Saturday, January 21, 2012

Must or Bust: Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters

Hey, everyone, it's Emilyann tuning in again.

Today I have a review for you on a new product out in the drugstore makeup aisle.  I went to Ulta about a week ago and picked up a few things.  One of those things was one of the new Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters.  I've heard several beauty bloggers rave about these, so I decided to try it out myself.

What is your overall opinion?  I love this product.  It is not a lipstick, but it isn't a gloss or balm either.  The name says it all.  They have a very body-buttery texture.  I picked up the color 075 Lollipop which is a bright fuchsia color.  I don't go for bright makeup a lot of the time, but if I am going to go brighter, I almost always do it on my lips.  I thought at first this color would be too daring for me, but I took the chance.  Although it is a bit out of my comfort zone, I found it's actually really wearable.  You can wear it alone or with a shimmery gloss over.  I love it both ways.

How much have you worn/do you think you will wear this product? I've already worn it twice in the week that I've had it, so I have a feeling I'll be wearing it a lot, especially in the spring and summer as it is a summery color.

Is it practical? Yes, very.  It's longlasting and comfortable.  I love the look of lipstick, but I'm not a big fan of the hassle or the texture.  These lip butters feel like conditioners, but the color is pigmented and it has the look of a satin lipstick.

Is it expensive?  I think it's reasonably priced.  I got mine for $7.49 at Ulta, and while this might seem like a lot, higher end lipsticks usually range from 15-30 dollars.  I think here you are definitely paying for the product, and not the packaging or label, which is the case with a lot of higher end makeup.

Would you repurchase?  Definitely.  I'm already planning to go back soon to get more colors.

How is the packaging? Adorable and practical.  You can see the color both at the top and the bottom, making it ideal for upright lipstick holders. The top stays on and it's sturdy. Plus it's just super cute.

Are there things you dislike about the product? It isn't as longlasting as a lipstick, and needs to be reapplied halfway through the day.

Would you recommend this product? Yes!  Especially if you're like me where you want more pigment than a lip gloss, but you hate the texture of lipstick.  This is a great product, and I highly recommend it!

How many stars? I'd give this product four and a half stars. :)

What are some products you guys have been thinking about testing out?

xx,
Emilyann

Thursday, January 19, 2012

How to Pick a Scent: Dos and Don'ts

Hey, y'all, it's Caroline.

Here's a quick guide to scents.  Let me know if you have any questions, and I'll answer them in the comments below!

{Types of Scents}

  1. Perfume: The strongest scent other than just pure concentrates.  This is usually the most expensive, and it lasts all day long on your skin. It's best to apply solely to your skin in small amounts. 
  2. Eau de Toilette:  This is the second strongest type of scent spray.  You can usually reapply this once or twice throughout the day, and you can spray it on your hair, clothes, and skin.
  3. Cologne:  The weakest of the three, cologne can be applied multiple times and can be misted in the air and walked through to catch the smell.  This is usually cheaper than the other two.


{Don'ts}


  • DON'T purchase a scent for someone else unless you know it's one that they like already.  Scents are incredibly personal and change based on body chemistry.
  • DON'T purchase a scent online unless you've tried it on your skin before.  Just because it smells awesome on your friend doesn't mean it will work with your skin.
  • DON'T keep your scents in a really humid, hot, bright place.  Try to store away from direct sunlight.  I like to keep mine in a fabric baggy under my vanity.
  • DON'T rub your wrists together after applying a spray.  Instead, spritz one spray on one wrist and then gently press your wrists together.  If you rub the spritz, it breaks up the scent.  Give it time to just soak into your skin and be gentle with it.
  • DON'T spray perfumes in the air and step through them.  You can do this with colognes and eau de toilettes, but perfumes are expensive and it can waste product.  It won't stick to your skin as well this way, either.
  • DON'T over apply.  This is common sense, but just be careful.  Some people, especially pregnant women, can't bear overpowering scents, and it's just polite to hold back a little.
{Dos}

  • DO apply eau de toilettes and colognes to your hair.  People will get a nice whiff when you move and when they hug you.  One spritz usually does the trick; anymore would be overkill.
  • DO spray in specific locations.  Usually one spray to the wrist, and press your wrists together gently, one spray to the neck, and one to the hair if it's an eau de toilette or cologne.  Other good places are behind your ears with a perfume and on your scarf or shirt (if it's an eau de toilette or cologne.)
  • DO mix and match.  Find scents that work well together.  You can layer eau de toilettes and colognes, but be careful not to over do it.  Maybe try a spritz of one on your wrists and a spritz of a different one on your neck.
  • DO buy little bottles.  Unless there's one scent in particular that's your "signature," buy small bottles so you can use them up and buy new ones.  Big bottles can last for ages without emptying, but will go bad before you can finish.  So to prevent waste and save money, buy travel sizes, half sizes, or samples unless you know you'll finish a large bottle.
  • DO figure out your "smell."  If you generally like sweeter scents, don't buy Taylor Swift's "Wonderstruck" just because that's the cool thing to do!  Use what smells good on you and don't worry about brands.
  • DO ask for samples.  A lot of stores will give you itsy bitsy sizes or roller balls that last a surprisingly long time. But to be polite, always buy something if you're going to ask for samples.
I hope that helped!  If you have any questions, just ask away and I'll respond.  

Have a good day and don't be smelly.

-Caro

Monday, January 9, 2012

Inspired.


Hello to you all! A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

I've been feeling especially creative lately. Which is great because I wouldn't classify myself as an artsy person per say. Thats part of why I love watching all the other girls on here and all the creative things to do with just makeup or a hairstyle! So I thought I'd try and be creative too. See how it works out. I've been planning on doing a haul video one of these days, but after seeing Caroline's adorable one I'm a little scared too. :P So I planned on retreating back to pictures to show you some of the things I got for Christmas. But then I thought, wheres the fun in that? I always do that. 

Thats when I got inspired. I love looking at lookbooks. They're like magazines but so much better. Ruche always has the loveliest ones and some of those fancy-schmancy designers who I'll probably never get to wear but can still drool over generally have splendid ones as well. And sometimes they even have look films. I'm sure they're not really called that. Probably something much more official. But I don't know the term. So in my mind they're lookfilms. Anyway I decided to show you my new Christmas dress and coat in a lookfilm. Fancy right? So here's my first attempt. Before you make any judgments keep in mind I filmed this by my lonesome with an iPhone. Come to think of it I must have looked quite hilarious prancing about, balancing my phone on various trees and rocks to take a video...  All this to say I hope you enjoy watching as much as I enjoyed making it. <3

Oh and notice I tried do Caroline's french make-up tutorial in this as well! See I told you I was inspired. 





=)


Black & Brown Opaque Tights: New York & Company
Brown Leather Boots: Vintage? 
Vintage Dress Coat: Philanthropy 
Nail Polish: O.P.I. Cheyenne Pepper


Laughter and Song,
Elizabeth 

A haul. Because I like to talk and I like to shop.

Hello, everyone!  I've got another video for you (I'm on a roll with this new camera I have).

It's a haul.  I love to watch hauls more than almost any kind of YouTube video.  Don't ask me why because I wouldn't be able to tell you.  I always get excited when I see them in my YT subscription box.  So I talked to the other girls and they agreed that I should do a haul since I have some recent gifts/purchases!

Heeeere we go!  And I made an attempt to be a little more me and not look depressed like in the last few videos.  The camera makes me really quite nervous.



And the lighting shifts a lot during the video, but that's because it went from being sunny outside to being stormy and I can't afford professional lighting.  So.  Yeah.

Have you bought/been given anything recently that you're super excited about?

Hope you have a fantastic day!

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Messy Braid Hair Tutorial

Hello, everyone!

You're getting two videos back to back!  I've been planning this tutorial for quite a while, but just didn't have the time to sit down and film/edit it for a while.  I hope you like it, I've been wearing it often.  It's cute, simple, and soo quick, you wouldn't believe.

There's two ways to approach this messy braid.  The actual MESSY version, and the kind of princess-y like variation as well.  Both are featured in this video, so there's a little variation for everyone.  :)

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas break.  I'm wearing my new present in this video, my Snitch necklace.  I'm in love.  Shout out to all of the fellow Harry Potter lovers who read our blog!  :)

Enjoy the video!





Support the band who wrote and preformed the music I featured in the video- "like" Saticoy on Facebook!

xx,
Emilyann