Maybelline

Maybelline Spring 2017 Baby Lips Color Balm Crayons

January 10th, 2017 by Karen 9 Comments

maybelline baby lips playful purple — $6.99 Maybelline Color Balm Crayon in 40 Playful Purple

Baby lips, as in the lips of wee babes, are FASCINATING. They’re so smooth and perfectly pigmented, and completely lacking vertical lip lines. I can’t believe that I had baby lips once upon a time…

Well, other than these new ones from Maybelline. 🙂 They’re called the Baby Lips Color Balm Crayons, and they’re $6.99 each and new for spring in eight shades.

Ingredients

Octyldodecanol, Diisostearyl Malate, Petrolatum, Polybutene, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Polyethylene, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter / Shea Butter, HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Alumina, Silica Silylate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Aroma/Flavor, Limonene and Silica

Are they moisturizing?

These are fairly moisturizing oil-based balms, but I wouldn’t whip one out if my lips were severely chapped. They would get the job done most of the time, but I don’t think they’re as hydrating as hardcore balms like Hourglass Lip Oil or Nuxe Reve de Miel.

maybelline baby lips color balm crayon swatches — Five of the eight shades Maybelline Color Balm Crayons, from the top: 05 Toasted Taupe, 10 Blush Burst, 20 Creamy Coral, 25 Refreshing Red and 40 Playful Purple

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The $3.99 Maybelline Spring 2017 Expert Wear Eyeshadows

January 4th, 2017 by Karen 19 Comments

maybelline spring 2017 eyeshadows — Eight of 20 new Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadows ($3.99 each) coming soon

I’ve been having a moment with Maybelline lately. I really, really like their new Dream Cushion Foundation, their Inti-Matte Lipsticks, the 24K Nudes Eyeshadow Palette, and I just had a long conversation with a friend last week (Hi, Shakun!) who loves their Matte and Poreless Foundation, which is apparently the ish, so I’m dying to try it.

With all of that said, I started testing the new Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadows, which come out this month (Jan. 2017), assuming they’d be great.

Buuut…

maybelline spring 2017 expertwear eyeshadow — Maybelline Spring 2017 Expert Wear Eyeshadows from the top in Linen, Cool Cocoa, Khaki Camo, Gold School, Night Sky, Made for Mocha, NY Silver and Fierce Fuschia

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The Maybelline 24K Nudes Eyeshadow Palette, and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

December 31st, 2016 by Karen 17 Comments

maybelline the 24karat nudes palette — Wearing The 24K Nudes Eyeshadow Palette by Maybelline, just $11.99 and available now at Ulta

I’m totally down with gold, bronze and brown,
The color combo spins me round and round…

OK, that’s the end of that nonsense. My name is Karen, and I cannot rap! Nope. I am terrible at improv lyrical wordsmith-ing.

But hey, girl, haaay, I can do other things…like obsess over outrageously good gold, bronze and brown eye palettes. Yeah, I can totally do that. Been doing it for years, actually. 🙂

Here’s one: the new $11.99 Maybelline The 24K Nudes Eyeshadow Palette.

maybelline the 24karat nudes palette 1 — Maybelline’s The 24K Nudes Eyeshadow Palette has 12 dazzling colors infused with metallic gold pigments

All 12 of these warm, shimmery shades are right up my alley. For an $11.99 palette, this one’s a divine drugstore darling with bronze, brown, purple and khaki. They’re all nicely pigmented (I’d call them “medium” pigmented, so just shy of full), so they aren’t as sheer as the shadows in some inexpensive palettes; easy to blend; silky soft; and they don’t have a problem with wear time.

This is a great palette for everyday shimmer. I have a palette from theBalm that’s very similar to it but about $20 more expensive.

