Revlon's Latest Lip Products

Another great opportunity from Crowdtap provided me with four lip products from Revlon--all of which I couldn't wait to try. Although some of the colors weren't my cup of tea, all of the products are high quality and excellent for the right makeup lover.

Revlon Kiss Balm (Peach)

This is the PERFECT lip balm for me. I love that it's a stick (one which looks like it would be hard to break, even if you dropped your bag) and that the peach flavor is sweet, but not overwhelming on my lips. I've tried it both alone and on top of another lip product, and it works well in either situation. I can't wait to try out the other varieties of this Revlon Kiss balm.










Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick (Nude Attitude)

Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick is a rich, creamy stick that goes on smooth and has the power to last throughout the day. I like the product itself a lot, however I didn't like the particular shade I tried. Nude attitude would look perfect on someone with a darker skin tone, but it didn't look right with my fairer tone. I will be checking out the rest of the line to see if there's a better color suited for my daily makeup look.









Revlon HD Matte Lipcolor (Seduction)

The Revlon HD Matte lipcolor is a product I never would have thought to try, but once I did I absolutely love it. The color I received (seduction) was just the right shade for everyday wear--and I have been wearing it everyday since I got it. It works really well with any daytime look. It also has a staying power that I haven't seen in any lip product before. It really does stay on my lips all day without worrying about reapplication. My new favorite lip color, for sure.








Revlon HD Matte Metallic (Glow)

Since I loved the HD matte variety so much, I thought I would love the HD matte metallic just as much. Nope. While the product had the same great qualities as the HD matte variety, the color (glow) was terrible. It looked like I had applied gold lame on my lips. Great for a rave, not for everyday use (though a makeup look for darker skin tones could use this as an everyday look).









So, what you do think of these shades? Would you incorporate them into your makeup routine? 

Snack Snapshot: RXBAR Kids

The modern grocery store is a vast landscape of flavors--some of which are natural, some of which are created by scientists in a lab. When it comes to feeding yourself and your kids, what are you more likely to choose? If you want to have a product that doesn't put bad stuff in good products, RXBAR is a brand that doesn't mess around.

RXBAR has a new line of protein bars made especially for kids. These bars have fun flavors such as chocolate chip, berry blast and apple raisin cinnamon. If you are already familiar with the brand, then you know they are transparent as to what their ingredients are. Unlike most other brands, they put the ingredients right on the front of the package, letting you know what you are putting into your body.

When it comes to feeding these bars to kids, the ingredients are great. It may be a toss up on flavor and texture, however. Kids who aren't fans of a taffy-like texture may not like these bars--it definitely takes awhile to chew. The flavors are good (the apple cinnamon raisin was by far the best and most accurate), but non-fruit flavors such as chocolate chip do not taste anything like chocolate. This variety still has a very fruity flavor, considering one of the major ingredients in each bar is dates.

Whether you want to give them to your kids or yourself because you're still a kid a heart, these bars can help you avoid all the bad stuff in the grocery store.

Bold Lashes: #Revlon Mega Multiplier Mascara

Thanks to the folks at Crowdtap, I was able to try out Revlon's latest mascara product, Mega Multiplier. The product promises an oversized lash look with their innovative formula that combines tube technology and fibers to get long, full lashes. The formula is also smudge and flake proof with water resistance. So, does it deliver on its promises?

Here is the before and the after. The version I received is a blackened brown, so it's not the deepest color available. So is it a good buy? I would say yes. It gives the color, length and fullness that we all desire from a mascara product.

Though, as someone that wears glasses, the lashes can get a little too long. They do rub up against my lenses, but it's still worth it to get a bold lash look. 

What do you think of the Revlon Mega Multiplier Mascara? Will you try it out for yourself?

That Photo Ready Finish: Revlon's PhotoReady Perfecting Primer and Insta-Fix Hightlighter & Blush Duo

Thanks to a sampling mission from Crowdtap, I've been trying out some of Revlon's latest products. These three products are part of the PhotoReady line, a collection that let's you look your photo-ready best in any light. Let's take a closer look:

Revlon PhotoReady Perfecting Primer

This product is great because it can work well on its own or with foundation. As the first product you put on your face each morning, this primer helps to smooth and perfect your skin. I like it because I can choose to wear it without a bunch of other concealers and foundations if I want a simple, natural look. I also like the packaging--easy to pump and get the right amount of primer for my face.

