Right away she points to Supercontinental blush and says " That one." Her answer was as fast as reflex. I just started laughing and asked her why. That's when she brought my attention to the beautiful sheen and the unique shade of Supercontinental. Swatched lightly, it seems like a peachy sheen color. Slightly heavier and you can see the fun pink color pop out. I was amazed. Not only was it without shimmers or glitter, but this color can be built up and vary in color? It isn't just a lighter version of a color, but it is completely a different color. She also showed me that the Hidden Treasure shade would be too dark on my cheeks and would look like someone had punched me in the face. I was sold and here is my review and swatch of Supercontinental powder blush. Enjoy!

MAC Supercontinental powder blush, 6g/0.21 oz, $20

A close look at Supercontinental

Ebay 10 blush palette REVIEW and Swatches

A while back, I was browsing through Ebay and saw this super mega affordable blush palette! I was skeptical, but after a few more successful purchases on ebay, I decided to give this one a try. This palette consists of colors all across the board- ranging from pale peach to bright pink. It also ranges across finishes- from matte to sparkly. All 10 blushes for $6.99, taxes and shipping already included! What a steal! I figured I would give this a try, what do I have to lose? Intrigued? Keep reading to see the swatches and my opinion on this sleek blush palette.

None of the blushes had a name, so I gave it a numbering system. Click on photo above to see the system at a closer look. It starts at the top left corner and then moves down, then up again towards the right.

Blush #1: shimmering rose gold pink

Blush #2: matte stark pink

Blush #3: shimmering pale peach

Blush #4: sparkly coral

Blush #5: shimmering pink with white opaque base

Blush #6: matte muted pink

Blush #7: shimmering neon orange red

Blush #8: matte bright pink

Blush #9: sheer peachy coral

Blush #10: peach sheen

OPI Germany Collection 2012 My Very First Knockwurst and German-icure by OPI REVIEW and swatches

So I finally went to Ulta and picked up some of OPI Germany collection's nail polishes last week. I purchased two of the twelve shades and will be swatching and reviewing them below.

My Very First Knockwurst (left), German-icure by OPI (right)

OPI Germany collection, 0.5 fl oz/15mL, $8.50

My Very First Knockwurst is a light nude pink

German-icure by OPI is a deep red brown with gold shimmers

MAC Cremesheen + Pearl REVIEW and swatches of Imperial light, Peach blossom, Pure Zen, Coral Bliss, and Shanghai Spice

So I finally got my goodies from the MAC Cremesheen + Pearl collection. This collection has names that are very Asian-themed. I purchased 5 products to share with you. To see the full collection swatched, click here.

Left to right: Coral Bliss, Peach Blossom, Shanghai Spice, Pure Zen 

MAC Cremesheen Lipstick, 3g/0.1 oz, $15 

left to right:  Coral Bliss, Peach Blossom, Shanghai Spice, Pure Zen 

Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Cream in White Russian REVIEW and swatches

I have heard so much about this little Lip Cream from Buxom in White Russian. I love milky pink colors and it is hard for me to find one that looks that way on my lips without washing me out. My lips are very red pigmented so I need something opaque enough to show, but not so much so I look like a clown. I decided to give White Russian a try. See below for review and swatches :)

Buxom Big & Healthy Lip cream in White Russian

4.2ml/0.14 fl. oz, $18, sephora.com

Doe foot applicator, very soft and easy to apply. Carries enough product in one go.

A look at White Russian on my hand.
Artificial light on the left and natural light on the right.
You can see how it has a milky pink cream color! It has no shimmer or sheen, just cream :)

Essie Stylenomics Recessionista and Miss Fancy Pants REVIEW and Swatches and Comparisons

While at Ulta browsing at skincare and cosmetics, I came across Essie's Fall 2012 collection: Stylenomics. Stylenomics consists of 6 polishes and I am reviewing 2 of them below while comparing one of them to a Nails Inc. nail polish.

