Review: [Skin Food] Rose Essence Soft Cream Blusher

Rose Essence Soft Cream Blusher is one of the products in the Spring 2014 Collection of Skin Food. I've been wanting this blush for a long time since I love the Rose Shake Point Makeup Remover and the nail polishes from the collection. They have 6 different shades and I got shade #3 Apricot Rose.

Rating kisses (out of 5): 

The packaging is super cute ... but that's about it! I would have to say I'm very disappointed at this blush; if not, maybe at my choice of color. The blush is greasy and hardly has any color payoff. I couldn't even swatch it for you because it won't show up on my skin. Even if it is because the shade I chose is too light, I doubt that the other colors are any better since the pigmentation is simply poor. I was so tempted to buy all 6 shades because the packaging is so adorable, but now I'm glad I didn't. I think this blush might be good for someone who likes to collect or buy makeup for decoration; other than that, this is a total waste of money.

Review: [Colourpop] Lippie Stix and Super Shock Cheek Blushes

Today I want to review some products that I bought from a brand called Colourpop. Colourpop is a California-based cosmetics brand that offers affordable makeup products with great quality. They have tons of shades for their eyeshadows, lipsticks and cheek products ranged from $5 - $8. The brand hasn't been around for so long so I think they're still creating more amazing products. I love that they always include cute cards for sweet messages and descriptions or tips & tricks for the products.

Lippie Stix

For the lip products, they have retractable lip crayons which they call Lippie Stix and matching lip pencils; all are sold for $5 each. The lippie stix comes with 6 finishes: glossy, hyper-glossy, pearlized, satin, cream, and matte. I bought Rocket (satin) and I ♡ This (matte).

Left: Rocket, Right: I ♡ This

Rating kisses (out of 5):   Rocket -  
                                        I ♡ This - 

I finds that the satin finish of Rocket tends to accentuate my dry lips while the matte finish of I ♡ This is very creamy and smooth. At the time I bought these 2 lippies, they didn't have the creamy finish so I'm very curious how it looks and feels on lips. Other than the difference in finishes, both Rocket and I ♡ This have beautiful colors and stay fairly long but not extremely long. None of the two dries out my lips; they're pretty comfortable. This is a very good product for $5!

Super Shock Cheek

For the cheeks, they have blushes (Super Shock Cheek), highlighters, and bronzers that they sell for $8 each. The blushes come with 3 finishes: satin, matte, and pearlized. I have the colors Homie (fuchsia pink), Rain (purple), Holiday (light coral pink ) and Between the Sheets (nude pink).

Homie - Rain
Holiday - Between the Sheets

From the top: Between the Sheets - Holiday - Homie - Rain

Rating kisses (out of 5): 

These blushes have a very unique texture. When I touch the product in the jar, it feels like a very dense mousse and if I push my finger down, it'll have a dent. Yet, it has a powdery finish on skin. The box says: "Keep the magic in, close jar tightly after use", meaning that the product will eventually dry out. The best way for me to apply these blushes is using my E.L.F Studio Small Stipple Brush or Ecotools Sheer Finish Kabuki Brush, swirling the brush on the surface of the blush, and applying onto my cheeks with a stippling motion. These blushes are very pigmented and seem to last pretty long on my cheeks.

(Update: The brushes mentioned above are the best if you want to a sheer/ more natural blush. The best way to achieve more pigmented color on your cheeks is applying these blushes with your fingers.)

- Between the Sheets: This is an everyday blush color for me, or when I want to were bold lips. I feel that it will compliment many skin tones.

- Holiday: This is a lovely color for Summer.

- Homie: Don't let the bold, bright fuchsia/magenta pink scare you, on your cheeks it won't look anything like in the jar or like the swatch. It is just a pretty hot pink shade.

