Ulta Haul! Featuring NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream

This is not the haul you're looking for. That would actually be an E.L.F. order that came in a couple of days ago. I needed some things for my film makeup kit, but I decided it would be best for me to review those items individually, once I've had a chance to play with them. It's mostly mascaras and eye primers, and I really don't want to open those any sooner than necessary, or they'll dry out. Sorry. In lieu of that, here's a bit of a piece-meal Ulta haul. I didn't get all of these things at one time, but sort of acquired them over a few paychecks. Enjoy!

1. Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil

One of these stays in my purse at all times. I talk and sing for a living, so my lips get pretty dried out. A swipe of this gives me a little bit of shine and a dab of color. This one, however, isn't for me. It's going in the film kit. See, we have a couple of guys in our film, and while I really don't want to put lipstick on them, they are going to need something on their lips to keep them from looking washed out, dried out, and, basically, zombied out. That might have been perfectly appropriate for our last movie, but not this one. This lip balm should do just the trick.

2. ULTA Extreme Wear Cream Eyeshadow

I haven't tried this. I haven't swatched it. I haven't even taken off the wrapper, yet. This was a free reward from Ulta, and I have absolutely zero expectations. I got the color "Premiere", which looks like a silvery taupe. Supposedly, this works as both a shadow and liner. I'll let you know how it turns out.

3. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream

Here we go! I am so excited about this product! I picked one up a while back, then got two more during a 50% off sale (if it ain't half off, it ain't on sale). I've worn all three, now, and feel like I can honestly give you a full review and a whole-hearted recommendation.

First off, the colors I picked up were Stockholm (rosy nude), San Paulo (rose), and Monte Carlo (rosy red...notice a trend here? This one made me think a lot of MAC Berry Boost. I have no idea if they're dupes, but they're definitely in the same color family).

Stockholm (In low light. Sorry.)

San Paulo

Monte Carlo

These go on like a lipgloss, with a little doe foot applicator. As you can see from the photos, that's as close to a lipgloss as they get. These are opaque, highly pigmented, colors, and they last for-freaking-ever. After three hours of talking, eating, and drinking, all I need is a quick touch-up. They are drying, but I've found that I can swipe a little balm over the top and I'm good to go; no smearing, feathering, fading, or alteration of color.

My main cause for excitement, though, is the ease of application. I like a red lip (or a bright lip), and normally, to achieve that look I have to exfoliate, prep with a balm, line with a coordinated liner, line with a clear liner to prevent feathering, then apply lipstick with a brush, blot, re-apply, blot, re-re-apply, blot, and maybe coat with a gloss. That's a pain in the rear, and requires more time than I have. This...well, this I apply with the doe foot applicator...possibly while in the car...no liner, blotting, or whathaveyou needed.

I highly, highly recommend this. Just keep some Burt's Bees on hand for the dryness.



See! In the car! (Not driving!)



4. Benefit They're Real Mascara (Deluxe Mini)

This is not a review. I've only worn this mascara once, so I'm not 100% ready to give it a yay or nay...but I'm already impressed. Let me draw your attention to the above photo. You see my lashes? I think they speak for themselves. That's two coats, no falsies, and I didn't even curl them. Holy moly moist cake!

I'm normally a Buxom girl for evenings and performances, and a Tarte girl (not a "tart", Mom!) for normal, everyday wear. This is somewhere in-between, and is making me rethink my life choices. The brush, incidentally, is the revelation. It's a fairly standard brush, except for the top, which has a little bulb-like thingy (technical term) on the end, with protruding bristles. That little sucker gets every.darn.lash. Even those hard to reach inner corner ones. If I'm honest, I think I might be falling a little bit in love with it.

I got the mini-version for ten bucks because I ran out of both my Tarte and Buxom on the same blasted day. I figured I could try this out for a while until I could replace of my beloveds. If this continues to perform like it did today, I might just stick with this.

