MAC Mattene Lipstick vs. Sephora Matte

 I love a pinky nude lip. So, when MAC released it's new Mattene lipstick in the Posh Paradise collection, I knew Naked Bliss would be the color for me.  But, I had just recently purchased a Sephora Mat Lipstick in Mat 03, so I thought a comparison is in order.

In the pick above, Sephora is on the left, MAC on the right.  You can tell that the MAC version is very pigmented and offers much better coverage.  However, if you are looking for something more sheer, the Sephora version may be for you.

There's also the issue of cost.  Each is 5 grams and MAC costs $14.50 and Sephora costs $12.  At that price, I'd still go with MAC because for $2.50 more you're getting a better pigmentation.  HOWEVER, I did get my Sephora lipstick (check your local stores, ladies & gents!) for $3!!!  If you were thinking of purchasing one or the other and it came down to $14.50 or $3, then I'd opt for Sephora.  But I don't think the sephora version is worth $12.

(MAC on left, Sephora right) The packaging inside is nearly identical, but the tube for MAC on the outside has a matte kind of feel (similar to the NARS packaging).  It's definitely a step up.

One thing I did find odd was both lipsticks have little bubble pockets on the side.  Is this just a matte lipstick thing? 

Either way, the MAC formula is less drying than Sephora.  It is still drying after 2 hours, but it's an improvement in comparison to other mattes.  Overall, no regrets on the MAC purchase and I'm satisfied with the product.  I'd recommend the MAC version over Sephora unless you can get the Sephora version on sale.

MAC wins: packaging, pigmentation, staying power
Sephora wins: Sale Price, wider color selection, always available (MAC is limited edition)

MAC Posh Paradise Paint Pots - Limited Edition

I love paint pots.  I love the consistency, the staying power, and the ability to layer on shadows.  That being said, I was stoked that MAC was releasing 8 more limited edition paint pots in their Posh Paradise Collection.  I was drawn towards two imparticular...

I purchased Idyllic and Nubile.  Idyllic is described as a copper-bronze, but I find it to be more of a burgundy color.  It reminds me slightly of Twinks eyeshadow.  Nubile is a peachy nude and has a slight shimmery sheen.  It's gorgeous!  Both are frost finishes, but very different from the frosts that came out in the Champale collection.

Overall, I know I will get use from these paint pots, especially Nubile.  They work as an eyeshadow base for me as well, so if I'm not wearing UDPP, I'm usually wearing a paint pot.

They cost $17.50 each for .17 fl oz.

Great pigmentation and they last all day for me. 

Belli Acne Cleansing Facial Wash Review

So, Belli Acne Cleansing Facial Wash is technically designed for pregnant women.  But, I figure if it's good enough for women who are with child, then it's good for me too!  Things like salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and benzoyl peroxide should be avoided during pregnancy.  Many women however, get pregnancy acne.  The active ingredient in this wash is lactic acid, which is safer for you and baby.

I'm reviewing this based on my own skin.  ***I have NO experience with pregnancy acne (or being pregnant!)

That being said, this is my new favorite face wash.  I get broken out a lot in the summer from build-ups of makeup, sweat, and oils.  Summer is my worse time b/c of the heat and humidity.  So, I went on a search for a new wash to clear up the breakouts on my forehead and chin.  Normally I was using an olay anti-aging wash, but it just wasn't cutting it.

I've been using this wash over 2.5 months now and I'm loving it.  I even tried switching back to another wash in between for about 2 weeks and it was not as effective.

The wash is lemony scented (smells amazing...if you like lemon!) and contains green tea, cucumbers, and lemon peel.  The cost is $22 for 6.7 oz, so yes, this is on the pricier side, but I find that with this wash, I don't need the extra toner, so you could look at it from that angle as well.

Overall, I am extremely happy with the results and I felt that the blemishes I did have prior to using the wash were cleared up quickly and did not return.  This did not overly dry out my skin either.  I continued with my normal moisturizing primer routine (Korres). The packaging is also impressive, it's a shiny metallic looking tube and it always perks me up when I see the bottle.

You can also use this wash as a 5-minute mask on your face for more intense areas.  I did not do this b/c I have psoriasis and I was afraid to aggravate my skin, but it's more of a two-for-one that way that if you do have a worse break-out, you can use it as a mask.

Grade: 4.5/5
Repurchase: Yes
Best For: Those that are pregnant (lol) but also those with breakouts during "their time of the month" and those with breakouts that are not severe

WIN IT! Milani Baked Metallic Eyeshadows, Sephora Primer, and More Contest!

I know a couple of you had asked me about the Milani Baked Eyeshadows during my CVS Sale Haul and I know some of you are not near a CVS or are out of the country or just haven't gotten to try them, so I decided that I would do a giveaway :) One person will win all the prizes in the picture plus a few extra goodies

• 3 Milani Baked Eyeshadows in 601 Pink Twice, 605 Teal The Truth, and 608 Melange (Marbelized)
• Sephora Eye Primer (I have a review on this coming soon!)
• Dream Mousse Blush in 20 Peach Satin (My FAVORITE drugstore blush)
• A few other surprises & samples

Rules
-Must be a follower
-If under 18, have a parent/guardian's permission
-Open in the US and Internationally until 9/30/2011.

To enter:
-Post below letting me know a way to contact you (ie, e-mail address, twitter name, whatever works) and tell me which Eyeshadow you would try out first

Bonus Entries:
**These are COMPLETELY OPTIONAL. To get your extra entrys, just post again saying extra entry and either twitter or blog.  If you choose to do both, post twice.
1. (+1 entry) Post the contest somewhere on your blog whether it's an entry or a sidelink.
2. (+1 entry) Follow me on Twitter (MakeupChicBlog) and tweet a link to my giveaway (and mention me so I see it!) or just retweet what I post about my giveaway.

Good luck to all!  Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted as well as posted here. Contest will be held no matter how many enter, so if only one person enters, it's still fine, you just win then :)

Salma Hayek Nuance Mineral Eyeshadow Duo First Impressions Sheer Plum/Putty

The new Salma Hayek Nuance line is exclusive to CVS, so I had to pick up a few products when it released b/c it was buy one get one free and this is on the more expensive side for drugstore.  So far there is a fairly limited color selection (maybe to "test" the market).  The products I will review are the eyeshadow duo, the eyeshadow quad, and the lipsticks.  The tinted moisturizers looked very limited in shades and more yellow-based, so I didn't pick up those.

The packaging is pretty sleek and more impressive for drugstore.  It resembles a leaf (which ties into the line as you'll see in later posts).  It's very sturdy, I've thrown this shadow in my purse to take to work.

The shade I bought is Sheer Plum/Putty 001 (putty on the left in above pic).  You get one matte shade and one shimmery shade.  I always get fearful of drugstore mattes.  They seem so hit or miss, but I'm loving this one!  (And for some reason, I didn't really want to like this line).

The colors are pigmented, soft enough to blend easily and compliment eachother.  This is a great duo to have on the go and it's also a more neutral based way to wear purples.  I had no problems with fall-out and the colors stayed all day.

As far as price, I can never pay full price at the drugstore.  I just can't do it!  I feel cheated!  Plus, if you wait a week, it's usually on sale again.  I would repurchase more shades when they are on sale.  Again, there are a limited amount available right now (and this shade sold out at my store as did the brown duo).

Cons: I don't like when duos aren't divided.  I just don't like eyeshadows touching each other, but that's a personal thing.  Slight chemically/cosmetic odor that is hard to place.  It's not noticeable unless you shove your nose in the shadows and sniff (which I did, haha).  None of these things are deal breakers for me.  Another con is I wish there were more colors and possibly individual shades.

Rating: 4.5/5
Repurchase: Yes
Best For: All skin types.  Multiple colors available to suit skin tone.
Price: $8.49 (at my CVS at least, also it was buy one get one free when I bought)

Are you picking up anything from the Nuance line?

Hauling from the office - CVS 50-75% Off Beauty

Hi Lovelies!  So I decided to do a quick post from my desk at work to let you know about the deals most CVS's will have this week.  *Also remember sometimes they forget to tag items, so you can scan them at the kiosk to check.

top row:
1. Revlon Top Speed Nail Polish in Grape, 75% off
2. NYC I <3 NY Nail Polish (red) for 75% - This one was 62 CENTS! I've also already reviewed their expert Last Nail Polish and I'm a fan

bottom row:
1. Wet n Wild Vanity Palette (I already own this, but wanted it for a future giveaway) - 75% off
2. NYC Skin Matching Foundataion 75% off, cost $1.25 (review to come)
3. Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation 75% off, cost $2.25
4. Milani Metalic Baked Eyeshadow in Purrr-fect Purple 75% off

Happy hauling! If you are heading to CVS, let me know what you pick up.
(Sorry for the picture, I'm using my palm pre-plus

Get Your Freak On! Tag - A bit about me

I've watched videos on youtube of people doing this tag and I thought it may be a fun way to get to know me as well.  I tag anyone who wants to do this :)

1. What's a nickname only your family calls you?

My mom will call me Staci Re-Knee (my middle name is Renee but my sister and I couldn't say it). And my sister calls me Cooie

2. What's a weird habit of yours?

I hate setting a clock alarm to anything ending in a 5 or 0.  Like if I want to get up  7:15, it's either 7:14 or 7:16.

