Favorite Drugstore Matte Bronzers

Most of my bronzer collection is shimmery- mostly higher end bronzer's as well. Those are great for all over the face, and they do just fine for contouring but won't look as flattering as a matte bronzer. I always heard of contouring with a normal face powder a few shades darker than your skin tone {which is a great idea} but I found a couple bronzers that are even better and depending on sales, are most likely even cheaper.

The brush that I use almost every single day for contouring is Sigma's Large Angled Contour Brush F40. I bought it a couple years ago and it is still going strong! I really like to use Real Techniques Contour Brush which is much a much smaller dome shaped brush. It get's right into the hollows of your cheeks so well but I try to reserve that brush for highlighter only for cross contamination pigmentation reasons.

NYC Color Wheel Mosaic

All Over Bronze Glow

I have heard about this bronzer over and over again and never pulled the trigger until my bff bought it. It is only a few bucks and is worth every penny. This is the only thing I own from NYC. I usually pass them up for some reason but I want to try some more of their products. If this bronzer is a testament to their other products, NYC could be one of the best brands at the drugstore. The texture of it is kind of hard to the touch {which made it hard to swatch} but it goes on so lightly and looks so subtle while still contouring because of that. There is no need to worry about being heavy handed with it.

Revlon Photo Ready

Bronzed and Chic

This bronzer feels more velvety to the touch. In comparison to NYC it is a little bit more softer, which makes it more pigmented. It is also a little deeper than NYC's bronzer- just a touch.  Either of these bronzers will work well for fair skin tones but this one will work better than NYC for a medium skin tone- the lightest color out of the four colors is deeper than the lightest color in NYC's {clearly}.  This one is also easier to use for skin tones ranging in color because it is easy to choose your color. As you can see, you have 4 choices and can dip your brush in all of the quadrants, half of them, or just one color. The quadrants are just big enough to fit any angled contour brush into. I tend to swirl each color and that is how I got the color you see in the swatch.

Something that these bronzers have in common is the pigment. These aren't like blushes I have used in the past or an eyeshadow that is so pigmented that even if you touch it, you will get one heavy swatch. The swatches you see here are heavy handed swatches. I really wanted to show you each color and how they are different. However, I don't think this is a deal breaker in the world of matte bronzers. When I use my angled contour brush with these bronzers, they apply just fine and look like a natural contour. You can see a difference on the face. If they were more pigmented, it would be harder to get a subtle difference. So when you use a face powder or an eyeshadow to contour, it doesn't look as natural in my opinion. Each of these bronzers have that same medium brown color with a slight orange background  which makes it a bit more forgiving on the face. Cooler, deeper, bronzers seem to look muddy on my skin. I have fair, cool toned skin.

I hauled Revlon's bronzed and Chic in this video along with a ton of other drugstore makeup! Check it out-

till next time,

Erica

Top 6 Bright Lipsticks {and dupes}

If Nude Pink is my first favorite, then Bright lip colors come to a close second. It is so effortless and easy. Simple eye makeup and a bright lip are perfect for the summer. The bright color mirrors everyone's attitude, not to mention the sunshine, of the season while the achieving it is just as good as the color. Mascara, Liner, Bronzer, and a bright lip take all of 5 minutes.

These have been my favorite bright lipsticks lately. I can honestly say that each one has been getting a lot of use on my lips.

LiSi 

Iconic

Thank you to Alexis! She kindly gave this lipstick to me. She has an olive skin tone and when she wears what would be a deep red lipstick on me, it looks much brighter on her. I am usually a light skin tone but as of right now, I am more light to medium and have red undertones as opposed to an olive skin tone.This lipstick simply didn't fit her skin tone {kinda like ELF's Seductive} so she kindly gave it to me. Although I do believe she could pull this one off if she wanted, it would be more bright on her, as for anyone with olive skin. This lipstick actually has a powdery feel to it - its really strange. It eventually dries down to a matte finish. It has staying power - it stays on my lips for around 1/2 of a shift {like 3 hours} It has a bright pastel pink thing going for it as you can see from the swatch. It has a sweet taste. Yum. She found this a TJ Maxx.

