[REVIEW} NYX - Butter Lipstick (BLS12 - Little Susie)

Happy Hump Day Beauties! Today's review is on a product I've been itching to try for the longest time, it's NYX's Butter Lipsticks! NYX has been extremely successful with their Butter Lipgloss line and I was extremely excited to see that they took that idea and created a lip balm and lipstick line. I'm not much of a lipgloss person, so I didn't care to try out any of their lip glosses, but I do love me some lipsticks and this was right up my alley! I decided to try this color first because it looked like a great in between color; it wasn't one of the more vibrant/darker colors, but it's not one of the nudes, it's a great middle ground. I purchased my lipstick from Target for about $5.99, but you can pick it up online or at Ulta, Target, and some other beauty supply stores that carry NYX. Anyhow, let's get into the review :]
*In the pictures, the color isn't true to the actual product. In person the product is a lot darker and pinker, not red/orange*

Breakdown:
Color Selections: As a decently new product line, there's a good amount of color range. You have your neutrals, corals, pinks, purples, and reds and in each color category you have about 2-3 different shades you can pick from. This particular color falls into the pink category; it's a rosy pink without a lot of mauve undertones.

Pigmentation: With one swatch there's a decent amount of pigmentation. When you swipe the product across your lips (or if your swatching it, your hand) you'll notice that the product doesn't really apply it evenly and it ends up being more opaque on the outskirts, but patchy in the middle.

Application: It applies smoothly on the lips, but in order to get the best application I suggest dabbing it on and then smoothing it in with you finger. When I apply it straight from the tube I do notice that it applies patchy and the color isn't distributed evenly. I think the way the lipstick is shaped has something to do with the patchy application, unlike other lipsticks the angle it's cut isn't the most easiest to work with.

Longevity: This lipstick has a longer staying power than the other ones I have, but I definitely would not wear it on it's own. The times that I have worn it on it's own, it was fine until I would eat or drink something (very typical w/ any lipstick). After having a meal I notice that it would fade off really patchy and I would need to reapply, especially in the middle of my lips. When I use a lip liner underneath, there's a more even fade, but the fading is concentrated in the middle of my lips.

Overall:
This is one of the more comfortable lipsticks that I've worn and owe, but I do notice that it accentuates any of the dry spots on my lips. If you're going to use this I suggest you make sure to exfoliate and moisturize your lips before application. I do notice that my lips get a little drier after it fully wares off, so you'll also want a good lip moisturizer or exfoliator afterwards. I like the product, but I'm not in love with it. I like how it's very comfortable on my lips and feels moisturizing, but it's definitely a high maintenance lipstick to apply which I don't appreciate and it's not easy to work with everyday. I also don't like how patchy it fades because you'll definitely have to take care of it while you're out and about.

Have you tried these lipsticks? Which ones are your favorites and which ones are a definite pass? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter: @ciaociaoreview! Don't forget you can also ask me to try out products that you'd want a review on :]

Until my next post,

Stay Beautiful!

[REVIEW] The Face Shop | Fresh Lip Balm - Strawberry (PK101) & Lovely ME:EX Color Sound Track - Pink Peach (07)

Happy Monday Beauties! Hope you all had a great start to the week! I decided to do a 2-in-1 review for some of the products I purchased from The Face Shop! I wish that we had one here in Las Vegas, I know I'd go almost every week if we did have one. If you haven't heard of The Face Shop, it's basically a store that carries mainly Korean brand skin care products and some other Asian makeup products and skin care products. I had to pick up some things to test out since I knew I would most likely never get to go to another one for a while. Anyhow let's jump into the review :]


Review #1 - The Face Shop | Fresh Lip Balm - Strawberry (PK101):

Overview:
Packaging: This product comes in a little tub where you need to dip your finger in it to apply the product. The plastic container is extremely lightweight, but heavy duty. Unfortunately the cover sometimes doesn't feel like it's secured or closed tight enough.

Scent: The smell of this product is the only reason I love using this product. It has a light fruity scent to it, but it doesn't necessarily remind me of strawberries. It smells so sweet and delicious like candy and if you're not too crazy about scented things, don't worry because the scent doesn't linger for too long.

Texture: The balm itself, when you feel it in the pot, is smooth but tacky, almost like if a lip gloss was solidified. When the heat from your fingers warm up the product and you break through the first hardened layer, you can feel the tackiness and even see little peaks when you lift your finger from the product.

Wear: This will stay put on your lips until you eat or drink something, but while it sits on your lips it's extremely tacky and sticky and it can be uncomfortable. I do sleep with this on and after I wake up my lips still feel sticky. The longer it sits on my lips the stickier it becomes.

Results: After the lip balm wears off my lips feel soft and moisturized. Recently, I've noticed that my lips have started too peel, but after I take away the gross layer, my lips feel extremely soft.

Overall:

I don't really care for this product because it leaves my lips feeling sticky/tacky after I wear it for a long time. It's uncomfortable to wear for hours upon hours, but the scent and the way it makes my lips feel kind of makes it worth it. I believe I paid $6 for this, and I wouldn't pay that much for this product again. Once it runs out, I won't purchase a new one because I've used lip balms that are just as moisturizing but costs way less than this.



Review #2 - Lovely ME:EX Color Sound Track - Pink Peach (07)

Overview:
Packaging:  By far, this is the cutest little blush that I've ever used. It comes in an extremely sturdy plastic case. Be wary because it's a little difficult to open; if you have fake nails or longer nails DO NOT try to open this using only your nails to pry it open, you'll run the risk of breaking your nails.

Color Selections: There weren't too many color selections, and the ones that they did have in stock were nothing too special. I picked a color that I knew I would use and would be okay on my skin tone.

Color: This particular color is a matte finish and shows up mainly pink on my skin tone. I don't catch any hints of peach in it.

Color Payoff: In order to get this to actually show up on my cheeks, I really need to apply this color in layers. To really get it to show I need about 4-5 layers, extensive I know, but if I just want a light flush, than 3-4 layers will do. If I apply beyond the 5 layers it just ends up look extremely chalky.

Longevity: This doesn't last too long, I notice it wearing off after about 3 hours. Even in layers it wears off, but it doesn't wear off patchy.

Overall:

The packaging is extremely cute, but unfortunately the pigmentation and longevity just isn't there. It's definitely not worth the $8 I paid for it and I won't be picking up any more of it. I've become accustomed to extremely pigmented blushes without having to pay a lot of money for it. I wish that I could've gotten a lot more pigmentation from this and maybe then I wouldn't have mind paying the $8 for it.


I still have a couple of skin care products to try out, and I'm excited for those. Have you tried out anything from The Face Shop?? What are your favorite products? What should I try out next?? Let me know down below in the comments or tell me on Twitter @ciaociaoreview :] Hope you guys enjoyed the review!

Until my next post,

Stay Beautiful <3

[REVIEW] NYC - Water Colors Trio Palette

Happy Friday Beauties! Hope you are all had a great week; if not, it's Friday, so you can relax! Today's review is on another fun colored e/s trio that is extremely affordable. I've started to play a lot more with color and I'm currently in a blue phase so I decided to try this trio since it had a pretty sky blue in it. Let's jump into the review before I start to ramble on any longer.

Breakdown:
Packaging: Like most drug store trios and quads, the packaging is pretty slim and compact. It doesn't take up much room and is pretty sturdy. The plastic doesn't feel flimsy and seems to be able to withstand normal wear and tear. There's a weird plastic packaging that goes above the e/s and on that plastic layer it has instructions on where each color goes.

Colors/Finishes: The first color on top is a shimmery/frosty white, but you can't really tell that there's shimmer once it's applied. The middle color is a sky blue with silver shimmers in it, like the first color, you can't really tell that there's shimmer when it's applied, but there is some shimmer fall out when you apply it. The last color is a deeper peach color with golden shimmer; by far this color seems to show the most shimmer, but it's not too intense.

Pigmentation: Out of the three e/s the least pigmented is the sky blue (which is the lid color). This color did show up on my skin with a base, but unfortunately it didn't really show up as a blue and it made my lids look dirty. In order for it to show up as a blue I had to put a blue base underneath (I used NYX's eyeliner pencil in Sky Blue) and even with that base I had to continue to pack on color. The frosty white color first applied extremely chalky but opaque (odd combination, I know lol), but it blended out fine without any issues. If you use this color, just remember you don't need too much especially if you use it as a highlight with a dense brush. My favorite has to be the deeper peach color because it shows up close to what you see in the pan; one thing that I did notice is that it blends into my skin tone so if I do really want to emphasize this color I need 2-3 layers of it.

