beauty wing

2012-08-19T06:30:00.001-07:00

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Lush Sultana of Soap Review!

2012-06-30T16:38:00.001-07:00

I really adore Lush products. They have really good-quality, natural and reliable things for your face, body, and hair. Recently I purchased the Sultana of Soap which I use as an allover body soap in the shower.

The soap is fantastic. It's super creamy and has quite a fruity topping at the edge. It looks kind of oatmeal-y and smells amazing. The soap slices nicely--I always cut a thin slice to keep in my shower because I have a pretty big chunk of it, and you can request a certain amount of the soap when you go into the store. (The soaps are all manufactured as a giant piece because originally the owners of the first store didn't have a lot of money and used kitty litter containers to mold the soaps--fun fact!)

The soap is very moisturizing and leaves a lingering scent on the skin. It suds up pretty well without a loofah (I prefer to just rub it between my hands under some running water in the shower) and is gentle enough to be used on my face (I have combination to oily skin.). The soap sits in a closed drawer in my half-bathroom, completely wrapped up in its paper and in a Lush bag, yet the scent still manages to float about in the air. I adore it. I will most definitely be repurchasing this product and imagine buying it for my friends and family as gifts too!

LORAC Private Affair Palette Review!

2012-06-10T13:55:00.003-07:00

The LORAC Private Affair Palette is the perfect set of eyeshadows for a dramatic night-out look, a purple spin on the classic smoky eye, or a very shimmery neutral eye. You can find it at Sephora for $38, and it comes with a mini version of Lorac's eye primer and a dual-ended brush that is advertised as a blender and smudger.

Unfortunately, I never touched the primer for the first month that I had this and then when I took these photos and revisited the primer, it was
COMPLETELY dried up. I even tried cutting the tube open and mixing the now dried up paste with some water but it didn't budge. (So, the photos of the eyeshadow swatches "with primer" are shown over a layer of Mac's Paintpot in Soft Ochre.)

(From left to right) A light peachy champagne with light shimmer, a light beige champagne with a slightly chunky silver shimmer, a light to medium soft brown with silver shimmer, a medium grayed silver with shimmer, a medium plum with pinkish-plum shimmer, a deep violet with lots of pinkish purple shimmer.

The box has a pretty purple "snakeskin"-style cover and a plate with the LORAC brand name imprinted on it. The cover stays shut with a pretty strong magnet, and there isn't much binding between the cover and the palette itself because the box never stays open on its own. (A bit of a pain.) I wish there was more support on the cover to allow it to stay open when open, yet still close shut securely with the magnet. But that's okay.

The box comes with a cute little pull-out drawer with a handle that matches the metal on the nameplate, and has two separated sections (one wider than the other). I use this drawer to hold lashes that don't have any other home and lash glue, and sometimes brushes when I'm traveling with it.

In order from palette from left to right, top to bottom. W/O primer.

The shadows are all shimmery, although, the fifth color (the plum) shows up a lot less shimmery than the rest. Also, the first two colors are much more shimmery than the rest of the colors. The last shade (the dark purple) is full of beautiful pinkish-purple sparkles that transfer fairly well, but subtly, onto the skin. These shadows have quite a bit of fallout when they are picked up with a brush from the palette and when they apply onto the skin, even over a primer, but the texture is extremely soft and silky. The pigmentation is great and all of the darker colors apply opaque instantly without the need for many layers or applications. With a primer, the colors last for hours without creasing or fading.

WITH primer. (MAC Paintpot)

The brush isn't very good. The bristles are stiff and the brush isn't very full with bristles. While the "blending" side (wide) can be used to pack on a very thin, light layer of color, it isn't ideal for using with shadows at all. The "smudger" side (a bit tapered and thinner) isn't really good for much, either, but can be used in a pinch for placement of color prior to blending, or smudging out a line of shadow or liner.

Milani Liquif'eye Eyeliner Pencil in 01 Black Review!

2012-06-10T13:06:00.001-07:00

Hi! I recently purchased this eyeliner from the drugstore because I heard so many great things about it and I really like it. You can find this Milani Liquif'eye Metallic Eyeliner Pencil at Walmart for about $6, and CVS for about $8 (where I live). The prices will vary depending on where you buy it.

This eyeliner is quite pigmented and a very rich, creamy black. The staying power is excellent, even on the waterline, but is a bit messy to use. The first time I sharpened it I had a bit of a problem because the product itself within the pencil was very creamy and melt-y, probably because of the heat.

This liner blends beautifully into a smoky liner on the lid and glides easy on the skin, the lower waterline, and the upper waterline. The color is very dark and gives a dramatic effect. I find that this black is as dark as, if not DARKER than, my MAC Fluidline Gel Eyeliner.

