Chi-Chi’s Recent Favorites  Hello darlings! I wanted to share some of my favorites that I’ve purchased relatively recently - new products are wonderful y/y? OPI Natural Nail Strengthener | $9: This is the saving grace of my nails - my nails are quite fragile and soft, and this product has made strong enough to grow consistently! Avon Ultra Luxury Eye Liner in Black Flash | $6: This is rivaling my love for the Tarina Tarantino liners mentioned here - creamy, takes a bit to set, does not move on my oily lids. Very black and quite shiny (Avon should make a matte version - would purchase!) Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder in Deep | $9.99: This is a wonderful, soft powder that sets most of my foundations nicely, including my cream and liquid foundations.  Wet n Wild Fergie Eyeshadow Primer | $4.99: Pretty much this is the only eyeshadow primer other than NARS Pro Prime Smudgeproof Base that works on my oily lids. Has the consistency similar to that of UDPP (but works better because UDPP does nothing for me). Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer in Dark Beige (12) | $32: This concealer is hard to work with under the eyes; however, it does not move on after it sets until you want it to move. I’m…in love. Maybelline Blush in Coral Burst (from the Spring 2013 LE collection): I saw Muse’s review of this blush and determined that I must have it because it looked absolutely beautiful. Then I bought it and it exceeded expectations so I went back and bought a backup. i regret nothing What have you been loving recently? Comment with your current favorites - we’re always open for recommendations! <3 o/~ Some of these links are affiliate links, which means if you purchase them, we’ll get a small commission — less than 10%. These aren’t advertisements and are products we actually like and use though. Read more about our disclosure practices here. ^__^ High-res

Chi-Chi’s Recent Favorites 

Hello darlings! I wanted to share some of my favorites that I’ve purchased relatively recently - new products are wonderful y/y?

  1. OPI Natural Nail Strengthener | $9: This is the saving grace of my nails - my nails are quite fragile and soft, and this product has made strong enough to grow consistently!
  2. Avon Ultra Luxury Eye Liner in Black Flash | $6: This is rivaling my love for the Tarina Tarantino liners mentioned here - creamy, takes a bit to set, does not move on my oily lids. Very black and quite shiny (Avon should make a matte version - would purchase!)
  3. Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder in Deep | $9.99: This is a wonderful, soft powder that sets most of my foundations nicely, including my cream and liquid foundations. 
  4. Wet n Wild Fergie Eyeshadow Primer | $4.99: Pretty much this is the only eyeshadow primer other than NARS Pro Prime Smudgeproof Base that works on my oily lids. Has the consistency similar to that of UDPP (but works better because UDPP does nothing for me).
  5. Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer in Dark Beige (12) | $32: This concealer is hard to work with under the eyes; however, it does not move on after it sets until you want it to move. I’m…in love.
  6. Maybelline Blush in Coral Burst (from the Spring 2013 LE collection): I saw Muse’s review of this blush and determined that I must have it because it looked absolutely beautiful. Then I bought it and it exceeded expectations so I went back and bought a backup. i regret nothing

What have you been loving recently? Comment with your current favorites - we’re always open for recommendations! <3 o/~

Some of these links are affiliate links, which means if you purchase them, we’ll get a small commission — less than 10%. These aren’t advertisements and are products we actually like and use though. Read more about our disclosure practices here. ^__^

Hello lovely PD followers! Here’s a mini review of Revlon Nearly Naked Makeup in Caramel 260 $9.99 | link. I purchased this foundation recently because I finished another foundation in my collection (Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid Foundation). …and the YouTube hype train is focusing on this foundation so of course, have to see if it’s actually good. 

The color range of this foundation is alright, but nothing to be amazed about since if you’re very pale or darker than me you’re probably not going to find a match. Caramel is the second darkest shade, and compared to other Caramel Revlon foundations that i own, it runs a tad lighter. More on that later…

The consistency of this foundation is very liquidy, and since this doesn’t have a pump (why do all foundations not come with pumps this would be better with a pump), it’s very easy to accidentally get too much product. It also does not break me out which is wonderful for my ridiculously sensitive skin.

Application of the foundation is pretty easy, I either use a stippling brush, an expert face brush (Real Techniques ilu), or my fingers. It looks light on my skin when I first buff it into my skin, but it oxidizes and melts into my skin for a pretty good match. It really does feel like I’m wearing nothing, especially when I applied it sheerly. Lightest feeling foundation I own. It dries down to a semi-matte finish on my skin.

The coverage is light but can be built up to medium - it doesn’t bubble up or gather in my pores either which is a welcome sign because all of my drugstore foundations I own do that. It covers all of my light acne scarring and lightly covers the darker scars; however, you will need concealer if you have darker hyperpigmentation or darker acne scarring for a flawless finish. This is by no means a full coverage foundation.

The wear of the foundation is surprisingly good on my combination skin. I have an oily T-Zone and normal everywhere else, and it lasts without a powder for around 5 hours before it starts to fade. With a powder, it lasts around 8 hours, which is the most time I’m usually wearing foundation anyway. I do have to blot my face after four hours.

Overall recommendation: Would I recommend? Yes, if you’re looking for a lighter coverage foundation and if you find a color match. Is it the best thing ever? No not really and since it’s permanent just wait for a sale, coupons or go to Target/Walmart. I like it (a pump would make this a stronger yes tbh) and I get compliments when I wear it. It’s a good product.

I have been pretty good with resisting all of the new drugstore collections that have been coming out recently, but I finished some products and cleaned out my collection a tad (tossing old products and giving some away). My skin has not been doing too hot as of late as well, so I&#8217;m returning to some old favorites and simplifying it again. The products I bought include: My Beauty Diary All-in-One Set (Pink) 15pcs + 1 Eye Mask | link: I splurged a bit and bought this because my skin has been acting up as I said, and these masks have always helped my skin return to normal. I absolutely love these and so does Arabelle. There are different masks for everything! Naruko Perfecting Elixir | link: I used this a ton over a year ago after seeing how much fuzkittie liked Naruko products (;_;7 fuzkittie) and it completely changed my skin. I am in need of a skin savior right now so I purchased it again and I&#8217;m questioning why I ever stopped - this is the perfect night moisturizer for my skin right now. It consists of mostly rosehip oil (plus other good ingredients), which provide deep hydration for the skin. love love love it! Kate Moss for Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick in 104: This is a medium pink toned lipstick that turns into a pink-toned beige nude on my lips. Same great formula and lasts for four hours on the lips. Wet n Wild Fergie Centerstage Collection Perfect Pout Lip Color in Penthouse Sweet (A036) | link: Mentioned in this post that I would probably get a couple more lipsticks from both this collection and the Rimmel Kate Moss collection, and well. It&#8217;s bright pink! Couldn&#8217;t resist.. Revlon Nearly Naked Makeup SPF 20 in Caramel (260) | link: Decided to jump on the hype train and see what this was all about after finishing my Estee Lauder foundation. Tried it for the first time and my first impressions are: it really feels like nothing on the skin, medium coverage at most if applied carefully and why is there no pump?! Will this be the drugstore foundation I feel comfortable recommending - only time will tell. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Spot Concealer + Treatment in Medium/Deep | link: I&#8217;m on the lookout for a new concealer since the Bobbi Brown one that I&#8217;ve been using is not working for my skin anymore. This is technically for dark spots (hence the name) but I&#8217;ll try it as an under-eye concealer and see how I like it. Also going to pick up the new L&#8217;oreal stick concealer eventually. (Update: This product is okay, both as an under-eye concealer and spot concealer. I can&#8217;t comment on the treatment part of the concealer since I haven&#8217;t been using it for long enough for that to have an affect yet. As a concealer, it&#8217;s either good or bad - merely okay and it&#8217;s not something to rush out for in the slightest.) And that&#8217;s it! As usual, drop an ask if you want additional pictures or mini-reviews. &lt;3! High-res

I have been pretty good with resisting all of the new drugstore collections that have been coming out recently, but I finished some products and cleaned out my collection a tad (tossing old products and giving some away). My skin has not been doing too hot as of late as well, so I’m returning to some old favorites and simplifying it again. The products I bought include:

  1. My Beauty Diary All-in-One Set (Pink) 15pcs + 1 Eye Mask | link: I splurged a bit and bought this because my skin has been acting up as I said, and these masks have always helped my skin return to normal. I absolutely love these and so does Arabelle. There are different masks for everything!
  2. Naruko Perfecting Elixir | link: I used this a ton over a year ago after seeing how much fuzkittie liked Naruko products (;_;7 fuzkittie) and it completely changed my skin. I am in need of a skin savior right now so I purchased it again and I’m questioning why I ever stopped - this is the perfect night moisturizer for my skin right now. It consists of mostly rosehip oil (plus other good ingredients), which provide deep hydration for the skin. love love love it!
  3. Kate Moss for Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick in 104: This is a medium pink toned lipstick that turns into a pink-toned beige nude on my lips. Same great formula and lasts for four hours on the lips.
  4. Wet n Wild Fergie Centerstage Collection Perfect Pout Lip Color in Penthouse Sweet (A036) | link: Mentioned in this post that I would probably get a couple more lipsticks from both this collection and the Rimmel Kate Moss collection, and well. It’s bright pink! Couldn’t resist..
  5. Revlon Nearly Naked Makeup SPF 20 in Caramel (260) | link: Decided to jump on the hype train and see what this was all about after finishing my Estee Lauder foundation. Tried it for the first time and my first impressions are: it really feels like nothing on the skin, medium coverage at most if applied carefully and why is there no pump?! Will this be the drugstore foundation I feel comfortable recommending - only time will tell.
  6. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Spot Concealer + Treatment in Medium/Deep | link: I’m on the lookout for a new concealer since the Bobbi Brown one that I’ve been using is not working for my skin anymore. This is technically for dark spots (hence the name) but I’ll try it as an under-eye concealer and see how I like it. Also going to pick up the new L’oreal stick concealer eventually. (Update: This product is okay, both as an under-eye concealer and spot concealer. I can’t comment on the treatment part of the concealer since I haven’t been using it for long enough for that to have an affect yet. As a concealer, it’s either good or bad - merely okay and it’s not something to rush out for in the slightest.)

And that’s it! As usual, drop an ask if you want additional pictures or mini-reviews. <3!

Drugstore.com had a pretty sweet 40% makeup sale last week and I decided it was too good to pass up so I picked up some things I ‘needed’ (because you always need another eyeliner, you know?) and were curious about. I’ll just highlight what I purchased and if you’d like a review let me know, I’ll get around to it eventually. I did swatches indoors because I was watching the debate while unpacking this order — so I don’t have any makeup on other than the lipsticks and the lighting is bad, but at least the swatches are clear! Some of the things were free (from parties, the nyc products) or sent for consideration and i’ll review accordingly (brush set) but everything else was purchased by me. Click for details on what and where to buy. 

Second part of my Most Worn Summer Products Tag, the makeup part! As I said before, I have really pared down my makeup collection for my overseas trip. We never really do monthly favorites here because we&#8217;re both really boring and don&#8217;t revolve favorites really, our favorites have earned their titles after rigorous testing and they are seldom knocked from their pedastels. I don&#8217;t trust people who have have a new Best Product Ever every week because I think it&#8217;s hard to gauge how great a product works unless you&#8217;ve been using it for more than well.. a week. Enough ranting: Wet n Wild Color Icon Palette &#8220;Baked, not Fried&#8221; $4.99 - Review &amp; Swatches Here - Such a great investment, I love this dearly and it&#8217;s given me a profound appreciation for neutrals. I&#8217;ve been wearing neutrals a lot this summer, and this palette is a godsend. Very glad I purchased it when I could. I prefer it over my Naked 2 Palette honestly, the N2 is a bit too cold for me, but this matches my skin great. L&#8217;Oreal True Match Powder in Classic Ivory $8.99 - I have 3 or 4 other powders at home, but I use this pretty much exclusively. Nothing much to write home about, it blots up the oil, finishes up any makeup I put on and I only reapply once a day.  Dermablend Quick Fix Concealer $22 - Longtime PD readers will remember this (and a few other products here too) because it&#8217;s in every. single. favorites post I ever. do. Go read about it in the dermablend tag. Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse BB SPF 25 PA++ $32 - Also a PD standby, you can read more about my feelings about it here. It&#8217;s my favorite BB cream, it provides coverage and moisturizes more than others I&#8217;ve tried and is just the  best ever.  Maybelline 24 Hr Color Tattoo Eyeshadow in Bad to the Bronze - Review &amp; Swatches Here - Really, really love this, I have a more bold color from this line but I think the all over application I tend to do with this kind of eyeshadow (kind of creamy&#8230;ish, like MAC paint pots) lends itself better to neutral shades like this Bronze. I use it either on it&#8217;s own without primer, or as primer with my Wet n&#8217; Wild eyeshadow shades.  Urban Decay 24/7 Liquid Eyeliner in Perversion $19 - Also a longtime PD favorite. I&#8217;ve just purchased a different eyeliner in Asia though because while I love this forever, I&#8217;m getting tired of wrenching it open because after a few months it just doesn&#8217;t close 100%. It&#8217;s still wet, black, and wonderful, but opening it is a pain. I&#8217;m trying out some felt tip pens at the moment. Revlon Lip Butter in Lollipop $7.49 - Chi-Chi has fawned over the Lip Butters on PD numerous occasions, here and here are her swatches. I&#8217;m pretty sure she has almost all of the colors???! I only have this one but I&#8217;ll pick up another one soon, I really like this one. It is super moisturizing and adds a pop of color. I&#8217;m not usually a fan of lippies with a little shimmer but I&#8217;m surprisingly fond of this.  High-res

Second part of my Most Worn Summer Products Tag, the makeup part! As I said before, I have really pared down my makeup collection for my overseas trip. We never really do monthly favorites here because we’re both really boring and don’t revolve favorites really, our favorites have earned their titles after rigorous testing and they are seldom knocked from their pedastels. I don’t trust people who have have a new Best Product Ever every week because I think it’s hard to gauge how great a product works unless you’ve been using it for more than well.. a week. Enough ranting:

  • Wet n Wild Color Icon Palette “Baked, not Fried” $4.99 - Review & Swatches Here - Such a great investment, I love this dearly and it’s given me a profound appreciation for neutrals. I’ve been wearing neutrals a lot this summer, and this palette is a godsend. Very glad I purchased it when I could. I prefer it over my Naked 2 Palette honestly, the N2 is a bit too cold for me, but this matches my skin great.
  • L’Oreal True Match Powder in Classic Ivory $8.99 - I have 3 or 4 other powders at home, but I use this pretty much exclusively. Nothing much to write home about, it blots up the oil, finishes up any makeup I put on and I only reapply once a day. 
  • Dermablend Quick Fix Concealer $22 - Longtime PD readers will remember this (and a few other products here too) because it’s in every. single. favorites post I ever. do. Go read about it in the dermablend tag.
  • Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse BB SPF 25 PA++ $32 - Also a PD standby, you can read more about my feelings about it here. It’s my favorite BB cream, it provides coverage and moisturizes more than others I’ve tried and is just the  best ever. 
  • Maybelline 24 Hr Color Tattoo Eyeshadow in Bad to the Bronze - Review & Swatches Here - Really, really love this, I have a more bold color from this line but I think the all over application I tend to do with this kind of eyeshadow (kind of creamy…ish, like MAC paint pots) lends itself better to neutral shades like this Bronze. I use it either on it’s own without primer, or as primer with my Wet n’ Wild eyeshadow shades. 
  • Urban Decay 24/7 Liquid Eyeliner in Perversion $19 - Also a longtime PD favorite. I’ve just purchased a different eyeliner in Asia though because while I love this forever, I’m getting tired of wrenching it open because after a few months it just doesn’t close 100%. It’s still wet, black, and wonderful, but opening it is a pain. I’m trying out some felt tip pens at the moment.
  • Revlon Lip Butter in Lollipop $7.49 - Chi-Chi has fawned over the Lip Butters on PD numerous occasions, here and here are her swatches. I’m pretty sure she has almost all of the colors???! I only have this one but I’ll pick up another one soon, I really like this one. It is super moisturizing and adds a pop of color. I’m not usually a fan of lippies with a little shimmer but I’m surprisingly fond of this. 

Well I have successfully broken my makeup ban and purchased a couple things that I have been eying for a while…and some other random products. As always, drop an ask if you want reviews and/or swatches of anything. A note: for the two foundations pictured, if you would like a review of them, it will be a while because I promised myself to finish two of my current foundations before opening any new ones, including these two. I own…a lot of foundations so I need to actually finish products for once. With that said, descriptions and links to the products ahoy!

  • L’oreal True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Makeup SPF 20 in Classic Tan/Cappuccino (N7-8) | $11-15 | link: Can I first say how happy I am that so many companies are doing different undertones in foundations now for darker skintones? It used to be almost exclusively pink/red undertones but now there’s yellow-based and neutral! Wonderful progress. Anyway, my friend Serenna mentioned that she saw this in store and it looked really nice so when I had the coupons I purchased this foundation and the Revlon foundation for $15. In the L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Powder (link), which may low-key be one of PD’s favorite drugstore powders, both Arabelle and I carry this around in our makeup bags, I use Classic Tan (N7), so N7-8 looked like the closest match to my skintone. 
  • MUA Bronzer in Shade 3 | £1 | link: I wanted to try a new coutouring bronzer, and I needed one more product to get the free international shipping promotion that MUA UK was doing when I ordered from them. I hope it’s nice, I haven’t even opened it yet.
  • Revlon ColorStay Whipped Crème Makeup in Carmel (340) | $12-15 | link: I bought this because both Jen from frmheadtotoe and G from Nouveau Cheap recommended it/gave a positive review. It looks like it gives a nice flawless finish with medium to full coverage, which is perfect for my acne scarring.
  • Wet n Wild MegaLast Lip Color in Pinkerbell (968) | $1.99 | link: I had been searching absolutely everywhere for this shade in my area (it’s one of the newer Wet n Wild lipstick shades and no Walgreens, Walmart, CVS or Target received this color), but I was randomly at a Shopko and lo and behold…they had every single color that the lipstick comes in. …for further reference, just going there if I want something from Wet n Wild. Wasted all my gas too (T_T) I have quite a bit of these and I think they’re great lipsticks for the price, all matte, pigmented, quite long-lasting and under $2.
  • MUA Liquid Eyeliner in Shade 2 | £1 | link: Another random addition to my cart along with the bronzer - more colorful liners are always needed.
  • Milani Color Play Felt-Tip Liquid Pens in Pink Point (03), Blue Definition (02), and Black Line (01) | $6.99 | link: This is a limited edition release that I have been searching for since early August after seeing G’s review of the pens. I found mine in Walgreens, but for now they’re still available on the Milani website as I linked. I’ve only used the blue one and swatched the pink one and THEY ARE GLORIOUS OKAY they do not move on my upper lash line at all during the day and I have oil slicks for lids. love love love
  • MUA 12 Shade Poptastic Palette | £4 | link: It was colorful so I bought it. And I needed to balance out my neutrals palette purchase. …yep.
  • MUA 12 Heaven and Earth Palette | £4 | link: This is supposed to be a dupe of the Naked 1 (or 2??) palette and I already own the Naked 1 palette but if you have been following PD for a while, you might know that I adore and must collect all the neutrals ever. It’s so pretty. ;A;

I’m done buying stuff for a while. Like always, drop an ask and request away! Toodles~

A Love Affair: Orange with Revlon

I adore the color orange. Revlon makes generally great products. Apparently I must collect all the orange, so I wanted to share my love of orange with you all with some of the orange products in my collection. (After I took pictures for this post, I realized that I had yet another product from Revlon in the orange range - the Tutti Frutti lip butter - so if you want to see a swatch of that color, check out my swatchfest post for the lip butters here).

The products pictured are…

  • Revlon Super Lustrous Lipcolor in Siren (677): This lipstick has actually been in my collection for a while now, but whenever spring/summer hits, I break this out in full force. I get around four hours of wear with this lipstick, and you can build up the color to full opacity with two swipes of the product. It has a cream finish.
  • Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss Lip Shine in Sizzle (046): This is the best purchase I have made recently. It’s absolutely beautiful, almost opaque in one coat and not too sticky. The wear is around three to four hours and it looks beautiful over Siren as well. Full glossy finish.
  • Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous (040): FFFFFF this is my favorite stain product in my collection. It lasts for around four hours (my other two last for 8 hours+) and the color is divine and seriously Revlon hit it out of the park with these balm stains. Completely recommended, check this product out.
  • Revlon Colorstay Nail Enamel in Marmalade (110): I love this polish. This formula wears like a dream and I get minor chips after the fifth day. In the picture, I used two coats for almost complete opacity, although one coat is sometimes enough depending on how you apply the polish. 

And thus ends my love affair with Revlon’s products in orange. However, I obviously need more orange products, thus the quest is never over. I’m looking for a good bright orange eyeshadow actually, so if you have any suggestions…drop an ask. ;D Toodles~

Wasn’t really planning to take a picture of my makeup today but I just picked up this Revlon lipgloss from Walgreens recently and it was so awesome so I had to show everyone. I am kind of obsessed with the color orange right now so I am trying to collect all the orange in the universe (if you have any recommendations for orange products, please drop an ask I really do need all the orange). This gloss is almost opaque in one coat, not too sticky, and lasts for about four hours (five tops if I don’t eat or drink anything).

Products used:

  • Revlon Photoready Mousse Makeup in Caramel (080)
  • NARS Bronzing Powder in Laguna
  • Tarina Tarantino Eye Dream Hyperliner in Tommy Jet (upper lash line) and Kanzashi 
  • L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Waterproof Mascara in Black (670)
  • Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Tipsy
  • Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss Lip Shine in Sizzle (046)

A quick picture post featuring a couple things I recently picked up. I’m planning to do a L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow swatchfest…sometime in the future.

  • L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows in Gold Imperial (407), Pink Sapphire (405) and Gleaming Bronze (408) - These colors are from the L’Oreal Summer 2012 It’s Gold or Nothing At All collection - related post on Nouveau Cheap. They were BOGO50% off and I knew that I really liked the formula of these and I had coupons and the awesome cosmetics specialist had coupons so…I got the colors that I didn’t already own. The fallout is the only downside of these shadows in my opinion, but these seriously do not come off and they’re so pretty.
  • Maybelline EyeStudio Color Tattoo 24Hr Eyeshadow in Pomegranate Punk (30) | link - …there isn’t really an explanation for this. One of my friends recommended this color to me and I was like well I already have four colors what’s another one and I got it for two dollars. 
  • Revlon ColorStay 16 Hour Eye Shadow Quad in Inspired (540) | link - When these were launched, this quad caught my eye because it was green/teal/blue and I love that color combination. I had a great coupon from Target so it ended up being $2.99. …admittedly I haven’t had the best experience with Revlon shadows, like the quads they discontinued that these are replacing, but I’m hoping that they retooled their formula.
  • Revlon Eyelash Curler | link - I am officially on the hunt for a new lash curler and I have decided to try every single drugstore curler I can find before looking into mid to high-end curlers. I would rather not spend a lot on at least one part of my beauty routine for once haha.

And as for the eye look in this post, I decided to use the Revlon quad to test out the quality and such…and for the most part I’m impressed! Using the sponge applicator provided in the quad, I used the upper right color (light blue) as my all over lid color (with the bottom left color - pale green - patted on top), the bottom right color (deep blue) as the crease/outer corner color and the upper left color (off-white) as the inner corner color and dragged it slightly down onto the bottom waterline.

Full disclosure - I used the NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base as my primer. With that said, I took these pictures at around 7:30 pm and I first did my makeup (no retouches) at 10:30 am. *slow nod* I’m liking the wear on these. And just a quick note, used L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Waterproof Mascara in Black and Tarina Tarantino Hyperliner in Glamorous Thief.