Makeupforever review

This brand has a strong cult following of beauty buffs and professional makeup artists. Everybody respects MUFE. It's impossible not to!

HD Powder

This powder is so lightweight and translucent, it doesn't make light skintones look "ghostly" or make darker skintones appear "ashy" so everybody can win with this amazingly universal finishing powder. It is mattifies all skin textures and completes the look of an airbrushed complexion. I simply dust my face with this as a final step for 'face' makeup and it makes my skin look flawless in pictures or in person, outdoors and even in harsh lighting!

Aqua Eyes - waterproof eyelining pencil in "Bronze"

I love golden bronze-toned eye pencils. They can work for any eye color from blue to brown to green! I love the way bronze really pops the blue, draws out the green, or ignites the gold in brown eyes. Bronze, in my opinion, is the way to go with eye pencils. Black can sometimes be harsh against certain skintones, and bronze is an interesting alternative for brown eyeliner. It can be intensified for nighttime, and wearable in the daytime.


False Eyelashes in #109

I love love love false eyelashes. They frame every individual eye shape and can look completely natural or as dramatic as you want. The pair I have is #109 (Janet). The lashes are long, very thick and black. If it's "too much", you can always trim the lash a little bit or cut it in half to glue on the outer corners of your eyes to open them up a bit more. I know that sometimes mascara just isn't enough for some people. Sure, applying false eyelashes does require patience and a steady hand...but if you are willing to take the time required for a flawless application (and maybe put up with a little bit of trial and error the first few attempts), the result is so very well worth it.

Fascinating Lip Gloss in #5 (Pearly Coral Red)

Being a redhead, I love my reds and I love my corals. So when corals and reds get together, I am one very happy girl. This lipgloss is sheer, yet it is somewhat buildable. It's not as opaque as I expected or would have liked it to be, but I can't help but love it simply because the color itself is very gorgeous. If you love reds and corals, this is the perfect lipgloss combination of the two. It is, in my opinion, a face-brightening shade of lipgloss.

Click here to view a list of all MUFE stores [list is organized by country],
or
Click here to place online orders at Sephora.

-ashley

Tarte review

I love Tarte. Apparently I'm not alone, this brand has made appearances in magazines like "Seventeen", "Lucky" and "Shape" just to name a few. I actually wore a double ended Tarte lip gloss during my senior year when I took my SAT (that I actually did amazingly well on, especially for my first attempt!)

A Perfect Whirled
(natural swirl cheek stain)

One swipe of this cheek stain delivers a gorgeously healthy looking coral flushed pink, and the light shimmery seashell pink provides a great highlight to the cheek adding a youthful glow. I was blown away at just how natural this actually appeared on my cheeks after I applied to the apples. If you're on the go and want a quick pick me up, this is definitely for you! It is like 2 products in one (blush and a highlighter). Just swipe on, blend a little bit, and you instantly have the appearance of a natural looking flush with a soft pretty highlight!

Spring Greening: Re-usable straw palette

This set definitely enables you to follow one of the three R's to help out the environment (reduce, recycle, and in this case, reuse). This set comes with a small bamboo brush (GREAT for blending the eyeshadow!) I was blown away at the size of this brush, and how it blends with such ease! The six eye shadows are highly pigmented and blend seamlessly using one of your other eye makeup brushes, or the bamboo brush that comes with the set. This set also contains three lip glosses. The clear sparkly gloss can be used over many shades, and the pink and peach glosses are totally gorgeous and the shine is amazing. I could see myself re-using this cute little straw palette as a small storage space when I have used up all of the eye shadows and lip glosses! Although it will probably be awhile before I run out of the eye shadows, from what I can see, it looks like you get a fairly decent amount of product. That's always a plus, and the straw palette is small and can easily fit into a medium sized purse, and I think this would be totally ideal for travel!

Click here to find a store near you that carries this awesome brand,
or
Click here to place online orders.

