Tag Archives: review

Oct5

Blush, Baby – Maybelline’s Dream Bouncy Swatch In Candy Coral

Posted on by
Standard
Blush, Baby – Maybelline’s Dream Bouncy Swatch In Candy Coral

HELLOOOOOOO! Having a sister is awesome because, other than having a built in BFF, you basically get to double your collection of makeup and clothing. Am I the best at sharing said makeup and clothing? Not always, but that’s neither here nor there. Whenever I’m not really using a product anymore, I always send it Kristen’s way and she does the same for me. Take the blush that you see below, for example. I gave it to Kristen and, probably one year later, she gave it back to me. So, now that it’s back in my possession, you can check out the swatch:

coralcoral1coral2

My favorite non powder blush is definitely the Dream Bouncy collection by Maybelline. It’s creamy, goes on easily, and the pigments are always lovely. Shade 30, Candy Coral, is an underrated member of the Dream Bouncy crew, because it’s not the typical pink or brown blush. But, there’s nothing wrong with trying something a little different, especially when it’s so darn pretty!

Candy Coral is a good layering blush to make whatever shade you put over top of it really pop. It also is the perfect option for a no makeup makeup look if you rock it solo. It has just enough shine and oomph to it that it still takes a natural MOTD to next level fierce. Is this color absolutely necessary in your makeup arsenal? Perhaps not, but it is fun to have and it certainly brightens things up on a no makeup or full face day.

Do you use a cream or powder blush? What is your preferred blush color? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct4

My Scary Movie Must Watch List

Posted on by
Standard
My Scary Movie Must Watch List

Hello! With October officially among us, it is scary movie central now more than ever. But, who am I kidding, it ALWAYS is for Lil Red! If I get to pick the movie, trust and believe that it’s a scary one every time – they’re my fave! There’s something about cuddling up on a chilly October night that takes watching horror films to the next level, though, and below are my must watch films for the month:

  1. The Nun: I actually already saw this movie in theaters and I enjoyed it so much that I’d like to go again. I love The Conjuring movies and I thought that The Nun was excellent. It was dark, the acting was good, there were some amazing scares, AND it tied into some of the story lines from the first and second Conjuring movies. Two thumbs up.

2. Ils: Ils, aka “Them” in French is hands down my favorite horror film aside from the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. A fantastic, fast paced flick that comes to a shocking halt when you realize who’s hunting the hunted. I made my mom watch this movie with me years ago and there’s still certain noises that remind her of the film and freak her out to this day. SO. GOOD. Ten thumbs up!

3. The Strangers: Ils actually leads me into my third must watch pick, which is The Strangers. This is the Americanized version of Ils and, although it didn’t get the best reviews upon release, I deeply enjoyed it. I had to include The Strangers on my list, because it recently got added to Netflix and just seeing the movie cover creeps me out. So much so, that I literally had nightmares about it last night and woke up screaming. True story. It’s your classic home invasion story, but I think that it’s done really well and is definitely worth the watch.

4. 31: I LOVE Rob Zombie movies and, although 31 didn’t receive the best reviews, it’s probably my favorite RZ flick. A campy survival of the fittest film where the unfortunate players of the twisted torture porn game of 31 get killed off one by one by crazy clowns. It has an all around humor to the movie and you can tell that Rob Zombie had a ball making it. It’s also pretty scary, to boot!

5. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: To me, the pinnacle of horror films is the 1974 classic, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Nothing beats it and other than my modern favorite of Ils, it remains untouched by any other movie as my go to flick. It’s raw, it’s intense, and it combines so many elements of really fucked up shit into an actual story line instead of a hodge podge of torture porn. I have seen this movie countless times and it STILL gets me whenever I watch it. It’s the best of the best.

^^^ And, as always, I have no rights to these movies or trailers.

Listed above are just my top five picks and will without a doubt be watched by me this month. But, I also plan on peppering in some of the following:

  1. Saw 1-7
  2. Eden Lake
  3. The Conjuring 1 & 2
  4. Sinister 1 & 2
  5. The Devil’s Rejects
  6. And, of course, seeing the new Halloween in theaters and watching the original.

What is on your Scary Movie Must Watch List for the Halloween season? What are your thoughts on the movies listed above? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep28

Cleveland Aquarium Pics

Posted on by
Standard
Cleveland Aquarium Pics

Hi everyone and happy Friday! I hope all of you had a wonderful week and are looking forward to a fun and relaxing weekend. This past Saturday, I visited the Cleveland Aquarium, and it was mediocre at best for the price of admission. And, we all know that this is no beuno for a gal who balls on a budget! But, I did get some nice pictures of the undersea life that was there so take a look and let’s discuss:

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The total cost of admission was twenty dollars as well as a six dollar parking fee and the time spent in the aquarium amounted to barely an hour and a half. This was disappointing to me because, although the displays that were there looked cool, I felt like I wasn’t getting a lot of bang for my buck. The aquarium, in total, was three or four rooms with spaced out displays and, then, two other rooms with full room displays that included a string ray touch tank and the shark tank with a walk in tunnel.

I really enjoyed the shark room and the walk in tunnel was really neat and long in length. However, the other rooms that had spaced out displays featuring aquatic life of different countries left a lot to be desired. There were about three or four tanks per room and that was it. So, it felt more like a large, well decorated pet store than an actual aquarium.

If you are planning a trip to the Cleveland Aquarium, my best advice to you is don’t. You are much better off spending a day at the Cleveland Zoo, which provides you with an excellent value for your money, as it is a whole park rather than just a handful of rooms. It is also cheaper than the Aquarium, too! 😀

What is your favorite activity to do in a big city near you? Who else has a zoo or aquarium close by? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep6

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Balm & Sugar Scrub Review

Posted on by
Standard
Bite Beauty Agave Lip Balm & Sugar Scrub Review

Hello! For a while now, my Bite Beauty Agave Lip Balm & Sugar Scrub has been sitting in my bathroom waiting to be used. Since my birthday in June, more specifically, because it was part of my Beauty Insider birthday treat from Sephora. Don’t ask me why I never used it, because I don’t know. But, I am glad that I held off, because it definitely came in handy last week!

bitee1

While I was sick with the flu, my skin suffered because I was so dehydrated. My lips took a real beating, and by the time I was feeling better, they were raw from the cracking and peeling. I was picking at them until they bled (Shame on me!), and there still seemed to be dead skin that I wasn’t getting. So, I enlisted the help of the Bite balm and scrub.

First, I used the sugar scrub to buff my lips and try to remove any excess skin that was hanging on. The scrub tasted great – like sugar and honey. It worked well, too! I let it sit on my lips and rubbed them back and forth for a handful of minutes and they felt awesome after wiping the product off. They were so smooth and a good amount of yucky stuff came off, too. But, not all of the huge pieces of skin that hurt too bad to remove came off.

Instead of trying to take matters into my own hands, I applied the balm. The Agave Balm was nice and thick and I put a generous amount on my lips. Both the balm and scrub had a really tasty honey aroma, and the balm sat really well – no budges or anything. After an hour or so, I checked the progress on my lips and was able to remove the rest of the excess pain free. It also helped take away the stinging pain that comes with severely chapped lips.

My lips felt really good after using the sugar scrub and balm duo. It felt amazing to get them back to feeling normal after being so sick and they were even better than how they were before falling ill. I liked this product, and I would love to make a DIY sugar scrub so that I can indulge in this treat more often. I don’t think that I would purchase the Bite Beauty combination, though, just because a cheaper alternative is definitely out there somewhere!

Who has a good sugar scrub recipe? How do you take care of your lips? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug30

Sephora Brand Lipstick Review In The Red

Posted on by
Standard
Sephora Brand Lipstick Review In The Red

Hey! After unboxing my goodies from one of Sephora’s Play! boxes, a lot of you took interest in the Sephora brand lipstick that I received in The Red. If you can remember from the swatching post, I definitely didn’t care for this color because of its heavy blue undertones. But, I love you all so much that I thought I would give it a try so that I could accurately review it. Here we go:

thereddthered3thered2

My first impression of this lipstick was that the application for it was quite difficult. It didn’t want to work on the corners of my lips at all. It applied well to my top and bottom lip, but when I got to the corners, color wasn’t even getting on them even though I was rubbing it on. So that kind of sucked. The texture of this lippie is also really creamy, so that made the application a little tricky for me, because I’m so used to matte. It glided on well, but it got everywhere outside of my lips, so touch ups were much needed.

Once the lipstick was on, I put it to the ultimate task of eating lunch and seeing what happened. I had cheese and crackers with mustard to dip it in and I made no efforts to eat carefully. I was really hungry so I was ravenous and I figured that the lippie would be all over my face after that feeding frenzy. But, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it didn’t budge at all, and it was very easy to wipe off afterwards.