The powder particles in the more shimmery of the shades are on the larger side, though…which does make those somewhat aging, methinks, but this is still a great all-around palette because of the potent pigments and the price. It’s easily comparable to some of the better drugstore palettes out there now (like the $10 Maybelline Eye Studios, which are bomb-@ss drugstore gems to me).

maybelline the 24karat nudes palette swatches — Swatches of The 24K Nudes Eyeshadow Palette (I’m a MAC NC42 for ref)

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Maybelline Color Sensational Inti-Matte Nudes Lipstick

December 30th, 2016 by Karen 15 Comments

maybelline color sensational inti matte nudes 555 naked coral — Wearing $8 Maybelline Color Sensational Inti-Matte Lipstick in 555 Naked Coral

You know you grew up in earthquake country when you see some new nude lipsticks from Maybelline and, instead of thinking something normal like, “Ooh! I can’t wait to wear them with smoky eyes!” you think of your worst earthquake nightmare scenario, which involves being buck naked in the shower and completely covered in soap when the big one hits.

(Another one of my nightmare earthquake scenarios involves being in the middle of getting Lasik surgery when an earthquake hits. Sit on that one for a bit.)

Ah… Another day, another glorious excuse to wear nude lipstick. You know how I roll. 🙂 And these Color Sensational Inti-Matte Nudes Lipsticks by Maybelline are so much naked lip loveliness.

maybelline color sensational inti matte nudes swatches — From top to bottom, swatches of six of the 10 Maybelline Color Sensational Inti-Matte Lipsticks: 575 Brown Blush, 565 Almond Rose, 55 Naked Coral, 545 Beige Babe, 535 Purely Nude and 530 Hot Sand

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Maybelline Dream Cushion Fresh Face Liquid Foundation Is a Sweet Drugstore Dream

December 22nd, 2016 by Karen 13 Comments

maybelline dream cushion review — New for spring 2017: Maybelline Dream Cushion

I can’t remember the last time I had a makeup-related dream.

Or a dream where I even realized I was wearing makeup.

Can you? Have you ever had a dream where you’re putting on your makeup? I wish I did. Dream makeup… I think I’d like that.

New Maybelline Dream Cushion Fresh Face Liquid Foundation, which is coming in January in eight shades that are $16 each, has the word “dream” right in the name.

maybelline dream cushion swatches — Maybelline Dream Cushion swatches (seven of eight shades): 10 Porcelain, 15 Ivory, 20 Classic Ivory, 30 Warm Nude, 45 Medium Beige, 55 Caramel, 60 Cocoa

maybelline dream cushion 45 Medium Beige — I wear shade 45 Medium Beige

Cushion compacts like this one have been over the place lately! When you open the compact, instead of there being a pan of cream or powder, there’s a sponge pre-soaked with liquid foundation. You take a puff applicator, a Beauty Blender or a brush, dab it on the sponge, and then apply that to your face.

I haven’t tried many of them yet, but MAC Matchmaster Shade Intelligence Compact is my cushion compact holy grail at the moment. It’s $38 though. It’s lightweight, medium coverage, and it beautifully blurs my pores. And it doesn’t budge on my skin.

But I like Maybelline Dream Cushion as well.

maybelline dream cushion before after — Before (left) and after (right), wearing shade 45 Medium Beige

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Sneak Peek: New From Maybelline for Spring 2017

December 8th, 2016 by Karen 24 Comments

Um…yes, I realize that we’re talking about spring, even though it isn’t even Christmas yet.

I know! It’s weird to me too, but that’s the makeup world. Lots of weird.

Here’s a quick peek at new products from Maybelline coming to drugstores next month. Does anything here strike your fancy?

New from Maybelline for Spring 2017

Colossal Big Shot Mascara ($8.49) — Has wavy bristles for boosting volume
Brow Precise Perfecting Highlighter ($7.99) — A full-coverage highlighter for brow arches
Expertwear Eye Shadow ($3.99 each) — Powder eye shadow singles with jet-milled pigments in bold and satin finishes, available in 20 shades
24Karat Nudes Palette ($11.99) — A palette with a gold theme and 12 new shimmery shadows
Color Sensational Inti-Matte Nudes ($7.49 each) — Warm creamy matte nudes in 10 shades
Lip Studio Color Contour Lip Palettes ($13.99 each) — Lip palettes with six lipstick shades, available in Blushed Bombshell (nudes and pinks) and Vamp Fatale (reds and plums)
Maybelline New York Color Sensational Vivid Matte Liquids ($7.99 each) — Liquid lipsticks in statement shades available in 10 new colors
Color Sensational Shaping Lip Liner ($7.99 each) — Twist-up skinny lip liners in 14 new shades
Baby Lips Color Balm Crayon ($6.99 each) — Balm-like crayon for bright, juicy color
Dream Cushion Foundation ($15.99 each) — Luminous, lightweight coverage for a smooth fresh glow, available in 8 shades
Dream Brightening Creamy Concealer ($7.99 each) — Has light reflecting pearls for brightening, available in 6 shades
Face Studio Master Camo Color Correcting Kit ($12.99 each) — Color-correcting palettes with highlighters, concealers and color correctors for light, medium and deep skin tones
Face Studio Master Blush Color & Highlighting Kit ($12.99) — Gel-based blush kit with three blushes and a highlighter
Face Studio Master Strobing Liquid Illuminating Highlighter ($9.99) — Two shades with various levels of shine for a dewy glow

