A Few of My Favorite Things 2014: Hourglass Powders

This should perhaps put me on the naughty list.  For at least a month.  When I first saw these in a video by MakeUpbyTiffanyD, I thought, OMG what a rip.  A palette of highlighters?  Oh what a waste of good money.

From Left to Right: Dim, Incandescent (only in this palette), and Radiant.

They aren't highlighters.  They are more like creating your perfect lighting.  They are more like finishing powders.  I was afraid that Dim Light might be too dark, but it looks so pretty on me all over the skin.  It's supposed to be a good balance of cool and warm tones and blur imperfections.  Because I'm so pale, Incandescent Light works well as a highlighter or even under my eyes.  Radiant doesn't work on me.  I can kinda use it as a blush or over a blush, but it's not my favorite.  This is the Ambient Lighting Palette and it does sell for $58.00.  In no way is this something you have to have.  This is definitely a splurge and it's nice to have.

Poor broke penguin nail.  Work is too rough on my nails! 

I have two of the individual powders.  My favorite is Mood Light.  It's the scary pink one.  It just creates a flattering rose light for your face.  Not anything that's going to look as though you went buck wild with the blush or as if you finished letting your boyfriend or a small child do your makeup.  No, it's just a barest hint of pink.  The story behind this one was that the creator's mother would only have pink lighting in her home because she thought it was the most flattering of lights.  I switch off with this and Dim alllll the time.  Individually, these sell for $45.00.  Yipe.  In the end, that's a lot for a powder.  You do not need to buy this.

If you really want to treat yourself to this, I would suggest buying the palette.  You get to try three colors and get your feet wet on the product.

From Left to Right: Luminous Flush, Incandescent Electra, Mood Exposure

Because I had realized that, I jumped at the chance to get the blushes.  These are incredibly lovely, but at $35.00 for an individual blush I was very torn.  I did get the Ambient Lighting Blush Palette and it was a bite out of my wallet at $58.00.  Again, while this is a nice palette and I love the glow of the blushes, this is not a NEED.  This is something you buy because you want to treat yourself to a taste of luxury.  They will last a long time because you don't need a lot.  I think the palette is a better value for your money and I hope they make this a permanent selection.

In the end I think this is some hype on a good product.  Is it the best powder or blush you will ever find and the end all of all?  No.  Is it a favorite of mine, yes.  I love these.  I won't be purchasing any more of the powders or blushes in the singles at this time.  The palettes really are the best value for your money if you do decide you want to try them.

* Hourglass does not know I exist.  They have not decided to fund my addiction for even a small moment in time.  I paid for all of these products myself.

A Few of My Favorite Things 2014: Brushes and a Few Extras!

If you've watched YouTube even a hand full of times for beauty you know that brushes are big business.  I think that this can be a huge money sink.  I took a good look at my small brush collection and picked out the ones I use on the daily and go nuts if I didn't put them away correctly and can't find them.

Ah yes.  The Sigma F80.  This is the reining queen of all things hype, with the NARS Eda brush coming in a close second.  There was a time when you couldn't watch a video without seeing a YouTube Guru GUSH over this brush.  It's winding down with dupes that I don't own yet, but mean to try.  However, I do love this brush.  It's $24.00 on the Sigma site and it is quite the brush.  It gives me an airbrushed look.  I usually dot the foundation on my face, use the brush to stipple, and then buff it in.  I find that if I use it to grab foundation from the back of my hand it absorbs too much foundation and ends up wasting it.  I haven't found my brush to shed, but I have read that some people have had that problem.  It is incredibly soft and I think that for now it is worth the price.  With cheaper dupes out there, this is subject to change.

Next up is the Original Beauty Blender.  This is an oft imitated item.  I have found though, that the original is just the best.  It will last you a long time if you take care of it.  I wash mine every night after use and am careful not to let my nails tear this sponge.  This is quite refreshing in the morning if you use if with cold water and feels great in the eye area.  It is $19.00.  But unlike a cheap sponge that you will replace often, you can have this one for a long time because of the quality if you take care of it.  If you use a water based foundation this sponge will absorb too much.  So use this with silicone or oil based foundation.  It is fantastic for blending out your under-eye makeup.  It will help it blend out evenly and not look cakey.

