Gerard Cosmetics-A Review!

Hello, Everyone!

I realized recently that I own more lip products from Gerard Cosmetics than any other one brand. With that realization, I figured I should write a review about them! I have seven lipsticks and three lip glosses, all with varying finishes in formulation. I also have their BB Illumination Creme. Their lipsticks retail for $19, lipglosses for $24, and the BB Creme is $36. However, because they've had SO MANY amazing sales this year, I haven't paid full price for any of these.

I'm going to go in order of lightest to darkest, starting with the lipsticks. I didn't use any lip liners or lip balms under the swatches for these photos, to show the way they actually look on my medium pigmented lips. 

First up, would be Kimchi Doll. This was a collab with Sophia Chang (I don't actually follow her or know who she is, but this is her collab), and the first so many orders received a lipstick tube with her signature etched in it. As you can see above, I received one of those. This color is described by Gerard Cosmetics as a "perfect baby doll pink and peach nude", but there is NO pink in this color on me. It is peach, and almost concealer like on my skin coloring, I can make it work with a lip liner under or a gloss on top, but I don't like it on me by itself. The formula on this one isn't too bad. Gerard doesn't specify on their website what type of finish it's supposed to have, but I would say it's on the matte side. It doesn't tug my lips when applying it, and it doesn't go on patchy.

Next up would be Buttercup, and it is my absolute favorite out of them all. It is the second lipstick created by Jaclyn Hill (yes, I know who she is), and the perfect pink for my skin tone. Out of ALL of my pink lipsticks, this is my favorite. I love this one so much, I bought a back up. I don't even recall the last time I went through a complete lipstick, but I bought a back up of this one. Gerard describes this one as the "perfect nude pink" and I agree 100%. It's creamy, opaque, flattering, and comfortable to wear. It looks good with a natural makeup look or a smokey eye. 

Third, we have Fairy Godmother. This is a matte, and can be patchy when applied. It is a bright neon pink, and takes a lot of confidence to pull off. I've worn it, but it could be a little much for the office. It's a lot brighter in person than my camera picked up on. Gerard describes it as the "perfect baby pink lipstick that pairs pastel and flattering blue undertones", which is correct. It is definitely blue based (yay for not making my teeth look yellow!) and is one of those neon pastel colors. It tugs my lips a little bit when applying, but that could be avoided by using a lip balm underneath. It is a great color for the Spring and Summer time, but I will definitely be putting it away once we get close to fall.

Fourth, there is Rodeo Drive. Let's be honest. This purchase may have been influenced by my love of 'Pretty Woman'. A little bit. Or a lot. This is described as a "medium rosy pink hue" that I think is the most universally neutral and flattering out of the seven I own. It is the perfect every-day-work-appropriate-neutral. It has a creamy formula, that isn't at all patchy. It looks beautiful and doesn't require a lip liner or gloss. But, of course, you could always add one!

Fifth is Tequila Sunrise, and is one of the few orangey lip colors I own. I'm always afraid that these type of colors will make my teeth look yellow (I'm a huge "teeth person"), so I usually avoid warmer lip colors. This one, however, is lovely. I don't find that it makes my teeth look orange, and I do find it flattering. Gerard describes this one as a "peachy coral", and that's pretty close. This one can apply a little unevenly, so I do have to apply quite a few coats for opacity, I would consider it a cream or maybe a soft matte. It's not as matte as Fairy Godmother, but not as creamy as Buttercup. However, it isn't uncomfortable on the lips. It's another great Spring and Summer color.

Then we have Underground. Sweet, lovely Underground. This one isn't everyone's cup of tea. It's one of the newest contenders in the "greige" lip color battle. It's darker than Lime Crime's Cashmere, but not nearly as drying. Then again, this is a traditional bullet lipstick, and Cashmere is a long wearing, liquid lipstick. Gerard describes this as a "mixture of warm earth tones and cool grey, with a touch of pink". I see no pink on me, as this is mostly grey. I've seen this look so many different ways on so many different people. It can pull a slight purple undertone on me, which I like. I have used a small amount of Buttercup over this in order to make it a little more "wearable" for work. It's a comfortable formula on the lips, and doesn't make me want to reach for a balm or gloss. It's a creamy, opaque finish, and probably my second favorite out of the bunch.

Last, we have 1995. This was the first Jaclyn Hill lipstick, and almost the one and only that I ordered from Gerard Cosmetics. It's inspired by the 90's lip trends (obviously, as the name is "1995"), and (I think) by the Kylie Jenner lip craze. I despise this lipstick. It has a matte formula, and drags across my lips when I apply it. This color looks very red-brown on my lips, and is not at all flattering. Even the tube on this one feels cheap. It feels like a lightweight plastic, making it not feel as sturdy as the others. There is not one single thing that I like about this one. I am thankful that that I wanted Buttercup so badly, that I gave their lipsticks another chance, though.

On to the lip glosses! I'm not going in order of lightest to darkest with these, but by the order I purchased them. Before Gerard Cosmetics was a separate company, everything  was through Whitening Lightning, so the first three I purchased have the "Whitening Lightning" packaging. First, I have Nude, which is one of their best sellers. It pulls very peachy on me (as a lot of things do), so I didn't like it very much when I first got it. It's not a neutral nude, but a peachy orange neutral. I do like it now, and it looks great over Kimchi Doll! Their lip glosses have a nice formulation, creamy and opaque, with some containing shimmer. I do not find these to travel outside my lip lines, or settle unattractively in any lines in my lips.It may look like it does in the picture above, but keep in mind that not many people see my lips this close up. Gerard describes this as a "neutral nude", but I don't consider it a neutral for my skin.

Coral Craze looks a lot like Nude on me in the photo above, but in person, it's a slightly brighter coral color. I wasn't crazy about this one, either, feeling like it didn't do anything to give the illusion of whiter teeth when I was wearing it. Now that I am getting more into bright and bold lip colors, I do find myself liking this one. It looks like it settled everywhere on my lips in the photo above, but again, not many people are this close to my lips. It really doesn't look bad in person. All of the glosses I have are opaque and creamy with the coverage and formula.

I was wanting to just dip my toes into the bold lip pool when I ordered Pink Tiara. What better way to try out a bold color than in a gloss form, right?! This one made my teeth look yellow. I was NOT happy. I put it on the back burner (along with the other two) for a long time. I broke it out a few months ago, used it in a look, and was really pleased with how it tied everything together! Gerard says this is the "perfect milky pink for the bubblegum princess", and it does remind me of the color of bubblegum!

Buttercream. Once again, Jaclyn Hill. Gerard describes this as the "perfect creamy, pink nude", and they are accurate! For me, this is the lip gloss version of Buttercup. It goes with everything, flatters my cool, pale skin, and is just beautiful. Another creamy, opaque lipstick, and one of my favorites! I do have to say, that this one has a terrible odor when I open it. It smells like burnt plastic, and is the only one that does. It has a strong chemical smell, but it will fade a few minutes after application.

Last, I have Shimmer of Hope, This is the only one of my five that has shimmer in it; the other's are all creams. I had been holding out on this one, telling myself I didn't need it, but I was sucked in after seeing it over everything on their Instagram. I'm really glad I caved! It's a beautiful gloss, that makes your lips look full and pouty; whether you wear it over a lipstick or lip pencil, or you wear it one it's own. This is my other favorite!! This is a lighter version of Nude and a lot less peachy.

My last Gerard Cosmetics item is the BB+ Illumination Facial Creme. This is another item that I had been looking at for such a long time, but I thought it would be way too gold and warm for my skin. As you can see from the above picture, it is gold. However, once blended in, it adds a beautiful luminosity to the skin. You can use this as a creme highlighter or mix it with your foundations for an all over glow to the face. I haven't mixed it with my foundation, but I have used it as a regular highighter, and it is stunning. It does stay on my skin all day, with little to no wear or breakdown. You get 50ml/1,69 oz of product, and I love that it comes with a pump. It does us an airless pump, so you may have to pump quite a few times to dispense product, I had to actually remove the pump, squeeze the creme almost to the top, and then replace the pump. I've had no issues since!

