Drugstore Spotlight: Kate Moss for Rimmel Lipstick #08

Let it be said that I love Kate Moss. The supermodel is as iconic to beauty as she is to fashion. When I heard the bombshell was not only just a pretty face for Rimmel London cosmetics, but releasing her own line of lipsticks for Rimmel, I was pumped! Kate Moss for Rimmel Lipstick #08 is a fantastic mauve pink hue. The texture is creamy and soft with no shimmer but a slight shine.  The lipsticks range from 15 shades, from dark deep violet to fuchsia to red, and retail at about $6 at your local drugstores. The packaging is a black bullet tube with Kate's cutesy signature sprawled on the top (complete with drawn on heart). I adore the finish of these lipsticks and #08 is such a universally flattering shade. It almost reminds me of MAC's Viva Glam V without the shimmer. I only wish there was a little more Kate in these lipsticks besides just her signature and face plastered onto the ads. It begs the question- what sets these Kate Moss Collection lipsticks apart from Rimmel London's already stellar lip products? Maybe I wish these lipsticks were a little more personal (perhaps the names of the shades, things like that). The availability of this product in the US is not easy to come by, but the full collection launched this January. The weartime on these lipsticks are above average considering the creaminess of its texture. I love my #08 lipstick, and would love to get my hands on more! Bottom line? I havent seen much of these in the states but pick up what you can get your hands on! Pictured below is my FOTD and swatch of Kate Moss for Rimmel Lipstick #08. Do you own a Kate Moss for Rimmel lipstick? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Buzzworthy: Revlon Lip Butters Lipstick

Lollipop, Tutti Fruiti, Berry Smoothie

It almost felt like a Christmas miracle when I stumbled upon these Revlon Lip Butters Lipsticks at my local Target. There had been such a buzz about them lately, and they are extremely hard to come by. These are set to be apart of Revlon's permanent line and will trickle into your local store slowly. The lipsticks are a lipstick balm hybrid and are supposed to moisturize the lips, while giving a sheer shine of color. I picked up the lipsticks in three shades- Berry Smoothie (a neutral berry color), Tutti Fruiti (an orange coral) and Lollipop (a fuchsia pink). I would not classify these as a tinted lipbalm. I'd much rather categorize them under the hydrating lipsticks that double as a lipstick and a lipgloss (think MAC's Supreme Sheen lipsticks or Chanel's Rouge Coco Shine lipsticks). These lipsticks are moderate in hydration, and although I would not consider them more hydrating than an actual balm, the texture is soft and well- buttery! What I really like about these lipsticks is the color it gives off. Slightly sheer (just a right pop of color) and slightly shiny, these are gorgeous and subtle. To be honest, I really hate the packaging. The lipsticks are covered in a quilted plastic cover that matches the shade of the lipstick. Retailing at just $6, I can justify having these in a few shades! Bottom line? If you can find these at your local drugstores, a few shades are worth having. Pictured below are Berry Smoothie, Tutti Fruiti, and Lollipop, and pictured left are the shades swatched. Have you checked out Revlon Lip Butters? Leave your thoughts in the comments.  

Berry Smoothie, Tutti Fruiti, Lollipop

Drugstore Spotlight: L'Oreal Paris Infallible Le Rouge in Perpetual Peach

If you're like me, you have probably been spotting the charming Gwen Stefani promote L'Oreal's newest lipstick line, Infallible Le Rouge. The lipstick boasts vivid color alongside a 10 hour wear time and a $10 price tag. I decided to pick up this lipstick in Perpetual Peach and put this 10 hour promise to the test! I applied Perpetual Peach at around 5:00 PM, which went on very pigmented with beautiful color.  After the second hour, the consistency of the lipstick became a bit on the tacky and sticky side, which was not entirely uncomfortable but I could definitely feel the lipstick on my lips. By the third hour, the wear became drying. When 8:30 PM rolled around, I stood in front of the mirror bare-lipped and highly disappointed. So 3 1/2 hours, a bucket of popcorn, a box of Butterfingers, a large Cherry Coke, and a Waldorf salad later I was left chapped and angry. Bottom line? This lipstick is pretty and it stays on as long as you don't eat, drink or kiss. Pictured below is my "infalible" color at 5:00 PM and then what's left of it at 8:30 PM.

Drugstore Spotlight: Revlon One-Step Complexion Compact

I'm not big on foundations so it is rare when I actually pick one up from the store. I don't like to spend a lot of money on foundations and powders because I use so little of it on myself most of the time but while at CVS, I thought I'd give Revlon's Complexion One-Step compact a try! Retailing at just $13, I smoothed on the foundation (in the medium tan shade) using the sponge applicator it came with. It did a beautiful job of evening my skin tone out as well as not looking or feeling heavy. It's important for me to feel like my skin can breathe and this foundation to powder did a nice job of not feeling like a mask. It blended very easily with my skin and looked very natural on! This cream to powder foundation will give you medium coverage with great staying power. For best results, try buffing it in with a Beauty Blender. A WARNING to my fair skinned honey bees out there: the lightest shade may still be too dark for you, as it does not come in very light shades. Bottom line? With awesome coverage and longwear, this is great for all those looking for a more wallet friendly alternative to Mac's Studio Fix.

Beauty on a Budget: 10 under $10

This is for all you frugal honey bees out there! Everyone loves a bargain so here are my picks for some of the best beauty buys under $10!

Revlon A Floral Affair Blush in Pinking of You: This limited edition blush retailed for about $6 and creates such a cute baby pink flush!

NYX Chrome Eyeshadow in Space: The navy loose pigment is blendable, buildable and a steal at $6.

Pop Eye Cake in Mocha: I found this little gem on BeautyTicket.com for just $8. You get five flattering shades in one cake that's easy to store and fun to wear.

L'Oreal HiP Cream eyeliner in Midnight Blue: Okay so I'm cheating because this product is really $12 but with so much product with such good quality you are really getting a bang for your buck.

ELF Bronzing powder in Healthy Glow:  I love ELF products and this bronzing powder really does create a healthy glow! You can't really go wrong with $1 bronzer either.

Crown Flat Top Bronzing Brush: I was lucky enough to pick up this brush at IMATS for just $5! Not only is there little/no shedding, but this brush is so great at blending and buffing.

Rimmel Brow Pencil in Dark Brown: The perfect shade of brown for brunettes like me is at your local drugstore for around $3. It even comes with a blending brush on the top!

Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara: My new favorite mascara has been compared to the $24 Diorshow in both brush AND formula. At $8 a tube you're practically getting it for free.

NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow pencil: I could own this jumbo pencil in every color! It works as a great base because of it's creamy formula. It's retails at just $4 a pencil, so don't miss out on great colors like Black, Pacific and Milk.

Milan Lipstick in Rose Hip: This has to be one of my favorite shades to wear out and if you don't want to shell out $24 for NARS Schiap, this is a great $5 alternative.

Buzzworthy: Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain in Passion

I had to try this product despite the cheesy Twilight-esque marketing. The new Just Bitten lipstains from Revlon are supposed to leave your lips stained with rich color. The double sided lipstains look like a marker on one side and packs a balm on the other side. I love the way lipstains are meant to look (a simple, sheer wash of color) but done wrong and you end up looking like you've been sipping on Kool-Aid all day. I've had a pretty sour experience with the Cover Girl lipstains, which were poor in pigment, drying on the lips, and tasted like a Sharpie marker, so I approached this product with a bit of cynicism.
I applied the Revlon lipstain in Passion on exfoiliated lips and was surprised at its rich color. Without the balm applied, the lipstain gave me a great matte finish of color on my lips and the balm added just a small bit of shine. I like the lipstain more than I thought I would, but to be honest, I'd rather put on some lipstick or lipgloss. If an affordable lipstain is what you are looking for then this is a great one to start out with. Be warned though- the darker colors are very pigmented and will stain your lips for hours!

Drug Store Standout: Revlon Colorburst, Soft Nude and Mauve

I love a deal when I can get one and Revlon's Colorburst Lipstick is a great one. Revlon has to be one of my favorite drugstore brands because the outstanding quality of its products could rival any high end brand. These lipsticks retail at a mere $8.99 at your local drugstore. Soft Nude is a great color to try out if you want to get a feel for the quality of this line lipsticks. The texture is creamy, with a slight shine, the color goes on quite thick and if you want to compare it to another shade it is very similar to MAC's Myth or Creme d'Nude ( a great "my lips but better" shade). Mauve is another great shade for darker toned girls like me. It has a small bit of sheen to it and definitely leans more purple than pink. The color can look great on both warm and cool toned girls. The lipstick stays on for a good 3 hours without reapplying. Packaged in a cute quilted square tube, I would definitely reccomend this at $8.99.