This is my favorite brush for applying color all over my lid.  I own more expensive brushes, but this one just works the best for me.  The set for the Real Techniques Starter Set is only $14.39 at Target.  Most of the brushes are okay.  The real star of this set is the Base Shadow Brush.  It is made of synthetic hair, very soft, and just applies shadow very nicely.  You can't purchase it as a stand alone yet, but I'll keep my fingers crossed.  It's a great value.

This next brush is over hyped and there are many dupes for this brush that work very well.  You don't need this exact brush, but for now this is the one I use the most.  It's the MAC 217.  It's $24.00 for this brush.  I love it, but I will find you a better dupe for cheaper.  It's hand made and it lasts very well.  It's great for blending or for a light wash of color.

This is the best ever brush cleaner.  If you get a spray bottle that works (I keep getting junk ones that don't work well) and just spritz your brushes, then you just gently work off the cleaner in a towel and your brush is clean, dry, and smells like vanilla.  I use this nightly with my brushes and it's just amazing.  With this, you never have an excuse for dirty brushes!  If you use a spray bottle you won't waste a lot of products.  Then just buy the big bottle and keep refilling your spray bottle.  Cinema Secrets Professional Brush Cleaner used to only be available on their site or Amazon, but it's now available at Sephora!!!  Yay!!!  The small 2 oz bottle is only $8.00.  The largest size is 32 oz and $36.00.  It will last you ages, even with daily brush cleaning.

My last item is my little miracle.  I don't get blemishes too often, but when I start to feel one coming on, I just apply this and it totally helps.  If I catch it early enough, this will fade it before it blows out.  If I don't, Mario Badescu Drying Lotion will make the time the blemish hangs out much shorter.  It is $17.00.  You don't mix this product.  You dip a cotton swab through the clear liquid into the pink.  You then dot on your face.  It smells awful and may tingle when applied but it doesn't burn.  It really is one of those things I don't know how I lived without!

* I bought all of these products with my own money.  No one paid me to like them.

A Few of My Favorite Things: Most Used Nail Polish 2014

I adore nail polish.  I love doing fun new things with my nails.  I own more nail polish than is probably healthy for the average woman.  I just thought I would share some of my favorite colors of this year.

The first color actually broke me out of my I hate pink thing.  It is such a pretty color that I couldn't help thinking I should give pink a chance.  It's by OPI and it's called Pedal Faster Suzi and it was from the Holland Spring 2012 Collection.  I ended up getting it cheap at a salon when they were cycling out their colors.  It's a cool toned baby pink with shimmer and lavender undertones.  You can find it online still ranging from $6.00 to $9.00.  It is rather sheer, but it should look opaque with two to three coats.  It has great lasting power and pinks are usually really good that when they chip they aren't as obvious as a darker color.

The next color was Sunday Funday by China Glaze.  This was great for the blue trend that was all over Youtube last spring.  It was from the China Glaze Avant Garden 2013 Collection.  It is a true blue and it just a beautiful color.  It's still available online with prices ranging from $3.30 to $8.00.  Blues can be tough to get off your nails, so a good base coat is recommended.  This had very good lasting power and is just wonderful.  I would go two coats with this.

My next color is a classic.  It's China Glaze's For Audrey.  It is a beautiful Tiffany blue.  It's just such a fun color that can be worn in any season.  It is $5.50 on the Sally Beauty Web site.  It applies quite opaque and you will need one to two coats for this.  As with the other polishes above it is formaldehyde free.

Sorry about the attack of the cat fur!

The last color is a red everyone should own.  It is a rich ruby red with micro glitter that doesn't need to be hunted down.  It's just so freaking gorgeous.  It's Ruby Pumps by China Glaze.  It is perfect for the holidays or just any time you feel like being complimented on your red nails.  It's also formaldehyde free.  This also sells for $5.50 on Sally's website.

My last nail favorite is my top coat.  Before this I had topcoats that would kinda blur my nail art when it hardened or it would smudge.  But this is a dream.  It  dries super fast.  It doesn't settle into the nail art weird, it leaves my nails shiny.  It doesn't smudge if you're careful.  The one downfall for this is that at the end of the bottle it tends to get thick, gummy, and unusable.  Other than that Seche Vite is amazing!  It is $8.99 but you can often get it for sale at Sally's.

As a side note I did try the Formula X Polishes at Sephora this year and I found that they weren't worth the buy.  They chip fast.  The neon polishes for the most part were extraordinarily sheer.  The metallics were pretty but chips ahoy!  Ranging from $10.50 to $12.50 these were a waste of money, no matter what YouTube hype tried to smash into my brain.  The only thing they have going for them is some pretty nifty top coats for glitter and other effects.

