Kat von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Exorcism - Review

I was so happy to receive Exorcism in a gift swap this year! It's been on my wishlist since the shade expansion of the Everlasting Liquid Lipstick line in the middle of last year, and I was very excited to try it out.

Exorcism is described as "ripe blackberry." The shade is a deep berry, leaning more red than purple. The formula is the same as other Kat von D liquid lipsticks I've used - not runny, not to stiff. This shade applies extremely patchy - several coats are needed to get an even color on the lips. Unfortunately, when trying to even the color out, it deepens to the point where it's a blackened purple, completely different from an initial coat or in the tube. Additionally, this shade highlights flakes and imperfections on the lips.The lipstick dries down relatively quickly to a very matte finish. There really wasn't much of a scent.

Through a day of wear, there was not much transfer. The formula was not terribly drying, especially when paired with a lip primer. The lipstick does stain, a deep purplish shade that takes some scrubbing to rub off. I experienced no bleeding or feathering while wearing.

I really, really wanted to love this shade, but the patchy application is killing it for me. I'm happy to say that it wears and is not super drying, just like other Kat von D liquid lipsticks, but the patchiness is just something I have not yet come across in this line.

Pros:

• Not terribly drying
• Leaves a stain
• No bleeding/feathering
• Little transfer

Cons:

• Highlights flaws
• Patchy application
• Layering to correct patchiness changes the shade

Kat von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Exorcism - $20.00 for for 0.22 oz

Review - 1.5/5

Sixteen92 Hand Lotion (and Wicked Perfume Oil!) Review

After my first review of Sixteen 92 after I ordered for the first time, I was really happy with all my products. I received a couple of the hand lotions in a swap in some scents I was interested in, along with a mini of Wicked, a general catalog scent. The mini lotions get a spot on my desk at work, as they're really easy to apply after washing your hands. (And I pee a lot and my job has the world's most drying soap for some reason.) The lotion is not my most favorite formula, but it absorbs easily and gets the job done. The mini 1 oz jars are great for places like your desk!

Almond Tea Cakes - Sweet vanilla cakes with fluffy almond icing. The almond in this scent smells very much like almond extract more than a subtle almond note. Thankfully, to balance out the extract portion of the almond scent, there's a heavy dose of vanilla! The two scents blend together to create a sugary cake like scent that sticks to the skin after the lotion has been absorbed. The scent doesn't last all day, and it is not overpowering. After the lotion has been absorbed, it leaves a gentle reminder of cake behind.

Review - 4/5

Sucre Vanille -  Raw sugar, vanilla and a light floral musk with a splash of sweetened coconut milk. The scent for this lotion is initially a light floral sweetness. The coconut and vanilla balance the sugar and floral scent nicely. It reminds me slightly of Warm Vanilla Sugar from Bath and Body Works, but less manufactured, if you get what I mean. The scent is very light and non overwhelming. I'm a big vanilla and coconut fan, so I really liked this combo.

Review - 4/5

Wicked - Three vanillas, dark aged patchouli, almond buttercream. Straight from the vial, the scent is an airy almond extract, reminiscent of the almond from Almond Tea Cakes. Wet on the skin, the almond remains, with the same airy back note that I can't put my finger on. (Is it buttercream? I'm lactose intolerant, so I wouldn't know.) As it dries, the scent picks up a bit of vanilla. I detected no patchouli, thankfully, which I was afraid of. I'm not patchouli's biggest fan. This is a popular scent from Sixteen92, but it did not wow me. It wasn't bad at all, just nothing I need to own.

Review - 2.5/5

Perfume oils work differently for different people due to skin chemistry. This is my experience with these perfume oils and scents, which may differ for you!

Smelly Yeti Unicorn Collector and Dame It Perfume Oils - Review

I received my first Smelly Yeti perfume samples in a swap a couple of months ago. I am going to be 100% honest here - I never purchased from this shop because I hated the name. I thought it was dumb. I have absolutely no leg to stand on, considering I buy products from Too Faced, one of the most gimmicky mainstream brands out there. (At least it isn't Benefit though, amirite?) But I received these in a swap, so I didn't have to forgo my moral high ground. I was gifted two samples - Unicorn Collector, for Harmony of Buffy the Vampire Slayer; and Dame It.

Unicorn Collector is listed as "bubbly and bright tangerine strawberries nestled in creamy Tahitian vanilla and tonka bean." In the vial, the scent is a very sharp strawberry mixed with citrus. Wet on the skin, the strawberry mellows out and becomes a more nebulous "fruit" scent, sort of like fruit snacks. After the oil dried down, the scent was a more mellow fruit, definitely strawberryish. I didn't get any vanilla from this, and I'll be honest - I have no idea what a tonka bean smells like. This lasted about four hours before I really needed to sniff my wrist to detect it. Smelly Yeti is kind enough to note on their site that this scent is vegan, which is helpful if that's your kind of thing.
Review - 3.5/5

Dame It is "Bulgarian rose, violet, lily of the valley, and a bouquet of delicate florals, peppered with hints of lime, Bartlett pear, and bergamot." Opening the vial, the scent is like rose incense from the mall. You know that scent. Wet on the skin, the scent is still that floral incense scent, but it blossoms (sorry) to be a bit sweeter, bringing in the lime and the pear. The rose scent sticks around as the scent dries, overpowering the fruit and turning into an old lady rose on my skin, which I'm not a fan of. After the oil had dried and some time had passed, I couldn't shake the rose scent and get that glimpse of fruit back. The throw on this was pretty strong, as is everything you end up disliking, amirite? I'm just not an overly floral person, I suppose.
Review - 1/5

My first encounter with Smelly Yeti is a mixed bag. Unicorn Collector was on the sugary side of fruity, but fruity nonetheless. Dame It just is not for me, with that rose note overpowering everything else. I don't want to write off the shop as a whole though (name notwithstanding...) I think I can put my pettiness about the name aside and pick up some more samples after perusing the shop and having some scents pique my interest. After all, in the past...I've actually bought Benefit. (Ugh.)

Perfume oils work differently for different people due to skin chemistry. This is my experience with this perfume oil, which may differ for you!

Review - By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Bronze Moon

By Terry Ombre Blackstars are quickly becoming some of my favorite products (I've already mentioned this one in my March Favorites!) However, due to their hefty price tag (who said $43 was okay?!?!) I am slowly acquiring them. This one was sent to me as a birthday gift from the lovely bloggers of Pigmented Lips and Looking Good Enough to Eat. (u da real MVPs!)

By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Bronze Moon

Wrist swatch of Bronze Moon

Bronze Moon is a deep burnished bronze shade that seems to glow from within. The cream formula glides on effortlessly, and is easily blended out with a finger or a fluffy brush. I recommend using a synthetic brush due to the cream formula, natural fibers just don't play as nicely. One swipe is wonderfully pigmented, as you can see from the swatch. The shadow sets quickly, but not too quickly that you can't blend out the edges. I wore this alone over primer, and did not experience any creasing throughout the day.

The packaging is a twist up pencil, which I prefer because that means you won't be losing any product to sharpening. There's a colored stripe near the bottom of the barrel indicating the shade of the eyeshadow contained within. Unfortunately, it isn't the most luxe feeling packaging, which I feel might be a little wanted at the high end level. Thankfully, the product performance makes up for it.

The great thing about this eyeshadow is that it can be applied, sheered out at the edges, and then the color can be built up. This shade can be used alone for a smoky daytime look, concentrating the most color near the lashline, and then blending and smudging out from there.

Pros:

• Long wearing
• Pigmented
• Smooth application
• Twist up packaging

Cons:

• Hefty pricetag
• Packaging is not the most luxurious for the price point

By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Bronze Moon - $43.50 for 0.04 oz

Review - 5/5

Review - ColourPop Lippie Stix and Pencil in Bull Chic

I have been lusting after black lipstick for a while. I have no idea why, as I'm not likely to wear it to work, or even out of the house. Even so, I've been keeping an eye out on any and all black lipsticks. My friend Anna knew this, and got me ColourPop's Bull Chic lipstick (I am sorry, I refuse to say "lippie stix") and liner as a gift!

ColourPop Lippie Stix and Liner in Bull Chic

Bull Chic Lippie Stix (left) and liner (right)

Bull Chic lip swatch

I really do like the twist up packaging of the lipstick. The liner, however, appears that it will need to be sharpened, but you can't really complain at the price point of $5. The lipstick had a pretty heavy vanilla cake scent that faded after application. Application of both liner and lipstick were smooth. However, both were not as pigmented as I was hoping, as evidenced in the swatches. The lipstick has quite a bit of slip, even after blotting. ColourPop claims that the lipstick is matte, but it is far from matte. not even a demi matte or satin matte. It's just not matte, at all. I'd go with more of a creme formula than matte.

