Category: Beauty

I have to give a shout-out to Emily Noel on Youtube for this concept. It has been a while, but she has done a couple older videos about What’s OLD at the Drugstore that I enjoyed. So I thought with the Sephora VIB sale starting soon, I’d talk recommendations that aren’t the newest things to the market. The sale dates are 9 April 2021 – 19 April 2021 depending on your membership tier.

Shiseido Visionary Gel Lipstick – 212 Wood Block, $26.00

This only has 1.6 g of product and traditional lipsticks have about 3.0 to 3.5 g, so that is something to keep in mind.  If you are a bang for your buck kind of shopper, I’d pass on this one.

This formula has somewhat of a slick or slippery feeling when you apply it but it does dry down to feel more creamy. It has nice pigment to it and doesn’t accentuate my lip lines. This line of lipsticks is also well reviewed by Temptalia, so you can check her site for swatches of the other colors.

Bobbi Brown Mini Shimmer Brick Highlighter – Bronze, $25.00

If you have ever been curious about the Bobbi Brown shimmer brick this is already a good deal but even better with the extra percentage off. Since highlighter takes a long time to use up anyway, I don’t think the smaller size is an issue. I find the quality to be consistent with the regular $48 size. I think this is a nice formula, it can get a little shimmery if you pack it on, but with a light hand, I do think it can be applied in a subtle way.

Sephora only has the shade bronze currently in stock, but the Bobbi Brown website does have the shade rose in stock as well (they are having 25% off until 11 April 2021 @ 11:59 PT). The shade Sunset Pink was a limited edition color, but this was the only picture I had to be able to showcase the bronze shade for you.

Urban Decay Naked Petite Heat, $29.00

In my mind, this is a naked basics palette. I think that if they had marketed this palette as the Naked Heat Basics Eyeshadow Palette, there may have been a better reception. I think that since the marketing focused on the shades being brand new colors, reviewers spent too much time comparing it to the Naked Heat Palette. Not a lot of people talked about it as a stand-alone product, or even as a companion to other eyeshadows you may already own. It is easy to forget that not everyone wants or needs 12 shades of eyeshadow.

This is a nice little palette. The texture is slightly drier and a little dusty compared to the Naked Heat and the Naked Cherry, but I don’t find that to interfere with performance. However, if you like a creamy matte texture, you might not enjoy this formula.

Sephora Lip Stories – 10 Yum Yum, $9.00

I don’t have a picture of this product but wanted to shine some light on it anyway. The formula on this lipstick is smooth and creamy. I was disappointed to find out that something in the formula irritated my lips because I was really impressed by the formula. I don’t think the formula will be an issue for most people. The way they were hyped up back when they were first released, I didn’t hear of anyone else having irritation or sensitivity issues. I do want to warn you that the packaging does feel cheap, but it is only $9.00 at Sephora, so I’d say that should be expected. The entire Sephora Collection will be 30% off during the sale, so that brings the price down to $6.30. This discount can not be combined with the VIB sale code.

• 9 April 2021 – 19 April 2021 – VIB Rouge tier can shop
• 13 April 2021 – 19 April 2021 – VIB tier can shop
• 15 April 2021 – 19 April 2021 – Insider tier can shop

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I hope this post was helpful and gave you some new products to consider. Happy Shopping!

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If you enjoyed this post, please consider sticking around. You can check out my Brands A-Z index if you want to know what products I have posted about in the past.

Disclaimer:  I purchased all products featured with my own money.  For my full disclosure policy, click here.

Before we get into the review of the bareMinerals Mineralist Hydra-Smoothing Lipstick, I want to cover some basics.  I love a traditional bullet lipstick with a cream finish.  That is the type of lip product that I default to and enjoy wearing the most.  To give you a frame of reference, my favorite drug store formulas are the Revlon Super Lustrous Cream Finish (swatches of raisin rage and extra spicy) and the Maybelline Color Sensational original line (swatches of brick beat, crazy for coffee, Mauve For Me, Ruby For Me, and Spice For Me).  My favorite formulas on the high-end side would be the Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy (discontinued formula swatch of irresistible), Bobbi Brown Luxe Lip Color (discontinued formula swatches of pink buff, downtown plum, and bahama brown), and the Laura Mercier Rouge Essential Lipstick (swatch of brun naturel).

UPDATES: I had the price of MAC lipstick incorrect, they are $19.00 rather than $18.50. I also forgot to mention that the Maybelline lipsticks have a scent that can be off putting. If you are sensitive to scent, Revlon has no smell.