ELF Essentials Lipstick

Flirtatious

I know I speak on this lipstick a lot, but it's a good one. When I do blog post's like this I can really see a pattern. Obviously, Flirtatious is the exact same color as Iconic. Flirtatious would be an exact dupe for Iconic if it wasn't for the cream finish Flirtatious has. I find myself re-applying creamier lipstick's throughout the day. Since they never really dry down, they can easily slip off. Here's a review on the rest of the ELF Essentials Lipstick's I have. It also has a sweet candy flavor.

Maybelline Vivid's

Pink Pop

This is the lightest, pastel lipstick from the Vivid's line. As opposed to the 2 lipsticks mentioned before this, Pink Pop has much more of a purple undertone. I would say that this is a great way to rock purple lip's this season. Pink Pop has a creamy finish {and stays creamy} and also adds some shine. 

Here's a picture of me with it on:

Maybelline Vivid's

Fuchsia Flash

This one is a more unique color of the bunch that I have here. I doesn't dupe any other bright lip color out of the 6. A definite bright, neon pink. On any skin tone, this lipstick will not go unnoticed! I personally think it would flatter any skin tone. Deeper toned girls will have more of a pastel kind of lip going on, and lighter toned girls will have a bright obvious fuchsia. I do notice Fuchsia Flash has a harder time staying inside the lip lines. I think I can attribute that to the bright, blinding color. I always make sure I use a lip liner because of that. I use NYX's Dolly Pink lip liner with any bright pink lipstick. It really helps keeping the lipstick in it's place. To have even more insurance, and if im not feeling too lazy, I will line around my lips with any kind of nude pencil {Hard Candy Concealer Pencil, or Rimmel Scandal-Eyes Kohl Liner in Nude.}  Has a creamy finish and adds a little bit of shine, just not as much as it's sister, Pink Pop.

Wet n Wild

Dollhouse Pink

These Wet n Wild Lipstick's do dry down to a matte finish and are drying. The most drying of the bunch I have here. However, Dollhouse Pink has high color pay off. I really like using a corresponding lip gloss to go along with this line of lipsticks. Dollhouse Pink is a lot like Pink Pop {and even look like exact dupes in these swatches} but the finish differs. Dollhouse Pink is matte, Pink Pop is creamy and adds some shine.

Revlon

Siren

I couldn't do a bright lip blog post without mentioning Siren. I was obsessed with this color last summer. I mean, who doesn't love an orange lipstick? I'm sure some people don't, but for anyone that does, Siren is a good one. The finish is somewhere in the middle of a cream and a matte. It goes on somewhat creamy, stays on pretty long, but does become dry after a while. After a couple hours, the color is there, you just have drier lips. Since I don't have an orange gloss, it makes sense for me to apply this then bring along a regular lip balm to hydrate my lips.

Another really great bright lip color is Maybelline's Baby Lip's in Pink Punch. It isn't going to be as bright as the rest of them but it surprisingly has great pigmentation as a brighter pink, and is hydrating. I tend to keep this with me everyday for quick touch ups throughout the day when im wearing a bright pink. It's fuss free.

Final Verdict:
If your looking for a good creamy, bright lipstick, try the Maybelline Vivid's or any ELF Essential Lipstick. For a matte finish, try any of the other's. Keep in mind that the drier/matte formula's tend to stay on much longer than the creamier bright lipstick's. I use a lip balm throughout the day and it seems to do the job with the matte lipsticks

I did a Top 6 Favorite Nude Pink Lipsticks Here

I'm having a give-away

What's your favorite bright lipstick?

xoxo
Erica

Top 6 Favorite Nude Pink Lippies

Lippies. I like that word. Nude Pinks might be my favorite color to wear. Second favorite would be Pinks. Third favorite would be Nudes. So, obviously Nude Pinks are awesome. They go with anything. Smokey eye, natural eye, colorful eye, loud clothing, etc. Since I have gotten tanner with my tanning salon package, + obsessing over my Beautisol body bronzer, my lipsticks start to look a little weird. It is just strange. Sometimes, I feel like the tan mom if I don't have on the right lip color. Nude pink's seem to never fail, however. Weather I am really tan or really pale, they always look good. Here's my staple nude pinks. My favorites.

