Sephora Collection Super Shimmer Lipgloss, Pink-o-lada, $10

What I've got here is a sample size of the Sephora Collection Super Shimmer Lipgloss. I don't use lipgloss the way I used to in high school but I thought I'd try this out because it is so pretty and shimmery. This lipgloss comes in many shades you can find here and this one is called Pink-o-lada and kind of makes me wish I was sipping on some pink lemonade alcoholic beverage!

So I put this lipgloss on and just kind of hung around, didn't eat or drink anything, made sure to smack/lick my lips and it is still on! The lipgloss is that traditional gloss texture but it isn't very thick or sticky. I love the fact that it doesn't feel stick on my lips, however if your hair touches your lips it will definitely stick!

The gloss goes on pretty much clear but has little bits of shimmer in it that show up on your lips as well. I don't mind the sparkles because they are so subtle and small. It gives your lips a really glassy look that can look great if you are trying to have something go on with your lips but don't want to wear lipstick.

Final verdict:
Cost: $10 for a full size tube which is twice the size of the tube pictured. I think that is pretty good!
Does it last?: This gloss has lasting power for sure. I love how even after a little while your lips still look glossy.
Will I have to reapply?: Face it ladies, I don't think there is a lipgloss that doesn't require reapplying! I think that you will surely have to reapply after eating or drinking but the lasting power is pretty good otherwise.
Repeat offender?: I think I could definitely make this a go-to lipgloss. There are so many different shades that I'd be interested in trying, especially the shade Red Velvet.

-M

Buxom Lips Lipgloss, Betty, $18

So I think I may have found a lipgloss that could quite possibly change your life. This lip gloss isn't sticky, the color saturates into your lips, and even promises a plump--and it definitely delivers all of the above. I got this Buxom Lips lipgloss by Bare Escentuals in the shade Betty from Sephora as a sample. This lipgloss is different than other lipglosses--sounds like I'm talking about a boy right hahah--but really it is!


Here is why this lipgloss is different: It doesn't feel sticky at all! It goes on in one or two coats and does not feel thick like other glosses. The fact that it isn't sticky doesn't make it less glossy though because the shine is definitely still there. Another reason why it rules--the colors actually goes on and stays on! Some lipglosses come in a color but actually just show up clear. This shade is called Betty and it adds a splash of red to my lips without being overly red. If you have always wanted to try wearing red lipstick but feel a little intimidated this might be your first baby step! This gloss also promises some plumping. Like other plumping glosses this also has a minty feel on your lips. It tingles a little but doesn't quite burn like other lip plumping glosses. I like the minty feeling that the gloss leaves on my lips and I think it adds a little bit of a plump. It doesn't make you look like you just got collagen implants in your lips, obviously if a product does make you look like that you should probably never use it ever again!


Final verdict:
Cost: $18 for a full tube from Sephora. The tube pictured is sample size, the full tube is about twice the size of this.
Does the color show up?: Yes ladies! The color shows up (in Betty at least)! It isn't as deep as it looks in the tube but you still get the sheer effect of it, almost like a lip stain. You should check out the site because it comes in many different shades.
Repeat offender?: I am definitely getting a full size tube of another shade! I think this is a really awesome lipgloss and one that I wouldn't mind wearing all day.
-M

tokidoki Prisma Lip Gloss, $15

(tokidoki Prisma Lip Gloss in Arlecchino)
When I saw the new tokidoki makeup line (exclusively at Sephora) I freaked out. I love anything tokidoki--bags, clothes, Hello Kitty collaborations, you name it. And now makeup! I knew I had to get something immediately. I have a lot of eyeshadows and eyeliners, so I decided to review the Prisma Lip Gloss (instead of the adorable Cromatico eyeshadow in the heart and crossbones container...which I haven't bought yet but I'll probably get soon).


Oh tokidoki, you know me so well. I'm the biggest sucker for good packaging, so I was enamored with the designs on the outside of the plastic box.


The shade is called Arlecchino, and is a bright fuchsia.


