Etude house March 2015 Pink bird (feat.Color in liquid lips collection + lip care goodies)

 Long time no blog.  I know I have been away for literally a month.  I've just been tired from work, and wanted some offline time to myself and just rest and relax.  But I am back with another pink bird un-boxing for you guys featuring the color in liquid lips collection.  This box also came with corresponding lip care products that goes perfectly with the lip colors.  I saw these lip colors all over instagram, youtube and blogs with amazing swatches which definitely sparked my interest.

 If this is your first time at my blog, welcome!  Check out my other pink bird box un-boxings and product reviews I have done.  I especially love the play 101 pencils and will be doing a review on them soon. The dark brown shade have been my go to color and it seriously stays on my waterline all day! Its amazing and costs only $6. :)  Here is the link to all the other awesomeness from Etude house:

Etude house posts

Let's get started with this month's box shall we?

Etude House play 101 review and swatches

The one thing that gets me in trouble is Youtube.  Youtube always makes me want to buy things, but usually the beauty products famous youtubers show are always products from Sephora which also means tons of $$$.  Dollar bills flying hurts my soul, so when I saw these featured in Pony's Beauty Diary videos, I knew I had to have it.  These are from Etude House and they launched these a couple months back (about five months or more) and they were a definite hit.  Sadly we don't have an Etude house in North America but no worries because there is Testerkorea :D.  No I am not sponsored by them (I wouldn't mind to be though...hint hint nudge nudge).  These were also featured in a past pink bird box but sadly I was not picked to be a pink bird box back then so I just jumped the bullet and got me a ton.

I know I know, no one needs so many beauty products, especially this many liners.  But  these are different!  I SWEAR! *These are words that come from a beauty hoarder*.  You can use this all over your face, not limited to just your eyes.  You can use these as a lip color, cheek color or eye liner/ eye shadow.

I'll elaborate more!  Just click read more~

Sephora Birthday Gift 2015

 It is that time of year!  I used to look forward to birthdays when I was a child but you grow up and it is just another day.  But companies does a good job to make you feel special with freebies and promos just for your birthday month/ day.  Sephora, the best friend for all women, gives you a cool birthday give every year and may I say, the somehow seem to manage to top last year's gift year after year!  Last year was a Make up forever lipstick and black eyeliner, and this year it is..... *drumroll*.... NARS velvet matte lip pencils. And not one, but two of them!  And if you are a VIB rouge, they throw in an extra gift with is a "larger then life long-wear eyeliner" in the shade Via Venieto.

Luckily my birthday is in February so I get to enjoy it early hehe.  So this post, I bring you close up pictures and swatches for you curious cats.

Maybelline January 2015 haul, first impression, swatches

 After watching tons of Youtube videos on the newest products hitting the drugstore, I couldn't help myself but to buy a few things for myself. Out of all the drugstore brands, Maybelline has the biggest collection that is new and fresh.  These are the few things I bought.  I didn't get everything since I don't need everything, but I most excited for their lipstick collection!!  They are so pretty~

Click read more to see what I got, swatches and first impression.

ELF Studio Long-Lasting Lustrous Eyeshadow review and swatch

 Like always, these awesome eyeshadow was on the ELF cosmetics instagram sneak peek so when these came out back in November, I jumped on the horse and bought them on Cyber Monday.  The description of these eyeshadows just intrigued me since its suppose to be a whipped gel eyeshadows which i don't even think there is anything like it on the market right now.

ELF's description on this product: "Soft and fluffy, these vibrant, shimmering Long Lasting Lustrous Eyeshadow colors can be used as eyeshadow or a bold liner. The whipped gel texture is easy to blend and lightweight for lasting comfort and wear. Perfect for highlighting the brow bone and adding extra shimmer for a truly glam look."

Product Packaging: Let me just start off by saying that the cardboard packaging for this was so annoying! The eyeshadow was stuck in there! You have to actually rip the packaging to get it out but I had to try so hard to not rip it for picture purposes LOL.  

