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

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 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!

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.

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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Quick Swatches: Revlon LE Haute Rocks Pebbled Nail Polish

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Caribbean Cove // Balinese Bay // Moroccan Oasis // Lana’i Lagoon // Mayan Riviera // Brazilian Beach

I apologize for the lack of posts over the past few days – I’ve been swamped at work. I’m hoping to get back to posting every day soon. Today I have quick nail wheel swatches of Revlon’s newest limited edition polish collection, the Haute Rocks polishes, which are supposed to have a “pebbled” texture “inspired by exotic pebbled beaches.”

Quick review: I don’t like these alone (though you might), and I don’t like the “pebbled” texture (though I generally love textures). However, I really love them layered with topcoat added. I bought six of the eight available shades, and have bottle shots of the two I didn’t buy: Continue reading →

Dior Addict Fluid Stick in 869 Vie d’Enfer: First Impression & Swatches

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Dior Addict Fluid Stick

Dior has recently released a new product, the Dior Addict Fluid Sticks (is it just me or is that a really terrible name?). They’re advertised having “the high-impact colour and long wear of a lipstick, combined with the shine of a gloss.” Texturewise, they remind me of the Maybelline Color Elixirs (reviewed) and L’oreal Extraordinares (reviewed), which are both supposed to be gloss-balm-liquid lipstick hybrid. The packaging of the Fluid Sticks is somewhat reminiscent of the Maybellines as well; both have a lipstick-shaped cavity for the product, and if you weren’t paying attention, you might mistake the product for a traditional lipstick with a clear lid. Continue reading →

It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Matte Luxe Transforming Eyeshadow Palette – Swatches & Quick Review

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It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty

I’ve been lusting after the It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty palette since I swatched it at Ulta a little while back, and due to the (still ongoing!) 25% off Friends & Family sale on the It Cosmetics website, I decided to bite the bullet and buy it. I’ve only had it for a couple days, but due to the aforementioned sale – which ends at midnight on April 8th – I thought I should post swatches now rather than later.

Continue reading →

Weekly Loves #6

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Weekly Loves

A newly purchased product I am loving

This has been a week of for me, but I haven’t had a chance to properly play with everything yet. I’m especially excited about the It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty palette (which I haven’t even swatched yet), the Dior Addict Fluid Stick (which I really like so far), and the Tom Ford eyeshadow brushes.

Of the items I have reviewed recently, my recent favorite is definitely L’oreal gel eyeliner in Dark Slate. Check out the review here. Continue reading →

Rimmel Scandaleyes Gel Liner Review & Swatches

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I find it difficult to write reviews of perfectly adequate products. If I love or hate something, I have plenty to say; when something is acceptable but unexciting, it’s harder.

Rimmel’s Scandaleyes gel liner is fine. The pigmentation is good; the wear is normal for a gel. The texture is acceptable – it’s thicker than the L’oreal gel liners, so I find it a bit more difficult to get a crisp line, but there’s nothing terrible about it.

The included brush is fine. It’s decent for a “free” brush, but it’s a little too firm to be ideal with gel liners – it digs little holes into the gel and gets unevenly coated with liner rather than gliding on the surface of the gel. I may repurpose it as a lip brush.

If you’re looking for a cheap-as-possible gel liner, I’d recommend the Wet n Wild instead – it’s a few dollars less and also a perfectly adequate liner (though it does dry up quickly). If you’re looking for an excellent drugstore gel liner, I’d recommend the L’oreal – it’s a few dollars more, but worth it.

What makeup items do you find acceptable but unexciting?

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