Battle of the Balm Stains: Jordana vs Revlon

Recently I reviewed the new Jordana balm stains. Today I will be comparing two of the Jordana balm stains to two of the Revlon's. They are both moisturzing balm stains, and both tubes have 2.7g. Revlon retails for about $6-8, while Jordana is only about $3-4. All swatches are done with four coats.

The first two I will be comparing are Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 001: Honey to Jordana Twist and Shine Balm Stain in 05: Honey Love. Both of these shades are YLBB shades; a very subtle pinkish-brown. However, Revlon seems to be more on the sheer side than the Jordana, as well as a lighter shade. They both go on very smooth and both are very moisturizing (though I find the Revlon to be a touch more moisturizing). They both also last a pretty decent while, though Revlon seems to last longer on my lips then Jordana. I found myself reapplying Jordana once or twice on an eight-hour work shift, while usually I rarely reapply Revlon. However, Revlon does tend to stain the lips, while Jordana doesn't leave a mark.

The second two I will be comparing is Revlon in 025: Sweetheart to Jordana in 03: Tropical Frenzy. Both of these are bright pink shades, perfect for spring or summer! The sheerness between these two are really obvious. Jordana wins by far with pigmentation. It also has a little more shimmer to it then the Revlon. Like before, they both go on very smooth, though Revlon seems a little more moisturizing and lighter. Like above, Revlon's tends to have more staying power, though it can stain the lips, while Jordana's doesn't leave a trace once removed.

Overall, they are both very nice products. Jordana has more pigmentation, Revlon has more moisturization. If you are looking for a highly pigmented product, I would go with Jordana. If you are looking for something that is a little lighter (both color and weight), then go with Revlon. I quite enjoy them both, and you can't go wrong with either of them!

Burt's Bees: Revitalizaing and Soothing

I have found two new Burt's Bees items in my area! And I am very excited because one of them is chocolate! Yum! The first one I found is Revitalizing, and contains blueberry and dark chocolate. The second one is Soothing (which I think is just new to my area) and has eucalyptus and menthol.

Revitalizing was the first one I tried. It goes on clear and smooth, and feels great. The first thing I noticed was the dark chocolate smell. The smell is a little overwhelming at first, and more tart then sweet. When I put it on, though, and wore it around, the blueberry really started to come out. It's very subtle, and you have to kind of be looking for it, but it gives the chocolate and sweet twinge it didn't have before. It has almost no taste, so I'm not tempted to lick it off my lips!

The second one I got was Soothing. This one also goes on clear and smooth, and gives my lips that cold feeling that menthol tends to do. Scent wise, I can really smell both the eucalyptus and the menthol (kind of like Vicks). It smells very much like a medicated chapstick. Once it was on, the smell dissipated a little bit, and my lips felt cool for quite a long time! This one has a little bit of a medicated taste to it, but it's only there when I really licked my lips. Otherwise, I didn't notice it at all. I can see me really going for this when my lips get burnt.

Overall, Burt's Bees has come out with some great new products. I love them both, though none will overcome my love for the Grapefruit one (it tastes and smells so good). But these are both great additions, especially the Soothing! I will defiantly have one handy for those sunny days.

NEW! Jordana Products Review

So Jordana has come out with a lot of new products recently. I finally found them in my area, and I decided to give them a review! From what I have seen, they have a new 12 hour eyeshadow stick (with mattes!), a new 12 hour liquid eyeliner, and a new Twist and Shine moisturizing lip stain. They also have two new mascaras and a new fat felt-tip eyeliner (I didn't purchase either of these). 

First off, I am going to review the 12 hour eyeshadow sticks. I purchased 04: Continuous Almond and 06: Aqua Last. There are also a few other colors, including an emerald, white, black, purple, and gray. The security seals on these are great. They are completely wrapped in plastic, so it is easy to see if others have been tampering with them.

Both of these sticks go on incredibly smooth and pigmented! The pictures are taken with NO primer, and I am loving the color power. Now, both the sticks say matte finish, but Aqua Last has quite a bit of shimmer to it. Continuous Almond, however, is a perfect, creamy, matte nude! I love it. Something easy I can throw on in the morning.