Another thing that is super annoying is that the names for the eyeshadow was the names are not on them.  You either have to write it with a sharpie yourself on the bottom or you would manually have to rip the little sliver sticker off the back of the box.  I really hope that they don't do that for all of them because that just makes me question if they were thinking when they made this product.

 These have super simple packaging with a black lid on top with "ELF long lasting lustrous eyeshadow" printed on them and a clear plastic bottom. In pictures before I got it, I thought the bottom would be glass like the Maybelline color tattoos.

I stuck that sticker on myself by the way.

Texture:

Unlike anything I've ever tried before, but these do remind me of their studio cream blushes which has the same "bouncy" texture. These are "bouncy" but they are more wet then the cream blush which turns slightly powder on the skin.  I wouldn't slide my finger around since they are really squishy and I would just create a huge crator so i would actually just dab my finger over it. On the skin, it still has a slight wetness to it but it does set well.  The wetness does also help attract powders to show their true color, exactly what a eyeshadow base is suppose to do.

Color Pigmentation/ Payoff:
Out of the 7 shades, i only bought three of them since most of them are very boring shades to me and the three shades I bought, I thought I could get the most use of. The seven shades they sell are Toast (yellow golden bronze color), Soiree (light pinky purple), Gala (browny raspberry purple shade), Festivity (dark purple amethyst), confetti (white with silver shimmer), celebration (sliver), and party (dark silvery blue color).

As you can tell from my description, gala, soiree and festivity all are different shades of purple and on the skin (from swatch pictures  I've seen, they all look very similar so that saved me some money there knowing that I didn't have to buy all of them.

All of the shades are shimmery which stopped me from getting them right when they first came out but when it came time to the cyber Monday sale, I went crazy and just picked some up. Now I'm not the type to like crazy shimmer on my eyes but these makes the skin look like there are Swarovski crystals on my eyes. They are stunningly gorgeous! It has this metallic element with tons of shimmers that does actually adhere to the skin nicely.

The colors are very buildable and it will be true to color after about three layers.  The good thing about these is that you can actually wear these by themselves and it wouldn't crease or you could use these as a color base which is quite effective as well.

Smell:

Good news for those that don't like frangances in their products.  These do not have any smell :).

Lasting power:

From the name, you could kind of tell but these do last quite a long time. I would put these on in the morning and when I go to take my make up off late at night, it is still there.  It fades a slight  bit but nothing dramatic.

Price:

 These go for $3 each in their studio line but you can easily get these for $1.50 a piece if you use a studio 50% off code which you just have to google for one. 

Overall I really do love these even though I am not a big sparkle girl but wow I'm in love with the shades.  I  wouldn't be going out to get all of the shades since I have too much stuff already  as it is but i just wanted to try something new. 

ELF studio baked bronzer

ELF's description of the product :

“Create a healthy, shimmering sun-kissed look with our Baked Bronzers. Baked in an oven, these bronzers offer rich pigmentation for a beautiful effect. The long-lasting formula provides a luxurious, smooth and even application. Infused with active key ingredients Jojoba, Rose, Sunflower, Apricot and Grape to nourish and hydrate the skin. Apply this shimmering color dry for sheer pigmentation, or use a damp brush or sponge for a more vibrant effect.”

Product Packaging:

These are the exact same packaging as the studio baked blushes. If you haven’t checked out my other review on the newest baked products from elf, I will link it down below. Unlike the studio baked blushes, these don’t have vining in them and are just one color. These are packed in a decently hard plastic with a nice clear lid that closes quite securely. The powder itself is pressed into a dome which I quite like but if I use this more and more, there will be a huge hole >_<.

Its dome :O.  Can someone say Domo-kun? :D

    Baked bronzer compared to the baked eyeshadow

         Baked bronzer compared to a MAC blush

Color pigmentation/ pay off :

Unlike the bronzers I usually use, this bronzer has a satin finish which some people would love and some people would hate. I personally quite like it since it gives me a really nice natural finish and you don’t really notice the subtle sheen.

