theBalm Cabana Boy Blush Review and Swatches

This summer, I saw Cabana Boy at TJ Maxx for $10, but it was before I'd started working (=had limited funds), and I knew I wouldn't want it until fall/winter, so I decided not to get it. I have regretted that decision many times the past few weeks, but fortunately, theBalm had a 40% off sale for Black Friday, and I opted to get it then (for $12.60, but hey, much better than $21!).

Cabana Boy

UPDATED with new colors: Revlon Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie, Pink Truffle, Berry Smoothie, Cherry Tart, and Sugar Plum Review and Swatches

So, I should be working on my 17-page paper that's due Thursday at 5. Instead, I'm writing about lip butter (which has kind of already been done by, like, every other blog ever), because I'm a mature and responsible student. Or, y'know, not. This is just so much more fun than writing about Turkish speech production (though, I'm not going to lie, that doesn't suck, either...nerd, party of one). Anyways. Enough rambling!

Revlon Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie (top) and Berry Smoothie (bottom)

Revlon recently(ish) introduced a new product, lip butters. They come in a staggering 20 color array, and are touted as being moisturizing tinted balms. I kept holding out for them to be on major sale (say, 40% off), but a couple of days ago I caved and bought two at Rite Aid for BOGO1/2. All told, they cost me $5.63 each, and honestly, I don't even feel that bad about it. Paying more than $5 for a drugstore product usually breaks me out in hives, but I really, really like these, so I'm glad I finally took the plunge and bought them!

Color Club Beyond the Mistletoe Nail Polish in Sugarplum Fairy Review and Swatches

So, I posted a little while ago about an awesome find I had at Ross: 6 new Color Club nail polishes, plus top coat, for $7.99. It's called Beyond the Mistletoe, and it's the new holiday collection, priced normally at $48. You can imagine my extreme satisfaction at finding out that not only did I have 6 new glitter/holos in my collection, but that I'd gotten them for 83% off retail. That's, like, the most a poor (monetarily, not pathetically, though I suppose the latter could be considered, too) beauty junkie could ever hope for. I was, frankly, paralyzed with choice about what one I should wear first, but ended up deciding to go for the most holographically glittery awesome one: Sugarplum Fairy.

Skincare Saturday: Uncommon Scents Amber Cream Review and Pictures

Check it out, guys! I'm actually doing one of my "weekly" features! Wowza. (Confession: I definitely thought tomorrow was Saturday, so I was all ready to set this to post in the morning, only to realize that no, today is Saturday, you moron, so for those of you on the East Coast: It's Saturday here, so it still counts, darnit!) Today's special feature: moisturizer. Not just any moisturizer, though; I've mentioned this one before here, in one of my very first posts. I recently rediscovered it, and thought it would be worthwhile reviewing in depth. The moisturizer in question: Amber Cream, made by Uncommon Scents, a locally-owned bath and body shop in Eugene. It was recommended to me by my dermatologist a few years ago, when I was struggling with dry skin on top of my acne, and it served me well when I was going to school in the Northeast (Philly counts, right?). We've been having an unusually rain-free winter so far, and my skin has been somewhat dry because of it, so I decided to give this stuff a try again. I had stopped using it because I thought it was too heavy for my skin, and I found it didn't absorb fully and therefore didn't play well with my foundation. I've discovered since I started re-using it that past me was an idiot. Yeah, I said it! (Sorry, past me.)

Uncommon Scents Amber Cream Moisturizer

NYX Eye Shadow Base in Skin Tone Review and Swatches

When Cherry Culture was having their 40% off sale, I decided to finally pick up the NYX Eye Shadow Base. I usually use elf's primer (or, more often than that, nothing at all), but figured I should try branching out and seeing what else is out there. Temptalia reviewed it awhile back, and gave it high marks, so the lower price just sealed the deal. I've used it a few times since I got it, and let's just say: it's worse than worthless for me.

NYX Eye Shadow Base in Skin Tone

It's aliiiiiiive!

Hello, lovelies! I'm sorry the blog has been a bit slow lately; it's the end of the term, and I've had mountains of stuff to do. Happily, I am all done with my own papers, and I finished grading my students' finals, so after I turn grades in, I am done for a month! I have lots of stuff coming your way in the next few weeks, but here's a quick preview:

My current manicure, with Color Club's Gingerbread; full review to come in the next few days, I hope!

Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in Illusoire; this is a gorgeous sparkly purple-taupe cream-gel eyeshadow that I bought so I wouldn't have to pay shipping, but that will be going back tomorrow, as 1) I cannot afford a $36 eyeshadow, no matter how pretty, and 2) It creases on me (wtf).

It comes with its own little brush!! SO CUTE. And, because it's Chanel, classy. Also, functional. Full review to come, eventually.

