Swatches and Review--Mirabella Colour Sheer in Daydream

Recently, I resubscribed to ipsy. (You can read more about ipsy at the end of the post.) In their May bag, one of the products they sent for subscribers to try is Mirabella Colour Sheer lipstick. I received the shade Daydream. I also have the shade Posy, which I received in a trade on makeuptalk.com, but I'm going to save that for another post.
*I paid for the subscription which provided this sample. There is a referral link later in this post.*

Application was smooth and easy to control. Daydream applies creamy, but without being slippery. It felt moisturizing for a few hours. My lips were not dried out after that amount of time, but no moisture was being added to them from the lipstick.

Applied lightly, yellow artificial light

Applied lightly, natural light

Daydream does have a shimmer to it that borders on a frost, but it doesn't quite go there, which is to its advantage. It is enough, though, that from close range it will emphasize any skin on your lips that has not been exfoliated. You can see that it also emphasized the lines in my lips, as they were dry to begin with that day, but it didn't sink into them and make the color uneven.

Applied lightly, white artificial light

I am not wearing any lip liner, balm, or any lip product in these photos other than Mirabella Colour Sheer in Daydream. Here are my bare lips for reference:

Bare lips, sunlight

Applied lightly, outdoors in the shade

As the product name suggests, this is a sheer color, but still pigmented and buildable. See the swatches below on my arm to show how you can certainly start subtly and build from there.

One swipe, artificial light

Six swipes, artificial light

Mirabella sells their Colour Sheers for $22.00 each on their Web site, in 14 different shades. I am skeptical of their representations of the shades, though, so you may want to look for reviews and swatches like mine online. Mirabella's site makes Daydream look like some sort of super pale lilac. I hope that it was just human error and they accidentally posted the wrong image.

Built-up color, artificial light

I've been keeping Daydream in my purse since I received it, and using it on the go. I'm happy with the product, so I look forward to trying my other shade, Posy.
If you're unfamiliar with ipsy, their Web site describes their service this way: "Each month, subscribers will receive a beautiful Glam Bag with deluxe samples and full-sized beauty products. Members can watch and play along with the stylists with the same products that they are using. All for only $10 a month." They also give out coupons or coupon codes for the brands sampled that month.
*I paid for the subscription which provided this sample. There is a referral link in this post.*

My referral link: http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-h051fwxig0n810mm. You don't have to use my referral link, of course, but I would appreciate it very much. (If two people sign up for an ipsy subscription using my referral, I get a bonus product in my next Glam Bag.)

Swatches and Review--Essie Madison Ave-Hue

What a spoiled little brat! No, I'm not talking about a person, but a nail polish. You know how sometimes a kid is a maddening little person who acts up and does whatever they want and drives you crazy, but they are so cute that you love them anyway? That describes my experience with Essie Madison Ave-Hue.
*I purchased this polish with my own money and I am not affiliated with nor compensated by any brand mentioned in this post.*

Our relationship started out just fine. I was shopping with my brother's girlfriend at CVS, buying boring stuff like deodorant. When I went to pay, my receipt printed out with $5.00 of Extra Bucks (the loyalty/reward program at CVS)! I turned right around to look at the nail polish to see which one was coming home with me for $5.00 cheaper than usual. 

I have been on such an Essie kick lately, further fueled by the giant display that our CVS added to the front of the store, basically in my face the second I walk in. I browsed and finally decided on Madison Ave-Hue, which I had previously picked up and put down on several other occasions in favor of my more beloved greens and blues. 

In the bottle, Madison Ave-Hue appears to be a medium, purple-leaning pink with subtle but dense silver shimmer. Those things are still true when on the nail. However, this little diva wants so badly to be neon purple that she almost makes you believe that she is. 

The formula was thin, but not difficult to apply. It was difficult for me to get even coverage, though, so I ended up with three coats over  Orly Bonder base coat. She seemed like she was going to cover evenly, but no. I'm pretty sure she laughed at me for having new hope on each nail for even coverage. One coat of Poshe was my top coat.

Madison Ave-Hue is very pigmented. Once I had finished my three coats, I was surprised at how much deeper and brighter the polish was on my nails versus the bottle. I thought it was pink, but now started to wonder if it was closer to purple. And almost neon as purples go...strange, but pretty. This observation was under artificial light. I was thinking of how difficult it would be to capture the right color on camera. It ended up being five times more difficult than I anticipated; see how she is turning out to be high maintenance?

The day after application, photo day, I was sitting in natural light indoors. Now the polish looks on my nails like it does in the bottle--what a moody lady! Still so lovely, though...

Outside in the bright sunlight, Madison Ave-Hue mostly looked pink again. But she leaned purple again if I changed the angle at all. How am I supposed to accurately portray this polish on the blog? It's so beautiful that it wouldn't be very nice of me not to share, but it took hours to color-correct all the photos in such a way as to show you what my eyes saw.

So I get completely frustrated applying the polish, taking the photos,and editing the photos, but I can't stop smiling and staring at the pretty polish. This must be how women make men feel.

After all that, she has the nerve to chip on the day after application! I don't ask for a long-wearing polish; I change my polish all the time. Two days should not be too much to ask.

Yes, it's 'just nail polish', so my story is overly dramatic. But here's the bottom line: Is Essie Madison Ave-Hue worth the confusion and the trouble? For me, yes. I loved her different personalities and she's so cute! The dense but subtle shimmer adds something special. I think that Madison Ave-Hue is a good shade both for spring and for summer, if you pay attention to seasonally appropriate things.

*I purchased this polish with my own money and I am not affiliated with nor compensated by any brand mentioned in this post.*

What do you think? Do you have any beauty products that you have a love/hate relationship with? Seche Vite top coat is another of mine.

Swatches and Review--Colores de Carol Cupcake Fantasy

Colores de Carol is a nail blog that I follow, written by the talented Carolina. She also recently started her own nail polish line. I was drawn to two shades right away, and those are the two that I have bought so far: Cupcake Fantasy and Best Polish Friend Forever. Today I will share Cupcake Fantasy, and leave BPFF for its own post.
*I purchased this polish with my own money and I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the brands mentioned in this post.*

Two coats of Colores de Carol Cupcake Fantasy over two coats of Revlon Cotton Candy (left hand)

I started with one coat of base coat and two coats of Revlon Cotton Candy, which I posted about here. Seems like a sugary set of polishes, doesn't it?

One coat of Colores de Carol Cupcake Fantasy over two coats of Revlon Cotton Candy (left hand)

I proceeded to do three coats of Cupcake Fantasy and one coat of Seche Vite. You could easily skip the top coat if you wanted, as all of the glitter behaved well and didn't stick up.

Two coats of Colores de Carol Cupcake Fantasy over two coats of Revlon Cotton Candy (left hand)

Two coats of Colores de Carol Cupcake Fantasy over two coats of Revlon Cotton Candy (right hand)

My mani appears to be pink overall, being as that's the color of my base, but Cupcake Fantasy is actually pale lavender.

Here you can almost see how the base is more lavender

In Carolina's swatches, shown here, I see some larger purplish hexagonal glitter. I did not see any of this on my nail, but I also don't see it in my bottle. I haven't asked her about it since I was perfectly happy with what I received. 

EDIT: Carolina saw this post and she wants to send a new bottle that includes the hex glitter. What great customer service! Her polishes are all mixed by hand, so they are not going to be exactly the same, but she was very apologetic. I was happy before, and now I'm even happier. 

Three coats of Colores de Carol over two coats of Revlon Cotton Candy (right hand)

All of these photos are indoors under artificial light, as I didn't have time to take the photos during the day.

Three coats of Colores de Carol over two coats of Revlon Cotton Candy (left hand)

Communication, payment, and shipping were all pleasant and prompt when I ordered. I was able to get a shipping cost from Carolina before finalizing my order, which I appreciated. (I did, however, end up ordering when she had a special once for free shipping.)

Three coats of Colores de Carol over two coats of Revlon Cotton Candy (left hand)

If you order, your bottle may or may not look different than mine. I've shown a round bottle here, but I believe her new bottles are currently square. She mentioned new labels as well, but I haven't yet seen what they look like. She still has the older style of some bottles/labels in stock, too, as of today. 

Three coats of Colores de Carol over two coats of Revlon Cotton Candy (right hand)

Colores de Carol polishes are sold at $9.00 for a full-size bottle, and she sells them through her Big Cartel store: http://www.coloresdecarol.bigcartel.com/. Carolina also has some on sale right now for $7.00, so check it out. She has some options listed for mini bottles as well, 3 for $13.50. I am eyeing Bubblegum & Slippers, Daffodil, and Butterfly Blush.