The formula isn't drying from what I found. It does, however, transfer very easily, even after blotting. The liner doesn't seem to do too much in giving the lipstick something to "stick" to. I did not eat with this lipstick on, but I can see it smearing easily. I was able to remove the lipstick easily, and it did not leave much of a stain.

Unfortunately, I like how the other ColourPop lipsticks and liners in my collection wear. Fortunately, black is a shade that is going to be used sparingly, so a perfect formula isn't exactly necessary. The Bull Chic lipstick and liner get the job done.

Pros:

• Smooth application
• Non drying

Cons:

• Lacking pigmentation
• Transfers easily
• Heavy scent
• Not matte in the least.

ColourPop Lippie Stix in Bull Chic - $5.00 for 0.0352 oz

ColourPop Pencil in Bull Chick - $5.00 for 0.0352 oz

Review - 2.5/5

Review - ColourPop Lippie to Go set

ColourPop products have been popping up (I hate myself) everywhere! Some think they are run by the Illuminati, or at the very least, they are paying a ton of shills to push the product everywhere. I believe the explanation is much more simple - they sent promo items to a few YouTube personalities, and then sales picked up because all products are $5. You heard right - five freaking dollars! So it's easy to see why sales are up and people are picking up ColourPop!

I was super fortunate enough to receive a cute set of ColourPop lipsticks and lip liners for Christmas from Bisous Darling! The set is limited edition, but the colors are all available individually. The set is perfect - each lipstick comes paired with a lip liner on the other end. The set has five colors that span a nice range of wearable shades (ColourPop also offers some non-traditional shades as well.)

ColourPop Lippie to Go set

Lippies to go!

Top to bottom - Brink, Grind,
I Heart This, Frenchie, Bichette

In the swatch photo, the lipstick is on the left, and the liner is on the right. All swatches are one swipe! I've worn the shade Brink, and it wore well. I paired it with a lip primer, and I did not experience any bleeding or feathering (thanks lip liner side!) Application was smooth, and the product wasn't drying to my lips. I really think the formula for these is a pretty good deal for $5 a pop (ha! I still hate myself.) especially if you'd like to try a color you may not wear too often.

Pros:

• Two in one product
• Smooth application
• Pigmented

Cons

• Limited edition set

ColourPop Lippie to Go set (limited edition) - $20 for 5x 0.014 oz

Review - 4/5

Review - Koko Lashes #103

I always love finding a new natural looking pair of false lashes. So when I opened these Koko lashes in a package from Bisous Darling, I was thrilled! Perfect gift, since I wear falsies every day and love trying new pairs. I've worn them a few times, and am ready to review these (I know she's been waiting!)

Koko Lashes #103

Close up of #103 lashes

I love how natural these look. When speaking with Bisous, she said they reminded her of the Au Naturale style from House of Lashes that I love so much, and I can definitely see the resemblance. These lashes have staggered lash lengths, which small bunches - some bunches longer than others, creating a variety of length that adds to the natural feel. The individual lashes are thin, so they don't come off with a very blunt tip. The band is clear, which is always a plus. When I removed the lashes from the case, they were a bit floppy and didn't hold their shape, but were still fairly easy to apply due to the thin band. After wearing once, the lashes held a curved shape (and yes, even after I removed the yucky old glue!) so they just need a little bit of structure which is provided by the lash glue. The lash band is quite long, which mean these can be trimmed to fit any eye size.

I'm definitely going to order these on my own, and check out what other styles Koko Lashes have to offer!

Pros:

• Clear band
• Lash tips are not very blunt
• Varied lash lengths
• Long band, easy to trim
• Easily applied

Cons:

• Band is a bit floppy at first
• Somewhat delicate, comes with the natural looking lash territory

Koko Lashes #103 - $3.99 for one pair.

Review - 5/5

Review - Stila eyeshadow single in Kitten

I know this shade has been around for ages, but I finally got my hands on it! I received this in a swap with a reddit friend.

