Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Lipstick (450 Insolent Plum) Review + Swatches

Hello everyone!

I’m so sorry if it seems like I’m not interested in blogging anymore – that can’t be further from the truth! Honestly, I felt like I didn’t have time to keep up the 3 times a week schedule because I was working full-time but now that I have cut back some hours at work I will be dedicated to this blog just like I was when I first started.

So, today I want to review this lipstick that was in a Block Buster (purchase with purchase) set a few months ago. I will review each of the products separately since there is too many products and the post will be crazy long. Also, because I don’t think this set is available however, each product can be purchased on it’s own.

I love wearing deeper shades during the fall and winter months so I choose the “Smokey” set instead of the “Neutral” one. I usually prefer a matte finish when it comes to deeper lipstick shades but I was excited to try a glossy finish. Starting off with what I liked: this formula is very hydrating and pigmented; it glides on and feels like a lip balm – it isn’t heavy at all. It also has a light vanilla scent that I find to be pleasant. However, I wasn’t so thrilled about the longevity – due to the nature of glossy lipsticks they tend to rub off and move around a lot more than matte ones. After about 3 hours or so it starts to fade away leaving a light plum stain. Also this shade is slightly patchy; I would highly recommend using this with a lip liner to keep the color inside the lines and to make it look more seamless.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick 450 Insolent Plum.

Overall, I like this lipstick and the issues I mentioned above can be avoided with first applying a lip liner, filling in my lips and then applying this lipstick.

What is your favourite plum-colored lipstick?

Click here to view product.

Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer Review + Swatch

Hello everyone!

I’m still on the search for a foundation that works with an oily skin type. If you have a very oily t-zone like myself, then you know the struggle of foundation breaking apart and looking shiny only after a few hours wear.

What intrigued me about this foundation was that it claims to be full coverage (hence the foundation + concealer description), long-lasting (12+ hours), oil-free, does not oxidize, does not clog pores and the color stays true through sweat & humidity.

This foundation has a cream consistency and a natural-matte finish. I like the applicator because it picks up the perfect amount for the entire face and I do not have to touch the foundation with my fingers during application. I use this with a flat top buffer brush to really blend in the product.

I like how this foundation wears for a few hours; I get a flawless finish and lots of compliments when wearing this. However, it doesn’t look so good after 6 hours or so; it starts to break apart on my chin and around my mouth and looks rather cake-y. I like to use a liquid foundation, because it is thinner in consistency and seems to last longer on me, and then use this on the areas (cheeks usually) where I need more coverage.

I got the lightest shade, 0.5 breeze, this shade has a pink undertone.

Overall, I like this foundation for when I’m going out for a few hours but this would not be my pick for when I’m out all day. It lived up to the claims that it made except for the long-lasting one for me. I can see this working for someone that doesn’t have such an oily t-zone.

What foundation do you recommend for an oily skin type? Comment below!

Click here to view product.

Pilaten Suction Black Mask Review

Hello everyone!

This mask is very unique; it is like a nose strip but for the entire face. I wear a full face of makeup almost everyday and so I need something that will really clean out my pores every now and then.

This is similar to a charcoal mask in terms of what it does for the face (draws out dirt) and the black color that it has. I like to apply this after a hot shower; I feel that it pulls out more when I do this. Once it is applied it will start to harden and after about 10-15 minutes you can peel it off. This mask is hardcore; it will rip out any clogged pores and not to mention a bunch of peach fuzz. However, my skin becomes unbelievably smooth after just one use.

I would only use this once every month because it is so harsh and I don’t think it would be beneficial to use it more than that.

What is your favourite mask?

Click here to purchase.

Sappho Organics Review + Swatches

Hi everyone!

I have wanted to try organic, natural, vegan makeup for a while now and this brand has the most amazing ingredients! All of their products are free of harmful synthetic preservatives. This includes parabens, phthalates, gluten, mineral oil, talc and dimethicone.

Starting off with the brushes pictured above; they are extremely soft and do not shed at all. They are all made with bamboo handles and allergy-free fibers. I especially love the blush/kabuki brush for applying any powder (blush, bronzer,etc.).

I love that these foundations are actually good for your skin and look really nice as well. For whatever reason, I wasn’t expecting much from them and I was pleasantly surprised by the formula. It is light-weight and feels like a BB cream, It has a light to medium coverage and can be set out in a dish to thicken over night for more coverage as the oils evaporate. It sets fairly quickly to a nice satin finish that looks like fresh skin. The scent is not my favourite but it isn’t bothersome to me. I find that applying this with a densely packed flat top brush looks the best. The bottles also come with a pump and are light-weight (30mL); perfect for travel. 

The swatches below are the product slightly spread out, not blended out, to show color. Mia (left) is slighter lighter and has a cooler (pink) undertone. Leisha (right) is a touch darker and has a warm (yellow) undertone.

The concealer is very creamy and not at all cake-y or dry on the under eyes. The yellow tint is perfect for hiding blue-ish tones under the eyes (veins). I use a bit of this with my finger and then layer on a flesh-toned or brightening concealer on top and it definitely makes a difference in hiding the blue, purple tones and prolonging my concealer as well.

The blushes, bronzers, and eyeshadows all come in the tin so that you can place them in any magnetic palette. Sappho organics has 2 magnetic compacts; I have the stainless steel palette.

The steel palette is very sturdy and has a big, clear mirror on the inside. It is a bit heavy since it is steel.

The Bronzer on the top left is “Bronze Goddess 1” and is labeled as a blush. This bronzer is very pigmented and smooth; it easily blends with little effort. It lasts an average amount of time on me; usually by the end of the work/school day it has pretty much faded. The Blush on the top right is “Tutz” and it is a blue-toned light, baby pink. It is pigmented like the bronzer but the shade is very light so I had to build it up in the swatch. This is great for a natural everyday blush. Both shades have a slight sheen/shimmer.

Right to left: Tutz and Bronze Goddess 1

The shadows are fairly pigmented and creamy except for the shade Bekitt that was a bit powdery. The shade Norma was the most pigmented and the other 2 darker shades were a touch less intense. They are blendable and last the whole day if used with a primer.

Left to right: Jono, Norma, Bekitt, and Gitte. Swatched without primer.

Overall, I really enjoyed this brand and knowing that whenever I use these products they are not harming my skin and my health makes me like them even more. Check out the ingredients on their website (link below) to be amazed! This is a Canadian brand.

Have you tried Sappho Organics?

Click here to purchase from the US website. Click here to purchase from the Canadian website.

Disclaimer: I received these products for reviewing purposes. All my reviews are my honest opinion whether I bought the product(s) or it was sent to me.

Serpentine Beauty Bold Lip Glaze (Entire Collection) Review + Swatches

Hi everyone!

These lip glazes have such an amazing formula; they look like lip gloss in the tube, perform like lipstick on the lips, and are super pigmented! I have the entire collection to swatch for you in this review.

These smell like sweet vanilla cupcakes, it is a pleasant scent; not sickly. It has a standard doe-foot applicator which I like because it applies the product on well. These last an average amount of time on my lips; roughly 4 hours depending on how much I eat and drink. Some shades leave a bit of a stain on my lips until I wipe the product off similar to a pigmented lipstick.

The formula is not at all sticky, it feels like a hydrating lipstick on my lips and is very light weight. It does not slip or feather outside of my lips during the day but lining my lips ensures that they don’t move. These are not transfer-proof but are not messy either like a lip gloss.

You can see in the swatches below that a few shades have a frosty finish while the rest have a nice shine finish.

The nudes. Left to right: Afterglow, Naked Angel, Vivacious, and Kayla.

The pinks. Left to right: Fussy Princess, Miss Moxie, Hysteria, and Marquise.

The reds. Left to right: Napoleon Red and Rustique.

You can layer these on top of lipsticks or lipliners but they are so pigmented that I like to wear these alone. I also don’t have to apply a lip balm underneath, which I do with any lipstick, because these are super moisturizing. This is a Canadian brand and their products are cruelty-free and non comedogenic.

Which color is your favourite?

Click here to purchase. They are currently 30% off and offer free shipping!

Disclaimer: I received these products for reviewing purposes. All my reviews are my honest opinion whether I bought the product(s) or it was sent to me.

e.l.f. Prism Eyeshadow Palette (Naked) Review + Swatches

Hello again!

This is probably my favourite e.l.f. eyeshadow palette that I have because the formula is amazing! This palette is definitely comparable to much higher-end palettes. They have 2 other shades, this review is on the “Naked” palette.

The formula of these shadows are very buttery and pigmented. I find that applying them with my finger works better than with a brush since it picks up the product better. When I pat them on my eyelid with my finger I do not get any fallout as they stick well to any base. When used with a brush it can get powdery and has some fallout during application. They last very well throughout the day.

All 6 shades are shimmery; there are no mattes, so I use other shadows for my transition and crease shades. As the name of this palette suggests, these are all neutral shades.

The swatches below are in order from left to right as placed in palette.

I would definitely recommend this palette if you are looking for shimmery neutral shades. e.l.f. often has deals and discounts on their website so you can get this palette for as low as $5; definitely worth it.

Have you tried the prism palettes?

Click here to purchase.

BomBeauty Makeup Bom (Brush Cleaner) Review

Hi everyone!

Today’s review is on a makeup brush/sponge cleaner that I have been using lately. I have always used the palm of my hand to scrub my brushes on but it takes me a while to get them clean, especially my foundation brushes.These Makeup Boms come in a variety of different colors but they are all the same size/shape. They have a rubber material that is flexible. There is a hole underneath it so that you can choose to hold it with two fingers.

I start off mixing my brush cleanser solution (antibacterial soap, hair conditioner and water to dilute) and dip my makeup brushes in that and then start running my brushes on the ridges of the Makeup Bom. After about 10 minutes of cleaning, water got into the finger hole and it started to slowly slide off my fingers while I was washing my brushes so now I prefer to hold it in my hand.

The curved side (left) is used for makeup sponges and I liked how they included that since many people use sponges for their face makeup. The other side (right) is for any makeup brush (face,eyes,etc.). Both sides worked well for me and cut down my brush cleaning time to about half. It really did help remove all my foundation from my brushes whereas when I was using my hand I couldn’t deep-clean and would still see some foundation inside the brush afterwards.

What is your favourite makeup brush cleansing tool?

Click here to purchase and use the code “ONLINEBEAUTYFINDS” to get 15% off!

Disclaimer: I received these products for reviewing purposes. All my reviews are my honest opinion whether I bought the product(s) or it was sent to me. I do not gain anything if you use the code above. 

LA Splash Lip Couture Liquid Lipstick Review + Swatches

Hello again!

I’m so excited about this post because I feel that these shades are perfect for the fall and the formula is great! This review is on the shades OG-Ghoulish, Ghoulish, Latte Confession, Malevolent, and Vindictive.

These claim to be waterproof and transfer-proof and I completely agree that it is both. It takes a little while for the product to dry to a matte finish but once it does, it will not budge at all and is not sticky. I like to apply a thin even coat since it does tend to crack if you apply it on too thick. It doesn’t feel terribly dry but you can sense it on your lips. I have tried to wear this over lip balm and it does not hold up as well as it does on bare lips; it flakes off after a while.

This has a very unpleasant smell but it fades away quickly after it is applied. The color did not fade or move throughout the day until I had lunch, it started to flake off and fade a bit in the middle of my lower lip. I noticed that this happens when I’m having more greasier foods since this product gets removed with oil. At the end of the day I use an oil-based makeup remover; it will not come off with anything else.

Bottom to top: OG-Ghoulish (grey, taupe shade), Ghoulish (beige, nude shade), and Latte (rosey, brown shade).

Bottom to top: Malevolent (vampy, purple-toned shade) and Vindictive (blue-grey, teal shade).

All shades were extremely pigmented except for Malevolent which needed two coats hence the patchiness and the thick layer in the swatch. They can accentuate lip lines but this is not as obvious on the lips as it shows up in the hand swatches. These apply on the lips better if you exfoliate and moisturize your lips before application. Overall, I enjoyed these liquid lipsticks because of the beautiful shades and the waterproof/transfer-proof formula.

Click here to be directed to the Canadian website. (Lower shipping and no customs/duty costs for Canadians)

Click here to be directed to the U.S website.

Disclaimer: I received these products for reviewing purposes. All my reviews are my honest opinion whether I bought the product(s) or it was sent to me. 

DUO Eyelash Adhesive White/Clear Review

Hello again!

This was my first false lash adhesive and after using it for a while now I thought I would post a review. This review is on the white colored which turns into clear.

This is the 14 gram squeeze tube and a disadvantage with this is that the tip is bigger so more product comes out than needed. When I first opened this bottle and applied it to my false lashes I noticed that it had an unpleasant scent that I can not describe, but once it was on my eyes I could no longer sense it. The formula is not runny or thick; somewhere down the middle. I found that when I wait about 50 seconds and then apply it, it sticks on better since the glue becomes tacky. If you apply it too quickly it will just slide around and not stick down.

My eyes can get a bit watery when I’m doing my eyeliner and I learned to wait until my eyes are dry before applying this because the glue will never stick if your eyes are wet. I also realized that this glue sticks better when wearing gel liner rather than liquid liner. It mostly dries clear but when I do see some white spots I go over it with my liquid liner.

The wear time on this lash glue does not impress me very much since it tends to not stick very well on the inner corners of my eyes even though I apply more on the ends of the falsies. I have to carry this around to reapply when that starts to happen. Overall, I thought that this was just an average eyelash glue and I’m definitely looking to find one that works better for me.

What is your favourite eyelash glue?

** I purchased this from an eBay trusted seller which no longer carries this. There are many fake DUO glues on eBay, I do not recommend that you purchase it online for this reason. **

Younique Moodstruck Lip Liner Review + Swatches

Hi everyone!

This lip liner is a beautiful autumn shade that would suit many different skin tones. It is advertised as being long-wearing, waterproof, and smudge-proof. This review is on the shade “pompous”.

I like this formula for a lip liner because it dries down and doesn’t move around or “bleed” outside of my lips. Once it completely dries, it is smudge and waterproof. I enjoyed wearing this as a liner and it lasted a good amount of time on my lips with some fading after meals at the edges.The formula is creamy but it isn’t creamy enough to wear all over my lips; I found it slightly drying when I filled in my lips. It was also a bit patchy upon application (see top swatch) and that only worsened after eating lunch.

This plum/purple shade is gorgeous! I love to reach for similar shades in the fall and winter time.

I recommend this if you are in search of a long-wearing lip liner that doesn’t move around or fade quickly.

Click here to purchase.

Disclaimer: I received this product for reviewing purposes. All my reviews are my honest opinion whether I bought the product(s) or it was sent to me.