Makeup

Tarte Blissful

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Yet another little product from the Paint it Pink set, Tarte Blissful is an awesomely subtle powder blush from Tarte’s Amazonian Clay line. You’d have to be trying to overdo it with this in order to get any kind of awkward, unnatural look. Despite its appearance in the pan, it is a light, sheer shade once applied, and would suit light to medium skin tones both warm and cool. Regrettably, I don’t think it would do much for deeper skin, so I’d skip this if I were a deeper skin tone.

Tarte Blissful Amazonian Clay Blush

Blissful appears matte in the pan but has the slightest sheen – in the swatch on my finger below, the camera flash makes it look like more than it is. This is not a highlight-imbued blush like any of the Hourglass ALBs or like Milani Luminoso.

Tarte Blissful

Notice how pigmented it looks on my finger? That was about three passes of my ringfinger. You’d be hard pressed to get that level of payout on your face – which means it’s hard to overdo. I love that about Tarte Blissful; I definitely think it would be user-friendly for those just figuring out makeup. That way, if you’re inadvertently a little heavy-handed, you won’t look like you’ve been dabbling in clown makeup.

Below, you can see it swatched and minimally blended on right right side of my wrist, here.

tarteblissful-swatch2Tarte Blissful, swatched

I’m definitely a fan of subtler blush shades (you will never catch me in a purple blush. EVER!) and Tarte Blissful delivers that.

As far as wear goes, I feel it disappears by six hours of wear – disappointing for Tarte’s Amazonian Clay blush line. I’m chalking that up as a challenge of being a light, sheer shade. Pleasantly, needing to refresh an existing application is smooth and does not end up looking, “broken up,” or awkward.

The Bottom Line

I’m glad this was in the Paint it Pink set; I wouldn’t have purchased it on my own. Unfortunately, Tarte Blissful misses the mark on being universally flattering, and it does not have the most incredible longevity. It is pretty, easy to apply, blend, and reapply, and would be a really nice first blush for a makeup newbie. There is also a corresponding blush balm stain that could probably be used in concert with the powder blush to enhance longevity. You can purchase this at Sephora, Ulta, and Macy’s.

May 2016 Favorites

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Pardon the screwy schedule and format this month – we’ll be back to normal next month!

May 2016 Favorites
1. Real Techniques Retractable Lip Brush $7 / 2. St Tropez Tanning Mitt, $6
3. Arm & Hammer Essentials Fresh, $3 / 4. Coconut Acetone , $5

rtlipbrush I can’t say if this is the, “best lip brush ever,” because frankly, it is the only one I’ve ever owned. That said, it makes applying F-Bomb and other bold colors a breeze; you can line with the thin edge and fill in with the flatter side. At $5.49 and usually on sale BOGO 50% off at Ulta, it’s a steal.

sttropezmittI mentioned that it is tanning season, so my St Tropez self-tanning mitt has been getting weekly use. I actually need to get a new one! I’ll never go back to applying by hand.

 

armhamdeoDeodorant isn’t a glamorous thing to talk about, but it is important and with the weather warming up, what better time? I waffle back and forth between this ultra-inexpensive, aluminum-free (so it’s only a deodorant, not an antiperspirant) one and this slightly more luxurious Lavanila one. I’m on my 3rd stick. This clear solid stick is a unisex fragrance – not feminine or, “pretty.” By its nature it is strong but fades quickly enough not to offend.

cocoacetone

Yeah, I thought coconut scented acetone polish remover was too good to be true. I ordered it because my usual stuff was out of stock. I am pleased to report, however, that it does leave a pleasant coconut aroma behind! That said, please don’t get all sommelier on the bottle – it is acetone, and it does smell like acetone. More importantly than its novelty fragrance, though, is that it works. I’ll definitely repurchase. I decant mine into a pump-top bottle for easier use

What did you love last month?

Lipstick Is My Vice

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Lipstick Is My ViceUrban Decay Lipstick is my Vice

The title of this post isn’t true. Lipstick isn’t my vice. I enjoy what I enjoy, but I’m definite an eye rather than a lip girl. I didn’t realize it at the time but when I bought F-Bomb for $11, it was because UD is killing the Revolution Lipstick line in favor of their Lipstick Is My Vice / Vice Lipstick line which launches June 5.

It feels, to me, like we lost the Revolution line too soon. After a long time without lipsticks from Urban Decay, many of us rejoiced when the Revolution line came out. They gradually added mattes and sheers to the line to cover a lot of interests when it comes to lipcolor. Well, like so many Game of Thrones characters, their life was cut short.

It isn’t all bad, as I found looking at Temptalia’s swatches. The shades we’ve come to love are staying, with a (supposedly) new and improved formula. There are 100 lipsticks being released, and 74 of them are brand new shades. Furthermore, they will be priced to compete with MAC’s lipsticks – only $17 a tube down from $22 for a Revolution lipstick. Let’s hope a drop in price does not equate to a drop in quality. Additionally, they are revamping many of the lip pencils out there – so if you’re a pencil pusher, that should be good news for you, too.

Get the $11 Revolution Lipsticks while you can from Sephora, Ulta, Macy’s. They are selling out.

Worth it? Beauty Subscription Boxes

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beauty subscription boxes

Subscription boxes in general are everywhere, catering to various interests and desires. There are boxes for people who want purportedly healthy snacks, boxes for dog owners, boxes for geeks, and, what’s relevant to this blog, beauty subscription boxes.

Like other subscriptions, beauty subscription boxes do several things. They:

  • Give us something to look forward to. Admit it, you like receiving packages.
  • Create an opportunity to try items that we might not otherwise choose to buy for ourselves.
  • Yield the novelty of a value set month-after-month.
  • Enable smaller or newer brands to get their good name out there.
  • Provide a way for established brands to generate buzz about new products.
  • Offer an outlet for brands or retailers to deal with overstock.

Some companies offer subscription boxes for $10 per month (or less if you agree to six months or a year). I’ve tossed around the idea, but until now, I’ve let it go. Here’s why:

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Urban Decay F-Bomb Revolution Lipstick

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I love red lipstick, but I usually don’t take the time to wear it. I only owned one – Kat von D Foiled Love lipstick in Adora (which is beautiful, but requires careful application as the formula is a bit dry). When Ulta and Macy’s lost their mind and started selling Urban Decay’s glorious Revolution lipsticks for only $11 I took to the ‘tubes and compared Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in F-Bomb, 69, and Bang. I ultimately picked up F-Bomb and haven’t looked back.

Urban Decay F-Bomb (Revolution Lipstick)Urban Decay F-Bomb Revolution Lipstick

I thought for the longest time that Ruby Woo (MAC) was going to be the next red in my arsenal – and while it may still join the ranks, I couldn’t argue with half off (due to the new Lipstick is my Vice line) and how much I love the formula of the Revolution lipsticks.

Urban Decay F-Bomb is so true. I’m so thrilled to own it – it’s going to be flattering (for me, at least) regardless of if I have color from self-tanning or am as pale as a polar bear. But now for the important part – swatches.

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