How To Get Out of a Style Rut: Switch Up Your Color Palette

I love me some peaches. In fact, my fixation with all peach-colored makeup is borderline obsessive-compulsive. But I noticed that most of my photos were starting to look the same. I suppose that is one of the disadvantages of taking my own photo every morning to show you my makeup. The fact that a Dior makeup artist, who kindly said I looked vaguely like Katy Perry (?), told me I couldn't wear the Clinique Black Honey Gradient Blush I was admiring. Not one to be deterred, I decided to switch up colors and move out of my comfort zone with some cool colors (not peach).


 

I've always maintained that you shouldn't subscribe to saying you are only a warm or a cool or worse, a season. It's fine if you want to use those as a guideline to help you make decisions, but don't be afraid to break those rules, especially if you feel like you are stuck in a style rut. Anyone can wear anything. It's all about how you do it and how strong you make the colors.




I skipped my usual peachy tones and opted for a cooler look, using the potentially universally flattering Black Honey color from Clinique. In the picture below, it looks slightly warmer than it actually is. It's definitely more in a neutral to cool tone.




On my eyes, I used Bare Escentuals High Shine Eyecolor in Moonshine and Flash. I lined my eyes with Stila's Smudge Stick Waterproof Liner in Purple Tang. On my cheeks is the new Black Honey Gradient Blush. On my lips is Black Honey Superbalm Moisturizing Lip Gloss.




I am really in love with this Black Honey Gradient Blush. If you are careful how you hold the brush, you can apply contour, highlight and color in one stroke - for real!

Do you switch up your colors or are you stuck in a rut?

Some makeup was sent for review. I bought most of it. Bare Escentuals, Clinique and Stila do not test on animals.

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Beauty Shorts: Orgasm-like Discoveries and Glitter Fallout

I haven't set foot in a Sephora in two weeks. I'm waiting to check out the Too Faced Smoky Eye Palette and Tarte True Blood Shadow Palette. But they aren't on shelves in my neck of the woods, so I'm investigating everything that isn't tied down at the drugstore.





Maybelline released new EyeStudio shadow palettes that each contain five shadows. They are available in a variety of colors. I picked up Forest Fury with three glorious greens, a nude yellow and a "top coat" of sparkle shadow. The "top coat" - my word, not theirs - adds a little bit of sparkle and shine to the already glimmering shadows. In short, greens I tried are gorgeous.





(The sparkle top coat is on the left side.)


But the sparkle top coat will fall off of your lids in a few hours, making you look like you've had a long night out even if you just left the house. If you just use the shadow without the crystal top coat, you'll be fine. And since you're wondering, I did use a primer, a few in fact, and got the same results each time.





Always a sucker for peaches, I had to pick up the Limited Edition of Maybelline's Fit Me Blush in Sweet Melon.





(Wearing Sweet Melon Blush)


This gentle peach isn't overly pigmented, but does give a very light flush to cheeks. It reminds me a bit of Orgasm from NARS, without the sheen or sparkle. It's like Orgasm-lite.



(Peach Fuzz)


Speaking of Orgasm, this new gloss from L'Oreal, LeGloss, reminds me of the Orgasm gloss.




It's really, really similar and nowhere near as sticky. It has the same kind of reflective surface the NARS Orgasm does. It's different - it has an opalescence in the layer that shines. It's really pretty. This wears about the same as the Orgasm gloss as well, so try a lip gloss primer underneath to get the most wear out of it.





Lastly, I'm digging the new Master Drama Eyeliner by Maybelline, in Coal Commander.




It's super soft, very smudgeable and long wearing, with just a hint of sheen. It's just a good as similar much more expensive liners. Definitely check these out!


All of the products featured were purchased by me. They are also all tested on animals. Sorry for the generic links, either my drugstores are way behind or the Maybelline and L'Oreal websites haven't quite caught up to their new releases. 

Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement. Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews and more! Copyright 2009-2011, Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.

Maybelline One by One Mascara

I am powerless to resist the temptation of drug store mascara that promises an improvement on the lashes I currently have. And if you've ever read more than three posts on this blog, you've already encountered my feeling that my lashes are usually less than desirable.


I picked up Maybelline's One By One Mascara, in the waterproof formula. The brush on this mascara is made up of hundreds of short, plastic bristles, instead of the traditional fiber brush many mascaras come with.


The brush claims to be able to coat each and every lash, giving you tons of volume. Much to my surprise, I got loads of length and volume out of this mascara! I love that!


It wears exactly how you would expect a waterproof mascara to wear and even held a slight curl in my lashes throughout the day.


I was on my way to pick up a One by One in a non-waterproof formula when I learned from another blog that the regular formula flakes easily. Color me bummed. But on the days I need a waterproof mascara, this is definitely going to be my go to mascara!

I bought this. Maybelline tests on animals.

Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement. Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews & more! Copyright 2009-2011, Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.

Maybelline Fit Foundation (Updated!)

Maybelline Fit foundation just hit the shelves at my Target and I was powerless to resist trying it out. My favorite foundations are currently Estee Lauder's Resilience Lift Extreme and Bobbi Brown's Skin Foundation, so a drug store formula would have a lot to live up to.


This formula comes in 16 shades, with matching powders and concealers that will work with all of the foundation shades (6 in total). The foundation also contains an SPF of 18. According to Maybelline, this foundation has something called "skin merge technology", which helps the foundation blend quickly and adapt to your skin tone for a perfect match.

I chose the lightest shade possible, to match my neck. In the past I have had a problem with brands not being light enough or turning yellow after a short period of time, which makes it hard for me to embrace a drug store foundation.


I was thrilled that this foundation matched my neck and blended on to my face beautifully. It reminded me quite a bit of the Bobbi Brown Skin foundation that I had loved over the summer. It feels very natural and very light on the skin itself. It is slightly on the hydrating side (great for my dry skin), but that may not work for people with oilier skin. I don't normally experience issues with breakouts, but if a silicone-based, hydrating foundation is something that may trigger a breakout, this may not be for you. The best part? This foundation didn't turn yellow on me after a bit of wear, like most foundations do. Sweet!

This gives a light to medium coverage, so if you have areas that need more coverage, you will want to have a concealer on stand by. You definitely will want to set this with either a powder or some kind of face perfecter to help it look fresh even longer. Before using my Dior Crystal Nude Skin Perfecter, the foundation did want to settle into some of the deeper lines on my face. However, once I set the foundation, that ceased to be an issue.

Fit Foundation gave me a very luminous, radiant finish. It covered redness and large pores with ease and lasted throughout the day. I don't remember this last time I enjoyed a drugstore foundation this much!

Fit Foundation, Concealer and Blush officially hit shelves in January, but keep an eye out for it now in your neighborhood!

UPDATE! I also picked up the concealer and it is gloriously wonderful for under the eyes. It lends the same radiant glow to concealing that the foundation does. It's not quite as "glowy" as Laura Geller's Banish and Brighten, but it's gives a similar effect. I'm wearing the concealer (and the foundation) in this post. I picked up the 15 concealer and I love it!


I bought this. Maybelline does test on animals.

Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement. Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews & more! Copyright 2009-2010, Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.

FOTD - Radiant Skin

I'm exhausted, overwhelmed and lackluster, thanks to the rush of the holidays and well, life. I decided for my last day at work (for the year!), I wanted to look holiday ready and radiant, even if I didn't feel it. I was really pleased with the results. So pleased, it actually lifted my spirits!


(indoor light)


(outdoor light)


FACE:
Maybelline Fit Foundation - The lightest Ivory shade made
Benefit -High Beam above my cheek bones
LORAC - Perfectly Lit in Luminous
Laura Geller- Banish and Brighten Concealer (my favorite!)

EYES:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
BE Gold Medal High Shine Shadow
MAC Shroom Eye Shadow
Benefit Magic Ink Eye liner
Anastastia Brow Powder in Strawburn
Urban Decay Lash Primer
Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara

LIPS:
BE Natural Lip Gloss in Sprinkles

I bought everything listed with the exception of the Laura Geller Concealer, which was sent for review. I've been using it every day since!

Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement. Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews & more! Copyright 2009-2010, Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.

Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Stain

Maybelline recently jumped in the lip stain game with their Color Sensational Lip Stain. I want to like lip stains and almost never do. They are either drying or turn my lips bright pink or burgundy (I feel like a broken record saying that). I couldn't help picking up the least pink Lip Stain Maybelline had to offer and seeing if it could improve my perception of lip stains.


I am happy to report that this one turned a berry/brick-like color on me, which is, in all fairness, different from bright pink. The color I selected was Rich Toffee, so brick isn't that far off. I just wished it wasn't a red or berry color. I guess makeup companies just can't make stains in a non-pink/red color. The technology must not exist, right? I also wished the color was more even on my lips. Adding more "coats" just added a deeper brick-like color.


It isn't overly drying on my lips, which is an improvement, but my lips still look thirsty, which isn't so good. These stains were created (based on what I got from the ads) so that they are supposed to be stains that give you a lighter bit of color, without being so, well stain-y. I suppose the color I tried was definitely less stain-y than others I have tried, but I still don't love it. There is an upside, however. It looks amazing under my new favorite lip gloss from Estee Lauder, True Color in Passion Fruit Shimmer.

Have you tried this one? What did you think?

I bought this myself. Maybelline does test on animals.

Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement. Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews & more! Copyright 2009-2010, Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.

Prove It! Maybelline Expert Wear Long Wearing Blush

When I see a drugstore product sitting on the shelves with a NEW! sticker on it, boasting that it offers fade free color for hours and hours, I assume that Maybelline execs are specifically challenging me to a duel. Their stuff, my face, no less than eight hours. It's on!

My recent drugstore purchases have not gone well. And it is that very reason I can tell you who accepts returns and what the rules are at any major drugstore chain. Among things I recently returned? That miserable Revlon cream eyeshadow quad, two different Revlon lipsticks for being weirdly bright pale colors when they should be nude-ish and a Neutrogena SPF product that smelled like cat tinkle. There are others, but they have already faded from memory.


(Maybelline Expert Wear Blush in Sweet Cinnamon)


So when a blush, which likes to leap off of my cheeks on a good day, proclaims it is long-wearing and does not fade for hours, I'm game. Maybelline's semi-new Expert Wear Blush claims to be long wearing and fade free. Not to make it hard for Maybelline, but I picked the color Sweet Cinnamon, because it was pretty and NOT pink. I am sick of pink blushes and trying to avoid them. (Turns out I am doing a good job. More on that later.) Here is what the color looks like:


So here is me, bright eyed and bushy tailed, wearing Sweet Cinnamon at 7am. It's delicate and pretty. No way this is going to make it 8 hours.


Here is me eight hours later, looking as if I got up at 3am (which I did) and much worse for the wear. But to my shock and delight, there is still some blush there! Well done, Maybelline!

I suppose this round goes to the drugstore brand. Maybelline Expert Wear actually wears for a very long time!

I bought this with change from shovelling out someone's parents.

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Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews & more! Copyright 2010,Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.

Can You Really Be Per-fekt ?

The following are some mighty claims, " A multi-tasking, all in one, vitamin enriched, sweat and water-resistant skin perfector". Sephora says this, "Glides on effortlessly to instantly improve skin tone, reduce redness, and help minimize the appearance of enlarged pores and fine lines. Enriched with powerful antioxidants including the universal antioxidant alpha lipoic acid, and vitamins A and E to help repair, protect, and fight future environmental skin damage, this lightweight gel helps maintain hydration leaving the skin with a healthy, even glow by locking in moisture and absorbing excess skin oils." It sounds like the holy grail of makeup, right?

I picked this up on the business trip that wouldn't end (3.5 weeks!) earlier this year when a sales associate showed me how Per-fekt was at covering up my enlarged pores. Granted, it did look pretty darn good when she did it. In fact, I looked positively airbrushed. Sadly for me, the next day, I realized that it didn't give me any coverage and while my pores looked wonderful, my blotchiness did not. Remembering how amazing I looked the day before, I was determined to make it work.

Reviews refer to this as a foundation, gel and primer. In my opinion, it's too light to be a foundation. It's also a little slick on it's own for my taste. I tried it as a primer with mineral foundation. Eww. No good there. I don't need another gel, especially one that has color. So there it sat, sadly, on my shelf next to other products who have been forgotten.

Until today. Today I decided to give it one more try with my Maybelline Dream Mousse Foundation, which I adore right now. I applied a thin layer as a primer. Unlike with a mineral foundation, it applied gloriously. It still pilled from time to time (yes, I mean like a sweater) and that is still not ok. But my skin looked wonderful. My makeup lasted way more than 12 hours and I looked fresh as a daisy all day.

I think I will save this for special occasions when I really need to look amazing. It's not budget friendly, especially since it can't really stand alone. But with the right foundation, this stuff is Perfekt.

Love it. Check it out!

Copyright 2009, Gouldylox Reviews

Maybelline VolumeXL Seduction Xtreme Lip Plumper

I want plump lips. I don't need Lisa Rinna lips, but a little pout is always nice. I often use "plumping" glosses and my current favorite is Buxom Lips by Bare Escentuals. Buxom brings a slight tingle, a little minty freshness. I can't tell if it actually plumps my lips. They don't seem much larger to me, but maybe the fine lines in my lips are reduced by the plumping action. Buxom offers great colors, but at $18 each, my lip gloss obsession needs to find a new muse.

Enter Maybelline VolumeXL Seduction Xtreme Lip Plumper. With that many "X's" in the product name, it must be EXTREME. I picked up this XPlumper in Seductively Nude. It's nicely shiny, with a little sparkle. I like the color -and if you want more of a color pop for your pout, it is available in ten shades. It definitely had a little tingle when you first apply it. The tingle was actually a little strong for me, but I adapted quickly. Unlike the time I was convinced to try this and it actually caused pain. Once I got over the feeling of this XL Plumping Gloss, I dug it. What is your favorite lip plumping gloss?

I liked it. Check it out.


Copyright 2009, Gouldylox Reviews

Recession Proof Beauty: Maybelline Dream Mousse Foundation

Always on the quest to find something to make me feel complete (and not happy with my current summer foundation situation), I decided to give Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse a whirl. I had heard great things about the Mousse Blushes and figured I should try it out. As a general rule, I don't really like liquid foundation as it always feels really heavy on my skin. Unless I am taking pictures or getting married, I don't want to deal with that. But since it is probably half air, how heavy could it be?

Buying foundation (or really anything color related) bugs me at drugstores. I like to be able to touch, feel and see what the color looks like and I hate messy testers. Between those two gripes, I am usually out of options at my local drugstores. However, since the nice lady at Rite Aid promised me it's their policy to let me return it if it's wrong, I bought the lightest, cool color they had, Light Ivory.




Here's the deal. If you are Rose McGowan light, there is a chance that none of their 16 colors will work for you. However, I am really fair and this color works for me, but if I were any paler, I don't think it would. A little goes a long way, which is great with my current budget-conscious mind set. The coverage is perfect. My sun damage and most freckles are gone, but I can still see my skin through the makeup, which makes me happy. The shade I purchased has serious yellow undertones, which work wonders on my ruddy bits. Plus, it doesn't feel heavy and helps my fine lines look less noticeable. I am also pleased with how well it wears throughout the day. I haven't had to touch up and more importantly, my blush isn't fading, which is an ongoing problem for me. Yeah!

I love this. I bought this. You should check it out!