Tis the season for the dark lips to make their mark on the world.  Because of that and my sister looking for a brownish red, I decided that I should probably pick up another ColourPop lippie.  I make such sacrifices for those I love.

Lady

ColourPop's Lady Lippie Stix has a matching pencil.  It was part of a holiday collection, but due to the love of fans, they released it as a permanent color that you can buy all by itself.  They sell for $5.00 each, they are made in the USA, vegan, and they don't test on animals.

The shape of the lipstick allows for it to stay in a pointed shape that allows for easy application.  The pencil does have to be sharpened.  The best way to sharpen is to have a good sharpener or pop this in the freezer wrapped up and sharpen when the pencil is hardened.

Lady swatches

Lady is cool toned and I think it hits that brownish red mark that Sara was looking for.  Colourpop lists it as "cool toned dirty burgundy."  It definitely fits with the Marsala trend as well.  It is a matte.  Personally, I'm a big fan of the Colourpop matte lippies.  They're comfortable and long lasting, Lady is no exception.  There is a little feathering if it's worn without a lip liner, so I do advise purchasing the liner as well.

Looking like a lady

 Lady is a darker color but it is very wearable.  It also works with skin colors from glow in the dark like me to dark, so bonus points there.

I love this color.  I think it's great for the season.  It's a nice dark color that isn't at all scary and would be a good color for those looking to break out of the nudes.

* I got all ladylike on my own.  I didn't receive Lady for free nor was I asked to review it.

The latest creative play at Makeup Geek has been their duo-chrome eye-shadows.  They come in two forms, pan and loose pigment.  The Makeup Geek Duo-chrome eye-shadow that we're going to talk about today is in pan form and it's the color Phantom.

Makeup Geek

The 1.8 gram pan comes in a rose gold and black sleeve.  As usual, Makeup Geek is made in the USA and cruelty-free.  It is $6.00 and part of the permanent collection.


On the back is the ingredient list and proof that this color is indeed Phantom.  In case, it was doubted or something.  That is the back of the pan and it is useful for when you stick it in your Zpalette, so you remember what color you have.

Phantom

Phantom in the pan looks like an off-white and pale lavender.  It definitely leans cooler toned.  It has decent pigmentation that is semi sheer on its own but the color is stronger with a base.

Swatch of Phantom

It can look a little pink in some lights and is a fun all over the lid or high light color.  It may be a little on the chalky side.  It is a good color for someone who wants a little something extra in their look but don't want a crazy color.  It lasts roughly 7 hours, depending on base used and your lids.  I didn't notice creasing.  I also didn't notice very much of a duo-chrome effect.  It just kinda looks like a pink/violet iridescent shade.

Over-all, it is a good value shade.  It's fun, pretty, and wearable for most people.  As it has purple tones it will look pretty with any eye colors.  I don't think it deserves a ton of hype, but it's a decent shadow.

* I bought my own Phantom.  It didn't come with music of the night.

Black box of joy

As always this is an exciting time of the month.  I mean who doesn't love a big box of presents every month?  Boxycharm is one of the more exciting boxes or if you want, this is my referral link.  When you refer a friend you receive 500 pts.  You also receive points just for getting a box delivered!

For $21.00 a month you get four to five full size products. The points earned take off money in the store.  The store isn't as extensive as Birchbox, but it's still pretty good.  1000 pts will take off $10.00, 2000 takes off $20.00, and so on.

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This month's theme was Pop, Fizz, Clink.  It had a 1920's look and was fun and I can tell you I was pretty excited, even though I was so sick I didn't even care about looking for spoilers.  That should tell you how sick I was!  Like Birchbox, Boxycharm is good about putting in a card that tells you how much the full sized items were and gives you information on them.

Ofra

I first heard about Ofra in my Boxycharm boxes and I do like their products.  I was excited to receive a liquid lipstick, but this would not be a good color on me.  I didn't swatch it because I knew I would give it away.  Anyways, it's the Ofra color in Americano, which is ruddy brown and sells for $19.90.  I have heard very good things about this liquid lipstick and I'm sad that I couldn't try it, but the person who got this in their Secret Santa present will look amazing in it, so that makes me happy.