This product comes in three versions: perfecting (shown here), brightening, and pore minimizing.

Revlon Insta-Fix Highlighter and Insta-Blush Duo

First, the blush. Although I've been slowly evolving when it comes to makeup, I still tend to avoid blush because I think it will make my reddish cheeks look even worse. I'll admit when I'm wrong. The blush helped to define my cheeks and make the roundness of my face a little less visible. The pinkness of the blush also worked extremely well with my skin tone, giving my face color in all the right places.

This product comes in four shades: rose gold kiss (shown here), candy kiss, berry kiss, and nude kiss. 

The Insta-Fix highlighter is one of those products I thought was just a trend--I didn't think I needed a high-glow look unless I was going full-glam on Instagram. But really, the highlighting stick has changed my mind. Yes, it makes me look bright and glowing in my photos, but beyond that I just have a naturally brighter look in real life. It's something I never thought I would want to use, but I think it's becoming one of my favorite beauty products so far this year.

This product comes in two colors: pink light (shown here) and gold light.

About Those Photos...

Because this is a product line that's promoted to enhance your features when you take a photo, I want to talk about how my photos turned out. I used a Samsung Galaxy S5 and a Fuji Instax Mini 8. Surprisingly, the best (in my opinion) turned out to be the instant photo because it flooded my face with light. It's also the photo that looks the most glam, like I was trying hard to create a look rather than have a natural glow.

When it comes to the smartphone photos, I found that the front facing camera (no flash available) didn't quite pick up on the details of the makeup. the rear camera (without flash used, but low light detection on) picked up a subtle overall brightness, but if I wanted the highlights to really stand out, I could have turned on the flash to pick it up. If you are taking shots with a pro DSLR, you can create any level of intensity with the brightness of the makeup. And if you don't have pro cameras laying around, there are always filters. ;-)

Am I the Last Person on Earth to Start Using Ibotta?

You know how it goes--you hear about something, all your friends are using it, but you still don't take the next step to check it out for yourself. I have been hearing about Ibotta for a long time now, especially when I peruse the web for shopping deals. So, I finally decided it was time to check it out. And now... I feel silly for not getting this app sooner.

Ibotta is an app/program that helps you save on groceries, beauty products and a variety of mobile purchases. You can easily unlock deals to get rebates on things you love to buy as well as new products you would like to try. Instead of messing with coupons, Ibotta lets you scan your receipt to verify your purchases and earn rebates (often within just a few hours).

It's Day 12 of using the app now, and I've been able to rack up a total of $18.00 in rebates. Ibotta is different than other similar apps because you can cash out (at $20) for either cash back through payment processors such as PayPal or you can redeem for gift cards (digital gift cards--which is important when you hate waiting!). This is really why I wanted the app. Another program that I used to earn rewards for my precious Starbucks cards has turned upside down. I used to be able to earn a latte a week with that program, now its down to barely a latte a month. Other programs let me earn my writer fuel faster, but I have to wait weeks for the physical gift cards to arrive in the mail. So, since Ibotta is just as easy and I'm earning on the things I already buy, I'm going to be getting a regular supply of writer fuel once again.

And if you're like me and still haven't joined, why not check it out now? It's fast, easy and you'll start saving on your purchases from day 1. You can join now and earn additional rewards for inviting friends and working together as a team to unlock even more bonus cash.

Check it Out: March #PinchMe Samples

Over the weekend I received my latest box from PinchMe and I couldn't be happier about the selection of products I was able to try. Here's the rundown:

N.B.T.F. - Nothing But The Fruit - Real Fruit Bites

To be perfectly honest, I'm more of a veggie person than a fruit person. And in particular, red fruit isn't really my favorite. But these raspberry fruit bites were good--they taste just like a candy gummy, only these bites are made from pure fruit (and in the case of raspberry chia, also chia seeds). I liked them a lot. The packaging was good too, because it had enough to satisfy me without feeling like too much or too little for one sitting.