3. Do you have any weird phobias?

It's not weird but I'm very much a germaphobe.  Soap is your friend!
4. What's a song you secretly LOVE to blast and belt out when you're alone?

Anything!  And usually, I don't have to be alone.  Alot of the times, I'm singing a commercial song or Wake Up Flowers (from the Rainbow Brite movie...yup, I kick it old school).  Half the time, I don't know I'm singing out loud.
5. What's one of your biggest pet peeves?

-People who don't wash their hands in the bathroom

-People that shove into me in a busy city street.  I'm walking here!

-When cabs splash a big puddle on me! >:(

6. What's one of your nervous habits?

-Talking a lot

-Picking at the skin around my fingers or my nailpolish
7. What side of the bed do you sleep on?

More towards the right.  I have a full size bed, so sometimes I'm just dead center.  However, if we have a bar night and my girls are sleeping over, I'll sleep on the inside (so the left).

8. What was your first stuffed animal & it's name?

Um, I don't think he had a name but a small brown bunny with sleepy eyes that I bit the nose off of.
9. What's the drink you ALWAYS order at starbucks?

Um, I don't go to Starbucks normally, but if I'm there a Tall Dark Cherry Mocha Espresso, No Whip.  And really why do they need such long names?!?!?  But really, if I'm drinking something, it's usually the dreaded work coffee or green tea b/c hey, it's free!  We also have food days, so some days I eat breakfast there too.

10. What's the beauty rule you preach.. but never ACTUALLY practice?

I don't normally preach anything, but I'd advise people to remove makeup before bed and honestly I forget about it sometimes...or I'm just too tired.

11. Which way do you face in the shower?

Body I face shower and switch to rinse my hair.  Or I face away if I'm shaving.

12. Do you have any weird body skills?

Um...what?  I don't think I have one.  I do however, have way too much space between my big toe and the toe next to it.  My sister and mom call them flip-flop feet.

13. What's your favorite 'comfort food'/food thats 'bad' but you love to eat it anyways?

Tuna Noodle Casserole or lasagna.  <3  When I hear comfort food, I think of good home cooking.

14. What's a phrase or exclamation you always say?

"In retrospect..." "WINNING!" or "Fail!".  I also say "WOO HOO!" a lot and "Question Mark" if I have a question.

15. Time to sleep- what are you ACTUALLY wearing?

If my roommate is home, pajama pants and a college or sorority tee.  No roommate then usually a large sleep shirt or shorts and a tank.  I'm weird about shorts in front of people.  And by roommate I don't mean we sleep in the same room.  I'm in a 2-bedroom apartment :)

Jesse's Girl Nail Polishes - Youtuber Julie G's Collection

JulieG713 is hands down one of my favorite youtubers, so when she announced that she was going to have a limited edition line at Rite Aid with Jesse's Girl, I had to check out the polishes.

I ended up picking up JulieG (the first shade she had, NOT part of this collection) and Stiletto (collection).

One thing I didn't care for was that I paid $3.99 for limited edition Stiletto and $2.99 for the regular collection.  My Riteaid did not have the special edition products priced as it was a stand-alone display, so I'm disappointed that they chose to raise the price a dollar.  While "it's only $1", I just don't think Jesse's girl polish competes well enough to be that price. I kept the polish b/c I do very much like the color, but I won't purchase anymore from the collection b/c of the price increase.

Stiletto is a purpley gray.  It's a great neutral color and amazing for fall (although, I'd wear it year round).  I've already said I'm a sucker for taupes, greys, and purples, so this color is a dream for me.  You'll need at least 2 coats of this.  I did feel like this formula felt different from the other polish, but then again, it is probably much newer at my Rite Aid.

JulieG is an amazing coral shade.  I've collected quite a few coral colors this summer trying to find the *perfect* coral.  This is one of the top contenders.  You do, however, need 2-3 coats of it. I also like it layered over OPI's I Eat Mainely Lobster.

Overall, it's cute packaging.  The color selection is great and for $3 I'm all about it.  But $4, I'd have to reconsider because I know I can get the NYX polishes on Cherry Culture for cheaper or Milani polishes for almost the same price.

MAC Me Over Street Cool Shadestick

*Blogging from being trapped in my apartment!  I can get outside just streets down from me are closed due to insane Mother Nature flooding the East Coast.  If anyone else is in the flood zone, stay safe!  I just found that the amusement park we all went to in college is completely destroyed :( At least there are good memories!

Now to makeup.  I love taupe.  Anything taupe. So, it's no surprise that the only item I picked out from the MAC me over collection was a purple taupey delicious color.