- Rain: Okay, so ... unlike the three shades above which are very popular, I don't hear a lot about this shade. Before buying Rain, I tried to look up for some swatches but I hardly found any. I just thought I'd never had a purple blush before so I would just just give it a try. And you know what? It is not only the most unique shade out of the four, but also my most favorite shade, EVER! I have light skin tone and this shade goes on like a light purply pink that really brightens up my face and gives me a very fresh look. Must try!

Review: [theBalm] Instain Long-Wearing Powder Blushes + Mary-Lou Manizer + Bahama Mama

So today I will review some famous products from theBalm. I've finally completed my theBalm Instain Long-Wearing Powder Blush Collection by adding the last 3 shades - Lace, Swiss Dot and Pinstripe - into the previous shades that I already have (Review: Argyle, Toile and Houndstooth). I also got their highlighter Mary-Lou Manizer and bronzer Bahama Mama. I got these theBalm makeup when HauteLook had a 50% off event on theBalm products and if you've ordered from HouteLook before, you would know I had to wait > 1 month for my order to arrive. However, they are absolutely worth the wait!!!

1. Instain Long-Wearing Powder Blushes

I love all 6 shades, all of them! I like to use Argyle + Lace for Spring, Toile + Swiss Dot for Summer, and Houndstooth + Pinstripe for Fall/Winter. This is just my preference so if you want, you can follow their suggestions. On the outside, the blushes only have either Spring or Fall, so I assume they meant Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. According to this suggestion, Argyle + Houndstooth + Lace are for Spring/Summer and Toile + Swissdot + Pinstripe are for Fall/Winter.

Left to Right: Argyle, Lace, Toile, Swiss Dot, Houndstooth, Pinstripe, Bahama Mama, Mary-Lou Manizer

Rating (out of 5): 

The packaging is just as adorable as usual with the magazine look and the inside patterns as named. Like the other 3, these shades also have a staining effect and are pigmented so you might want to apply with a light hand. These blushes are not the softest powder I've ever used but they are definitely not grainy or chalky. I just wish Swiss Dot was more orange; honestly, I was looking for a true-orange blush, but this shade is still a very beautiful peach. Lace is a bright pink and also the most pigmented one (at least on my skin). Pinstripe is more wearable than I thought - a toned-down purplish pink, pretty!

2. Mary-Lou Manizer and Bahama Mama

If you don't know, theBalm has 3 products in their Manizer collection: Mary-Lou is a champagne highlighter, Betty-Lou is a shimmery bronzer and Cindy-Lou is a shimmery blush. These products are also advertised to be used as eyeshadows because they're pigmented, super soft and the powder is finely milled. My second guess for the Betty-Lou is to be used as a highlighter on darker skin tone because it has a very beautiful golden shimmery shade. I'm not interested in Betty-Lou and Cindy-Lou because I prefer matte blushes and believe contouring powder should be matte. That is the reason I got Bahama Mama which is a very popular bronzer from the brand.

Rating (out of 5): 

The packaging is just plastic so it's light but it's so pretty and I appreciate whoever gave the idea for the Manizers' packaging. They're girls who are charged for some crimes they committed. Mary-Lou is charged for being "too pretty, too popular" and the back of the box even has her fingerprints on it, lol.
This is the smoothest powder highlighter that feels like butter! So, so soft and pigmented! The shimmer is not chalky but so smooth that it blends beautifully on skin, giving skin such a natural glow. I went shopping for 9 hours and was walking around the mall a lot, when I got home it was still there on top of my cheeks! I know it's the best highlighter I've seen.

Rating (out of 5): 

It has the same cute cardboard packaging as the Instain blushes that reminds me of a vacation full of sunshine in a hot Summer. This bronzer is pigmented yet not to the extend that you're afraid there's no way you can control the intensity. That being said, the product is build-able so you can use with a light hand and build up the intensity. Like most of theBalm's powder products (except for the Manizers), the powder is not the softest but it blends very well and my brush can pick up the product easily. What I like the most about it is the shade doesn't make my skin look orange like most of other bronzers. Contouring is creating shadow and shadow should be a little grey, not orange, right? Absolutely my go-to for the time being!