Product Rave: Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick in Boy.

Where is the town crier?! I think I may have found my favorite lipstick! I have been eyeing this bad boy (zing!) for a seriously long time (I'm talking years, here), but I've held myself back from purchasing it mainly because I felt the retail price of this product was an unreasonable amount of money to spend on a single lipstick. But this is Chanel, right? 

A few weeks ago, I walked into an airport Duty Free with my best friend, Annie, intending to purchase a few Father's Day gifts. Our eyes lingered on the Puerto Rican rums, then on the large, lovely display of Longchamp bags, and finally rested on the beauty section. In the end, we decided to treat ourselves as well as our dads. 

In the light.

In the shadows.

Boy is a sheer shimmery, pinky nude. It's definitely a "your lips but better" lipstick, but beyond that ridiculous description, it really does add something, dare I say, magical to your make up. Here are some other adjectives I could use to describe the effect of this lipstick: "feminine," "poised," "luxurious," and "coy." Let's also throw in "polished" and "pixie-like." Am I hyping this lipstick up too much? Is it silly to attribute so many great qualities to one measly beauty product? Nope. Not ridiculous. At least, I feel all of these things when I brush Boy across my lips.

Just beautiful!

The Rouge Coco Shine lipsticks are "hydrating sheer lipshines" intended to be lightweight while also providing vibrant color. This product also claims to "soften and plump lips for a healthier, fuller appearance." It definitely feels moisturizing and is not heavy at all, but I did not notice a plumping effects on my lips. Not surprisingly, the wear time is not that long since it is so sheer, HOWEVER, I find that I can reapply it multiple times throughout the day and it maintains a fresh look without caking or cracking near the corners of my mouth.

Bare lips. (Goodness, taking "selfies" is embarrassing.)

Boy and me.

I've come to think of Boy as a seriously nice lipstick as well as a good investment. It is really lovely for day time looks, but also subtle enough to pair with bold make up in the evening. Overall, the Rouge Coco Shine collection has some gorgeous shades, and I wouldn't be surprised if I found myself adding a few more of these to my collection in the near future. 

Now go treat yourself to a Chanel lipstick.
V.

Bonus Bits

• The Disney Ariel Collection by Sephora is finally available online!
• I started watching HBO's Family Tree. Seriously funny. Chris O'Dowd is incredible and I am such a huge fan of Christopher Guest. Do any of you watch this show?
• I watched the original Evil Dead (1981, people) last week and I have to say that I can definitely see why it has a place in the Horror movie canon. What gets me is that the plot is so simple and unforgiving: College friends head to a run down cabin in the wilderness to spend the weekend. An age-old curse is unlocked and demon spirits possess them (except for Bruce Campbell). They all inevitably have to die (...except for Bruce Campbell) in order to vanquish the demon spirits. The demon spirits may or may not possess Bruce Campbell in the end. Fin. I grew up in the age of horror movies with serious special effects, but this movie still made me squirm (and laugh) and I can definitely see how this could be SUPER scary to the people of 1981. Also, the chick bopping her head back and forth, with a goofy smile and milky eyes repeating "We're gonna get you!" in her eerie sing-songy voice gave me the creeps.

Hyped Up Products: Are They Worth It?

Is it only Wednesday? Thank goodness today has been GREAT so far! I've hauled a few goodies over the last couple of months that are by no means new releases, but I was prompted to buy them since I have heard beauty bloggers buzz hard about them for quite some time. Here's my quick take on these hyped up products...

FYI here is the rating scale I am using...
1 = Not Worth It
2 = Kind of Worth It.
3 = Mostly Worth It.
4 = Definitely Worth It!
5 = Excruciatingly Worth It!!!

NYX Lip Gloss in Beige
You are not color blind: this lip gloss is pink. And a beautiful, warm pink at that! I've gotta say, this is pretty nice. It's the kind of pink that leaves your make up looking subtle but polished. I can see this shade being flattering on all skin tones. I own a few other NYX glosses and I love the formulation (just the right amount of smoothness, not too sticky) but sometimes the artificial cherry scent is too much for me. It's really the only major drawback. Grade: 3/5.

NYX Powder Blush in Pinched
Really nice peachy pink blush (seriously, people, how many different ways can you say "peachy pink?")! It does contain gold shimmer particles, but it is definitely still nice for daytime. I do have some redness in my cheeks, so I probably wouldn't wear this blush unless I am using a foundation with good coverage or use a good amount of concealer because it would otherwise make my cheeks look way too pink. Staying power is okay, but a little reapplication never killed nobody. Grade: 3/5.

Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso
I know, I know: another blush! I already own a peach blush (my beloved MAC Peaches!) but I was drawn to the gorgeous sheen that this product leaves on the cheeks. It really is lovely and just as beautiful as everyone claims it to be, a nice almost blush PLUS highlight. I actually got cheeky (pun intended!) and layered this one over MAC Peaches and WOW! the effect was glamorous. Grade: 4/5.

Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids Lipsticks in Shocking Coral, Vivid Rose, & Neon Red
These lipsticks have been so popular for Spring and Summer, as you very well may know. The formulation is creamy, the lipstick has a long wear time (I went to touch up after about 3-4 hours and the lipstick still appeared pretty pigmented on the majority of my mouth, with only some lightening near the center of my lips), and the colors are so richly pigmented. I am a nude lip lover so bold lips are a bit outside of the box for me, but I have so enjoyed wearing these lipsticks in the last couple of weeks. I have eyed Shocking Coral since this collection hit the shelves and it is truly a stunning, bright coral! I also love it because it matches the Miami aesthetic and would look beautiful with a beach backdrop. Vivid Rose is also nice (it's like Pantone Rubine Red) but looking back, I probably would not have purchased it since it is only a tad more magenta than Shocking Coral. Neon Red is just gorgeous and so striking with a full face of make up. Red-orange lipsticks are highly underrated, even on fair broads like me and I hope to continue to get good wear out of this lipstick. Overall, the Vivids collection get max points for pigmentation, color range, and wear time. Grade: 5/5.

Wet 'n' Wild Single Eyeshadows in Brulee and Nutty
Widely famous as dupes for MAC's Brulee and Satin Taupe, I put these two shadows to the test. Brulee is a lovely, matte bone color for all over the lid. There is not much else to say about it except that it's a great staple for every collection (and it cost less than $2!). Nutty is a really pretty bronzey-taupe. In the pan, it looks like it almost has a blue tint. I love wearing this color all over the lid and then blending it out with MAC Wedge (...or Omega) in the crease. Really gorgeous color. Overall, I love these WnW single shadows, as they are so beautifully pigmented. They are so cute and dainty and small enough to chuck in your bag! Grade: 4/5.

L-R: Pinched, Luminoso, Brulee, Nutty

Have you tried any of these out?

Au revoir!
V.

Bonus Bits

• I would have also included the Revlon Photo Ready Bronzer on this list also, but I thought it'd be overkill since it is also in my June monthly favorites, but in any case, you know how much I love that bronzer. Have you bought it yet??
• My coworker and I are working all this week in another county and we have been braving the drive by listening to Dr. Laura Schlessinger and Love and Sex with Dr. Jenn Berman. It takes me back to the nights I'd lie in bed listening to Love Line with Adam Carolla and Dr. Drew. Good stuff!
• Xabi is starting puppy obedience this weekend, and boy does he need it!....He also gets more beautiful every day.

June Beauty Favorites!

AAAAAAAAAAAnd it's July. We are officially past the midpoint of 2013. June was a busy month for me, so I am looking forward to slowing down in July and doing a bit of personal life regrouping. These products have been my ol' faithfuls for the month of June...

Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya
This shade has made it into the permanent collection, thanks goodness! I have a penchant for buying orange lipsticks and this lip butter is a perfect orangey-pink color. The original lip butter collection includes two other orange/peach shades: Tutti Frutti, which I think is a tad too orange and Peach Parfait, which contains glitter particles which tend to dry out my lips, so Juicy Papaya is an orange dream come true. I have used this mostly in the day time, but it is just all around a great lipstick.

Benefit Dallas Box o' Powder
Another Benefit blush in my monthly favorites? Shocker! Not a shocker. As you saw in my friend Ayesha's guest post, Dallas is one of the products that started it all. The gold letters on the packaging give it a nice touch. Since I'm fair, I need to be careful that I don't apply too much, but in the right amount, this blush gives the most beautiful bronzy, rose glow.  Also, this product's tagline totally cracks me up: "An outdoor glow for an indoor gal." Don't get me wrong I love The Nature, but being indoors, curled with a book is where it's at.

Revlon Photo Ready Bronzer
This is a matte, mosaic bronzer that contains 4 distinct colors to customize the bronzed intensity of your look. When I first put it on it looked a bit too ruddy and red on me (not orange, red), but I quickly learned to adjust the colors and apply lightly so I get a really nice "I've been building a tan for days" look. The packaging is nice albeit bulky but the most gorgeous part of this bronzer is hands down the organic pattern embossed in the compact. Buy this!

Simply Smooth Xtend Keratin Replenishing Magic Potion
They were not being immodest by naming this product "Magic Potion" as I have seen it do wonders for my hair! It claims to do several things: "protects from thermal abuse, locks in hair color, controls frizzing, adds shine and volume, hydrates, smoothes, detangles, and leaves hair silky and free of split ends." I would definitely say this product does 6/10 of those things on the regular. Oddly enough, I had never heard of this product and it was used on me in a salon I was visiting in another city. When the stylist was done, my hair felt like a cloud, so naturally this product needed to come home with me. I use it as a leave in conditioner/heat protectant and my hair is left feeling softer than ever. During the summertime I do even more heat styling than normal and my mane needs the extra support. I have never seen this product again in any salon, but it is available on amazon.com and drugstore.com. Invest.

Eco Tools Angled Liner Brush
This was such a bargain! I scored this liner brush for less than $6 and I have no complaints. It is lightweight, ultra thin, and really gives you a precise line. 

And a non-beauty favorite...

Xabi! My sweet puppy has been with me for a whole month! I can't believe it! Xabi is truly a joy. He is just doing so well all around, and although he is still a baby in MANY ways, he is a flexible little chap! Probably my favorite things about Xabi besides the excruciatingly cute way he walks and his soft hair, are his big, beautiful, brown eyes. I am a little embarrassed to admit (as a first time dog person, I never thought in a million years I would write this next sentence), but I feel like I can see his heart in his eyes. They are so expressive and gentle and it really lifts me up. 

Post-Haircut

Romp in the grass.

Sleepy monkey!

Sweet dreams, everyone!
xx. V.

Bonus Bits

• I have been putting together a large wedding post to review the make up I've worn over the last two weekends so look out for that!
• I finished Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare on the plane back from Arizona and on my morning metro rides last week! I have so many feelings about these! Good ones! Oh my goodness, I am hooked! Even now, I can't stop thinking about the plot and the characters and I can say I am knee-deep in fangirl craziness! I have one book left in the trilogy before I tackle The Mortal Instruments series.
• My best friend Annie ordered the Mally at home gel manicure kit, and I am way excited to try it out!....on her, I mean. (*heehee*)