Collection| Pinky Peach Blushes

Y'know how sometimes you try to find a dupe for a discontinued color and suddenly end up with a million variations of the darn thing, but they are all just a tad off to be an exact replacement?

*silent rage*

Blush used to be at the bottom of my list, next to bland essentials such as eyeliner (if it's black it will do) and concealer (thick enough for the zit and I'm golden.) I had a CoverGirl blush that I treasured for ages because my best friend in high school said it was the exact match of the lovely flush I get by tilting my head down and letting blood rush to my head.

We tested this like a bunch of rabid AIDS monkeys in store.

 Flash forward a few years, I discovered a blush from an unknown Sephora palette that was exactly the color of peaches and cream, with just a hint of pink that made it wearable rather than clownish. Enter the never-ending search for the dupe. This in itself is awkward and a first sign of obsessive compulsive disorder, because I haven't even used up the pan.

Most of these blushes apply very sheer on me and impart a slight glow rather than full on color. This is my natural "just ran a mile, threw up in a ditch, pulled five muscle groups not attached to the legs, and walked two cool down laps" barely-there flush color, because I probably slithered and crawled the entire way. For most days that I don't want to bother with a statement cheek, which is most of all days, I usually will throw on one of these blushers.

See that tiny little pan in the middle? That's the blush I'm trying to dupe. 

From bottom to top: Flower Beauty Win Some/Rouge Some in Peach Blossom, "" in Forget-me-not, Illamasqua Lover, TheBalm Frat Boy, L'Oreal True Match blush in Precious Peach, MAC Prolongwear blush in Stay By Me, Physician's Formula Multi-Colored Blush in Blushing Peach, Sephora unknown. 

 From left to right: Flower Beauty Win Some/Rouge Some in Peach Blossom, "" in Forget-me-not, Illamasqua Lover, TheBalm Frat Boy. 

From left to right: L'Oreal True Match blush in Precious Peach, MAC Prolongwear blush in Stay By Me, Physician's Formula Multi-Colored Blush in Blushing Peach, Sephora unknown.

My arm is about an NC30-NC35 at the moment, so the paler shades are shy and need to be built up. Also, the first three on the left are the only ones with staying power after attack of the tissue. 

As you can see, Illamasqua Lover is the one blush that is the true orange in the lot, even though the color in pan looks very similar if not a tad more peachy than its friends. Flower Beauty's Peach Blossom is also significantly more pink than the rest of the lot. These are what I call "impulse buys", but they are really pretty nonetheless. 

From all of these blushes, MAC's Stay By Me or L'oreal Precious Peach seems to be the closest dupe for Sephora's, but it is well nigh impossible to show up on my NC30 skin. Perhaps at NC20 I will achieve a true peaches and cream complexion. As for now, they will have to sit on strike. 

I really enjoy all of these and find that on my dry skin, lasting power is not a huge concern. I usually get about five hours of wear from any blush (except Tarte's which last about 5 years.) If you're around NC or NW15-NC25, I'm sure these blush colors will work exceptionally well. Even these pale beauties can look ashy on me at the moment. Which is why I'm currently working with TheBalm Frat Boy and Illamasqua Lover for better pigmentation. Anyone above NC40 will just have to find blushers that are much more mauve, berry, or highly pigmented to flatter your complexion. 

Bee tee dubs, I think Sephora's blush is actually called Pink Flush 07 and it's currently on sale for 5 bucks, but I refuse to buy and have it be another dupe rather than the real thing. And the worst part is, I have MAC's Immortal Flower, Warm Soul, and Happy Together coming in the mail. They are pinky peach. 

That's all for today. Happy Hump Day!

Be

Haul: Drugstore Lipsticks and Eyeliner

Hi guys,

Went over to Walmart today to pick up some toothpaste and 3 in 1 for the husband. Apparently, men can't take the extra time to wash their body and hair separately, much less condition it. Good thing the entire bottle (about the size of my forearm) was only 3 bucks. Maybe it's more cost efficient to shower like a man...