The glow on my cheekbones is from the BB+ Creme over the Loreal Infallible Pro Matte foundation.

Gerard did come out with some new powder highlights that I am drooling over. And I absolutely LOVE the names they gave them! I also want to try their eyebrow palette!



Have you tried Gerard Cosmetics? What did you think? Tell me below!

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*None of the links above are affiliates.
*All items were purchased by me and all opinions are my own.

Colourpop Cosmetics-A Review!

Hello, Everyone!

As I'm sure you all know, Dani over at CoffeeBreakWithDani did a collab with Colourpop for the second time, and this time she created an eyeshadow quad! Her first collab consisted of a Lippie Stix and Lip Pencil called "Frida". Seeing her new shadows inspired me to break out my Colourpop goodies and play with them! To date, I have six eyeshadows, six Lippie Stix, three Lip Pencils, and two blushes. I haven't placed an order with them since they released their highlighters and bronzers, so I do not have any of those.

As you can tell, Colourpop seems to be a big fan of white packaging. Everything has a white, plastic casing, The letters on my Lippie Stix and Lip Pencils are all fading because whatever they used to stamp the letters on with, doesn't seem to adhere very well. The Lippie stix are all twist ups, and have a really neat, unique tip to them. They're shaped to allow you to easily color in your lips without the need for a lip liner, and the shape of the Lippie Stix casing helps them to keep that shape. The Lip Pencils are traditional ones that need to be sharpened. They look like they would be twist-ups, but they're not. As for the shadows and blushes, their containers have twist off lids, and Colourpop recommends that you close them immediately after using them to avoid drying them out. The Lippie Stix come in six different finishes: Satin, Cream, Glossy, Hyper-Glossy, Matte, and Pearlized. I believe the Lip Pencils all have a matte or creme finish, but I can't be 100% sure since most are listed with "No Finish" on their website. The "Super Shock" shadows and pigments come in five different finishes: Matte, Pearlized, Satin, Metallic, and Ultra-Metallic. The "Super Shock" blushes come in three finishes: Matte, Satin, and Pearlized. Since I do not have any of the bronzers or highlighters, as I mentioned, I'm not going to touch base on those. I'll start with the lip products.

All of the lip products (stix and pencils) are $5 each. That's right. Five bucks. You can hardly find good lipsticks in the drugstore for five dollars anymore. Each Lippie Stix in the line has a coordinating Lip Pencil. Coordinating, not matching. Some of the Lip Pencils are an exact match for the Lippie Stix, while some are complimentary to the Lippie Stix. As you can see above, the Lip Pencil for "Bound" is a lot darker than the Lippie Stix. The six Lippie Stix I own are Cake (satin), Button (satin), Bound (glossy), Frida (satin), Brink (matte), and Lumiere (matte). I have the coordinating Lip Pencils for Bound, Frida, and Brink. The Lip Pencils are creamy and highly pigmented, but not the longest lasting pencils I've ever tried. You do need a sharp pencil sharpener for these, due to the plastic like casing they are in. Interestingly, the Lippie Stix and Lip Pencils both have the same amount of product in them: .0352oz or 1.0g. I'm going to give my opinions on the Lippie Stix in order of the swatches above, bottom to top.

Cake is a satin, and Colourpop describes it as a "bright pastel peachy pink", but it does not flatter me at all. It looks almost neon in person, and streaky. It's always funny to hear "neon pastel" together, but that's exactly what this is. As for "pink", no pink comes out in this on me. It's pretty much orange. Out of the three types of finishes I own, this one as a satin, is the second most comfortable to wear. It is highly pigmented, which might be partially why it isn't flattering. It goes on so neon orange that I've never actually worn it in public. It also does not camouflage any dryness on my lips that I may have.