Essie Miss Fancy Pants (left) and Recessionista (right)

0.46 fl oz, $8

Recessionista: a deep plum red with a hint of violet

Miss Fancy Pants: a light dove gray

Other shades in the collection:

Stylenomics: a dark hunter/forest green

Skirting the Issue: deep violet

Don't Sweater it: deep taupe

Head Mistress: dark pink

Benefit Coralista and Sun Beam mini set at Sephora REVIEW and swatches

Many of you may have heard of Benefit's Coralista blush and many of you probably already own this. For those of you like me who still have not tried this beautiful coral shimmer blush, I wanted to let you know that Sephora is doing a trial set of the blush as well as the Sun Beam highlighter. The two comes in a small box and retails for $12! It is a great opportunity to try both of these products for a small cost. I also found the Coralista blush size great for travels! See below for reviews and swatches.

Coralista blush and Sun Beam, $12, sephora.com

Chanel Joues Contraste powder blush in Rose Initiale (72) REVIEW and swatches

Chanel cosmetics has always been up to my expectations. After hearing about their Joues Contraste powder blush from other bloggers for a while, I decided to finally get my first JC blush! The blush I decided on was the Rose Initiale. It is a bright pink blush with micro shimmers. The shimmers do not show up on the face at all, but it does a great job of brightening up your cheeks. I was deciding between Rose Initiale and Fleur de Lotus. After swatching it in the stores and having a sales associate put it on my cheeks, I realize Rose Initiale made my cheeks pop and gave my face a brightening effect. Fleur de Lotus was very pretty- it leaned more peach and was a lot more sheer/shimmery.
See below for swatches!

Chanel Joues Contraste powder blush in Rose Initiale (72), .21 oz, $43

close up look at Rose Initiale,  you can see the small shimmers

Julep Kelly nail polish REVIEW and swatches

Julep Nail polishes had an amazing deal online a few weeks back. For $14.99 you can pick any two nail polish colors and a Best Pedi creme AND free shipping. Julep polishes retails for $14 a bottle so getting two full sized polishes plus a Pedi creme for just a dollar more is flipping awesome. I have been meaning to try this line of polishes and I jumped at this offer! See below for swatches of the shade Kelly. I also purchased Alicia (salmon peach), which I will review a little later.

Julep Nail Vernis in Kelly, 0.27 fl oz, $14 (retail)

Julep Kelly in artificial lighting, three coats with top coat

Nars Foreplay cheek blush palette 2012 REVIEW and swatches

Nars comes out with a couple of limited edition palettes every year and I happened to skip last years because I bought a bunch of other blushes around the same time. I also didn't like the color combinations too much. This year, Nars came out with Foreplay Cheek Palette and I love the colors. I prefer more matte colors rather than the shimmery or sparkly ones that were in last year's Danmari palette. This year includes two matte blushes, one shimmery one (Orgasm), and a highlight color. The light shimmer in the Orgasm blush allows you to create different combinations with the other two matte blushes! See below for swatches and comparisons.

Nars Cheek Palette in Foreplay, 0.36 oz/10g, $49, sephora.com (exclusive)

As you can see, Nars Foreplay palette comes in their signature black case with a mirror.

Foreplay has four separated blushes/highlight, which makes it easy to keep the colors apart.

top left: peach matte blush

bottom left: bright pink matte blush

top right: gold shimmery highlight

bottom right: Orgasm blush (pinky peach shimmer)

Hand swatches

Sinful Colors line up July 2012 Swatches and REVIEW

Sinful Colors nail polishes are on sale this week at Walgreens for $0.99. They usually sell for $1.99 so if you have your eye on some shades, pick them up asap! There are a ton of "collections" that came out recently, though most of them were colors we have seen in previous collections. Study in Style came out recently- see my review on two of the polishes here.
I have decided to do a swatch of all the ones I currently love from Sinful Colors. Hope these will help you decide whether you want to go out and look for them. Some of these were limited edition, but I was still able to find them randomly in the stands.

 left to right: Bare (LE) and Be Happy, two coats each

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Carina, Bellissima, and Dolce REVIEW and swatches

After seeing Sephora's offer to give one of Stila's Stay All Day liquid lipstick for free with purchase, I tried to place an order asap. Within hours both shades (Dolce and Tesoro) was gone. So when they finally became available on Sephora's website for purchase, I ordered right away to try. There are some pros and cons, which I will list below along with swatches! Hope this will help you decide whether to purchase one for yourself.

 Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in (left to right): Dolce, Bellissima, and Carina

0.1 fl oz/ 3ml, $22

All of Stila's Stay All Day liquid lipsticks have this doe foot applicator that is very flimsy and soft. 

