New Product: Wet N Wild Megalast Liquid Lip Color

Hello lovelies! While walking through CVS a few days ago, I spotted a small WnW display on a shelf and just had to have a better look at the assortment of color that was bombarding my eyeballs. Upon closer examination, I saw that the megalast lipstick that I know and love so well, was now in liquid form!!! YAY!!! And if it was in my power to do so, I would have gladly done back-handsprings through the store once I saw that they are only $3.19 AND they came with a $1.00 OFF coupon. Yes, that was NOT a typo... I got these bad boys for $2.19 a piece!!!

Now, the new Megalast Liquid Lip Colors come in 13 shades that range from nice, universally flattering nudes, to deep, rich wines. I kid you not when I say I was in the store hovering over the display like I found the crown jewels sitting on a diamond encrusted gold tray waiting for my perusal. After some serious consideration, I only grabbed 5 of the 13 shades, since a lot were already sold out. The shades I grabbed were: Click on my Hyperlink, Back to the Fuschia, Red my Mind, Cherry on Top and I Can Bare It.

Wet N Wild Megalast Liquid Lip Color

Top to Bottom: Cherry on Top, Back to the Fuchsia, Click my Hyperlink, I Can Bare It, and Red my Mind.

Now here's my take on them. The pigmentation is sssssuuuuupppppeeeerrrr!!!! I mean you have full coverage in one swipe. and what you see is exactly what you get. Some might have a problem with the applicator, which is broad and flat, but I actually like it. I was able to use the broad part to distribute the color quick and even, and then turn it on it's side to get a pit of precision to line the edges. And they took the idea of Megalast to the next level with the formula for these! They apply very wet, similar to the OCC Lip Tars, and dry down to a nice matte or satin finish. And once set, these things are HELL ON WHEELS to take off! I had to scrub with a textured baby wipe for a couple minutes to get the color off, and the lipstick peels off in little balls as you remove it. I must mention that they also left my lips really dry was well; walking through the desert without water for weeks dry... severely parched is an understatement. You need some heavy duty exfoliation and a great lip balm for these.

What I didn't like was the feel of the finish. While I dig the idea of the ElastiSilk technology, I hated the feel of these lipsticks on my lips. While fairly matte, they dried to a sticky finish, that made me cringe every time my lips touched. I really wanted to love these, but the finish could use a bit of a tweak! But honestly, for about $3.00 a pop for some fabulously pigmented lip colors, I'm going to find something to dab over the lipstick to make the finish not so tacky.

Overall, I'd say these new Wet N Wild Megalast Liquid Lip Colors are a no brainer as far as bargain and quality. I have some high end lipsticks that WISH they could pull off the intense pigmentation of these babies!!! Definitely worth the price, regardless of the finish.

Has anyone else tried these new lippies? I'd love to hear what you think!

-Miss Brina

Review: Portland Black Lipstick Company + GIVEAWAY WINNER

I'm a lipstick woman. All colors, formulas, brands... I'm not too picky. I see a shade I like, I buy it... it's very simple. That being said, I stumbled across some bee-yoo-ti-ful lipstick swatches a few weeks ago on Portrait of Mai, and fell in instant lust with all things Portland Black Lipstick Company. The swatches were so unique, so creamy, and soooooo pigmented that I HAD to head on over to their website to cop a few of my own. After much back and forth about what colors I wanted, I ended up placing an order for 8 lipstick samples, in an attempt to try out the brand for myself and narrow down what shades would suit me best before I made a full size purchase.

Now, there are 22 lipstick shades currently offered in the line, that run for only $10 a pop! That's certainly affordable. And honestly, the color payoff you get from these bad boys are better than a lot of the "popluar/it" brands that are on the tongues of the masses nowadays. And being an indie company, the customer service you get is great. I was very pleased with the ease of ordering, and the personable communication that was provided. I even received an email from the owner Kim letting me know my order had shipped (got it in 2 days!!!), apologizing for an overlooked inquiry AND giving me a very helpful and unexpected tip regarding carmine allergies. You can tell that she, and the staff of Portland Black really have a passion for their craft... and the extra samples that were included in my order were great!

Now more about the actual products I ordered. I found that they were all very creamy, absolutely non-drying, and had excellent slip and adhesion. All of the shades I ordered, with the exception of Lux et Voluptas, offered full coverage in one swipe. Some of the samples had small bits of unmixed pigment in them, but it wasn't a biggie, and they blended into the lipstick easily with the help of the lip brush I was using. While I truly LOVE all the colors I picked up (so much for the narrowing down lol), I have to say I was more partial to the application and wear of the flatter shades (the ones without any/much shimmer or metallics). My favorites in the bunch were This Corrosion, Blood Red and Artificial Amethyst.

Overall, I have nothing but good things to say about my first purchase from Portland Black Lipstick Co. and am looking forward to trying out the rest of their shades and their various glitters/powders. If you're into full coverage and unique  yet wearable shades, then I'd strongly suggest you head over to Portland Black Lipstick Company and check out all they have to offer.

Hope you enjoyed the photos!

And last but not least, the winner of the 30 Eyeshadow Rainbow Palette Giveway is...  ANN RAYE! Congratulations, I'll be emailing your shortly. 

MAC Hayley Williams- Sounds like Noise: Review/ Comparison

Hey fellow beauty junkies! I hope all has been going well with everyone. I've been on a bit of a makeup hiatus lately, but I recently picked up a new lippie from the Hayley Williams collabo with MAC and I have to say that I am impressed. Sounds like Noise is described as a "bright, true orange matte," but I can't say I wholeheartedly agree with that. SLN has more of a satin finish, and seems like more of a brighter, yellow-based, slightly more saturated pastel orange in my opinion, instead of a true/bright orange orange. I was a bit disappointed because based on the description, I thought I'd be getting a nice, matte orange... something bright and true like the orange in the AT&T logo... but this softer orange is beautiful in it's own right. I read on a few forums that it was similar to Milani Sweet Nectar (which I own), so I was kind of hesitant to make the purchase, but curiosity got the best of me and I dropped the $16.20 (after taxes) and picked this lippie up. And honestly, it isn't anything like Sweet Nectar, so I have no clue why anyone would compare the two as if they could be dupes. Sweet Nectar has a shinier finish, and is altogether deeper and more of a red-orange. Personally, I feel like Sounds like Noise isn't like any other color MAC has, and I hope they eventually decide to make it permanent, because it's a great everyday swipe and go lipstick. And I love that it's non-drying on my lips. I don't own anything like it, and since I've been wearing it daily, I think I'll have to get a backup while I still can.

I'll update in a few days with a lip swatch, but until then, here's a few swatches of Sounds like Noise next to Milani's Sweet Nectar for your enjoyment and comparison.

 (Sounds like Noise in natural daylight)

(L-R: Milani Sweet Nectar & Sounds like Noise in daylight)

(L-R: Sweet Nectar & Sounds like Noise... this pic gives the most accurate color for SLN)

(Sweet Nectar & Sounds like Noise outdoors)

(Milani Sweet Nectar & MAC Sounds like Noise outdoors/shade)

(Sweet Nectar & Sounds like Noise outdoors in direct sunlight)

(outdoors in partial sun)

All pictures (with the exception of the 1st three) were taken outdoors and in various lights WITHOUT flash.

What do you guys think of Sounds like Noise?

-Miss Brina

Smoke & Diamonds: FOTD

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!

Well hello there! It's been awhile since I've posted, and since my goal is to give this little ol' blog of mine much more tlc/post more frequently than I did last year.... you get a FOTD!!! This is a look I wore  going out with the family for Papa Bear's birthday. It was a great night out and you all get to see a few new products that I've been trying out over the last few weeks that I'm absolutely loving! My camera wasn't picking up the true color of Smoke & Diamonds, but it is such a pretty silvery, smoked gray that looks AWESOME in a smokey eye look for all eye colors!

Products Used:

Ruby Kisses 3D Face Creator (review/swatches coming)

Ben Nye Banana Powder

NYX Stay Matte Not Flat Powder

La Femme Blush- Russet & Sienna

MAC Smoke & Diamonds eyeshadow

Wet N Wild Vanity palette

Physicians Formula Creme Liner- Black

Sumita Intense Eye Liner- Black

Covergirl Great Lash Lots of Lashes Mascara

Wet N Wild Lipstick- Stoplight Red

Rimmel Lipstick- Bordeaux

Has anyone else tried the Ruby Kisses 3D Face Creator? It's been my go to foundation for the last 2.5 weeks :)

Have the most amazing of Valentine's Days everyone!

-Miss Brina

CVS Haul: Wet N Wild

 Stoplight Red and Sugar Plum Fairy

 I went into CVS today trying to pick up a WetNWild lipstick in 24K, but they didn't carry it. I swear I've been trying to get my hands on this shade for over a year, and NONE of the stores I go into it carry it (and I REFUSE to pay those outrageous ebay prices for something I can get in the store much cheaper). But I decided to make the trip worth it and picked up STOPLIGHT RED and SUGAR PLUM FAIRY after seeing a few swatches of them online. I have to say that I like SUGAR PLUM FAIRY so much more in person. I almost didn't buy it, but pictures don't do it justice, it's pretty hard to get it's true color to translate. It's so much deeper than it photographs, just a really beautiful plum shade, great for fall. And STOPLIGHT RED is just your everyday beautiful red. They go on with a bit of a sheen but after a few minutes they set to a nice satin/matte finish.... and last ALL DAY! I only retouch my lipstick once at the end of my day, and that is simply out of habit. I hear people complain about these lipsticks being cheap, and drying and how they pull when you apply them... but I mean for $1.99 I think they out preform themselves. As long as WetNWild makes these lipsticks I'll be buying them.

WNW Mega Last lipstick

WNW Sugar Plum Fairy and WNW Stoplight Red

Lip Swatches

Stoplight Red

Sugar Plum Fairy (flash)

Sugar Plum Fairy (no flash)

WNW Bronzer: Princess

I also picked up a bronzer by WNW in the shade PRINCESS. I always look at it in the store but never can talk myself into buying it... but it was only $1 on sale so I scooped that bad boy up and I'm actually really digging this bronzer. I was concerned about the shimmer (I prefer a matte bronzer) but it's not really bad, gives your skin a nice dewy effect rather than a I rolled my face in glitter look. I'll be keeping it in rotation for awhile.

