Rimmel: Natural Bronzer +Minerals in 021 Sun Kissed

The Breakdown

Brand-Rimmel

Color-Natural Bronzer + Minerals in 021 Sun Kissed

Thoughts-So this is a Pixiwoo made me do it post. I was watching one of Sam's earlier videos when she showed her makeup products/storage and she said that she really liked the Rimmel bronzers. I'm as tan as I ever want to be, but I was curious about bronzers and wanted to pick up an affordable one and once Sam rec'd it, it was all systems go.

Unlike most drugstore bronzers I've seen, this one seems to have a noticeable pink undertone to it. I think this is why it works the best on my skin. It's not orange-y at all, so I can't see anyone going wrong with this one, unless your skin tone is much darker than the bronzer is. The reason I love it so much is that the slight pink undertone neutralizes my morning sallowness to de-zombify my face but is not so dark that it still looks good later on in the day, when my face goes back to normal. It takes a bit of practice to figure out how much to layer so that it makes the seamless morning-normal transition, but once you're there you are golden.

I usually apply it on my cheeks, temples, jawline and a bit on my chin, and I have not been so happy with a YouTube inspired purchase as I am with this. It's just a few shades darker than I am, so it provides a really subtle hint of color to where ever I apply it. On days when I can't be bothered to put makeup on I throw this on to not look like an 8am zombie and a little eyeliner on my waterline and I'm out the door. Seriously, nothing but this on my face and I look awake. It is a miracle bronzer.

It goes on quite smoothly and is not chalky at all. You can't build up the color past what it is in the pan, so anyone darker than NC37 should take a look at the next shade up. It has a nice sheen to it, but no glitter, and is not a completely matte bronzer. Rather, it has a completely natural finish, which is what makes it so great.

Overall-This product is amazing if you have skin the same color as mine (NC35-37 and asian). If you are afraid of bronzers or want to have a go at it, I say pick this sucker up.

Star Rating- 5/5, It's perfect to combat my AM zombie complexion.

Swatches

The packaging...clearly it has been dropped

Label time!

Here's the bronzer, I've used it enough that the sun imprint is halfway gone!

Swatches: Single on the Left, Multi on the Right

MAC: Blush in Prim & Proper

The Breakdown

Brand-MAC

Color-Blush in Prim & Proper (LE Liberty of London Collection)

Thoughts-So this was part two of my CCO reward. I knew going in that I wanted a blush with the Satin finish (I don't do glitter or super matte...yikes!). I almost walked out without seeing this until I saw a glass case that it was housed in. This was my first CCO trip, so I didn't know that at the store I went to they kept the low stock LE items in a case since there are not enough to have a tester out. I saw it, fell in love and knew I had to buy it.

So the color is a little hard to describe, but I think the pics that I took do it justice. It's kind of a brown-y, rose-y, plum-y color. Against my skin, it looks AMAZING. It has this really nice natural sheen to it so it goes really well with the face makeup I used, which tends to be on the dewy/natural finish side rather than the shiny/super matte one. I love the finish to this blush and am looking forward to sequestering more MAC blushes with a Satin finish.

It has a really good texture, goes on smoothly and blends with no effort at all. It is also highly pigmented, so a little goes a long way. This is a good thing because unless they decide to re-promote this in the near future, it is being saved as my special occassion blush (YES, it is that good).

Overall-I heart this stuff to the max. It is amazing, but it was a LE product so if you are interested CCOs or discount cosmetics websites are gonna be your best bet to get a hold of this one. If you can get over to a CCO that still carries it, I say grab it since I still paid the discounted price, not the LE-take-advantage-of-you super inflated prices that most 'discount' sites charge. If you see it, don't think, just buy it.

Star Rating- 5/5, Love, Love, Love.

Swatches

The coolest packaging ever

The Label

A look at the blush

The Swatches (backward, again): Multi to the Left, Single to the Right

MAC: MSF in Refined

The Breakdown

Brand-MAC

Color-Mineralized Skin Finish in Refined

Thoughts-So I picked this up on my first CCO trip, it was actually a "Congrats for surviving an 8am MCAT" reward that I bought for myself. I went in knowing I wanted a not-so-shimmery MAC MSF if I could get my hands on it...and I did. I turns out that this is one of the least glitter filled of the non-Natural MSFs.

The powder is a marbled combination of pale pink, warm brown, glittery gold and rosy pink powders. The overall effect is more of a glow/subtle highlight rather than as a blush. It gives a really nice golden sheen when it is applied. I'm not a fan of the glittery face so I use this as a highlight around the outside of my eye and on the tops of my cheeks. If I'm going out then I will layer it UNDER a matte blush to obtain that 'all over glow.'

The quality of the powder is really nice, but it is a little on the soft side so I would not go anywhere near it with a brush that wasn't from Ecotools (blush brush=win) or the e.l.f. Studio Line Complexion Brush (massive and supper fluffy). Anything stiffer/denser will both destroy the powder and apply enough of the product on your face to make you look like TinkerBell's cousin.

I also like that the veining isn't a set pattern, so it's easy to pick and choose which portions to swipe your brush across depending on the look you are going for. I think if I ever come across another MSF that I like that that will be one of the criteria. It's like having multiple products in one.

Overall-I like it. The color is not as bold as I would have hoped, I really wanted to use it as a straight blush, but that is what I get for not doing enough research beforehand. I feel like if you have lighter skin (around NC30 or below) the pinky-ness of this MSF will show up more. But if you have skin like me and you are looking for that all over glow without the two tons of glitter, I say go for it.

Star Rating- 4/5, A little more pigmentation would make it perfect.

Swatches

The Packaging

Label, label, label

The MSF, comes with a plastic protecting cover

Swatches (They are a little backward): Multi-swatch on above, Single below

Haul #1

Alright, so I have been swatching the rest of my meager makeup 'collection' like crazy. It took a few hours but I worked through all of my pencil liners, single shadows, shadow palettes and face powders (blush/bronzer). So look there will be a boatload of new posts coming soon, I haven't used some of the things as much as I want so I need to try them out before I post everything. But for now I thought I would show you what I picked up recently.

Let's get one thing straight, most of my color cosmetics are from the drugstore and I DO NOT pay full price for them. I refuse, I think it's silly to buy something at full price knowing that within a month there will at least be one store that has that brand on sale. Patience is a virtue and saves my wallet from dire torture.

I picked all of this stuff up at RiteAid and they were at least 40% off. It's rare to find a BOGO Free sale, so 40% is the best you're gonna get. BOGO1/2 seems useless to me, since drugstores are at least $2 more expensive than WalMart or Target it is just better if you pay full price there. But again, I don't do full price.

Haul 1:

~Wet n' Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Palette in Vanity

~Wet n' Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Palette in Greed

~Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Double Face Perfecter in Medium

~NYC Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Bronze Gold (Limited Ed)

~NYC Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Turquoise (Limited Ed)

China Glaze: Spontaneous

The Breakdown

Brand-China Glaze

Color-Spontaneous

Thoughts-I am a China Glaze-aholic. It is by far my favorite polish brand and I love the number of creme polishes that the line contains.

Quality-wise, this is China Glaze so keep your expectations high. It is lovely on many levels, it's the perfect consistency and glides on the nail smoothly. The brush is easy to use, as it is not too thick/thin or stiff/flimsy. Two coats is all you need to get to that coveted opaque status.

The color itself is a really pretty deep lavender. It is a creme (sans sparkle/iridescence) and is also supremely shiny and glorious in many, many ways.

Overall-Do you really need to ask? Just look at the swatches, this polish is amazing. I'm pretty sure that anyone can wear this, anyone darker that NC30 for sure. It's a great creme color that I reach for all the time.

Star Rating- 5/5, I LOOOOOVE this color. Love, Love, Love.

Swatches

Label, Label, Label

Bottle and Swatch

e.l.f: Eyeliner & Shadow Stick in Plum/Purple

The Breakdown

Brand-e.l.f.

Color-Eyeliner & Shadow Stick in Plum/Purple

Packaging- Plastic dual ended pen thing with covers that snap on weakly. The products twists up on either side.

Thoughts-I picked this up when I bought the Black/Smoke one and had no idea what the consistency was like. Clearly, I didn't know better.

Both the shadow and the liner side are very creamy and highly pigmented. They glide on with little to no effort at all and apply just as they look in the tube. Neither side sets, so to keep the product from feeling sticky or moving around a powder shadow is necessary.

The Purple cream shadow is more like an ashy lavender than any purple I have ever seen. It also has a fine silver shimmer running through it. The Plum liner is exactly what it sounds like, a very red/pink based purple. Colorwise, both ends are quite nice.

Overall-I have the same problem with these as the Black/Smoke duo (check that review out for specifics). It just isn't the right formula for what I wanted to use it for and for the way my lids are shaped. Also you can't be an eye toucher or these duos will be a disaster.

Star Rating- 2/5, Good enough quality and will work for lids with no crease or fold, unlike mine.

Swatches

The Packaging

The liner side

The shadow side

Swatches: Single above, Multi below

Again, this stuff smudges so easily

e.l.f: Eyeliner & Shadow Stick in Black/Smoke

The Breakdown

Brand-e.l.f

Color-Eyeliner & Shadow Stick in Black/Smoke

Packaging-Plastic dual ended pen thing with covers that snap on weakly. The products twists up on either side.

Thoughts-I'm not gonna lie, I bought this because Sam from pixiwoo/fashionface.tv used it in her Music Festival tutorial. I was looking for a creamy black liner to go on my waterline that wouldn't smudge on my contacts.

Both the cream shadow and the liner are very soft and creamy and they are also very pigmented. Both ends glide on easily and effortlessly and are easy to blend, but neither of them set so be ready with a translucent or matching shadow to press on top.

What you see is what you are going to get and, with the shadow, the color can be built up. Smoke is a smooth ashy gray color with silver shimmer, very appropriately named. Black is a very dark black liner.

Overall-I really wanted to like this. It just doesn't work with the fold I have in my lids. They smudge like crazy with the lightest touch and the shadow creases like nobody's business, even with a powder shadow on top. I wanted to use it as a base for a black smoky eye, but it is just the wrong product for me.

If you have absolutely no fold or crease (pretty much a monolid) these could work. I liked the colors, I just wish the formula was better.

Star Rating- 2/5, Good quality, but it doesn't work with the lids I have.

Swatches

The Packaging

Shadow side

Liner side

Swatches: Single above, Multi below

What happens when you rub it lightly. Smudge City