Stila eyeshadow in Kitten

Wrist swatch of Kitten

Kitten is described as a "shimmering nude pink." This shade swatched to be more of a shimmery champagne than a pink, much emphasis on the shimmer. I swatched this over bare skin, and it seemed to be mostly shimmer and less pigment. When using the shadow, the product was smooth and not powdery at all. I layered this over a nude shadow (Inglot #353) to create a shimmery nude champagne color on the lid, which went well with the matte nude eye look I created. The eyeshadow did fade a little bit throughout the day, though it did not crease.
Pros:

• Non powdery
• Smooth application
• No shimmery fallout

Cons:

• Faded slightly
• More shimmer than pigment

Stila eyeshadow single in Kitten - $18.00 for 0.09 oz

Review - 3.5/5

Review - Bite Beauty Lush Lip Tint in Raspberry

I've been trying to change up my makeup collection lately, and get rid of items I have been neglecting. I did a swap with a friend on reddit, and she sent me this Bite Beauty Lip Tint in return! I had been wanting to try this, so I was so pumped to get this! Also - it was new! What a great swap.

Bite Beauty Lush Lip Tint in Raspberry

Wrist swatch of Rapsberry

First order of business - when you use the product, the little white B in the middle DOES get all pink. But it does stay in the shape of a B! Moving on to less important matters - the product does hvae a light berry/fruity scent upon application, but this disappears quickly after applying. Application is smooth. The product is quite pigmented for something only being branded as a tint. The product has some slip to it, but not too much so.

During wear, the product did transfer onto my cup while drinking. However, a very nice stain was left behind, almost to the point where no reapplication was needed. (For science, I reapplied.) I wore with a lip primer, but I did not use a lip liner, and I experienced no bleeding, feathering, or gathering in the lip lines. The formula was highly moisturizing, and my lips felt hydrated during the entire course of wear, and even after the product transferred off to my cup, or was seemingly mostly absorbed into the lips, only leaving the tinted stain behind.

The Lush Lip Tint certainly lives up to its name - it does leave a very pigmented tint behind! I really like this product, and I will look to pick up another shade or two to review in the future!

Pros

• Highly moisturizing
• No bleeding/feathering
• Stains lips nicely

Cons

• Very prone to transfer
• Scented, noticeable when applying but fades

Bite Beauty Lush Lip Tint in Raspberry - $24.00 for 0.13 oz
Review 4.5/5

Review - Dose of Colors Matte Lipstick in Purple Rain

I received the following lipstick in a swap from the lovely Anna. I actually wore it to work like the badass that I am (hahahaha I'm really not though.)

Dose of Colors Matte Lipstick
in Purple Rain

Wrist swatch of Purple Rain

Car Selfie! I told you I wore it!

First of all, if you are looking for a blue toned purple, look no further. The color of this lipstick is fantastic. The pigmentation is great! However, I found the formula really lacking. The formula itself was really thick and stiff, so application was not easy. The applicator that came with the product is a doe foot, but I needed both the doe foot and a lip brush to get this to apply smoothly. There was no discernible scent to the lipstick. I did not experience any feathering or bleeding, and did not pair this with a lip liner.

They are not lying when they say MATTE, this lipstick was as matte as they come. So matte, and so DRYING! I even wore this over a lip primer, and it did not help. I tried adding a lip balm to the top of this, and it did not help. In fact, it broke down the formula and this is when I decided to take the lipstick off entirely. I slathered my lips in lip balm, but my lips were super dried out from this. I was very unhappy, as the color was so unique and fun. The other colors in the line looked awesome, and I may try and order one of them, but the formula was very disappointing. 

Pros:

• Highly pigmented

Cons:

• Extremely drying
• Difficult to apply

Dose of Colors Matte Lipstick in Purple Rain - $18.00

Review - 2/5

Swap Haul - Soap & Glory Powders!

I love having friends in other countries, especially friends that love makeup. Last week a package arrived on my doorstep that was full of UK chocolates, and some Soap & Glory goodies!

Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot powder

Soap & Glory Kick Ass powder

I have yet to try these, because I have about a dozen other powders I have opened and am working through. But I am excited to try these! Pigmented Lips said she sent these over to try and combat my gross oiliness. (Side note - nothing wrong with oily skin, you are not gross, but we all know that oil slick feeling.) I cannot wait to try and review these in the future!

Review - Bourjois Color Edition 24H in Petale de Glace

I am slowly entering the world of cream eyeshadow. I usually reach for the traditional pressed powder eyeshadow - easy to work wit, easy to blend. But when I am sent a cream eyeshadow as pretty as Petale de Glace, I must set my preferences aside and work on using new things!

The Color Edition formula is a "cream to powder," so after my blending issues with the Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon pencil, I decided not to put a base eyeshadow down, and just use this on top of my eye primer (NARS Smudgeproof.) The shadow glides on pretty effortlessly, and I was able to blend the edges out enough to use some other powder eyeshadows in the look. However, if I did not blend right away, it was more difficult to blend after the eyeshadow had 'set' for a bit. So long as you work quickly, blending is not a huge problem.The eyeshadow did not crease over the span of 9 hours, and I did not notice much fading of the color.