I heard that this liner is very comparable to its drugstore sister, the L'Oreal Hip Color Chrome Eyeliner which I just purchased yesterday and will be reviewing very soon.

I really love drugstore eyeliners because they are often just as good as the high-end brands and can be purchased for such a more affordable price.

Check this eyeliner out at your local drugstore for that staple black liner that you need in your collection. :)

Left, one stroke. Right, blended with finger.

Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Soft Plum Review!

2012-05-20T15:31:00.001-07:00

Hello! I've had this Dream Mousse Blush by Maybelline for a little while now. It's discontinued by Maybelline according to the website, but I know that it is still available in some drugstores and on other various websites. I got it for about $7.

The packaging is really cute. I'm a sucker for glass pots, though I'm not sure why...

The texture of the blush is, as advertised, a mousse. It's kind of like a "whipped" consistency. Soft Plum is a medium-deep pink with gold sparkles. The sparkles are pretty chunky, rather than shimmery, but they don't transfer very much onto the skin. The color payoff is okay, not great. Take note, though, that I'm pretty picky when it comes to blushes. I rarely like blushes unless they have really high pigmentation.

Flash Photo

Unlike many other beauty people out there, I'm not the biggest fan of this product. The color doesn't spread very evenly for me, and even though the color is quite pretty and complementary to my skin, it doesn't last at all. It seems as though the color absorbs into my skin fairly quickly so it doesn't stay all day.

Flash Photo

This is an okay product for on-the-go or touch ups when you don't have a mirror or time because you can just slap it on without looking and know that it's visible on your cheeks.

Normally, I like cream blushes a lot. I have a few that work really well for me, but the mousse is definitely meant to be lighter and more subtle than a cream. Regardless, I prefer powder and a few cream blushes. I wouldn't repurchase this.

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer Review!

2012-05-20T15:15:00.002-07:00

Hard Candy, a brand found at Wal-Mart (and I'm not sure where else), has a pretty popular concealer that they call Glamoflauge Heavy Duty Concealer. I recently purchased it for only about $6 and am highly impressed.

The concealer comes in a little squeeze tube with 0.71 oz of product. It also includes a concealer pencil. I have this in tan, and it works wonders for my under eye circles! I have a little bit of darkness, some days darker than others, under my eyes. I also have some sunspots and other discoloration on my cheekbones. I normally use my Benefit Erase Paste concealer in medium, but I find that the Hard Candy matches my skin a lot better.

Flash photo

The concealer is very thick and creamy, and the tiniest amount goes quite a long way. The only problem I have with this product is the longevity. For me, it fades throughout the day because I have relatively oily skin. If I set it with powder, it lasts a bit longer. My skin is generally normal and very well-behaved, but my eye area is a little bit oily.

The color blends well and is buildable as long as you wait for the coats to fully dry before adding more. Overall, really good product! Not my #1 concealer, but for the price, it's unbeatable.

Upcoming Reviews!!

2012-05-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

Hello my beautiful beauty wingers :)

The month of May is super crazy for me with tests, SATs, AP Exams, a trillion performances and shows, rehearsals, and more. BUT, it just so happens that it is also a month in which I have already purchased several new items that I'm DYING to review! So, just in case it takes me a little while to get them all up here, here are the things that I will be reviewing this month (and maybe spilling into June a bit, if I really need to!)...

1. LUSH Bubblegum lip scrub
2. NARS blush in Orgasm
3. Smasbox O-Gloss
4. ~~Hard Candy Glamoflauge concealer~~
5. ~~LORAC Private Affair Palette~~
6. MAC Lipstick in Secret Lover (discontinued, from the mac me over collection)

And more to come, I'm sure ;)

I look forward to putting these up soon! See you soon :D

Be happy, <3,
Hannah

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Sultry Sable Review! (+ a makeup look overview)

2012-05-06T15:48:00.003-07:00

Hi! I recently wore this makeup look and it was such a big hit that I decided to do a little overview of what I'm wearing... plus a mini review of my new lipstick :)

I'm not much of a lipstick girl unless it's a statement color, so when my sister gave me this one I had to use it right away. This is Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipstick in 646 Sultry Sable. It's a creme lipstick with a nice matte with a little bit of pearl finish. The color is close to burgundy, purple, and even a deep pink. I love it. It lasted me pretty well through a drive and a dinner (about 3 hours) but I never really look for lip products to necessarily last forever anyway, so it's perfect.

Flash photo - taken after product was used.

The rest of my face is just a wash of the 24-hour color tattoo by Maybelline in Bad to the Bronze, (click here for my reviews of that), MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack, NYC's High Definition Volumizing mascara, TheBalm Tinted Moisturizer (click here for my review of that), Sonia Kashuk's blush, and my lipstick.