-ashley

Marina Cosmetics product review

Marina Cosmetics is an awesome brand of lip products: 10 lipsticks and 10 lipglosses to choose from! The main ingredients are from the sea, and they are anti-aging to keep your lips smooth and wrinkle free. I'm reviewing a lipstick in "Aurora Frost", and a lipgloss in "SeaBerry".



Sea Perfected Lipstick in "Aurora Frost"
This lipstick is a shimmery, pearly pale pink. I would have loved this when I was 17, back when shimmery pale pinks dominated my lipstick and lipgloss collection. Even though I am more of a red lip girl these days, I can't help but still have wonderful things to say about this shade. The color is buildable, it doesn't make my lips disappear (even though it is indeed a very pale shade). It's a very pretty soft pink.

Sea Perfected Lipgloss in "Seaberry"
One of the biggest factors regarding how I feel about a lipgloss is the texture. This doesn't feel sticky or uncomfortable. The color is buildable and it's a gorgeous deep rosy mauve (when applied to my naturally very pale lips).

To place online orders, click the lipstick.


To find a retailer near you, click the lipgloss.


-ashley

Kiss My Face review

The brand "Kiss My Face" has loads of products from beauty cosmetics, haircare, skincare, even items for oral hygiene! They also have a separate line of products to help protect your skin outdoors! I tried the lip shines and lipshimmers. They consist of natural ingredients, and the pigment comes from natural minerals! They contain a minty vanilla smell. I think it's awesome that they don't use animal products (great for somebody who follows the Vegan lifestyle). They don't use unnecessary chemicals or test on animals. Awesome, awesome.


Find a store that carries "Kiss My Face" products near you, or
Place your online orders here.



-ashley

Lipstick Queen review

First let me start off with saying how excited I was to find a store that specialized in lip products. I love everything to do with lips: lipliners, lipsticks, and lipglosses. I am fascinated with lips: the color, the size, the shape, I just love them. One of the many really cool things about the Saint/Sinner lipsticks is that each lipstick has a sheer or opaque twin. How cool is it that the creator of Lipstick Queen (Poppy King) launched this line when she was only 18 years old? I think that is awesome and so inspiring! This brand makes my lips happy. [all images are clickable]

Anyway, on to to the review...

Saint Lipstick in "Saint Rose"

The "Saint" lipsticks of this brand are very sheer, but there is enough pigment to notice. These lipsticks can be appreciated by seasoned lipstick lovers like Poppy (and myself)! Or by somebody who usually doesn't wear lipstick, but still wants sheer yet beautiful color. The color I'm reviewing is "Saint Rose". It's a gorgeous deep rosy pink. My lips aren't very pigmented so it glides on as a gorgeous medium rose, that deepens to a slightly darker rose pink if paired with a neutral lipliner. It's sheer, doesn't feel greasy or slippery. I love love love this color, and can't wait to try the other shades in the "Saint" line of this brand!

Sinner Lipstick in "Natural Sinner"

The "Sinner" lipsticks of this brand are very pigmented and opaque. I love lipstick, so I love both formulas of this line (saint and sinner). The color I'm reviewing is "Natural Sinner". It is definitely MLBB (M.y L.ips B.ut B.etter) shade. My lips are often very pale, so this is perfect as a base color for lipstick or gloss or on it's own! This color brings my lips to a gorgeous naturally pigmented color, but way better! It looks sophisticated and polished. My favorite way to apply this shade is to apply it directly to the middle of my bottom lip and spread it out to the edges. I can't wait to try the rest of the shades in the "Sinner" line. I love the colors to choose from, the formula and it definitely lives up to its promise of delivering 90% of pigment.

Big Bang Illusion Gloss in "Creation", "Energy"

First, let me say how much I love the adorable "test tube" packaging. I was surprised at how much product you get! I can't wait to pull this cute little gloss out of my purse and show people. "Creation" is a gorgeous rosy pink with beautiful shimmer and shine (sixth from left side). One of my biggest complaints about lipglosses in general is that sometimes a lip gloss can feel slippery. Not these babies, these apply sheerly and I find them the color to be very buildable...which I absolutely love in a lipgloss formula because it's so much better (and time saving) to add more than wipe some off! "Energy" is a bright true red with stunning shimmer (fifth from left side). I love my red lipsticks and red lipglosses, so this was an amazing addition to my collection of red lipsticks/red lipglosses!