 Los Cabos: dark cool brown with subtle sheen; one of the most pigmented one out of all three

This shade would work great for those that have a more cool tone skin tone or people with warm skin tones could use this has a bronzer instead of contouring.

 Maui: warm brown with subtle golden sheen; second most pigmented

This one would be great for contouring warm skin tone since it’s got more of a reddish brown color.

 St. Luca: light cool brown with little to no shimmers

When I first swatched all three on my hand, Los Cabos and Maui really impressed me but when it came time to swatch St. Lucia, there was little to no color. I had to rub the produce so hard to get any color on my bare skin. But when I tried it over my foundation, the color did show but it was still subtle. So I’d only suggest this shade to those that are really really pale since it is really subtle and barely there.

Texture:

Unlike regular good powders, baked products usually have this somewhat griddy texture. This is just like those types. If you have ever felt a MAC mineralized blush, it has the same texture. Just imagine touching the surface of a really smooth but somewhat griddy stone. :)

Smell:
For those that hate smells, this is for you! No stinky smells :D.

 Lasting power:
I tried these out today and they lasted for almost five to six hours of wear. This actually wore pretty good throughout the day, but I would say that you might have to touch up halfway through the day, but I don’t even bother.

Price :

These retail on their site for $3 each which is a really reasonable price, but there are always coupon codes so just check out retailmenot and grab yourself a 50% off studio line coupon :). I believe that there will be a 60% off sale that happens every year around the beginning of July so check back on their website for that sale.

Overall:

Overall I do like this product and I would use St. Lucia a lot more even though it’s not that pigmented but it works great for my pasty pale skin tone. For contouring, I would use Los Cabos but I will definitely stay away from Maui since I don’t wanna look like a oompa loompa, you know what I’m sayyying? ;)

ELF studio baked blushes..NEW!!

As you might know by now, I absolutely love ELF products and their company as a whole.  So after a year of not buying any make up from them and check back from then two weeks ago and to see that they have baked products that came out the day that i checked up on it, I just wanted to get them then and there! I finally got them a few days ago and I'm excited to share my review and some swatches with you guys. :) Enoy!

ELF's description of the product:

“The soft and shimmering color of our Baked Blush creates a natural healthy glow. Baked in an oven, these blushes offer rich pigmentation for a beautiful effect. The long-lasting formula provides a gorgeous, smooth and even application. Infused with active key ingredients Jojoba, Rose, Sunflower, Apricot and Grape to nourish and hydrate the skin. Apply this shimmering color dry for sheer pigmentation, or use a damp brush or sponge for a more vibrant effect.”

Product Packaging:

At first glance, they these would remind a lot of people of the mineralized MAC blushes, and I would have to agree too. These have the same marble vining going through them, baked in a dome shape and they actually have the same amount of product (0.21 oz./ 6 g) but for a fraction of the price! Elf packaging isn’t the best, but I don’t really mind these. They are in a plastic container that is decently sturdy with a clear top. The blushes come in a decent size, the same size as a MAC blush.

Elf studio blush size compaired to their also new elf studio baked eyeshadow.

ELF studio blush size compaired to a MAC blush.

Color pigmentation/ pay off :

Generally, all of them have a satin finish. Its borderline shimmer and metallic, but these do give the skin a really natural glow which I personally really like. I have NC20-25 skin tone and a combination to dry skin and when I wear foundation, dry patches would show. It’s really hard for me to wear matte blushes since it does show off my dry patches. These are perfect! They are all very pigmented, so a light hand with these is necessary. I usually just use a duo fiber brush since I have a really heavy hand with my blush >_<.

 Passion pink: Mauvey rose color with hot pink vining; swirled together= light peachy coral

 Rich rose: Rosey chocolate color with peach vining; swirled together= browny orange   

 Pinktastic: Yellow white color with pink rose vining (more of a highlighting color); swirled together= white pink

 Peachy Cheeky: Pinky coral color with brown vining; swirled together= light peach

Texture:

Unlike regular good blush powders, baked products usually have this somewhat griddy texture. This is just like those types. If you have ever felt a MAC mineralized blush, it has the same texture. Just imagine touching the surface of a really smooth but somewhat griddy stone. :)

Smell :

Thank god that this product doesn’t have a smell to it. Like at all :). That’s good.