Essence Stay With Me Lipgloss

Me and My Ice Cream

Uhm yeah, that name should draw you in alone. Along with that milky baby pink color, it is perfect. This lip gloss smells like a clean floral, as I stated in my previous video, which is ironic considering the name. The scent is quite nice, actually. Aside from the scent, this is my favorite lip gloss, let alone my favorite nude pink. It's not too dull, too nude, too pink, too dark, or too light. It has a sponge tip applicator that is shaped like an hour glass, which makes swatching it a little weird but other than that, I don't mind it. It isn't sticky. It doesn't stay all day. It's not a super gloss, just a normal gloss in the perfect color. You will have to re-apply this after an hour just like you do with all lip glosses.

ELF Glossy Gloss

Pink Candy

Comparing it to Me and My Ice Cream, Pink Candy is a little more nude and a little more dull. It has a brush tip applicator and is also kind of sticky and thick. I personally don't mind it too much but I do not find myself reaching for it as much as my Essence gloss. If your looking for something that is more nude than pink but is still nude pink, this is a good color.


NYX Soft Matte Lipcream
Tokyo
 This product. Your going love it or your going to hate it. It's not a gloss, or lipstick. The consistency of it is a thin creamy formula and all it is pretty much is pigment. When you put it on your lips, it dries within a few minutes. I mean, it dries. It is very drying. Dry lipsticks tend to last longer and I like to put this down then add a lipstick {Revlon Prim Rose} over it. Or a gloss. Any of these lip products I am talking about today go great with this. I use it as a foundation for my lips. I have that nude milky pink color, but I can change it to tone it down, cool it down, warm it up, neutralize it, whatever. It's a nice base for that and a nice base to keep your lipstick used in conjunction lasting longer. Doe foot applicator. Smells like a cupcake.

NYX Round Lipstick
Strawberry Milk
If you like that Nikki Minaj lip color, you just might love this. Strawberry Milk is basically Tokyo in a lipstick as far as the color and pigmentation goes. The NYX Round Lipsticks are very creamy, not drying like the Lip Creams. This one is for my fair skinned girls {or guys. I don't judge} I have recently gotten a tan and I am noticing I hate this color on me now that I am little more tanned. I am still determined to use it though. So I like mixing it with a Chap-Stick. It tones down the color and I am getting that milky pink that I want without looking like some creepy, 80's movie star, frosted lipstick, tan mom psycho. But I think of Nikki and she is obviously black. How in the world does she pull it off and look freaking fabulous? Maybe it's just for darker girls or paler girl- maybe there is no middle ground. I wish I had an answer. These smell and tastes like the Essence lip glosses. A floral clean scent. I like it.

Revlon Lipstick
Primrose
The perfect nude pink for any skin tone. Seriously. It is just pink enough and nude enough and Primrose has a magic to it. I can wear this at any stage of my tan. And when I am paler than a ghost, it still looks great. This lipstick is my favorite nude pink because of that. It isn't drying, but also not as creamy as the NYX Round Lipsticks. Doesn't have much of a scent/taste. It isn't drying either. It's a good one.

Avon Ultra-Color Rich Moisture
Pink Tarifeta
It seems as though most people tend to stick to either a matte finish or a cream finish. Or a satin finish. Frosty finishes seem to be outdated {for now} and lustre's are kind of the same. But, I think if you can do a lustre correct, it will look really pretty! A lustre finish is demi-sheer with a smooth wet-look finish. {ref.} This particular lipstick also has some shimmer in it. It is really pretty. It isn't too loud and in your face and actually can look subtle and draw enough flattering attention to your lips. This is another lipstick that looks good on me no matter what stage of tan I am in. It's a creamy formula. Try a finish like this. I bet you will like it. This is Avon's "lip butter" version. It is moisturizing just like any of those lip butters you will find in the drugstore. I like these. A great nude pink with a unique finish.


Here's the swatches. You can really see for yourself the contrast/comparisons of each lip product from these a lot better than I can explain them!

What's your favorite nude pink?

That's all for now!
xoxo
Erica

Falling Confetti NOTW

Hi! I feel like it has been a minute. Almost a week! That's too long. I had a busy week last week. It was nice out. We went on some walks. Barbeque's. Hanging out outside. One of my good friends got married. I drank way too much. I also already wrote this blog post but somehow it was gone {wtf} I wore this mani this past week for all of those fun things

I just love how it looks. 