The Look: If you like the "I threw this on in, literally, the four minutes and thirty seconds it took for my frozen diet entree to microwave" look pictured above, here are the products used:

Too Faced Beauty Balm in Vanilla Glow

Benefit Bo-ing Concealer in Light

Urban Decay Razor Sharp Ultra Definition Finishing Powder

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette Eyeshadows in Tease (lid) and Busted (under eye)

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Whiskey

Benefit They're Real Mascara

E.L.F. Brow Kit in Medium (Yeah, I know...I need shaping. What's new?)

E.L.F. Brow Treat and Tame in Deep

Too Faced Pink Leopard Bronzing Powder (as blush)

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Monte Carlo

Easy, Breezy, Beautiful

A week, or so, ago, the folks at BzzAgent asked me if I would like to try CoverGirl's new NatureLuxe line. Well, sure! Sign me up! I'd been considering tinted moisturizers for Summer, and while this was technically a foundation, it was supposed to be as light and silky as a moisturizer. Really, the texture was the main point of switching, anyway, so bring it on! As a bonus, I got to try a Gloss Balm, too. Sweet!

The package arrived yesterday, and contained the foundation in the shade of my choice, Aspen. The gloss balm was a random pick on their end, and I wound up with Muscat, an orange-tinted red that, luckily, is very flattering with my coloring and newly-coppery hair. There were also some lovely coupons enclosed, in case any of you in my immediate area would like one. I think they take $2 off the cost. I know I've blogged about BzzAgent a few times before, but for those just joining us, it's a word of mouth advertising company. They send me stuff. I try it. If I like it, great. If not, that's fine, too. Then, I share my opinions (good, bad, and ugly) with whomever I so choose. In this case, you guys. Aren't you lucky. I receive no compensation for my reviews, other than the products themselves. /End of disclosure.

Anyway, I decided to give them a whirl this morning, completing my usual makeup routine with the role of Erin's foundation played by CoverGirl NatureLuxe Silk Foundation, and the role of lip gloss played by CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm.  

Photo Credit (this and all): CoverGirl

The foundation is really nice. I mean, it's world's better than I expected. My experience with drugstore foundations has been spotty, at best, so I really didn't hope for much out of this. To start, I prepped my skin with moisturizer and my favorite primer, Benefit That Gal. Then, I smoothed on the foundation. At first, I was afraid it would be too dark, but by the time I finished applying, the product had absorbed into my skin, and I had a perfect match. Honestly, the only way I could tell I had anything on, at all, was the eveness of my skin tone. This product covers well, but is sheer enough to let your skin show through with zero cakiness. That earns major points in my book. As an added bonus, the foundation is SPF 10, which eliminates the need to apply sunscreen and saves me a step in the mornings. I also really like the light cucumber scent. Packaging is similar to a tinted moisturizer, in a pretty sage-green inverted squeeze tube. 14 shades, $9.74, Walmart. Final Verdict: 10 out of 10. I really can't think of a reason to deduct any points. This is a real winner.

The gloss balm reminds me a lot of my Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Balm in Bora Bora. I mean, it's almost a dead ringer for it. The long-lasting color is nearly identical, and my lips feel super hydrated. The Buxom plumps, while the CoverGirl does not. However, the CoverGirl comes in a tube for more precise application, where the Buxom requires you to either use your finger or carry a separate brush. You just have to pick which characteristics are more important to you. The resulting color and overall feel on your lips will be pretty much the same, either way. For those of you not familiar with the Buxom: this is a full color balm. The color is still sheer, but much more pigmented than a tinted balm (like Burt's Bees). Because it's a balm, it moisturizes and leaves your lips feeling soft and healthy. The color is glossy and, unlike most balms, visible. SPF 15 (not found in the Buxom, by the way) keeps your lips protected from the Summer sun. Crisp, clean packaging in clear plastic and sage green. My only real gripe is that it's so small it gets lost even in the compartments of my purse. 16 shades, $6.48, Walmart. Final Verdict: 9 out of 10. It's making me second-guess my Buxom love, but the small size is a major turn-off.