Pure Leaf Green Tea with Mint

No surprise here--I'm also not a tea person most of the time. But there are occasions when I do indulge, and Pure Leaf has come up with a flavor I truly enjoy. I have always liked green tea, whether cold or hot varieties, but with mint tea, I've never found one that didn't taste like someone swirled a candy cane in a cup of hot water. With this combination, I can enjoy both flavors and the strength of the tea doesn't favor one flavor over the other. I would definitely try this one again.

Sensodyne Deep Clean

After enjoying fruit snacks and tea, it's time to make sure to keep your mouth clean and pain free. Sensodyne Deep Clean is made to keep your teeth clean and healthy while assisting with tooth sensitivity. I have occasional sensitivity, so this is the first time I've tried a toothpaste specifically for that issue. I liked the fresh minty taste, but the product is gel, and I do prefer the texture of paste (or a paste/gel combo). I haven't had sensitivity since using it, but I haven't been eating or drinking a lot of cold products either. Overall, it's a good product for your mouth care routine.

That's it for this box! Check back in soon to see what's coming up next time. 

Check it Out: The #ReviveVoxBox

It's that time again to find out what I've received in my latest Vox Box from Influenster. All these products are meant to revive me in some way (hence the name), and they seem to be working! Here's the rundown.

Vitamin Shoppe Protein Powders

 

I've never seen the appeal of just mixing protein powders in water. They may taste good, but the consistency is always lacking. That's why you don't have to just put water in them. I tried them with almond milk and cashew milk which made these flavors taste really great. And you don't have to stop there--adding fruits and blending it all together makes for a great smoothie.

Brew and Renew Coffees

 

When K-Cup coffee brewers first came out, I really wanted one. Then I realized that I couldn't use my favorite coffee with it and didn't want to spend a bunch of money trying to find the right flavor. Years have gone by and I switched from being unsure about the cost to completely sure about not wanting to add to landfills with all the waste that K-Cup packaging makes. That's why these Brew and Renew flavors are awesome: the pods work n K-Cup brewers but are made of a compostable material that won't add to the filth we humans try to dispose of every single day. Here's a breakdown of the flavors I received:

Hills Bros.

A classic flavor that I've enjoyed for the past few years.  Hills Bros, is always my go-to brand because I know that it's going to provide the flavor I love and the caffeine I need.

Kauai Coffee Co.

If you've ever had the dream of being in Hawaii, this is the perfect pairing to sway to the tropical breeze. This is another medium roast that hits the spot: great if you like plain black coffee, but even better if you like to dress it up with milk, cream or sugar.

Chock Full o'Nuts

Funny, I was under the impression that Midtown Manhattan would taste like sweltering concrete and broken dreams. Just kidding! This variety of coffee is a smooth and flavorful, which if you close your eyes can take you from your dull surroundings to comfy seat on a fire escape overlooking Broadway, enjoying a piping hot cup o' joe. 

SheaMoisture Fruit Fusion Coconut Water Weightless Shampoo and Crème Rinse

I'm a sucker for a good shampoo and conditioner--especially one that doesn't weigh down my hair after a shower. She Moisture is a brand I've known about for a little while (and have tried their face masks, which are always fun to pamper yourself with), so I had no reservations trying out this shampoo.

Snackwell's Biscuit Thins

 

A few months ago I bought a box of breakfast biscuits on a whim (different brand) and thought that the product was a good idea. Crunchy, flavorful, multiple pieces so I don't feel like I'm wolfing it down in one bite. I stuck with that first brand that I bought, but this Vox box changed my mind. The Snackwell's Biscuit Thins that arrived were by far the best tasting biscuits I've tried (and it comes with four in a pack, not three like the competitor). I tried French Vanilla latte, and although it doesn't taste like my morning latte per se, it does have a rich, coffee-filled flavor. and to think, just a few years ago I avoided anything remotely flavored liked coffee! I like it so much I've already bought another box to enjoy in the mornings.

Well, that's it! Have you tried any of these products? I'd love to hear what you think!