*I fund my own nail polish addiction with my own money.  No one gives me nail polish to try.

A Few of of My Favorite Things 2014 Face + a Book Extra

Another year is just flew by and now it's almost 2015.  Hey, remember the whole the world is ending in 2012 thing?  Let's have a bottoms up moment to not going for that!  You only have a bottle of wine?  Woman Up!  Good luck with that!  BTW have you ever read Woman Up?  I'll add that now for one of my favorite things of 2014.  That book and meeting Aimee at a Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce Event was truly a delight.  Attending events with the CWCC last year was incredibly empowering.

I guess this would be a good time to mention that this is my first A Few of My Favorite Things posts.  I might have to break this up into a couple blogs.  How devastating for you!

I think I'll start with foundation.  Because we build from the foundation up or down as the products would go lol?  Sounds about right!  I have two I will mention.  We'll start with my number two choice of foundation for this year.

I've loved Make-Up For Ever ever since Kandee Johnson told me I needed to try the HD version.  I loved that foundation so much for 2013.  But in 2014 I caved in to try my number two but sometimes still number one foundation. #2/1 Foundation: Make-Up Forever Mat Velvet + At $36.00 it can be daunting, especially if you are used to paying a third of that price.  However, you just need a small amount of this and can build to full coverage.  It has great lasting power, doesn't oxidize, looks good in pics, and this bottle will last longer than a cheap bottle because you need so little.  You can use a brush, your fingers, or a beauty blender to apply as this is not water based.  It has a plastic squeeze bottle, so you can control your usage, although you may have to really work to get the last of your foundation out.

My number one foundation I found by accident.  Lancôme often has these great gift with purchase bags at Dillard's, Macy's, and a few other stores.  I really wanted the gift bag lol.  It was $45.00.  Which isn't the most pricey foundation, but for me, this is about as high as I can justify spending.  #1 Foundation: Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra.  It is also medium to full coverage and mattifying.  You need a very small amount of this.  It has a lovely finish, doesn't oxidize, comes in a wide range of shades, lasts all day long, and it also looks great in pics.  It is a glass bottle with a pump.  It's easy to control the amount you use and because the pump unscrews, you can get every last drop out.  This is a water based foundation, so a Beauty Blender might absorb too much of the product.  I use this with a brush and it's flawless.  I get so many compliments on my skin when I wear this.  I never have to retouch this.  It is great in the summer and in the winter.

For CC Cream I have one.  it Cosmestics Your Skin But Better CC+.  I didn't want to join the CC Cream gimick band wagon, but I really do love this.  I wear it under my foundation with the Wayne Goss powder first trick or by itself.  You can tell I totally love this stuff by the well loved package.  It is $38.00 but if you don't like foundation, this may be all you need.  It runs pale, so go darker than you think you need.  I can wear the Light in the summer and I don't get much of a tan.  I'm Fair (read glow in the dark) in the winter.  I apply this with my fingers and I feel it has improved my skin.  It says it has 50 + SPF, which I think may be a little...ummm...you know.  People have said that over 35 SPF doesn't really do anything for you.  So, I wouldn't get it specifically for the SPF.  As a matter of fact, the high SPF may be the down side for many with this product.  I would also proceed with caution if this is all you use, as high SPF will give you white face in flash.  You want to avoid getting this near your eye, as high SPF can be irritating and may be making your eyes water.  It also may not work for people who are sensitive to sunscreen products.

Concealer is something I only recently started using.  The KimK doesn't work out well for me because I am fair and finding something whiter than my color would be like putting on White Out or something.  But I do get shadows under my eyes and I am human and get the occasional blemish.  I was happy with the Maybelline Age Rewind Brightener.  It has pink undertones to cancel out the bruised hues it works pretty well and was only $8.99.  The sponge tip was weird and wasteful.  Plus how gross is that thing?  But then I tried the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer.  Oh wow.  You certainly do not need to apply as much as YouTubers do.  You can use a small amount and get great coverage.  The one I get has small pink undertones and works under my eyes and for blemishes.  Those with skin that can high light may want a lighter one for under the eyes.  It is $29.00.  But you truly don't need a lot, it is creamy, hydrating, a has good pigmentation.  I use a Beauty Blender to blend this out.