 Lasting power:

I tried these out today and they lasted for almost five to six hours of wear. This actually wore pretty good throughout the day, but I would say that you might have to touch up halfway through the day, but I don’t even bother.

Price:

These retail on their site for $3 each which is a really reasonable price, but there are always coupon codes so just check out retailmenot and grab yourself a 50% off studio line coupon :). I believe that there will be a 60% off sale that happens every year around the beginning of july so check back on their website for that sale.

Overall:

Overally I would say get this product.  This is a really amazing product and for elf to finally come out with something like this is amazing.  The price is amazing and the colors are gorgeous.  I can't wait for the day that they come out with more shades. I highly reccomend these :).

After my picture taking, i dropped one of them :'(.  Sho sad!! This was the pretty shade too. Stupid butter fingers.

ELF studio matte lip color

Elf's description of the product:

"This convenient jumbo sized lip pencil creates exact color application with twist up ease so you never have to sharpen. The pigment rich color glides on effortlessly and easily to provide long lasting matte color. The enriched Vitamin A, C & E formula moisturizes and hydrates lips for beautiful healthy looking lips. "

Packaging
This studio matte lip color comes in a twisty pen with a cap. When I first got it, tea rose was actually broken :(, but i dealt with it and melted it with a lighter and stuck it back together. On the bottom is a color coordination strip so you an tell which color is which :).

Color pigmentation/ pay off
My lips are really pigmented so anything that covers my lips and gives them a different color is good :D. These remind me of MAC amplified lipsticks, but a little bit more wearable.

Praline: cool neutral brown color; super wearable for everyday

Coral: Semi bright orangey peach color; doesn't suit my skin color (NW25), looks really gross to me so i'd have to top it with a lipgloss or something

Tea Rose: My favorite out of all three that i have. It reminds me of Mac Saint Germain lipstick (which i don't have but seen tons of swatches) but a more wearable color. Its a dusty purple color with a hint of pink. I loveee this color.

Texture & finish
These are super creamy and somewhat moisturizing but in the long run, it does dry my lips a little bit. Keep in mind that my lips are super dry and a little bit chappy sometimes.

Smell?
There isn't a smell to this product which is good for me :).

Price
All of these lip colors retail for $3 on the elf site and maybe at target if you live near one, but i don't because i live in Canada. The only place that retails elf cosmetics is winners, and they overprice it like three times.

Overall i do think this is a good product, but i would only be repurchasing tea rose because i do think its a really wearable pop of color for the fall :). If you like my reviews, don't forget to comment, rate and subscribe.

ELF studio pigments

As you might have known, ELF came out with mass new products on their website and one of them was their studio pigments. I thought, ehh its just another eyeshadow in loose form no point in buying the. But you know me, when i buy something I'd like to have the whole set (or almost the whole set) which is bad because that just makes me spend more money. So they come in the same package as their Studio cream eyeliner and the same jars too. They do come with a small brush but it is completely useless for eyeshadow since it is so small. The colors I got from top left and clockwise was Mystic Moss, Naughty Noire, Magical Maroon and Passionate purple.
Mystic moss- dark mossy green with gold shimmers Naughty Noire- Black with sliver shimmer
Passionate Purple- Dark royal purple; kinda reminds me of my fav. color from ELF quad in sliver lining. This color is seriously gorgeousMagical Marron- Dark plumly purple with sliver shimmer. The color kind of reminds me of ELF studio pressed eyeshadow in raspberry truffle, but this one has more of a cooler undertone to it.
Swatches used dry.

Swatches used on Elf Mineral primer

As you can see, these pigments are lame without a primer. There would be almost no color if you don't use a primer. So I recommend you either use them wet or with a primer.

Conclusion-price: C ($3 each)
-packaging: B
-product quality: C+
-Overall quality: C+
-Buy again? No, I could do without them