One of the most exciting things about the lipgloss is the lid--it's a little plastic box that contains one of the characters. I chose Arlecchino because I just love that crazy multicolored ninja eating ice cream. The description on Sephora says that it's a snowglobe but that's not entirely true--there's no water in it. But, there is a ton of heart and crossbones confetti. It makes a really fun noise when you shake it.


Wee!
*ahem* Anyway.

The applicator is this interesting little plastic paddle, almost like what they use to wax your eyebrows.

It's really soft and bendy. Applying the lipgloss is almost like using a spatula to ice a cake.

So how's the actual lipgloss? It's super glossy (high sheen, no sparkles), almost sheer, smells like blueberries, is not too sticky, and seems to last a good amount of time. I can already tell this is going to be my default summer lipgloss.

Final verdict
Cost: Some people might think $15 is a lot for lipgloss but since this is a specialty, I think it's worth it. Plus, it's significantly bigger than I thought it would be, so I can see this lasting a long time.
Adorability: Oh man, this thing is cute. It's like having a cute toy and makeup all in one. And you get to choose out of 16 different characters.
Color: Even though the lipgloss I chose is super bright fuchsia in the container, it's mostly sheer with a hint of pink (which I prefer). From the comments on Sephora it seems like the other colors are like that too. Don't be afraid to choose what character you want--you'll probably end up with a nice, mostly clear gloss.
Smell/texture: It totally smells like blueberries (all of them do). It's not too sticky and the shine lasts a while--it's lipgloss so it probably won't stay on forever, but it has pretty good staying power.
Repeat offender: I love this and I'm so happy I bought it. I would buy more characters if I was a lipgloss junkie! I want to try out their other products as well; I know Sephora wouldn't carry tokidoki if it wasn't up to their quality standards!

Now if you'll excuse me...

*shakeshakeshake*

-T

Miss Fix-It Palette by Tarte, $22 (on sale from $44)

The Miss Fix-It palette by Tarte is a perfect little bundle of makeup for the warmer seasons. The colors included in this palette were what drew me to buy it in the first place. The bright blue, sparkly mint green, light lavender, and sandy golden shadows were the reason I bought this palette—mostly because I have nothing like the blue or green. I already own two Tarte eyeshadow palettes so I knew I would adore the quality of the shadow and it definitely did not fail to impress me. I wore the green shadow over some primer and it stayed on brightly all day.


The palette also includes two lipglosses and a highlighter cream. The highlighter is a sparkly mix of gold and an almost pearl-like tone. I put some on my upper brow bone for a “highlighting” effect. It can also be used subtly on the cheekbones for the always lovely glow. The lipglosses are both pinkish tones, the one on the left goes on more clear and the one on the right has a more subtle color. The lipgloss goes on smooth and does not feel too sticky on the lips.


The most brilliant part of the palette is that the eyeshadows are separated from the lipglosses and highlighter by a thick cube of plastic that is attached to the palette so it won’t mysteriously disappear and you won’t have a mess of sticky eyeshadow and powdery lipgloss (grossssss). The palette also includes two double sided application brushes for the shadow, lipgloss, and even the highlighter. A little mirror is also embedded underneath the top lid that folds down. This is a super sturdy palette to carry in your purse if you like to have your makeup handy for touchups. It folds up into a neat little cube and stays shut with a magnet in the lid.



Final verdict:
Cost: This palette is originally $44 but this week Sephora has select Tarte products on sale as Tori mentioned in Friday’s Sweet Deals, so it is marked down 50% for $22!
Do the colors go on the eyelids the way they look in the palette?: Yes! You know sometimes we all buy eyeshadows where the color in the case looks way more vibrant than it does when it is applied on your eyelids. This palette’s colors are definitely true to their color on eyelids too.
Repeat offender?: I will always buy Tarte cosmetics so definitely! Obviously I don’t need two of the same palette but I’d buy a different one with different colors.

-M

Sweet Deals, Vol. 2

To make your Friday even sweeter, here are some awesome deals and some pretty sparkly things to long for . . .

Urban Decay has reintroduced their nailpolish line and is celebrating with Apocalyptic Nail Kit, a set of 6 mini polishes in their trademark dark and exciting colors (with a little zippered case), on sale for $18.