The color is great and you can blend it out as I have on the left, but you need to work more quickly because it dries quickly.

These have great pigmentation and depth to the color, but I will say there is tugging on the eyelid when applying directly from the the stick.

My next issue is CREASING.  I read the review on Temptalia saying they didn't crease, but for me?  Crease city!  Using a primer, it works great.  But without a primer, it creased within 3 hours.  Definitely not an attractive look.

I do think the shadesticks are overpriced at $17.50 for 1.5 g of product, so I probably wouldn't purchase any other shades.  It's nice to have, but for me not a necessity. I will use up the product, but I wouldn't purchase back-ups or even miss it when it runs out.  It's just the taupe that draws me in!

Grade: 2.5/5
Repurchase: No
Best for: Can be used for day or night, but make sure to use a primer!

Wet n Wild Color Icon Collection and Glassy Gloss

Disclaimer:  I was lucky enough to win Vintage Makeup's giveaway with Wet n Wild for the Color Icon Collection in Blue Had Me at Hello.  They also sent me 6 (one pink one not pictured) Glassy Glosses and a nice note.  Thank you to Vintage and Wet n Wild! The contest prizes do not influence my review.

I haven't been able to find the 8 pan shadow collection in any of my drugstores, so I was excited to receive this collection.  I have the little trios and the 6 pan ones, which I already love.

The colors are gorgeous and range in finish.  There is a tutorial and words imprinted on the shadows for beginners.  But these are just suggestions, not guidelines!  I was instantly drawn to the teal color which I think is absolutely gorgeous and reminds me of a color Urban Decay would have.

The colors are greatly pigmented and blend well.  The are soft, but not to the extent of fall out.  Here they are swatched with no primer on my arm.  They still stand out very well.  My favorite is still the teal because it's a great bright color.  Also, it's a great color to get b/c if it's something you may not wear a lot, why spend $15 on a MAC shadow when you could get this whole collection?

Next were the glassy glosses which I didn't swatch b/c I feel they are similar to juicy tubes and meant more as a gloss than for color payoff.  I wouldn't rush out to buy the whole collection.  If you are a lip gloss junkie, I would say just having one would suffice. But I don't think you need to run out and buy it.

The finish is nice and "glassy". I don't find the formula to be overly sticky. There is a nice amount of shimmer in some of them and they avoid the dreaded overly glittery effect.  Overall, I like the gloss, but I probably wouldn't repurchase it on my own b/c I have so many similar glosses to use up including ones from NYC which are similar.

CHANEL VITALUMIERE AQUA FOUNDATION FULL REVIEW

After a week of earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornados (who knew all this could be on the East Coast!) I am back!  As promised here is my full review of Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua after wearing it for two months.

Quick Reference List:
Price: $45 for 1 oz.
My shade: BR20 (Tendre)
Applied with: Fingers (have used brush, not a noticeable difference)
Coverage: Light
Scent: Fresh scent.  It fades after awhile
Break-outs: None for me
Quick tips: Shake well, be careful when squeezing the tube, and don't over apply.
Grade: 4/5
Repurchase: For summer, maybe.  For other months, no.

The key thing to remember about this foundation is that it is ultra-light coverage.  If you are looking for more coverage, this is not for you.  For this reason, I would not purchase this as my every day foundation.  I've enjoyed it for summer a lot because I feel like my skin can "breathe" beneath it.  However, during fall or even when I have work events, I like fuller coverage that this foundation just can't give.

I feel like my skin does look nice with this foundation.  It looks healthy.  I have combination skin in the summer.  I get oily in certain spots when it's this hot out, but I never felt I looked oily in the foundation.  I'm not sure how it would fair if you have very oily skin as I have not tested it.  Normally my skin is on the dryer side, but in the summer, that's when I get oily. It also has SPF 15, which isn't enough if you are spending a lot of time outside, but if you are just in and out quickly, it at least has that.

The packaging is a squeeze bottle which I was not a fan of.  I always felt like I was squeezing out way too much and at that price, you don't want to waste it! Also, make sure to shake well (there is a shaker ball inside) because if you don't the foundation doesn't mix and you will have a watery mess.

Here's two shots of my skin after applying the foundation using no primer or concealer and applying only with fingers.  I do like the finger application b/c it's easy and quick (just make sure you have clean hands!).  It's convenient especially if you want to travel and not tote around make up brushes.

Overall, it's very pricey and it's nice, but I'm more of a medium to full coverage gal except for summer.  So, I don't see myself repurchasing it again soon.  Plus, it's a wallet hitter at $45, but if you do have the disposable income to spend for it, it is a good product for light coverage, but healthy, natural looking skin.