Flash photo

The lipstick isn't drying but it isn't moisturizing either, so I had some balm underneath the color--but not as a top layer.

Overall, I'm very happy with this product and this look. I never would have thought to buy it, so shout out to my sister for that! :)

MAC Paintpot in Soft Ochre Review!

2012-04-28T10:32:00.001-07:00

MAC Paintpots are great cream shadows and primers. I use Soft Ochre as a primer for my shadows because it's a color very close to my skin.

These products are super creamy and blend-able, and have a good color payoff. If I were to use this by itself, it'd work well to cover up any veining and discoloration on my eyelids.

The packaging is nice, paintpots are always glass pots with a sturdy cover. I drop this all the time and it has yet to break or even chip on me.

Unfortunately, I could never wear this product alone. It creases on my eyelids when it sits by itself all day. I've tried just one thin layer as well as several layers, letting it dry in between. No matter what, it seems to crease and that is just not a good look.

As a primer, I love it. It always holds my eyeshadows all day without creasing (unless the shadow is super cheap and bad quality on its own, and my paintpot still holds the shadow longer than when by itself) and makes colors more vibrant.

Paintpots are $17.50 each, and have 5 grams of product. That is a LOT of primer. I've had this one for many many months and it has yet to even come close to drying out on me or anything. I have barely made a dent in it, and I use it almost every single day.

Left, one stroke. Right, blended.

I'd recommend this is a primer, without a doubt. You're getting quite the bang for your buck, and it works very well. On the other hand, I wouldn't recommend this as a cream eyeshadow because of the creasing and lasting problems. If you really want to wear it as a shadow, though, just set it with a nicely pigmented eyeshadow of a similar color or even a face powder.

Video Review! Maybelline EyeStudio 24hr Eyeshadow in Bad to the Bronze

2012-04-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

Stila Smudgestick in Silverdollar Review!

2012-04-19T14:25:00.001-07:00

Stila's waterproof eyeliners, or Smudgesticks, have been one of their most popular products for a while now. The shade that I have is Silverdollar, a metallic silver color with lots of shimmer.

This product is very long lasting and pigmented. It's a little too bright for me to use as an inner corner highlight, which is what I intentionally purchased it for, but I like to use it on my upper lid just as an eyeliner. It isn't very "smudgeable" at all, actually, because it seems to set pretty quickly on my skin. If you want it to be smudged out as a line, you need to work with it as soon as it's applied. If used as a base for a shadow, or just all over the lid and set with powder, it seems to be easier to smudge once more product is applied and spread over more skin.

Left, two strokes (not warmed up).
Right, several strokes blended.

This product lasted on me without any fading for the entire day before I took it off. It's waterproof too, so I'm assuming it'd be safe for your waterline too. The texture is relatively smooth but not very creamy, which is what I prefer in eyeliners. My stick broke off a rather large piece, which I was super bummed about, but I blame the packaging. I've never been a fan of scroll-up liners, I prefer them in pencil form.

For some reason, Silverdollar (and Koi, the gold) is not available at Sephora anymore. It's 50% off on the Stila website, but other Smudgesticks are $20.

Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick in Peach Review!

2012-04-19T11:12:00.003-07:00

Flash photo - more peach and less pink in person

I've always been into peachy colors like coral, apricot, and even some shades of orange for my lips. Revlon ColorBurst Lipsticks are a great, affordable product that have a creamy and soft texture and several wearable shades. For some reason, the shade that I have, Peach, isn't available on the website. (Click on the word "Peach" to find the lipstick in this shade on Ulta.com)

The lipstick is very wearable, not super pigmented but not sheer. It has a nice color payoff with a soft feel on my lips, although I still wear a moisturizer or balm underneath just because my lips dry out very frequently. The color only lasted about 1 or 2 hours for me, though, without touching it. It faded rather quickly, but it's okay because it was just a daytime color that I could easily reapply without much effort. I wouldn't recommend this product for a long event where your color needed to stay potent throughout the night, but I'd definitely use it for a daytime look to add some color. The shade is a pinky-peach color, similar to "Ravishing" and "Watch Me Simmer" lipsticks from MAC.

Slightly lighter in person.

The color has a bit of golden shimmer, but it's not super sparkly so it doesn't make a big difference. I find that it has no benefits on my teeth though, because it's a yellowish shade so it doesn't whiten the appearance of my smile like deeper colors do.

Overall, this is an easy addition to a daytime look and a good choice for a peach shade--something that can substitute an everyday nude or light pink lipstick. It's a warm-weather color, so I'm loving wearing it right now in the Spring. :)

Benefit Benetint Review!

