From New York to Shanghai

left to right: Natural Beauty, New York Scene, Shanghai Sizzle

I hope everyone had a safe and fun Independence Day! It's currently 1:00 AM over here and I can still hear the fireworks going off.  I spent my day laying on the couch and painting my nails. It feels so nice to relax on this rare three-day weekend.

So I wanted to share some recent purchases today with you guys and do a mini review and first impression. Everything I bought was from Ulta, and right now they're having a sale, so take a look if you were eyeing anything.

The Revlon ColorStay Moisture Stains are new releases and every time Revlon has new lip products, I just have to try them. The two shades I picked were New York Scene and Shanghai Sizzle (hence the post title). I have to admit I picked them for the names. All the shades are named after cities by the way. These products are marketed as a liquid lipstick/gloss/stain. The consistency is a bit thicker, so it feels more like a balm. You can't just apply this without a mirror, you do have to be a bit precise. It is VERY pigmented, two layers will really make the colors pop. I don't think the products really have a glossy effect, but it is very moisturizing and feels comfortable to wear. This is definitely a hit or miss product though. People will either love or hate the consistency. The smell wasn't particularly nice either, but it goes away on application. Not a must-have product, but I do really like it.

Another lip product I've been wanting to try is the Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 in Lemon and Chamomile. It smells so good, just like lemon and sweet cream! Jack Black is a men's line, but whoever said women can't use it too? I've been using it for about a week, and I really love it so far, but I'll keep testing it. I love the squeezy tube and that it has SPF in it. We always forget to protect our lips.

I've been putting off buying this blush for a long time, since it's not the cheapest blush out there and I never use blush anyway. But I succumbed and bought the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in Natural Beauty. The color looks really scary in the pan, but I really wanted a red blush, since I only had peachy pink ones. The swatch looks super pigmented, but it's actually not as red as I thought it would be, it's actually a very natural-looking flush.

Last, but not least, is the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. I love these brushes, they're so soft! Very good quality for drug store. I wanted a new brush for applying liquid foundation, but I would also probably use this one for bronzer as well.

I hope you guys liked this mini haul! Let me know if you've tried any of these products!

June Favorites

Ahhh...June is over! The weather has been so warm and beautiful, it makes me want to go to the beach and just lie out with a book under a big umbrella. So, who watches soccer (or football for the rest of the world)?! I've been OBSESSED with the World Cup, I sneak in little snippets online when I can at work! Does anyone else do that? :D 

Anyways, back to the products! This month I've been using my NARS blush/bronzer duo tons. I got this in a set from Sephora back in December last year, but I've only recently been loving it. This is a mini version of the Orgasm blush and Laguna bronzer.  I used to not like the Laguna bronzer much, because it seemed so hard to get the color to show up, but I found out I was just using the wrong brush. Oops. I use it less as a contour, more as something to warm up my face a bit, and it's easy to use because it's so buildable. It has a little shimmer in the pan, but it doesn't show up at all when you apply it. It's a nice product to have for people that are just starting to use bronzers, since you can't really mess up when you use it. I like the Orgasm blush, because it's such a pretty sheer peachy shade. It can flatter all skin tones as well. 

I always go light on the blush when I use it, because my cheeks are super red naturally. So I was always afraid to use cream blushes, because they seem so pigmented. But the Stila Convertible Color in Petunia is such a gorgeous shade, I just had to try it. It's the perfect Spring and Summer blush, giving your cheeks a nice, glowy flush. I haven't used it on my lips yet, but I feel weird applying something I put on face on my lips.

Another lippy favorite is the Body Shop Colour Crush Shine lipstick in #15 Fuchsia Flirt. Really comfortable to wear and leaves a bright pink color on your lips as the day goes on. Read my post about them here.

A non-beauty favorite has been Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. This was highly recommended by my friend Claire and she was kind enough to lend me her signed copy! Neverwhere is the first book I've read by Neil Gaiman, although I've heard tons of good things about the author. This book is a mix of fantasy and reality with a dark side to it. It's about a normal, London man whose world is turned upside down one day after helping a bleeding girl on the street. I loved it and I definitely recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy books!

I hope you guys all had a wonderful month and remember to stay cool!