BLOGMAS | Day 10: Charlotte Tilbury vs Revlon Lipsticks

{AT A GLANCE}

As a creature of habit, I end up with many similar looking colors. So I wasn't too surprised to see that I have two iterations of this browny reddish color: Charlotte Tilbury KISSING Lipstick in Stoned Rose (CF) and Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Rose Velvet. 

0

PRODUCT SMACKDOWN | Battle of the Lip Balms

It's been over two weeks since I last posted on the blog and I do apologize for the silence. School is my main priority, so I hope you understand. I'm taking human anatomy, along with two other courses, and it's been kicking my butt. I hope this doesn't come across as bragging, but I've never studied so intensely for any course in my life! The last time I was this studious was for AP U.S. History in high school. So, it's definitely a challenge but I'm enjoying everything so far...let's see how I feel by the end, haha. 

Anyhoo, since I start school super early in the mornings, I can only put in minimal effort. On top of that, the past few weeks have been hot and dry. Out of all lip products, lip balms are my favorite because they require little to no effort to apply and don't look horrible if I don't do touch ups. I mean, not much to touch up throughout the day if it's a lip balm?  I've been rotating between the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments, Maybelline Baby Lips, the Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm and the ULTA Lip Balm. So let's get into my thoughts on each!

0

PRODUCT SMACKDOWN | Benefit's Watt's Up v NYX Bright Idea Illuminating Stick

We are in the height of the highlighting craze so I thought a Product Smackdown comparing my two favorite highlighters would be apt. I have come a long way from my powdery matte finish days. With the inundation of highlighting products, I have amended my routine to include subtle highlights. In my experience, cream highlighters are the best at achieving a natural, dewy glow. Benefit's Watts Up! Highlighter has been a long time favorite due to its subtle radiance. Recently, I found the NYX Bright Idea Illuminating Stick through a lazy browse on Ulta's website. Intrigued, I scanned the colors and saw that Chardonnay Shimmer suspiciously looked similar to Watt's Up and immediately put it in my basket. After a good trial, I'm ready to share my findings with y'all today!

0

PRODUCT SMACKDOWN | Vitamin C Spot Corrector: Garnier vs Paula's Choice

It's been a hot minute since I've done a product review so I'm sorry if it's not up to my usual thoroughness. Also, it's been a year and a few months since I've finished these products so my memory isn't the best but I'll be as descriptive as I can. You're probably here because you have some dark spots you'd like gone. So let's see how these stack up to each other, eh?

6

PRODUCT SMACKDOWN | L'Oreal's Caring Coral vs BareMinerals' Party Starter

 Corals are one of my favorite summertime colors. Orangey corals like the bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Party Starter is my go-to summer lip color for cracked lips days. I'm not a fan of lipglosses but they do have their benefits. For a consistently dry-lipped girl like me, they work much better than matte formulas but I cannot stand the stickiness. I have long hair and being in a windy climate makes lipgloss much more trouble than it's worth. That's why I'm so excited that I found a similar color at a drugstore price--the L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in Caring Coral! P.S. Product Smackdowns aren't exactly about finding dupes; it's more about finding products that serve a similar purpose and in this case, about finding my perfect orangey coral, moisturizing product. :) Let's move onto the comparison!

0

PRODUCT SMACKDOWN | LORAC Pro Palette "Lt. Bronze" vs Milani Bella Eyes in Sand

LORAC Pro Palette vs Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow

Hey y'all! If you haven't read my previous post on the Lorac Pro Palette, the TL;DR version is that the one color that would prompt me to buy another LORAC Pro Palette just so I wouldn't be without it: Lt. Bronze. There's just something about the color; it's like a shimmery version of my skintone that  brightens and costs my discolored lids without looking stark against my light-medium skin tone. I've made a huge dent in this shadow and not wanting to go without, I've been proactively searching for dupes. Unfortunately, not many people have found anything similar, a testament to the uniqueness of this shade. Despairing slightly, I stumbled upon the Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadows at CVS while looking for something to soothe my makeup soul. Are the two formulas comparable? Let's find out! 

0

PRODUCT SMACKDOWN | Armani Eye Tints vs Rimmel London ScandalEYES Eyeshadow Paint

In my quest to simplify my makeup routine, I stumbled upon the Armani Eye Tints. I've never bought a luxury product for myself before so this was quite exciting. There were so many pretty colors but I decided to grow out of my comfort zone and pick a darker color. Shadow isn't a color I'd normally pick up but the silvery metallic purple called to my inner purple lover. As I kept using it, I was reminded of the Rimmel Scandal Eyes Eyeshadow Paints. Will they be similar or should you pick the higher end version? Read on to find out!

0

PRODUCT SMACKDOWN ┊Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation vs Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation

One of my favorite pastimes is to find affordable alternatives to my beloved high end products. Don't get me wrong, the high end stuff is amazing but being a student, I need to be stricter about what I spend on. Most of the time, the high end stuff is great, justifying the price; with drugstore things, it can be a hit or miss. I've been looking for an affordable alternative to my favorite summertime foundation, the Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation, because I need a darker shade as I inevitably tan, regardless of how much sunscreen I slather on. The Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation appealed to me because I've had good experiences with their concealers. Do I think it's a dead-on dupe? Keep reading to find out!

0

PRODUCT SMACKDOWN ┊Missha M Flawless Stick Foundation vs Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick

Ever had those days where you hardly had any sleep the night before and you've pressed the snooze alarm one too many times, giving you less than 10 minutes to get ready? Well, that's my everyday situation and most days, that's alright but some days, I have a presentation or something fancy to attend and my naked face won't cut it. That's where stick foundations come in to save the day (and my face)! The two that I tested are the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick and the Missha M Flawless Stick Foundation. Keep on reading to see which I think is better!

0

PRODUCT SMACKDOWN┊ L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable, True Match Lumi, and Infallible Pro-Matte

We're back for another installation of Product Smackdown! I love comparing products that I have in my collection to see what makes the cut and which ones fall flat. Today, I bring you the three iterations of L'Oreal's best-selling foundation: the True Match Super Blendable, True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous and the newest addition, the Infallible Pro-Matte. While each gives me different finishes, I thought it would be useful to hear the pros and cons of each and figure out which one would suit your skin type the best!

0

PRODUCT SMACKDOWN | Battle of the Liquid Lipsticks: High-end vs Drugstore

Not sure if y'all have noticed, but I've been on a liquid lipstick craze recently. Doesn't help that the drugstore has released several that are comparable to the high end versions. I've done a review on the Rimmel London Provocalips, Show Off Lip Lacquers, and the Show Off Matte Lip Velvets so head on over there for affordable liquid lipstick options. For this post, I'm going to be focusing on the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick  and the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick. Also, I'll be showing some drugstore dupes if these are a little bit out of your budget so keep on reading!

7

PRODUCT SMACKDOWN┊ NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil vs NYX Glam Shadow Sticks vs NYX Infinite Shadow Sticks✎

This post is going to be a long one, so grab your favorite drink and get comfortable! I'm reviewing three different types of eyeshadow pencils from NYX: the original Jumbo Eye Pencil, the Glam Shadow Stick, and finally, the Infinite Shadow Stick. If you've been curious as to how each of these perform and compare to one another along with a few other formulas that I've tried, stick around to find out more.

0

PRODUCT SMACKDOWN┊ MUFE Aqua Cream vs Tarte emphasEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow vs Maybelline Color Tattoo

The last time I wrote a Product Smackdown was months ago and so I brought another one here today :) I've been sitting on this one for a while and am so ready to talk about these now. I'm discussing the Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream, Tarte emphasEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow, and the Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal Eyeshadow in this post. If you're a fan of cream eyeshadows, you won't want to miss this one!

0

PRODUCT SMACKDOWN | BareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick vs Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color vs Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick

I haven't done a Product Smackdown in a long while so this is much overdue. Finding dupes of high end products in a more affordable brand makes me excited and my wallet happier. I've never really been a pink lipstick kind of girl so I was mightily surprised when I found three lipsticks in similar colors in my collection.

0

PRODUCT SMACKDOWN| Clinique Acne Solutions Spot Healing Gel vs. Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment

I don't know about y'all, but I have been breaking out more than usual due to the weather change. My skin freaks out every time the seasons transition from summer to fall. It probably doesn't help that I also moved into a more humid climate recently. In order to combat these face demons (grav3yardgirl reference), I've been using a lot of acne spot treatments!

0

PRODUCT SMACKDOWN| Cetaphil Oil Control Moisturizer w/ Broad Spectrum SPF 30 versus Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer SPF 15

Moisturizers are very important. Keeping you skin hydrated and moisturized allows it to look healthy and glowing as well as allowing for a smoother application of your base makeup. Some moisturizers include other skin benefits like acne clearing, SPF, and more! In the ring today, we have Cetaphil Oil Control Moisturizer w/ Broad Spectrum SPF 30 and Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer SPF 15!

0