Benefit Benetint, Posietint, and High Beam Review and Swatches

Earlier this year, Benefit had a trio of minis of three of their most popular bottles: rosy-red Benetint, warm pink Posietint, and pale pink glowy High Beam for a mere $15. I'd been dying to try Benetint and Posietint for years, but was not about to pay $28 (now $29, great) for something I wasn't sure I'd like, so I was thrilled to see this set. Regular readers know that I have the world's oiliest, shiniest skin, so a highlighter is really not something I get much use out of (which is sad, because so many highlighters are just so pretty), but I wanted the other two products enough to accept it. I'm always looking for a great long-wear, natural lip product, and I hoped that Benetint and/or Posietint would fit the bill. Each product comes in a mini bottle, similar to a nail polish bottle, with a little brush––very cute, and given the formulas, pretty functional.

Left to right: Benetint, High Beam, Posietint

Ross Nail Polish Haulage: Pics and Swatches

I went to Ross yesterday, because Nouveau Cheap posted that a reader had found a set of (long discontinued) Sally Hansen Nail Prisms, and, being the duochrome whore that I am, I had to go and check out my local Ross to see if I would be lucky enough to find it myself. I not only found the Sally Hansen Nail Prisms, but also picked up a set of Color Club holos and glitters, Beyond the Mistletoe, which is, according to Fashion Polish, new for the season. So, for $14, I walked away with 4 duochromes, 5 holos, 2 glitters, and a top coat. Needless to say, I was hyperactively excited (and tweeted Nouveau Cheap about it, because if anyone can appreciate a good deal, it would be her!). I haven't had the chance to test any of them for wear or anything, but I wanted to get swatches up so you can see what the dealio is, and hopefully get yourself to a Ross to check them out!

Color Club first; the bottles I have don't have names on them, but I got the names from Fashion Polish (who got them from Color Club, so one assumes they're accurate).
ETA: These were $7.99 at Ross, and the Color Club website has them listed at $48.00 ($8 apiece). So, if you're interested in the set, it's definitely worth checking your local Ross!

Beyond the Mistletoe, left to right: Sugarplum Fairy, Beyond the Mistletoe, Holiday Splendor, Jingle Jangle, Candy Cane, Gingerbread

Sugarplum Fairy is a pale lavender holo in a clear base; it's the strongest holo out of all the ones in this set, and it's reeeeeeeally pretty. In some lights it approaches being linear (still wanting a linear holo polish like whoa, though). Very delicate and sparkly, much like a fairy!

We'll pretend it's blurry on purpose, mk? 3 coats Sugarplum Fairy with 1 coat top coat

Beyond the Mistletoe is a light blue holo in a clear base; it's a bit sparser than Sugarplum Fairy and not quite as holographic, but very close.

3 coats Beyond the Mistletoe with 1 coat top coat

Holiday Splendor is a subtle green holo in a green tinted base. This one's not nearly as sparkly as SF and BtM, but it's really, really green, which definitely makes up for it. I'm thinking I may need to wear this for my next Duck manicure...I can pair it with Gingerbread and be super glittery and awesome!

3 coats Holiday Splendor with 1 coat top coat

NYX Girls Nail Polish in Carnival Review and Swatches

Deborah Lippmann makes a polish called Happy Birthday. It is really, really glittertastic. It's got a mix of all kinds of colors, shapes, and sizes of glitter (Scrangie described it as "clown puke", though in a good way) in a clear base, but it's $18 and therefore out of my price range. Fortunately, there's a ton and a half of cheaper dupes or near-dupes, one of which is the topic of this post: a NYX Girls polish called Carnival.

NYX Girls Carnival

Quick Review: MOR Little Luxuries Body Butter in Lychee Flower and Cassis Noir

I've been meaning to review these for months, but I've just never gotten around to it, so today I am! Very briefly, of course, since I have a 17-page research paper due in less than 2 weeks that, oh right, I haven't started writing (done a lot of reading for it, though!). Anyways, quick rundown:

Image from MOR Cosmetics, because I'm actually too lazy to take pictures of mine. Bad blogger! Bad!

I got a little jar of MOR (a company based in Australia) body butter in Lychee Flower from my neighbor last year for Christmas, and I absolutely loved it. The smell is so gorgeous, and is exactly what the name would make you think––bright, fresh tropical fruity floral. It smells absolutely divine. Even ignoring the scent, the body butter is fantastic; it's really dense and thick, so you only need a teeny bit and it moisturizes like all heck. I use(d) it primarily as a hand cream, because it's only 1.7 oz and I didn't want to waste it on my legs, where I wouldn't be able to sniff at my leisure, though the one time I did use it on my lower extremities, it stayed wonderfully fragrant for 12+ hours (!!). Have I mentioned that it's really, really moisturizing? I have? Oh well, it bears repeating. It's the perfect combination of lushly, richly moisturizing while still absorbing and not being greasy. If only it weren't $14...but it comes in the most adorable packaging, so it's a fantastic gift for the luxury-lover in your life. It lasted me a couple of months of near-daily use, so it's not like it'll be gone really soon (and yet, still too soon).