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The Orange Beauty Edit

May 25th, 2016 by Carolina Braina 25 Comments

Orange Beauty Products — A few of my favorite orange beauty products

I LUUURVE orange.

To me it is such a mood- and energy-boosting color… It makes me think of a summer sunset on the beach, when the sun is an orange ball of fire and everything looks magically better in its warm light.

Since orange-toned makeup is my favorite to wear at this time of the year, today I thought I’d tell you about some of my favorite products in this fun, energetic hue, including a couple of non-makeup extras.

Let’s dive right in!

Tom Ford Lip Color Matte in Flame ($52)

Tom Ford Lip Color Matte Flame Swatch — Wearing the Tom Ford Lip Color Matte in Flame on my lips, the MADINA Prisma Blush in 03 on my cheeks, and the Essie Nail Polish in Fifth Avenue on my nails

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love this lipstick. I don’t know if it’s because it’s called ‘Flame’ (apparently, I have a thing for makeup products whose names evoke fire or places in North Africa… – don’t ask), or because I got it last time I visited my favorite city in the world (AKA the City by the Bay), or because of its perfect point of red-orange that I like to wear no matter the season or time of the day… All I know is that I love it with my heart and soul, and if I had to keep only one lipstick out of my entire collection (oh gawd, the thought of giving up all my lipsticks but one is beyond horrifying… Why did I even go there?!), it would most likely be this one.

The Tom Ford Lip Color Matte in Flame is the lipstick I chose to ring in my third decade on this planet, and it remained pretty much intact through an Italian-style BBQ, two desserts and numerous toasts.

Despite having a bomb staying power, it’s very comfortable on the lips and doesn’t dry them out…

Did I mention that I LOVE it?

Maybelline Color Sensational The Creamy Mattes in Craving Coral ($7.99)

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How I Wear Nude Lipstick (A Collaboration With Anna)

May 12th, 2016 by Marcella Yakalis 11 Comments

From the top, clockwise: Wet n Wild Velvet Matte Lip Color in Hickory Smoked ($3.49), Colourpop Lippie Stix in Lumiere ($5), and Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid Lipstick in Nude Thrill ($6.99)

When I first started wearing lipstick, I was a sucker for a red lip, particularly matte red lips, and I still am. If I had to wear the same lip color for the rest of my life, it would probably be something red.

But my tastes have grown over the years to include many other colors, including nudes. A change of pace is nice sometimes, and some nudes are just too good to pass up.

I tend to go for the bolder nudes, like pink nudes, or a nude with brownish red undertones.

To go along with Anna’s favorite nude lippies, here are three of my favorite nudes that I’ve been wearing on the regular (when I’m not going for my signature red).

The first one is one of the Maybelline Vivid Mattes, and Adia did an amazing review of these a little while back, so I’m not going to spend too much time on the particulars. I will say that it’s one of my favorite everyday liquid lipsticks for a few reasons. The color lasts, it’s not overly drying, and it’s truly a universally flattering shade.

Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid Lipstick in Nude Thrill

It can easily be worn with just a bit of mascara for a daytime look or something like a smoky eye for night.

My second favorite nude is my go-to pink for when I feel like wearing something other than red, but don’t want to wear anything particularly bright. It’s Colourpop Lippie Stix in Lumiere, a dusty mauve.

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