REVIEW of Maybelline Color Whisper Lipstick in 85 Berry Ready

Hello chickadees!

This is one of many dark lipstick reviews that will hopefully be coming your way if I stay on track. Embarrassingly, I actually picked this up as part of a drugstore.com haul all the way back in March 2014. Eep! I'm so bad at reviewing things in a timely fashion. I only started using it in May and even though this color makes no sense in the summer I continued to test it from time to time through to the middle of July. Now that the weather's actual perfect for a color like this I'm happy to finally be reviewing it for you.

Color: Maybelline Berry Ready is a berry colored lipstick. I'm sure you're shocked. Of course, berry means different things to different people and different makeup companies. This berry is partway between red and a deep pink with a very slight tinge of plum. When I swipe it on I often see more of that deep reddish pink with the hint of plum but for some reason when it photographs and especially after I've been wearing it for a while I feel like it goes more red. I was impressed with how pigmented it was even in the first swipe. Of course I chose a darker shade but still, you'd expect a formula like this to be a little lacking in color. I think it's a nice color for fall if you're looking to dry a darker lip color but you don't want to commit to really intense, almost black reds and purples. It's also nice if you have paler skin and you want that high contrast but I think it would look nice with a range of skin tones.
Formula/Finish: The formula is fairly light. It doesn't have the creamyness or weight that I associate it with a standard lipstick formula but it isn't really like a balm either. I think it's closest to a balm but without the moisturizing feel. When it is first applied it has a slight sheen but that fades fairly quickly.
Application: I think the lipstick glides on to the lips smoothly but it will catch in any dry flakes. As I mentioned it's very pigmented so you don't have to build it up. It applies evenly.
Wear: I don't find the product particularly slick or greasy. It feels very light on the lips, almost like a liquid product without the wetness or stickiness. I've also tried patting it on and wearing it as a stain. I don't recommend that if your lips are already dry. As a stain, it has a softer look and appears more like a deep pink. If you're eating and drinking the product will wear away from the center of your lips leaving that ring around your lips. In my experience, this lipstick is a little drying, especially if you wear it for a few hours without reapplying. I wore this once for five hours without eating or drinking and by the end of that time I felt like I had applied a tint or a dry lip crayon or lip liner. The color was still bold but there was a bit of feathering around my top lip.
Scent: The scent is not really distinct for me. It seems to almost be a mix of two things. I get a bit of fruitiness and also a bit of a candy scent. Both are deeper scents though like cherry and caramel for instance instead of very girly, light notes. It's not a very strong scent and I'm sure the fragrance is just there to mask the scent of the ingredients. I don't think it should bother those of you who are sensitive to fragrance but if you avoid all fragrance it's something to be aware of.
Taste: I don't think this product has any taste.
Price: These lipsticks are $7.49 at drugstore.com. According to my old drugstore product stalking posts, they used to be $8.49 at CVS. But whether you're buying it online or in person I would wait for a sale. You can easily find something that will bring down the price. I think about five or six dollars is fair for a lipstick like this.
Packaging: I find the shape of the bullet a little annoying. It's hard to get the precision you want, especially around the cupid's bow with the cylindrical shape of the lipstick. I wouldn't mind so much with a balm or a lighter color but you're kind of sunk if you mess up with a darker color like this. If you take your time you can pretty much manage but it's still annoying since this is not the kind of product I'm going to whip out a lip brush (which I'd later have to wash) to use.

CONCLUSION: If you like deep berry lip products and you prefer lighter formulas that don't sacrifice pigment, I think you'll like Maybelline Color Whisper Lipstick in Berry Ready. If you have drier lips this might not be for you as it can be drying and it will catch in any flakes or rough patches but as far as drugstore products go, I think it's a nice introduction to darker lip colors for fall at a good price.

If you're planning on doing any shopping at amazon.com I hope you'll consider using one of my affiliate links. It would really help me out. All you have to do is start your shopping trip using one of the links on my site and regardless of what you buy, I will get a small percentage of the revenue at no extra cost to you. 

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REVIEW of Maybelline Colorshow Metallics Nail Lacquer in 80 Blue Blowout

Hello firecrackers,

Happy Independence Day to those of you in America (who are reading this post today) and Happy Thursday (or whenever it is you're reading this) to everyone else. I've had mixed results with Maybelline polishes in the past but they keep getting me to buy new bottles because of sales. Blue Blowout was no different. I found it on clearance at Duane Reade for $2.49 and hoping that it would be a dupe for Confetti Rhapsody in Blue, I snatched it up.

Color: Maybelline Blue Blowout is an aquatic blue metallic polish. Of the finishes, I'm familiar with, it's most like a chrome or metallic polish but it doesn't appear perfectly smooth. There are visible brushstrokes and there is weird grittiness to this polish that could be a defect. I would guess that it is darker than Rhapsody in Blue but I can do a comparison if you'd like. Indoors, particularly when there's less natural night, it comes closer to being an colder blue but in bright sunlight it's a brighter, aquatic blue that stops just shy of blue-green. The polish has a slightly flat finish. It's nowhere near matte but perhaps a bit more satin, not really possessing a full glossy shine on its own, though you can of course add your favorite top coat.
Formula: This polish has a thicker formula.
Application: The first coat of this polish went on so smoothly it was like this polish didn't even know what drag meant. There were visible brushstrokes because of the formula but I thought application would be easy with the polish already relatively quite opaque in one coat. Then I applied the second coat. I had to even out the second coat and suddenly the brush was dragging when I tried to even out the polish so my manicure started to look messy. At two coats the polish was opaque. I thought there was a slight difference between the look of the polish with and without top coat but then I never got around to taking the photos with top coat before my nails had grown out.
Wear: When applying this polish to my right hand, a weird flake of dried polish transferred to the nail. I'm hoping this came from the rim of the bottle and wasn't mixed in with the polish. I wore this polish for five days without top coat. In that time I saw notable tip wear, more apparent on some nails than others, and growth but no chipping. This polish did stain my fingers badly when I was removing it so that's something to keep in mind. It's one of those polishes that bleeds almost like ink as you remove it, staining your nails and skin. The staining fully faded after a day or two but don't expect a quick polish change with this one.

CONCLUSION: Obviously, I cannot recommend this polish. Even though I like the color and it was opaque in 2 coats, it had a ton of application issues. I could look past the unevenness of the second coat as it ended up looking fine if it weren't for the inexplicable gritty bumps (they were not bubbles) that ended up on a few of my nails.

Cat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. If you would like to help support this site, please consider making your next purchase at amazon.com through the links on my page. I will get a small percentage of anything you purchase through one of my links at no extra cost to you.

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Maybelline Frozen Over Sinful Colors Cinderella Comparison

Hello my little ice princesses,

See what I did there? Yeah, I know. I'm very clever. I have some downtime at the moment so it's finally time to fulfill the request I got way back in April to do a comparison between Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer in 315 Frozen Over and Sinful Colors Professional Nail Enamel in 1106 Cinderella. If you'd like to read more in depth reviews of each polish, I've provided links to my original reviews.

For this comparison, I applied four coats of Maybelline Frozen Over to the nail of my pointer finger and four coats of Sinful Colors Cinderella to the nail of my middle finger. With Frozen Over, I found that all four coats went on smoothly but a bit unevenly, particularly with the first coat. I even out the polish a bit but not much as I was trying to not overwork it. With Cinderella, all four coats also went on smoothly without any drag. However, with the first coat of polish, you could see a clear difference between Cinderella and Frozen Over. Cinderella is considerably less opaque. There was barely any blue pigment deposited with the first coat of Cinderella, almost as though I was using a sheer nude polish that had been tinted blue instead of a regular creme. At four coats, neither polish was opaque. The color of the two polishes is similar but not identical. The Sinful Colors is a more subdued powdery, dusty blue while the Maybelline polish is brighter blue that appears more aqua (blue-green) next to the Sinful Colors polish. It's subtle if you aren't looking for it but there is definitely a difference between the two polishes. The Maybelline polish was clearly more opaque but patchy while the Sinful Colors polish was less opaque but more even. The flaky/shimmer particles in both polishes look identical to me. The particles are both a shimmery pale blue that picks up glints of pink when the light hits them.

I have read other reviews of these polishes that advise you to use them as top coats. Thus, for my ring finger and pinky, I applied three coats of Sephora by OPI Havana Dreams and then applied a thick coat of Maybelline Frozen Over to my ring fingernail and a thick coat of Sinful Colors Cinderella to my pinky fingernail. You do get a different look using these polishes on their own vs. using them as top coats. However, if opacity is a big concern, this is a way to wear these polishes without having to worry about applying a million coats of polish. The flaky shimmer is a little less pronounced when you are just using these polishes as top coats. Since neither polish provides a ton of pigment in one coat, they're mainly adding shimmer and so they provide a fairly identical effect when used as a top coat.

  Cat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. If you would like to help support this site, please consider making your next purchase at amazon.com through the links on my page. I will get a small percentage of anything you purchase through one of my links at no extra cost to you.

CONCLUSION: You'll have to decide for yourself what's important to you. Sinful Colors Cinderella applies more evenly but is less opaque. Maybelline Frozen Over applies less evenly and more patchy but it offers greater opacity. Both formulas are manageable. If you only want to use these polishes as top coats then they look identical, so I would go with whichever one is cheaper where you happen to be shopping. Personally, I would pick the Sinful Colors polish because I like the color a little more, it's cheaper where I live, and it's easier for me to fix the opacity than the unevenness of a polish.

REVIEW of Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer in 315 Frozen Over With SWATCHES

Hello snow angels,

It is time for my review of Maybelline Frozen Over. Look at this polish. It looks like Sinful Colors Cinderella and it reminds me of my favorite of the newest Disney animated princess films, Frozen. Of course I was going to pick it up at Target. Do I regret that decision? Maybe a little. Let's get into it.

Color: Maybelline Frozen Over is a pale blue flakie polish. I would describe it as having a sky blue creme polish base with what appear to be silvery or iridescent translucent flakes. Depending on the lighting, the flakes can appear flatter and more like a pale blue, or shimmery with flashes of pink. I get the same sense that I did with polishes like Zoya Skylar, Sinful Colors Cinderella, and Sinful Colors Sweet Dreams that the flakie finish gives this polish a greasy look. However, as I wore this polish, it did win me over a little more. I think it can look a little garish and cheap in the wrong lighting but in the right lighting it can look very pretty and frosty and Frozen-inspired. Thus, it ended up being one of those polishes that I liked at some points and disliked at others.
Formula: This polish has a thicker formula.
Application: Application of the first coat went smoothly without any drag but coverage was fairly sheer and not even. With the second coat, application was still uneven and I had to work to even out the polish with the brush. It wasn't that the polish was gloopy or that the brush dragged but the polish was just thick and resisted my attempts to even it. The third coat again went on smoothly without any drag but the polish didn't end up being opaque or even. I didn't feel like bothering with a fourth coat, so I just left it at that. When I was painting with my nondominant hand, I had the same issues but of course they were a little worse because I have less control with that hand.
Wear: I wore this polish for five days. It wore pretty well without much damage or dulling but it was somewhat annoying to remove. The polish came off relatively easily for anything other than a light-colored creme polish but the shimmer lingered on my skin and nails even after a good deal of scrubbing with a nail polish-remover soaked Q-tip.
Dupe: I have heard that this polish is a dupe for Sinful Colors Cinderella and they do seem very similar. I will have to do a comparison. Until I do, I will cautiously say that I think the application of Frozen Over went a little more smoothly than that of Cinderella so if I had to pick one of the two polishes, I would pick Frozen Over. I used four coats of Cinderella when I did that review and I think it's possible that Frozen Over might be the more opaque of the two. If you want me to put a rush on the comparison post, tell me so in the comments.

CONCLUSION: It's difficult to recommend this polish because of the application. I think it is manageable and the final product ends up looking alright, if still somewhat sheer and patchy. However, if you've seen swatches of this polish and you know you want it, then nothing I say is going to stop you. So in that case, I would say I think I prefer the Maybelline version to Sinful Colors version but if you ask me to in the comments, I will do a comparison of both polishes as well as trying to layer them over one of the light blue polishes in my collection to see if they perform better as top coats.

Cat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. If you would like to help support this site, please consider making your next purchase at amazon.com through the links on my page.

