New ColourPop Super Shock Cheek Blushes!

If you follow me on Instagram (@blushedandblended), it's no secret that I have a love affair with ColourPop. When I found out they were releasing blushes, I became a full-time stalker of their website. I not only monitored the exact time they planned on releasing them, but I set an alarm to wake up and be one of the first people to order them. Again, if you follow me on Instagram, you may also be aware that to my dismay, this was no simple task. The website crashed repeatedly and it took more than 6 hours to get my order placed. Despite my frustration, I've cooled off and ColourPop still and always will have my love (and my money). This post is long overdue so let's get on with it!

PROS:
True to ColourPop's reputation, these are so affordable! Yes, they are $3 more than the eyeshadows, boo hoo hoo, but $8 is still less than drugstore prices these days so I'll take what I can get. They're also amazingly pigmented so a little goes a long way; therefore the overall value and price-point couldn't be better. They also released a literal sh*tton of colors- 20 total and with an amazing range of tone, color, and finish. Prenup unfortunately photographed almost greyish and super glittery for some reason but I promise this color was the most true to description/picture on the website; I use this color the most because it's a little more neutral and muted for everyday wear. Thumper is just one step up from that and is an awesome classic and girly pink. Mochi is going to be perfect for spring and summer; it's bright and flattering and I can't wait to start using it more!

CONS:
It's hard to tell exactly what causes this, but I think because I have an oilier skin type these seem to wear off through the day. I usually get about 4-5 hours where the blush still looks nice, but beyond that they always seem to fade almost completely off by the end of the day. Luckily, I haven't necessarily noticed any oxidizing of the color itself as they wear. The only other con is that the pictures don't seem true to color on the website. Thumper looks like a soft-peachy pink on the site, but in actuality it's not like that at all; it's more of a muted soft Barbie pink. Mochi also looks different than the site but it's hard for me to explain exactly how. The best way I can think to put it is that I think it looks like it has a little bit more coral in it and is overall more fluorescent than the "blue-based bright pink" description/picutre.

IS IT WORTH IT?:
YAS! Hello, these are $8. Everything ColourPop makes is worth it. I should seriously be working for them I promote them all the time so positively- which btw if any ColourPop reps read this I'm a PR major lookin fo a job hollaaaaaa. Lol but seriously, these are beautiful. The color range is on point and although I usually avoid cream blushes for my skin type, these set to a demi-matte finish and don't cause me to look shinier. I find that these apply the best with my elf small stipple brush and they blend out amazingly well without leaving patches or uneven color on my face! Love, love, love these and I can't wait to get more!

*this post wasn't sponsored and all photos are my own*

GlamGlow SuperCleanse Daily Clearing Cleanser

This cleanser and I had a very complicated relationship; if there's anything I've learned from using it, it's that you can't expect what you're probably expecting. By that I mean that everything you'd think is going to happen with this cleanser (from typical common sense) may not be the case. Let me break down what I mean:

Point #1: This cleanser is the sister product to the GlamGlow Clearing Mud Treatment-a popular mask that's notorious for removing blackheads and reducing breakouts instantly. One of my first thoughts was that this cleanser would be just as amazing, but as it's for everyday use maybe the results would be long-term. This wasn't true by any means and it definitely won't replace the mud mask. It kept breakouts relatively at bay but I didn't notice my blackheads diminishing much, even with continued use.

Point #2: It's a mud-to-foam cleanser...so naturally you'd assume it's a mud-to-foam cleanser...
I'm a little disappointed about how difficult it is to make this product work. They suggest applying it to your dry face and then wetting your hands to work up the foam cleanser. This method barely lathers the cleanser at all; I'd suggest dotting your face with the cleanser and then adding water to the residue left on your hands to create a really thick foam, and from there work it into the product dotted on your face. It's also extremely hard to use a Clarisonic with this. Unless you can get that thick foam formed with the directions I gave, a Clarisonic will just wipe the product right off. If you do want to use your Clarisonic, just make sure not to apply it directly to the brush head; work the foam up first.

Point #3: A pump may dispenser may seem logical, but this is the WORST PACKAGING EVER!!! The pump from day ONE was terrible at dispensing product and it just continued to go downhill from there. It was a constant hassle trying to get product out of the bottle; I ended up having to unscrew the cap and pound it into my hand, which in the long run was probably extremely wasteful.

So, is this product worth it? You'd probably think not based on the points I've just made, but I wouldn't go that far This cleanser was good once I got passed the packaging and foaming flaws. I wouldn't say it's holy grail status, as I have extremely difficult acne-prone skin and it wasn't a miracle worker. However; I liked that I could use this every day without experiencing any dryness. It also has licorice root in it which is a common ingredient used for lightening hyper-pigmentation; I really appreciated them including it, but be warned-it does cause a light licorice scent. Speaking of which, another big disclaimer- THIS CLEANSER WILL TURN YOUR ENTIRE BATHROOM GREY! My sink, counter top, Clarisonic, mirror, and wall are all grey from the charcoal color of the cleanser. Unless you wipe your mess up immediately after every use, it makes your bathroom looking pretty dingey :/

Overall, I noticed the cleanser's effects on the days I stopped using it; more dirt appeared in my pores and my texture seemed to get a little bumpier. I haven't decided if I'd buy this again- it took a really long time to decide how I felt about it...literally from first use to end of the bottle. It's probably best for being with dealing with light/medium-occasional breakouts; I can't imagine this would work well for serious acne. I say if you can expense it, it may be worth at least one shot, just take precautions, give it some time to work, and learn from my mistakes!

*this post wasn't sponsored and all photos are my own*

MAC Cinderella Collection

 

It's been years since I've been hooked in by MAC's uncanny ability to get my money simply by putting their products in cute packaging, but alas, they've gotten me again. When I first started getting into makeup, I thought MAC was the OG makeup brand and the best place to start; they do make great products but they are widely known for getting suckers like myself with their limited edition collections. Of course, these products are usually sold out almost as soon as they go one sale but I really did my research this time around to make sure that I'd only buy items that I'd legitimately use, so I only got two. The packaging is designed with the classic Cinderella blue, a pink pearlized duo-chrome, and gold lettering and borders.

STROKE OF MIDNIGHT EYE SHADOW PALETTE:

I've been on a pretty strict palette diet lately, meaning I have a bookshelf overflowing with palettes (and no books) that is a huge result of "limited edition" and "pretty packaging" marketing, and because I own far more than I'll ever need, I've been really good about no longer buying eyeshadow palettes...until now.

I NEEDED this palette...seriously, I did (lol). I love this palette because it's all standard MAC eye shadows that I've heard people rave over (most often by my idol, Kandee Johnson) for years, except for "Stroke of Midnight". As a result of my "diet" I resisted buying these in the past, but of course now that they're all conveniently in one little (beautifully packaged) palette, I coudn't NOT buy it! Let me tell you, I'm so happy I did because the colors are BEAUTIFUL. There's not only a variety of mattes and shimmers, but they included perfect blending colors and for some people, eyebrow colors! Literally the ideal palette for travel because of the compact size and the variety giving you the option for day and night looks. The palette features:

• Vapour (Velvet finish, peachy pink with flecks of mirco-glitter)
• Phloof (Frost finish, off-white shimmer-almost a super pale champagne)
• Omega (Matte finish, muted beige-taupe)
• Quarry (Matte finish, soft muted plum-brown)
• Satin Taupe (Frost finish, taupe with silver shimmer)
• Stroke of Midnight (Velvet finish, black-plum with sparkle pearl)

In my experience, MAC shadows last a decently long time and the individual shadows are $11 or $14 so I'm completely okay with the $44 price tag, as I feel it's right for the value. If you can get your hands on it, this would be my #1 recommendation, not only for this collection, but for all of MAC Cosmetics.

CINDERELLA LIPSTICK IN "ROYAL BALL"

I have to admit, I've NEVER purchased or owned a MAC lipstick. I know, I'm covered in shame. I've tried the lipglasses in the past- I'm embarrassed to say I still have a little bit of my Viva Glam Gaga from when it originally launched, and I wasn't really a fan of the formula so I didn't pursue trying more lip products.

Two lipsticks came out in this collection and one looked perfect to me; Royal Ball was described as a "fleshy pink" with a lustre finish. I typically aim for nude lips if I wear anything at all, but so far I'm not thrilled about this lipstick, especially not like I was about the palette. It's not bad, but I've used better ones, and it was $17.50 which kind of pushes it for me (they're usually about $16). It doesn't have a crazy amount of pigmentation or long-wearing power to be worth that much money for me. It also is really close to bordering on a frost finish, which is a huge NO in my book. Frosted lipsticks scream 90's in the worst way and that's exactly where they should stay. Overall, it's pretty and I like it, I just don't love it.

The Cinderella collection hits stores on March 5 and almost everything is sold out online. If you have the time and money, GO GET THE EYESHADOW PALETTE!

*this post wasn't sponsored and all photos are my own*

Too Faced Melted Lipsticks- New Shades!

I tried these lipsticks over a year ago when they first came out and I wasn't wowed by them; I still don't understand the hype! They're incredibly pigmented and smooth but my list of cons greatly outweigh the pros, making this an easy $21 to keep in my pocket. However, they did just expand the collection by adding in eight new colors which I was excited about because of how pastel and unflattering the original shades were.The new shades are as follows:

• Melted Sugar (nude)
• Melted Chihuahua (nude-mauve)
• Melted Frosting (powder pink)
• Melted Melon (pinky coral)
• Melted Jelly Donut (magenta-pink)
• Melted Strawberry (red-orange)
• Melted Velvet (vampy-red)
• Melted Villain (black-purple)

PROS:
Pigmentation; there's no lie that these are unbelievably opaque and have great color payoff. With the release of the eight new shades there's an excellent variety of colors to choose from. At $21 a tube they run about average for lipsticks found in Sephora, but with the little amount you need these can definitely last you for years and make it worth the value.

CONS:
Gloop glop glop. These formulas are kind of ridiculous to work with. They are so gloppy that it's almost impossible to get a perfect application (if you couldn't tell by my lip swatches lol). The squeeze tube and felt-tip applicator may get the product on your lips but it's impossible to get an even and full application. I had to use a lip brush to reach my lip line without getting it all over my face and even though I didn't use a lip-liner, I'd highly suggest one.

I'm also still having some of my original issues with the colors; they lean on the pastel side and because they're so full color, I feel like I'm walking around with straight up paint on my lips and it doesn't look good. The best example is definitely shown with the Melted Frosting lip swatch photo. The formula also is that it sticks to dry patches or cracks in your lips. I'd definitely exfoliate beforehand.

I did get a decent amount of wear-time out of these but it takes effort. What I mean by that is I was always aware of the product on my lips. It spreads and transfers so easily, I couldn't help but be careful of touching my face and watching what I eat or drink. Even with my caution, it stuck to my teeth on several occasions as well.

IS IT WORTH IT?:
For me, I'd say overall no. I did however really like Melted Sugar, Melted Jelly Donut, Melted Velvet. Even though only two colors appealed to me, I loved that the colors looked nice without having to tone them with other products. I will say though there are so many better options for the same price or less, so unless you find specific shades you can't live without, I 'd pass.

*This post wasn't sponsored and all photos are my own*