It perfect for a night out or a day out. 

I think the matte top coat really adds a little something and what makes it special, for me. 

To wear a matte top coat on top of nothing but a white polish is just too much....can we say White-Off? But when you add a bright fuschia glitter on top of that, ombred, it looks like I took a million years. Or maybe it doesn't, I don't know. It looks like a million bucks, rather. It's just neat.

Here's what I used + How I did it:

Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear Nail Color.  

It is $2 at any drugstore {Dollar General too} and I am telling you, so easy to work with. You get a nice even coat after the 2nd one and I couldn't ask for another great white polish. Once I waited for that to dry completely, I moved onto....

Revlon Top Coat: 

Here's the deal. I painted the tips of nails with this then dragged the rest of whatever clear coat I had on brush down the nail. You don't want to be too exact, just like you wouldn't want to be too exact if this was a  normal glitter ombre mani. This is what is going to hold the glitter on. 

-Wait like 20 seconds for it to dry. You don't it to be too wet or else the glitter will cling to every little part of it and it won't have that trickle down effect. You don't wait it to be too dry or else it won't look ombred. It will just look like glitters here and there

-Have a piece of paper ready on a hard surface underneath your fingers so when you sprinkle the glitter over it, it will catch the remainder of the glitter. I put my loose glitter back in the package or you can just throw it away...

Sally Girl Sparkle Effects.  

It $1 at Sally's Beauty Supply. They have a ton of different colors, I want to collect them all! :) anyhow, I think this is a steal for $1. I mean, honestly. The possibilities are endless using loose glitter. On the nail. In arts + crafts. Yeah, I just said arts + crafts. I know. I'm really cool. But im serious! 

Matte-ly In Love from Hard Candy 

The Matte top coat I used is only a couple bucks and can be found at Wal-Mart. I have been loving Hard Candy nail stuff lately. If you don't have a matte top coat, you must seal it with at least a gloss top coat. If you have no top coat, the glitter will fall off of all your nail's by the end of the day. I just really love the look of it with the matte top coat. It's how you turn glitter into confetti.

It's only been a week, but I swear I feel guilty when I don't blog! I feel as if I am not being creative or something. There has been Instagram though. And I still have been photographing. I signed up for a newsletter on tips for using a DSLR. I think I am going to do a photo-a-day challenge. This one looks really fun.  Anyone else down? Anyway's

I hope your having a great week!

some new blog post's/videos coming up:

Favorite Meal Bars

B+BW Candles

Get Tan {I will need to come up with a much wittier name. I probably won't though}

Curly Hair, Don't Care

OOTD's from the Wedding {maybe even the brides 2 outfits!}

Favorite Nude Pink Lipsticks

The GIVE-AWAY!

xoxo

Erica

NYX Butter Glosses

I love Nyx and I love butter so I thought the new Nyx butter glosses would be pretty sweet, literally. Turns out, they taste like absolutely nothing. They really don't smell like anything either. If you smell really hard they have a faint sweet plastic smell. But if I wasn't a beauty blogger, I would never know that.

Yeah, I sniff my products to report back to you all.

This is my life.

Even though they dont smell or taste like anything, the term buttery definitely sticks to these glosses. They are silky, buttery smooth.They are not sticky at all. They are really pleasant to wear.

I bought only 2 when Ulta was having their BOGO1/2 sale on Nyx. It came to something like $9.  The 2 you see are Merengue {Right} and Apple Strudel {Left} Looking at them in the tube, I was sure they were going to be pastel like on the lips.  Yes, they do give some color and depending on the color you choose, lighten the lips a little. I get some color for the moment but the color wears as does the gloss. 

Apple Strudel has been my favorite of the 2. That is always subject to change. I have been loving wearing it over Revlon's Lip Butter in Creme Brulee. They compliment each other. This one isn't as pigmented as Merengue, but I still love that nude/orange color.

Apple Strudel Alone:

Apple Strudel worn over Creme Brulee:

Did I say Apple Strudel was my favorite? I changed my mind. I could not pass up Merengue. I have always passed on that Revlon lip gloss that is that pastel lilac color, and even though Merengue is a little different than said Revlon gloss, it still is the same concept. I love a good pastel. I will take it in any form: nail polish, clothing, accessories, food, paint, and of course gloss. I have been loving wearing Merengue under Wet n Wild's Dollhouse Pink. Dollhouse Pink is so bright and in your face {not to mention drying} that it tones down the color, but compliments it so well.