Longevity: You definitely need to use some kind of base in order to make these e/s last and to show up. If you really want to make the colors really pop and stand out, you're going to want to put some sort of colored base underneath. If you use an eyeliner as a base you'll definitely get a longer wear time, but you'll still want to layer the colors on.

The Look: These colors work well together, but I feel like it's a typical "summery" palette. You have the sky blue and deep peach colors which can be found in the palettes that come out during the Spring and Summer, so it's not that original. I only wish that the frosty white was more of a matter cream color because the crease and lid have shimmery colors. However, I love how this peach is deeper than other palettes because it gives more warmth to the overall look.

Overall:
This is definitely one of the better $1 palettes I've tried, especially one that has some type of color (I picked mine up from The Dollar Tree). I can definitely work with the colors in this palette and use them in conjunction with other e/s. Unfortunately, this isn't something that I would use everyday because it does take time to actually create the look since there needs to be a lot of blending out since I use a colored base.

Since the colors aren't too in your face, you can definitely get away with rocking this look almost anywhere. I wouldn't suggest using this if you work in a conservative environment because you're still using a blue e/s on your lids. This is a fun palette if you're looking for an easy beach look (as long as you're not going in the water) or a fun picnic or BBQ look. I wouldn't consider this a good introductory palette to colors unless your comfortable with using colored bases or have colored bases because you really need to pack and blend out the colors to get as much umph out of them as possible.

I think the name of the palette definitely fits the color pay off you get. When I think of water colors I think of very pastel, light, sheer types of colors; this is basically what you get when you use this palette. The colors are pretty sheer and the sky blue is a pastel type of color. Based on the name, I think it matches very well.

Have you tried any other NYC palettes? This is my first NYC palette and I'm definitely interested in trying out more since they're pretty affordable. Let me know down below or on Twitter (@ciaociaoreview) what NYC palettes I should check out!

Until my next post,

Stay Beautiful <3

[REVIEW] Maybelline - The Nudes E/S Palette

Hi Beauties! Hope you're having a good hump day today!! I'm really excited to write this review because it's featuring a product that I was extremely excited for. Maybelline was one of the first drug store companies to come out with a palette that could give high-end brands a run for their money when it comes to the nude palette. I'm not saying they're the first to come out with a palette, I'm saying they came out with a palette where the individual e/s size and the amount of e/s would make way for a more affordable e/s palette.

Anyhow let's get into the actual review! :]

Breakdown:
Packaging: I appreciate how thin the packaging is of this palette. A lot of the high-end packaging can be kind of bulky and not travel-friendly. I took this palette on my recent trip and it fit perfectly in my makeup bag without taking up too much room. The one thing that throws me off is that the slot where the sponge tip applicator sits seems excessively long; in other words, it looks like they wanted to include a mini brush or maybe two sponge tip applicators but couldn't.

Pigmentation: Okay, this is where my main gripe with this product comes in. I've tried all the eyeshadows in this palette and I have to say out of the 12 e/s, I have issues with 4 of the e/s. The main problem is that they apply extremely patchy, even if I apply it with my ring finger I end up having to apply about 3-4 coats to get a decent color pay off. The colors with a heat on them are the colors that I end up having issues with. The top left color (with the heart) is one that give me the most problems because it swatches chalky and when I apply it, I get nothing. I use a small dense concealer brush and it's difficult to get any pay off, and even when it's on, I barely notice anything.

The matte black isn't the darkest black you'll ever use, in fact it's pretty light and doesn't go on too pigmented, but when I use it with the other colors in it's designated quad, it actually works really well. It gives a hazy smokey eye, but nothing too intense; you get a soft smokey eye type of a look with the last quad.

Color Choices/Finish/Arrangement: One of the things that I like about this palette is how the arranged the colors together. Like I stated in my first impression, there's a guide on the back that shows you how to use the e/s as duos, trios, and quads; this makes it extremely user friendly and is great for those who are just beginning with makeup. The colors work well with each other and you don't have to use it the way the instructions tell you to. There are great taupe-gray colors that are great for blending out colors on the lid, or you can just pop it in your crease to create more definition and finish it off with eyeliner and mascara for a really natural, easy look.

Majority of the e/s have a matte or suede-type of finish to them; the only exception is the 3 colors in the middle quad and the the bottom second color. Personally, I like the fact that there aren't too many shimmery/glittery shades because it makes it more appropriate for everyday use (especially if you work or go to school in a very conservative environment).
One thing that I immediately noticed is that some of the colors looked extremely similar to each other; the only thing that's different is the finish. I wish they would've considered putting in different colors instead of similar colors with different finishes; the different finishes I'm talking about is matte and suede.

