my name is pronounced like "IVY"; im a vlogger and a blogger, a beauty junkie, and loves everything girly..
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I have swatched and tested the new Maybelline Master Glaze Blush stick.
I found these at Walmart, and they are $10 each. They come in 6 shades , and yes they were pretty.
I actually was surprised that I only bought one colour...
This blush stick is a dream to apply. It blends very easily and application is flawless. You can apply the product directly from the bullet and then just blend with fingers. What I like about the formulation is that it doesn't remove your make up(foundation) underneath it - unlike other products where you have to take some product on your brush, then apply to cheeks. Also, the pigmentation is absolutely amazing on the one i picked out!!
When in doubt, choose hot pink *_^ lol!
heavy swatch on the left, and blended out on the right
and here it what it looks like on my cheeks ^_^
which colour are you picking out?
ps. this is everything a blush stick should be ^_^
Lauren Luke - this is the brush line of a famous beauty guru on youtube - Panacea81. These are the very first make up brushes that i own, and i absolutely love them. I've been using these for about 2 years now - and the brushes still look good. The bristles are soft and comparable to a more high brushes, and has not shed at all. Awesome price point and i love the pink accent. (CA $8+)
Eco Tools - these drugstore brushes are actually good. I only own two - fan and pencil brush.. but my favourite is their fan brush. I love how soft the bristles are and its perfect for applying highlighters or even powders.
Real Techniques - brush line of Samantha Chapman or Pixiwoo from youtube (I'm sure everyone knows her and her sister Nic). And ever since I got these brushes - i was hooked! I originally bought the core collection. then i got the eye starter kit and then travel kit. I am still waiting on the duo fiber collection to hit Canada (and I am excited!) I love how these brushes are well made. It makes make up application a breeze, and everything looks flawless. I've had these brushes for less than 2 years now, and they are still as good as new. I haven't had a problem with shedding whatsoever. I highly recommend these. (And you can buy these from Walmart.)
Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream - a multi purpose moisturizer that really stays long on the skin. I use this for my lips, hands and dry patches on my face. it has a thick consistency (ointment) but it really soothes very dry chapped skin. ($ 20)
Philosophy Almond souffle - OMG!!! this really smells soooooooo good! Its actually a duo (might be a holiday product, not sure) and its only $30 - now that is cheap for a philosophy product. Anyway, in my opinion, its a darn good alternative to Laura Mercier's creme de pistache. The almond souffle feels and smells good on the skin. Its not too thick, not too think either. I love that the scent lingers on the skin for a long time, but its not overwhelming (which is sometimes the case for the laura mercier.) I hope this becomes a permanent product for Philosophy - coz i'd be stocking up on it for sure! (CA $30 - duo set)
Clean perfume - love at first sniff. the scent "SKIN" is what i love the most - I've also got a blog post explaining why i am obsessed about this so much. (CA $39)
Bath and Body works sleep spray - the chamomile & lavender scent really provides the relaxation you need during sleepless nights. works great for me - and will continue to buy it! (its super affordable and has a matching body cream & bath products as well)
Lavanilla deodorant - with all the hype about the high content of aluminum (causing breast cancer) from deodorants, this brand is the answer to that. Lavanilla is an all natural deodorant that contains NO aluminum, parabens or hard chemicals. It claims to have essential oils with "with powerful anti-oxidants and beta glucan technology for daily defense and nourishment". Now since this is a deodorant, it won't prevent any sweating or whatnot(there are a lot of antiperspirants now that are less harsh - i.e. all natural or organic), so just be aware of that. (CA $23)
Loreal Miracle Blur - makes skin super smooth and ready for a flawless foundation application. Also comes in Oil-Free version (CA $25)
Maybelline FIT Me - an excellent drugstore foundation that provides light to medium coverage. This gives a dewy finish to the skin. Would've loved if it came with a pump for a mess free application.
Loreal Lumi - a luminous (as the name suggests) drugstore foundation that has a light to medium coverage. Has a wide selection of colours/shades to accommodate all skin tones.
MAC Face & Body - best natural (light to medium coverage) foundation to give you that "looks like skin" finish; perfect for taking photos as it does not contain any SPF
Giorgio Maestro - my pick for a high end foundation that provides a medium to full coverage without making your face look cake at all. This applies very evenly on the skin and i love the scent - it does not smell like makeup (you know what I mean yes?). The packaging also feels luxurious.
Essence 16 hour concealer - inexpensive and stays on the skin for a long time (Not sure if this will really last for 16 hours, I haven't worn it for that long). Only CON is that it only comes in light shades (nothing for someone with a medium to dark complexion)
Maybelline Eraser Dark circle - best salmon coloured eye concealer. Texture is lightweight and does not cake up. I love how it applies smoothly under the eyes.
Bobbi Brown corrector - high end alternative to Maybelline dark circle eraser (if budget is not a concern); It has a very creamy consistency but I find that have to moisturize really well so it won't crease on me.
Bourjois bronzing primer - drugstore alternative to Chanel tan de soleil. The texture is different as this has more of a mousse like consistency (Chanel is more solid) - little goes a long way
Benefit Hoola - another good high end matte bronzer. this product lasts a looong time, so its worth the price (imo).
Nars X Guy Bourdin blush palette - Limited Edition offering from Nars for the holidays. They always offer some of the best blush palettes. Best for when travelling as the colours will match any makeup look. If you can still get your hands on this, grab yourself one! (or two .. lol) I believe this was $65
Benefit Rockateur - I'm not really too fond of the scent (it doesn't smell bad at all - Id rather that it was unscented) BUT gives the prettiest rosy pinky glow on your cheeks
Revlon cream blush - love the cream to powder finish. only comes in 4 shades - 2 are perfect for summer/spring as they are super bright and the other 2 are more natural so its best to wear during fall season. Provides a very natural flush on the face, it is easy to blend and stays on the cheeks the entire day.
Hourglass ambient lighting powder palette - again, this is a must have (grab one if you still can) for achieving that perfect glow. it extends the wear of my makeup, and minimizes the look of pores.
Today I have the Maybelline's ColorSensational lipstick - The Buffs collection.
These are already out in the US but will be available here in Canada on January 14, 2014 - so mark your calendars!
I have been a long time fan of Maybelline, as their products rarely disappoint me. I was impressed by the Vivids lipsticks and the ColorSensational high shine lip glosses are my favourite lip gloss ever.
Going back to the new collection... there are 8 colours and in my opinion, the colour selection will suit a lot of skin types. let me show you....
910 - Bare All
This is the lightest shade, and with my NC20 skin, this totally erased my lips lol. It was like a lip eraser - which can totally be a base for brighter lipsticks
915 - Blushing Beige
Nude with pink tones
920 - Nude Lust
This is my favourite out of all 8 shades. My PERFECT nude.
The colour is very similar to #915
925 - Maple Kiss
930 - Truffle tease
945 - Stormy Sahara
similar to truffle kiss, but with a light pinky/orange-y tone
950 - Untainted Spice
lighter than 955; has a hint purple undertones
955 - Espresso Exposed
Now, this colour surprised me when i removed the cover. I thought this was too dark to be considered a nude - but again, the collection can accommodate a lot of skin tones. When I applied this on my lips, it was a perfect fall colour - it was like cranberry/wine...but of course you can sheer it out of a wash of colour on your lips
I had high hopes for this collection, just because the Vivids & the lip glosses were a hit for me...and the buffs did exactly that. I love them! The texture was creamy and applied smoothly on the lips.
The only shade I had a problem with was the lightest one (910) - because it was so light, it emphasized some dry areas on my lips (so if this colour suits you, I highly recommend that you exfoliate your lips with some lip scrub and moisturize)
I kinda like the packaging as it completed the 'nude' collection really well. the names are also quite cheeky for this line *_^ My most favourite is the shade called "Nude Lust" - now I know the names are not as vulgar as the ones from Nars, but you know what Im sayin' yes?
I've filmed a video with live swatches for all eight colours -which is now LIVE on my channel - so be sure to check it out ^_^
I was excited when I heard about this collection coming out - and to now have them, its even more exciting ^_^
Huge thanks to Maybelline's PR team for providing these lipsticks! They were everything I hoped they would be.
I just think that there are a lot of gift sets that are reasonably priced during this time and are nice to gift to the women in your life (and even to yourself)
Please dont hesitate to share your recommendations!