REVIEW | Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm

The Revlon Colorstay Matte Balms have been out in stores for quite sometime now and are available around the world.  Revlon started out with their Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains which were a hit because they offered a wide range of colors, but also the longevity of a lip stain.  I am a big fan of them also.  Now they came out with a new range of their line of "Lipstick in a stick" loll and they are the Matte Balms and the Lacquer Balms, but right now we are going to discuss the Matte Balms which in my opinion are the best ones.

When Revlon came out with the Matte Balms, everyone was excited and so was I.  I knew they were going to be very pigmented and vibrant.  When I pick up these two shades up (Elusive and Standout) I thought they would give a good impression on what a wearable shade look and what a bold shade would look.  I love my nudes and I love reds so it was a no brainer on what I picked out.

Revlon Matte Balm - Elusive is a muted pink color that pulls a little cool.  I found that it was smooth to apply, but if you have any cracked or dry skin that it would cling to those spots and look patchy.  So make sure you exfoliate before using this color because it really looks beautiful on.

Revlon Matte Balm - Standout is a classic vibrant red that pulls cooler in tone.  It went on very smoothly and I like that its in a stick form that it was easy to outline my lips and fill them in with the colors.  It saturated my lips with color and didn't look patchy at all.  It is one that many of you who like red should get.

Overall, I like them a lot and might go and purchase a couple more to try out.  They were smooth and I mean really smooth to apply.  They go on matte, but not too matte that it goes on dry on the lips and its not workable.  The shape of the packaging made it easy to apply and it wasn't hard to hold.  The pigmentation was incredible, but they are not stains so they won't last as long, but I find their wear to be the same as a regular lipstick.  I also would guess that of all the shades, the vibrant colors will apply better on, but the shades that are lighter and/or nude might be patchy going on, but as long as you moisturize and exfoliate your lips before hand then I wouldn't think there be a problem.

Let me know if you tried them out and what colors I should try next, because I really want to go out and try the purple and orange shade.  (;

-BENNevolent

HAUL | MAC x Osbourne Collection

Here we go ! We have another anticipated collection for the summer 2014 and it is the collaboration with Kelly and Sharon Osbourne.  This was a collection that has been in the works for quite sometime now.  Kelly and Sharon has been teasing us for almost a year now and it has finally gotten its release.  The collection was released online June 2, 2014 and in stores June 12, 2014.

I woke up at the crack of 9am to make it to the release at the Macy's Mac counter in which they open their doors at 10am.  It was really early, but I needed to get a few things from the collection.  When I got there, there was a decent amount of makeup lovers in line and in my mind I was being hopeful to get a few of what I wanted from my list.  When I was able to pick out my items they sold out of the "Dodgy Girl" lipstick and the "Peaches and Cream" blush that was on my list, but that was alright since I got to get others that I really wanted as well as the "Kelly Yum Yum" lipstick which seems like they had a lot more of them in stock.  Must have been since it is one of the colors that no one should miss out on.

Purchased:

Lipstick: "Kelly Yum Yum" (Satin)

Blush: "Cheeky Bugger" (Satin)

Mineralize Skinfinish Duo: "Jolly Good," "Refresh"

The packaging was beautiful, Kelly had an all lavender satin packaging with a her red signature and Sharon had a red glossy packaging with lavender signature.  What I did find is that Kelly's packaging seems a bit more cheaper in feel, a lot more light and plastic-y.  I really wanted the other two that I lucked out of, but luckily my friend managed to snag the "Peaches and Cream" blush for me at another Macy's which I'm really thankful for.

What did you guys picked up from the collection?  All I know is that I am happy with my purchases and I'm totally broke, lol.  I loved the collection because I'm a fan of the Osbourne's and the collection was really thought out and had unique colors and it was essentially a well rounded collection from them.


-BENNevolent

HAUL | MAC Alluring Aquatic Collection (Summer 2014)

So you pretty much can guess that I became quite obsessed with this summer 2014 collection from MAC.  MAC just recently came out with their Alluring Aquatic Collection and seriously, for me, it was worth the hype.  They have been touting this anticipated collection for quite some time now and once it was released online... everyone went bananas over them.  I lucked out on the MAC online release, but managed to wait less than a week for Nordstrom to release theirs online.  Once they did at about 5:30 am PST.  I was literally half a sleep, but managed to work up an effort to go on my computer and pick up some valuable goodies.

What I manage to snag, all of which I was debating and coveting for the past couple weeks after I've seen many other bloggers reviewing and swatching some of the press releases they received.  I was able to figure out what I wanted and what I needed.

Purchased:

Lipstick: "Enchanted One" (Matte), "Mystical" (Creamesheen), and "Goddess of the Sea" (Creamesheen)

Bronzer: Refined Golden (Permanent), only got it or the packaging, essentially, lol

Extra Dimension Blush: "Sea Me, Hear Me"

Extra Dimension Bronzer: "Delphic," "Aphrodite's Shell"

They were all packaged in beautiful reflective aqua color with raised water droplets that you can actually feel (you can even feel the puddles on the boxes too).  I find this to be the best MAC packaging they ever came out with.  I'm really impressed and realized why the prices were a little bit higher.

I got a lot of good items that were very coveted from the collection and I'm glad I was able to snag all of what I wanted.  The only thing I wished was included into the collection was a highlighting product, yes, I know the Extra Dimensions create that highlight/sheen effect on the skin, but it would be nice to have at least an Extra Dimension Highlighter to go with the collection.  Overall, I was pleased with the collection and hope a lot of you were ably to grab a few items from the collection, if not a few, at least gotten one item.

-BENNevolent

HAUL | Maleficent for MAC

MAC released a collection to coincide with the Disney 'Maleficent' film that came out in May 30, 2014.  When MAC teased about the collection, a lot of people became excited for it, as I was.  I truly believed this collection would have been really big with colors that really represent Maleficent and the film.  When the press photos was released I felt very disappointed with the range of the collection.  Which really made it easier on my decision to pick what I wanted, but also save me a lot of money by not making me go overboard.  This is why I only purchased two things that are the only stand out products and one of them was only for the packaging.

Purchased:

Lipstick: "True Loves Kiss" (Amplified)

Beauty Powder: "Natural"

The two items that I bought were the only stand out products which I find to be the best pieces from the collection.  I knew the lipstick was going to be a big hit and it was because it sold out very quickly online.  The lipstick is an amplified finish which goes on smoothly and opaque and it has fine glitters what you don't feel on your lips at all, but adds that extra gleam to the lips on.  The beauty powder was the product I only got for the packaging because it had the Maleficent insignia on it, its not extravagant, but its really nice.  Hopefully, a lot of you got the lipstick because that was the best part of the collection.

If you wanted to know, I wished that offered more eyeshadows than just an eyeshadow quad.  Colors like green, purple, more greys.  I hoped for more lipsticks colors, but that wasn't the case.  It was a small collection that wasn't worth the hype, but at least the got the red lipstick right.

-BENNevolent

HAUL | The Balm

The Balm recently had their "New Server" Sale where all of their products were 50% off !  I knew I had to make a purchase of items I've been coveting for quite awhile, especially their new "Cindy-Lou Manizer."

Purchased:

"Down Boy" blush
"Argyle" Instain blush
"Houndstooth" Instain blush
"Cindy-Lou Manizer" highlighter

I wish I gotten more, but that would have been detrimental to my bank account, so I sufficed to a couple of items that I've had on my list for a while now.  First off, I had to get their new "Cindy-Lou Manizer" I have the other two and I just had to add it to my collection.  It is a pink-y version of their Manizer range and I find it adds more of a rosey glow to your face.  I also got "Down Boy" which is their Boy blush range and I've always wanted to get more from this range.  I'm excited for these because I heard so much great things about the Instain blushes and I've always wanted to try them and I finally got to and I of course had to purchase two of them.  "Houndstooth" which is their mauvey pink blush, which looks very natural and "Argyle" which looks more blue toned pinky shade which really brighten up the face.

I love the balm and I love that they don't use harmful or toxic ingredients and more minerals, plus they are cruelty free! They are also from San Francisco which I really love because all their stuff if made from the USA.  (:

-BENNevolent

L.A. Girl Pro Conceal HD Concealer

Today, I got my order of the LA Girl Pro Conceal HD Concealer.  I'm really excited about them because I hear rave reviews of this concealer online and through word of mouth.  They have been touted as a dupe to MAC Pro Longwear Concealer.  I will be testing them out for a couple weeks to let you all know what I think.  I have extremely high hopes for these and anxious to try them.

I hope you enjoyed it and I will do a review soon.  :)

-BENNevolent

BLOGLOVIN' !

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I finally joined BlogLovin' ! I always wanted to join and I made the jump to it.  It definitely makes everything easy to follow other blogs I love.  Check it out and follow me.  :)

-BENNevolent

HAUL: Sephora VIB Sale | 2013

The most anticipated event of the year at Sephora has come and that is the VIB SALE !

These are the wonderful items that I have been coveting for a while now and have saved an arm and a leg... or two to get them.  Luckily, it didn't hurt the bank so much, considering that I got a VIB 20% off code in the mail.  First off, this year was a little different where the Sale started with the Friends & Family sale, which it was required that the only way to get the 20% off is to know a employee which I wasn't able to because I didn't know anyone, but some people were lucky enough to get the discount.  After a couple weeks there came the VIB sale which only VIBs got the discount code, but was able to give one to a family or friend.  :)

I was so excited for this sale because its my biggest purchases of the year and I'm so glad that I was able to get the items I wanted and I was able to snag limited edition products as well.

ITEMS:

1. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette 

2. NARS Guy Bourdin "One Night Stand" Cheek Palette

3. Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation "Beige"

4. Dior Rosy Glow Healthy Glow Awakening Blush "001 Petal"

5. NARS Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

Sephora Beauty Insider Perks:

1. Urban Decay Urban Essentials

2. Marc Jacobs Honey Mini Set

I'm so happy I was able to get everything that I really wanted this year and I was determined to get items that were limited edition, also ones I wanted to try for so long.  Everything I purchased was online and I felt that I was able to get everything on my shopping list online than going into the store, plus my nearest Sephora is quite a distance from my home.  BTW, they also had a limited edition bag this year that is much more cuter than last years bag and I believe every year they come out with different designs.

If you have any questions or want any reviews on any products I will be gearing up on the reviews once I have played with them for a while, maybe near the end of the month when I'll have a good solid opinion of the products.  Let me know what you picked up on the Sephora Sale and if you have them already, what do you think of them?

-BENNevolent

Macarons | Chantal Guillon

I absolutely love macarons and even though they have been around for so long.  Many of us has jumped into the hype about these french delicacies.  

What are Macarons?

They are simply a sweet meringue based confectionery that is filled with soft jelly/jam, sandwich together with two cookies that looks almost like a surface of an egg shell.

They come in all types of variety of flavors, some of which are very unique and you wouldn't normally consider it being an ingredient that is worth putting into a sweet macaron, but it works.

Well, I'm always on a hunt to find places that serve macrons and see what their macrons differ from other places that do serve macrons.  Today, my best friend Donna and I had a little outing in San Francisco and she suggested to go try this place called Chantal Guillon that serves macrons.  The reviews on Yelp really helped determine that we needed to visit and give them a try.  Plus the pictures people taken of the store and the cute boxes they come in was enough to have us go.

They place was small, but quite cute with light pastel colors.  The first thing you see are the macarons sitting on a tray all lined up and stacked.  I can recount about 14 different flavors to chose from.

I picked the box of 6 that cost $10.80 which come out about $1.80 each.

The flavors I chose were; Persian Rose, Red Velvet, Lavender Poppy, Green Tea, Italian Pistachio, Valentino Raspberry-Lychee.

I enjoyed them, they had a good consistency and really sweet.  You must try the unique flavors like the Persian Rose or Lavender Poppy.  They don't smell like what they are called, but they are sweet.  I must admit that I will come back to this place again, just for macrons.  It's a nice little treat every now and then.

They are definitely worth the hype about them, they're just that good.  :)

-BENNevolent

HAUL: 2|9|13

Today's haul are products that I got for my hair and body.