Button is a satin as well, and Colourpop describes it as a "pale creamy peach nude". This ones is a little more wearable for me, but it's still not my favorite. You can see that, even though this one is a satin like Cake, it's not as glossy. It looks more like a true satin, in my opinion. It's slightly more forgiving in not showing any dryness I had, but it still clings a little bit.

Bound is a glossy formula, and Colourpop describes this one as a "light nude pink", and I completely agree. In the swatches on my arm above, you can see how Bound is a light pink on its own, but when worn over the coordinating Lip Pencil, it can alter the color. It almost takes on a slight purple tone over the Lip Pencil. This is, by far, the most comfortable finish of the Lippie Stix that I own, and my favorite of the six. The pink color is more flattering on my pale, cool toned skin than any of the peachy ones. Bound doesn't last as long on me, and I believe that is due to the glossy finish.

Frida is a satin finish, and Colourpop describes it as a "warm mid-tone nude pink", but again this is another peachy color on me. It's not as peach/orange as Cake and Button, but it's not as pink as Bound. It's another of my favorite colors that I own. This is the one Dani created, and she designed it to be flattering for many different skin tones. If you check out her Instagram, she has re-posted many different pictures of others (myself included!), and you can see just how different it looks on everyone. This is another one where the Lip Pencil isn't an exact match for the Lippie Stix, but is coordinating, The Lip Pencil is more peach than the Lippie Stix. This one is very comfortable on the lips and lasts a really long time.

Brink is a matte finish, and Colourpop describes it as a "warm dusty taupe" that was curated by @brittanysuleiman and inspired by the "Kylie Jenner" lip. This may be my least favorite color out of my six. It is really just a brown on me, and I don't enjoy it. If I were going to do a 90's grunge look, I may use this color for that, but I have other colors that I think would look better. This color was a complete miss for me. 

Lumiere is a matte, and Colourpop describes it as a "dusty mauve pink", and once again, I agree. This was a collab with Kathleen Lights, and I think she did a great job. Does anyone else think of Beauty and the Beast when they see the name "Lumiere"? I can't be the only one...This is another of my favorites, It is absolutely beautiful. I've seen swatches of this compared to Nars Audacious lipstick in Anna, and they look like dupes. Except Lumiere is $5 and Anna is $32. Even though this is a matte, it's very comfortable on the lips, doesn't highlight my dry spots, and it lasts a long time.

On to the Super Shock shadows! Each of these shadows, like the lip products, are $5 each and these contain .07oz. Once again, an amazing deal. As you can see above, the six I own are I Heart This (metallic), So Quiche (metallic), Cricket (metallic), Bandit (matte), Bill (matte), and Mittens (matte). The Colourpop website says Bandit is a matte, but the bottom of my container says it is a satin. I would agree with the matte claim though. These shadows have a very interesting feel to them. They're not a cream, or a powder, or a cream-to-powder. It's very unique. They have a slightly wet, mousse-y feel to them. Like I mentioned in the beginning, make sure to close them tightly to avoid drying them out. I store mine upside down just like I do my paint pots and other cream items. I placed my first order in November, so I've had these for seven months, and when I first got them I wasn't a huge fan of the metallics. They had a ton of fallout when I used them. Not an hour after applying them, I would have glitter city underneath my eyes and on my cheeks. Not exactly the look I was going for. Colourpop suggests applying these with your fingers for maximum color payoff, and that definitely works better. The matte shadows apply well with a synthetic or duo fiber brush, but the metallic shades lose a lot of their pigmentation if you use a brush. I had put these away for a while, due to the fallout issue, but was inspired to bring them back out again after Dani's new quad released. This time, I used my Sephora Glitterguard as my primer, and experienced minimal fallout and the colors lasted all day. "I Heart This" is described as a "Cool-toned silvery taupe with multi-coloured glitter" and exactly how I see it. It's a beautiful color, I just don't like the fallout! "So Quiche" is described as a "soft olive with a highly reflective gold and pink violet glittery duo chrome", and once again, that is correct. Depending on how you turn the color in the light will depend on what colors you see in it. It does look very olive in the pan, though. "Cricket" is described as a "smoky mid-tone plum with warm and cool highlights of soft glitter". It is a smoky purple, but can sheer out pretty easily. "Bandit " is described as a "warm rusty brown", and that's exactly what it is. It reminds me a lot of Makeup Geek's Cocoa Bear, and is absolutely stunning in the crease. "Bill" is described as a "muted plum beige", and is my absolute favorite out of the six! I love this as the first shade in my crease! "Mittens" is described as a "deep warm brown with a red violet undertone" and I love this one as well. Once again, another great crease shade! Obviously, I love my warm browns in the crease. ;) I do much prefer the matte shades over the metallics. There's no fallout and I can use a brush with them.

(I used So Quiche on the lid and Bill and Mittens in the crease)

(I used I Heart This on the lid and Frida Lippie Stix and Lip Pencil)

Last but not least, are the Super Shock blushes. These have .15oz of product, making them slightly double the size of the eyeshadows. However, Colourpop didn't double the price on these; they're only $8! They have the same type of formula as the Super Shock eyeshadows, so make sure to tighten these as well. The two I have are Birthday Suit and Prenup, and both are satin finishes. Colourpop describes "Birthday Suit" as a "neutral pink", and that's a great description. This is a great "every day" blush, and can be worn with any look. "Prenup" is described as a "mid-tone plum pink", and you can see in the picture above that it does have more of a plummy look to it than Birthday Suit. Both of these leave a really pretty sheen on the cheeks, making you look like you have a healthy glow to the skin. Once again, Colourpop recommends using your fingers to apply, but I don't like applying my blush with my fingers. Out of all of the brushes I own, I find the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush and the Bare Minerals Soft Focus brush to be the best two to use with these. If I want more color payoff, I'll dot the color onto my cheeks with my fingers, and then blend it in with one of those brushes. 

All in all, I really like Colourpop. The Lippie Stix, matte shadows, and blushes are wonderful. If you use a glitter adhesive like the one I mentioned, the metallic shades stay on a lot better. I'm excited to try out the bronzers and highlighters next!

Have you tried anything from Colourpop? What did or didn't you like about it? Leave me your thoughts! Thanks for reading, and please subscribe!

*None of the links above are affiliates.

*Everything was purchased by me and all opinions are my own. 

A Review of Loreal Infallible Pro-Matte 24hr Foundation for Dry Skin

Hello, Everyone!

I have read and watched tons of reviews on the Loreal Infallible Pro-Matte 24hr foundation, but they're always by combination/oil skinned people. Which makes sense, being as it is a matte foundation and most dry skinned gals are looking for a dewy finish. Being the beauty junkie that I am, I still had to try it out. I don't particularly love a dewy finish, anyways, and tend to set my more luminous foundations with powder. I picked this us a couple of weeks ago, and if you follow me on Instagram (@acleftwich), you've seen me wear this a lot since I purchased it. Ulta shows 10 shades in the range, and I have the lightest, which is Classic Ivory. I heard this could oxidize, and I knew if I went for the second lightest shade and it oxidized, then it would be too dark. This doesn't oxidize on me (maybe because with my dry skin, there is no oil for it to mix with), and can be a tad light. It's nothing noticeable once I complete my makeup, though. Classic Ivory does have more of a cool/pink undertone to it, due to it's lightness; however, my understanding is that the rest of the line runs on the yellow side. Here's what the packaging looks like:

The Pro-Matte comes in a standard squeeze tube and contains 1.0 fl oz/30 ml. It retails anywhere from $10-$13, depending on where you buy it. Keep in mind, there are usually coupons in the Sunday paper, and you can stack those with the $3.50 off $10 or 20% off coupons at Ulta. I like the squeeze tube more than the open glass bottles with NO pump, which is just a breeding ground for germs. This way, I can get the exact amount I need and not waste any. The tube is matte, like the foundation, but it can get (and stay) dirty pretty quickly. 