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REVIEW of Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer in 240 Twilight Rays

Hello moonbeams,

I know this seems like a weird polish to be reviewing at the end of March but sometimes your palate cleanser comes in the form of black creme polish with gold flakes that you buy on clearance. I am of course talking about the bottle of Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer in 240 Twilight Rays that I picked up in San Francisco.

Color: Maybelline Twilight Rays is a black creme polish with gold flakes. A flakie polish, if you will. The gold flakes in Twilight Rays are very small. They're larger than shimmer or microglitter but not by much. As the flakes of gold are irregularly shaped, there are a few that are a bit larger than the average flake but again, not by much. This polish ended up looking duller than I would have liked. The black creme base isn't an inky black, which is really what I think you expect from a black creme. Why would you want an off-black polish? The gold flakes don't really pop. They are noticeable but not terribly so. I find it easier to notice the flakes outdoors. Indoors, it's really difficult to see that there are flakes unless you're looking for them and you are within close proximity.
Formula: The formula isn't notably thin or thick.
Application: The first coat went on smoothly without any drag though it was quite sheer for a black creme polish. The application of the second coat didn't go entirely smoothly. The brush didn't drag but application could have been better. After two coats, the polish was still nowhere near opaque. When I applied the third coat of polish, I figured out what the issue was. The brush doesn't drag but when you even out the polish with the brush, it ends up not looking as smooth. I think perhaps the flakes prevent the polish from behaving like a traditional creme polish. It doesn't self-level or flow as nicely and perhaps going over the polish with the brush redistributes the flakes. Regardless, I ended up with a fine manicure with no major unevenness. 
Wear: I wore this polish for four days. It started off looking duller than I would have liked but it grew increasingly dull during that time. There was a bit of tip wear, mainly where I had wrapped the tips of my nails.

CONCLUSION: Application was alright but not amazing. The polish looked fine but a bit dull. Honestly, I would recommend just getting a nice inky black polish like Confetti Black Tie and a gold flakie top coat and layering them. Of course, if you don't want to have a big nail polish collection and you'd rather save a step, Maybelline Twilight Rays might be just what you're looking for. I just found that it didn't meet my expectations or needs for a polish like this. 

SWATCHES

REVIEW of Maybelline Color Show Polka Dots Nail Lacquer in 95 Blue Marks the Spot With SWATCHES

Hello my little buccaneers,

I know I've been quiet for a little while. I'm still here. I was just testing products instead of writing reviews. Even though I only use a polish once before reviewing it, I like to be thorough when it comes to reviewing lip products and makeup and skincare so I'm holding off on the reviews until I feel like I can give you my complete and honest opinion. Anyway, today I'm bringing you a very thorough review of Maybelline Color Show Polka Dots Nail Lacquer in 95 Blue Marks the Spot. Whew! That's quite a mouthful, isn't it? I knew this polish would be a little sheer from the swatches I've seen online so I wanted to see how it would look with different bases so you could get an idea of how you'd like to wear this polish. The results were less than stellar.

Color: Maybelline Blue Marks the Spot is a very sheer medium blue polish with black and white confetti. The polish contains both black and white hex confetti and small black and white speckles. I think the color is pretty enough though I was bothered by how sheer the polish was. I'll go into it further in the application section. I do like the way it looks a bit like a jelly sandwich with the top pieces of confetti standing out while the bottom layers appear submerged in the polish.
Formula: Being very sheer, the polish was rather thin though it did start to thicken as I was almost finished with the application and the glitter occasionally clumped up.
Application: OK, this is about to get complicated. On my left hand I used three different bases. On my pinky and middle fingers I used one coat of my regular Milani Smoothe Base Coat. On my ring finger and my pointer finger I used a thick coat of Elmer's glue. On my thumb I used my Milani base coat topped with one coat of OPI Samoan Sand. I used four coats of polish in my misguided attempt to get to full opacity. The first coat applied a decent amount of confetti but almost no color. It was if I just applied a sheer top coat with a light blue tint. Application of the first coat was smooth. The application of the second coat was also smooth though I could see where the brushstrokes overlapped. I applied a bit more confetti than I wanted to with this coat as I couldn't control the glitter placement at all. my thumb with the added coat of OPI Samoan Sand was a bit more opaque than the other nails but the polish was still very sheer. The third coat also applied smoothly but there was so much confetti! I tried my best to smooth out the confetti into 1 layer instead of letting it clump up. By the fourth coat, application was still smooth but the glitter was getting very thick. At four coats the polish was nowhere near opaque but coverage was pretty even. I wouldn't even call this a jelly. It's just a very sheer polish.