Items:

1. Jergens Natural Glow Firming Daily Moisturizer

2. Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Moroccan Sleek Oil Treatment

3. L'oreal Advanced Haircare Total Repair 5 Multi-Restorative Dry Oil

These purchases has been on my list of things to buy for a while now and finally I made a trip to my local drugstore.  First, the Jergens Natural Glow Moisturizer, I have been hearing that Jergens has tweaked their line of Natural Glow products and they made them without that strong sunless tanner smell.  Now all I can smell is a coconut scent that is pleasing and not offensive at all.

I love hair products, but there are some products out there that has let me down.  Then there are ones who never do and one of them is the Garnier Fructis Oil Treatment that has Argan Oil in it to help nourish your hair.  Another ingredient within this product is Apricot Oil and I think this is the scent I keep picking up with this product and it is the apricot scent that smells really good.  This is my second bottle of it and a little goes a long way.

Last product is the L'oreal Dry Oil, they recently released this year a new advanced haircare line that has ingredients in them to help any particular problems with your hair weather it be damaged, color treated, limp, frizzy, or dehydrated.  I pick up their Dry Oil because I've been using their Total Repair 5 Shampoo and Conditioner for about a month now and seen incredible results.  So, I wanted to try this that's part of the Total Repair 5 products.

I'm anxious to try these products out and give them a proper review for you guys :)

-BENNevolent

Review | Tangle Teezer Brush

Creating this post has gotten me so giddy to show you all, my go to hairbrush for all kinds of purposes.  You all know what I'm talking about if you're still reading this, so, my favorite hair tool of all time is... my TANGLE TEEZER !

Tangle Teezer $12.99 USD

If you haven't heard about the Tangle Teezer on YouTube then you must be living under a rock because this is a lifesaver.  It's originated in the UK by a hairstylist named Shaun P who wanted a brush that can do multiple things whether your hair is wet or dry and it won't cause anymore damaged to your hair.  This tool detangles your hair very easily or easier than using a simple wide tooth comb, but whats great is that you can use it on wet hair !

Gone are the days of not using a hair brush or comb to detangle those tangles while in the shower.  What I do when using this hairbrush in the shower is; obviously, detangle my hair so that the hair product I use i.e. Shampoo and Conditioner can glide on my hair easily, but when I have conditioner or hair mask in my hair, I like to brush it through to each strand to get the ends of my hair coated and in the end get even better results for my hair.

When my hair is dry, its amazing to just smooth out my hair and it combs easily without snagging too hard on my hair and cause breakage or lose strands of hair.  It can also help distribute hair treatments, oils, serums, tonics etc.  Somehow, it also creates a natural shine to my hair and doesn't leave my hair too unruly and piece-y.  Did I mention that it is easy to clean too? ;)

It's a great travel companion, meaning it won't take up so much space in your bag or purse.  They now offer smaller sizes and other versions of them as well.

Overall, I LOVE it ! I definitely recommend it to all my family, friends, and now you.

-BENNevolent

HAUL: 1|10|13

Time for a haul !

I had a free day and though I should run errands and hit up some drugstores to get a few items I've been wanting to try.

ITEMS:

1. Loreal Advanced Haircare Total Repair 5 Shampoo/Conditioner

2. Biore Pore Unclogging Scrub

3. Neosporin Lip Health Overnight Renewal Therapy

4. Assured Cotton Rounds (Dollar Tree only)

5. Pack of Sharpies

I will be doing a review on; the Loreal Advanced Haircare because its new to 2013 and is suppose to be their new line of haircare that suppose to do amazing things for your hair.  So, I will see if it works well with my hair.  Also, the Biore Pore Unclogging Scrub has been part of my skincare regime on and off, but I always seem to go back.  Now the Neosporin Overnight Renewal Therapy is something I wanted to try since its winter and my lips has been so dry and cracked and I hear this works wonders for your lips and it heals them.

Very excited to try these out and let you know my opinions on them.  :)

-BENNevolent

Review | MAC Turquatic

Let me tell you... this could be one of my most favorite perfumes EVER in the summer !

Its one of those scents were if you never smelled it before, its just going to pull you in and you will want to get it for yourself.

I had a friend who always wore this perfume and I when I smelled it on her I instantly loved it, but never given a thought to ask her what she was wearing, but during summer we were hanging out and we were in her car and I asked her out of nowhere "what perfume are you wearing?" and she laughed at me for my over exaggerated tone, then replied,  "Turquatic." I asked her where did she get it and she said from MAC and surprisingly enough she had the bottle of it in her purse and she let me have a spritz of it.  That whole day after applying that perfume, I can still smell it on me and at times I would get a whiff of it and I couldn't resist, but buying it for myself and so I did...

MAC|Turquatic 50ml $49.50
The notes within this fragrance are; Anemone, Lotus, Orris, & Corsican Blue Cedar.  It is very fresh and sensual and for me a little a couple spritz goes a long way, but I douse myslef in it anyway, loll

I prefer this scent in the Spring/Summer just because it has that fresh, floral scent to it, but I do sometimes use it other seasons were I find that I'm feel like wearing it.

MAC re-promoted this scent after having discontinuing the old packaging and revamping the bottle to be more ocean, coral reef kind of feel to it, very fitting I might add.  They also add a roller ball and this larger size bottle.

If you haven't smelled MAC Turquatic, you must, especially if you are a MAC lover as I am you already have been smelling in when browsing around the MAC stores.  I hear its their  bestseller and signature scent.

-BENNevolent

REVIEW | Urban Decay - Naked 1 Palette

SWATCH(L to R): Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal.


I finally bit the bullet and got the Naked Palette from Urban Decay. It is one of many that a lot of people have been obsessed over and who wouldn't considering they are very flattering and wearable shades.  I cannot believe I have my hands on this and that I can play around with all the beautiful colors that can create a ton of makeup looks.

Urban Decay has introduced a range of "Naked" products that essentially work with many different skin tones and that have skin like color and texture.  I find that the Naked palette have really shot through the beauty industry as a staple in not only consumers, but also pro makeup artist.  I use mine a lot because its very versatile and can create a very natural eye to a smokey eye very quickly.  I use mine in my makeup kit as well because I find that I can create a look that everyone of my clients can love and its not intimidating when my clients see what I'm using on them.

The pigmentation of these eyeshadows are very smooth and buttery that can be easily blended on the eye.  There are only two matte eyeshadows and the rest are either glittery and/or have a sheen to them.  The matte shades are very pigmented and apply smooth, they are definitely great for crease work.  The other colors are very pigmented and soft, they glide on very well with fingers and deposit color very well with a brush.  There is a nice balance of warm and cool tones in the palette that would suit a lot of different eye color.

I have had this palette for a while now and I can tell you that it is worth the price (new price $54) and is great for those who are beginning with eyeshadow and want a palette that can offer you a variety of shades/choices that meet you preference.  It is a winner in my book and it makes me excited to try other products from the Urban Decay line.

-BENNevolent

Review | Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream

We all know the rage in Asia has got to be the BB creams (Beauty Balm/Blemish Balm) and its has been touted all over by Asian celebs. It was just about a year and half ago when I've been hearing so much about these BB Creams and how it provides so much benefits such as; primer, corrector, foundation, moisture, healing, anti-aging, skin lightening, and sun protection. Now that's a lot of claims for one product, but each BB creams out there are not similar to one another and some of them don't claim everything that I had just listed.
The one BB cream I was interested in was Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream it was one of many available BB creams at the time that had a good range in shade color choices because Asian BB creams usually had limited color selection and were relatively light in color. Some BB Creams even claim that even though they are light in color, they actually blend and adapt to your color once set in or over time while wearing it. I for someone who has median to tan skin tone is quite a problem because I wanted to try these out so badly, but I wanted something that matches my skin color better.
I've seen reviews on blogs and on YouTube about these products that were quite mixed, but it seemed like it was optimistic enough for me to try it out.
Luckily, this product is available online and Missha has their own website that is for US residents. They had a sale going on and I believe it was 40% off selected beauty products and their Perfect Cover BB Cream was listed to be included in their sale. I was contemplating which had to get, ether; No. 27 - Honey Beige or No. 31 - Golden Beige. I picked up both of them and was surprised that by getting both of them I was eligible of a free gift and got a full sized BB Cream in No. 23 - Natural Beige.


Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream - $20.99 - $29.99

I like that the 50ml comes with a pump which is great to control how much you want dispensed and its sanitary.

Now here are the swatches from each BB cream and you can see how different in color and tone they are.
From left to right:
No. 23 - Natural Beige | Lighter of the other two with grey under tones which is typical of Asian BB creams because a lot of them had grey tones within them and like I said earlier that they should adapt to your skin after a few minutes of applying it on.

No. 27 - Honey Beige | Yellower in tone than the other two and this is the one that matches perfectly for me.

No. 31 - Golden Beige | A mix between red and yellow in tone and its the darkest shade Missha provides its great for tan skins, but not dark enough for those darker skins.

I really like this BB cream a lot because it matched my skin really well when I applied it on my face and when I had on my powder, bronzer, blush it looked flawless and not cakey.  It did not make me overly oily even though I have oily skin, I find that it made me look natural in finish and wear throughout the day.  The coverage is one of the best and I would consider this more like a medium coverage foundation.  The claims of anti-aging or lightening of the skin is up in the air because I can't see any drastic changes in the look and feel of my skin, but I believe the factor of it having claims of that is because of the high SPF in it, which is SPF42 PA+++.  Sun protection is important for preventing skin aging and with high SPF it will not cause you to get darker in complexion when in the sun meaning you retain your color.  It does have oils in it, but good oils such as; rose seed oil, jojoba seed oil, macadamia seed oil.  Other interesting ingredients would be; collagen, caviar extract, algae extract, rosemary leaf extract, matricaria flower extract.  Looks like good ingredients, but does it really do great things for the skin?  Maybe, condition/moisturize the skin?  who knows, but the fact that it works well and its a great replacement for an everyday tinted moisturizer or foundation good in my books.  :)

-BENNevolent

Review | MAC Viva Glam GaGa 2

Look what we have here, a MAC Viva Glam lipstick/lipglass, but not any Viva Glam product, its a Lady GaGa endorsed product that she had helped create for the Viva Glam Campaign.  First, let me explain what the Viva Glam Campaign is all about and as short as I can.  Viva Glam Campaign was started to help fund raise money to help spread the word about HIV/AIDs because many people around the world are affected by it and MAC wanted to help not only women and children, but men also in the fight to protect ourselves from those diseases.  So, all profit/proceeds made by purchasing a Viva Glam product goes to the fund.  I love that MAC does this and have been doing this for many many years.

MAC|Viva Glam GaGa 2 $14.50

Viva Glam GaGa 2 is the follow up to Viva Glam GaGa which was more of a bubblegum pink and I believe very reminiscent of 'The Fame' era of her career.  Now with the new one we see that Lady GaGa and MAC came out with a nudish-beige shade.  The lipstick is an Amplified finish, which means its very creamy and great color payoff.  I found the color to be less jarring than its predecessor and might I add again considering I'm such a Lady GaGa fan that it very well represents her in the "Born This Way' era.  

I don't own the first Viva Glam GaGa, but I have seen it in person and swatched it.  I found it very fun and girly shade that can compliment any skin tone, but can also adapt to those who want to alter the color a little to make it more wearable for them and I understand if you don't want to be wearing a lip product that is not for everyday wear.  In contrast with the second coming, I find it even more wearable, but with my darker skin people out there it could come off too pasty or too light of a color.  You can definitely mix them just like the first one make it wearable.  

I tried comparing Viva Glam GaGa 2 with MAC Myth, but they were completely different one was lighter than the other and GaGa 2 was more deeper in the beige.  Just to let everyone know that with the lipstick the color is a flat shade, meaning for glitter particles.  In the lipglass form it does contain miniscule glitter particles that you cannot feel nor notice, but it I find it gives the color of the lipglass more dimension than the lipstick.  Paired together works wonderfully and they are not different in color between them.

Sadly, this product is limited edition and won't be available for a long.  So if you are a fan of the color, GET IT ! If you are a fan of Lady GaGa, GET IT ! or you just love what MAC is doing with the MAC HIV/AIDs fund then... GET IT !

-BENNevolent