REVIEW | ELF HD Blush

A few months ago I purchased the e.l.f. HD Blush in the colour Diva off of ftbbeauty.ca for $4. I've been planning to do a review for a while but just never came around to it, but here it is... finally!

The blush comes in a 10ml (0.34 fl.oz.) bottle and has an easy to use pump. The amount is huge and 100% worth the price! I really like the packing, I think it looks sleek and professional. I love the matte black accents and I love the fact that it's in a pump, you don't have to worry about bacteria and you can easily control the amount you pump out. I also really love that the entire bottle is translucent so you can see the colour of the blush and you can see exactly how much you have left.

According to the description, the blush has a "Vitamin E enriched formula" and it "conditions and hydrates." I'm not concerned about it having Vitamin E, but after doing a little bit of research, I learned that it's an antioxidant beneficiary to the skin and eyes. Obviously this blush is not meant for the eyes, so that doesn't matter, but it's great that it's good for the skin! I'm sure there isn't a particularly significant amount in the blush, but even the little bit must make some sort of difference.

The formula is very smooth and not too liquid and not too thick, it's just perfect. I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with this formula. This will probably sound ridiculous but the formula is literally too pigmented! It is so strong and bright that you really need to take the most care to not apply too much or you'll look like a clown. I kinda like using up my products and moving on to new ones, but I just know that this will last me forever and more. If you're one of those people that wear very little makeup and only own 1 or 2 blushes, this would be a great match for you.

I like to pump out a tiny bit onto my hand, tap a large duo fibre brush into the blush and then carefully apply it to my cheeks. It blends out wonderfully and dries to a matte finish. I've worn it all day long and it did not budge a bit (which is why it's really important you're careful when applying). It easily removes with some soap and water, which I think it very important for such a bright, pigmented product.

I've used this blush as a lipstick as well and it works wonders! I don't have to worry about using too much, I just pump out a bunch and apply it and it dries super nicely and leaves a gorgeous bright lip.

Performance: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Quality: 9/10

Hope you found my review helpful!

Ada xx

REVIEW | August Beauty Box Five

So today I shall be reviewing the August Beauty Box Five! It's taken me a while to get a post up but it's finally here. In the box I received:

Be A Bombshell Eyeshadow in Always a Bridesmaid ($14.00)

Swissco Nail File ($1.50)

H2O Plus Aquafirm + Micro-Collagen Moisturizer ($50.00/1.7oz)

Bask Heavenly Silk Daily Skin Lotion ($19.98/22oz)

Nubar Nail Lacquer in Faded Jeans ($8/0.5oz)

I think my biggest shock from this box was the eyeshadow. At first I was pleasantly surprised because I really like Be A Bombshell as a company, but have only tried out their lipglosses so seeing an eyeshadow was exciting! The name of the eyeshadow is Always A Bridesmaid, so I was under the assumption that it would be a taupey-pink or something very nude and natural, but boy did I get a surprise. Hot, hot pink. Like, shockingly pink. I'm not gonna lie, I was super disappointed. As someone that mostly wears nudes, or darker colours, this was not something that I was particularly excited about. I've used it as a blush already and it looks really lovely and bright, so I'm very happy about that! I still have yet to use it as an eyeshadow because I'm still trying to figure out how it'll look best, but I've seen some hot pinks in the crease so I'm gonna have to take a risk and try it out one day. As a product, it's a really great matte texture and is very pigmented. It's definitely worth the $14.00 and I'm excited to try some more suitable colours next!

A bright pink, sparkly nail file might be one's cup of tea, but it's definitely not mine. I don't mind it in any way, but it doesn't serve a particularly useful purpose for me, believe it or not. Most of my nail files are in packs of 20 from the dollar store and that's good enough for me! I wouldn't take it with me in my purse because it's much too big, and I'm afraid that a ton of sparkles would find their way everywhere, even though they're stuck on there pretty well (surprisingly; and yes, I totally rubbed my fingers all over them testing to see if they'd succumb). For $1.50 it's definitely a great price if that's your thing. The file is very good and works really well, I just wish they made the file-side half-and-half, one part the black file, the other half the white file.

Another H2O Plus product! The first one was interesting but not a really great product, and I have to say the same thing for this one, except that it's not interesting. On the little card, it tells me that: "... to promote collagen production and visibly fight lines and loss of firmness." Perhaps I should have passed this on to my mom? I still have a bunch left so I'll do just that. I've tried this out a few times in different ways. On the bottle it says to use it after cleansing and toning, I've tried that and noticed that it leaves my skin pretty dry without my serum. A little ironic for a product that's supposed to help wrinkles, right? I've also tried it with my serum and can't say I've noticed a great difference. My skin is more glowy and moisturized, but that's with the help of my serum. For $50.00 for 1.7oz (a small amount), I would not recommend it or say it's worth it. If you're considering this product, either for yourself or as a gift for a more mature lady, I'd suggest getting a sample first or a gift receipt.