For Primer, I finally found my HG (Holy Grail for those needing a translation).  If you don't own this, you should!  Hourglass Veil Mineral  Primer.  Oh this is so amazing.  It comes out white with a neon blue cast.  I first came across this when a friend and I went to Sephora and the artist used it on her.  It helped the foundation blur her blemishes so amazingly well.  I had to get it.  You need a very small amount.  It helps your foundation go on sooo smooth.  You can use this for special occasions to help justify the price.  I like using it every day because I'm addicted.  The 1oz bottle is a jaw dropping $52.00.  It does come in a small .33 oz for $18.00.  That is the one I use, even though I use it every day, because you only want to use a tiny pump and I can make it last.  It applies like silk and can help blur a multitude of imperfections.

From Right to Left: Hourglass Primer, it CC Fair, it CC Light, MUFE Mat Velvet, and Lancôme Teint Idole.

I know these things are pricey, but these products were worth their prices.  Hopefully, my experiences with these will help you if you were on the fence about any of these things!

* I slowly purchased these things or received them as a birthday gift from my sister (the MUFE Mat Velvet).  No company thought I should get to try their products for free.

Broke Woman Mission Statement

As a broke woman I can't do a weekly favorites, simply because I can't afford to buy that much make-up.  I'd apologize, but being broke has taught be so much about life that I can't help but be grateful that I'm not a spoiled person that doesn't recognize the value of what I spend.  I'm proud of being a broke woman.  A woman who works for her luxuries.  I know there are a lot of us.

I feel like Broke Woman is a sisterhood.  A group of women who love make-up, want to feel pretty, but can't imagine spending $50.00 on a palette to find that the colors only work for editorial stuff or have no pay off.  Or a lipstick that looks like it's amazing but turns out to be something we could have bought for $5.00 if we had chosen another brand.  I feel there are some high quality brands that are worth paying for.  I want to share those!

It's also the premise of this blog.  I'm broke. I watch enough beauty Vlogs on YouTube to have been burned by undisclosed sponsored videos.  I want to share things that are ACTUALLY worth the money and not just because some pretty face with a charming personality on YouTube got paid to tell us that it was fan-freaking-tastic.

That is why I will try to purchase the hype and tell you what I really think.  I will tell you what I really think about the products we all want.

At my day job, I make $12.10 per hour.  I wanted to form my blog so I could help people not waste their money on junk.  If you have things you want me to review, let me know!

December 2014 ipsy First Glance

So, the other beauty subscription service I use is ipsy.  It was developed by Michelle Phan the very popular YouTuber.  I'm not a PhanFan but the woman has undeniable talent and the bag is a very good idea.  As with Birchbox, this is $10.00 a month.

When I was first researching, it seemed that this box was usually the winner in the monthly battles that pop up all over YouTube like crazy cosmetic popcorn.  This one had a very long waiting list.

 I waited over four months and that's only because I finally broke down and clicked their little rabid rabbit thing to get on the fast track by driving my friends and family nuts on social media with advertising this.  I HATE. LOATHE.  DESPISE doing things like that.  Lori, from LoriOver40 suggested that I do it and make it so only I could see the post (she's on a break right now, but even if you're not over 40, she is really fantastic.  I love her personality and she's great at answering comments).  That worked and if you're like me and hate posting junk like that, follow her advice and giggle maniacally.  The giggle is required for winning!

ipsy also has a points system, but it's not as good as the Birchbox one.  It feels like you need a crazy amount of points for stuff and it's just kinda eh.  However, ipsy comes with a makeup-bag.  I'm sure down the road when I have been subscribed for many many moons I'll be like AHHH!  So many bags! But for now it's cool.  I also like to give make-up for Christmas, birthdays, and random things, so I just throw those things in a bag and it's great to be able to have nice packaging for products without having to buy things.  Yup, I sounded soooo cheap there!

Referring people is 250 points.  It is 1000 points to get most of the items.  At this time there is one item for 500 points, but it's sold out.

I was stoked for December ipsy.  I was thinking it would be holiday and glam and sparkles every where.  I was picturing a pretty blue and silver bag. Or red sequin!

Bubble burst.  It's okay and all, but it's just so plain!  It'll be good for make-up brushes I guess.  If I travel.  Which Broke Women don't do.  The pink thing behind it is the bag it ships in.  Not a pink fan, but it's still kinda fun.