Now, with my right hand I tried different tricks to get to fully opacity. On my pinky and ring fingers I applied one coat of my Milani Smoothe Base Coat followed by two coats of Zoya Purity so I would have a white base. On my pointer and middle fingers I applied one coat of my Milani Smoothe Base Coat followed by two coats of OPI Samoan Sand so I would have a nude base. On my thumb, I applied one coat of my Milani Smoothe Base Coat followed by two coats of Essie Mesmerize so I would have a dark blue base. This was a terrible idea as all of these nails didn't look nearly as good as the hand with the sheer polish. Application was smooth for the first two coats. The polish was still very sheer but now I had the additional issue of trying to cover up the base color. With the third coat, I noticed that the polish seemed to be getting thicker. The polish was threading a little. That is, when I pulled the brush out of the bottle, a thread of polish stuck to the brush. It wasn't threading that badly as the threads were short and broke quickly but it was definitely threading. Since I had applied so much confetti (not having any control over this polish) to my thumb, I only applied two coats of the polish. Application was still smooth on the fourth coat but the polish was thick and threading as with the fourth coat. It doesn't appear so bad in the photos below but with all of the nails, the base color is very obvious. If you have to use this polish, I would recommend just using base coat or Elmer's glue.
Wear: I only wore this polish for two days because it looked so horrible and I had somewhere to be. As for removal, the polish came off easily. It was the confetti that was the issue. I had to pick at it a little but the polish on the nails with the Elmer's glue as a base came off pretty easily. I would recommend using a glue base coat as it looks the same as using a regular base coat and removal is much easier.

CONCLUSION: I would not recommend this polish based on the difficult application and sheerness. However, if you're determined to have it because you like the look and the price, I would use Elmer's glue as a base coat to save yourself the trouble of removing this polish with polish remover.

SWATCHES (So many photos...)

REVIEW of Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer in 200 Pink Shock With SWATCHES

Hello my little lightning bolts,

The real shock of Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer in 200 Pink Shock is that it isn't pink. Oh, and I'm pretty sure it's a jelly. Yeah, I was shocked too.

Color: Maybelline Pink Shock is a reddish pink jelly polish. Yes, contrary to what you might believe from my swatches, Pink Shock is in fact a red-leaning pink and not a red orange polish. Is anyone surprised that this one was difficult to photograph? Like Essie Watermelon I think it's very easy to mistake this polish for red. I would say that maybe 5% of the time when I already know that it's supposed to be pink it appears pink to me. This was a disappointment given the bright pink color of the polish in the bottle. The other 95% of the time, I would call this either a bright cherry red or a basic red in dim lighting. Even though this doesn't have the squishy look of some jellies, I did get visible nail line and this appears to be a polish that isn't supposed to be fully opaque. It has a very juicy look like lip gloss or candy.
Formula: The formula is very thin and liquidy.
Application: Application was super smooth. The polish was very easy to work with and application was perfect. It was very easy to get nice, even coats. At two coats the polish wasn't opaque but the coats were perfectly even. It was then that I started to suspect that this polish might be a jelly. Three coats increases the opacity but really there isn't too much of a difference between 2 and 3 coats. As this polish is probably a jelly, you're still going to get visible nail line no matter what you do. Unless you go crazy and paint 4 or 5 coats or put a base color underneath it.
Wear: I wore this polish for 6 days. There was some growth at the cuticles, a tiny bit of tip wear, and one barely noticeable chip at the end of 6 days.

CONCLUSION: I would absolutely recommend this polish. You might be disappointed that it isn't a bright pink but I think if you know what you're going to get, you will be impressed with the formula. I've had some issues with the Maybelline Color Show formula in the past but I thought this one was perfect. I should note that you definitely need top coat as this polish doesn't have a lot of shine on its own.

SWATCHES

REVIEW of Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer in Buff

Hello my little fairy lights,

I think it's finally time for me to review that drugstore staple that everyone raves about, the Maybelline Dream Lumi Concealer in Buff. I've been trying it out for a few months now so I think I can finally render a verdict.

Color: Buff is a light/medium concealer shade. I would call it fairly neutral, though it could be argued that it has a pink or brown undertone. I don't notice it on my eyes but when I swatched it on my hand and wiped it off, I realized that this product contains a fair amount of shimmer which clung to my skin like glitter (the herpes of art supplies) though it never remains under my eyes when I take off my makeup. The color is alright for me but it might be a little light so if I decide to repurchase this I might go for a darker shade. I can look a bit ghostly because of how light this is if I build it up or I don't use a tinted powder to set it.
Application: Application is pretty easy. I tend to use my fingers to fully blend it in if I'm on the go. The brush is alright, but I don't think it's very hygienic to keep using it around your eyes as it probably has the shelf life of a mascara (2-3 months). I've used it with my elf concealer brush but I don't notice a dramatic difference. Because it is a liquid formula there isn't really an issue with the product being too thick to blend out, though you should be careful about applying too much because it isn't as build-able unless you apply it in layers.
Coverage: I think the product offers light to medium coverage which is a major flaw for me. I have pretty bad dark circles so a good concealer makes a major difference in my appearance. This concealer diminishes the harshness of my dark circles but you can still clearly see them hiding under the layer of product. Also, it accentuates the bumps (I think they might be milia) and wrinkles (I'm only in my early-20s) under my eyes. Because of this, I probably wouldn't recommend this product for older people with deeper wrinkles.
Wear: The product doesn't feel heavy or sticky at all. I've mostly used it under my eyes to conceal dark circles but I've also tried it as a highlighter and around my nose where I have a bit of redness. It feels almost weightless so aren't conscious of the fact that you're wearing makeup. It starts to fade quickly (within 3 hours) whether or not you set it with powder. It doesn't completely disappear but it is definitely faded which is a problem with a product that doesn't offer full coverage in the first place. Just so you know, I wore it without a setting powder, with Make Up Forever HD powder and with my YSL Poudre Sur Mesure.
Packaging: I don't think the brush applicator is very hygienic, especially for a product that you use around your eyes. I know you can put some product on the back of your hand or use a makeup brush to transfer the product from the brush to your skin but those added steps can waste product and also increase the hassle. One of the major benefits of a product like this is how easy it is to keep it in your purse in case you don't have time to apply concealer before running or you need to do touch ups during the day. Also, you have to twist the tube to get the product out and I found that inevitably I would end up with more product that I needed. I think they should improve the way the product is dispensed to be a little less wasteful.

CONCLUSION: I can't enthusiastically recommend this product. For me it just doesn't provide enough coverage and it fades far too quickly. But if you don't have major issues with dark circles or wrinkles and you're just looking for a light/medium coverage concealer and you want a lightweight drugstore concealer, this might be worth checking out.

SWATCHES AND PACKAGING

REVIEW of Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer in 190 Coral Crush With SWATCHES

Hello chickadees,

I am once again tasting the bitter sting of failure for being unable to come up with a cute greeting that references Maybelline Coral Crush. Oh well. As far as I know, this is part of the permanent collection though the Maybelline displays always seem to be a little ransacked at the NYC drugstores I go to so I can't guarantee that you'll always find this color at the store.

Color: Maybelline Coral Crush is a bright pink creme polish. Indoors, it can look very orange, especially as the day wears on and there is less natural light coming in through the windows. Sometimes you do get that perfect guava/coral color but for the most part, I think this color is more of a hot pink (much to my disappointment). Don't get me wrong, it's a very pretty color that I find flattering (when it's not orange) but it means I'm still on the search for a perfect coral polish.
Formula: The formula is thin enough to go on smoothly but not watery.
Application: The first coat went on smoothly but not evenly. The second coat was about the same. The third coat was still not completely even or fully opaque and you could see where the brush strokes overlapped. I ended up painting a fourth coat to clean things up but you could get away with three coats. Any bubbles you see in the swatches are from my Seche Vite. I really need to get a new bottle.
Wear: I wore this polish for 5 days without any signs of wear (not that I ever really get signs of wear except with the bad polishes).

CONCLUSION: I can't give this polish an enthusiastic endorsement but I like the color so much that I will tentatively recommend it in spite of the application issues.

Cat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. If you would like to help support this site, please consider making your next purchase at amazon.com through the links on my page.

SWATCHES: 

REVIEW of Maybelline Color Show Polish in Green With Envy WITH SWATCHES

Hi chickadees!

Every so often I get into this mood where I just want to file my nails super short. It usually happens after I've been lazy for the past few weeks and switching out my polish without bothering to file my nails so they end up impractically long. Anyway, I was looking at my ridiculously large nail polish collection (too large for a little apartment anyway...It's now split up into 4 boxes) and trying to decide what I wanted to paint on my new short nails that would also be seasonally appropriate. But dark polish on short nails? Sorry, I just don't get it. I wore black nail polish through a lot of middle school/high school and I kept my nails long. And I didn't want to go for a glitter or shimmer polish either. Enter in, Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer in Green With Envy. I bought this polish a while back (I think it might have been in the summer) but I haven't found the right time to try it out. Well, the time has apparently come. What did I think?

Color: Maybelline's Green With Envy is a mint green pastel creme polish. I think it is definitely more green than Essie's Mint Candy Apple. The color is very pretty but personally, I'm not sure if it's the color or simply because it's a pastel, but it has this tendency of looking very sickly on my nails. It kind of depends on the lighting and whether my hands look dry. Also it can bring out a lot of redness.
Formula: I was paying very close attention to the formula and application since this is the first Maybelline polish I've tried. I thought the formula was alright. It was thinner rather than thicker but it wasn't watery or runny at all.
Application: The polish glides smooth onto the nails but I find that the brush is a little streaky and makes even application somewhat difficult. The polish was pretty opaque, especially for a lighter color but I still needed 3 coats to get it to pass the light test, and also to even out the surface of the nail. The brush is very thin. For some reason, I can do one brush stroke and get a nice, even coat, but when I paint the other half of the nail, the second brush stroke creates ridges in the polish and it's hard to even the two out. This happens regardless if I start with the left half of the nail or the right half. I feel like I should also note that I used Sally Hansen Insta-Dri as my top coat instead of Seche Vite. I don't think it made a major difference in my swatches but it's possible it might have.

CONCLUSION: Overall, I liked this polish. I wasn't tremendously impressed with it but I think it performed well for a pastel creme polish. This is probably one of the better polishes I've tried in this light blue/mint/aqua color family. If you're looking to try one of these polishes, I would recommend giving Maybelline Green With Envy a shot. Although you're getting less product, you are paying less and it's a good way to test if you like the color with a decent formula.

SWATCHES

Spotted New Maybelline and Revlon Collections

It is my belief that for some reason, when it comes to drugstore products, here in NY, we get everything last. The full Maybelline and Revlon collections are finally on display at my local CVS at 20 University Place. The only thing I found disappointing was the selection of lip butters. The light colors (Sugar Frosting), dark colors (Fig Jam), and some of the berry shades were there but I already have Fig Jam and Red Velvet (working on testing them out) so all I really wanted was to grab Peach Parfait and get one of the new Quads (all on display). I'll probably check back later in the week.

All the Maybelline products were fully stocked when I went in the afternoon. All the Dream Bouncy Blushes, Color Tattoo cream shadows (finally got Bad to the Bronze and Tough as Taupe!), Dream Nude Airfoam Foundation.

I'll probably put up a post this week about my little haul of products and if I go back and the shelves are still stocked, I'll try and take pictures.

REVIEW Maybelline Colorsensational Lipstick

I like Maybelline lipsticks. I'm not sure if they're hydrating or moisturizing but they don't aggravate my dry lips and I like the texture of them. However, these three colors did not work for me.


Pink & Proper
This was not what I was expecting with a name like Pink & Proper. I thought at worst I'd get a girly pink that was a few shades too light. This is a true pink but it's not a color I'd wear to tea or to a job interview. It is shimmery to the extreme. It reminds me of this garish Dior lipstick I wore during one of my proms. I think it'd be hard to wear with a full face of makeup, whether you tried paring it with a neutral or a dramatic eye. It's just too easy for it to look doll-like or cheap. I wouldn't say this is exactly a frosted lipstick but it comes close.

Lips without pigment

Pink & Proper

Pink & Proper

REVIEW Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer in 120 "Light"

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Concealer in 120 Light

Pros

• powdery, dry, matte finish
• brightening
• light formula
• light coverage

This dries to look fairly matte which I imagine would be good for oily skin. The color is light enough that it seems to brighten up my eyes. The formula feels very light so I almost forget I'm wearing it. It offers light to medium coverage which is good if you don't want a heavy full face of makeup. If you like it, it would be a good everyday concealer as opposed to some of the heavier cream formulas which are better for formal occasions like weddings or parties.

Cons

• powdery, dry matte finish
• ghostly
• light coverage
• not great for dry skin
• doesn't blend well
• sponge-tip applicator

Some people won't like the dry, matte look. For my dry skin I prefer things that make it look more hydrated and dewy. The brightening effect can also be a bit ghostly. I don't know if I chose the wrong color (very possible) or if it just doesn't blend well but it looks a touch too white over the dark circles under my eyes. The light coverage might not be enough for you if you have very dark circles, a lot of redness and acne, or dark sunspots or age spots. It diminishes the look of my dark circles and the slight redness around my nose but it doesn't do away with it completely. I don't think it's great for dry skin. It makes my skin look drier and it sort of sits on top of my skin instead of blending. I tested it on my hand and instead of blending in, it crept into the edges of my skin cells. I can't imagine this would be good if you have wrinkles or acne scarring. The sponge tip applicator is not very good for blending and is rather unhygenic. Any bacteria or dirt from your face is going to transfer onto the sponge and stay there throughout the life of the product. I would definitely avoid using this directly on blemishes or acne.

CONCLUSION: I don't hate this product, but I can't recommend it for people with dry skin or anyone who needs a medium to heavy concealer.

Close-up of sponge tip applicator

Liberal amount dabbed onto back of hand (not blended in)

Blended in (note dryness)

Close up (notice emphasizes pores/skin cells)

 

Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner REVIEW

I am still very much in the process of figuring out how to do my makeup. It's something that seems like it should be simple, especially being a bit artistic, but it isn't. It takes practice and a lot of trial and error. One of my struggles has been eyeliner, which can really add some polish to a look or put all your hard work to waste and leave you looking like a mess.

My first attempt was with a pencil liner...L'Oreal Paris Infallible Nevel Fail Eyeliner in Black. With a ridiculously long (and redundant) name like that, it had to work, right? No. Despite all of its numerous fans, this line was hard to apply, went on gray and smudgy even with multiple coats, and slowly fell apart as I wore it through the day. It's still in my makeup kit and I'll eventually have to use it up. I think it would cause the least trouble in a dark, smoky eye for a night out because of how imprecise it is and how well it smudges.

Now, to my review. I LOVE Maybelline's Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black. And none of the words in that sentence are redundant.

Lasting: It lasts me through the whole day without smudging or creasing. My days range from venturing out for a few hours to 9am-5pm and either way, my eyeliner stays perfect.

Drama: I've realized I'm not one for a thick line and this applies as thin or thick as you want (with a little help from my homemade makeup remover to get a perfectly smooth line). It goes on dark yet still subtle, and going over it once or twice you can amp up the drama for, well, blackest black.

Gel Eyeliner: I did not think I would like a gel eyeliner. Obviously, I was wrong. I've tried other pencil and liquid liners over the years applying my makeup for plays, weddings, etc. They've always just been so difficult to use, get perfect, and then remove at the end of the night once they've given me all that trouble. Maybelline's gel eyeliner goes on smooth like a liquid with the control of a pencil. LOVE. There's a very thin brush that is packaged with your eyeliner and although I know there are many makeup brushes out there specifically for eyeliner, I would save your money and use the one that comes with the pot of gel eyeliner. It's the perfect size and I haven't had any problems with it. I don't know how it'll hold up until I've used up my eyeliner but I wash it with each use and it seems to be keeping its texture and its bristles.

I am very happy with this product. It's going to become a permanent part of my makeup collection.