Merengue by itself:

here's Merengue underneath Wet n Wild Dollhouse Pink. You can wear the gloss over top too, I just think that if your wanting to go for that bright pink but want to tone it down, these colors compliment each other so well when worn this way. 

They have a doe foot applicator. 

Here's the swatches of both of them on my arm.

There you have it! There's my review!

Have you tried these Butter Glosses?

What did you think?

Im on instagram now!!!!!

check me out (:

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday (:

xoxo

Erica

The Things I Loved in January

Hey! Time for my favorite things from January! I have adopted a lot of new techniques this month which you will see. I also have been doing a little something different in terms of my normal blush colors. Lot's of good stuff this month! I hope you enjoy (:

Products Mentioned:

John Frieda -Luxurious Volume- Blow Dry Lotion- Root Booster
2 rules to make this give you really good volume while still making your hair really soft. 1: add to the roots of wet hair. 2: blow dry with a big round brush. I love it (: I didn't add a picture because I feel it was getting a little bit crazy but in the collage above, it's the blue bottle right in the middle (obviously)

YBF Correcting Cream/ Illuminating Cream

 Another new technique I have been using is adding this correcting cream underneath my eyes as a concealer and adding it to the high points of my face. It brightens really well without adding shimmer. This correcting cream is a good one! Creamy, opaque, but still thin enough so it wont settle in my fine lines. Im wearing it in the video.

 Hard Candy Concealer Pencil:

 I have been using this as an eye liner for my water line! It has been working great as a nude liner. Who woulda thought? This actually came with the Glamoflauge Concealer as a little bonus. It doesn't irritate my eyes.

Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner

Maybelline Bouncy Blush in Fresh Pink

Also wearing this in the video

Elf Studio Blush in Mellow Mauve + Giddy Gold

 Love both of these! Both colors are really different than any other blush I have. The rest are pink, haha! Giddy Gold is my top blush. It is so pretty on my cheeks. They both are a nice change up! Click on the link to go to my full review on a bunch of the ELF Studio Blushes.

Wet n Wild Single Eyeshadow in Creme Brulee

Mally Age Rebel Eyeshadow in Sugar

 Be on the look out for a full review on all of the Mally stuff from Mally's Favorite Things Kit. That includes everything I will be talking about in this video/blog post from Mally.

Mally Volumizing Mascara

Mally Lipgloss in Punch 
Review coming soon on lots of Mally stuff!

ELF Essentials Lipstick in Flirtatious
Perfect with the lip gloss. They are exactly the same color. The Essentials lipsticks are really creamy and pigmented. For $1, it doesn't get any better.

Favorite T.V. Shows

Catfish: 

I have been loving this show! I can't believe all the Catfish they actually found but I am always so happy when they document a true love story...well, as true as your going to get! Something about Nev I love. He is my crush right now.. He looks oddly similar to someone I know who is my boyfriend....hmm. Also, the music they play on that show is so good! 

Family Guy : 

I am not sure if you guys know this about me but I am a huge fan of Family Guy! It just might be my absolute favorite show and has been for years. The new one about "The Giggity Wife" was hilarious! South Park coming up a close second of course. Oh yeah, I can't forget about American Dad! We call Stella "Roger Dog" because she looks like Roger the alien when she sits up. She's so cute!

 Online Favorites:

Twitter:
Has been one of my favorite things! With #HowtobeHappyJanuary and #Jadorelavie hash tags, it has been a lot fun connecting with people, staying on track and staying inspired. I am taking this high, happy, motivated energy well into February! Howboutchu?

Lumosity:
One of my new years resolutions was to stay healthy: healthy mind, body, + soul. That includes the brain! Lumosity has been really fun. It takes a total of 5 minutes a day and it's easy and fun.  You can play 3 different games a day for free- as many times as you want. If you want full access, it's something like $7 a month. I just do the free games. 