The next sample I received was from Bask (a company I've never heard of). It's a Daily Skin Lotion, although sometimes it says moisturizer on it so I wasn't sure whether it was face-safe or not but I haven't tried it on my face anyways. This is probably my favourite product out of the box. It's a good size and smells amaaaaaaazing! It's also my favourite type of cream, it rubs nicely into the skin but leaves it feeling silky and soft and does not dry out after a while. It's definitely not one of those creams that stays oily even after you've "rubbed it in". The consistency is perfect, not too liquidy, not too thick. On the BB5 card, it tells me that it's "packed with vitamins, plant extracts and antioxidants..." Obviously this is a very nourishing lotion that actually works perfectly. For $20 for 22 oz (a huge bottle), it's so worth it!

Lastly I received the Nubar Nail Lacquer in the colour Faded Jeans. I really can't review this nail polish because I did not try it nor will I. I'm going to be passing it on to my cousin next time I see her because I have a nearly identical blue polish from China Glaze in the colour Bahamian Escape. It's disappointing because I've always wanted to try Nubar. Next time!

Hope you found my review helpful!

Ada xx

REVIEW | July Beauty Box Five

Hello beauties! As promised, today I'm going to be posting my review of the July Beauty Box Five. So within the box you will find:

• Every Beauty Foot Smoother ($8.99)
• Jean Pierre Cosmetics Nail Polish Remover Wipes ($3.99/10 wipes)
• Be A Bombshell Lip Gloss ($14.00)
• La Fresh Travel Lite Antibacterial Wipes ($1.99/8 wipes)
• H2O Plus Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment ($36.00/1.7 oz)

The Be A Bombshell lip gloss paid me back alone, but then you got the full-size Foot Smoother and it was definitely worth the cost. To be completely honest, I wasn't as pleased with this box as I would have liked. Yeah, some of the items are ok and mildly useful, but they're not items I would particularly go out of my way to purchase.

The Every Beauty Foot Smoother is like a big pink sponge (if Spongebob and Patrick ever had a baby), and one side is soft scrubber and the other side is a harder scrubber. Now, on the packaging it says "For best results use dry on dry skin!", which caught me a little bit off guard because most of the foot scrubbers I know of need to be used wet on wet, but I went ahead and tried the sucker out (both wet and dry), and I was surprised to find I got the best results from using it dry. In no way is it painful and irritating, so I wouldn't really worry about that unless you have really bad feet and they're starting to crack. This item is definitely not revolutionary in terms of performance, but I think it's a pretty good buy if you're in the market for something new.

The Jean Pierre Cosmetics Nail Polish Remover Wipes are probably the most confusing items I got. The box gave me two sealed wipes (they kinda looked like the soapy wipes you get in fast food places). When it was time to remove my Summer Snowflakes nail polish, I was pretty much terrified of the results (we all know what sparkles are like), especially because I'm the type of person that hates wipes. I always find wipes are never soaked enough and that they're just terrible quality, so I was definitely not looking forward to this. The first thing I noticed when I opened the package is how little each wipe is soaked, secondly I was hit with the awful smell. Yeah, nail polish remover is pretty awful smelling but I can usually tolerate it, this stuff is some magical stench cause I had the window open and my face pressed up to the net. Regardless, the removal process began. Scrub, scrub, scrub, scrub and so it went for a few seconds until scrub turned to squeak. I lifted the wipe and was shocked to find the nail polish disappeared, sparkles and all. I was also shocked to find the entire wipe (smaller than the soapy ones) was enough to remove all 10 nails. If that's not amazing, I don't know what is. The biggest issue I have with these wipes is the really intense smell and the fact that it leaves this weird layer of oil or something on your nails and hands. I'm pretty sure it's meant to be moisturizing, but it's more annnoying than anything. I tried getting it off with soap: nothing, then with some of my Cetaphil: nothing, finally I busted out my shampoo and that seemed to do the trick. These wipes could be great if they got rid of the last two qualities.

Next came the Be A Bombshell full-size Lip Gloss in the colour Diamond, which is just a clear gloss. I do already own one of their glosses from an Ipsy bag in the colour Hot Mess, which is a really pretty bright red. I was really pleased to find this gloss in the box, but I was not overly pleased with the colour. Clear? Why? I have at-least 30! I was willing to accept that, until I found out some others had gotten different colours. Why me!? I guess someone had to take one for the team. Either way, I do have some experience with these glosses and can safely say they're really great. They are not sticky in any which way, and the only accurate way I can describe them is by saying they're watery (but like a thick water... yeah you know what I mean). If you're someone who doesn't like gloopy, sticky, messy glosses (like me), these are definitely for you. A full size gloss retails for $14 and they have a really great selection of lip glosses. Definitely recommend if you're in the market for something new.

The La Fresh Travel lite Antibacterial Wipes were another item I was indifferent about. I really don't need anything antibacterial because I'm always washing my hands, plus I hate the after-feeling of them. But regardless, I tried these out at work one day and was pleasantly surprised. They have a fresh, lavender-like smell to them and are well soaked (the first wipes I've tried to be so). Although they felt nice on the hands and were moisturizing, they did leave a tiny bit of tacky-ness (and by tiny I mean that you probably wouldn't notice it but my crazy OCD did) that did bother me a bit. On the BB5 info card, it says the wipes are biodegradable and have Aloe and Vitamin E inside, which are really great moisturizing ingredients. The retail price of $1.99 for 8 wipes is excellent and I definitely recommend them for anyone looking for new antibacterial stuff.

Lastly, I received the H2O Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment. This moisturizer is really interesting because you're supposed to use it on bare, freshly-washed skin while it's still a little damp. My regular face routine requires toner, serum and then my BB cream, so to just apply this treatment and then by BB cream was definitely odd. The product itself is a blue gel and has a nice, fresh scent to it that is not overpowering whatsoever. It rubs nicely into the skin and leaves a nice glow, but I found it did not give me the amount of moisturization my cheeks usually need. They felt a little dry and tight by the end of the day which was pretty disappointing. This treatment includes Marine botanicals, multivitamins A and E and "... time-released ingredients that keep skin looking fresh all day!", but $36 1.7oz, I can't say I will be repurchasing this moisturizer. I think it would be best suited for normal to oily skin.

Hope you found my review helpful! Have you received the July BB5? What did you think?

Ada xx

HAUL + REVIEW | Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters

Peach Parfait

Berry Smoothie

Lollipop

Sugar Plum

Cherry Tart

 A few months ago when the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters came out, I was definitely intrigued. What most caught my attention was that they're like tinted lipbalms, but so much better. I do admit, the beautiful colours and packaging were definitely the selling factors for me. The very first one I bought was the colour Berry Smoothie. It was the perfect berry pop of colour that can match virtually any skintone and makeup. The second one I got was Peach Parfait. The only real problem I have with this balm is that it has some chunky glitter in it that really doesn't feel nice on the lips, but I really like how it looks.

Recently my local Shopper's Drug Mart was having a summer sale and I noticed that the Lip Butters were on sale for $3.99 each (usually around $8). Obviously I went a little wacko and wanted to buy the entire collection, but after a few breathing exercises, I picked out two that I've been wanting for a while: Lollipop and Sugar Plum. Lollipop is a gorgeous fuchsia colour that can really pop on any skin tone. I really love how it looks with basic black eyeliner and heavy mascara. I think it'd be the perfect colour for a very light/platinum blonde. Sugar Plum is probably my favourite out of all 5. It's true to being a lighter plum colour that I think is perfect for the fall time (but I will probably disregard that and wear it all year round). I also think it looks the best with my hair and skin tone.

That night, I went back and got Cherry Tart because I couldn't get it out of my mind and I knew I'd regret not buying it. It's a lighter true red that wears really nicely because it does have a sheen to it. As Lollipop, I also think it wears nicely with a black liner and heavy lashes.

My sixth sense must have kicked in because the very next day I needed to pick up a few things at Shopper's and found the Lip Butters back to their normal price. I'm glad I didn't wait to buy them.

As a product, these are my favourite lip products to use. They're super easy to apply and wear, and very comfortable. Because they're like a lip balm, you don't need to apply a base of balm to prep the lip. I think the colour range, although it covers the basic colours and a little bit more, I think Revlon could work on expanding it (if they're wanting to evolve the collection). I think if you're one of those girls that wants to just throw something easy on the lips and not fuss with it, but also get a stellar look and colour, these are the right ones for you. As a value, I think $8 is a little steep for them, but they're often on a sale, so you can't go wrong. The packaging is gorgeous and I do not have any problems with the lid falling off, it stays on nice and tight. I'm definitely planning on expanding my collection.

Performance: 9/10
Value: 7/10
Quality: 9/10

Definitely recommend!

Ada xx