Showing posts with label Haul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Haul. Show all posts

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color Review

Bobbi Brown Rich Lip ColorMy parents recently took a trip to Seattle, and I sent my mother on a quest to find the Cosmetics Company Outlet Store. It’s a makeup outlet store owned by Estee Lauder, which means MAC, Bobbi Brown, Clinique and more high quality brands are sold there. Since it’s an outlet, I had no way of knowing what products would be there, so I had to be very vague when giving my mom a list of what to look out for. I mostly just said lipsticks and blush, since it’s hard to go wrong with those. She ended up getting me 3 of the Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color SPF 12 Lipsticks, in the shades Bare Pink, Sweet Nectar and Plum Rose. I had never heard of these before, so I searched them up online to see if they were a discontinued or limited edition product. It turns out, they are part of Bobbi Brown’s permanent collection in Sephora, and they retail for $30CAD each. These were purchased in a 3-pack for $42USD. I’m actually surprised that they are so under-hyped – not only are Bobbi Brown products typically quite popular in the beauty community, but these lipsticks are AMAZING. According to the description on the Sephora website, these were formulated with a clear base to make the pigments show up true to the color in the tube.

Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color Sweet Nectar Plum Rose Bare Pink
Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color - (L-R) Sweet Nectar, Plum Rose, Bare Pink

Bare Pink

Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color Bare Pink
Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color in Bare Pink

Bare Pink is a very light, beige-pink shade. This is unfortunately my least favorite shade out of the three. It is quite pale, and on any darker skin than mine this may show up as the dreaded “concealer lips” color. I think that I can barely pull it off, and I've been making it more wearable by topping it with brighter colored glosses. It still leaves me with a light lip, but not as dramatic as the lipstick alone. The lipstick quality is great, but I don’t think I will be getting much use out of this as it’s a little too light for daily wear. It would probably look beautiful with a dramatic smokey eye though, and I’m planning on testing that out very soon.


Plum Rose

Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color Plum Rose
Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color in Plum Rose

Plum Rose is exactly as the name suggests – a plummy rose shade (or is it a rosey plum? Is there even a difference?) It’s my favorite of the three, as it is a perfect color for fall. I think it’s definitely a work-appropriate shade while still being slightly more dramatic. It would look gorgeous with a bronze smokey eye and I know I’ll be getting a ton of use out of this in the fall!


Sweet Nectar

Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color Sweet Nectar
Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color in Sweet Nectar

Sweet Nectar is a bright, reddish coral color. It is definitely a summer shade! I don’t typically go for reds or corals as I like pinks and berries more, but I will be trying to step out of my comfort zone to wear this more often since it is such a pretty color.

All three of these lipsticks are SO pigmented – even Bare Pink, which I expected to be chalky or sheer. These are very smooth and creamy, yet they feel light on the lips, which was surprising. I tend to stick to tinted lip balms, stains or gloss because I've never liked the feeling of thick, heavy lipstick. Most lipsticks tend to be quite drying, and I have chronically chapped lips, so I need to reapply lip balm constantly. These don’t leave me with that dry feeling – they are moisturizing and smooth, and very comfortable to wear. The lasting power of Plum Rose and Sweet Nectar is significantly better than that of Bare Pink, which is to be expected. Pale lipsticks never tend to last as long as darker colors, but Bare Pink wasn't too bad compared to other light lipsticks I've tried, such as Crème Cup from MAC. These are also formulated with an SPF of 12. 

Overall I would highly recommend these lipsticks to anyone who is willing to splurge! I've never had lipsticks that are so light and comfortable while still being opaque. If my budget allowed, I would definitely pick up a couple more shades!


Have you ever tried the Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Colors? Let me know in the comments below!

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Tarte Friends and Family Sale Haul!

When I heard about Tarte’s recent Friends and Family sale, I almost immediately placed an order. 30% off and free shipping? I am powerless to that kind of deal. I did manage to fight off the temptation to go full ham and buy everything, and for that, I am proud of myself. I purchased 4 things – 2 Amazonian Clay blushes, a mascara sample kit, and a set of mini maracuja lip glosses. I also received a free sample of the Amazonian Clay Double Detox Face Mask. This was my first time ordering off the Tarte website, and the shipping was pretty fast, and for orders over $75CAD it’s free, so no complaints there. I haven’t tried many Tarte products before this, which is why I ordered the sample sets. I also just love trying out sample sets in general – trying out new products is half the fun of makeup!


Tarte "Best for Lash" 4-Piece Deluxe Eye Set

Tarte 4-Piece Eye Set
Tarte 4-Piece Deluxe Eye Set

The first thing I knew I needed to get was the “Best for Lash 4-Piece Deluxe Eye Set” ($30/On sale for $20CAD/Discounted to $14CAD). I’ve heard great reviews for Tarte’s Mascaras, but I typically don’t like buying higher end mascaras in full size. They’re expensive, they dry out quickly, and you can’t try before you buy. Samples sizes of mascara are the way to go! They last such a long time anyway, that I almost never need to buy mascara anymore.
The set came with 4 products, all in a deluxe sample size:
-          MultiplEYE Lash enhancing primer
-          Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara
-          Lights, Camera, Flashes Statement Mascara
-          Lights, Camera, Lashes Waterproof 12-Hour Inner Rim Liner

I haven’t tried out any of these products yet as I already have a mascara open, but I will be doing a review once I get the chance to use them!


Tarte "Clutch the Spirit" 8-Piece Lip Gloss Set and Clutch

Tarte Maracuja Lip Glosses
Tarte Maracuja Lip Glosses

 The other sample set that I picked up was the Clutch the Spirit 8-Piece Lip Gloss Set and Clutch ($36CAD/Discounted to $25.20CAD). I almost never buy lip glosses, and don’t use them every day, so I figured that having 8 minis in various shades would be perfect. The clutch is okay, it’s surprisingly nice for a “free gift with purchase” type of thing, but I probably won’t end up using it to much, mostly because I don’t like carrying around clutches. It was a nice touch, but I probably would have still purchased the set if it were not included.
The kit contained 8 glosses in varying shades, most of which were on the blue-based red and pink side of the color spectrum. I won’t go into a full review of the kit, as this post would be insanely long if I did, but I'm considering doing some lip swatches soon!


Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blushes in Dazzled and Flush

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Dazzled
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Dazzled
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Dazzled


Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Flush
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Flush
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Flush

The last two things I purchased were the ever-famous Amazonian Clay Blushes, in Dazzled and Flush ($31CAD/Discounted to $21.70CAD). Dazzled is a soft rose with golden sparkle to it, but the glitter does not translate to the face. Flush is a matte, pale berry color. Every YouTuber, Beauty Guru and Blogger has been raving about these blushes this year. I heard the hype, but actually didn’t have too much interest in picking any up before this. I figured I had enough blushes, and these cost a pretty penny at $31CAD each. But with 30% off, these become even cheaper than MAC blushes so I decided to take the plunge – and I do NOT regret it! These blushes are amazing. So pigmented, blendable, long-wearing and just gorgeous on the skin. I absolutely understand the hype now! I just want them all. My bank account says it does not want them all. My bank account doesn’t want me to buy anything though, and 9 times out of 10 I just don’t listen to it. Oops.


The last thing I got was a free sample of the Double Detox Amazonian Clay Exfoliating Facial Mask (not pictured). I haven’t used it yet, so I don’t have an opinion on it, but I think that the free sample was a nice touch. According to the Tarte website, you get a free sample with every order.

Overall I’m super happy with everything I bought, and now I want to try out more products from Tarte (especially some more shades of the Amazonian Clay Blushes)! Did you take advantage of the Friends and Family Sale? What’s your favorite product from Tarte? Let me know in the comments!