Like the reflection of my phone case? Yes, there is a gingerbread man on my nail.  Anyways, my package didn't come with any cards or anything, so I had to check for the price.  The first item is a Swissco Electroplated Eyelash Curler.  It's nifty if you want a back up.  But I have a Shiseido curler.  The Swissco one is metallic purple (looove purple) and it's only $5.00.  My Shiseido was $19.00.  I do find you get what you pay for in curlers, so I'll probably just give this to a teenager.

The next item was the Coolway Boost repair.  It's supposed to help improve elasticity and strength.  It doesn't contain formaldehyde, sulfates, parabens, phthalates and isn't tested on animals.  So, it's a good on paper product.  I am looking forward to trying this.  It has a sweet but slightly chemically scent.  It is $29.95 for the full size product.  We'll see how that goes.

Next is a Nyx butter lip balm in the color Ladyfingers (I love the sweet names of these products).  This feels smooth and hydrating.  It doesn't have a flavor but it has a sweet berry scent.  It's a sheer wash of mauve pink.

This is only $4.00 for the full size and I'm sure the one I received was full sized.  This is definitely a good buy.

Next is this pixi Fairy Dust in Brightening Bare.  Now, when I receive something called "Fairy Dust," I'm expecting the glitter Tink puddles around in.  I'm thinking this is going to be a champagne glitter with the name and I'm getting excited.

WTF? What is that? It looks like a scar.  Ugh.  And it's $10.00?!  For what?! Seriously?  My trash can is hungry now.

Finally!  Something that was good!  Not that I don't like the Nyx butter lip balm and don't mind trying the Coolway, but neither one is really revving my engine.  But Tarte is a great brand.  Its philosophy is that glamour can be good for you.  It's formulated without the usual junk like phthalates.  So, yay!  It's $20.00 for the full size of the lights, camera, LASHES mascara.

So, the only product I'm truly thrilled about is the mascara.

Other than that this bag kinda...well...sucked.

I feel very let down this month by both Birchbox and ipsy.  Both get a loss this month.  Seriously, it's the holidays!  These could have been so awesome!  So, I'm going to go cry into my mascara.  Not really, because that would be bad for my mascara.

*I paid all of this junk by my self.  ipsy doesn't know me or think I should get to play with their bags for free.

December 2014 Birchbox First Glance

One of the many things YouTube convinced me that I needed was a subscription service box for makeup.  When I was looking, there were two big ones.  Ipsy and Birchbox.  If you watch YouTube,  you are quite familiar with the Battle of the Boxes.

If you're not familiar, I'll start with Birchbox and give you a basic run down.  Birchbox was started in 2010 by two women who met at Harvard.  When you sign up, you answer some questions to help you receive beauty items that you will like.  It's $10.00 a month and does have a brief waiting period. 

 You can invite friends for points, it's 50 points per friend, which equals $5.00.  You can also review items and get points.  It's 10 points per review.  Those points will allow you to purchase items in their Birchbox store.  I recently made a purchase with my points and found it to be fast and easy.  It was also totally free.  I didn't even pay for shipping!

They have women and men boxes and the men's boxes are $20.00.  My boyfriend has this and has received some pretty cool stuff.  He also usually gets his box before me.  Grrrr face!

If you're the type that wants to know, the 10th of each month you can take a peak and see what you got!

Birchbox recently made some changes and has been allowing people to pick a sample.  I personally LOVE this!  The samples in the box can be hit or miss, but you generally get about five items.

They come well packaged in a box and this month had a very pretty box.

The theme this month was "Decked Out."  It comes with a card that explains the theme and gives the prices.

My first item was Davines Replumping Superactive.  Davines started as a research laboratory that made hair care products for high end companies.  They started in Parma, Italy in 1983.  They believe in sustainability and natural products and are a brand that Birchbox uses quite often.  The Replumping spray smells heavily herbal in the bottle but lightens when sprayed.  It is a leave in plumper.  I'm kinda excited about this as I have very fine hair and some thickening won't be bad for me!  It is $39.50 for a full size, so I'm happy that the sample size actually allows me a chance to use it long enough to decide if I want to take the plunge for a full size.

