Swatch/Review: Wet N Wild Megaslicks Balm Stains

One Megaslicks Stain coming right up!

LOL JK

Let's just get right into it, shall we?

Here are Wet n Wild's versions of the jumbo twistable lip pencils. I believe these were actually released before the NYC twistables. These claim to be a staining lip balm.

(L to R) 129 Nudist Colony, 125 Red-dy or Not, 126 Rico Mauve, 127 A Stiff Pink and 124 Lady and the Vamp
I believe there is one or two more shades in this range.

129 Nudist Colony - a skintone nude

127 A Stiff Pink - a bright cool pink

126 Rico Mauve - a pinky mauve

125 Red-dy or Not - a classic red

124 Lady and the Vamp - a plum

I didn't do any lip swatches with these because the staining power is no joke. And it'll be useless because the true color won't be seen.    

Price:

You can find these for $2.99 at your local drug store (Rite Aid, CVS or Walgreens) and if you're lucky, you can get these for $1.99 with $1/off peelies.

Packaging:
These lippies come in pencil/crayon twistable form and have a clear, plastic top. These tops are more secured than the NYC's because these actually will snap closed. The packaging for each is colored in the same color as the product (some are more true to color than others).

Quality/Formula/Wear:
These babies are very buttery and glides on smoothly but because of it's buttery-ness, I feel like it can slide quite a bit (especially when rubbing your lips against eachother). These are also more sheer in pigmentation to me but they are very buildable (but keep in mind, the more you have on...the better chance it has of sliding around). They are very comfortable on the lips. These will leave behind a stain (not so much the nude though) once the shine wears off. I don't sense any scent in these pencils at all (or do I just have a bad nose? lol) 

 Have you tried this line? Which shade is your favorite? Leave me a comment below.

Swatch/Review: NYC City Proof Twistable Intense Lip Color

Every brand and their mother...sisters...cousins...are coming out with twistable lip crayons.

Today, I'm going to share with you the NYC City Proof Twistable Intense Lip Colors (that was a mouthful!). I believe there's 12 shades total in this line and I have 9 of them.

 

(L to R) Nolita Neutral, Park Slope Peach, Brooklyn Brown Stone, Riverside Rose, Fulton St Fuschia, Ballroom Blush, South Ferry Berry, Gramercy Park Plum and Roosevelt Island Red.

Now onto the swatches!

Nolita Neutral - a beige nude

This one is a bit chalky looking because it's so beige and pastel looking. It's decently pigmented. This shade washes me out and makes my lips look ghostly and dead.

Park Slope Peach - a peachy nude

This shade is same as the one above in my opinion but I do like this one better bc of the peachiness.

Brooklyn Brown Stone - a neutral brownish pink. 

This is a "my lips but better" shade for me. This has to be one of my fave.

Riverside Rose - a pinky/rosy mauve

This one is more on the sheer side so you will have to build the color up.

Fulton St Fuschia - a bright pink

I didn't like the application of this one. It was uneven and didn't build up as nice as the others.

Ballroom Blush - a vibrant red pink

This one is beautiful.

South Ferry Berry - a bright true red

Nothing "berry" here to me but I love me a classic red.

 

Roosevelt Island Red - a red/orange

This is another sheer one but builds up nicely.

Gramercy Park Plum - a berry red plum

This is another one of my favorites. It's so rich in color!

Price:
You can find these for $2.99-3.99 at your local drug store (Rite Aid, CVS or Walgreens)

Packaging:
These lippies come in pencil/crayon form and have a clear, plastic, slide-off top. The top does stay on nicely but I'm not sure about just throwing it your purse for on the go. The packaging for each is colored in the same color as the product (some are more true to color than others).

Quality/Formula/Wear:
The two nudes were more dry/chalky. I do recommend wearing a balm under these two.
Riverside Rose and Roosevelt Island Red were more sheer and needed work to build up.
Fulton St Fuschia didn't apply as evenly as the rest.
All the other shades were pretty consistent in feel on the lips and pigmentation.
All of them (minus the two nudes) are very creamy and comfortable on the lips.
The reds and berries do leave behind a stain but I didn't notice any staining with the nudes, neutrals or sheer shades. 

As far as wear time, after about 30 minutes to an hour, it does lose it's fresh glow. I say glow because it's not overly shiny/glossy. It dries to a semi matte finish. Color will fade if you eat or drink. Once the color sets, I do notice it will accentuate lip lines and/or any dry patches.

 Have you tried this line? Which shade is your favorite? Leave me a comment below.

Milani Hi-Tech (Holographic)

Without Flash                                                  With Flash

This is Milani's Hi-Tech from the 3D Holographic collection.  Hi-Tech is a yellow/green/chartreuse scattered holo packed with lots of shimmer particles.  Also, an extra bonus bc the finish is not gritty whatsoever!  It's beautiful!  The "With Flash" picture is very true to color.  I found this on clearance during CVS' 50-75% off end of the year sale.

Have you tried any of Milani's 3D Holographic polishes?

Morgan Taylor Nail Polish Swatch + Mini Review

During my stop at the nail supply store 2 weeks ago, these were some of the polishes I picked up.  They were sitting on display at the checkout counter and the colors really caught my eyes.

Morgan Taylor.

I've never heard of the brand before so I asked the cashier how they were in comparison to OPI.  He said they're to be better than OPI.  Now you know I gotta try it out now with that said!  There was about 10 shades the store currently carries and I picked up 5.

After further research, I learned that MT is owned by the same company that owns Gelish; a well known gel polish brand.

Birthday Suit.  I would describe this as "bone beige" lol.  It looks greige in the picture though, don't it?  The formula was thick/goopy and application was streaky...this one is a hot mess!   It took me about 4 coats to even everything out.  However, I do like the glossy finish of a top coat without a top coat.  You get it??  LOL

Mint Chocolate Chip.  

This is your typical mint creme shade.  Again, the formula was thick and application was streaky.  Swatch below is of 3 coats.

Lost in Paradise.  

This is a blue/green/teal creme.  This formula was thin unlike the first 2 polishes.  It was streaky upon initial application but once you layer on the 2nd coat...it's even and opaque.   

West Coast Cool.  

This is a vibrant blue cream.  Formula and application is same as the previous shade.

It's My Party.  

This is a multi-colored glitter polish.  The glitters are not too big or too small.  They seem to be the same size for the most part.  I did wear this shade over Lost in Paradise and West Coast Cool but I forgot to take a picture.  I can say that this glitter polish is very easy to take off with polish remover :)  and the glitters are not that chunky at all but will require at least 1 good coat of top coat.

Overall, I'm not impressed.  The colors are beautiful but formula and application can be improved; especially, the quality of the brush.  I do like the fact that the polish dries quickly and the finish is nice enough to where you can skip putting on a top coat, if you didn't have the time.  Now I will have to wear it more to test the longevity of each shade.  

Disclosure:  Products purchased by yours truly.

Essie Naughty Nautical Summer 2013 Collection Swatch + Review + GIVEAWAY!!

Happy J4!

Today, I have Essie's Naughty Nautical Summer 2013 collection to share with you guys.  This collection consist of 2 soft shades and 4 bright shades.  

Naughty Nautical.  Described as a "marine blue-green shimmer".  

The formula is easy to work with.  Shimmers are not gritty/chunky.  Opaque in 2-3 coats.    

Sunday Funday.  Described as a "tangerine coral crush shimmer".  

I love corals!  And I love Sunday Funday!  The formula is easy to work with and color payoff is great with 2 coats.  Shimmers are fine...so quite beautifully sparkly!

The More The Merrier.  Described as a "juicy lime green".

This is the creme of the bunch and the hardest to work with.  The formula was thick and streaky.  It takes 3-4 coats for a even application.  This shade reminds me of OPI Did it on 'em but brighter.

The Girls Are Out.  Described as a "fuchsia peony sparkle".

Again, formula was good and application was easy.  Good to go with 2 coats.

Full Steam Ahead.  Described as a "pearlescent punch lilac".

This is one of the soft shades, a lilac/lavendar shade.  Formula is easy to work with and can get away with 2 coats.  The shimmer is quite fine in this one too so it's very sparkly up close but can pass for a creme from a distance.

Rock The Boat.  Described as a "shimmering french blue".  

The other soft shade of the collection.  Once again, the shimmers in this one is beautiful.  The formula is good but application is somewhat streaky.  Will take at least 3 coats for a even application.  The picture below was with 2 coats.  This shade reminds me of Essie Bikini So Teeny without the purple hue.

Overall, I really like this collection.  There's nothing special about the shades(because we've seen similar colors before)but the formula is great.  And the shimmer particles/amount in these are just perf!

GIVEAWAY!!

I'm giving away a complete set of Essie Naughty Nautical Summer 2013 collection to one lucky winner.

Here are the RULEs:

1.  Must follow my blog

2.  Must follow my Twitter 

3.  Must subscribe to my YouTube

4.  Leave a comment on the Giveaway video with your usernames for 1 & 2.

5.  Must like (thumb up) the video

5.  Must be at least 18 years old to enter or have prior parents' permission.

This giveaway will end July 31st.  The winner will be selected on August 1st from the comment entries on YouTube and be announced on my blog and twitter.

Thank you and good luck!

Disclosure:  Products purchased by yours truly.

Review: Pure Brown Circle Lenses

This is my first pair of circle lenses ever.  I was always held back from purchasing any bc I have pretty sensitive eyes but I must say, I love these.  They are very comfortable on my eyes and looks quite natural (the color that is).  It comes off blackened brown on my eyes.  It makes my eyes look very "doll-like" and I love the effect.  I even layered this on top of my clear prescription contacts and it was still very comfortable.  So comfortable I didn't know they got stuck to one another until I went to take them off at the end of the night LOL.  But it didn't damage either lenses at all.  I just soaked it in saline for a while and allowed them to come off each other themselves.

Here's a picture of me wearing the Pure Brown lenses.