Shine-Hard Core Gloss in "Red Sinner"

There is no lie about this gloss being "hard core". It comes in a cute plastic pot, and you gets tons of product. Again, I was surprised at just how much you get! The gloss texture is thick, but I'm not bothered by it one bit so I highly doubt that many others would be bothered by it. It is very long lasting, and the color is a bright and captivating red. I used to have to layer a lipliner, lipstick and a lipgloss to get this exact color and a similar look. This one product gets rid of two of those steps, reducing it to just one step: apply the gloss, and you're good to go! I adore the finish of this lipgloss! The three things I look for in a lipgloss are the color, the texture, and the finish. The color is gorgeous, I don't feel like my lips are slipping, or like my lips are being weighed down by a heavy gloss, and the finish is unlike anything else I have ever tried.

You can place your online orders here,
or
You can shop by region and find a store near you that carries this fantastic line!

I think it is safe to say that I am in love with the "Lipstick Queen" brand.



-ashley

Beauty Giveaway!

BEAUTY GIVEAWAY
Enter to win a little collection of brand new beauty items. What will you win exactly? It's a surprise! You'll win makeup brushes, lipglosses, eye products and more. It will be a mixed collection from brands such as ELF, Kiss My Face, etc. The giveaway starts right now, on March 19th, and ends March 23rd at 11:59pm(or midnight - March 24th). I'll choose a winner and notify them by email, then I'll ship the prize out. Anyone can enter - USA, Canada, International.

To Enter:
Leave a comment below letting me know that you'd like to win.

Extra entries:
- Follow my blog
- Follow me on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/lipstickncandy)
* leave a comment for each extra entry you complete.

DevaCurl review

This is revolutionary: a diffuser that attaches to any standard blow dryer, but with a hand-shaped attachment to shape your natural curls! This works best on naturally wavy or curly hair. The model of the hand shaped diffuser is specifically designed to eliminate frizz, a common problem for wavy/curly haired girls like myself. You guide the diffusing "hand" to parts of your scalp and hold for a few seconds, to lock in the shape and ensure constant air flow in more than one direction to dry it all at once. [all images are clickable]



You can also try DevaCare hair products that are without all of the harmful cleansing agents in most shampoos/conditioners that don't really help the frizz problem. They have products for curly hair, keeping color from fading, etc. It's like a one-stop haircare place. You can get an awesome styling tool and all of the products to help lock in your style!



So curly haired girls, give it a try! Think about it: what do you really have to lose but frizz?

-ashley

Anastasia Beverly Hills review

I'm reviewing five Anastasia Beverly Hills eyebrow maintenance products:

Perfect Brow Pencil in "Strawburn"

This is a double ended tool: one side that delivers natural looking color (in the color you choose), the other side is a clean wand (that resembles a mascara wand) to comb brows into place.

Brow Filler: Blonde/Brunette

This is double ended with a blonde side and a brunette side. This works best for shading to give the illusion of fuller brows and gets rid of the look of sparse eyebrows. You can change the intensity of either shade by applying it either very lightly or very heavily. I think this is a genius product if used in tandem with the "Perfect Brow" pencil. You can also combine both shades of the brow filler to really customize your perfect shade. Genius.

Brow Pen- long wearing brow tint in a universal shade

This color can be applied as lightly or as heavily as you want to. It dries fairly fast and I haven't noticed any smearing. It looks the most natural if you apply it in very light strokes that resemble natural eyebrow hairs.

Eye Lights shimmer

I love this, it's a light golden beige color. Glides very smoothly and can be used as a highlighter for brow bone, inner corners of eyes, or as an eyeshadow/eyeshadow base or even on the cupid's bow of your upper lip. Many uses for this product, and each one looks great. This is one of my favorites out of all of the products I reviewed from this brand.

Brow Enhancing Serum

This is great for groomed yet occasionally unruly brows. It sets them into place, doesn't look shiny or make your eyebrows look (for lack of a better word) "crunchy". This is the perfect finishing touch for eyebrow grooming.

So if you need a new eyebrow maintenance regime, you should totally check this brand out. I love them!



-ashley

-ashley

Yes To Carrots review

Yes To Carrots is an organic brand that has made appearances in magazines like O-The Oprah Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Lucky, and Marie Claire just to name a few. In other words, even the press and the media can't help raving about this brand! So now I will add to the list of those who say "YES!" to "Yes To Carrots". They sell products for your face, body, hands, hair and lips!
[all images are clickable with direct link to product]

C Is For Clean gentle exfoliating cleanser

I'm picky about the skin care I use, because my skin doesn't really fit under the typical combo/dry/oily standards. My skin can be sensitive, but this didn't irritate my skin. At all. It's fairly easy to use...delivering an easy lather, apply, rinse... This will be my #1 cleanser in my skin care regime.

C is Smooth body moisturizing lotion

This lotion is great, it doesn't have an unpleasant smell and it doesn't feel greasy! My biggest complaint about body lotions is the fact that it sometimes has a very unsettling smell and feels greasy after a few minutes of application. This lotion has a neutral and "clean" smell, and you only need to use a small amount. In other words, a little goes a long way. A very long way.

C Me Smile Lip Butter

I am so glad that this lip balm is paraben, petroleum and phthalate free. I hate the feeling of greasy Vaseline on my lips, so when I found out that this lip balm didn't have any petroleum in it, I was very happy. According to O Magazine, you can "rehab your lips with shea butter and bees wax in Yes To Carrots C Me Smile Lip Butters". And I completely agree. With spring approaching, it's finally time to give your lips a moisturizing treatment due to all of that chilly winter weather that is notoriously known for turning once soft, supple lips into dry and cracked lips.

All natural ingredients, no animal testing. Does it get better than this?



-ashley

Makeup For Ever HD foundation review

I've tried a few of the new HD products that have recently been in demand, from brands like Cargo and now Makeup For Ever. I'm reviewing the HD Invisible Color foundation in shade 115 "Ivory".

This foundation blends very well, ensuring no visible harsh lines in any lighting (natural or artificial) and it shows up awesome in pictures! Most foundations tend to be too dark for me, so I usually rely only on very light concealer where I need it, but this foundation delivers an amazing, airbrushed finish.

[click image to purchase]


-ashley

TINte Cosmetics review

This has quickly become one of my favorite brands. I love the packaging, and all of the products this brand offers. I am reviewing a flavored lip shine, and the "Natural Beauty" match box.

"Natural Beauty" match box
[click the image to shop]

This is a complete look in one package. It includes two eyeshadow colors (a very light basic nude beige, and a slightly deeper bronze shade for contouring), a cream eyeliner, 2 brushes (double ended: eyeshadow contour and eyeliner), two lip gloss shades (a light peachy pink, and a light bronze-y caramel), and a cheek color in a medium bronze-y shade. The only thing you need to add is mascara! I don't think it gets better than that, it's small and compact and can fit into your purse! It also includes a mirror for on-the-go touch ups. Perfect! You can also purchase a "Blushed Beauty" and "Smoky Eye" match box! Impressive, TINTe!

Flavored Lip Shine in "Mynt Kiss"
[click the image to shop]


One of my favorite things about this lip product is that the color can be built from a sheer, natural shade of pink with shine and shimmer to a deeper pink-y red with loads of shine and shimmer. You can adjust the color to whatever intensity you want! The color is gorgeous, and I think that anybody, of ANY skin tone can pull this shade off beautifully! I love universal shades like this! This lip shine has a strong mint smell. It freshens your breath a little bit, just a side note for ya. If you love pink-y red shades and you love things with a minty smell, this is definitely the lip gloss for you (especially because of it's universal ability to work on anyone!)

Check this brand out!

[click the image to shop]

Spin Lash review

This is definitely a revolutionary mascara.
The formula doesn't flake off or smudge easily, the brush rotates 360 degrees to ensure no clumps or "spidery" lashes. I sometimes have the tendency to clump at the root of my lashes to fake the illusion of fullness, but this was no problem for me. I noticed my eyelashes appeared longer and there was not a sign of clumpy 'spider' lashes! Holding the product upright, if you press the button on the right, it rotates clockwise for upper lashes. If you press the button on the left, it rotates counter-clockwise for lower lashes. I'm the biggest klutz ever with applying mascara on the lower lashes, I always get some on my undereye skin and mess up the good job I did of concealing my undereye circles. I no longer have to wipe off the mascara smudges and re-conceal under my eyes with this product. I love it, it's simple technology but it really does make a HUGE difference!

It's definitely worth a try, you can choose in either "black" or "brownish black". Spin Lash mascara isn't carried in stores, so what are you waiting for?

[click the image to shop]

Julie Hewett Cosmetics review

I'm reviewing 2 lip lushes in "Harlow" and "Bardot". I'm also reviewing the Cheekie in "Rosie", that comes with the adorable "Cheekie" brush!


Lip lushes in "Harlow" and "Bardot"
"Harlow" is a gorgeous gold-flecked reddish pink. The color isn't extremely opaque, the coverage is semi-sheer. It smells amazing! It makes me think of gingerbread cookies!
"Bardot" is a glistening light bronze, definitely channeling the icon it's named after: Bridgette Bardot! The coverage is a little bit lighter than "Harlow", but it has the same great gingerbread smell!

This is where my real rave is...

Cheekie Lip/Cheek shine in "Rosie"
The cheekie comes in six different shades: vampie, peachie, rosie, jami, bette, and natural. I'm reviewing "Rosie". The color is gorgeous, it looks like medium natural lip color. My lips are extremely light, so this makes a great base for any lip color/lip gloss or if you want a pretty pink stain without looking like you're wearing 'obvious makeup'. I love makeup whether it's natural or obvious, but this is for the days when you're feelin' really haggard and you just need a quick pink-y pick-me-up! I like to dip my finger into the pot (when I'm in a hurry) and apply the most color in the middle of my lower lip and spread the color out to the edges, but concentrating on the inner part of the bottom lip. This also works as a blush, you can apply it with your fingertip or with the cute little 'cheekie' brush. It blends very nicely into the skin! This is exactly what I wanted Benefit's "Benetint lip balm" to be. Gorgeous rosy pink color but without the nauseating rose smell or strange fuschia red color that appears after awhile of wearing it. This has earned its place in my personal makeup bag. I'm in love.

-ashley

Check it out!
[Click the image to shop]

Eyeko Beauty review

I have heard such great things about Eyeko, everything from their face cream to their fat balms to their nail polishes. I am reviewing:


Fat Balm in "Raspberry"
This smells amazing, very easy to apply, hydrates/adds moisture, and the colors are pretty. I am reviewing the "Raspberry" one in particular, the color is a bit dark for my complexion, but I am very fair...the lightest in most foundation shades, and even sometimes those shades are too dark! So considering my level of fairness, I can imagine that this color would be perfect for medium to darker skin tones. I just don't think it's right for me, but it would probably work on olive to deep skin tones.


Nail Polish in "Vamp Polish"
This nail polish is a deep blue, there is enough blue in it so it's not too dark for fair skin tones unless you're after that high contrast look. However, this nail polish is a gorgeous vampy navy blue shade. The color reminds me of very ripe blueberries.

-ashley

Josie Maran Cosmetics review

This makeup brand was launched model, and actress Josie Maran. She has graced the covers of magazines like Self, Marie Claire, Shape, Glamour and Lucky. You may have seen her in commercials, films and print work as well. I remember the first glimpse I ever had of Josie Maran was a Maybelline Shiny-Licious lipgloss ad in a commercial. I thought the model was gorgeous and I loved the lip gloss shade she was wearing. I believe the shade was "Cola Float". I am reviewing:


Eyeliner in "Brown"
Black eyeliner can sometimes be harsh on fair skin, especially ever since I decided to dye my hair red. It can work of course for evening looks, or for a date...but as an everyday "going to the grocery store"? Black doesn't always cut it for daytime. So what better shade to use than a medium chocolate brown? It glides on very easily, and it has amazing staying power. Reminiscent of MAC's Eye Kohl in "Teddy". I love this.


Lipstick in "Curvaceous"
This is a gorgeous everyday shimmery coral lipstick. It's not too frosty, it's not too gritty, the consistency goes on pretty well and it has medium staying power. I can see this shade working on a variety of skin tones, even my mom likes it!


Eyeshadows in Sand, Rejuvenate
Sand is the color of well, sand. It's a matte golden yellow, like I previously mentioned, I could see this working for lots of people. Rejuvenate is a golden brown, also matte. I love that these eyeshadows are made with all natural ingredients, I just the idea of putting gross chemicals near my eyes. Especially for somebody kind of clumsy like myself, who often gets eyeliner in her eyes while applying, or eyeshadow flakes in her eyes while trying to apply to the lower lashline.

So try it out for yourself!

[Click the image to shop]


-ashley

EyesLipsFace review

I have to admit that it's easy to be skeptical about quality cosmetics at such an affordable price ($1+). I know that I am not the first blogger to sing the praises of EyesLipsFace (E.L.F) cosmetics...but I am definitely joining that list of happy bloggers in love with ELF! I reviewed the following products:


All Over Cover Stick in "Fair"
This one matches my skin tone very well, it works great as a primer or if you're like me and only use concealer where needed and typically skip foundation. It covers dark circles, blemish, and any facial redness just to name a few of its many purposes.


Studio Brush 10 piece set
People always stress the importance of using good brushes, and with that being said, I have absolutely no complaints whatsoever. My favorite one is "Powder brush". It looks similar to the MAC #187 brush and has the same purpose. My MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in "Petticoat" glides on beautifully with this brush, and it blends so easily and seamlessly. Normally, I have to blend a little bit with my finger sometimes, but there was none of that with these brushes.


Studio Eyeliner & Eyeshadow Stick in "Smoke"
This is a great product with "2 in 1" packaging. The shadow part of "smoke" reminds me of MAC's discontinued shadestick in "Sharkskin". The eyeliner part is a black shade, that glides on the lash line or waterline with such ease and very little effort on your part.


Get The Look set in "Smokey Eyes"
Everybody loves the look of smokey eyes, although sometimes it's not so easy to know which products will work and the order in which they are applied. This set includes easy to follow instructions, eyeliner, mascara duo, an eyeshadow quad featuring dark grey/black shades. Also, this kit includes a smudge brush to smudge your way to smokey perfection! Black makes an interesting contrast to brown eyes, especially in pictures. For some reason, it really ignites the golden flecks in my eyes.


Mineral Lipstick in "Barely Bitten"
This color is a beautiful and natural medium to darker pinky coral. I love pinky corals, they're a "must" for red hair! The staying power is great, it is very easily to apply, the colors aren't too opaque to the point of not being able to apply without a mirror. They're sheer, but not too sheer. But beautiful none the less.


Super Glossy Lip Shine in "Watermelon"
This color is a cute, fun, slightly frosty pink (but not an unattractive kind of frosty). It's a pretty youthful color, and I think this lipgloss lasts a pretty long time after it's applied. It doesn't feel sticky or heavy, either!


Luscious Liquid Lipstick in "Ruby Slipper"
It smells great, like mint and vanilla. It feels cool and slightly tingly, the moisture properties are impressive and the color is a gorgeous sheer golden red. Love love love.

Sooo what are you waiting for?

[Click the image to shop]