drugstore beauty – Page 2 – Hoots of a Night Al

Bite Beauty Matte Crème Lip Crayon

November 30, 2016 2 Comments

I recently received three of Bite Beauty’s Matte Crème Lip Crayons to sample and review. As described by Bite, they’re “A collection of lip crayons in timeless matte shades that provide superior hydration. Bite Beauty’s latest breakthrough formula boasts a collection of beautiful nudes, striking reds, and deep burgundies with a matte yet moist texture. The secret is the moisture-locking power of orange peel wax along with the antioxidant properties of resveratrol. Each gorgeous shade is water-resistant and long wearing.”

Read on to see what I thought!

First of all the packaging is so slick. It’s a matte smoky gray with the Bite logo in a subtle gloss at the bottom. I love how chic they look! The cap securely clicks on and off, so I know there’s not risk of them coming open in my purse. I do wish there was a small color indicator of which shade was which on the exterior however, so I don’t to find the tiny name to read each time. Not a huge issue, just a personal preference.

The colors I received are Glacé, Red Velvet, and Cava, as seen above. Let me walk you through each shade!

Glacé

Glacé is described as a dusty mauve, which is accurate. This shade has quickly become my go-to everyday shade, since it goes with basically any daytime look I create. I love natural shades like this. If you’re looking for a lipcolor you can get tons of wear out of, I recommend Glacé without hesitation. A similar drugstore option with a slightly more matte look is Revlon Matte Balm in Sultry.

Cava

Cava is listed as a lilac beige shade. It is one of the most unique lipcolors I own. Personally, I prefer a bolder lipstick on myself, but I could see this being popular with a lot of people. It’s a great “nude” (not a literal nude hopefully…if someone’s natural lips are purple, they’re most likely freezing or suffocating. Please help them out.). I’d love to see how it looks on someone not as fair-skinned as me. Cava would be great paired with a darker smoky eye.

Red Velvet

Red Velvet is a rich, deep red. Who can resist a classic red? Not this girl. Red Velvet is a great red to add to anyone’s collection as it glides on smoothly, doesn’t bleed, and should be flattering to most skin tones. I wear this shade almost as often as Glacé, since I’m a big believer in red lipstick whenever you can squeeze it in. 🙂 A similar drugstore option with a slightly more matte look is Revlon Matte Balm in Standout.

As you can see, the Bite Matte Crème Lip Crayons offer lots of diversity in their color choices. Overall, I’m very pleased with these! I wouldn’t consider them a matte, as they always retain some shine and are not transfer-proof. I always have to reapply after I eat with one of these on. However, they don’t bleed and are very moisturizing, which I love. This would be a great demi-matte option for people who don’t like drying, matte lipsticks.

They “crayon” shaped tube is nice, since the smaller tip allows for easier application. These are nice if you have thinner lips or just like a skinnier product.

Finally, I wanted to mention that these have a strong tea scent. It fades after application, but when applying, they smell just like tea leaves to me! If you’re sensitive to smells, I’d give these a whiff in person before purchasing.

Overall, I’d recommend these to anyone looking for a good, moisturizing, relatively long-wearing lipstick. They are exclusive to Sephora, but some can be found on Amazon at the links I included above. Have you tried any of the other shades? Let me know!

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on these links or make a purchase using these links, I may receive a small percentage of the profit at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Hoots of a Night Al!

I received these products for free from Influenster, and all opinions, as always, are my own.

Beauty

5 Amazing Lip Balms

November 2, 2016 2 Comments

Every fall and winter, temperatures drop, and we turn on our heaters. For me, that leads to dry, chapped lips. In case that’s you, too, here are five lip balms that never fail to moisturize my lips!

Chapstick Classic Spearmint

Chapstick has been around for years, and there’s a reason for that. This timeless classic has such a great formula that hydrates your lips without making them too slick or sticky. It also doesn’t make your lips look shiny at all for the days you’re feeling a totally natural look.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

This balm has a dual-purpose as it provides both moisture and a beautiful color to your lips. My favorite colors in this line are Honey and Crush, but they have several gorgeous options. It’s great to wear when your lips need some hydration, but you want to rock a lipcolor as well!

eos Smooth Sphere Lip Balm

Have you ever wondered what “eos” stands for? evolution of smooth. How fun is that? I have always loved the packaging of eos lip balms; the unique shape makes them so easy to find when I’m digging around in my purse. Plus, their wide range of flavors is fun to explore. My favorite is Honeydew, but I love so many of them!

Neosporin Lip Health Overnight Renewal Therapy

I have been using this product every night for the last couple of years, and I love it. On the rare nights I forgot to apply it, I woke up with painfully dry lips in the morning. It soaks in throughout the night, and I wake up with moisturized, soft lips to take on the day!

Blistex Ultra-Rich Hydration

This is my favorite lip balm to apply for instant hydration and moisture. I love that it is scent and flavor-free for times when I don’t want either. The ingredients in the inner and outer cores combine to leave my lips feeling healthy and conditioned. Plus, it has the added benefit of SPF 15.

Did I leave out any of your favorite lip balms or remedies for chapped lips? Let me know!

I was compensated for this post, but, as always, all opinions are my own.

Beauty

Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso

October 14, 2016 9 Comments

I feel like I am so late to the party, but I finally picked up Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso, and I LOVE IT. It isn’t as bold as some other blushes, but I love the shimmering, beautiful effect it gives.

Here is Milani‘s description of their baked blushes, “Richly pigmented and highly buildable, the beautiful matte and shimmery shades of Baked Blush are the perfect cheeky pop of color for every skin tone. Sunbaked on Italian terracotta tiles, the warm finish adds a radiance that is the very essence of beauty. Shape, contour and highlight your best features.”

I have to say, their description is flawless, as is their product. Luminoso‘s hue is described as luminous peach, which is so fitting. I usually gravitate towards pink blushes, so I was nervous to try peach. However, I love the results!

I am especially enjoying pairing this peach-toned blush with burgundy eyes for fall. The color is definitely buildable, but you don’t need many layers as it is very pigmented.

I love the highlighting effects of Luminoso as well. It really is luminous and picks up the light incredibly, which makes it easy to blend in with my highlighter. My cheekbones are in heaven these days.

Since it is so pigmented and lustrous, I think it will pop on fair, medium, and deep skin tones alike. I thankfully found it very easy to blend. The blush comes with a small brush, but I wouldn’t recommend using it. I typically apply my blush with this Real Techniques brush, and it works wonderfully.

Something else worth noting is that this particular blush is vegan. I don’t believe all of the 9 shades available are, but if that’s important to you, this one is!

I think the quality of Luminoso is so impressive considering it’s less than $10 at the store. I have even seen it compared to the quality of NARS blushes quite often. Based on how smooth, pigmented, and blendable this shade is, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend any of the Milani Baked Blushes. A few of the shades are matte, so they may not blend as easily, but I’m anxious to try them in the future.

If you want a vibrant blush that’s bold and in your face, this may not be the color for you. I think it creates a soft, natural look that’s easy for anyone to wear. If you’re going full glam or just doing blush and mascara for the store, this should compliment your look regardless.

My only complaint about Milani Luminoso is that I waited so long to try it! If I can ever pry myself from this beautiful shade, I want to try Rose D’Oro or Dolce Pink, too!

If you’re in the market for a beautiful new blush this fall, I can’t recommend Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso enough. I’m sure you’ll love it!

Primer: Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm

Foundation: Covergirl 3-in-1 Foundation

Concealer: Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

Setting Powder: e.l.f. Studio HD Translucent Powder

Eyeliner: Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner in Onyx

Eyeshadow: wet n wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio in Velour Vixen

Eyeshadow Primer: Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Metal in Barely Branded

Mascara: Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes

Blush: Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso

Highlighter: Wet n Wild MegaGlo Illuminating Palette

Bronzer: Physicans Formula Bronze Booster

Lipstick: Le Marc Lip Creme Lipstick by Marc Jacobs in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Beauty

Wet n Wild Megaglo Illuminating Palette in Catwalk Pink

September 26, 2016 2 Comments

Contouring, Highlighting, Strobing, and more are all the rage right now! Everyone seems to love piling on the shimmer until they’re almost blinding others. AND I’M TOTALLY ON BOARD. However, so many highlighters are crazy expensive, so I was psyched to find this wet n wild megaglo Illuminating Palette for only $4!

The pan is HUGE and contains 4 different shimmering powders. From left to right it includes a light gold, a pinkish white, a rosy pink, and a bronzy tan. Each strip is a little under an inch wide, so you get tons of product.

As you can see, this palette works wonderfully as a highlighter. I used a blend of the two left shades on my under-eye, cheekbone, forehead, and the bridge of my nose. I also use the rosy pink as a blush. All together they help brighten my face, hide dark circles, and blur imperfections.

I love that the colors can be worn alone or blended depending on your goals or skin tone. The palette color name is Catwalk Pink, which I think is misleading, since only half of the shades have pinkish tones.

I have also used the two left shades as highlighters on my brow-bone and inner eye corner, and they blend beautifully.

Since I am very fair-skinned, these shades really pop on my face. They are pretty pigmented though, so I think they would flatter anyone!

I love this illuminating palette because it adds an iridescent shimmer without making my face look oily. Some highlighters go a bit over the top, and the result is a greasy-looking face! No, thanks.

At times I wish the palette had a bit more glow, but for five bucks, I can’t complain too much. However, since I’m already complaining, I also wish the colors were a bit more separated. When I use the pink shade as a blush, it’s difficult to maneuver my blush brush without coating it with the other colors as well. But, like Tim Gunn suggests, I “make it work.”

I know several people tend to swirl all of the powders together for a beautiful shimmery look, so I suppose to palette set up is perfect for that!

Swiping this palette on my cheekbones is my favorite part! To me, that’s where the shimmer pops most, along with the bridge of my nose.

If you’re anxious to try out the contouring world, or just add a bit of luminescence to your makeup routine, I can’t recommend the wet n wild megaglo Illuminating Palette enough!