Sephora has added some great Tarte products to their sale section, like this set of 4 bright spring eyeshadows plus 2 lipglosses in a portable kit ($22), 2 smaller versions of the lip sheers Mirna reviewed in an earlier post ($15), and this cute mini palette of 4 dark eyeshadows that comes with a full-size brush ($12).

Walmart sells Hard Candy now! (Am I a little late on this? Oh well, still exciting!) Hard Candy has all kinds of makeup in pretty packaging (I'm such a sucker for a well-designed box), but their nailpolish repertoire is really what they're known for. I'm falling in love with this pretty teal, this sparkly wine, and this dark glittery masterpiece that reminds me of a hot summer street, all just $5 each. Plus, who can resist those awesome heart-shaped rings?

MAC knows I've got spring fever and is tempting me with these yummy, shiny lipglosses, or as they call them, lipglasses. Isn't the Partial to Pink color so sweet? ($18)

Oh em gee, the Harajuku Lovers perfumes are in little summer bikinis! I'm this one, Mirna is this one.

I think the next brand I'm going to try is MAKE UP FOR EVER, specifically this breathtaking black cream eyeshadow (this picture here is a total inspiration, even though it sounds like most reviewers on Sephora used it as a cream eyeliner). PS, they totally did the makeup for The Runaways. I can't wait to see their awesome rock star makeup and outfits.

-T

Urban Decay Hall of Fame, $20

This is by far the coolest, most awesome, best deal gift set ever. Ok maybe not ever, but one of them . . . When the time came that my dear and most trusted beauty product Urban Decay’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion was close to running out I found this awesome deal that includes an XL version of my #1 product/bff for life. One bottle of the XL Eyeshadow Primer Potion costs $23 (this is 60% bigger than the original size) but this set which includes the primer and a bunch of other useful goodies is a mere $20. I don’t even need to re-review the Primer Potion because we bring it up so often anyways and you can read our review here.


This set also comes with a mini 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil. This pencil comes in different colors but in the Hall of Fame you get good old black or as they call it Zero. This pencil is waterproof and goes on super smoothly. I personally am not a fan of pencils that you have to sharpen because I hate sharpening makeup pencils. But this pencil is pretty cool and I would consider getting it in different colors.


The Midnight Cowboy Lipstick in the Hall of Fame not only has a super cool name but it is actually a pretty nice lipstick. It is a beige color with a hint of shimmer, on your lips it looks pretty natural but like I’ve said before about lipstick, it just adds a polishing effect.


One of the beauty products that cracks me up every time I see it is the Pocket Rocket lipgloss. When you purchase a full bottle of the Pocket Rocket it comes adorned with a holographic picture of a clothed dude and when you move the bottle ever so slightly the dude is suddenly in his underwear. Hot. So if dudes can have bikini-clad women on their lighters we can have perfectly muscled men in their underwear on our lipgloss! But seriously it is more funny than it is sexy. The lipgloss however was a really big surprise to me! I am not big on lipgloss but I tried this and it stayed on for a long time! That is pretty amazing because I ate, drank, talked, and still had some gloss on my lips. I might actually consider getting a tube of the full-size Pocket Rocket. Oh and this one is called Timothy, yes, they are named by the guy on them.


I love, love, love to try different mascaras every time I run out. I actually feel like I haven’t bought a full tube of mascara for about a year because I get so many samples. So being that I am somewhat of a mascara connoisseur I am going to give this mascara a 3 out of 5. The mascara goes on fine but it starts to get flakey (if you touch it) by the end of the day and I’m not really cool with that feeling, especially because I wear contacts. I have been using the Skyscraper mascara for a couple weeks now and will continue to until I run out but I probably wouldn’t buy a full bottle of it. I can’t love everything, even though I really want to sometimes!



Final verdict:
Cost: You really can’t beat $20 for this set, its like paying less for a bottle of primer and getting 4 extra treats.
Quality: Urban Decay is one of my top quality brands, I hardly ever find myself disappointed with their products. Also, how cool is the packaging on all of this stuff?
Where to buy it?: You can get it here from Urban Decay's website!
Repeat offender?: If I manage to run out of the XL primer and this set is still available I’d probably buy it again because the deal is pretty sweet.
-M