Favorite Bloggers:  

Beauty:
Elle Sees:  
This girl is freakin' creative! She always has themed blog post's and things going on over on her blog. Right now is Love Week  

Healthy:
Bess Be Fit:
I just found her a couple of days ago but I am a big fan of hers. She is always making up really good workouts and recipes and how she uses Photoshop {or Gimp} to bring a certain finesse to each one reminds me of how I like to post recipes here. Am I even making sense? Just go check her out and you will see what I mean!

That's just about everything! I have some food favorites as I have been back to eating healthy but this would be way too long if I added those too! Thank you for reading!

xoxo
Erica

2012 Besties Awards

 I came up with this catchy name for this short little series I am doing on my favorite products from 2012. There may not be something from every category, but each one of these things I have used and loved all last year. A lot of times, I get swept up in brand new products and love them to death for the first couple weeks {honeymoon phase} then they seem to fall by the wayside. Everything in the Besties Awards have been long lasting romances throughout the whole year. These are things I go back to time and time again.

Best Setting Spray

Urban Decay De-Slick: 

I have tried the All Nighter Setting Spray from Urban Decay and ELF's Setting Spray and this one was my favorite. Surprisingly, I have dry and oily skin. I found that De-Slick made my makeup last longer than any of them and gave my face a nice matte finish. I used this during the summer too and it was a life saver! Here's the full review.

Best Concealer

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Treatment:

Maybelline's concealers are a long time favorite. This concealer is perfect for underneath the eyes. It is really thin but gives full coverage and seriously brightens underneath my eyes. The only down side is that the packaging on mine is broken so I have to work at it to twist up more product. If your looking for a good concealer for both under the eyes and on dark spots/pimples, try Maybelline's 24/7 Concealer.

Best Foundation

Revlon Color Stay:

I have tried so many foundations in the past couple of years and I always end up going back to this. Nothing is as full coverage as Color Stay. When they say color stay, they mean it! It dries rather quickly so blending it right away is a must. Once it is actually set, it makes my skin look flawless and gorgeous and covers everything and will stay put all day long.

Best Highlight

ELF Radiance Enhancer in Spotlight: 

Another thing from the Holy Grail page. This is one of those highlighters that have a duo-chrome finish. I wouldn't say this is glittery, instead shimmery. When it hits the light, it really does radiate. For $3, it really doesn't get any better. The packaging is sleek, it has a brush tip applicator, and is really creamy and extremely easy to blend. Any beginner wanting to dive into the whole contour/highlight process, this would be a perfect place to start. I want to do an updated review and demo using both colors ELF has to offer on the Radiance Enhancer range. Coming Soon (: For now, grab yourself a Radiance Enhancer. You won't regret it!

Best Bronzer/Contour Powder

Laura Gellar Baked Blush n Brighten in Honey Dipped: 

I got this in my Birch Box in June of 2011 and it was the sole best thing I have ever received in any box. Even though it has shimmer in it, I find it to be the perfect contour powder for me. Any matte contour powder or bronzer I have tried just looks really tacky and muddy next to my fair skin. In the summer time, this is the perfect all over bronzer because I am a little bit darker. The powder is really nice and is easy to blend. After the 2 years I have had it, it is still my absolute favorite bronzer and I use it more than any other one I have. I have yet to even think about hitting the pan. Talk to me in 2015. Maybe I will hit pan then. Probably not. I have swatched this before here

Best Blush

YBF Golden Gleam Bronzer & Baby Pink Blush Duo: 

The bronzer side is nice, yes, but I want to pay tribute to the blush side. This is the blush I kept on going back to all year last year and will most likely continue to do so in 2013. When ever I can't make my mind up, this is my go to blush. It is such a pretty shimmery baby pink color that creates this beautiful flush on my cheeks. The phrase "lit from within" was made for this blush. I don't hear much about YBF Beauty but the company is a diamond in the rough! Check out HSN. They sell YBF (which is where I purchased it) value kits for a really good prices. Here's everything I got in my value kit when I ordered along with swatches of this duo. It's a really good blog post.

left: ybf blush/bronze duo. right: laura gellar baked blush n brighten

Best Eyeshadow

 Stila Eyeshadows

Yes, I own the Naked Palette and it's great and all, but not as great as the Stila eye shadows I own. The lighter shades in the Naked Palette aren't as pigmented as Kitten from Stila . Same thing goes for the matte shades. Stila's Kitten is my absolute favorite eye shadow in the world and thats because it doesn't take much to get pigment on my eyes. All of the Stila eye shadows I own are always so velvety, creamy and pigmented and I almost always use at least 1 of them on a daily basis. Here's a swatch I did of Kitten, Terracotta + Jezebel.  I would gladly do a blog post on my full Stila eye shadow collection. Those swatches are old. I can do a better job! Let me know if your interested.

