But did they really live up to my expectations?
Check out my Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipsticks review for Melted Peony and Melted Coral below.
Today’s review is going to be on these unbelievably beautiful Clinique Cheek Pop blushes.
Ugh! How pretty are these blushes! *hyperventilates*
Read on for my thoughts and swatches.
I’m new to this whole beauty blogging thing, especially on Instagram! I’ve been testing the waters on Blogger for a few months and have finally gotten a grip of it, and I’m still learning. Despite a rocky start (finding out I was pregnant when I was just about to start and having to postpone blogging for a while), I couldn’t be more grateful. I’ve just been so overwhelmed by the support I’ve been getting from fellow beauty Instagrammers and bloggers for the past two weeks, I didn’t know how embracing and supportive the beauty community on social media could be!
I was so pleasantly surprised. I’ve only been here for two weeks yet I feel like I’ve made so many friends, especially on Instagram. I have just started my @beautybucketeer account for less than 2 weeks, with only a few posts, and have surpassed 500 followers by now. I’m so happy and humbled.
So, as a token of my gratitude and appreciation, I’ve decided to host an International giveaway and there will be TWO WINNERS, chosen randomly, as there are two categories of prizes to be won!
One winner will win these MAKEUP goodies:
Another winner will win these SKIN/BODY CARE goodies:
These twist-up jumbo-sized pencil colored lipbalms certainly tickle my fancy! For the price, I think it’s certainly worth it, and I even like it more than the Tarte LipSurgence lip tints, which is about 2-3x the price of these ones!
I would love to show you guys how they swatch on my lips but my lips are currently very dry and chapped – been slacking on using lip treatments overnight and have been sleeping with the heater on all night, plus the crazy winter chills and pregnancy hormones! I will start treating my lips tonight and will post the lip swatches once I can.
Anyway, these balms come in two finishes: lacquer (glossy, moisture balms) and matte (velvety, matte moisture balms). The lacquers are definitely more sheer at first swipe, but its intensities are buildable and some of them leave a stain on the lips when they wear off. The mattes are seriously opaque but so easy to work with and does not dry out my lips.
These have a slighlty minty scent and tingles on my lips for a short while, but certainly not irritating at all – maybe it’s the hydrating ingredient? I wouldn’t say these could replace or function as “lipbalms, I just see them as moisturizing lip colors.
All in all I was really impressed with these. I find that these last a whole lot longer on lips that are smooth and well-moisturized, not dry/flakey lips!
Read on to see the individual reviews.
Oh, btw when I did the shoot for these balms I only had 5, but I recently purchased another one of the Lacquer Balms in the shade Coquette! The review for this one will be at the very end.
Since this has a rather sheer opacity, the color will translate differently on different people, depending on their natural lip color. The skin on my arm is a bit fair so that’s why the shade looks like a vibrant, bright pink. My natural lip color is a bit on the darker side, so this shade looked more like a warm, dark (pinky) red rather than a vibrant hot pink.
This shade, unlike the other two lacquers I purchased have no shimmer/glitter particles at all.
It lasted for a good 4 hours (fading a bit by the second/third hourbut there was still a slight residue of gloss by the fourth), but could probably last a bit longer, it’s just that I was so hungry by the 4th hour mark I had to eat! :p But even after eating, I notice that this balm left a slight pinky stain on the lips.
This applies very smoothly and there was no tugging at all, unlike some other matte lip products. The texture is thin though, unlike lipbalms in general, but the pigmentation is remarkable even at first swipe on the lips.
To make it last longer, I always apply a few layers and lightly blot the excess on a tissue paper. This lasts around 4-5 hours but will immediately fade once I start eating.
Sadly I can only use this on days when my lips are smooth and well-exfoliated, not dry and even slightly chapped. Throughout the day it can get a bit dryer and may cling on to dry flakes on the lips. If your lips are chapped or uneven, this might accentuate the flakes and unevenness of the lip surface. The shade just ends up looking blotchy and uneven on the lips. So, again, I personally never use this on days when my lips are chapped, which I think is a loss because this product is called a “balm” and conventional balms should be able to treat, or at least accomodate, dry lips!
It’s rather opaque at first glide on the lips, but is definitely buildable. I usually wait a few seconds after applying the first layer to apply another layer. I think this is the best way to apply this shade. Layer after layer, allowing each layer to dry out before adding another layer. This makes the color really intensely pop and stand out.
This shade has micro glitters in it and you can definitely see them on the lips if you look at it up close. But don’t worry, it’s not visible at all from a distance, you’d have to look at the lips super closely to notice the glitters. They actually accentuate the shine the balm has, giving it more dimension, which is just lovely.