Review: Nail Dryer

I purchased this nail dryer from bornprettystore.com for $13.25.  It's portable, travel friendly and battery operated.  It dries my nails in less than 5 minutes.  I will warn you...you will have to change the position of your hand every few seconds or your nail polish will dry with ripples.  Delivery is from China? and it took roughly 15 days and it's very well packaged.  For $13.25 and free shipping, I have nothing to really complain about.

Swatch/Review: Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Metal

I have 2 of the 5 new Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal cream shadows.

Barely Branded & Inked in Pink

Barely Branded is a frosty champagne/beige and Inked in Pink is a frosty rosy/gold pink.

My thoughts:  I love the formula of the color tattoo line.  These in particular appear to be much creamier and silkier in texture than the original color tattoos.  I like that they can be worn opaque or sheered out.  I don't mind applying these cream shadows in a pot with my fingers but I do wish they would come in a "crayon" form for easier/cleaner application.  These do dry down to a powder-like finish (like the originals) so I don't mind wearing these alone (I usually do).  These (like the originals) have a great staying power (water alone will not take these off).  I do notice a little creasing by the end of the day if they are worn alone (especially on super oily lid days) but nothing too noticeable.  All in all, these are a bang for your buck!

Bikini So Teeny

It's been forevers since I posted on my beauty blog.  If you follow my personal blog then you should know why. If you don't, visit it here.  I'd like to keep this blog about beauty strictly.  

Anywhoo, I made my first Essie purchase the other day.  I got
Bikini So Teeny, Cute As A Button, and Shop Til I Drop.

Today I'll be reviewing Bikini So Teeny.  I have not worn the other two polishes yet.

Bikini So Teeny is from Essie's Summer 2012 collection, Bikini So Teeny :)  It's a pastel blue with a hint of purple.  It looks a bit periwinkle in certain lighting.  It appears to be a creme finish on the nails but shimmers are visible when in the bottle.  To me, the formula is runny like OPI and CG.  It took me 3 coats to achieve the opacity I desired because it was still streaky after 2 coats.  I can't say what the staying power is like yet.  I will say, I have it on my tips for about 3 days now with 2 coats of CG Top Coat and no chips yet.

Here's a look of my nails.
Bikini So Teeny on my tips with a random glitter polish.

Review/Swatch: Inglot Eyeshadows

I picked up this Inglot palette during my visit this past May to NYC, Times Square. Using their Freedom System, I was able to hand pick my own 10 shades to customize this palette.

Top to bottom (L-R):  Matte 362, Matte 352, Matte 341, Matte 342, Matte 329

Pearl 431, Matte 319, Matte 328, Matte 337, Matte 327

As you can see, they are all matte shades except for one. I LOVE LOVE LOVE matte shadows. They are just much more versatile for me. The shimmer/pearl shade in the palette is mainly used for all over the lid and/or as a highlight.

Matte 362, Matte 352, Matte 341, Matte 342, Matte 329

Pearl 431, Matte 319, Matte 328, Matte 337, Matte 327

1. I love the palette itself. It's sturdy, heavy, travel friendly. I'm never afraid to throw this in my travel bag bc I never fear that it will crack/break or toss out a eyeshadow pan(the magnet is very strong).

2.  Shadows are highly pigmented and color payoff is very true to color.

3.  My only complaint would be that these matte shadows are so finely milled that there's too much fall out.

First Impression/Swatches: Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter

I finally found these suckers after going to 2 Rite Aids. I originally heard about these new lip butters from BentleyBlonde on Youtube. Lucky for me Rite Aid was have a 40% off sale on all Revlon products. Regular retail price is $7.50(?) but I paid $4.49 each. My Rite Aid's display was pretty new/full so I counted there to be 20 different shades and I grabbed 11 out of the 20.




1. Packaging is similar to regular Colorburst lipsticks except that the lip butters lid is frosted see thru w/ a clear top so you can see the color of the lip butter. The color of the packaging is similar to the color inside the tube.

2. Scent is light to none at all.

3. Pigmentation is quite well for a lip butter.

4. Retail price ($7.50) is quite expensive for a drugstore lip butter but consider it being on sale for less than $5, that's alright. I'd be more satisfied it was around the range of an EOS lip balm or Maybelline baby lips ($3-4).

5. Formula is soft, creamy and conditioning on lips. It also leaves a glossy sheen.

6. Lasting power is about 3-5 hours.

Tutti Frutti, Candy Apple, Cotton Candy, Berry Smoothie, Cupcake, Sweet Tart



(First swatch is 1 swipe and second swatch is multiple swipes - no flash)


Creamsicle, Lollipop, Strawberry Shortcake, Creme Brulee, Pink Truffle



(First swatch is 1 swipe and second swatch is multiple swipes - no flash)


My favorite has to be Strawberry Shortcake(a milky pink) and Creme Brulee(a sheer nude).

That's it guys! I hope this review helps those of you who are interested in getting this product. Leave a comment and let me know if you've tested these items out and which color is your favorite.

Till next time, Smexyz!