Best Eye Liners
Any of the Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips

I picked these because they are the only drug store eye liner I used in 2012 that stayed in my water line the whole day and kept the pigment and didn't run down my face. I actually had a lot to say about these, so check out the review I did for them a couple days ago. You can also find swatches there too.

Best Mascara
Physician's Formula Organic Wear

I did a full review complete with pictures of the brush and it on my lashes. Check it out.

Top 10 Nail Polishes and Favorite Lip Products deserve their own separate blog post. Otherwise this blog post would be way too long! It might be labeled "Bestie's Award's" and it might not be. It depends on how long it takes me to get them up (: Don't worry! It will only take a couple weeks, tops.

What was your favorite product from last year?
Would you be interested in a Stila eyeshadow collection blog post?

till next time,
Erica

Neon, Bright Lips (Feat Maybelline Vivids)

Well, im ready for summer! Are you? This weather is killing me. It has been so cold up here in Ohio and I cannot wait until spring at least. January 1st of every year I am ready for the summer. Bring it on. I just wanna take a damn walk! That is my jam. I guess that is why the new spring trends really speak to me. If it's not warm out, we can at least pretend with bright color on our lips, right?

Neon lips seem to be the hottest trend for spring/summer 2013 

I see it in magazines, beauty blogs/vlogs, + of course on the shelf at the drugstore. The deep dark red lips of the winter? No thanks. A bright neon lipstick? I will take that any day!

Maybelline Color Sensational (New Vivids Line) in Fuchsia Fusion

The Vivids line that Maybelline just came out with all pack a punch of color. They had a neon orange, a purple, some reds, and another really pretty bright pastel pink one called Pink Pop that I must find asap. (btw, I found it and it seemed that Fuchsia Fusion and Pink Pop are  similar. Here's a comparison) I settled for Fuchsia Fusion simply because I have never seen any lipstick as bright as this one -at my local drugstore, anyways. Look at that color. That's no joke! I would call this a cool toned pink which is good for making your teeth look white. Trust me, nobody is really going to see the teeth with this color on your lips anyways! What you see is what you get on your lips here. That swatch? Is exactly what it looks like on the lips. You'll see.

So effing bright. 

I love it. 
I can't wait to pair it with a neon polish on my toes. And a neon bra under a crisp, white tank top. 

This lipstick is a cream finish and isn't really drying at all. Because it is so bright, re-applying isn't really necessary every hour. Because it is bright it seems to show wear much quicker than any other nude or everyday pink would. I do recommend prepping your lips before using this because I did notice some settling into the lines of my lips with it. I have been liking using my Sugar Fresh Lip Balm before hand. Then like 15 minutes later I will add Nyx's Dolly Pink Lip Liner around my lips and in the center. That seems to really help with keeping the color from fading into a splotchy, uneven mess.

Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipstick in Siren

You have seen this here before. It was my favorite bright lipstick from last summer and one of my absolute favorites for 2012 all together. (blog post to come!) It says it's a cream finish, but I find it to be just a little bit drying on my lips which are the tall tale signs of a matte finish lipstick. But, it doesn't look matte. With that factored in, im calling this a satin finish - it's in the middle of a matte and a cream. I think because it is drying on my lips, it keeps the color there longer. I don't wear a gloss over top because I don't have an orange gloss but I do like to add a clear lip balm to my purse when I wear Siren so it doesn't feel so dry. Sure, I will bring the lipstick too but I almost never find myself having to re-apply it very often at all. I would say once or twice for a night out *if that*. This one can also show a little wear throughout the day/night. Nothing you can't fix! I need to find a good orange lip liner.



Here's the swatches:
I think you can guess which is which. 

What are your favorite bright colors to wear on your lips?

Have you tried any other colors from Maybelline's Vivid's Line?

thanks for stopping by
Erica