They were having a rollback on Rimmel lipsticks, and I was in need of a good drugstore red lippie. I picked up the very YT popular Rimmel Kate #1.

It seems to be a very vibrant red that isn't too light or vampy. I'm not sure if I can wear it in the summer however as i prefer my orange-toned reds for the heat.

The one above is from the same line, but number 6. I really dig watermelon pinks at the moment and since these Rimmel lipsticks were only 3.97 each, I had to get two. I did have to dig through a few to find one that was untouched, as these are sold without a seal. Really? You trust people enough to not open and swatch in store?

Revlon's "Love that Pink"

Rimmel's Moisture Delight in Violet Pop

I also picked up the two above to add to my pink/purple collection. Love that Pink seems very similar to Kate's #6, but just a tad darker. Violet Pop is a little grandma chic, but I think can be pulled off by ladies with darker skin.

Above is a swatch of all four, in natural daylight. (From L to R: #1, #6, Love that Pink, Violet Pop.)

I also picked up two liquid liners, one with a brush application by Rimmel and a felt tip by Maybelline, both in black. With the summer heat, eyeliner is all the eye makeup I want to wear!

I reserve brush tip liners for days where I have the patience of a saint, but the master precise looks very promising. The biggest thing I look for in a liquid liner is zero transfer onto the lids and thus, lasting quality. No liner looks good flaking off the lids!So, that's all for today. I will be back to do reviews for each brand's product later! Happy Hump Day!
-Be

Haul: MUFE lipsticks!

Hello again!

Today was a really nice Sunday and after a raging party at Sun God, I decided to take a stroll around the mall....and took a straight path to Sephora.

You see, I've been researching and online swatch-obsessing over Makeup Forever's lipsticks for a while now and heard loads of great things about their pigmentation and moisturizing properties. I'm a huge fan of MAC lipsticks since they are just oh so collectable, but these MUFE Rouge Artiste Intense lipsticks come in 50 shades and three finishes! Since most of them are Satin, I knew I had to pick a few up just in time for summer. I managed to haul three shades that I know will be absolutely vibrant on my tanned skin. (Anyone remember that limited edition tanned Hawaiian Hello Kitty?)

The following lipsticks can be found at Sephora for 20 dollars a tube. Not bad for how highly reviewed it is online and how much you get in the bullet. It definitely isn't as cheap as a MAC lipstick, but they seem very collectible and according to urban legend, has even converted some faithful MAC lovers! I'm not a fan of the numbering system...it makes researching very hard to do!

The first color I picked up is MUFE #44, a deep red that looks a little Brad Pitt vampire lips in the tube but translates to a warm and slightly deeper berry red.

Out of the four red shades available in stores this shade was the best one for my tone and hair color. There are many more shades available online, but I couldn't find them all at the Sephora. I'm sure this one will do great on a night out and won't be too dark for the summer. This may be similar to my NARS Shanghai Express. (PS: great red for golden undertones....a little politically incorrect, but I'll take two.)

This one is MUFE #38. I may have a similar MAC lipstick, but this one is just too beautiful to pass up. Don't believe me? Google swatches of this color...especially all colors within the 32-39 range and your materialistic inner devil will urge you to go buy buy buy! I think this pink is appropriately nude enough without washing my tone out.

This last one is #39, one frequently reviewed online. A lot of online swatches shows it as this very intense orangey-coral color, but I assure you that swatched on the hand it is rather lovely and demure. I will see how it turns out on my lips.

I have MAC Ravishing, but as a Cremesheen formula I find that the color payoff is not as opaque as I want it to be. Also, Ravishing tends to point out every attractive lip flakes I have, thus making my lips a true to life rendition of red snappers at the fish market. I'm hoping this one will be moisturizing and more intense.

For more true to color swatches, check out KarlaSugar or JoeySpace. Bring napkins and be prepared to drool.

That's all for today, I'll be back later within the month to give you a review of each shade, its color payoff, moisturizing or drying tendencies, and wear time!

-Be

PS: Someone help me. I have an addiction and it's not as cheap as cocaine.