Get Colour, Shine & Hydration With Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters

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I have a confession to make... I don't really keep up with new product launches.

*Shock Horror* Bad beauty blogger! Bad, BAD beauty blogger!

Honestly though, I'm not sure I would know about new products or collections were it not for other people's blogs and websites. Which could be considered as a way of "keeping up" with launches, so I may have just contradicted myself there...

Long story short, I didn't know these products were about to be released until I saw Tracy's post on Beauty Reflections. Cue instant lemmings!

Then one fateful day, I decided to go to London Drugs*. I saw a cart with 3 cardboard displays of products... Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadows, interesting. L'oréal Color Infallible Eyeshadows, seen it before. Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters -- OHMAHGAH!

So there I stood, in front of this cart that they had literally just put out on the floor, rifling through all the different shades. It was so new (to the store) the SA didn't even know how much it cost... There is a certain amount of pride I am feeling at this moment.

*I purchased each Lip Butter for $10.49 at London Drugs, though I've seen them being sold for a few dollars cheaper at Walmart and Superstore. 

I had a bit of a tough time figuring out which shades I wanted to get. Mostly because out of the twenty (TWENTY! *o*) shades, only 4 of them had testers. Berry Smoothie was a shoe in because it's exactly the kind of shade I would wear every day. Peach Parfait was the next choice because Emma Stone looked absolutely lovely wearing that shade in the ads. Candy Apple rounded up the trio because... Well, it was pretty!

Here's some more background info, courtesy of Revlon's website:

• Buttery balm with beautiful shiny color to give you baby soft, healthy, glowing lips.
• 94% of women felt lips were softer, smoother and instantly hydrated.
• Hydrating mango, shea and coconut butter formula boosts lip moisture by 156% (That's a big number o.o)
• Pampering gel formula provides super charged hydration and glides on lips buttery smooth
• Sheer to medium color with buttery shine
• Available in 20 luscious shades

First of all, oh my wow! This stuff is awesome! Tinted lip butters/conditioners/balms/what have you are my favourite lip products because they hydrate while keeping my lips looking pretty. That said, I wouldn't necessarily call these Lip Butters, I would consider them more like moisturizing lipsticks. When I read the words "Lip Butter", I think of Korres' products and those bad boys are thick.

If you have "normal lips", these should provide more than enough hydration for you. However, my lips are very dry at the moment and I find I need to reapply more than I normally would for other hydrating lip products. I still get a solid 2-3 hours of wear time before I start feeling dryness around the edges of my lips.

Even with my lips being rather dry lately, I still absolutely love these Lip Butters. It's not quite enough for the drier areas on the outer edges of my lips, but it's perfect for the rest.

L-R: Berry Smoothie, Candy Apple, Peach Parfait

Berry Smoothie

Candy Apple

Peach Parfait

The three shades I got are absolutely lovely. Like I mentioned earlier, Berry Smoothie is my typical go-to shade. Candy Apple is a gorgeous bright red shade and less is definitely more. I find that the other two shades are more forgiving when you apply multiple layers. With Candy Apple, you can only get away with a few swipes. Lastly, Peach Parfait is a lovely peachy-pink shade that has a subtle shimmer. It looks nothing like how it does on Emma Stone, but that probably has to do with the colour of my lips :p. 

I've been alternating between these three shades since I got it sometime last week and they're my current go-to lip product. I get awesome colour while keeping my lips semi-hydrated, which is perfect for these cold winter months. I actually have my eye on two more shades: Strawberry Shortcake and Tutti Frutti. 

Are you a fan of tinted lip butters/conditioners/balms?

All About Eyes - Blue Had Me At Hello

We have a bit of a 2-for-1 deal here at Call It Beauty with Wet N Wild's Color Icon Eyeshadow Collection in Blue Had Me At Hello. I'm already a fan of WNW's eyeshadows for their amazing colour payoff and the cheap price tag doesn't hurt, either.

I haven't really had the chance to really play with these eyeshadows and explore different shade combinations. So for these two looks, I decided to keep it simple (and by simple, I mean not really simple :p) and stick to the shade combinations that the shadows are grouped with. Here's what I came up with...

Look 1

To start off, I applied the crease shadow along the area above my crease but below my brow bone. Then I lined 3/4 of my lower lash line with the definer shade and connected it to the outer edge of the line below the brow bone. I would alternate application and blending with a fluffy brush until I was happy with the depth of colour and the softened edges. Next, I applied the eyelid shade on the eyelid and the inner third of the lower lash line and then touched up the crease shade a bit, making sure that both shades blended together. To finish off, I lined the upper lash line thinly with the definer shade, applied the browbone shade to the browbone and applied 2 coats of Rimmel Volume Flash The Max Bold Curves mascara (say that 5 times fast!).

Look 2

I really love this one, if I do say so myself :). 

I started off with the eyelid shade, which is a gooorgeous teal colour. I applied it on the lid, til then applied the crease shade on the outer 3rd area. I also used these same shades to line my lower lash line. Then I blended the browbone shade along the edge of the two shadows and lined my upper lash line and lower water line with the definer shade. To finish off, I applied a few coats of the same mascara I used for Look 1.

Hope you all like these looks! :)

Monthly Favourites - November 2011

It's DECEMBER! Now I can go nuts about Christmas without people looking at me funny!

How's everyone's Christmas shopping going? I've actually finished mine; all I have to do now is bake cookies. Do any of you give treats on Christmas? If so, give me some of your recipes! I'd love to broaden my baking horizons :p.

Anyway, without further ado, here are my favourites from the wonderful month of November (and it's mostly wonderful because December comes after it):

1. Batiste Dry Shampoo - Blush

Before I had even heard of Batiste, I tried Tresemmé's dry shampoo. It was kind of useless. 

So I tried Batiste out, subconsciously expecting for it to be ineffective, but boy was I ever wrong! It actually de-greases (that sounds gross) and volumizes my roots. It does leave your hair looking white, but it goes away completely after I brush my hair through with my fingers. If you don't want to go through that trouble, Batiste also make dry shampoo that comes with a "hint of colour" with shades that correspond to whatever colour your hair is. Unfortunately, Shoppers Drug Mart doesn't carry those. 

It also has a lovely floral scent which I appreciate a lot because my hair tends to pick up scents really well and I don't fancy having my hair smell like "ulam" (if you're Filipino, you know what this means :p). I've been trying not to wash my hair every day, especially now that I use warm-hot water for my showers. Now that I have something to refresh my hair every other day, I can actually fulfill that goal. 

2. The Body Shop Perfume Oil - Vanilla

This perfume has been a staple in my fragrance stash for many years now and I still absolutely love it. Vanilla is probably my favourite scent, so this perfume oil gets a lot of love from me.

First of all, you don't need a lot (I've had this one for a while now, it doesn't even come in a bottle like this anymore) so you'll be able to use it for a long time. Secondly, it's $16; enough said, I should think.

3. Maybelline Clear Smooth Blush - Fresh Berry

I was first drawn to this blush because of the super bright shade, but I've really grown to love it because it blends beautifully on the skin (applied with a light hand, of course :p) and sticks around for my entire work day. 

It's such a lovely shade and I've been loving wearing it this month because it makes these dark and dreary days a little bit better :).

4. Spa Resource Brushes - Powder Brush & Stippling Brush

I spotted these babies at Walmart and truthfully, I wasn't intrigued... That is, until I felt the bristles. Softness galore! I'd say they are about on par with EcoTools in terms of softness and both retail for under $11 CAD. Not bad, no?

The only thing I don't like is the stippling brush's propensity to shed - I had a lot of bristles on my face! Although, the shedding did stop after a second wash. I definitely prefer this stippling brush to Sigma's; it feels much softer on the skin.

You can find these brushes in Walmart or purchase them online at Spa Resource.

5. Macadamia Natural Oil - Healing Oil Spray

My hairstylist would always spritz my hair with this after a cut & style and I remember thinking I absolutely had to have it because it smells divine! 

This stuff is uh-may-zing! It makes my hair look shiny and hydrated, removes frizz, but doesn't weigh my hair down at all. And did I mention it smells divine? I did? Well, it smells diviiine!

I thought I would have to say goodbye to my little bottle, because the nozzle started spritzing in a straight line (instead of a mist) but a few minutes under HOT water did the trick. I can now use it again! 

I'm not sure where you can purchase this product because they don't have an online store and not all salons carry them. But if you have wavy/curly hair, you should start looking for this baby because you need this in your life!

For those in the US, you can purchase Macadamia Natural Oil at Ulta.

6. Lush - Sympathy For The Skin

This lotion was one of my "Best in 2010" picks and it still delivers. The scent (vanilla, of course) is absolutely delicious and it keeps my skin so wonderfully moisturized, soft and smooooth (operatoooor, smooooth operatoooor). 

It retails for $25.95, which does sound pretty steep; but it lasts for such a long time, I don't find myself needing to purchase it often. If you do try this lotion out, be sure to remember the expiry date. Because Lush uses a lot of fresh ingredients, their products do go bad. Conveniently, they have a sticker on the outside of their packaging with a best before date, as well as a lovely photo of whoever made that particular batch. How cool is that?

7. The Face Shop - Power Perfection BB Cream

A skincare product that has good coverage. No, it's not a Tinted Moisturizer, it's better than that: it's a BB Cream! I love this stuff because it gives me such natural coverage. I still need to do some concealing, but for the most part, it leaves my skin looking much better (My Skin But Better :p). It has a nice consistency, thicker than some Tinted Moisturizers I've tried and easily blends onto the skin. 

It's not perfect - my face does get a bit oily at the end of the day, which I would rather it didn't, but it's nothing a quick blot couldn't fix. All in all, I am so pleased with this BB Cream; it's a pleasure to use and leaves my skin looking really healthy.

8. Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick - Plum Jewel

Such a pretty colour! I love the formula and how the product just grabs onto your lips and doesn't shift around. It's creamy and applies smoothly, albeit with a slight bit of tugging (due to the thickish texture?) on the lips and with an average wear time of about 4 hours.

9. Bite Beauty Luminous Crème Lipstick - Mulberry

My chosen Lipstick Bandit lippie for the Fall. It contains a "super antioxidant" called reservatrol and is formulated without synthetics, polybutenes and petroleum byproducts. This lipstick glides on easily, feels really nice on the lips and is also one drop-dead gorgeous shade; absolutely perfect for fall!

What are your favourites for November?

These Color Sensational Lipsticks From Maybelline Have Me Thoroughly Impressed

I distinctly remember owning a tube of Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick before... I threw it away because it had an absolutely awful scent and I've been staying away from the line ever since. Of course, I couldn't avoid it for too long, could I? The shades are just too gorgeous!

Warm Me Up

Warm Me Up has been on my radar for a while now; I first swatched it a month ago and loved it. It's similar to MAC Jubilee in that it's a nude lipstick that leans towards pink, which is my perfect MLBB shade. I mentioned in a previous post about MAC's Bare Again lipstick that I've had a bit of an obsession with nude lipsticks this past pre-fall/fall... Now, because of my colouring and because my lips are pretty pigmented, I find this pinky-nude shade is the type of nude (or neutral, if you will) that suits me the best...

Plum Jewel

(Please excuse the grossness. I had to re-take the photo and by then, I had already used it)

Plum Jewel is a Limited Edition lipstick that kind of confuses me a bit. I think it's pretty safe to assume that a product named Plum Jewel would look plum, but it looks more pink on me. I like to call it, "fuchsia's older, more sophisticated sister." It's definitely a bright shade that translates really well into the Fall. That said, I find that when I apply enough, it does deepen into a plum shade and as it fades (mostly through eating or drinking), it turns into a lovely, berry-pink stain. It's so pretty!

Aaaand ---

BONUS POINTS FOR MATCHING MY GLASSES! 

The first thing that I love about these lipsticks is the texture. It glides on so smoothly on the lips but doesn't slip around too much. I remember trying on a YSL lippie in Murale last week and the texture made me kind of anxious - it was so slippery! I was so paranoid it would somehow end up all over my face. With these Color Sensational lipsticks, I feel like the product really hugs my lips. The formula is thick enough that it doesn't move around your lips too much and yet, it's not at all sticky. 

Going back to the scent, I'm pleased to say that these two don't smell awful (unlike my first tube... Perhaps I had purchased from a bad batch?). There's still that synthetic, sickly-sweet smell; but it's not that noticeable once you're wearing the lipstick and I have a pretty sensitive sense of smell. 

I also like that it doesn't dry out my lips* and that I can wear it for a good 4 hours; more if I don't eat or drink... Which won't ever happen because I love food and I need to drink water in order to live, but that's beside the point. 

* My lips themselves feel pretty moisturized when I wear these lipsticks. However, I have developed some sort of reaction to lip products this year. If I wear a lip product that is not a lip balm for an extended period of time, the skin directly beside what Wikipedia tells me is called the vermillion border becomes very dry, slightly inflamed, and at times, very itchy. I'm not sure what the cause of this is. It can't be the cold weather because it started even before the temperature started dropping. I'm not sure if it's an allergy either because this reaction has happened even when I used paraben-free lipsticks. Anyone have any idea what I'm suffering with? 

Oh! And if these shades don't tickle your fancy, I'm sure Maybelline has something else for you because the shade range is fabulous! They have all their Color Sensational lipsticks arranged by shades - Neutral, Pinks, Reds, Plums, et cetera. Also, being a drugstore brand, they are fairly inexpensive. I purchased these in Superstore (our supermarket) for $6.99 a tube. 

What are your favourite Color Sensational shades?

All About Eyes - Fall

Products Used:

Urban Decay Naked Palette - Half Baked & Hustle

Sleek MakeUP i-Divine Palette - Sunset Palette (frosted red shade)

Clinique Brush-On Cream Liner - True Black

Rimmel Volume Flash The Max Bold Curves - Black

Prestige Cosmetics Brow Perfection Revitalizing Brow Gel - Clear

You know why I could never imagine myself living in a place with no seasons? Because seeing the leaves change colour is truly a sight to behold. That was what inspired me to use gold and red in this look. To start off, I applied Half Baked (so pretty!) on the lid and up to, but not above, the brow bone; I also applied a smidge of this to the inner, lower lash line. Then I used Hustle (one of my favourites in the Naked Palette) along the outer corner for a smokier effect and also to create some depth. I also used a little of this along the lower lash line for more definition. Then for some drama, I applied one of the red shades from Sleek's Sunet palette along the center of the lid and blending it towards the outer corner (a little "trick" I've seen a few YouTube makeup artists/guru's do in various videos). I have to say, I really like the effect it gives. Perhaps I shall use that trick more often.

Lastly, I applied gel liner along the top lid (flicking it gently otuwards) & along the lower water line; then I applied 2-3 coats of mascara to top lashes.

Hope you all like my Fall look =).

My Introduction To BB Creams - The Face Shop's Power Perfection Bb Cream

While in the Philippines, I decided that I wasn't going to spend any money on beauty products. Don't ask me why, it doesn't even make any sense to me now :p. But, on the third week, I thought: "why not check out the beauty products they have here?" So I stepped into The Face Shop (a Korean skincare and cosmetics company) and it was decided that it was my new favourite store.

I've heard of BB Creams before, but until recently, there were no North American brands that offered them in their roster. So of course, I jumped at the chance to try these coveted products. To reduce this to its simplest definition, it is basically a hybrid of skincare and makeup. Think of a tinted moisturizer but with loads of extra skincare benefits.

Power Perfection is The Face Shop's "top of the line" BB Cream, the best they have to offer. So of course, I had to have it :p. Now, I think it's important to state that my skin doesn't suffer from too many problems. I get hormonal breakouts, I get some dry spots on occasion and my skin tone isn't even (darker pigmentation around the chin and around the jaw area). That said, I wouldn't be able to tell you if Power Perfection has any miraculous, anti-aging properties because my skin is simply not there yet...

However, I have to say that I absolutely love this product! It definitely takes the the concept of a tinted moisturizer even further. It certainly feels like a moisturizer, it glides onto the skin smoothly and effortlessly; but has better pigmentation and coverage than any other tinted moisturizer I've tried (which, admittedly, is not that much).

As you can see, I still need concealing (I definitely need it around the mouth/chin and under the eyes); but considering it's not a foundation, I'm still quite pleased with the coverage. I find that it certainly performs better than Laura Mercier's tinted moisturizer. Granted, I only tried it out once, but that's enough to figure out whether or not it's enough coverage for you, I think.

Unfortunately, this isn't exactly the right shade for my skin. BB Creams typically come in two shades and I chose the darker of the two, which is Natural Beige. However, the undertone is too pink for my warm/yellow toned skin (in the Philippines, it's all about having "pinkish-white skin"). Thankfully, because the coverage isn't too thick, I can still make it work for me; I just make sure to blend a bit of it on my neck.

I guess you can call this a "my skin, but better" type of product :p. No, it doesn't make my skin look flawless; I don't think that look is appropriate for every day, anyway. But it does make my skin look fresh, slightly dewy and healthier. I do notice some shine and oiliness on my face after a few hours, but honestly, now that we're heading into Winter, I'm more forgiving of some shine on my face. Especially since I find that whatever coverage it gives still sticks around until the end of my work day. That said, if you have oily skin, I don't think this product is for you.

...Assuming you would even be able to get it, coz um... It's not available in Canada. I'm sorry! >.<

But! They have stores in the US, Australia and various other countries in Asia so take a look at their Store Locator; you may be in luck and have a store near you. Check it out, yo! Coz this product is absolutely lurvely!

Have you tried a BB Cream before?

Meet The Most Vibrant Blush I've Ever Come Across...

I was immediately drawn to this amazingly bright shade and who could blame me? It was practically begging me to pick it up! This baby is Maybelline's Clear Smooth Shine Free Blush in Fresh Berry. The Clear Smooth line is not available anywhere outside of Asia, unfortunately; and that's a shame, because this blush is gorgeous and fantastic quality!

Here's some info from Maybelline regarding their Clear Smooth Shine Free Blushes:

1. Velvety, matte colour:
Pure colour pigments blend into skin for a naturally shine-free flush.

2. Lasting oil control:
Micro-fine oil-absorbing powders remove shine for a clean, shine-free look that lasts for hours and hours.

3. Silky smooth texture:
Ultra-blendable powders glide like silk and melts smoothly only skin.


Shades specifically developed for Asian skintones
Dermatologist-tested, Non-comedogenic, Fragrance free & Oil-free

Because of the high temperatures and humidity, the majority of Asian beauty products cater to oily skin*.  This oil-free blush is perfect for such weather and also for those with oily skin to begin with. The texture is amazingly smooth and feels really soft. It blends wonderfully as well; a plus, considering how crazy pigmented this blush is. For reals, I only tap my brush to the pan once and I still need to tap off the excess on the back of my hand, it's that bright!

*Asians are also obsessed with whitening products. Practically every skin care or makeup base product involves "whitening properties." I can't even count how many times an SA looked at me like I had two heads when I said I wasn't interested in anything that would whiten my skin (it was their number one selling point).

Holy Moly! :o

That said, there's absolutely no need to be frightened. Because when applied properly, it looks very, very pretty! Fresh Berry is a bright fuchsia shade with red undertones, definitely not something I have in my humble stash. Even if you are a bit heavy handed (as I sometimes most of the time am), it's also easy to blend with either your fingers or a brush, to make the colour less intense.

But the best part is that it's long wearing. Again, with products marketed for Asia, it's important to have matte finishes and also long wearability. Because, and I kid you not, once you step outside, it takes less than 5 minutes for your skin to get a bit oily due to the humidity. Now that I'm back in Canada and the weather's cold, that's not much of a problem for me. However, my skin still gets a bit oily near the end of my day. Still, I find that the Clear Smooth blush sticks around on even my longer days. The vibrancy diminishes a tiiiny bit, but I can still tell I'm wearing blush, which is the most important part. These chubby cheeks need some definition, yo!

I am so impressed with this product and it seriously needs to make an appearance on North American shores; I'm sure oily-skinned ladies would absolutely love it. And even if you have normal to dry skin (which I do), this would still be suitable for you, because it doesn't accentuate any dry areas at all...

...Now I wish I had gotten all the other shades!

Are you a fan of BRIGHT blushes?