I didn’t have much to go on when I bought this lipstick at my local base exchange (I’m a military spouse).  All I knew about it were the claims on the box.  It promised a lip color and treatment in one, that it would be free of dryness, and have maximum impact.  I do agree that it is not drying, but I wouldn’t call it moisturizing.  It is lightweight and comfortable to wear and I often forget I have it on.  I tend to prefer thicker lipstick formulas that you can feel, so when something is lightweight it stands out to me.

Continue reading “bareMinerals Mineralist Hydra-Smoothing Lipstick (Presence)” →

The wanderlust list is my way of enjoying and using items I already own. I hope to encourage myself and others to use some of the products we have rather than being so quick to buy something new. If this concept interests you, you can check out the other versions of the Wanderlust List below.

• The Wanderlust List #1 (Natasha Denona Bronze Palette)
• The Wanderlust List #2 (Uoma Black Magic Poise Palette)
• The Wanderlust List #3 (Becca Light Shifter Veil Finishing Powder)
• The Wanderlust List #5 (Victoria Beckham Beauty Matte Bronzing Brick)
• The Wanderlust List #6 (Gucci Glow Powder Gel Highlighter)

I put off writing this post for a while because I wasn’t entirely sure I was going to be strong enough to pass on this purchase. I didn’t want to say I was passing on a purchase and end up buying it anyway. Fortunately for me, I did resist and instead of buying the Sonia G Cheek Pro Brush, I decided to revisit my severely neglected Bobbi Brown blush brush.

I’ve been pushing the Bobbi Brown Blush Brush around my collection for years now. It is a beautiful brush and it works well, I just don’t like using it as much as my other brushes. It is somewhat of a paddle style, but it manages to simultaneously be fluffier and denser than other brushes. I do find it useful for hard to blend blushes, it can somehow really push the pigment around and blend it out without disturbing my foundation. Although that is impressive, I would just rather get rid of hard to blend blushes.

Continue reading “The Wanderlust List #4 (Sonia G Cheek Pro Brush)” →

Laura Mercier Rouge Essential Lipstick in Brun Naturel, $32

The Rouge Essentiel Line is a traditional cream formula that seems to have replaced the Creme Smooth formula. I prefer the old formula, but this one isn’t bad. It doesn’t have as much moisture as the creme smooth line, but it does still provide a comfortable wear that doesn’t dry out my lips. The biggest issue I have with this line is the color selection. I feel like I had such a hard time selecting a shade that would work for me. Shades were either too light or were essentially red, with not much falling in the middle. The shade I have here is brun naturel, a neutral brown. For me, once applied it leans cool and appears darker than it swatches. So I just never fell in love with the color despite really enjoying the formula. If I have another chance to see the shades in person, I may see if there is something warmer toned. In this price range, I’d recommend checking out the Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipsticks for a better shade range. I do also prefer the formula of the Estee Lauder, but if you have gluten sensitivities, you should steer clear since it contains wheat germ, wheat bran, and barley.

Continue reading “Laura Mercier Lipstick and Lip Liner (Swatches)” →

As long as your lips are in good condition, the Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme lipsticks are what Chanel promises. But fair warning, anyone with dry or chapped lips will have to treat them before even looking in the direction of these lipsticks. The brand claims this “extreme matte lipstick features a non-drying texture that glides smoothly onto lips with intense, long wearing colour.” The glide onto the lips part greatly depends on your lips. The lipstick does have slip, but it will catch and drag if you have dryness or chapping.

These originally stood out to me after trying a sample. I was impressed that such a powdery, matte formula didn’t dry out my lips. To me, this is a comfortable formula. It doesn’t look powdery on the lips, but that’s the feel compared to other matte finishes. For reference, the other mattes I’m familiar with are Maybelline creamy mattes, MAC mattes, and Urban Decay comfort mattes.

Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme Intense Matte Lip Colour, $42.00

Continue reading “Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme Lipstick Swatches” →

Although this isn’t an exhaustive round-up of the entire brand, I wanted to talk about the current products that I own from Lancome before I let them go.  This is a great brand that I can truly show appreciation for, but I’ve just come to realize that it’s not for me.  I always have a good experience using their products and I’m always able to find items that suit my skin tone.  But on the downside, I’m continually disappointed by the packaging when considering the price I paid.  That is saying a lot considering I never pay full price for Lancome, and I still come away feeling like I overpaid.  As a military spouse, I can get Lancome products for 15% off and I don’t have to pay tax.  The products I’ve tried just feel lighter and cheaper than brands in a comparable price range like NARS and Bobbi Brown. 

Cheek & Contour Brush #25, $40 (discontinued 2021)

Continue reading “Lancome Makeup Round-Up” →