2012-04-19T10:22:00.001-07:00

Benetint is one of Benefit's most loved products. It's a great lip and cheek stain that leaves a rather natural flush to the face and lips. I love the rose scent so so much, it's smells just like natural rose petals. The product itself is a dark reddish liquid in a glass bottle with a nail-polish brush applicator.

The applicator isn't my favorite only because it doesn't apply the evenest amount of color to my cheeks, whether I want it contoured into my cheekbones or just placed on the apples of my cheeks. When used on lips, I recommend moisturizing them first and letting the moisturizer sink in to your lips before applying it. If the stain is applied to dry lips, it may look too streaky or uneven. It is quite drying as well, which is a common complaint to buyers.

While it does give a great natural color to the cheeks, I prefer to use it on my lips and use a brighter color on my cheeks. It gives a nice stain to the lips that I personally think makes them look "bitten" rather than smothered in pigment. It's a great compliment to your smile.

I like Benetint, but it's not something that I couldn't live without. Many rave about the natural stain that it leaves on the face, but it doesn't make much of a difference for me. Also, it's $29 which I think is quite a stretch for 0.4 fl oz of product.

TheBalm Review! (Tinted Moisturizer & Blush)

2012-04-18T08:03:00.009-07:00

I recently purchased these two products from TheBalm, a brand that isn't sold at many of the Sephora stores near me. It was discontinued at even the biggest Sephora stores in my area, and there are no Ulta stores anywhere close to me. I purchased these two products online, to try out the brand, and fell in love! I have the BalmShelter tinted moisturizer and the FratBoy shadow/blush.

The packaging for the tinted moisturizer is just a regular tube, nothing special. It comes in a little box. The blush is housed in a cardboard case that is sealed shut with a magnet and has a small mirror inside. I'm not a fan of the mirror because it's too little to really see anything in, but if I really need a mirror I'll use it. There are cute little sayings inside too. It's marketed as a very flirtatious product, which I love ;)

The BalmShelter is the perfect tinted moisturizer for me. I personally don't often use foundation, just because I don't really need a lot of coverage. I'm a big fan of tinted moisturizers, and this one has definitely made its way up to the top of my list of favorites. It has pretty medium coverage, as it evens out my skin tone rather well. The consistency itself is very thick and creamy, and a little bit goes a long way. There are only three shades, though, which kind of sucks. I use the darkest shade, medium, which gives me a little bit of added color but that's okay because I generally wear a matte bronzer on top as well. I could probably use this in place of my regular moisturizer too, but I choose not to because I like to prep my skin with my Nivea Soft. The product lasts about eight hours on my skin before it begins to fade, which is good enough for me! It comes off easily with facewash or makeup remover.

FratBoy Shadow/Blush is a bright coral described as a "peachy-apricot". I've only used it as a blush and don't really see myself using it as a shadow in the future, although it is definitely pigmented enough to be a shadow. I think it's a bit more on the pink side of coral, and wouldn't dare to call it a peachy-apricot because it has more pink than peach. It's a very flattering color on my skin, though I will admit I was a bit disappointed in how pink it was because I was looking for a bit of a peachier color. It's still gorgeous nonetheless. The pigmentation is great, which makes it harder to apply because a little bit goes a very long way. For me, it lasts several hours before it starts to fade, about 8 hours actually. The texture is very soft and looks quite natural on the skin, with a bit of a sheen for a finish. There is a subtle gold shimmer as well. Overall, I love this blush. It brings a great glow to my face.

clean face :)

2012-04-16T16:27:00.002-07:00

recently, I've been loving these two products for my morning and night face routine.

I got addicted to purity made simple by philosophy several months ago. it's the perfect one-step facial cleanser for me! i have pretty normal skin that gets occasionally oily around my t-zone. it's a very simple soap that's all natural and literally melts my make-up off of my face at the end of the day.

i pair this with a very simple moisturizer as well. i have a collection of moisturizers, but my current love is the nivea soft moisturizing cream. it's so clean and pure feeling and scented, and does a great job of making my face soft and prepped for make-up.

i love these two products because they are pure and clean for my face. i hate putting things on my face that are full of chemicals and scents, so these are a perfect fit for me :)

i purchased purity made simple at sephora, and nivea soft at CVS.

welcome to beauty wing!

2012-04-16T16:02:00.003-07:00

hi everyone :) thanks for stopping by beauty wing, my new blog baby for beauty and happiness. my name is Hannah, i'm from boston and i love beauty products. i hope i get to share with you, introduce to you, and spread about some love for lots of beauty products from all around. <3

please email me with any requests, questions, comments, or even just to say hello!

love,
Hannah
beautywinghannah@gmail.com