Bellápierre

I also received a Bellápierre gel lip liner in the color Cinnamon and it is full size, selling for $18.00.  I had a sneaking feeling that this matched the Ofra lipstick (YouTube videos verified this) and even though the Ofra product didn't need a lipliner, I just couldn't help add it to the Secret Santa gift (it doesn't count to the price if you get it as part of a box, right? That's my logic and I'm sticking to it).  It's a warm brown shade and very creamy.  I've heard some people have a hard time sharpening it, in which case, get a good sharpener.  My Makeup Forever sharpener has a tungsten blade and was $10.00 when I bought it and it sharpens everything beautifully.

Tatcha

Also in the box were Tatcha Blotting Papers.  There are 30 sheets in the pack and they sell for $12.00.  They have a good thickness and have gold flecks on the paper.  They aren't powdered and do a great job absorbing excess oil.  I'm saving these for a long night out or for the summer!

Jelly Pong Pong

I have been receiving a lot of the Jelly Pong Pong products in my boxes lately.  So, this one went into a Christmas gift as well.  This was the Jelly Pong Pong All Over Glow and it's a full size for $15.95.  They don't test on animals.  The packaging is adorable and apparently it smells good.  My sister kept wondering what smelled so good in her Christmas present and it ended up being this.  It has jasmine extract and is oil free.  This would be wonderful to highlight with or to mix into foundation for a nice glow.

Nelson J Beverly Hills

Next up was the Nelson J Beverly Hills Moisture Healing Mask in the Coconut Scent.  It smells wonderful.  It wasn't as thick as I thought it would be, it's actually very runny, so use care when opening it.  It's also a full size 3.4 oz for $23.00.  It has argan oil and jojoba butter and I really liked it as a pre-shampoo treatment, but you can use it as a short mask or a long mask as well.

NCLA

My last item was the NCLA Treatments in So Rich Dark Almond.  If you've been cruising the reviews, you might have noticed that people got different colored ones of these in their boxes.  I got the bright yellow which was almond scented.  I've also seen purple, which is rose petals and pink, which is peach vanilla.  I am happy with the scent I got, but I think I would have been happy with any of them.  It is a vitamin E and sunflower oil infused cuticle oil.  I've been using it since it came and it really has made the skin around my nails look a lot better.  It has a nice little dropper that makes it easy to use and control.  This was also full sized and sells for $24.00 for .5 fl oz.

Okay, now time to put on our math hats and add up the value of the box.  I'm sure there is a drum rolling somewhere.  The full value of my box was $112.85.  I paid $21.00.  I think I got my money's worth and I'm very happy with this box.

* I buy my own Boxycharm.  Boxycharm doesn't care that I blog.

This month the theme for Ipsy was With <3 From Ipsy.  Ipsy is a $10.00 per month subscription service.  You get points for referring friends.  However, the points system isn't that great.  Most things require 1000 points and if it's less than they're usually sold out.

Oooh red plastic.

They come with a bag, some bags are super cute, some like this one are eh.  I mean it's not like a 1980's couch or something, but for the holidays, I think I just expect some glammed out gorgeousness.

Crown Brush

I love getting brushes and I suppose if I didn't already have three brow brushes I would be happy to get this.  I think I could never have enough blending brushes, but brow brushes...I'm good.  This was the Crown Brush C413 and it sells for $3.28.  It's double ended with a thicker brush side for brows and a spoolie end for brows or lashes.

Clark's Botanicals

Next up was a mask and you know I love getting masks.  This was Clark's Botanicals Deep Moisture Mask.  It's something I'm pretty excited to try as I've been super sick and have dry areas around my nose right now.  Lovely, right?  It doesn't have much of a scent, but again, I've been sick lol.  They do not test on animals, it doesn't contain gluten, parabens, or sulfates.  The full size is 1.7 oz and is $72.00.  Well.  I hope I don't fall in love with this.  You can use it as a mask or moisturizer.