After having this Sephora brand lipstick on, I still don’t think that I would use it in a color that I like, because I am not a cream lippie girl. And, the difficulty with applying it was definitely a turn off for me. I wouldn’t recommend this product, though, because there are a lot of other brands that are cheaper and do a cream lipstick much better.

Final Verdict: Don’t bother.

Are you a fan of Sephora brand products? What is your favorite cream lipstick? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug29

Face Mask Festivities: Andalou Naturals Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Brightening Mask Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Face Mask Festivities: Andalou Naturals Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Brightening Mask Edition

Hello! The face mask that we will be discussing today is one that I strongly urge that none of you buy, because it was honestly the worst mask I’ve ever used in my life. Its literal only saving grace was that it smelled like Pumpkin Spice Lattes, but don’t get it twisted, because this mask burned like the DICKENS. Take a look at some pics and let’s get to it:

andalouandalou1andalou2

^^^ Although the color of this mask looks pumpkin-y, it actually went on clear. So, a picture of it on wasn’t necessary.

I shit you guys not, within one minute of this Andalou Naturals mask being on, I felt a burning in my skin that was so intense that I needed to wash it off immediately. My skin felt red hot and the sensation of my face being on friggen fire made me scrub my skin raw trying to get all of the mask off. And, to think it said leave it on for ten to twenty minutes on the directions! I THINK NOT!!

If you want to feel like a scalding hot Pumpkin Spice Latte just got thrown on your face, then this is definitely the mask for you. But, if not, then don’t go anywhere near this product, because it sucked on ice. And, that’s all I have to say about that. SMH.

Which products have you used that have irritated your skin? What has been the worst face mask that you’ve ever used? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug25

Face Mask Festivities: Fresh Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Face Mask Festivities: Fresh Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask Edition

Hi everyone and welcome to a new edition of Face Mask Festivities! Today, we are going to be discussing a mask that I got to test out, compliments of a freebie sample from Sephora. The brand is called Fresh and it is their Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask. This single use packet was a nice way to see if this product or something similar would be something that I would like to use in the future. But, sadly, it was not. So, take a look at some pics and let’s get to it:

freshteafreshtea1freshtea2

^^^ As you can see from the color of this mask, it went on clear. So, a picture of the mask on wasn’t going to do much good!

If you read the back of the packet where it describes the Fresh mask, you can see that this product wasn’t meant to do much but hydrate the skin. That’s all very well, but I prefer for my masks to have a more detoxifying element to it, because I have plenty of moisturizers and my Vitamin E face mask from The Body Shop to hydrate my face for me. Sticking to these products, instead of buying a face mask, is a cheaper and just as effective way to keep my skin supple and moisturized without adding an additional step to my skin care routine.

Despite the above opinions, I will say that this Fresh mask felt awesome when it was on. It was very invigorating and it made my skin tingle, which was a lot of fun. But, the Black Tea mask was scent and color free which took away some of the enjoyment out of slathering on a face mask after a long day.

Final Verdict: You could live without this mask.

What is your favorite face mask to use? What has been a mask that you’ve used that you’re not crazy about? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug24

Posh Polishes Pt. 2: Londontown Haul

Posted on by
Standard
Posh Polishes Pt. 2: Londontown Haul

Hi everyone! I hope that all of you are having a great week and are looking forward to an exciting weekend ahead of you. Londontown is back with a vengeance for their Fall 2019 collection featuring hues that are so rich and vibrant that I promise you’ve never seen anything like it before. And, did I mention that all of their products are vegan and cruelty free so that you can buy their products guilt free? Yeah, I said it! Londontown’s Fall 2019 collection will make you feel so posh and downright sexy, so I better get to showing the shades off before the anticipation drives you mad! Check it out:

ltown7ltown2ltownltown1ltown6ltown3ltown5ltown4

Seen from top to bottom:

Vendetta: This deep scarlet shade is so fetching for fall and sticks true to its namesake, because nothing makes me think of a Vendetta more than a striking shade of dark red. Londontown keeps this color cool with blue undertones but, don’t let that fool you, because Vendetta is red hot.

Kissed By Rose Gold: The slogan for Londontown’s Fall 2019 collection is “Back with a vengeance”, and it sure does it sweetly with Kissed By Rose Gold. This gorgeous metallic shade gives you just the right amount of sparkle and edginess, emulating this past year’s “it” color to perfection.