Bourjois Color Edition 24H in Petale de Glace

Hand swatch - one swipe on top, two on bottom.

Pros:

• Large amount of product
• No creasing or fading
• Smooth application

Cons:

• Can be difficult to blend if not done right away

Bourjois Color Edition 24H in Petale de Glace - £6.99 for 5g

Review - 4.5/5

Review - Charlotte Tilbury KISSING Lipstick in Bitch Perfect and Lip Cheat Lipliner in Pillow Talk

Ever since I heard that there was a lipstick called "Bitch Perfect," I knew I needed it in my life. It didn't matter if it wasn't my shade, or if it was something I would never wear - I had to have it. Thankfully, it is a shade that not only works for me, but is easy enough to apply that I will be reaching for it often! I received Bitch Perfect and the matching lipliner in Pillow Talk in my recent swap, since Charlotte Tilbury is difficult to get a hold of in an affordable manner in the US as of right now.

Charlotte Tilbury KISSING lipstick in Bitch Perfect

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat lipliner in Pillow Talk

Wrist swatches - Bitch Perfect on top,
Pillow Talk on bottom

Look at that rose gold packaging - mmm. The packaging for the lipstick has some definite weight to it, and a luxe feel about it. Application was smooth, ant not patchy. The formula is a tiny bit drying, but I was not having the world's best lip day when I wore it, so the formula may not be drying. The finish of the lipstick after blotting is a nice satin finish. After a cup of coffee and a snack, the color is still going strong. No bleeding or feathering - but that may be due to the lipliner!

The Lip Cheat liner applied smoothly with no skips, and did not allow any bleeding or feathering of the lipstick. The lipliner was a matte finish, which paired nicely with the satin of the lipstick - blended right in and created a defined lip line.I dislike that I will have to sharpen the product, since that means I will lose some of it to the sharpening process. The packaging is very nice, the lid does not seem to be one of those that will split if put back on a bit too forcefully. The colored end is always appreciated, as you can grab the color you want without having to read the label.

Charlotte Tilbury KISSING lipstick in Bitch Perfect:

Pros:

• Gorgeous, luxe packaging
• Nicely pigmented
• Smooth application

Cons:

• Not the most moisturizing product

£23 for 3.5g

Review - 4.5/5

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat lipliner in Pillow Talk:

Pros:

• Applied smoothly

Cons:

• Will need to sharpen product

£16 for 1.2g

Review - 4.5/5

Review - Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon in Dark Pearl

Slowly but surely, I have been getting onto the cream eyeshadow pencil bandwagon. It started with Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks, and then moved on to By Terry Ombré Blackstars. In my latest swap, I was given a Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chamelon pencil which I was very excited to try. I liked that the shade was specified for daytime brown eyes - though I don't normally pay attention to what colors would go with my brown eyes and wear whatever.

I wore the shadow pencil on the lid with a base shadow down first, and found that the cream did not blend very well over a base shadow. I always put a base shadow down to help with blending, but will have to omit this step next time I use it. The shadow did not crease after 9 hours of wear (my workday) and still looked good.

Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chamelon in Dark Pearl

Wrist swatch of Dark Pearl, no primer.

Pros:

• Good pigmentation
• Smooth application
• Did not crease

Cons:

• Did not blend well over a base shadow
• Needs to be sharpened - will lose product

Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chamelon in Dark Pearl - £19 for 1.6g

Review - 4/5

Swap Haul Thanks to Pigmented Lips!

I'm so fortunate to have friends around the world. Even more lucky that they also love makeup! I did a swap with Pigmented Lips to get my hands on some lovely UK goodies, and so she could try out some American items.

I'm going to post pictures of all the things she sent, and review them as I wear them. (I am still getting my lighting situation sorted out, even though I built my own light tent! So please excuse the differences in the pictures for now.)

Laura Mercier 2013 Artist's
Palette for Eyes!

Bioderma Micellar and
Reve de Miel lip balm

Charlotte Tilbury KISSING
 lipstick in Bitch Perfect

Rimmel Stay Matte primer
and translucent powder

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet
in Nude-ist

Bourjois Color Edition 24hr
in Petale de Glace

Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chamelon
in Dark Pearl

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat
in Pillow Talk

Soap & Glory Super Colout
Fabulipstick in Pom Pom