Then I got the Pacifica Power of Love Lipstick in Nudie Red.  As it is Pacifica, they don't test on animals and they use Vegan ingredients and made in the USA.  It's made with coconut oil.  The cool thing about this is that every one of these you buy, they donate another one to a woman in need. There have some very sad times in my life where even something small like a new lipstick would bring me a little confidence so that's pretty great.  You can purchase these at Target in the US and they are $9.49.  What would be cool is to buy some of these and donate to a women's shelter and double up on the giving :)  It's not really my color, a sheer peachy red.

Formula X

 This color is so pretty!  It's Formula X and it's in the color Revved Up.  It's a rose gold metallic and sells for $10.50 for the full size .4 oz bottle.  It is supposed to be 3 free (which means it does not contain formaldehyde, DBP, or toluene).  It does list that it contains formaldehyde in the ingredients, so I couldn't give it to my sister like I wanted to, as I already have it and she has a formaldehyde allergy.  It may be the case where they have the basic lists for ingredients and it's not accurate to what it actually contains, but I couldn't take the chance.  I really like her for some reason :)

Befine

I have totally busted into this cleanser and I love it.  It's the Befine Exfoliating Cleanser.  It is one of those sugar cleansers that foams up.  It's similar to the Suki cleanser that was $32.95 for 4 oz, although the Suki smelled like lemon sugar.  This one is $24.00 for 4 oz.  It has brown sugar, ginger extract, sweet almond oil, eucalyptus oil, orange oil, and oat protein.  It smells good, but not like bam perfume.  Again, I am getting over a cold so you might not want to fully trust my nose.  It has helped my blah sick skin look much better and it doesn't feel stripping or harsh.

Overall, I like this bag.  My favorites were the cleanser, the nail polish, and the mask.  I wasn't wild about the brush and the lipstick, although I did like the idea of it.

I am behind in my box game, but we were tied 4 to 4.  This one was very very close but I think Birchbox wins it due to the Benefit item and the coconut oil (I've been using that like crazy).  That brings us to Birchbox 5 and Ipsy 4.

* I pay for my own Ipsy.  No one sends me stuff to review, asks that I review them, or has stopped me from reviewing them yet.

Yay subscription box time!  As usual, we'll start with Birchbox.  It's a $10.00 a month subscription box.  I love their points system.  You can refer friends for 50 points and if you ever want to use my link it's here. The sample choices allowed you to pick which color of eye-shadow you wanted and you'll see below which ones I picked.  Next month's picks are up here and they're pretty good, although I thought the Eyeko pencil was something that was supposed to be added to all boxes before it was locked away in customs a while back.

Love this month's box

This month's box was white and silver with a winter sweater look and chartreuse base box with blue paper.  They all include a list of what you received and how much the full size was.

Festive

 They told us to keep our boxes last year, so I have, but I still don't know why.  Maybe it's just a continuity error or something.

Harvey Prince

Can I tell you how excited that I got more Harvey Prince?  Blech.  I don't really like their fragrances and I really wish we wouldn't get them all the time.  This was Harvey Prince Sincerely and retails for between $23.00 for the roller ball and $57.00 for the 1.7 oz size.  It's supposed to smell like tuberose, cyclamen, and mandarin.  Leading me to believe I might like this perfume.  Nope.

Soap and Paper Factory

My next item was a hand lotion, which I enjoy getting, especially since winter is upon us and my skin starts getting thirsty.  This was from the Soap and Paper Factory and is the Green Tea scent.  The Soap and Paper Company is out of New York and doesn't contain parabens, phthalates, or petroleum.  They don't test on animals and try to make their stuff friendly to the world around us. Like reusable glass in their containers and recycled cardboard. You don't need much of this lotion to go the distance and it can be a little greasy but nothing too bad.  It is green tea, basil, and anise and is $18.00 for the full 2.3 oz product.

Next up was the Coastal Scents duo.  I picked the two colors from the Social Eyes palette which is part of the Style Eyes collection.  There is a pretty metallic grey that didn't turn blue on my skin, which is nice, although it seems to have quite a bit of fall out and the pigmentation seems decent.  The black has flecks of glitter and has okay pigmentation.  The palette is only $12.00 for eight shadows and I think it is probably the right price for the product.

Kopari

Next up was the Kopari Coconut Sheer Oil and I really liked it.  Kopari uses coconut sourced from the Philippines, doesn't have parabens, silicones, sulfates.  It doesn't say anything about not testing on animals though, which may be a deciding factor in ordering a full size.  The full size is $38.00 for 1.7 oz.  It has a nice scent, not so much coconut though, which could be good or bad, depending on your thoughts on coconut scent.  It absorbs well and has enough coconut oil that it will solidify under 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Last up was the Benefit They're Real Tinted Primer in the color mink.  The brush is really good and doesn't clump up.  The mink color is good if you have pale lashes and want something subtle.  I would like this in black and would like to try it head to head (or eye to eye) against my Little Black Primer.  Which is really one of my most used items.  This is supposed to be water resistant and have B Vitamins to help condition your lashes.  It is $28.00 for .3 oz.

Overall, I think I got a pretty good box.  My favorites would be the sheer coconut oil, the lotion and the primer.  My least favorite item was the perfume.

Did you get a good box?

Let's see who wins this month, Birchbox or Ipsy?

* As per usual no one sends me stuff to review.  I paid in full for my own Birchbox and reviewed it without anyone asking me to.

Much like the previous set I bought, Vixen, I was drawn to this set because of one color.  It looked like a dupe for a certain high end product that is quite popular and an Allure recommended item. We'll get to that color in a minute, or however long it takes me to write and you to read until that point.  I know, I'm a tease!

Are you ready to get all Fauncy with me?

Fauncy box

Fauncy is the set in a pink and black box.  This set sells for $30.00 and has three gel eyeliner sticks and three gel eyeliner pots.  The eyeliner game is new to Colourpop.  The colors in the box are not as yet sold separately.  The pencils are .2 g and the pots are 3 grams of product.

Like their other products, the gel eyeliners are made in the USA, vegan, and cruelty free.  There is an exception to the vegan made products and those are listed in the FAQ section of the website.  In this box there is one non vegan item.  I'll list that with the individual item.

Oooh packing

As with the other box, it was well packaged.  It is a thick cardboard with a lip that pulls out.  There is a foam inset that fits nicely over the interior of the box, keeping everything nice and secure.  There is a large mirror that is clear and not marred by cheap cloudiness.


Unlike some packaging, it is easy to remove any of the items you want without damaging the packaging.  It's good for a gift in its presentation.

The pencil liners are not actual pencils with sharpening and all that jazz.  They're the roll up kind and they are rather delicate, so it's advised not to roll up too far. Now good to the good stuff!

Under flash

The first color comes with both a pencil liner and a matching pot.  It's called Soiree and it is a lovely metallic gunmetal with olive undertones.

The pencil has wonderful pigmentation.  I wear contacts and it does not irritate my eyes.  It has creamy application and it lasts almost as well as some of my UD liners.  This should be an item sold individually.

The gel pot isn't quite as wonderful.  Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful color and I was super excited about it.  It just has a dry formula and the pigmentation isn't bad but it's not wonderful either.  I've tried using different brushes and the result is still the same.  If you use this, make sure you aren't wearing a darker look, because it just won't show.  I give this an almost good rating.  Just a tiny bit more pigment and a little creaminess and it would be perfect.  It is a great color and if you put in the work, it is unusual without being in your face.

The next color is also a set with the pencil and the gel.  It's called Bustier and I'm liking where this party is going.  Bad joke?  Yeah, I know...  It's a matte blackened olive.

Yup, flashed

The pencil is creamy, but a little drier than Soiree.  It is a cool color and is a subtle blackened olive.  It might look like a soft black at first glance.  It's good for people who want some color but not anything over the top.

If possible the gel pot was drier than Soiree.  It has a lot of potential, but with dryness and suffering from the same pigmentation issues as Soiree, it is the most blah color in this whole package.  It might work best as an eye-shadow base, rather than an eyeliner.  It will also look like a soft black at first glance.

More flashing

This was the last gel pot in the set.  I would actually love a matching liner.  I used to have one by Victoria's Secret that was my little buddy.  This color is Polar and it's black with glitter.  It is perfect for the holidays, date night, or if you just love glitter.

However, it's just about the same as Soiree in that it could use a little more pigmentation and be more creamy.  It is dry compared to other gel liners I own and takes some work to build up.  It has so much potential though!  This would be wonderful if there was a little reformulation and it was released individually, with matching liner.

Sooo much flashing

This is the last item in the set and the pencil without a matching gel pot.  This is the only non vegan item in the box and is the only color that isn't a black color.  It's called Frill and is a metallic lavender.

This color is the rock star of the bunch and the one I was most excited about.  It is creamy, has wonderful pigmentation and is a beautiful pop of color that isn't crazy or over the top.  It also lasts quite a while, even in the water line.  It doesn't irritate my eyes.  Most eye colors look wonderful with purples and this works on many different skin tones.  This NEEDS to be available individually and not as a limited edition.

Top to bottom: MJ (luna)tic and CP Frill - flash used

Remember a minute ago when I teased you with a potential high end dupe?  Here she is, my friends.  Marc Jacobs has this gorgeous color called (luna)tic.  It's .5g and made in Korea.  It's also $25.00 a pencil and Sephora has had issues with having it in stock.

Like Frill, Luna is a roll up pencil.  However, Luna has a little more red tones and more glitter.  While it swatches beautifully, it barely shows up on my skin at all, even my water line.  It made me soooooo sad.  I couldn't even do the review I planned because I just kept waiting for it to be worth $25.00.  It's not for me, although maybe if you have darker skin.  When I saw Frill I hoped it was that dupe.  It's not an exact, but it is close.  It also performs better.  To buy the set for Frill alone would not be cost effective.  But if they make this a permanent color that is available all by its lonesome?  Omg...

Overall, this is a decent set.  It has some cool colors, although some are a little too similar.  The gel pots could use a little more work, but they're not bad.  There are a couple stand outs: Frill, Polar and the Soiree liner.  It is worth $30.00.  Do you need to rush out and get this or cry yourself to sleep if you don't get it before it vanishes?  No.  Are there some cool things that would make a good gift or a fun thing to own? Yes.

I'm happy I bought it and really hope certain colors become permanent.  It isn't the best set of the 2015 Holiday, but it's nice to have.

* I bought my own Fauncy party.  No one invited me to this seasonal event, nor did they send it to me, hope I would review it, or trade booze for my thoughts.

I'm not sure if you've noticed yet, but I have a thing for ColourPop.  There are hits and misses, but in general it's in the win column.  So, when I saw that ColourPop was having a set for the holidays, I was interested.  When I saw 54 in this video by Young Wild and Polished, I died.  Not literally, of course.  After I came to, I hunted every image, video, anything about 54.  I might have been a little obsessed.

Then I went to order it.  It comes in the Holiday 2015 Vixen Set and it sells for $30.00.  You receive six full size lippies.  Full size is one gram of product.  I anxiously awaited my delivery.  I haunted my mail box.  There was a different carrier this time and a comedy of errors it seems, so a week and one day after the delivery date, I was finally tearing open my box of lipstick goodness.

As a note, as with most of their other lippie sets, these do not have matching liners.  Maybe one day!

All Colourpop products are cruelty free and made in the USA.  Most products are vegan, but those that are not are listed in the FAQ's.  All of these lippies are vegan.

Hello gorgeous

I'll apologize now for the bad lighting, it was dark by the time I got home from work, seeing as how it's winter and there are less hours of light.  As a true broke woman, I don't have fancy equipment, just me and my trusty phone.

The package is black and a foiled purple.  It is cardboard but does feel sturdy.  The front lip is magnetized and is where you open it.

Not pictured, lots of foam packaging

The mirror is good sized and not cloudy.  It was all packaged well and after a moment of giddiness, I got down to business.  By business I mean drawing on my arm.

The first color in the set is Ruffle.  It's a matte formula.  It's a warm terracotta brown.  When I first saw it, all I could think of was Monica from Friends.  It really seems like a color that I can remember her wearing.  I could be way off base.  It has happened once or twice.

Warm colors are not me, but this wasn't extremely far off the base.  I probably won't wear it much, so I might see if I can find someone who won't mind it if I tried it on once.  This would look so amazing on someone with a warm tones.  It seems most people do, so this might be the thing that sells you on this.  They should make this color permanent though, it really would look amazing on so many people.



Next up was a color that totally surprised me.  It's called Last Call and is a créme formula.  My favorite formula is usually the matte, but I did love how this feels on the lips and that it does last a long time.

Did I mention the color is gorgeous?  It is.  It is that perfect nude pink that I have dreamed about for ages.  If you have cool toned skin, this... hold on a sec, I was having a moment. If you have cool toned skin, this may be your new bff.  It's a cool toned mauve pink that I think "blush pink" when I see it.  It's not so cool that warm skin tones need to run into the light and far away from this shade.  This is another color from the set I hope Colourpop makes permanent or sells individually so I can stock up.



I was a little confused by the next color.  Not like I suddenly forgot colors or anything, but why a hot pink was in a holiday collection.  Hot pinks usually seem spring or summer to me.  It is a pretty color though.  It's called Night Owl and is another créme formula.

It's a cool toned hot pink and it's not obnoxious and loud like some hot pinks are (I'd still probably wear those too).  It's a nice color, nothing that will blow you away and make you weep, unless hot pink is your game.  If it is, you might really love this color.



While I have been branching into purples, this one did intimidate me a little from the swatches.  It's called Plastics (love the name) and is their matte formula.  It's a ruddy violet and is very nice for the season.

This color would be good on warm or cool skin tones, but I think would look best on someone with dark skin.  People with dark skin usually seem to be able to rock purples in a way that makes me super jealous. Much like with Night Owl, I liked it, but this wasn't something I tripped out over.



54 is the color I went bananas over after seeing the video.  It reminded me of Lancôme's Fashion Icon.  It is definitely not a dupe, but the metallic formula of Fashion Icon is similar to the pearlized finish of 54.  This is the second pearlized finish I have from ColourPop, the first being Wet.  It is a wine color with pink and red glitter.

Unlike FI, the small amount of glitter in this does not give it a gritty texture.  It goes on creamy and feels very comfortable.  I do love the color and it was my second favorite in this set, after Last Call.

The color is very flattering and I did not want to take it off to do the next swatch, but such is life.  This color would be wonderful for the holidays.  I would be happy if they sold it individually and maybe relaunched in July for Independence Day.

The glitter isn't in your face, just a nice pop of it.  It'll make you feel more festive, I promise.  Although, if glitter makes you gag, you may want to avoid this color because the glitter will give you a sad face.


What is a holiday lip set without a red?  Jingle is a matte formula in Christmas red.  It isn't a dupe for Mac's Ruby Woo, which looks slightly pinker next to Jingle and is definitely a different texture, more of a dry formula.

It is very creamy and easy to apply.  It does have a long dry down time in which it will transfer and potentially smear.  Once it dries down it does lock in place for quite a while.   I really like this color though and think it's a really good red for any skin color.  It would work best with a liner under it.


That's all folks.  Over all, I did like this set, I think it runs a pretty neutral ground and isn't something that only caters to one certain skin type.  There is something for everyone and as such there will be a color that you won't like.  Unless you're a magical being who looks good in everything.  In which case, I wish I had your magic powers.

For $30.00 this is a great set.  It is packaged nicely enough that this would be a good gift for someone who loves lipstick or who wants to get into it.  It would also be great to break up and give pieces to people who you know would love a certain color.

I think ColourPop did a great job with this one.  What color was your favorite?

* I had my swatch fest on my own broke dime.  No one sends me color or asks me to review things.