Email: tarin@themakeupdiva.net
Website: themakeupdiva.net
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts

Friday, April 17, 2015

PRODUCT REVIEW | Revlon Colorstay



After what has felt like years, I am finally BACK to blogging, even though it's only been like 4 days.

Anyway, today I'm going to do a product review, so let's get started!
Image result for revlon logo

Product Review: Revlon Colorstay Foundation

So guys, I have never tried these two products before, so this is also a first impression.
The liquid I purchased is for combination/dry skin. I picked up the wrong product as I do have oily skin. If you guys want me to, I can do a review of the combination/oily skin too, just let me know in the comments below.

I went to my local CVS and purchased these products. They were inexpensive and I believe they were around $10 a piece.
If you'd like to purchase them, I've seen them at Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens. Here's a direct link if you want to buy them directly from Revlon: 
Liquid: http://www.revlon.com/products/face/foundation-makeup/colorstay-makeup-with-softflex-for-combination-oily-skin#309975410013||0
Powder: http://www.revlon.com/products/face/finishing-powder/colorstay-pressed-powder#309975424010||0

Product Names:

Revlon Colorstay Liquid Foundation 150 Buff
Revlon Colorstay Pressed Powder - Light

Let's dive right inn!

Packaging:



Liquid: So overall I like this packaging. There's a lot more I'm going to say that I don't like about it, but over all I really do honestly like it. Okay, so I like the fact that it's see through, so whenever you go to the store to match it up to your skin, you can see exactly what color it is. Here are the things I dislike... I don't like that it's glass. I am a very clumsy person, so I can just see myself dropping this, and it shattering and making a mess. A lot of the liquid foundations are glass though, so I'm going to have to get used to this! Another thing is that it doesn't have a pump, which is sort of messy. But I normally just pour a bit on the back of my hand because I find that it's easier that way. The last thing I dislike like is that the font on the bottle is white, so with my shade, I find myself squinting to see what it says. This might have been why I picked up combination dry instead of combination oily. 









Powder: First I just want to say that the compact this pressed powder comes in reminds me of the compact that the pressed powders from Ulta come in! Anyway, moving on. Over all, I don't think this really matches the Colorstay liquid packaging at all, which is weird because I know most brands that have a liquid and powder set match? Weirdddddddd. I actually don't have a problem with this compact. I like everything about it. I like how it snaps shut. I like that it is clear at the top so you can see the color of the powder, just like with the liquid. I also like that there is actually a decent sized mirror underneath, like where the pad is. I actually don't like the little pad it comes with, but I don't use those, so I'll be okay!

Overall, the packaging is just plain & sleek, which is find with me. The packaging does not define the product. That's my motto.

Texture:

Liquid: For me, this liquid was very creamy. It wasn't very runny, but it wasn't a thick paste either. It was the consistency that I love with liquid foundation makeup. I actually love this texture. 




Powder: Good for a more full coverage look, but to me, it felt very heavy, and I didn't like it at all. 

How Did It Apply?!:

Liquid: This foundation was actually so easy to apply. And in my opinion, it went on very evenly. I love how my face looked after. I actually felt like it didn't look like I was wearing makeup at all, which I love sometimes. This makeup is perfect for a natural look, but it can also be built up with layers to do for a special event. So, this makeup is really ideal for any occasion and makeup look.
Also, I did not have to apply a lot to get coverage over my face & neck. I poured on the back of my hand the size of a nickel and it was plenty.
-Light to medium coverage; Medium to full when built up.

Powder: This powder seals the deal when wanting a more full coverage look. I put this on and I swear you could not see not one blemish at all on my face. I looked like a doll, which is really good except I wanted a more natural look because I was only going to school, so I felt like it was a waste.
-With liquid: full coverage.

Long lasting?!

The bottle said 24 hours, so I got REAL excited.


before & after foundation.
these pictures are awkward, excuse me.
8am - when i first put it on.



I put this makeup on at 8am because I had an early wakeup because I had some errands to do that day. I applied my moisturizer, Smashbox primer water, and then applied both types of foundation and then set it with NYX matte finishing spray.

I checked it again at 3pm and I was really excited because it actually still looked decent. I did see some oiliness on my forehead and the bridge of my nose, but that might have been because I got the combination dry formula.


this was at school at around 7pm. 
you can see that I look dewy on my nose, forehead, & cheeks.


At around 7pm is whenever I noticed it was settling into my fine lines, and moving a little bit.

I took my makeup off at 12am that night because I wanted it to last as long as possible. Whenever I looked in the mirror, I was shocked because besides it settling in my lines and it moving, it actually still didn't look bad. It looked really good, in my opinion, for not having been touched up all day. 

At the 12am point, I was so ready to get the makeup off my face, this is how I am with every type of makeup I wear. By the end of the day, I. Want. It. Off.

I can't say that it wouldn't last 24 hours for some people, but for me, it was starting to look kind of bad, so I don't think I could have went 24 hours with it. However, I don't ever have a need to wear it for 24 hours, so this was really good coverage for me.

