february favorites

LORAC PRO Palette 

I'm just in love with this palette. The matte eye shadow options seem endless to me and that's what I love about it. I've reached for it almost every day. See my full review and swatches here! 

L'oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara

Holy mascara. L'oreal seems to have done it again for me. Since January I've been on a "try new mascaras kick" and this is the only that really stands out to me. It lengthens, volumizes and separates my lashes like none other. Even better, the formula is completely clump free. This mascara means business and I'm loving it. 

Maybelline Color Whisper in Lust for Blush
I talked about these here, but didn't have this color yet. This color takes the cake for "your lips but better." It's my go-to lipstick for everyday. 

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer + Dark Spot Corrector

Since I love the Instant Age Rewind concealer for dark circles, I knew I had to try the dark spot corrector. It claims to treat the discoloration while you wear it. I have dark spots pretty much all over my cheeks thanks to acne scarring. I think this does at concealing my dark spots and evening everything out. 

NYX Blush in Pinched

I'm a big fan of NYX powder blushes. This one reminds me of NARS Orgasm. Peachy pink with some golden shimmer. It's so pretty an inexpensive. 

Elf Powder Brush

I don't know why I've never bought an ELF face brush before. One of my all-time favorite eye brushes is from ELF (more on that soon).  I guess because it's only $3.00, I would always think "hmmm, 3 dollars probably means hard bristles that could be rough my face." I couldn't have been more wrong. This brush is super soft. It applies and blends my powder, blush, bronzer, whatever I'm in the mood for, perfectly. Really glad I finally spent the whopping $3.00. 

What did you love in February?
xo, Mal

new maybelline lip products

If you visit CVS or Target as often as I do, you may have noticed all kinds of new displays. 

I am loving pretty much all of what Maybelline has been coming out with. Today I'm talking about the new Color Sensational Vivid Lipsticks and Color Whispers. 

First up, the lipsticks. What drew me to these were the intense colors. There are no nude shades in this line; It's all about the pinks, plums, reds and corals. I much prefer pink lipstick, so I picked up Pink Pop and Hot Plum. Pink Pop is more of my go-to color, and Hot Plum is a fun/risky choice for me. I'm really loving both colors. 

The swatches above are with just one or two swipes. That's some serious pigmentation!

These don't claim to be a long-wearing lip color, but they wear just fine throughout the day. You'll have to re-apply every couple hours to keep the color intensity, but that's pretty standard. These glide on so smoothly, and that's probably because they contain honey nectar. I'm really impressed! 

There's 10 shades in this line, so if you see some colors you like, I highly recommend picking some up! 

And now the Color Whispers. 

These claim to be "truly translucent gel color, with no heavy waxes or oils, for just a kiss of shine." 

There are 20 shades in this line, so it was hard to choose just a couple. 

Here are swatches of the two shades I picked up. I don't recommend any of the nude shades (unless you just want it for the hydration) because these are very sheer, but then again that's the point. I of course purchased a pink shade, and the coral looks like a nice color for the summer time. These are very hydrating, add just a wash of color, and they lasted longer on my lips than I expected. 

Since these are quite sheer, these will show up differently on everyone, it just depends on your natural lip color. I'm really liking these too-- might have to go back and pick up more colors!

Which colors are you loving? 

xo, Mal