CoverGirl Eyeshadow Quad in Notice Me Nudes

Who doesn't love a good ol' neutral palette? The last CoverGirl nude eyeshadow palette that I tried was a total dud (CoverGirl Eye Enhancers Quad in Sheerly Nudes) and I had lost all hope in CoverGirl pressed eyeshadows. Newly launched at the drugstore is the CoverGirl Eye Shadow Quad in 700 Notice Me Nudes (~$7.99). These reformulated eyeshadows bear striking resemblance to the Maybelline Eye Studio Palettes and boast smooth, even application with rich, buildable color pigments. My only hope in testing out this palette was that CoverGirl could redeem itself in the eyeshadow department. 

The new CoverGirl Eye Shadow Quads are available in hues of gold, purple, silver, pink and blue - 705 Go for the Golds, 710 Va-Va Violets, 715 Stunning Smokeys, 720 Blooming Blushes, 725 Breathtaking Blues. 

... And I was thoroughly impressed. Smooth, blendable shadows with rich pigmentation. Notice Me Nudes is 1,000-fold better than Sheerly Nudes. While this isn't a particularly groundbreaking drugstore eyeshadow quad, it's quite good. There's a little fallout but shades pair well together, there's a nice range of finishes, and the shadows are easy to work with. 

There's no sort of names or instructions for each of the shades in the palette. From the left, 'd describe the first shade as a pearly champagne, the second as a rich shimmering cocoa, the third as a matte neutral brown and the last as a matte deep brown with gold shimmer.  

A quick glance at the CoverGirl website explains what the whole "1, 2, 3, 4" on the packaging means in the "how to apply" section. The numbers are 4 steps to create an eyeshadow look using the quad. 

1. Illuminate. Cover the base of your eye from lash line to brow bone
2. Enrich. Sweep your eyelid gently with a pop of rich color
3. Frame. Blend each shade into the crease along the outer half of the eyelid. 
4. Intensify. Contour by Apply Shadow along your eye line emphasizing the outer corner. 

These steps are a no-brainer for me, quite representative of how I normally apply neutral eyeshadows. Following the "how-to" yields the above look. 

Overall, CoverGirl has put out a very viable option for an everyday neutral palette. 110%, go for the new Eye Shadow Quads instead of the Eye Enhancers ones and you won't be disappointed. 

Have you tried the new CoverGirl Eye Shadow Quads? 

Press sample featured

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram

CoverGirl Ink It! Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink and Aquamarine Ink

EYELINER MONDAY!! This week's feature is the CoverGirl Ink It! By Perfect Point Plus Gel Eyeliner in 230 Black Ink and 240 Aquamarine Ink  (~$7). It's available in 6 shades, with the additional ones being 255 Silver Ink, 260 Cocoa Ink, 250 Charcoal Ink and 235 Golden Ink. 

I like the sleek black packaging but ah gosh darn it. It's another one of those non-retractable eyeliners. The worst part about this particular eyeliner being non-retractable is that if you twist it too far up, it'll crumble off into chunks. 

I'll get straight to the point and say that this particular eyeliner is on my list of "do not buy" products. It's the farthest thing from creamy and applies more along the lines of draggy and patchy. Typically, you'd expect harder liners to stay put all day but Black Ink transfers onto the eyelid and migrates to my lower lash line as well. It's such a shame because Aquamarine Ink is such a beautiful colour and doesn't smudge but it's so hard to use because of the crumbling. 

Have you tried the CoverGirl Ink It! Gel Eyeliners? 

Press sample featured. This is part of my eyeliner monday series - where I review a different eyeliner every...Monday. :) See more eyeliner reviews here. 

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram

5 Products, 5 Minutes || #GottaTurnItUp Challenge #2

It seems like I'm always in a rush. While I love taking my time with makeup application in the mornings, life isn't always willing to provide me with those few extra minutes to get ready. Enter the five products in five minutes. 

< one >  Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream 

The best thing about BB cream is that you can haphazardly slap it on your face and run. There's no time to wait for the product to sink in and you'll never have to worry about streak marks. It has the tiniest bit of coverage that gives you that "I-woke-up-like-this" kind of look. 

