Category Archives: *Reviews

Milani Brow & Eye Highlighter Review, Swatches, Comparisons

Purchased – Affiliate Links

Earlier this year, Milani released three Brow & Eye highlighters, which have a variety of uses. Milani -->describes --> the shade I bought, 01 Matte Beige / High Glow as following:

Both sides can be used underneath the brow bone as a highlighter. Matte Beige can be used as an eyeshadow or eyeshadow base. High Glow can be used in the inner corners of the eyes to brighten.

I purchased this pencil primarily for the matte end, which appeared to be (and is!) a more yellow shade than the other nude pencils I own, which suits my skin color very well. First, here are both ends of the Milani pencil:

And here’s a comparison of the nude/beige liners and chubby pencils I own:

The MAC & NYX are very similar in color – and a bit too dark for me. The Rimmel is a little darker still.  The Jordana and Milani shadow pencils are similar in color – too pink for me – but note that they’re not dupes; they have very different textures. The Milani brow highlighter is definitely the best color for me – just a bit lighter than my skintone. It’s a great color to use as a browbone or inner eye corner highlighter; I’ve also used it as a reverse lipliner (blended well!) and on the inner rim of my eye (no irritation, but it doesn’t last very well there).

Overall, I’m pleased with the purchase – it’s a great color, but I do wish it lasted better on my waterline!

*I purchased the product(s) featured in this post. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

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Wet n Wild Fergie Summer 2014: Mixing Metals Eyeshadow Review & Swatches

Purchased – No Affiliate Links

Wet n Wild Fergie has released a few limited edition eyeshadow palettes and lipsticks for Summer 2014, and today I have the Centerstage Collection Photo Focus eyeshadow palette in Mixing Metals.  My previous experiences with the Wet n Wild Fergie eyeshadows have been less than stellar (one, two), but I guess third time is the charm, because this palette is great! Continue reading

Wet n Wild Summer 2014 LE ColorIcon Bronzer/Blush Review & Swatches

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Hold Me Close // Dusk Til Dawn // Everything Under the Sun

Wet n Wild has released a small collection for Summer 2014; it includes three limited edition ColorIcon bronzer/blushes which I’ll be reviewing today plus six nail polishes.  First, let’s take a look at the three limited edition bronzers compared to the three permanent bronzers. Continue reading

Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains: Quick Review & Swatches

Purchased – No Affiliate Links

Hello! I am in DC visiting my best friend K. and we happened across a display of the new Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains at Target (which will be permanent).   We each purchased one, and I have swatches and a quick review for you.  Please note that these are all iPhone photos; I didn’t bring my camera with me.

I purchased the shade New York Scene, a neutral red, and my friend purchased Barcelona Nights, a hot pink / fuchsia.  These are two of the brighter shades in the range, so please note that the lasting power, evenness, etc may be different for the more muted shades. Continue reading

Revlon Standout Matte Balm Review & Swatches

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Revlon Standout Matte Balm

Revlon Standout Matte Balm

A while back, I reviewed Revon’s matte balm ($8.99 at Ulta) in the shade Shameless.  I was not a fan; I found that it was somewhat patchy and accentuated dry patches.  However, after reading several positive reviews of the matte balms, some of which acknowledged Shameless as poorly performing as compared to the other shades, I decided to try one more shade – and I’m glad I did! Continue reading

Swatch Spam: Blush, Bronzer, and Highlighter

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I realized that I have a ton of products I haven’t ever swatched or reviewed for Project Swatch, so I thought I’d remedy that by doing a couple of posts with lots of swatches! I’m starting off today with several blushes and a few highlighters and bronzers. I’ll say just a few words about each item.

TheBalm How Bout Them Apples blush palette

TheBalm How Bout Them Apples

TheBalm Apples Blush palette

Cider // Pie // Candy // Cobbler // Crisp // Caramel

First, we have TheBalm How ‘Bout Them Apples blush palette ($32 at Nordstrom). I like it, but not as much as I expected to. The texture of these is a bit more slippery than I prefer for the cheeks, and a bit too drying for the lips. Pretty colors though, and definitely wearable on both the cheeks and lips; just not ideal.

Milani Bella Rosa

Next, the new Milani Bella Rosa baked blush (approximately $8 at drugstores or Milanicosmetics.com) is just as wonderful as all the online reviews say. Smooth, pigmented, and blendable.

Milani Hermosa Rose

Milani Hermosa Rose

Milani Illuminating Face Powder (around $9) in Hermosa Rose is absolutely gorgeous in the pan.  It’s lightly pigmented and has a very fine, smooth shimmer. I am not sure what I think about the color though – it’s a little too dark for a highlighter for me, but not dark enough to be a true bronzer. I haven’t tried it as blush yet, but hopefully that will work out!

Flower Win Some Rouge Some Cream Blush

Rose-O-Den-Dron // Elegant Azalea // Pure Petunia // Peach Blossom

Flower Win Some Rouge Some Cream Blush - swatches

Rose-O-Den-Dron // Elegant Azalea // Pure Petunia // Peach Blossom

I really like Flower Win Some Rouge Some cream blush (around $8 at Walmart). You can read my review of Elegant Azalea here.  Note that Rose-O-Den-Dron has a different texture than the rest – I don’t know if it’s a quality control issue or what.  But, both textures work well – blendable and smooth.

Wet n Wild Ticket to Brazil Reserve Your Cabana

Ticket to Brazil // Reserve Your Cabana

And finally, two of the three Wet n Wild Color Icon Bronzers – Ticket to Brazil & Reserve Your Cabana (around $4 at drugstores, online at Walgreens.com). Both are lovely – smooth and blendable with the best kind of shimmery finishes – but the highlighter, Reserve Your Cabana is especially silky.

Do you have any of these items, or are any of them are your wishlist?

*I purchased all products featured in this post. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

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