Benefit Posie Balm

It seems I've subconsciously decided to review my least favorites from the Sephora give me more lip set first.  This one was a huge fail for me in so many ways but I also hate lip products of this type so I'm a bit biased.

The color is ok I guess...if I hadn't had to swipe it over my lips 5 times to get a bit of pigmentation out of it.  WHY WOULD ANYONE PAY THIS MUCH FOR A BARELY TINTED CHAPSTICK. I just don't understand.  I really don't.  If this was like $4 I'd be giving it a pretty decent review.  I just don't get why anyone would pay this much for a short lasting spec of moisturizing color. Anyway besides the fact that it only lasts an hour and that the pigmentation barely exists look how tiny the amount is that Benefit provided for this sample!! Every other lip product in the box has a generously decent sized amount of product.  The tube in the picture is turned all the way up.  Combine that with the fact that you have to rub this vigorously on your lips to get any color out of it I'll probably use this up in like 3 applications. What the heck Benefit.

On a happier note I am digging using NYX cosmetics glitter liner in crystal pewter as a pop of sparkle on top of my black liquid liner.

Where to buy: benefitcosmetics.com, Sephora, Ulta

Price:  $18

Tarte Lipsurgence Lip Tint in Moody

I received the Sephora Give Me More Lip set for Christmas so I will be slowly swatching and reviewing the contents!  So far I'm pleased with it however there are definitely some shades and formulas that I am not a fan of.  This is one of them.

While I could see this easily appealing to a lot of people the formula just isn't my style.  Its slightly see through instead of opaque and shiny instead of matte.  I just don't feel like myself when I put it on.  It didn't seem drying but it also didn't have the greatest of staying power, which it definitely should for the price.  The color itself is ok but for some reason I just wasn't feeling it.  I don't see myself reaching for this one often.  I actually have yet to try anything by Tarte that I love....

Where to buy: tartecosmetics.com, Sephora, Ulta

Price:  $24

Hello Waffle Hisster Prynne and Detrivore Livor Mortis on the Lips

So remember a bit a go I swatched these two indie shades and did a cute red and purple eye look?  Well not too long after I noticed that they are both lip safe.  The next step seemed pretty obvious.

I love this one!  The purple is so deep and has a really pretty soft metallic sheen to it.  I love how this looks with my skin tone.  I would definitely wear this on my lips again.  It is a bit hard to see....but on my eyelids I am wearing Hodor, in my crease is Not Very Effective, and on my lower lashline is Mother of Dragons, all my Shiro Cosmetics.

This one is definitely a bit more wearable for most people than Livor Mortis however I don't like it on myself that much.  The color comes out as a more pinkish metallic red on my lips.  I think its cute and unique but as far as lips go I would definitely reach for the purple first.

I hope you liked my lip swatches! Prepare to see a lot more Indie on here.  I'm going to be trying to buy more Indie and less everything else.

NYX Cosmetics Matte Lipstick in Tea Rose

So I've been eyeing this lipstick for a while.  And by a while I mean like at least a year.  I'm not sure why I never picked it up...I guess NYX just kept releasing so many unique and crazy colors that I spent my money on them instead.  Well not this time!!

I picked this up during a BOGO 50% off sale along with the Crystal Pewter liner.

This is my first time trying a lipstick from their matte line and I am seriously impressed.  I love it!  It glides on pigmented, matte, and does not seem drying.  The longevity is very nice as well, much better than the wicked lippies.  I am so excited to add this to my collection and I will be wearing it for my super important graduate school interview this weekend. I think it is a great my lip but better shade and is perfect for any professional setting.

Where to buy: Nyxcosmetics.com, Ulta, drugstores

Price: $6

A Break From Makeup: Scrambled Egg and Avocado Open Faced Bagel Breakfast Sandwich

So I don't really know what to call these as I just kind of threw a bunch of my favorite ingredients together this morning to make this yummy breakfast.  It was so good that I really wanted to share it with you guys!!

It looks kind of weird...I know...but oh my was it delicious.

Alright so on to how I made it!

Saute the mushrooms and garlic in 1/4 tbs of olive oil

Put your mini bagels in the toaster oven (or toaster) and get them toasting

Turn the heat down and crack the egg into the pan

quickly add avocado, cheese, spinach, and milk

Turn the heat up to the best temp for scrambling all the ingredients together

Mix in basil and parsley to taste

Scoop your mixture onto the bagels and enjoy!

I was going to initially make this a sandwich but there was too much filling for that to be possible.  The open faced method looks cuter anyway.

Not all the ingredients are listed in the nutrition facts for this meal because things like garlic and basil don't really contribute much calorie wise.  The sodium for this was a bit higher than I was expecting but the protein is nice.  The calories would probably be close to 400 if I would have had a full half an avocado to use...I had to scrape out some brown bits. However you could probably omit the cheese completely....I just really like cheese.  I think adding more mushrooms would have also been better.  This was flavorful enough to eat without the bagels, taking them away would make this much less calorie and carb dense.

Overall this breakfast experiment was a success and I will definitely be making it again!

Colour Pop Lippie To Go Set Featuring Grind, Frenchie, I Heart This, Bichette, and Brink

My wonderful friend got this set for me for Christmas.  I had heard about this cosmetic company and was literally thinking the morning before exchanging presents that I wanted to give the brand a try.  Such a perfect gift with really great timing!

You get 5 mini lipsticks, on one end is the lipstick and the other end is the lip liner.  They are exactly the same color so I'll only be swatching the lipsticks for this set.

Here are all the colors side by side.

Grind- a mid toned purple

Frenchie- a neon red

I HeartThis- a bright fuchsia

Bichette- a deep red

Brink- a pinky rose nude

Grind is quite the awesome color but unfortunately the formula isn't amazing.  As you can see on the lip swatch I had trouble getting the color to stay in the middle of my lips.  It also fades after a few hours or a meal to a neon pink.  I also found it to be a tad drying.  However, the color is nice and if you don't want to pay the $16 for MAC's Heroine, this is a good buy.

Frenchie! This is a very very nice red that glides on smooth and covers well.  There isn't anything too unique about the color but it definitely makes a really nice travel red.  It also fades nicely after a meal with only a slight darker red ring around the lips.  I can't for the life of me use the lip liner half of these, its almost too pointy, I can't get an even line.  However I'm hoping the more I use them and dull down the point the easier it will be to apply.

I Heart This is a pretty generic bright pink.  It is much more wearable than a Barbie doll or super hot pink shade but it is still fairly bright. However, I think it may be slightly dark enough to wear in winter, but for the most part I can see this being a mostly spring and summer kind of color. I think it goes really well with my skin tone. The color glides on easily and does not feel drying.

Besides Brink this is probably the second most often worn lipstick. It is such a nice deep and flattering red.  Its so easy to just throw on and go.  Unfortunately this lipstick can and will be defeated by a more messy meal meaning if I want a long wearing red lip I will still reach for MAC's Russian Red or JCat's Red Potion over this.  Regardless it is a very nice color to keep with my in my travel bag.  you never know when you'll need to rock a red lip on the go!

I thought Brink would be my least favorite because, ew, nude.   However I have worn this one the most so far!!  It is actually a very interesting nude that I feel goes with almost any makeup look.  I have it in my travel bag and wear it all the time when visiting my boyfriend because if we decide to do a little kissing he won't have to worry about getting red or pink all over his face :P

This color goes on smooth and opaque.  Its also non drying.

Overall I like these lipsticks and would definitely buy from this brand in the future as they offer a lot of unique colors for an affordable price.  The lipsticks for the most part are creamy, opaque, and non drying.  The staying power isn't wonderful, its gone after a few hours or a particularly messy meal but that is the case with most lipsticks in this price range so I'm not upset in the least.  They are a truly awesome Christmas gift, thanks Jaime!! <3

Where to buy: colourpop.com

Price:...I don't know it is sold out and they've taken it off the website.  However each full size lipstick or pencil is $5

Indie FOTD With Hello Waffle Cosmetics Hisster Prynne and Detrivore Cosmetics Livor Mortis

Alright! So I've been using Indies for quite some time but for whatever reason I havn't been using them much lately.  I think its because since getting the Urban Decay Electric Palette I've been basing a lot of my looks off of the colors it contains.  Well not today! Today I wanted to do a look featuring two Indie samples I have not tried before.

Here is Hello Waffle Cosmetics Hisster Prynne and Detrivore Cosmetics Livor Mortis.  Hisster Prynne I got with my first Hello Waffle Order (more about that at the end) and Livor Mortis was given to me by a friend who already had a sample in this color.  Anyway, I love purple and red together so these are the perfect pair for me.  Kinda strange that Hello Waffle doesn't put their brand name on their sticker.  I had gotten some full sizes as gifts for friends and they kept asking me to remind them what brand it was.  Also I just realized both of these are lip safe....awww yes!

They swatch beautifully and as you can see even more so when put over a primer.  Hisster Prynne is a nice bright slightly light red.  Livor Mortis is a deep to mid toned purple.  Both are slightly shimmery but are not filled with chunky sparkle.

And here is the look I did with the two colors!  I decided on a purple and red halo eye because why not. I think putting NYX Milk under these would make the colors even greater!

Oh! Good news! I worked my first day as a teaching assistant for a chemistry lab and two of my students  told me they loved my makeup! :D

On my lips is NYX Matte Lipstick in Tea Rose.

I also decided to swatch these colors against a similar color just for comparisons sake.  Against Livor Mortis is Shiro Cosmetics Not Very Effective, a favorite of mine for use as an eye liner.  NVE is much darker and is filled with very chunky sparkles while Livor Mortis is lighter and more shimmery than sparkly.  Both are great!

I didn't have another Indie red at my apartment so I swatched it against BH Cosmetics Aphrodite from the Galaxy Chic Palette.  Aphrodite is a bit darker and more rusty colored while Hisster Prynne is lighter and more on the pink side. I will be getting a full size of Hisster Prynne because I really want a nice red that isn't confined to a palette.

Thanks for reading!

Final Thoughts:

Detrivore: I have now tried two shadows from this brand and I love them both.  Bruise works great as a special effect kind of shadow for...well..bruises.  Livor Mortis could also be incorporated into zombie or halloween makeup effects and just worn alone of course.  I could see this being used as an eyeliner as well, however I probably won't buy the full size.

Where to buy: shirocosmetics.com/products/detrivore/

Price: $1-$6

Hello Waffle: The shadow I got to try is great and because of this I will be ordering again, but I am a bit bummed regarding my last purchase.  On Facebook before Black Friday she had posted that for a day only she was having a buy 3 get one free sale.  This was perfect as I wanted to get three of my friends shadows and then one for myself because I am totally allowed to get Christmas presents for myself!! Anyway I stated in the comment section that I wanted Hisster Prynne as my free shadow as per the Facebook instructions but instead all I got was the sample size. :(

I'm not sure if I just misinterpreted the Facebook sale or if she didn't understand my note.  Either way it was a sad day opening the package.

Regardless I'll be buying the full size this weekend along with Ethereal Voice and maybe something from the Composers collection.  My friend will be placing a joint order with me so at least shipping won't be so damaging.

Where to buy: Hellowafflecosmetics.com

Price: $3.84-$7.09 CAD,  $3.08- $5.70 USD

USD could change based on the current conversion rate at purchase.

NYX Cosmetics Liquid Crystal Liner in Crystal Pewter

I love my liner in Crystal Jade so when NYX was buy one get one 50% off I picked this up.  Its called Pewter but honestly I think its more of a Lilac, there is a subtle purple sheen to it which is 100% the reason I picked it.

This is definitely another winner.  The color is gorgeous and its subtle yet makes a statement.  Although my night class literally just got canceled because of snow that hasn't even happened yet...so no one but you guys will get to see my face today.  Oh well.  I did have to put on 2-3 layers to get the sparkle to this opacity but I don't mind having to build it up because that means if I want to just have a light sparkle dusting I can do that too.   If you like sparkle I definitely recommend these.  I actually like the formula for this one better than Crystal Jade, I don't get the slight skin tugging when I make an exaggerated eye movement. Besides the liner I also have Dust, Buzz, and Nooner from Naked 3 on my eyes.  Liquid liner is Jesse's Girl as always.  On my lips is Frenchie by Colour Pop cosmetics.  The review for it is coming soon!

If it is snowing where you are stay safe please!!

Where to buy: NYXcosmetics.com, Ulta, Drugstores

Price: $4.50