*I purchased this polish with my own money and I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the brands mentioned in this post.*

Swatches & Review--Revlon Cotton Candy

Let me start by saying that this polish--Revlon Cotton Candy--was frustrating to try to photograph. Most of the time, it just looked like the skin around the polish was stained by strawberries. The first photo below is the truest to what the polish looked like in person, in my opinion. All photos in this post were taken indoors under artificial light.
*I received this polish in a swap, and I am not affiliated with or compensated by any brands or companies mentioned in this post.*

Revlon Cotton Candy is a very pale pink with a nice shimmer. The shimmer looks kind of champagne to me in some lights, and silver in others.

As you can see in the photo below, the first coat of Revlon Cotton Candy was horrible, streaky and uneven. I was using a very thin coat except on the pinkie, which you can see turned out much better. So medium coats may work best with this polish.

Two coats looked far better than one, as shown below. Again, the pinkie was the best, illustrating the need for medium coats rather than thin ones in this case. 

The coverage was not enough at two coats, but I believe everything would have evened out nicely with three coats and top coat. I knew from the beginning that I was going to put another polish on top of Cotton Candy, so I did not follow up with a third coat or top coat.

The formula was somewhat thin and watery, but surprisingly it was easy to control. I had no issues with the polish trying to flood my cuticles.

This is a scented polish. Being as it's Cotton Candy, it simply smells sugary sweet. I did not notice the scent unless my hands were near my face.

If I had to summarize my review of Revlon Cotton Candy, I would say: Bad formula, great color. I wouldn't want to pay full price for it, but I adore the color, so it is totally worth keeping since I got it through a swap. It also makes a good base for sheer, creamy indie glitter polishes.

Revlon nail polish is available at most major retailers. Cotton Candy, in particular, is being offered by buymebeauty.com for only $2.99 here.

*I received this polish in a swap, and I am not affiliated with or compensated by Revlon.*

Review and Photos--COVERGIRL Outlast Lipstain 'Everbloom Kiss'

COVERGIRL Outlast Lipstain was one of the products I picked up from Bloom.com, which I posted about here, when they were having crazy sales. I chose the shade 'Everbloom Kiss'.

COVERGIRL Outlast Lipstain in Everbloom Kiss

I was expecting the color to be similar to that of the majority of the tube/marker. In reality, it was more like the small darker portion at the end of the marker.

Everbloom Kiss outdoors in partial sun

The application felt fine and smooth with good coverage. I did, however, find it difficult to get the color to be evenly distributed.

Everbloom Kiss outdoors in the shade

This Lipstain did not moisturize my lips, but it also didn't dry them out. I would probably wear a lip balm over it next time. Below is how it fared after five hours, including talking, eating, and drinking.

Everbloom Kiss after 5 hours

I really like this shade. I think it would be flattering on most skintones. 

COVERGIRL Outlast Lipstain typically retails for $7.99-8.99. Buymebeauty.com sells it for $4.99.

*I bought this product with my own money, and I am not affiliated with any of the brands or websites mentioned above.*

Review and Photos: COVERGIRL Blast Flipstick--Vixen

A while back, I received three free lipsticks through BzzAgent.com, a company that facilitates market research for the various brands that they work with and sends samples to consumers in exchange for honest feedback and spreading the word about the products. These lipsticks were COVERGIRL Blast Flipsticks.

COVERGIRL Blast Flipstick in Vixen 

COVERGIRL Blast Flipsticks are a dual-ended lipstick, designed so that you can wear each end by itself, or wear them together in varying combinations for different looks. I think they have a pretty good selection of different shades; I believe there are 13. I gave the shades Stunner and Minx to acquaintances to try, and I kept Vixen. Below are lots of photos of Vixen worn in various combinations and lighting. My thoughts will be at the end.

The first set of photos are all of the light pink shade with the darker shade blended on top.

Sun

Partial sun

Shade

The next set of photos are all of the darker color with the light pink blended on top.

Shade

Sun

Artificial light

The third set of photos is the light pink side of Vixen by itself.

Shade

Indoors, natural light

The last set of photos is the darker side of Vixen by itself.

Shade

Indoors, natural light

I was very happy with Vixen. I felt that the application was smooth and creamy, although a little waxy. It smells waxy/like plastic, too, so that is a downside, but it fades. The whole concept seems like a good one to me. I read some reviews that stated that the Flipstick was not long-lasting for them, but I found the opposite to be true. Also, Vixen was very pigmented and left a nice, even stain on my lips after wearing away. I did not find Vixen to be drying nor moisturizing to my lips.

COVERGIRL Blast Flipstick retails for $7.99 and is available at most mass-market retailers (CVS, WalMart, Target, etc.).

*This product was provided to me for my honest review.*