NYX Butter Gloss in Cupcake (BLG18)

What amazes me most about the NYX Butter Gloss in Cupcake is that it actually smells like cupcakes (?) Late last year, I acquired the NYX Butter Gloss in Cupcake (~$4.99) via Jenn of A Beautiful Zen's kind friend Tian at IMATS. Here's the little advert blurb: 

Get that creamy medium coverage on your lips without that sticky sensation. It's perfect for every sweet tooth! Softens and conditions lips while giving a hint of color and gloss.

Indeed the NYX Butter Glosses are quite sweet. If you're not into flavoured lip products, you might want to skip out on this, as the smell could be borderline overwhelming to some. Personally, I love sweet smelling things and the scent fades away as time goes on, so it's not a problem. 

The NYX Butter Glosses are everything that you'd want in a lip gloss. A hint of colour, a lot of shine, and a lot of moisture. It's a slippy gloss not a sticky gloss, so it glides over the lips like ... ahem... butter. While I haven't heard a single bad thing about the NYX Butter Glosses, the product does have its faults. If I wear a slippy balm underneath the Butter Gloss, the Butter Gloss doesn't adhere well to the centre of the lips. Furthermore, lasting power is... meh (less than 2 hours)... but it doesn't matter because it feels so nice to apply throughout the day. 

Cupcake is a neon pink shade and the sheerness of the colour makes it appropriate for any occasion. Overall, a very good gloss. I wouldn't say it's mindblowing or life changing but it's a good gloss that caters to my likes - hints of colour, lots of gloss, and a bit of hydration. Yes, indeed, I would purchase another colour. 

Have you tried the NYX Butter Glosses? 

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Lined, Smoothed and Glossed Over with Arbonne Cosmetics

New to me is Arbonne – a direct-sales cosmetics line (similar to Mary Kay and Avon). Part of Arbonne’s new product launches are moisturizing lip liners, lipsticks and lip glosses. I was sent a few things to review (in summery colours!). Here are my thoughts:

Arbonne Cosmetics Lip Liner in Peach

Available in six shades, Arbonne Cosmetics says its Lip Liner ($28) “defines lip shape, extends wear of lipstick and keeps lip colour from bleeding.” Peach is a no-fuss nude shade that’s slightly lighter than my natural lip colour. I find most lip liners a little stiff and so is this one. It's not particularly flattering on its own but but it does a great job of adding a couple hours to my usual 3-4 hour lipstick wear. 

Arbonne Cosmetics Smoothed Over Lipstick in Dream 

The Arbonne Cosmetics Smoothed Over Lipstick ($33) has the colour of a cream finish lipstick with the smoothness of a balm. It picks up on dry patches, so exfoliation pre-application is necessary. Dream is a gorgeous colour in the tube but quite garish on my skin colouring, almost fluorescent. Luckily, there are 15 other shades including some neutrals and deep colours. 

Arbonne Cosmetics Glossed Over Lip Gloss in Mimosa 

Arbonne Cosmetics Glossed Over Lip Gloss in Primrose 

My favourite of the three lip products is the Arbonne Cosmetics Glossed Over Lip Gloss ($29). The glosses are semi-opaque and easy to apply with the brush tip applicator. They have light wash of colour that covers the lips in one swipe. They’re super shiny but also quite smooth and not overly sticky. Given the lack of stickiness, like most glosses the Glossed Over Lip Glosses last no longer than a couple hours but all the while feels comfortable and hydrating. Mimosa is a peachy orange, while Primrose is a light (but not too light) milky pink. 

All in all, I’m happy with all four of the Arbonne Cosmetics lip products I’ve tried. They’re moisturizing and natural looking, and easy to wear for everyday (with the exception of the lipstick in Dream). If I had to recommend one thing, I’d say go for the gloss in Mimosa – a comfortable lip product in a very summer-appropriate colour.  

Have you tried anything from Arbonne? 

P.S. There’s quite a bit of controversy surrounding Arbonne’s business practices and legitimacy as a natural/botanical brand. If this is something that concerns you, just do a simple search on the interwebs and make your own judgements.  In this post, I’ve just focused on the products and product performance and am in no way affiliated with the brand. 

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Feel-Good Gloss // Mary Kay Beauty That Counts NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss in Create Change and In Harmony

For every sale of the limited edition Beauty That Counts Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Glosses, $1 will be donated to benefit the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation for two purposes - firstly, to support the Look Good Feel Better program in efforts to improve the lives of women living with cancer and secondly, to help end violence against women by providing grants to shelters and community outreach programs

Create Change

In Harmony

The Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Glosses in In Harmony and Create Change ($18 each, available May 16th) are swirled combinations of the NouriShine Plus Lip Glosses from Mary Kay's regular line. The Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss in Create Change is a combination of Cafe Au Lait and Cream & Sugar. The Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss in In Harmony is a combination of Pink Sateen and Berry Tart. 

I've already reviewed a few of the Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Glosses (here) and a previous edition of the Beauty That Counts NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss in Celebrate (here). They're comfortable, very moisturizing, non-sticky and lightweight. Get a gloss and contribute to a great cause. 

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MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Plexi-Gloss in 101, 209, 304 & 403 #MyPlexiLips

High shine and vivid colour. Now that the warmer weather is back, glossy lips are in and the new MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Plexi-Glosses ($23, exclusively at Sephora) are the perfect product to help you achieve the glossy lip look. Available in 35 shades in cream and pearl finishes, MAKE UP FOR EVER says their Plexi-Gloss is non-sticky and provides up to 5 hours of colour impact.

Yes, yes, yes. The MUFE Artist Plexi-Glosses are very vivid in colour, at least the ones that I received for review (101, 2019, 304, 403). Since the 35 colour range is quite wide, I suspect the transparent and some of the light pearly colours might be a bit more sheer. Within the new line, there's also some interesting colours like 501 Purple, 502P Beetle, and 503 Black. 

The MUFE Artist Plexi-gloss features a different kind of doe foot applicator. It has a slit on one of the sides and this flexibility allows the applicator to pick up enough product for one layer and contour the shape of the lip with more precision than your typical gloss applicator.

In general, I feel like the tip is cool in theory but hard to work with in practice. The soft doe foot makes the gloss apply a bit patchy (especially the nude) on the first coat but I can easily smooth out the patchiness with a finger.

As for the formulation, it is stick but it's not. The flappy tip makes the gloss a bit finicky to apply but upon rubbing the lips together there's not a lot of stickiness. It's a bit of a thick gloss but feels moisturizing rather than weighty. And with ALL glosses, your hair will most definitely stick to your mouth on a windy day. 

You can wear the gloss on its own, as it takes an impressive 2 coats for full pigmentation of the colours shown below. You could also wear the glosses over a liner or lipstick. On its own, it lasts 3 hours on my lips. 

101 - Nude Beige 

209 - Fuchsia Pink

304 - Orange Red

403 - Red

Overall, if you want glossy lips then the MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Plexi-Gloss is a definite must-have for a bold vinyl lip look. The applicator is a bit different from your usual gloss and takes some time to get used to but if you can deal with it, I suggest you check these out! 

Are you a gloss girl? 

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Hard Candy Fierce Effects Lip Gloss in 972 Plum Diva & 967 Skyfall // Spring 2015

HURAH! Blue and purple lip glosses are now available at drugstore prices! I can finally get my fierce on.  Recently launched are the Hard Candy Fierce Effects Argan Oil Lip Glosses ($4.98, exclusively at Walmart). Available in 8 intense shades and 4 sheer shades, the Fierce Effects Lip Glosses are quite a daring pop of colour. 

Pictured above are 972 Plum Diva and 967 Skyfall, both intense shades. In addition to the dark plum and baby blue, there's an orange, black and red that are both unique and eye-catching. Even if crazy colour isn't your thing there's also 962 Nude Plunge and 963 Make Blush. 

Both colours require a couple coats over the lips for full opacity. The glosses are enriched with citrus and argan oils, making the product hydrating and a bit slippy/sticky. Both colours will easily get on your teeth, so be careful! Lasting power is so-so at 2-3 hours. Plum Diva leaves a nice stain after it wears away, while Skyfall fully wears off (all over you're face if you haven't been good at checking in the mirror often).

972 Plum Diva

967 Skyfall

Overall, these Fierce Effects Lip Glosses are very, very cool. While Plum Diva is surprisingly wearable on its own, it would also look amazing under a purple lipstick (maybe Revlon's Matte Balm in Shameless). Skyfall is a stunning colour but can't really be worn alone, as it's a bit patchy and hard to make fully opaque. I would recommend wearing Skyfall over a white or blue lipstick for better application. A few issues with with product formula but a must-have if you want bold colour at drugstore prices. 

Have you ever tried a blue lip gloss? 

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Mary Kay Paradise Calling Lacquered Lip Shine in Exotic Orchid, Tropical Mandarin & Sun Baked // Spring 2015

More colour from Mary Kay's Paradise Calling collection. It's brights for the lips - the Mary Kay Paradise Calling Lacquered Lip Shines ($19 each). Time to indulge in some colour.

Mary Kay Paradise Calling Lacquered Lip Shine in Sun Baked, Exotic Orchid and Tropical Mandarin

I'd classify the Mary Kay Paradise Calling Lacquered Lip Shines as thick, ultra-vivid glosses. With the exception of the nude shade (Sun Baked), these are one-swipe wonders but look even better with two. The lip shine is thick and plush. It feels moisturizing on the lips and smooths over fine lines and dry areas. These don't claim to be long wearing, nor are they. Eating and drinking and touching your lips will have the product rubbing off. Since they're slightly sticky, these aren't particularly awesome for windy days. Picture Tropical Mandarin streaks all over your face. Not fun. 

Let's talk about Sun Baked, the nude shade. It's a nice tangent from the two brights but kind of blah for me. It's the blah blah black sheep of the bunch. It takes three coats to get opaque and the light pigment of the nude shade catches onto dry areas. 

Exotic Orchid

Tropical Mandarin 

Sun Baked

Overall, this is a pretty-to-look-at product. The colours are vivid and vibrant and warming to the face - the right colours for the warmer weather. However, they're not long-wearing or easy to wear if you like to eat pizza. 

On another note, the Exotic Orchid and Tropical Mandarin shades correspond to the Nail Lacquers. I love it when my tips and lips can matchy-matchy! 

What do you think of the Paradise Calling Lacquered Lip Shines? 

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Make Up For Ever x Fifty Shades of Grey Give In To Me Set // Valentine's Day 2015

Sexy. Sultry. Romantic. Alluring. Sounds like my attraction for makeup. But it's actually a collaboration between Fifty Shades of Grey and Make Up For Ever. MUFE has partnered with Universal Pictures and Fifty Shades of Grey to bring limited edition sets to help fans of the acclaimed novel recreate beauty looks from the movie. One of the limited edition sets is the Make Up For Ever Give in To Me - Alluring Color for Eyes and Lips ($90 CAD) - 5 pretty Make Up For Ever products inspired by Ana, the main character in the movie, to encapture here transformation from an innocent college student to a passionate woman. 

The set is available now at Sephora for a limited time only and the Fifty Shades of Grey movie will be released Valentine's Day 2015 (February 13). 

In the set: 4 Artist Shadow Palette (I-514, ME-612, S-556, I-628), Graphic Liner, Travel Smoky Extravagant Mascara, Rouge Artist Natural N4, Lab Shine D14, Exclusive Keepsake Box 

The keepsake box is a textured patent leather with light pink finishings. Atop the pink is embossed silver text - quotes from the Fifty Shades of Grey novel. I'm not sure how I feel about the quotes. It's great for a Fifty Shades fan, but the box would look more refined without the quotes. 

Open the box, and there's a large mirror. To the left, a large storage space and to the right, a *secret* covered compartment. The key/knob doesn't serve any purpose other than embellishment. 

The set also comes with a pamphlet outlining the secrets of Fifty Shades of Grey Head of Makeup Department, Victoria Down. Step-by-step, it describes three looks - Ana's Natural, Sultry, and Empowered looks. *A post with the 3 looks is coming up soon!*

// Make Up For Ever Artist Shadow Quad ($96) in: 

• I-514 (pink ivory iridescent)
• ME-612 (silver brown metallic) 
• S-556 (taupe grey satin) 
• I-628 (reptile iridescent) 

I love the MUFE Artist Shadows. There are 210 shades available and I'm happy that Make Up For Ever took the liberty of cutting it down to 4 wearable yet unique neutrals, all of which I would wear. 

// Make Up For Ever Graphic Liner ($29)

The recently launched MUFE Graphic Liner is a stunner. The tip is ultra-fine and the colour is ultra-black. It may be overly long-wearing for some, as I had the hardest time removing a swatch off my hand. I tried the MUFE Sens'Eyes Waterproof Make Up Remover, Annabelle Makeup Remover Lotion and the Biotherm Cleansing Oil...and there's still a soft black line on the back of my hand. 

// Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant Mascara Travel Size ($14)

Previously reviewed, the Smoky Extravagant Mascara is pretty great on the counts of volume, length and curl. The cone-shaped brush is both interesting and useful for catching the baby lashes at the corners of my eyes. My only issue with this mascara is that it smudges on me. This is easily fixed with a coat of another smudge-proof mascara over the top but a little of a hassle. 

// Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural in N4 (pink beige) ($23)

I've tried the MUFE Rouge Artist Natural in N9 and am just as much as happy with N4. The lipsticks are soft and creamy, sheer and with a shiny finish, and comfortable to wear on the lips. 

// Make Up For Ever Lab Shine Diamond Collection D14 (shimmering Indian pink) ($22)

Looks natural on the lips. It's a sheer pink with a silver shimmer running through. There's a really satisfying fruity aroma. For the first couple hours, the lip gloss is comfortable but after the shine wears away all that's left is glitter... and unfortunately, it ain't pretty. 

 Make Up For Ever Graphic Liner, Make Up For Ever Artist Shadows in I-514, ME-612, S-556, I-628, Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural in N4, Make Up For Ever Lab Shine Diamond in D14

Overall, this set is a winner and at a $204 value you can't go wrong. The quality of some of my Make Up For Ever favourites in hand-selected shades that can be worn in a natural look and built up to something more sultry. For any Fifty Shades fanatic or your partner or any woman in your life that you love, this set would make the perfect Valentine's Day gift. 

That being said, I have NOT read the Fifty Shades of Grey novel. However, this Make Up For Ever set is kind of turning me on. I'll probably give in and watch the movie. Stay tuned for Victoria Down's Natural, Sultry & Empowered looks on the blog next! 

Have you read Fifty Shades of Grey? What do you think of this set? 

PS: If you're not into eye makeup, there's also some stunning lip and blush trios!! Check out the Sephora website for more deets. 

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Bite Beauty Lush Fruit Lip Gloss in Rambutan, Currant and Strawberry

The Bite Beauty Lush Fruit Lip Glosses contain ingredients that you'd find in an actual fruit smoothie - coconut, mango, and strawberry. nom nom nom. Bite Beauty makes lip colours that are "good enough to eat." The allure of a healthy-for-you lip product is highly attractive, so I purchased a set of 3 minis (Rambutan, Currant, Strawberry) on Black Friday for $12 CAD. An individual full size gloss will set you back $25. 

The other 7 colours include Honey (shimmer), Cocoa (nude mauve), Peach (baby pink), Garnet (vibrant coral pink), Spice (bright orange red), Apple (candy apple red) and Mangosteen (sheer magenta violet). 

Bite Beauty Lush Fruit Lip Glosses in Rambutan, Currant and Strawberry 

These glosses smell like perfectly ripened fruit. I can't put a finger on which fruit, but it's pretty delicious and non-offensive. All three of Rambutan, Currant, and Strawberry swatch as quite pigmented on the arm but on the lips they appear much more sheer. 

The glosses are on the thin, yet sticky side and the product feels plush and moisturizing on the lips as it smooths over the lip lines. The colour lasts for a regular period of 2 hours, leaving no stain as it wears away. 

Rambutan (peachy nude)

Currant (sheer plum)

Strawberry (sheer carnation pink)

Both Rambutan and Strawberry are border-lining on too light for my complexion but the sheerness of the gloss makes it acceptable over a more pigmented lip colour. These lighter shades catch onto dry patches, so it's important to moisturize before application. For me, Currant is the standout shade in this trio. It's a touch darker (and more plummy) than my natural lip colour and perfect for everyday. 

Have you tried any lip products from Bite Beauty? 

Featured products purchased by me :) 

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Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC) Stained Gloss in Hedonist, New Wave, Jealous and Little Black Dress

From the Canadian Beauty Bloggers Secret Santa, I received the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC) After Dark Test Tube x 4 Set ($24) containing 4 of OCC's Stained Glosses in Hedonist, New Wave, Jealous and Little Black Dress. Santa got me something right off my wishlist, as I've been meaning to try something from the uber-hyped OCC. The set of 4 minis is currently on the Sephora website for $12 (HERE) and a full-size of the OCC Stained Gloss is $22 (available in 11 shades). 

I quite enjoy the hygienic tube packaging of the OCC lip tars and stained glosses, with it's only downfall being that they don't stand up straight. The brush, on the other hand, is not of the highest quality but necessary as the Stained Glosses require some sort of applicator (unless you want to risk having a big, glossy mess!)

OCC Stained Gloss in Jealous, Hedonist, Little Black Dress and New Wave 

OCC Stained Gloss in Hedonist, New Wave, Jealous and Little Black Dress (Swatches) 

Through and through, I'm a gloss gal, so I appreciate the fact that OCC Stained Glosses are meant to be a casual yet still vivid alternative to the satin/matte/metallic finishes of the OCC lip tars. These are, indeed, highly pigmented for your typical gloss. Two layers yields full, shiny, non-sticky opacity that lasts for 3 hours. After the 3 hour mark, the colours New Wave and Jealous dry down to a pretty, bold stain (Hedonist and Little Black Dress aren't quite as pretty). I didn't find the glosses to be particularly moisturizing or drying. 

Novice lip product users should note that the OCC Stained Glosses aren't the easiest to get on your lips. The gloss tends to well up around the outer edges of the mouth, so it's important to work in thin, even layers and be sure to spread out the product fully before applying a next layer. 

Hedonist (intense pastel pink)

New Wave (glassy neon pink)

Jealous (red-orange shellac)

 Jealous - Stained 

Little Black Dress (sheer glossy black - to transform the other colours)

Overall, I quite like the glossy look of the OCC Stained Glosses. However, the slightly complex application will likely cause me to reach for other lip products that are easier to apply. I'll reserve these ones for special occasions and rainy days.  

Have you tried any of the lip tars or stained glosses from OCC? 

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Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss in Silver Moon, Golden, Sun Blossoms, Shock Tart, Pink Wink, Sparkle Berry & Berry Dazzle

Seven new shades of the Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss! See my previous review of the Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss ($18 CAD) here, just in time for the holidays! The Mary Kay NouriShine Plus formula boasts ultra-glossy shine, moisture, non-sticky, super-light, long-lasting packed with plant-derived vitamin E and vitamin C. While no product is everything that it claims, these glosses are, in fact, ultra-moisturizing and glossy, non-sticky and lightweight. While I don't think they're particularly long-wearing, it delivers on every other claim. 

BEHOLD, the swatches:

Silver Moon (clear with blue iridescence)

Golden (clear with gold glitter)

Sun Blossoms (nude peach cream)

Shock Tart (bright pink cream)

Pink Wink (fuchsia with shimmer)

Sparkle Berry (medium berry with shimmer)

Berry Dazzle (deep berry with shimmer)

While these glosses are quite lovely I do have one big, fat gripe. Why are there so many glitter-packed glosses? Only 2 of the 7 are cream finishes while the rest have some sort of chunky glitter or sparkly iridescence. That said, the glitter isn't gritty I just don't like the look of glitter all over my lips. Ignoring the glitter, these are great glosses. Plus, if you're into glitter, these are perfect for a bit of holiday sparkle. 

Have you tried the Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Glosses? 

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