However, I did notice some of the glitters gliding around my mouth area when I drank and wiped the sides of my lips, and it was darn hard to remove from the skin! But I wouldn’t worry too much about it, they’re so tiny no one would notice unless they look at your skin from a very close, intimate distance!
One thing I didn’t like about this is the fact that the micro glitters are difficult to remove, even with a makeup remover. I can always see bits and pieces of glitter left on the lips.
Like the Vivacious shade, this lasted around 4-5 hours, which is pretty damn good considering this is a “balm” and not a lipstick/lipstain.
I’m going to give this 4/5 because aside from the glitter issue, this shade is otherwise perfect!
The first layer applied is opaque but certainly does not feel heavy at all, which I love, but it is rather creamy and ever-so-slightly slippery so if you want to add a few layers, the color may glide around and become streaky if you apply the second layer straight away. When I’m in a rush, I just apply one layer and lightly blot it on tissue paper and apply a second layer, and so on.
Once this color dries and settles, it has the most beautiful satin/matte finish and the color is just strikingly beautiful. This is the perfect everyday lippie for me!
Unlike Unapologetic, this somehow does not accentuate flakes and dry patches on the lips. However, I’m not quite sure if this lasts as long as Unapologetic. One time, it started to fade a bit around the 3rd hour mark, and was almost completely gone by the 5th. At another time, though, this lasted around 5 hours, even with drinking. I have yet to figure out why the longevity differs on different occasions, but I don’t mind reapplying this throughout the day because it’s so easy to apply. One layer is enough!
I am giving this 5/5 because it is hands-down my favorite!
At first I really didn’t like this shade because I feel like it made me look old, like, I’m-in-my-50’s old. But I realized that it was just a matter of application. If I apply just one layer on my upper lip, blot my lips together and let the color transfer on to my lower lips, it actually looks really nice and sophisticated. I really like the warmth in this shade!
It has a bit of sparkle just like the Whimsical, but somehow it doesn’t really show up as intensely as it did with the Whimsical. So I’m happy about that!
Finish-wise, I like that this shade doesn’t slide around even though it almost always feels like it will. It has a rather slippery, glossy finish when I apply both on my upper and lower lips. However, when I only apply on my upper lip and blot my lips together, the finish becomes matted a bit and I feel more secure.
Longevity-wise, I was really impressed with this. I was so dehydrated one day when I used this and drank a lot, but this shade stayed put and did not fade at all. It lasted for about 5 hours until I started eating. Even when I was eating, the color stayed on pretty well and only disappeared after I wiped my whole mouth with a napkin. I had a pretty messy dinner that day, I think I had a Grill’d burger!
I’m giving this one a 5/5 as well! It’s currently my go-to lippie when I want a more mature look 😉
In honor of Mondays… Ooh, the most dreaded day of the week, I’ve decided to post this to help you all out there who often had too much fun on Sunday nights and totally forgot you’ve got to work/go to school the morning after.
So…
Woke up late? Need to be out of the house in literally 10 minutes? Or even 5?
This, honestly, happens to me a lot ever since my highschool days!
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| My morning rush must-haves! |
If this also happens to you a lot, I strongly urge you to have the following items handy at all times at home:
After jumping out of bed and realizing you only have 5 minutes to storm out of the house, BRUSH YOUR TEETH, there is no excuse! You don’t want to suffocate people around you with your lovely morning breath. LOL!
But then, when you’re rushing you tend to forget things. So at the end of the post I have a list of things you always need to have in your handbag – one of them are mints or breath sprays. However, these should never be a replacement for a good ol’ conventional teeth brushing. (30 seconds)
Forget about washing your face if you have a well-cleansed and well-nourished skin from the night before. You weren’t sleeping rolling around in mud so you don’t really need to wash your face, simply apply toner with a cotton pad to get rid of any excess oils or dirt on the surface of the skin, or mist your face with your favorite face mist/spray to freshen up your complexion.
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| Lush Tea Tree Toner Water |
If you have problematic skin, the Lush Tea Tree Toner Water is super freaking awesome because it will also help treat your acne/congestions. (10 seconds)
SPF is so important – this is one step you should never skip, even during the winter! If your skin is in need of coverage, opt for a medium-coverage tinted moisturizer that contains SPF. If not, a moisturizer that contains a minimum of SPF 15 will do.
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| Makeup must-haves for the occasion! (L – R) Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer, Etude House 2NE1 Lip Tint in Pink Follower, Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel & Garnier BB Cream Eye Roller |
My favorite tinted moisturizers are the Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer and NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer. You don’t have time to moisturize, apply SPF foundation, and concealer separately, so a tinted moisturizer, BB or CC cream is the way to go! Applying with your clean fingers is much faster. (1 minute max.)