Size/Price: I was able to purchase my palette from Target. It retailed for $9.99 and I had a $1.00 off coupon, so I ended up paying $8.99 (plus tax). This is definitely affordable and you get a good amount of e/s for the price. Each of the pans are a little smaller than Maybelline's original trio and quad pans; the reason I put 'original' is because they switched up the packaging and the pans are no longer the same size as each other.

Overall:
I like the concept, size, quantity of e/s, affordability, and the usability of the e/s; however I was wanting more pigmentation from the shadows. I'm not extremely tan nor am I extremely fair and I had difficulties having some shadows actually show up, I really have to build up the color and apply a few layers. Even though I have difficulties with building up colors, that doesn't mean you can't get them to show up. You can definitely use different colored bases, Maybelline came out with some neutral colors for their 24 Hour Tattoos, to help the colors and you don't have to worry about blending because majority of the colors blend easily (the only one that gives me a difficult time is the matte black).

I really wanted to fall in love with this palette, but unfortunately I can't. The fact that some of the colors are very similar to each other and I have to really work to get some of the colors to show up really bring this palette down. However, I do find myself reaching for it because I use the two colors on the upper right as my brow color and it's just so easy to use and the colors really compliment my skin tone and eyes.

Have you tried out this palette? What do you think about it?? Let me know on Twitter @ciaociaoreview OR leave me a comment down below! I'd love to know what you Beauties think!

Until my next post,

Stay Beautiful <3

[REVIEW] LOVE & BEAUTY - Blush & Bronzer

Hey Beauties! I'm back :] If you didn't know, I spent the last week with my family in Cali and decided to take a break from all of my social networking platforms to really enjoy my time with my family. Now I'm back with a couple of reviews so stay tuned for those, but today's review is on an extremely affordable product that you can find at Forever 21! So let's jump into the review :]

Breakdown:
Color: Looking at it, I automatically see what this product was trying to recreate and it's NARS' Orgasm blush and Laguna bronzer. A lot of companies have been putting out products like this and e.l.f. has a product that is extremely similar to this, but isn't as big. The blush is a peach/coral color with golden shimmer in it and the bronzer is a deeper brown with orange undertone and golden shimmer.

Product Size: This product is almost as big as a DVD. It's not so great for traveling, but I feel like you get a lot of product for the price.

Pigmentation: The pigmentation isn't the greatest, especially on the blush side. Both products do show up on my skin, but the blush doesn't show up as I would've expected. I can apply one layer and it's not too bam in your face, but it does give a light flush of color. The bronzer is looks like it'd give off too orange of a hue, but it blends in nicely with my skin and although there's shimmer in it, I can use it to lightly contour because of how dark the color is. Since being in California I've gotten 1-2 shades darker and I found that I need to use more in order for it to show up.

Blendability: Both shades blend pretty decently. The blush is extremely easy to work with and blends in to give you a natural flush on your cheeks. The bronzer isn't as easy to blend and takes a little work, but it afterwards it's blends in nicely and doesn't give too harsh of a line.

Longevity: I really wished that the blush would last a lot longer, I can't see a trace of it after 2 hours of wear, but the bronzer lasts for a decent amount of time. I do notice both products fade, but not to the point where you can't see any product.

Overall:
This product rates average for me. It's nothing too impressive where I feel you need to run out of your house and pick up, but at the same time, it's definitely not the worst product I've tried. I recently ran out of my bronzer and this is a decent replacement for it, but you must be careful with the bronzer because if you put too much you'll get an orange oompa loompa tint to the sides of your face (not cute).

The blush is convenient to have and isn't too chalky or dusty looking on my cheeks. It blends in nicely and if you are lighter than me or darker than me you might be able to get this product to show up. The golden shimmer doesn't really show up, so it's nothing to really worry about.

When you dab your brush into it, you'll notice that it does leave tiny holes in the product and there is some fallout, but not a lot. It's not that big of a deal, but it does make weary to see what'll happen with it the more I use it.

Have you tried out this product or something similar? What are your thoughts? Let me know on Twitter @ciaociaoreview or down below in the comments below!

Until my next post,

Stay Beautiful <3