The above picture shows the amount I would use to cover my entire face. I've used it with both a flat top kabuki buffing brush (like the Sigma F80) and the Beauty Blender, and I like both tools. The brush gives a fuller coverage, while the Beauty Blender sheers it out a little bit. I have been using it over the Laura Mercier Radiance Primer, and I love those two combined. The matteness of the foundation keeps the primer from looking too glowy, and the primer keeps the foundation from looking too flat.

I'm not sure how well you can tell the difference in this picture once I blended the foundation in, but it did do quite a bit of perfecting. It has a very light feeling on the skin, almost mousse like. It is in no way heavy feeling, and hasn't broken me out. I haven't had any experience with it clinging to any dry spots or looking cakey. I absolutely love the way this looks on my skin. It has been my go-to foundation any day that I need my makeup to last or I want my skin to look perfect. It claims to last 24 hours, and I obviously haven't tested that out. I have, however, worn it for 16 hours, and it still looked amazing at the end of the night.

I really love the way this looks. It blends beautifully, doesn't oxidize, and I don't feel the need to set it. Loreal claims this has a demi-matte finish, and I agree. It doesn't leave a completely flat finish on the face, making you look one dimensional. I have the Estee Lauder Double Wear, and while I like it, this one is better, The Double Wear feels heavier on the skin, does leave my skin completely flat, and can get cakey quickly. If you have dry skin, I believe that as long as you moisturize and use a hydrating primer, you would love this foundation. Obviously, I wouldn't recommend pairing it with a mattifying primer, or setting it with powder. If you are combination or oily, I'm sure you've either already tried it, or heard all the rave about it for your skin type. Overall, I love this foundation and am a little miffed that a drugstore foundation is out ranking my higher end foundations. Lol. 

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*All items mentioned were purchased by me and all opinions are my own. 

May Favorites!

Hello, Everyone!

 

It's that time again! I didn't think I would actually have a lot this month because for two weeks out of four, I didn't wear any makeup. That is probably a new record for me! I love wearing makeup, but when I was having gallbladder attacks, and then surgery, I just didn't have the energy! Enough rambling, let's get to it!

 

I am including a few things that are EVERY month favorites, not just in May; however, since I just started blogging, no one knows what those things are! I'm actually going to start with those three things.

 

First up: the Beauty Blender! This really is a magical little sponge. I've had two of the Original (pink) ones, and now own two of the Pro (black) ones. It applies liquids, creams, and even powders flawlessly! I do have to say that I think the pointy end of the black ones aren't quite as pointy as the pink ones. Small thing, but still.

Next, would be these two brushes from Sigma. I own 30 or so Sigma brushes, but I use these two every. single. day. The E35 is labeled as a highlight brush, but I love it for setting my under eye concealer with powder. The E40 is the perfect eyeshadow blending brush. No other fluffy blending brush I own even compares. I need multiples of each of these!

Yes, I know this is a sample packet. However, I had four of these, and finished two. I LOVE this Laura Mercier Radiance Primer under my foundation. Especially under the foundation I'm going to mention in a  minute. It's not glittery, or sparkly, it just gives a beautiful luminosity to the skin. It has a peachy pink tint to it, and looks like it would be loaded with sparkle, but it's not. I haven't tried it under dewy foundations, because I don't want that much glow. I do love it under matte foundations, and I will definitely need to pick up the full size!

Loreal's Infallible Pro Matte foundation. THIS has been my favorite foundation this month, and the one I've been loving over the Laura Mercier Radiance primer. I actually plan on reviewing this since all of the reviews I've seen for it are by bloggers with combination or oily skin, and mine is dry. Spoiler alert: I love, love, love it!!

This concealer has become Holy Grail for me! It is exactly as the name claims: weightless and complete coverage. It feels like nothing on my skin, but covers my dark circles amazingly well. It doesn't leave my under eye area looking dry or crease. I do think the color selection will be difficult for some (I have Fair Neutral), and I've heard quite a few people are buying two shades and mixing. Considering the cost of this, I'm glad I only need one shade!

My most loved palette in May was the Laura Mercier Eye Art Artist's Palette. These were my first Laura Mercier eyeshadows, and they're beautiful. They're smooth, creamy, pigmented, and blend great. All of the purple tones and shadows make my green eyes pop and I've loved every look I've created with it. As for the Mac shadow in Satin Taupe, this was my most loved single for those I'm-in-a-rush-and-have-to-leave-now days. And I had quite a few of those last month! It's a beautiful all over the lid color, with a lighter, matte brown in the crease. A pop of a bright color on the lips and I looked like I had made a huge effort!

I originally purchased the eyeshadow primer in Enigma from Urban Decay because 100% of the proceeds went to empower women. Thankfully, I really love this primer! I usually use my Mac paint pot in Soft Ochre, but that took a back seat to Enigma last month. It's opaque and neutralizes the eyelids, creating a blank canvas for your shadows.

Here's where I become a little high maintenance. I've been loving combining all three of these products to get amazing lashes. I have long lashes, but they're blonde. Without mascara, I look like I have none! I've been using the Dior Diorshow Maximizer to prime, then the Makeup Forever Smoky Extravagant mascara for volume, and topping it all off with Benefit's They're Real for separation. It's the perfect trio!

I've reviewed it and talked non stop about it, so it should be no shock that the It Cosmetics Ombre Bronzer in Warm Radiance made my favorites list. I have a feeling this is going to join the first three items in this post as "always and forever" favorites. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll see this listed in every makeup picture I've taken. Because it is that good.

My favorite blush of the month is the Clinique Cheek Pop in Pink Pop. The design of the powder, the packaging, and the color are all beautiful. It's not so pigmented that you need to barely dab the brush in and then tap it off before applying it to your cheeks, so you can build it up. I have found that I need to use a natural hair brush instead of synthetic for best color payoff. It gives a beautiful, healthy flush to my cheeks.

 

I have four favorite lip products, and believe me, that's a small amount. Lol. I picked up the Sephora waterproof, retractable lip liner in Petal, and it is the perfect pink liner for me. The only downside is that it does have glitter in it. It doesn't show through my lipsticks, but it's still there. It is extremely creamy, making it easy to apply, and does last for hours on my lips. It will work under numerous lip colors, or as a lip color itself! For lipstick, I chose my Gerard Cosmetics lipstick in Buttercup. I originally held out on getting this since I assumed the only reason people really loved it was because it was a Jaclyn Hill creation. Not that there's anything wrong with that, I just don't want to buy something I don't think I'll love. Well, as you can see in the above picture, I LOVE this lipstick. It is the perfect neutral pink color for me. I love it so much that I bought a back up while they were having huge sales and free shipping. I can't recall ever doing that with a lipstick before! For lipgloss, I've really been loving the Lorac Alter Ego lipgloss in Girl Next Door. I'm more of a lipstick person than a lipgloss person, but this formula is amazing. You can read my review of these here to learn more about what I think. I also chose the LA Splash Smitten Lip Tint in Charmed. It's a beautiful nude-pink, matte liquid lipstick. It's comfortable on the lips and makes my lips look fuller. It lasts all day on the lips, and never feels drying.

Last, is this hand cream from Soap & Glory. I got it on clearance from Sephora (the brand is moving to drugstores), and loved it so much, I bought a back up before they sold out. I keep it on my desk at work and use it throughout the day. It's extremely moisturizing, but sinks in quickly, and doesn't have an offensive or overwhelming smell.

 

That's it for this month! What were some of your favorites for May? I'd love to know!

 

Thanks for reading and please subscribe!

 

 

*None of the links above are affiliates.

*All items were purchased by me and all opinions are my own.