Brighten up your eye area as you most likely would still have puffy/red/dark under eyes from being sleep deprived, or maybe allergies?
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| Garnier BB Cream Eye Roller’s rollerball |
Quickly dab on a tinted eye cream/treatment like the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Concealer, First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Triple Remedy, or Garnier BB Cream Eye Roll On. This will help hydrate and treat your under eye throughout the day while also concealing any dark circles/puffiness/redness you may have. (30 seconds)
If you have more than 5 minutes to get out the door, you can always choose to apply an additional 1-2 makeup items that is a MUST for your face.
How to decide? Simply choose two features of your face that need to be enhanced the most.
For me, it’s definitely my eyebrows because I have thin and sparse, almost non-existent, eyebrows. The second makeup item I choose is normally mascara or cream blush. Or both if I have the time, but my eyebrows are my number one priority!
To save time, I usually opt for a tinted brow gel instead of brow pencil/powder.
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| Anastasia Brow Gel |
I also prefer cream blush over powder because they usually last longer and give a very natural flush to the cheeks. My favorite is the Josie Maran Cheek Gelee in Pink Escape and the Kevyn Aucoin The Creamy Glow in Pravella.
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| Kevyn Aucoin The Creamy Glow in Pravella |
Another item I usually add when I have the time is tinted lip balm. It’s important to keep your lips moisturized, but it’s nice to add color to your lips too. I have so many favorites but one of them is the Etude House 2NE1 Lip Tint in Pink Follower, which has a blue bullet but when applied on the lips, turns into a pinkish hue. The final color varies depending on the natural color of the lips and how many layers of the balm is applied – the more layers, the more intense the pink gets. Best thing is, this balm has SPF23!
Make sure you don’t choose to do complicated things like contouring, or colorful eyeshadow application, or doing a winged liner. Keep it simple, neutral and fast. If you really want eyeshadow, opt for long-lasting cream shadows like the Maybelline Color Tattoos. My favorite is the shade Bad To The Bronze.
Of course you won’t have time to slather your skin with body lotion, let alone shower! Grab a body moisture spray (basically a body lotion/moisturizer in a spray bottle) like the Sanctuary Spa Body Moisture Spray or the Vaseline Spray & Go that will moisturize and add a glow to your skin, and spray liberally all over your body to fake an “I showered this morning!” look.
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| Sanctuary Spa Body Moisture Spray |
With these products you don’t have to spend too much time rubbing the product in like you would with lotions and creams. One swipe is enough to rub the product in. (30 seconds)
Please do everyone around you a favor and don’t forget to use deodorant. It’s so much more important than perfume, especially if you live in hot and humid climates! Hehe. It’s because perfumes cannot control the odor the comes from your underarms, only anti-perspirants can do that.
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| Lavanila The Healthy Deodorant in Vanilla Grapefruit |
My favorite is the Dove Deodorant Anti-Perspirant Aerosol and Lavanila The Healthy Deodorant in Vanilla Grapefruit. (10 seconds)
Got limp, flat, oily hair? Always make sure you have dry shampoo, especially if you’ve got dark hair. Blondes can get away with baby powder, but people with dark hair will end up looking like they’ve aged overnight if they use baby powder, if you know what I mean!
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| Bod, hair and skin must-haves! (L – R) Batiste Dry Shampoo XXL Volume, Lush Tea Tree Toner Water, Lavanila The Healthy Deodorant in Vanilla Grapefruit, and Vaseline Intensive Care Spray Moisturizer (Spray & Go) |
My favorite is the cult classic Batiste Dry Shampoo in Cherry and on days when I need more volume, the XXL Volume version. Quickly spray it all over your hair (try to get to the roots as best as you can) and massage it into your bed head to add volume.
If your hair’s a really hot mess, just bun it up! And if your hair gets super tangled a lot, make sure you have a tangle teezer handy! (1 minute)
The quickest way to get out the door looking decent is by always having in mind your set of go-to clothes and accessories. The key is to choose clothing that is easy for you to slide into. Avoid clothes with buttons, and opt for zippers instead. As for shoes, choose something you can easily slide into without having to worry about bits and pieces falling out, causing you to stumble.
For me, it’ll be a pair of leggings, an appropriate top/shirt, a cardigan, a statement necklace/bracelet(s), and a pair of flats. Ideally, it’ll be better if you had these prepared the night before if you know you’re going to wake up late in the morning! (1 minute)
Do NOT skip breakfast! But you only have a few seconds left? Always keep in your pantry some protein/granola/muesli bars that you can just throw in your bag and eat on the way. Or, a liquid breakfast like Up & Go milk, which is my favorite! (10 seconds)
I hope that does not inspire you to wake up late all the time, but I do hope it’ll help if you ever have to rush in the morning!