For the most part I was thinking about doing a follow up post and reviewing the products I received.  But for this mask?  I'm wearing it right now.  As I'm writing this blog post.  I love masks lol!  Royal Apothic claims to have come from from an old book of apothecary recipes that was found and the then recipes used to make their lovely products.  The mask smells heavenly, like tea and a hint of honeysuckle.  It is a clay mask that's an odd mauve brown.  It is supposed to contain green, black, and white tea with purple and Kaolin clay.  It has a fine grit to it.  Exfoliating masks generally do.  It seems the exfoliating material in this is pumice.  It tingles when you put it on.  It did make my skin feel smooth, but I'm glad I get to try it a few more times to really decide.   The full size is $58.00.

Mirenesse is an Australian brand that is cruelty free, organic and sustainable, free of parabens, mineral oil, sulphates and much more.  The color I received is named Sydney.  It smells like strawberries.  Normally I'm not into fake strawberry things because do you know how many chemicals it takes to fake the luscious strawberry? A lot.  But maybe with this company I can tell myself it's not so bad!

The color is very similar to Kat VonD Bachlorette.  Sydney is just more pink, less red, and a little lighter.  It is one of those colors I would wear all year long.  It has a contoured club applicator that I think is meant to hug the lips for better application and it does apply easily.  It is $29.00 for the full size.

W3LL PEOPLE is all natural and made in the USA.  It is also cruelty free.  I received the Bio Brightener in Moonstone.

It's a pretty champagne colored high lighter.  The full size of this is $33.00.  It's supposed to optically diffuse light (don't most high lighters?) and actually be good for your skin.

Lastly, I received an English Laundry Perfume.  It's in the scent, Signature.  Christopher Wicks is a men's fashion designer.  It is listed as an Oriental Vanilla scent.  It is supposed to have notes of white chocolate and quince.  It is good for day and mellows to a very light scent, especially for an eau de parfum.  It is $70.00 for the full size.

I'm not over-whelmed by this box.  It has some things that might be good but none of it was too exciting for me.  I'll review the Ipsy one I received next and let you know in that one which one I felt won for this month.  Although I did not have my blog and therefor did not review my last months bags and boxes, I felt last month was a Birchbox win.

* I pay for my own Birchboxes with money I earned at my day job.  

** I do have a link for Birchbox and if you want to use it, it's here.  

ColourPop Wet Lippie Stix and Pencil

YouTube definitely influences my buying habits.  I thought I would be safe watching a foundation video.  I adore my foundation and primer and have no desire to change it up...for now lol.

I was wrong.  LustreLux is a recent subscription of mine.  I'm not sure how I didn't find her earlier. What can you do?  So, I was watching her updated foundation routine and the lip color she used was just so beautiful on her.  It was not a color I would have ever thought I would have wanted.

But I wanted!  I already wanted to try ColourPop.  So, I ordered Lumière and this from their website.

It had the same fun packaging as my last post.  It didn't have the label on the end of the package as the other one did, but it was going in the trash after photos, so it wasn't a big deal.  I did like the pop of color (teal) on the inside of the package though!

It is rather intimidating.  I have eye-shadows this color!  On my lips?  Could it possibly look okay on me, the average woman?  LustreLux is a very beautiful woman and they can usually get away with things that average people can not.

Again the swatching was seriously smooth and lovely.  I was very excited.  I love taupe eye-shadows and I knew the color would look good on my skin tone.  I was still nervous about the color on my lips though!

The Wet Pencil is a wonderfully pigmented taupe color.  It has a pearl finish.  It applies very creamy.  As with the other ColourPop pencils this is a whopping $5.00.

The Wet Lippie Stix is the same shade shade of pearlized taupe.  Both the pencil and the stix are cool toned.  It applied very creamy although a little, not quite patchy, but close.  The finish is lovely.  It is very comfortable to wear.  It lasts a decent amount of time, on par with MAC or Gerard Cosmetics.  It is also only $5.00.

I'm not going to lie.  I really also want to use these as an eye-shadow base.  The color is different for me, but I love it!  I think this is a great color to have for the season and in her video LustreLux said that this is a great dupe for the Rihanna Viva Glam shade, which runs $16.00.  I haven't tried the Rihanna shade, so I can't say straight up, but I like telling myself I saved $11.00.

ColourPop must also be listening to the reviews of their products, as they recently added swatches of the products online.  It used to be just the tubes of the product.  It can be hard to tell from just looking at the product if you'll like the color.  One thing I really really like about their swatches is that they included multiple skin tones with the color applied.  From the look of it applied on the arm of their model it appears as though dark skin could totally rock Wet.

You do need to make sure that your lips aren't dry as the pearl finish really draws attention to that.

You don't NEED the Lippie Stix and the pencil, but they definitely pair well together.  I am giving this a big YAY!  This isn't a must have for your lipstick collection.  It can be tough to wear.  But it is a fun color to try. I am totally joining the ColourPop bandwagon.

If you did buy this color and found that it was just too much I do have a solution.  Pair it with dusky rose lip pencil like the Lumière pencil from ColourPop and a pink gloss.  I used the Buttercream Lipgloss from Gerard Cosmetics.  Bam!  A nice cool toned pink that is easier to wear.

* My bandwagon joining did not come with free lippies.  I paid for these myself.

ColourPop Lumière Lippie Stix and Pencil

I'm sure we don't need to rehash my love of YouTube and beauty videos in general.  It's pretty much my raison d'être.  Okay, I might be exaggerating, but I do love to watch those types of videos.  It's nice to virtually hang out with people who love make-up as much as I do.

One of the people I frequently watch is Kathleen Lights.  She is a Broke Woman friendly channel. She comes across fresh and honest, in addition to just being a lovely young woman.  Recently, she said that she had worked with ColourPop to create a lip color.

As every beauty junkie knows, it's best to take these things with a grain of salt.  I was especially leery after the Gerard Cosmetics buy (not bad stuff, just not worth the prices).  But this is Kathleen!  She would never tell me to buy something that would murder my poor bank account.

So, I decided to order Lumière, the color she created.  If you watch the video, isn't she adorably excited?

Okay, on to the good stuff.  Lumière is available on the ColourPop website for the joyful price of $5.00.  Nope, I didn't forget to add a digit.  It is really only $5.00.  Guess what?  It has a matching lip pencil.  The pencil is only $5.00 as well.

It was well packaged in shipping.  The packaging was fun with holographic lettering in a white box.

It went well with the packaging of the actual Lippie Stix and pencil.  It's a very clean, white packaging.  It personally like the packaging, although I can see how it would get dirty easily.  Rumor on the street has it that you can clean stuff, so I think I can try that if it does get dirty ;)

It swatched like a dream.  I prefer to do a one swipe swatch, because something about seeing people grinding swatches into their arms drives me nuts.  I would never apply that much lipstick.

Lumière is French for "light" and isn't indicative of the color, more so a reflection of Kathleen Lights.  So, it isn't a glittery or shiny color.

The pencil has a creamy application.  It isn't dry like MAC pencils.  The color is a lovely dusty rose that would be perfect under not only the Lumière Lippie Stix, but under many other pinks and nudes I own.  I also feel this could be worn all over the lips with a gloss on its own.  I am so happy with this buy.

The actual Lumière Lippie Stix is a gorgeous matte mauve dusty rose.  It is a color that really would look good on so many people.  It has a very creamy application.  The pigmentation is rich and opaque.  It has a very subtle vanilla scent.  It isn't anything you notice while applying the Lippie Stix, just something you notice if you sniff the Stix.

You can do a light application as I did, or go for more of a dramatic application.  For a matte this is amazingly comfortable.  I did not find this to be too drying.  It also lasts a long time on the lips.  I put this on before work and it lasted all day.  Even through lunch where I did radical things like eat lunch.

It was $10.00 for this combination.  The shipping was $4.99, however they have one of the better offers for free shipping.  You only have to pay $30.00 to get free shipping.  That's 6 products!  Insane.  I know!  Unfortunately, they are not on Ebates.  Insert sad face.

I will definitely be getting more of these.  This is a Broke Woman Approved Buy.  You won't have buyers remorse with these.  You are only getting a gram of product, but with how pigmented it is, I still like the value of this brand.

* I bought these products with my own money.  No one left these on my door step or told me to review.

Holiday Red Lips and Some Not so Reds

During this season the classic red lip pops out with all of its classic gorgeousness.  Sometimes it pops out on the teeth, which isn't so gorgeous.  I somehow gathered a collection of reds and a couple not so reds that really wanted to come out and play!

First up we have the MAC reds, RiRi Woo (which I don't think they sell anymore but it's pretty much the same thing as Ruby Woo) and Viva Glam Rihanna (the first one).  Both colors are lovely and sell for $16.00.  Which is on the mid-range as far as price goes.  MAC is like the gateway cosmetic.  I wouldn't say you need both, but they are very different.  

The Woo shade is matte, a little dry to apply, but has a great blue under tone that helps make your teeth appear whiter. It lasts quite a while, but can be drying on the lips.  

The Viva Glam is more frosty, more of warmer blue-red, applies smoothly, and lasts roughly three to four hours.  I adore the tube, not going to lie.  It's a frosted red bullet, which goes great with the red frost lipstick inside!  It is also of the Viva Glam group which has the purchase of this product helping people with AIDS.  Which can make you feel better about spending $16.00 on the lipstick!

When I apply these, I usually use a lip liner. Kandee Johnson made me believe I needed this liner and truly it is the only red liner I own.  It is MAC Cherry Lip Liner.  It applies well, lasts a long time, and if you watched the video, can be worn on its own.  It's a true red and I wear it with all of my reds.  It is $16.00, so if you buy one MAC lipstick and this, you're looking at $32.00. 

The Bite Beauty VIB Rouge Lipstick which was a shade made for Sephora for their VIB Rouge program deserved an honorable mention here.  I received it when Sephora broke the news on my birthday that I spend entirely too much money at Sephora.  It applies very creamy, is a cooler toned red.  I love what Bite Beauty stands for and that they have food grade ingredients.  The down side?  If you want to buy it after they lure you in with the cute little mini?  $28.00.  Ouch.  This ended up being the most expensive lipstick on the list.

Now for the liquid lipstick types.  For a true fiery red, the Sephora Cream Lip Stain 01 Always Red, is fantastic.  Of all the shades mentioned, it is the least expensive at only $13.00.  It is also the longest lasting.  This will make it through an eight hour day at work. It has a super soft, cushy doe foot applicator.  I usually brush off the excess and carefully apply it.  It dries matte within moments.  I highly recommend moisturizing your lips before applying as it will feel drier as the day goes on.  

Next is a Not so Red that I'm loving this season.  Judging from the amounts of compliments I get when I wear this color, others are loving it too. I received this as a sample in a holiday bag from Sephora. Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Bachlorette by Kat VonD is a dark fuchsia with a touch of red.  It has a nice doe foot applicator that I recommend the same wipe down and moisturizing prior to use, as with the Sephora lipstick.  It lasts about as long and it also can feel dry about lunch time.  It doesn't dry as fast, but it will dry down to a matte finish.  At $19.00 it is in the mid-high range of our list.

Next on the Not so Red list is another Bite Beauty Lipstick.  It's the Luminous Creme Lipstick in Mulberry which is a gorgeous wine hued shade.  I'm not wild about the weird lid (it reminds me of the Whistle Top building in Denver -also called the Mailbox Top- and it's just eh), but the creamy formula and the rich pigmented color, make it drool worthy.  It can be very messy as far as application, so you do want to take your time with it.  It is $24.00 at Sephora.

I actually tried on all of the lipsticks, but the lighting was terrible and you couldn't really see the differences.  This is Fashion Icon and it's not doing it justice.

Last on the list is Lancome's Color Design Lipstick in Fashion Icon.  I received this in a gift with purchase and oh boy was I pleasantly surprised!  If you just went by swatches on websites you would never want this, it looks like a swipe of mud with a touch of wine.  They classify this one as a metallic and it truly comes out as a metallic plum that really catches the eye.  It applies smoothly but does have a faint grit due to all of the micro glitter.  It lasts about three to four hours.  This is another one that gets lots of compliments.  At $22.50 it is more pricey for the full size.

 From Left to Right: Bachlorette, Mulberry, Fashion Icon, VIB Rouge, Cherry, Riri Woo, Viva Glam Rihanna, and Always Red.

• If you're in the mood for a red, Sephora's Always Red is a great place to start.  Its price and the length of time it lasts makes it a great buy.
• If you hate that reds pull too orange on you?  You want to go with Ruby Woo or Viva Glam Rihanna, depending on how you feel about matte, the blue undertones should help it pull more true red.
• If you're not into reds, but want to get your toes wet, I'd suggest Bachlorette.
• If you're bold and want more berry, Mulberry is great.
• If you love a good metallic look or just something different, Fashion Icon will float your nog.

* I purchased all of these with my abused debit card unless they were samples given.  No company thought I should review their product.

** I always try to use Ebates to buy my products.  Sephora, Nordstrom, and Macy's give you a percentage back.  MAC does not, but you can buy MAC at Nordstrom and Macy's to get your cash back.