All in all, I'm absolutely happy with my impromptu $5 CVS haul! And I'm really falling in love with the brand all over again. I used to rock the lippies and mascara back in high school because they were affordable aKa cheap, but the quality and variety of the products they put out is nothing to sleep on... they're like my go to DUPE brand lol

How do you guys feel about Wet N Wild products?

-Miss Brina

MAC Saigon Summer lipstick

Don't you love when you stumble across old gems in your makeup drawer!?!

Saigon Summer

I picked up this baby when the Cremesheen + Pearl lipsticks came out awhile ago, but never got around  to using until a few days ago... and it was instant love. I love and own a plethora of lipsticks in various shades, but I tend to stick towards nudes and coral for the working days, so Saigon Summer was a no brainer for me when I saw this collection. And the fact it was a Cremesheen lipstick was the cherry on top since it's my favorite finish from MAC. It is like more wearable Morange in my opinion, and can work through all seasons despite it's more summer-y tone. It kind of reminds me of Jazzed too, but  when I first saw it Vegas Volt jumped into my mind. Yet when I swatched a few other coral-esque lipsticks to compare... they all look PINK next to Saigon Summer... kind of weird.

MAC Saigon Summer

L-R: MAC Vegas Volt, MAC Lollipop Lovin', MAC Saigon Summer, MAC Sock Hop, MAC Richer Lusher

Anyhoo, anyone own saigon Summer, or any other lipstick from this collection? What's you're favorite Coral/Orange lippie?

 -Miss Brina

Quick Rave: Melvita Eau Florale de Rose

A few months ago I received the Melvita Rose Water spritz in my Birchbox and after the 1st use fell instantly in love. I'd never really been into facial mists, despite all the rave about fix+ and so many other sprays, so naturally I left it sitting in the box for a couple weeks before curiosity finally won... plus, I figured I PAID for it, so I might as well try it. The pleasant scent of roses that accompanied the cool sensation of the spray was magnificent... and I am NOT a floral person at all. I prefer more soapy scents (ala Irish Springs and Clean Linen), but the rose water is subtle enough that it didn't bother or irritate, it simply left me feeling alert, refreshed and down right perky in the miserably hot weather (or so it was at the time I tried it). I've used it by itself for a quick pick me up, spritzed on my brushes when applying my foundation and even after applying powder, not so much to set my makeup, but more to help everything blend and avoid any ashy effect. My sample was .95 fl.oz. and I still have enough left to last me throughout the end of this month despite how often I use it. I'll definitely be purchasing the full size version for $22 when this trial bottle is finished. 

On a side note, I've been rather disappointed with my last 2 Birchbox shipments, and am thinking of cancelling after next months box if the trend continues. Anybody having a similar feeling regarding their boxes? Anyone get the Goop box (which I SHOULD have opted for instead)?

-Miss Brina

Sleek I-Divine Ultra Mattes V2: Darks

Well, HEY THERE party people! I know I've been MIA for a bit, but I've got alot going on in my little world these days. I DID however want to make sure that I kept my word and got these swatches uploaded for you all. Overall, I really like these palettes. I still tend to lean more towards the DARKS palette since they are a bit more wearable on any given day... but please believe they are BOTH something you need to have in your life. I really hope these rumors of Sleek coming stateside are TRUE, because they are easily becoming my go to brand. 

Enjoy the swacthes folks!

Sleek I-Divine Ultra Mattes V2: Darks Palette

 In Natural Light

 Indoors With Flash

-Miss Brina

Ebay Haul!

Hey you guys! I'll start off by saying that I am an ebay junkie; whoever invented it is my HERO! I absolutely LOVE it... I probably average about 2-3 purchases a week. That being said, I pretty much stick to items within the USA, but I'd been looking at this particular ring for (no lie)  about 9 months! 

It has been sitting in my items watched page for 9 months, going on and off sale... but I was just kind of wary about the purchase. Would it be as pretty when it gets here? How long is is really going to take to arrive? Are they just gonna take my money and send me a pen? LOL I mean all sorts of worse case scenarios were fighting for dominance in my head. But while dropping in on the amazing WitchHazel's blog, my jaw dropped, because lo and behold.... SHE BOUGHT THE RING! And anyone who has been to her blog can verify, she is the QUEEN of cutesy ebay purchases. So naturally, I decided stop being so damn scary and make the purchase, and 10 days later... it's here! The transaction was so smooth, the price and presentation was absolutely GREAT and tracking was provided by the shipper, which really put my mind at ease. And I am floored by how beautiful it is.... so THANK YOU WitchHazel for forcing my hand... you've opened a whole new beast up now LMAO

Arianna RoseGold and Citrine Fashion Ring

So what do you guys think of my long awaited purchase? Has anyone bought anything from overseas on Ebay?

-Miss Brina