 Bare lips for comparison

Givenchy Noir Couture 4-in-1 Mascara REVIEW and swatches

I was very intrigued by the Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara when I first heard about it on Sephora. I really like the sleek packaging and the unique brush. I was even more interested in the 4-in-1 feature: volume, length, curl and care. So I purchased the Black Satin shade first chance I get from Sephora.

Givenchy Noir Couture, 8g/0.28oz, $32
in Black Satin.
Available at www.sephora.com late July and in Sephora stores in August.

A closer look at the brush. Triple Sphere Wand.

Similar to the "sphere" wand on Givenchy's Phenomen'Eyes Mascara, Noir Couture has three of these for faster application, but still giving the option of reaching the corners of your eyes.

Milani Color Play Felt-tip Liquid Pen in Black line REVIEW and swatch and comparison to ELF and Lancome Artliner

Strolling through Walgreens today, I saw the Milani Color Play Felt-tip Liquid Pen display. As mentioned in Nouveau Cheap's blog, the collection is limited edition and will be sold at select Walgreens and Fred Meyer stores this month as well as online at Milani.

According to the press release from Milani, these pens can be used on the eyes, face, or body. Milani also advertises that these are "fine felt-tip point for easy application. They are water-resistant & long lasting." The Color Play pen comes in 6 colors: black, blue, green, grey, white, and pink. I chose to stick with the tradition shade of black.

Milani Color Play Felt-Tip Liquid Pen in Black line, .59ml/0.02 fl oz, $6.99 

Comparisons with other felt liners:

 Black liquid liners, left to right: ELF waterproof eyeliner pen, Milani Color Play, Lancome Artliner

Top row is thin lined, bottom is thick lined.

Left to right:  ELF waterproof eyeliner pen, Milani Color Play, Lancome Artliner

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Coral Reef, Pop Pink, and Peach Petal

I love Revlon Super Lustrous Lipglosses and I decided to show you my top three favorites in this blog. There is also a 40% off sale on all Revlon cosmetics and tools this week (7/15/12 - 7/21/12) at RiteAid so I wanted to get this out as soon as possible in case this helps you choose a color! See my other Revlon product reviews and swatches if you need more inspiration :)  Revlon Balm Stains and Revlon Colorstay Whipped creme Foundation

Time for Review and Swatches:

Revlon Super Lustrous lipgloss in (left to right): Coral Reef, Pink Pop, and Peach Petal

5.9ml/0.2 fl. oz, $7

Each tube of lipgloss comes with a doe foot applicator. Also notice the fancy gold hardware on the top of the lipgloss. So elegant and pretty!

Bare lips for comparison

Revlon Colorstay Whipped creme foundation REVIEW and Swatch

When it comes to foundation, I prefer mineral or powder rather than liquid. I just don't like that heavy feeling on my skin. On top of that, my skin is combination normal-oily so I would get quite shiny near my tzone by the time half the day has gone by. Seeing that Revlon has come out with a 24 hour, whipped creme foundation, I decided that this might be worth a shot. I waited for a sale and I got it! RiteAid is having a 40% off all Revlon cosmetics and tools this week (7/15- 7/21) so take advantage of it! I also have other Revlon products swatched and reviewed so check them out to help select your Revlon goodies: Kissable Balm Stains and Super Lustrous Lipgloss

On with the review! I got the whipped creme foundation in #250 Medium Beige. I am a NC 30-35 for reference.

 Revlon Colorstay Whipped creme foundation, 23.7ml/0.8 fl oz, $14

 Once you screw off the top plastic black lid, you come to a white plastic cover. Upon lifting the white cover, you see the liquid whipped cream in a glass container. The glass container is fairly heavy.

Sinful Colors Study in Style: Leap Flog and Winterberry REVIEW and swatches

Good news, everyone! If you have been trying to get your hands on the Winterberry shade from Sinful Colors the last time it was released in Fall 2011, it is now back in the Study in Style collection. In fact, most of the Study in Style collection are repeats of previous colors with the exception of one shade: Leap Flog. Yep, Leap Flog, didn't spell that wrong :)
I chose to purchase Leap Flog and Winterberry in this collection- see below for swatches and review.

Sinful Colors- Study in Style collection, the two shades missing are the ones that I purchased!

Winterberry: a shimmery deep grape purple
Leap Flog: A dark teal cream
15mL/0.5 fl oz, $1.99

Swatches: