First Look| Flower Beauty Haul

Sometimes, a good old fashioned drugstore haul just...happens. You read a few forum recommendations, a few blog reviews, and next thing you know you're looking through molested items in a brightly lit aisle trying to find what you "need." I've recently hauled these few items and have to rave about them to you.

I want to really highlight how good Drew Barrymore's Flower Beauty line is for the price and how they are cruelty free products. To be honest, I never really wanted to dabble in a hippie brand just because I was afraid of lack of pigmentation/chalkiness/sheerness/general shittiness. However, based on glowing reviews across the board for several items,  I picked up four things at Wal-Mart, where it's exclusively sold.

The first two are cream blushes (formally named Win Some Rouge Some, 7,98 retail at Walmart) in Forget-me-not (right) and Peach Blossom (left). These. Are. So. Pretty. I won't say that they are the best cream blushes, or the best blushes in the world, but the colors are so beautiful and natural looking on my cheeks that they beat over-applied and streaky powder blushes any day. Because they are cream blushes, they are pretty tricky to keep completely clean and I wouldn't recommend them to your average germaphobe. If you apply with a stippling brush, it looks violated. If you apply with a finger, it looks molested. Basically, it loses its appeal quickly unless you are quick to use them up.

Forget-Me-Not is a light pinky apricot that would show up only on pale to fair skintones (it's barely visible on me.) Peach Blossom is a true orangey peach. I'd say that Peach Blossom is the more intense version of the first, and they remind me of gimmicky Korean cream blushes. They last about 4 hours and don't leave you with patches of color. They also have a very slight sheen to them with no visible shimmer. They come in the standard white plastic packaging with rose gold accent and clear plastic lid.



The next is the Powder Trip Powder Foundation in PP3. I really wanted to try PP4, because it's the yellowest out of the lighter end of things (note: the powder line thinks that all women fall into pale, fair, medium, and tan-ish). However most of the powders were either "tested" or gone and I had to resort to this. It's a good match for me at NC25-30. I'm still NC30 and it oxidized lightly/is sheer enough to match.

I wouldn't say it's truly a foundation, setting powder, or finishing powder. Instead, it's more of a lightweight powder that you can layer on top of liquid foundation for a little more coverage.  I think you'd have to use a very dense kabuki or damp sponge in order to find coverage with this bad boy. It comes with a crapola brush and Middle Ages mirror behind it. (9.98 retail)



 

Finally, I gave another chance to drugstore mascara (as always) with Zoom In mascara. The wand handle twists to reveal three types of brushes: for lengthening, curling, and volumizing. It's a genius idea in theory, but I've only kept it at the lengthening shape and it works so well. My lashes are longer, darker, and there are absolutely no flakes at all. I can layer about 4 coats with no problem, and it holds a curl very well. Nice! (7.98 retail)



Lengthen! Curl! Volumize! Pretty cool, eh? There is a drastic difference between the long and short of it, not so sure about the curling option...

 

Well, that's all for today folks! I'm glad I tried out a few of these items and I have to say that they are pretty good for a celebrity line and especially for a drugstore brand. My favorite is the cream blushers and I'm planning to pick up a few more shades that are deeper to see how the opacity and color payoff is like. I was really willing to dismiss Flower Beauty until I read up on recs! So lesson of the day, do some asking around! There are always going to be a few gems within any drugstore brand.

Be

 

Current Favorites: May

Hello again,
I'm here to talk about my current favorites! To see more, check out my YouTube video coming up within the week.1. MAC Impassioned: Amplified

You know that one lipstick that just catches your eye every time you visit the counter, but you never muster enough courage to swatch in fear of obligation to buy? I've been eyeing Impassioned every time I hit up the MAC counter, but only swatched other lipsticks nonchalantly while the assistant goes to the back and brings me back my powder. I'm glad I took the plunge and got it.

This pink is the best on trend bright color for the summer season right now. Why go with Impassioned when you can impress with Candy Yum Yum? This pink is bright without being tacky, a sort of grown up pink where you can keep on trend without scaring your coworkers. It reminds me of Maybelline Vivid's "Vivid Rose" without being too muted to come off as a grandma hue. I would say the colors are actually comparable but the drugstore version tends to bleed as it is too creamy. Impassioned is an Amplified creme that doesn't flake or bleed and well worth the extra money.
Below is a quick picture of the lipstick in its bullet.

2. MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus in C5

My skin color changes and adapts to the sunlight so quickly, it's almost as racial as affirmative action. In the winter, I can wear NC20 and comparable shades. After two days in the sun, I change to NC30. After two weeks of sunshine, I am now an NC42/C5. (I never skimp on sunscreen and wear Spf 30 and reapply sunscreen liberally as I hate sun damage.)

...My skin is telling me to buy more makeup. It's all justified people!

My skin is also getting oily in the T-zone and a powder will not highlight any flakes or dry skin as it's all been replaced by oily, greasy, melty skin...lucky me. So, I went to get matched with a new summer foundation. In the past I wore BareMinerals in Medium Beige but never liked how it caked around the nose. Now with liquid foundation being out of the question I've been on a new quest for powder foundation.

Studio Fix Powder is a medium to full (leaning full) coverage foundation depending on method of application. I use a fluffy powder brush and it gives a great natural finish to the skin sans tinted moisturizer. I wanted a more matte powder but didn't want a "made up" look. It will act as both a spot cover up and full face powder depending on whether you use a sponge or brush. However, I would suggest not to pack this on with a sponge unless your skin is very oily and blemished and you need full coverage.

I also love the shape and weight of the compact. I don't have to touch up when using this powder, so I leave this one on the vanity. Plus, who applies powder in public? (That's archaic and sexist, screams the granola feminist). It definitely is a pretty compact to show off if you do.

A lot of people may be sensitive to the ingredients, but my skin is resistant and accepts anything I put on it. People also claim clogged pores and cystic acne from this powder, but I suspect they don't wash their face correctly at night to remove the product. Any product going to bed with you is a naughty one.

Overall, the makeup artist matched me with C6 rather than NC42 (in fear of the carrot face look, which is never pretty). However, C6 was out of stock. I chose C5 to still match my tanned chest and also keep the possibility of bronzer open. So far I have not seen any signs of oxidation.

I have a list of current favorites that will be going on YouTube soon with some other products. I will also swatch Impassioned and my Studio Fix on the video. Stay tuned!