Jane Austen: A true heroine wouldn’t be complete without a signature shade, and that’s where Jane Austen comes in. This light hued lavender gives you romance, but the smokiness to it adds drama and mystery. Long story short, I’m sure Jane Austen would approve!

Iconic: Go ahead and make a statement with Iconic, an electric blue that’s sure to shock! This shade allows you to bring some brightness to a grey fall day in a way that’s chic and fashion forward. Revel in the stares and compliments, because this shade is totally Iconic.

Can’t settle on one shade? Fear not! All of these colors compliment each other well, so feel free to give yourself an accent nail or two!

And, don’t forget your base and top coat:

Londontown’s Nail Hardener & Base Coat gives you such amazing benefits that is almost seems too good to be true. Not only does it improve the appearance of dry, brittle nails but, it also prevents staining and creates a durable surface to bond your polish for extended wear, which gives you the most bang for your buck. This product is a base coat and treatment all in one and is an absolute must when giving yourself a mani.

And, of course, it’s a necessity to finish off your spa night by applying a Protective Top Coat to your nails. Londontown’s top coat will give your manicure the power to be chip resistant, super shiny, and well protected against damaging external elements, which also gives you the most bang for your buck! Need I say more about how this product is also an absolute must?

Stand in your power and enter each room throughout the day with a vengeance, thanks to Londontown’s stunning fall collection. And, if you can’t think of a catchphrase better than “Back with a vengeance”, then it’s totally okay to let your nails do the talking!

What is your favorite color from this post? Who plans on shopping Londontown soon? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug19

Givenchy Le Rouge Liquide Swatch In Rose Flanelle

Posted on by
Standard
Givenchy Le Rouge Liquide Swatch In Rose Flanelle

Hello everyone! I hope that all of you are having a wonderful weekend so far! Today, we are going to talk about the absolutely awesome free sample that I got from shopping Sephora – three different colored dollops of Givenchy’s Le Rouge Liquide. It even came with its own application wand! As you can tell by its name, this collection is all about shades of red, which is right up my alley. But, we’re going to talk about a more pinky shade today. Take a look at Rose Flanelle and let’s discuss:

givenchy1givenchy3givenchy2givenchy4

The first thing that I will say about this product is that I think that the advertising for it is all wrong. The tagline is “The couture twist for soft matte lips”, but this lippie is a gloss through and through. There really is nothing matte about it. It went on shiny, it stayed shiny, it remained wet after a half hour, and it was slightly sticky to the touch. So, if you are looking for a true matte lip color, then I would not recommend Le Rouge Liquide.

BUT, if you are looking for a really pretty pink gloss, then I would definitely recommend Le Rouge Liquide in Rose Flanelle. Not only does this watermelon pink color look delicious, but it smells it, too! This product smells so sugary sweet and even though its semi sticky, it came off of my hands with one swipe of a towel with water on it, which is super sweet in itself!

Even though I am not the biggest pink or gloss girl in the world, I would be willing to try this color with a more simple eye makeup. A little bit of the color went a long way for this swatch so I will still have a lot more to play with in my sample. So fun! 😀

Are you a matte or gloss girl? Would you still buy this product even though it’s not a true matte as advertised? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug17

Sephora Cream Lipstick Swatch In The Red

Posted on by
Standard
Sephora Cream Lipstick Swatch In The Red

Hi everyone and TGIF! Today we are going to swatch the lippie that I got in my Sephora Play! box, which is by Sephora’s own brand. In this post, we’re just going to swatch the cream lipstick called The Red. But, as per request of some of my readers, there will be a future post with a review on the quality of the product when it’s actually on. I haven’t heard the best things about the Sephora brand products, so we’ll see what happens. And, we all know that I prefer a matte finish so I’ll be dragging my feet to wear it until I’m totally out of post ideas! Lol! But, for now, take a look at some swatch pics and let’s discuss:

theredthered1thered2thered3

My first impression of this lipstick was that it had a really good application. It glided onto my hand smoothly and it washed off easily with some micellar water. My second impression, unfortunately, was that this lippie was not going to look very good on me. The Red seems to have a lot of The Blue undertones to it, which clashes really badly with my hair. My red hair has a distinctive orange undertone to it, so this lippie would look super clown like on me. Not a good look!

Will I give The Red a try solely to satisfy my readers? Of course! Will I be thrilled about it? Naw, that ain’t me, dawg. But, I love you all so much that I’ll do it anyways! ❤ ❤ ❤

What is your favorite shade of lipstick? How do you feel about Sephora brand products? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah