Smashbox Beauty Exposed Kit......DUPES!!!

" O_o, that looks pretty... yum that smells nice.... ahhh shinny glitter, drool, MUST have!"

Every time I walk into a store/drugstore that sells makeup, I feel like a kid in a candy store :) I love beauty products!!!! Lotions, masks, makeup, perfumes ... anything remotely beauty related, I've GOT to have it!

Same situation when I walked into ULTA and bought the Smashbox Beauty Exposed Kit. I saw it, I wanted it, I bought. Mission accomplished :)

What's included: 

• PHOTO FINISH FOUNDATION PRIMER (travel size)

This is one of my favorite face primers, so the fact that it was included in the kit was a selling point enough for me.

• BEAUTY EXPOSED EYE SHADOW PALETTE WITH SOFT LIGHTS

Such gorgeous colors! They look okay in the palette, but when you wear them they give such a nice frosty pearlescent effect.

• LIP ENHANCING GLOSS in STARFRUIT (travel size)

Nothing really special but a nice color anyways

• BLUSH RUSH in PEONY

Once again a nice coral/pink color. A little chalky but a nice color anyways.

• EYE PENCIL in STONE

Dark brown liner pencil. I liked that it was very easy to apply and I think its best suited for a smudged smokey look.

(bottom is Smashbox in stone, top is Wet N' Wild in Dark Brown. Both are very similar, although the picture is showing the top one to be more reddish.)

Overall: if you have the $39 USD  to spend, do it. It's a nice kit, nice products, nothing too flashy, but great quality.

HOWEVER!!!! All the products are dupeable!!!!!

The eyeshadows are very similar to Covergirl's Shimmering Sands

the lip gloss is  similar to Wet N' Wild Mega Slick in Panning for Gold/Candy Apple

The eyeliner is very  similar to Wet N' Wild's dark Brown eyeliner and the blush is comparable to ELF's Twinkle Pink

So it's up to you, pay $39 or for about 1/4 of the price get basically the same thing :)

MASSIVE $255 MAKEUP HAUL!!!!

Oh dear lord, what have I done!!! Yes, you read right, my dumb butt just bought $255 worth of makeup. WHAT!!! But to save face, I swear it wasn't ALL my fault. The evil lady at ULTA, distracted me with her caked on makeup and spiderlashes and fooled me into buying stuff I didn't even need:)

I went in originally to buy some higher end products for my lovely mother. It's her birthday in a few days, and gosh darnit, the woman deserves some pretty products as well. However, I got selfish. Whoops. If you've been to ULTA then you know that they sell higher end products on one side and drugstore products on the other. So jee, hmmm where do you think I ended up? Yup!

I practically skipped to checkout line thinking I had done fairly well, but when the handsome man behind the counter said " That will be $255" I literally passed out. Seriously, my evil sister who I only see every other month and had egged me on to buying half the stuff, literally had to grab my hand, cause I was seeing stars before my eyes.

Sighhh......so what does one get with that much money? Not much.

Ladies, ladies, ladies. Luckily ULTA has a really good return policy, because there is no way I could live with myself if I spent 1/3 of my rent money on MAKEUP! I mean I love cosmetics, but I love a roof above my head more :) And, yes some of you may be thinking, why didn't I just return some products then? Well, soorrry,I got I selfish again. I thought it would make for some reviews, so be prepared :)

Wet N Wild Color Icon Palettes...Discontinued????

Ladies.....ladies.......ladies. My heart is a little broken today. Not only did I wake up to rainy, gloomy morning, but yes its true, Wet N' Wild is discontinuing their color icon palettes!......Maybe.

Alright,  so if you live under a rock or possibly in a remote jungle in Asia, you probably have not heard of the Wet N" Wild color Icon Palettes. However, for the remainder of the world, these palettes have been accessible for the past two years. Once deemed the worst drugstore line, Wet N' wild not only reinvented their image but their products as well and invented one my "holy grail" products.

Product: Over the past few years, there have been about six different palettes that have been released to the public. While some of them were specifically for holiday promotions, the Vanity (pictured above), Lust (purple hues), Pride (combination of blues and greens) have always been available year round. Included in each palette are six shadows, ranging from matte, frost and shimmer. The shadows themselves are SOOOOOO  pigmented and soft making them very blendable and wearable. Mix and match as you choose from any palette because  the colors complement each other so well

Packaging: There is no gimic. Simple plastic casing with six shadows and two applicator brushes, which compared to other brands, are not half bad if you use a light hand with them.

Pricing: $3-$6 USD depending on location and availability.

Overall: Seriously if you do not own at least one of the color icon palettes, go and get one! The product is phenomenal and the product is unbeatable! Plus if you are a fan of MAC cosmetics, the palettes have some great dupes for neutral colors! 

As far as Wet N' Wild discontinuing their most successful line  EVER......eeehhhh, not sure. But just as a precaution, you can bet I'm going to be stocking up on backups :)

:) :) :) :) :)

Review: Revlon Colorstay Foundation

After hearing much hype about this product on various websites and video sharing sites, I decided it was time to try this product out. So I drove my lazy butt to my local Rite Aid and bought the Revlon Colorstay for combo/oily skin for $13!!!

                                        

Honestly if this product didn't work I was going to be PISSED, but fortunately it worked out great :) The product  in it self is a thick and dense consistency, and A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY! Wanting to cover all my ugly blemishes the first time I tried it, I was stuck on the idea that more is better, but after massaging a giant goop into my cheek I realized what an icky mistake I just had made

PROS:

Coverage: FULL coverage! Very buildable but you have to be quick with the application because it gets tacky and unblendable fairly quick. Therefore it is best to work in small patches and remeber to mix it with your favoirte moisturizer for a lighter coverage adn feel.

Lasting Power: This stuff is like super glue! Once on, its there all day. I have very oily skin and makeup normally doesn't stay on for very long, but for me even at the end of the day I need a few makeup wipes to take all the foundation off.

Range: This line of foundations has a  large color selection so it is fairly easy to find the right shade or combination of shades that you need

CONS:

Packaging: Hate is a strong word, but I HATE the packaging of this product! Like other foundations, Colorstay comes in a glass twist top container and you have to pour the product out. This is not only unhygienic, but after using it carefully for a few weeks, it gets really messy and goopy after a while. 

Price: For a drugstore foundation, this product is among the most expensive. $13 really! 

Overall: I would buy this product again, it covers everything, stays on all day even on my oily skin, and since a little  goes a long way, the product lasts a long time since you dont have to re purchase it all the time.

:) :) :) :)