< two >  CoverGirl Ready, Set, Gorgeous Concealer 

But let's be real. Those fun little pimples and dark circles need a little more love than some BB Cream. That's where concealer comes in. The new CoverGirl Ready, Set, Gorgeous concealer provides natural looking coverage to cover up my itty bitty imperfections. 

< three > CoverGirl Clump Crusher Mascara

No need for much explanation, this is my all time favourite mascara. No smudges and no clumps in sight. Check out my original review here. 

< four > CoverGirl LipPerfection in Eternal 

The best way for people to forget that your hair is gross and you're not wearing any pants is if you distract them with a bold lip (Jenn @ A Beautiful Zen will agree) . See a few more colour options from the line here. 

< five > Pantene Pro V Original Fresh Dry Shampoo 

It might sound gross to some, but I try to wash my hair as little as possible, the only issue being that it gets gross and oily by day #2. Dry shampoo works wonders and adds some much needed volume to flat hair. And if I don't have time to brush it all out, a simple side braid ties everything together. 

How do you get ready with only 5 minutes?

Press samples featured 

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram

CoverGirl Eye Enhancers Quad in 265 Sheerly Nudes

Every time I test out a drugstore eyeshadow quad, it's in the hopes of finding a good dupe for the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette - soft, pigmented neutrals. It doesn't really matter what finish the shadows are (matte, shimmery, etc.), as long as there's variety. Unfortunately, the CoverGirl Eye Enhancers Quad in 265 Sheerly Nudes ($5.99) is not my ideal neutrals palette. 

I had heard good things about the CoverGirl Eye Enhancers Quads but a quick swatch and an attempt at a simple eye look had me disappointed. There is a good variety of finishes - the rightmost shade is shimmery, the centre are pearl, and the leftmost shade is matte. However, the matte taupe-brown is the only piece of the quad that shows promise. The others are hard and lack pigmentation. 

The swatches above took intense swirling and 5 swipes of the sponge applicator to become remotely detectable by my camera. Yes, perhaps a good primer might help to intensify the shades but whether something looks better with primer is never a deciding factor for my eyeshadow purchases.

It's too bad that not every single product from a brand can be a home run. If you're looking for better eye makeup offerings from the brand, try the CoverGirl Flamed Out Shadow Pencils or Bombshell Shine Shadows. 

Have you tried any disappointing products lately? 

Press samples featured

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram

Festival Hair, Makeup, and GIVEAWAY! || #GottaTurnItUp Challenge #1

Coachella is far, far away, but much to my excitement there tons of awesome music festivals in Toronto. NXNE, Warped Tour, Digital Dreams, Veld, OVO Fest - whatever you're into, there's always somewhere for you to rock a fresh-faced festival look. 

#GottaTurnItUp is a fun partnership between CoverGirl/Herbal Essences/Olay and MuchMusic. From May to June, I'll be doing 3 themed challenges and sharing a few beauty products with you. (psstt... there may be some giveaways along the way too!).

Anyways, confession. The first theme is festival beauty and I've been to outdoor concerts but never a festival. So... this is the makeup I would potentially wear given the opportunity to attend a festival, but this is totally appropriate for a summer's day.  

I'm not fussy when it comes to my hair, as long as it's out of my face. A little volume with the Herbal Essences Naked Dry Shampoo, a quick and messy fishtail, plus a spritz Naked Volume Flexible Hold Spritzer to hold it all in place is all I need. 

When I'm outdoors, minimal makeup is key. To even out the skin with a touch of very light coverage, I used the Olay Fresh Effects {BB Cream!} Skin Perfecting Tinted Moisturizing Cream. For a sunkissed glow, I smothered the CoverGirl Tru Magic Sunkisser all over the outer edges of my face. It's a lightweight cream product, so it doesn't look the slightest bit unnatural. As for the eyes, I dusted a little gold-champagne shadow for some subtle shimmer and drew a double winged liner from the upper and lower lash lines to the outer corners of the eyes. The CoverGirl Ink It! By Perfect Point Plus in Aquamarine Ink provides a slight intensity to the subdued lips and face. On the lips and lashes are the CoverGirl LipPerfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in Blush Twist and the Bombshell Volume Mascara. 

What hair and makeup would YOU wear to a festival? Share it with me on Twitter/Instagram using the hashtag #gottaturnitup. Let me know and you could win all of the products mentioned in this post! (must be a resident of Canada to enter)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you ever been to a music festival? 

I am a #Beauty United blogger and receive special access to products, events, etc. Opinions are my own. 

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram

CoverGirl LipPerfection Lipsticks in Delicious, Ravish, Bombshell Explosion, Eternal, Hot Passion, and Seduce

There is something to be said about having “a lipstick for every occasion”. Loved by the likes of Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and P!nk, the CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick line ($9.99) has a lipstick shade in every colour, for every woman, for every occasion. From pastel purples to orangey reds, I’ll give you a gazillion dollars if you can’t find something that suits you. 

There are 6 colour ranges for a total of 51 lipstick shades - the Bombshell Collection, Runway Shades, Pinks to Roses, Lilacs/Mauves/Burgundies, Nudes/Corals/Reds, and Browns. 

The CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipsticks are your classic formulation - less sheer or balm-like and more creamy and opaque. What I love about these lipsticks is that they’re consistent. The lightest colour I’ve tried is equally as pigmented and smooth as something that might appear to be more bold and robust in the tube. Furthermore, they all have an artificial scent that I can’t put my finger on. It doesn’t linger but it’s detectable upon application. The lipstick is neither moisturizing nor drying, which makes for better lasting power and more colour without making my lips peel. The Lip Perfections have a creamy finish with a glossy sheen that can easily be blotted away with a tissue to create a matte lip, if desired.

Staying power is decent at 3 to 5 hours. The lipsticks don’t bleed but do transfer when eating/drinking/kissing, so be warned.  Also noteworthy is the shape of the bullet. It comes to a precise point that’s perfect shaping the edges of your cupids bow, no lip brush required.  

323 Delicious (the flattering pastel)

308 Ravish (my lips but better)

\

327 Bombshell Explosion (KABOOM)

350 Eternal (the introduction-to-dark-lips pink)

305 Hot Passion (the fiery orange-red)

307 Seduce (the “I'm feeling sexy today”)

All in all, it’s hard to find a flaw in the CoverGirl Lip Perfection lipsticks. I've been trying a multitude of colours out over the past six months, and I'm really enjoying the formulation. If you're looking for the traditional, no-frills lipstick formulation, these ones are for you. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like each colour I wear gives off an entirely different look from the next. Perhaps that’s why it’s necessary to own 50 different lipsticks. J

Have you tried the CoverGirl LipPerfection Lipsticks? 

Press samples featured. I am a #beautyunited blogger and receive special access to events, product samples, etc. Lips and opinions are my own. 

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram

Skylight 147 - CoverGirl Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss

It is time. Time for sunshine and birds chirping. Time for pastels. The CoverGirl Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss in Skylight ($5.99) is appropriate in every way - glossy, blue and bright. I'm really enjoying the Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss formula (see my previous reviews of Orange Oasis and Appletini). 

The formula is meant to be a 3-in-1 base coat, polish, and top coat. I think that the polish delivers in all three respects. On average, polishes last 2-3 days on my fingertips. Depending on how dainty I'm feeling, the nail glosses have the potential to last 3 to 5. It's self leveling, non-streaky, opaque in two coats, and ultra shiny. I usually don't photograph my nail swatches with a top coat. In this case, the CoverGirl Nail Gloss doesn't need it. 

Oh! And there's 45 creme and shimmer finishes. I've got my eye on a few other pastels - Peaches & Cream 125 and Mint Mojito 285. For the full listing, check out CoverGirl.com.

What are you wearing on your nails this Spring? 

Press sample featured. I am a #beautyunited blogger and receive special access to products and events. Glossy nails and honest opinions are my own :)

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram