Review: Sinful Colors Cold as Ice & Holiday Rebel (swatches to come, hopefully!)

  Hey guys! My Wal-Greens recently received the Holiday 2013 Decorate Decadently end cap, so of course, I had to haul a couple. My budget would only allow two at the time, but I will definitely be going back for more! There were so many pretty metallics and glitters- there's even some feather glitters for those interested! One that caught my eye was a rose gold glitter called Full Spectrum that was so pretty but I decided to pick two of the more versatile colors for now- Cold as Ice & Holiday Rebel.

  First up is Cold as Ice, a white matte "feather" bar glitter. I chose this glitter because it's an affordable way to try out the "feather" glitter trend, and I could use it over multiple colors and play around with placement for various effects. The clear base is on the thicker side, but it's nothing that can't be worked with. The thicker base is nice for applying the glitters, although I had to do a little placement with the brush. As the dry time is a little slower, I don't think it would be a good idea to try to build this up to full coverage. However, a fast-drying top coat will help with the dry time. I liked the way this looked layered, but it wasn't my favorite. I'm still not 100% sold on the feather finish!

  Lastly, is Holiday Rebel.

   This glitter just screams Christmas in a bottle! Holiday Rebel is small green hex glitter and red and silver holo hex glitters suspended in a clear base. The base is typical for a glitter polish, a little on the thicker side, but if you work with it for an extended period of time, the base will thicken up to an almost unworkable state. I used this recently for a gradient and I had to wait in between nails because it became so thick. The coverage is nice and if you really wanted to, you could build it up to full coverage but I think it looks nice just being layered ^^ This is definitely an incredible glitter for an incredible price that is perfect for those who want an easy Christmas mani.

  Thanks for reading and apologies for the late post! Xoxo

Blog Update PLEASE READ

Hello everyone!
Recently, in all of the holiday commotion, I have misplaced my trusty backup camera. Now, both the charger for my new camera and my backup camera are missing. Unfortunately this means that I am currently unable to post high quality pictures which means I will not be blogging at a regular rate, as if I was to begin with. I prefer not to upload blog posts with low quality pictures as this is one of my pet peeves, so unless I can figure out something to "make-do" with blog posts will be scarce. Thank you for understanding <3

Review: Well at Walgreens Core + Seasonal Spherical Lip Balm - Watermelon, Sugar Cookie, Candy Cane, and Berry Frost

     Hey guys! Today I have a few lip balms that are creating a slight buzz in the blogosphere- Well at Walgreens Spherical lip balm. They bear a resemblance to EOS which makes them the center of attention, but I actually prefer them to EOS! In addition to the core scent of Watermelon, they released three seasonal scents: Sugar Cookie, Candy Cane, and Berry Frost! I received the Candy Cane and Sugar Cookie flavors recently and I fell in love with the formula and delicious scents and flavors, I just had to go to Walgreens and pick up Berry Frost and Watermelon as well. Plus, they're buy one get one free right now with a Walgreens rewards card! I've heard many good things about these, but can all of them live up to their reputation? Keep reading after the jump!

     A quick note, I have heard there is also a strawberry sorbet version of this lip balm at Rite-Aid if none of these appeal to you or you simply want more like yours truly, lol~
    First, the core scent: Watermelon. This scent is the core scent and I believe it is the only permanent flavor/scent of these lip balms. The packaging is very adorable and bears a nice resemblance to a watermelon. The exterior is made of a watermelon green plastic with little waves on the sides, and inside of this pretty green packaging is a lovely pink balm! I was very thrilled to see this because I love little details about prodcuts like this. EOS lip balms are always white, so this was a pleasant surprise. The scent and flavor also resemble a watermelon- a watermelon Jolly Rancher! The fragrance of this is sooooooooo good. I detected a slight creamy, vanilla note to this balm as well that really makes this one of my favorite flavors in the selection. I highly suggest picking this one up!

    Now, the seasonal flavors. First off is my number one favorite out of the three available: Sugar cookie. The packaging is a clean white with the same little waves on the side, and the lip balm looks exactly look sugar cookie dough! Yummy! Again, I love the fact that little details were paid attention to. The scent and flavor is even better- it smells exactly like a Bath and Body Works Sugar/Holiday Cookie candle. This one is my absolute favorite out of the ones I have. This is an absolute must if you are a cookie fan like me!

Apologies for being a bad blogger and using before taking pics, I couldn't resist!

   Next is Candy Cane. I was mostly curious about this scent because of this video I watched by lissaandbeauty on YouTube said it was a creamy kind of candy cane and I am a sucker for these kinds of mint scents. The shell exterior is a cute peppermint red and the lip balm inside is a cute white shade. I cannot tell you how much I love how the color schemes correlate with the scent! However, this mint scent is a little strong. It smells a teeny bit artificial, like a peppermint candle or soap, but the vanilla creaminess was detectable and took off some of the peppermint-y edge. If you are more sensitive to these  There is a slight tingly sensation when applied, but it's nothing overwhelming and doesn't last more than a few minutes. The tingle feels nice and soothing on the lips.
 

   Lastly, my least favorite, is Berry Frost. I had really high expectations to this because I love frosty berry scents  during the holiday. I give this product bonus points because both the packaging and lip balm are a lovely shade of purple. However, I could smell the scent of this product through the packaging and wrapping. It was a very strong, sour berry scent. When you open this lip balm, the sour berry whacks you over the head- sensitive sniffers beware! There's a weird musky undertone I can smell in this balm. The scent reminds me of a Lip Smackers lip gloss I had easily 7 years ago and it wasn't pleasant then and it isn't pleasant now. Some may like this scent, but for me personally, I don't like this scent at all. Boo :( Maybe it will grow on me.
 

Sorry for the bad picture and messed up balm, I wasn't careful when putting the cap on.

    These lip balms are available at Walgreens for $2.99, but as I said earlier, there is a BOGO sale going on right now but this is only effective if you have the Walgreens rewards card (which is free to apply for). I'm not sure if the Sugar Cookie, Candy Cane, or Berry Frost are going to be limited edition or permanent. The container that held them didn't state anything about them being limited edition and neither did the packaging. I would buy a few now just in case they disappear! The Strawberry Sorbet flavor I mentioned earlier is only at Rite-Aid for $2.99 as well, but I unfortunately will not be able to review this scent, as I don't have a local Rite-Aid.

  One thing I loved about these lip balms is that on each lip balm, there is an expiration date! Most brands don't include these on the packaging, so I'm very happy about this. The ingredients on these differed with each scent, but they all have mineral oil as the first ingredient. The formula is nice; they're not as waxy as an EOS lip balm, they have a little more slip. They last about an hour or so for me, which isn't a problem as I tend to reapply my lip balms. They have a thinner formula, but you can build it up to a thicker layer; these provide nice miniaturization and temporary relief for chapped lips and give a nice healthy matte finish. The scents on the Candy Cane and Berry Frost last longer than the Watermelon and Sugar Cookie scents, which last a few minutes. Candy Cane and Berry Frost stick around for a while. The flavor lasts, but is very mild.
    The top of the lip balm isn't round like an EOS balm, it's flat on the top so it's not as precise as an EOS where you can easily glide it on. You need the maneuver you lips a bit to cover them.
   In general, these are a nice product and it's worth picking up a few either for yourself or as a gift- they would make lovely stocking stuffers! I recommend the Sugar Cookie and Watermelon flavors, and if you like peppermint scents, Candy Cane is a nice scent as well. I would be wary of Berry Frost and Candy Cane because their scents are so strong and may not be pleasing to all.
   Do you plan to pick any of these up this holiday season? Thanks for reading! Xoxo~

UPDATE: i found a strawberry scent/flavor at WalGreens recently! ^^

*I purchased the product(s) with my personal funds, and am in no way affiliated/associated with the company/companies featured in this post. I was not sent any products from the company/companies featured in this post to review.*

Review: Limited Edition Seasonal ChapStick Gingerbread Kiss + exciting news!

     Hello everybody! I know I just posted a review of lip balm recently, but I received the new limited edition Gingerbread Kiss ChapStick and I knew I had to make a post about it before it disappears!

How could you resist the little guy?

Review: Lip Smackers Holiday Trio Lip Balm

  Hello ladies and gents! Again, I apologize for being inactive recently. Just know that I haven't given up on this blog! Today I ran into Big Lots just to peek at what goodies they had in the makeup section and I saw the most adorable Lip Smackers lip balm trio at the mere price of only $2! This set had been released for the holiday season as the scents are just fitting for this cozy time of the year! Plus, they provide the right amount of moisture for the colder weather. Keep reading after the jump!

(apologies now for the shoddy camera phone pictures; I lost the charger for my camera :( I have over edited these pictures but the color is still slightly off.)

Review: Freeman's Acai Facial Purifying Clay Mask + update

  Hello! I apologize for being MIA recently, but HOPEFULLY I can begin to post more. I've had more experience since I created this blog, plus I have more free time on my hands since summer started.
   Anywho, I've been obsessed with facial masks recently. I've picked up at least seven of them in the past month. One that I have been gravitating towards, due to the clean purple packaging adorned with fruits, is the Freeman's Acai Facial Purifying Clay Mask. So, I finally decided to break this mask out, expecting it to simply be moisturizing like many other drugstore masks, but I was pleasantly surprised!
   The packaging is what sold me on this one. 

  The mask claims to purify and soothe, and contains a "Mega 8 Complex" which is supposed to "help neutralize skin damage, leaving skin soft and revived." It also claims to be "ideal for all skin types". I have a rather dull and pale uneven skin tone, with oily problem areas around my nose and my chin.  I was still skeptical at this point.

  The ingredient list contains many different fruit extracts as promised, however it did contain a few parabens which may turn some people off from this mask. Freeman's states that they do not test on animals and the product is made in the USA.

~

  The packaging (very stubbornly) peeled away to reveal the cutest color I have ever seen a facial mask be! It is such a lovely mint green shade, but my camera unfortunately  freaked out between the purple and the green in one area. :/ The mask smells very... Fruity. With a dash of floral. It almost smelled like those Barbie "perfumes" I owned when I was little, except just a hair less artifical. The scent was strong, and it stays with you for a while. It worsened my already bad headache :/ It may not be as strong to others because I am a little more sensitive to scents than others.
  The texture was what REALLY surprised me. It was thinner than any other clay mask I have tried. Clay masks are usually thick, and rather hard to spread. This mask had a thin gel-cream (?) consistency that surprisingly covered better than I expected and spread with ease. I liked the fact that it was on the thinner side because, obviously, it enables you to create a nice, thin layer.

 ~

  While the mask was drying, it felt slightly tingly and tight. It wasn't super bothersome though. It didn't feel uncomfortably tingly or tight like a few masks I've tried before.
  Upon wiping the mask away, I was shocked. My skin looked like it was actually... Alive! My face always looks dead and reminiscent of a zombie, so this was such a lovely surprise. The overall appearance of my face looked very bright, glowy, and soft. It almost looked like someone took the blur tool in PS and blurred away my imperfections. A few minutes after wiping the mask away, my face felt a little on the dry side, like I just applied a mattyfing toner. I shouldn't knock the product because of this though, because it only claimed to purify and soothe. I think this product definitely lives up to it's claims.
  This face mask is such a delightful cheap thrill. I've only ever seen this brand of face masks at Wal-Mart for around 2-3$. I'm not 100% sure about other stores you could find these facial masks. I think you MIGHT be able to find them at drugstores, such as CVS, Wal-Greens, etc.
  My final verdict is that this is such a wonderful mask! You get really good results, plus you get a lot of product in a single envelope, allowing for 3 thin applications. If you ever see this product, it is definitely worth picking up and giving it a whirl! 

~

*I purchased this product with my personal funds, and am in no way affiliated/associated with the company/companies featured in this post. I did not receive any product from the company/companies featured in this post to review and give my honest opinion on.*