Benefit's Groovy Kind-a Love Kit

Hello to all of you on this Tuesday afternoon! I wanted to share with you a gift that a dear loved one gifted to me last week, and that is Benefit's Groovy Kind-a Love beauty kit full of samples from their makeup line. I must admit that I have only tried a mascara and highlighter from this brand, so when I unboxed this baby, I was thrilled beyond belief! I get to try out some more Benefit products, products that have been around for awhile, but are new to me!

Here is the adorable box that this comes packaged in!

Back of the box

Out of the box

I love that the products are contained in a metal tin, which is reusable. After taking out the products and the compartment that they are kept in, you are left with a rubber-felt-like bottom on the inside. It is shallow enough to keep some treasures of yours inside. Honestly, you cannot beat how cute this tin really is!

On to what is on the inside of this baby!

Sorry for the poor quality of picture…
I had to use my phone that day :(

You receive their POREfessional primer which claims to help makeup stay put while minimizing pores. I have been curious to try this for the longest time and now I get the opportunity!

Also included is a rose-tinted lip and cheek stain called Benetint. I am not sure if this has a name of its own, or if its name is Benetint, but it is pretty! I am intrigued because it is a liquid stain, so I wonder how easy or difficult it will be to apply as a tint to my cheeks… Can't wait to play with this one!

The little booklet included calls Dandelion a brightening powder and Gimme Fever a powder, so I am sure that Dandelion is a matte blush while Gimme Fever can be used as a highlighter since that contains some shimmer. The colors look very pretty and wearable for everyone.

I have tried and reviewed They're Real mascara and I do enjoy it because it gives such umph to lashes, making lashes appear as if they are fake, in a good dramatic way, I promise! I'm glad to have an extra one of these for special occasions!

Lastly, I was excited to try out their eyeshadows! This kit comes with four, what I assume look to be full sized shadows, in the colors, Tickle My Ivory, Gilt-y Pleasure, Shimmer Down and Kiss Me, I'm Tipsy. All extremely wearable neutral colors that will suit everyday wear. 

Not to forget to mention, but they also include a double ended sponge tipped applicator for the eyeshadows and a flat mini blush brush that is just the right size to fit into the mini blushes. 

So, I will bring reviews and will let you know my honest thoughts on what I think about these gorgeous products! 

Til than, stay groovy ;)

Bare Minerals All the Favs Review

Hey Everyone!      So, I am catching up on all the reviews that I have meant to do, but with all the crazy things going on in my life right now, even as we speak, I have fallen behind in an unforgivable way! 

Anyways, on with the review!

When I saw this set from Bare Minerals, I knew I had to jump at the chance to buy this so I could try out a few of their products that I had been wanting to for awhile now. I paid $36.00 for this set of mini-sized samples. This set includes their Mineral Veil, a blush in the color The One, an eyeshadow duo in the color The Epiphany, Lash Domination mascara, Moxie lipstick in the color Get Ready, Marvelous Moxie lipgloss in Spark Plug, and their eyeshadow primer and face primer. 

Lets start with the Mineral Veil… this is a very nice face product to top off your foundation. I have tried this in the past and thought that this is a very nice product, yet there is nothing special about this product that makes it stand out from the rest of the powders out there. 

Left: A-Ha
Left: Foreshadow

The eyeshadows are super pigmented! So pigmented that they have a ton of fallout, which is typical for such eyeshadows. These are very soft and apply beautifully, just make sure to tap off your brush so that you don't end up with eyeshadow all over your face. 

LEFT: A-Ha
RIGHT: Foreshadow

A-Ha is a gorgeous metallic champagne color that brightens the eyes. Foreshadow is a true matte chocolate brown. These two colors pair beautifully together and I am glad that this neutral combination cam with this kit because these colors work well with all skin tones.

The blush, The One, is a very pretty baby pink color and is very wearable, but in my opinion looks best on light skin tones. On my cheeks when it is blended out, you can barely see it, even though it swatches very pigmented. This is a gorgeous color, no doubt about it!

I had been hearing rave reviews about their Moxie lipsticks, so I was thrilled when I saw this included in their kit. This comes in the color, Get Ready, a very complimentary rosy color. 

 

The lipstick applies like butter! It has such a smooth application and does not dry out your lips. It is so very moisturizing and comfortable to wear through out the day. It wears well, but has typical wear time and will need reapplication as you go through your day. I definitely want to try more of these lipsticks!

The Marvelous Moxie lipgloss comes in the color, Spark Plug and is a pretty pink color. It adds a nice shine to the lips, but is very sticky. When applied it has a minty scent which causes a slight tingle to the lips. It is not unpleasant or uncomfortable, I just find it very refreshing! This lipgloss is all right in my opinion, but not a standout to me.

LEFT: Moxie Lipstick in the color "Get Ready"
RIGHT: Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in the color "Spark Plug"

Now, as for the primers that come in this kit, I have not tried the foundation primer yet, but when I do, you can bet I will have a review to share! 

The Prime Time Eyelid Primer is excellent! It reminds me a lot of the Urban Decay Primer Potion (my holy grail eyelid primer), but slightly thicker. It works just as well and causes my eyeshadow to last all day, or at least until I take it off! I love this stuff and highly recommend this, especially for oily girls like me out there!

This Lash Domination mascara I have not tried yet, but will once I finish up my Mally Volumizing mascara (which I am in love with!). Once I test this particular mascara out, you will hear from me!

Bare Minerals offers excellent quality products with a few standouts and some products I can live without. If you are interested in trying out a few different products from this particular brand, I recommend you purchase this kit because it has a wide variety for you to test out. 

Hope you have fun playing with this makeup kit, like I did!

Laura Geller Eye Rimz Gift Set

It's confession time, once more!     On Hautelook I purchased the Laura Geller Eye Rimz gift set because I remembered having seen these demoed on a home shopping network years ago and had been intrigued then. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the exact price I paid for this, but I believe it was about $25.00, no more.

It came with four full sized eyeshadow/eyeliners that can be used either dry or wet, along with a small eyeliner brush. The shadows come in the colors, Violet Voodoo, Fire Water, Rich Rust, and Supernatural Smoke. 

So, lets start with some pictures! And please excuse the poor quality of these pics, it was a bad picture day, apparently...

Violet Voodoo: LEFT: dry RIGHT: wet

This is a very pretty color, when wet. Applied dry, it just looks black-gray, very boring. When applied wet it really pops and becomes a pretty violet purple with some sparkle to it.

Firewater LEFT: dry RIGHT: wet

This is a gorgeous blue and I had high hopes for this, but it is the same as the previous color, when applied dry, it is lacking in pigment and this one applies patchy. Yet, when applied wet, the color is vibrant and metallic. It really dazzles!

Rich Rust applied dry
(sorry for the poor pics!)

Rich Rust applied wet

Rich Rust is such a beautiful color, yet once again, applied as a shadow, it is blah. Applied wet, this is a gorgeous copper metallic color! This would be beautiful all over the lids!

Supernatural Smoke applied dry

Supernatural Smoke applied dry

Supernatural Smoke is patchy and dull when applied dry but applied wet it almost takes on a complete transformation and becomes a blackened blue-gray color. Very pretty, especially used as an eyeliner!

There is the usual fallout when using these as an eyeshadow, but when used as an eyeliner, they apply smoothly and evenly with out skipping. Once on, they will not budge, so no need to worry about fading!

Overall, these are a disappointment for me. I won't use them as an eyeshadow because they all apply patchy. They are great as an eyeliner and I will use these for that purpose, but I do not find myself reaching for these as much because it is easier for me to grab my gel eyeliners and liquid eyeliners because there is no need to take that extra step in wetting my brush like these require. 

Oh well, can't love them all. Hope you have a better experience with these than I have had! 

Impression Confession: Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm In Elusive

I have a confession to make...       Okay, so I have been suckered into trying the new Relvon Matte Balm sticks that have been out on the market as of recently. I told myself that I had enough lip products to last me a lifetime and a half, but after watching and reading reviews, I had to get my hands on at least one to test for myself...

I purchased mine at Walmart for around $6.50, in the color "Elusive", a very pretty true pink.

Just as all the other Revlon balm sticks, if you will, the packaging is exactly the same, so no need to get into that since we are all familiar with it already. 

I love how this matte lipstick is not drying on my lips, not making it uncomfortable to wear like many matte lipsticks. The packaging does refer to this product as a matte balm, so of course I would expect it to be somewhat moisturizing. It does give off a matte look, if you will, but with a sheen, if that makes sense... So, while claiming to be matte, it is not totally matte, basically. 

The color is a very pigmented and saturated cool toned rosy pink. the swatch makes it look brighter, almost a hot pink, but on the lips it is played down quite a bit.

The wear on this is average, a couple hours. Between talking, eating and drinking, this lasted me maybe three hours with fading. It's not a stain, so don't expect all day wear. Plan to touch up as you go about your day.

I love this product and am trying to talk myself out of buying more!

Impression Confession: They're Real Mascara, By Benefit

I have a confession to make...       I wasn't sure at first if I loved this mascara or dislikes it greatly. Let me explain to you why I was uncertain and my final thoughts on this much hyped up product.

I received this sample sized mascara in a gift set that also came with Benefits, Watt's Up highlighter. At Sephora you can purchase the full size for $23.00, which for a high end mascara is not too bad, I think. My favorite drugstore mascara, Maybelline's Colossal is around $6 or $7 dollars, so Benefit's mascara is a splurge for sure!

I have had this for about a month and a half and have used it consistently. What intrigued me was the wand itself with its spiky tips, especially the rounded tip of the wand with its little spikes. The wand is somewhat flatter than your typical plump and round wand that I see a lot of.

Now, more than once, the klutz that I am, has poked myself in the eye with the end of this wand. And it  stung like none other, making me feel as if this was some sort of torture device, if you will. So, after wiping away the tears streaking down my face and proceeding with caution, I continued applying. 

The outcome is definitely extremely dramatic, to the point that they look unreal like fake lashes, hence the name of the mascara! Well done, Benefit! I have found that a little bit goes along way, At first I applied too much, and they looked very spidery and goopey, which is unflattering in my humble opinion. But, really, all you need is one application and every single lash is coated perfectly! 

I know the pictures below are not the best quality, and I apologize! They were taken with my iPhone...

The wand is genius, just don't jab yourself in the eye with this sucker! (That may just be me, though...LOL) The rounded tip helps to get into the inner and outer corner of your lashes with ease, which I appreciate. 

Honestly, I adore this mascara to no end! It gives me full dramatic lashes with volume and length. Unbelievable! If you love a more natural look, this mascara is not for you. But, for a special night out, you may want to splurge a bit and break this out! 

Tarte Blush In Empowered And Fearless

I have a confession to make...       Last week Tarte was having a 20% off sale and I thought that I would check them out. I really wanted to by the holiday gift set of blushes that they have this year, but the 20% code did not apply to that particular item :(

So, instead, I decided to buy two of their full size blushes that were on sale already for $18.00! So, I snagged two of them for about $14.00 a piece! I love Tarte blushes, they are my favorite! I just got these in the mail yesterday and wanted to share swathes with you.

Oh, and as a bonus, I was able to pick out a sample and I chose their eyelash primer, which I have never ever used this before, so I am thrilled to try it out soon.

Left to Right: Fearless and Empowered

I cannot wait to try these out! Hope you have a fantastical day!!!!