The staying power seems pretty good as well. I haven't worn them around yet, but I took my fist and rubbed my swatches like crazy, and they didn't budge an inch. They also glide on so smooth! For the price, these are both wonderful products!

Next I purchased the 12 hour liquid eyeliner pencils in 01: Black Point and 05: Aqua Stone. There are a few more colors as well (similar to the eyeshadow pencils).  These are also wrapped completely in plastic, which is awesome.

I've used liquid eyeliner pencils before, and these go on a little thicker then the others I've used in the past. They both went on very smooth, but the texture was more between a kohl and a liquid. For the blue, I had to press down a little harder to get really deep pigmentation, but the black went on like a charm (pictures again are used without primer). Again, I rubbed my fist like a mad-woman on my swatches, and they didn't budge an inch. Overall these are pretty darn good for the price, but not quite as nice as some other liquid eyeliner pencils (if you really want a liquid).

Lastly, I got two of the Twist and Shine moisturizing balm stains. I got 03: Topical Frenzy and 06: Cranberry Crush. Other colors included a coral, nude, red, and baby pink. These are again wrapped completely in plastic.

Top two: Crandberry Crush

Bottom two: Tropical Frenzy 

Now I am a sucker for balm stains; I own almost every color of Revlons. And these aren't bad. The pigmentation is a little sheer at first, but build-able, they go on smooth, and the staying power is alright (I can see about 3 or 4 hours). My only problem is they seem a little drying at first, or at least, not as moisturizing as some of the other balm stains I have used. But seeing as these are only half the price, they are a very nice product! I am loving Cranberry Crush most of all. It is a beautiful burgundy that doesn't look too wild on my pale skin. Perfect for fall!

Overall, Jordana has come out with some brilliant new products (especially those eyeshadow sticks!). I would highly recommend picking some up and giving them a try, seeing as none of them are more than $5, which I also love. And keep it up with those security seals! I am much more apt to buy a product that is safely wrapped in plastic.

Up-and-coming!

I've been picking up a ton of new stuff over at were I work! So much I am not sure where to start. So here is a picture of some of the future posts I will be making and reviewing! 

Items include:

NEW! Baby Lips Neon

NEW! Jordana eyeshadow sticks, chubby lip crayons, and eyeliner

NEW! Chapsticks (Lypsol, Chapstick, Blistex, and Burts Bees!)

Loreal Limited Edition (at least where I am) Pink Le Gloss.

NEW! Maybelline Metallic Nail Polish

So stay tuned!

More Rain Song!

So I liked Rain Song so much, that I thought I would play around with it on a manicure! This was a simple manicure, but I love the look. The items I used are:

Essie Grow Faster Base Coat

Essie 1034: Boxer Shorts

Sinful 1201: Rain Song

Seche Vite Top Coat

I just used two coats of Essie with one of Sinful on top, and added a decal on my accent finger, and viola! The color is so pretty, it changes from purple to blue-ish to pink-ish, depending on the light. I will probably play around with this color some more, maybe try it on some greys!

Limited Edition Sinful Colors: Second Seven (Pic Heavy!)

So I posted the first round of the new Sinful colors shades quite a while ago. The other seven shades have been silently sitting on my old computer tower, waiting for me to swatch them. So today I will get those out of the way! There are seven colors I will be reviewing today (there is one more in the collection I apparently looked over, forgot to buy, or bought it and lost it already. It is called Southern Bell, and once I get my hands on it I will post that too!). For the swatches, it is one coat on the left, two coats on the right, with no top coat.

1199: Song of Summer

This color is a pale, summery pastel green creme. 

The first thing I noticed with this is that the formula is SO THICK! It made it a little difficult to work with and make the color spread evenly. That being said, the color is also very opaque for such a pale green. Two coats is honestly all you need. The brush is nicely cut, long, and skinny. The dry time is a little long, but that can be due to how thick the formula is!

960: Envy

Now this color has been released before (as seen from the 900 number), but can be very difficult to find! I think it was released in one collection last year (I'm not completely sure the name). It is a deep green that reminds me a little of broccoli.

The first coat went on pretty streaky, not going to lie! Luckily, the formula is a nice consistency, and a second coat evened it all out (though I might recommend a third). The dry time was also a little lengthy, about as long as Song of Summer. The brush is cut very nicely, long and skinny.

1204: Opening Night

This color is so pretty! It is a gorgeous sparkling blue with turquoise flecks (maybe a little holographic?). I have several colors already like this, but none apply as thickly or opaque.

The consistency of this is very nice! Not too thick, not too thin. The first coat went on a little streaky, but the second coat really brought out some of that beautiful color! I can't stop looking at it, it just looks like a beetle shell. The brush is cut very nicely, long, and skinny. The dry time is still a little long, but nothing I can't work with.

1201: Rain Song

This is a very sheer, purple color with pink undertones. It is more of a layering color than something you could actually wear alone. It is apparently very close (if not a dupe?) for Let Me Go, but I don't own it, so I can't be exactly sure how close they are.

This one is very thin and sheer, and the dry time is very quick. The coats go on very smooth, and not a lot of streaks were seen. The brush is cut very nicely, and is long and skinny. It should look great over a black base coat.

1128: Mesmerize

This is a super dark purple. It is one of those colors where, from a distance, it's hard to determine if it's black or not.

This is another one with a very thick formula! The first coat is super streaky, but a second one evens it out (why can't polishes just go on nicely in one coat?). It takes a little while to dry, especially with the second coat. It would probably look very pretty with Rain Song as a top coat! The brush on this is cut very nicely and is long and skinny. 

1206: Silver Screen

This is a silver metallic with just a little hint of bronze. 

The formula for this has a nice consistency and spread very easily. Here is one that doesn't look bad with just one coat! It also dries pretty fast, which is another point in its favor. The brush is cut very nicely and is long and skinny. 

975: Coffee

This is a very dark, rich brown. 

It goes on very nicely, and isn't very streaky at all! It is super opaque, the formula is nice, and it dries in a decent amount of time as well. The brown is very pretty, but goes in that Is-That-Black-From-A-Distance category. The brush is cut very nicely and is long and skinny. 

Overall, my favorite color by far is Opening Night. It is just such a gorgeous blue! I love it so much. The collection on a whole has its fault (mostly very thick and streaky formulas), but the colors are very varied and most of them I will be willing to work with.

Who can't love that beautiful blue?!

 This look familiar? Like Opening Night? NOPE! It's Rainsong layered over Mesmerize! Who would have thought two purples would have turned into a blue? I almost like this better than Opening night!

 On a side note, I picked up some delicious mochi from World Market near where I live. Look how little and squishy they are! Om nom nom.

NEW! Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow: Harmonious

As I posted earlier, Revlon has come out with two new Colorstay eyeshadow palettes and has re-released the two Gucci eyeshadow palettes. Today I will be revieweing the first new Colorstay palette I picked up from Walgreens. This one is called Harmonious, and is a nice combination of browns, pinks, and greens. Like the previous one, it has a simple sticker as a deterrent from sampling, along with cute instructions on how to wear the eyeshadow. It also comes with one, dual-ended sponge brush.

 I really like the colors in this palette. They are very woods-y and natural. The pink gives a gorgeous flush. They all have a little shimmer in them, though the green is the mattest. The brown is my favorite in this collection. If you look really closely (it's hard to see in the pictures), it has little goldish-aubrun flecks in it. It gives it a really pretty sheen when worn.

With primmer, the pigmentation is very nice. The beige really shows up, and it is a very pretty neutral color. All the colors in this palette are pretty close to what I thought they would be, and all went on very smooth. I really adore this color combination. You can use these colors all year round, and who doesn't want a palette with a nice neutral and a very pretty coral?

 However, like the previous palette, it is very pale without a primer. The colors aren't nearly as stunning, though they are a little more subdued. The pink shows that it could make a nice blush without a primer, for the color is good and blends well into my skin. The brown is also pretty, and I actually like the sutler look it has without using the base.

Overall, I love this palette! It has a very beautiful blend of colors, and there are some great combinations that can be created for any season of the year.