Bottom line:

Liquid: I would recommend this product to everyone. I was actually shocked that this formula did so well with my skin. I was expecting to look SO dewy and just sweaty and nasty; However, that was never the case and I looked alright. Maybe next time I'll get the right kind.
Powder: I would recommend this to only people who are wanting a full coverage face. I wouldn't wear it just to be wearing it.






Wednesday, April 8, 2015

PRODUCT REVIEW | Merle Norman


Hey guys. Today I'm going to review a couple of Merle Norman's products!

Before going to a Merle Norman Studio today, I had never stepped foot in one, and I actually didn't know that there was one that was around my school. 

I got 4 things & they gave us a couple samples.
I got:
Ultra Powder Foundation - Ultra Chiffon
Lasting Foundation (SPF 12) Liquid - Sesame
Lip Pencil Plus (liner & color) - Cocoa Buff 
Age Defying Eyeliner - Pine
Sample Lip Polish
Sample Lip Pencil - Forget Me Not

Let's get started!!

Here's a picture of all the products I got:


Diving right in, I'm going to review the Lasting Foundation (SPF 12) Liquid - Sesame first.
First off, I want to say that the packaging is sooo cute. I love the box it came in as well as the actually makeup tube the product came in. 
To apply this product, I squirted a tad on the back of my hand (not even the size of a dime). To put it on my face, I actually used the ELF Powder Brush. I feel like this brush really works well with liquid foundations. I worked the foundation over my face and neck. I did have a bit left over on the back of my hand, so you really don't need a lot when applying this. A little really does go a long way.
The ladies of Merle Norman told me that this liquid would last an entire 8 hours before needing to touch it up, and as I wore it throughout the day it did not budge. I absolutely LOVE this for days I'm going to be gone all day and not needing a lot of touch ups. On my skin, I didn't notice any movements for a solid 12 hours, so for me, it worked over what the ladies told me.
Bottom line: I love this product & I recommend it to all.

The second thing I got was the Ultra Powder Foundation in Ultra Chiffon.
The packaging is cute. I love the compact, and I love how the Merle Norman logo is in the powder. I think that's very neat & very professional. I did not like the strong smell of this product. It didn't have a bad smell, but I do not like for my face to smell like makeup, and with this product it does.
This powder didn't last as long as the liquid foundation, but it did last 6 hours without moving before I had to do touchups.
Bottom line: This is a great product, I would recommend this product to people who don't mind smell and don't mind going back to touch up their makeup often. 
**I tried both the foundations together & it did give a nice finish, I really love both products together. It lasted a long time.

Next, I got the Lip Pencil Plus (liner & color) - Cocoa Buff
This product was a strange buy for me simply because I hardly ever wear lip liner. I am just not a fan. The shape of my lips are just plain wrong for a liner, and to be honest, it's probably because I'm not the best at applying it. With this duo, I put lip liner on like I was a pro. Above, I've listed 3 pictures, and the one on the left is the liner, the middle is the lip color, and the right is a swatch of the two. I must say, the lip color is shimmery. But the two colors go nicely together. I think the liner is just dark enough to be noticed, but it doesn't stand out. I love this product.
Bottom line: For those of you who have a hard time with liner, GET THIS. I recommend this product for everyone.

Last but not least, I got the Age Defying Eyeliner - Pine
I have never went outside my comfort zone with a liner, simply because I just like black eyeliner. I think it works well with all makeup looks. I'm content with it. Ya know? But I decided to just embrace it, and go for it. I chose pine. It literally makes my eyes POP. I just apply it to the top lid & it looks STUNNING. I've also seen a lot of big name Youtube stars and makeup artists do this as well. So I hopped on the bandwagon. The Eyeliner I got from Merle Norman is so creamy, so easy to apply. I don't have to force it on my lid, it just glides on with one stroke. I love it.
Bottom line: I recommend this product to people with blue eyes. It will make your eyes POP.

I got two free samples, I got a lip polish and a lip pencil. The lip polish didn't come with a name on it unfortunately for me because it goes well with my lip duo. However, I did take some pictures of it, and I have used it. I absolutely love it. This lip polish doesn't make your lips sticky like a lot of lip products have been doing for some reason. It's also such a pretty color.
Here is the lip polish:

Also, I got a sample lip pencil in the color Forget Me Not. I am definitely going to have to go back and pick one of these up. The color is stunning, and the texture is so creamy. This lip pencil is easy for me to apply to my lips as well. Here it is:
I did a sample of it right beside the eyeliner - pine. I'm not sure why, haha.

Overall, my experience with Merle Norman was great. I loved the ladies of the Hickory, NC store. They were dolls and helped pick out whatever I needed. Shoutout to them!!


If you've ever been to Merle Norman, let me know how your experience was.
Was the customer service friendly and helpful? Do you like your products, and would you recommend them to anyone?
Comment below,
or email me at tarin@themakeupdiva.net :)

Thanks for reading.