Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts

May 9, 2014

Hard Candy Contouring Face Trios!

Hey everyone, I'm back again with another drugstore review from Hard Candy! Usually Hard Candy is a hit or miss type of brand for me, but I'm beyond impressed with these new Contouring Face Trios. I absolutely love these because they are nicely pigmented, easy to blend, and convenient! 



The packaging is a bit bulky, but cute and sturdy nonetheless! This is a 3 in 1 type of product, you get a blush, bronzer, and highlighter all in one. Each trio has a smooth texture and is nicely pigmented. I found mine at Wal Mart for $9 each.




Here's a closer look at each trio (top left) 3rd Wheel (top right) 3x a Lady (bottom) 3 strikes.
Each trio has a shimmery finish that is really flattering on the skin.




Swatches from left to right: 3rd Wheel, 3 Strikes, and 3 x a Lady
If you would like to see how these apply on my skin, check out my video review here.

Claims: "Illuminate, contour and highlight with So Baked Sculpting Trio for a healthy looking, captivating glow. The baked trio includes a luminizer for highlighting cheekbones, a satin-finish blush for cheeks and a glowing bronzer that helps contour and define."
Finish/Texture:Each of these trios has a shimmery finish and a satiny smooth texture.
Pigmentation: The pigmentation is amazing, each section gives bold color.
Lasting Power: I had no fading at all with any of these trios, they last all day on my skin.
Scent: There is no scent.
Packaging: These are packaged in a big, sturdy plastic compact, no mirror is included.
Price/Availability: I paid $9 each at WalMart

Likes: 

  • Great pigmentation
  • Variety of shades to choose from
  • Inexpensive
  • Smooth Texture/Easy to blend
  • Multi-purpose 
  • Great quality

Dislikes:

  • Bronzers are not matte (personally I don't mind)

Overall:
Although Hard Candy is usually a hit or miss brand for me, I highly recommend trying these contouring face trios! They give you such a beautiful glow to your skin, while providing the convenince of having all of your cheek products in one palette. Each shade in the trios has a shimmery satin finish with great pigmentation. While I don't think these are the best for major contouring or highlighting, they are simply perfect to add a little extra spice to an everyday makeup look.


Mar 15, 2014

Milani Rose Powder Blushes

Remember the limited edition rose blushes Milani released last year? Well Milani did it again for Spring 2014, with four new shades of cute rose-shaped blush goodness! I'm thrilled to say that Milani sent me these for review, so I didn't have to hunt them down at all. I couldn't even get my hands on last year's collection, and I haven't seen these ones in my area at all. *Sigh of relief * 

Hopefully you all can get your hands on at least one of these blushes, because they are by far my favorite Milani blush I've used, even over the increasingly popular baked blushes!  


There are only four shades in this collection, and they all have a matte finish. These are limited edition, so once they sell out they will be gone for good! UGH.


Swatches from left to right: Coral Cove, Tea Rose, Love Potion, and Lady Rouge

Coral Cove is a bright coraly orange. Tea Rose is a muted cool toned pink. Love Potion is a bright hot pink (it pulls a bit red on me). Lady Rouge is a deep warm toned red.

These swatches were done with two swipes each. The texture is hard to swatch, it had a slippery/powdery finish to it that is not the easiest to work with. I find that a blush brush is the best way to apply these. 


Claims: "An ultra silky-soft powder blush that delivers the perfect amount of color and easily blends onto cheeks."
Finish/Texture: The finish on each blush is very matte. The texture is somewhat powdery, which makes applying these a bit tricky. I find that using a brush is best, but the texture does make swatching difficult. 
Pigmentation: These are all very pigmented, a little bit goes long way. Especially for someone with my skin tone. I love the shade selection too.
Lasting Power: These had no problem lasting on my skin all day long. I would say these lasted me a good 10 hours, even on hot days.
Scent: These do have strong plasticy cheap scent at first, but it fades after you use them up a few times. Weird I know, but just pointing that out.
Packaging: You get 0.6 oz of blush in each compact. The compact is made of sturdy plastic, but it's bulky! These babies take up a ton of room.
Price/Availability: I was sent these for review by Milani. I've heard that they are available on their website and at Walgreens for $8-$10 each.



Likes:

  • Very pigmented
  • Pretty shades to choose from (suit all skin tones)
  • Beautiful matte finish
  • Great lasting power (10+ hours)

Dislikes:
  • Limited edition (hard to find)
  • Powdery texture/can be patchy
  • Difficult to work with
  • A bit pricey for drugstore
Overall:
I love the pretty shades and the beautiful matte finish that these rose blushes have. They lasted all day and night on me, even through the work days. Each shade is intensely pigmented, enough that even a deep skin tone could pull off. I prefer the finish and overall look of these blushes over the Milani baked blush line! Gasp! 

With that being said, these blushes aren't perfect. They have a powdery texture that makes application a bit messy. They can also be a bit patchy when blending onto the skin, which means that these take time to apply. However, I still really love Tea Rose and those little problems are something I'm willing to compromise. 

I would only recommend these blushes to the die hard Milani fans out there like me, or to the people who appeal to some of the gorgeous shades. The rose shapes are super cute, and the shade selection is amazing. I feel like any skin tone could pull off the blushes from this collection, which is something that we need more of at the drugstore! 



Will you be purchasing any of the new Milani Rose Blushes?



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Mar 1, 2014

Physicians Formula Powder Palette Multi-Colored Custom Blush

I have tried so many Physicans Formula blushes over the years, mainly because of their cute packaging! Remember the Happy Boosters? Even though Physicians Formula is considered to be a 'higher end' brand at the drugstore, I still find that most of their products are hit or miss with me. Fortunately, I ended up loving their latest blush line, the Powder Palette Multi-Colored Custom Blush! I bought the shade 'Blondes'.


The bright pink packaging definitely caught my eye! What can I say, I secretly love pink.


As you can see, the blush is has a pretty mosaic pattern. It looks a bit sparkly in the pan, but when swatched, it turns into a beautiful  subtle shimmery finish.


Here is one layer of 'Blondes' swatched. I ADORE the finish, it's a beautiful subtle shimmer. It looks very healthy and natural on the skin. The cool toned peachy-pink shade also flatters my pale complexion nicely! It's pigmented, so a little goes a long way. 

There is only one other shade in this line, and it's for 'Brunettes'. I really would have liked to see more shades in the line, I mean come on what about us Ravens and Redheads?! 
I suggest to get whichever shade you think will compliment your skin tone. 


Claims: "Ultra-Glam Bombshell Glow! Compliments your hair color. The Perfect Blush for Your Hair Color. Versitile & Glamorous Glow."
Finish/Texture: The finish is a subtle shimmer, very similar to a Milani baked blush finish. The texture is soft and blendable, but not powdery. 
Lasting Power: This blush didn't have the best lasting power, it started to fade around 6-7 hours on my dry skin. I usually don't have to worry about fading, but I feel like the soft texture of this blush makes it fade quickly.
Scent: There is no scent to this blush.
Packaging: Adorable! I love the hot pink case, it's sturdy and not as bulky as some of their other products. There is also a nice mirror at the the bottom, but the brush it comes with is cheap and scratchy.
Price/Availability: I paid $10.75 at Rite Aid


Likes:
  • Nicely pigmented
  • Beautiful finish/color
  • Easy to blend
  • Nice texture
  • Cute packaging/mirror included

Dislikes:
  • Only 2 shades to choose from
  • Pricey for drugstore
  • 'Ok' lasting power
Overall: 
I really love this blush! It has a subtle satin finish that is absolutely gorgeous, the color is beautiful and the texture is very easy to work with! 

I'm glad that the hot pink packaging caught my eye, because I can't get enough of this blush. I've mentioned it countless times in my latest videos, and every time I wear it, I always get compliments! If you've been looking for something new from Physicians Formula, definitely check out this blush! 


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Feb 28, 2014

February Flops!

February seemed like I did outrageous amount of drugstore shopping! Don't get me wrong, I have tons of love for drugstore makeup, but this time around I ended up with some flops. These products were each featured in my February Hits and Misses video, but I also wanted to give them a quick mention here! 


L'Oreal Extra Intense Liquid Liner Pencil in Blue ($8.99)-  This is from the new limited edition Color Creations collection by L'Oreal. I thought this pencil was going to be a fabulous bright turquoise like the mascara, unfortuanately it was an average navy. I was just disappointed in the shade (I was under the impression that it was going to be a match with the mascara). For the price, I can get a better navy elsewhere.

L'Oreal Voluminous Color Creations Mascara in Turquoise Crush ($9.99) - The turquoise color is what caught my eye here, I mean who doesn't want turquoise lashes? Unfortunately, I found this mascara formula extremely thick, and it took like five layers for the color to show up (keep in mind that I have blonde lashes too). It was nothing like the original voluminous, what a disappointment! 

Physicians Formula Sexy Booster Ooh La La Sexy Eyes Trio ($12.95)- I usually love Physician's Formula liners, I have too many to count. I decided to give this one a try because there are three different liners in the kit, a pencil, kajal, and a pen. The pen was watery and poorly pigmented, the kajal and pencil were ok. The big downer for me was that these liners all had a vanilla scent to them, which  stung my eyes! Yikes! 


Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Paints in Rich Russet and Chestnut Taupe ($5.49 each)- I know, everybody seems to love these. Not me. I found that these creased horribly and faded only after a few hours of wear. I really didn't like the wateryness of the formula either.. The colors are pretty, but these just aren't my style. 


What are your February Flops? 


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Feb 26, 2014

Maybelline Dare to Go Nude Color Tattoos for Spring 2014

YES! There are six new Color Tattoos from Maybelline, recently launched from their Dare to Go Nude collection for Spring 2014. I was thrilled to find them, I actually came across them on my lunch break at the Rite Aid down the block from my work. We all know how difficult hunting for limited edition collections can be! Thankfully, I found these no problem. They are all gorgeous, shimmery neutrals. I've been using them everyday for a week straight, yeah I am a bit obsessed. Color Tattoos make me crazy! 


Maybelline Color Tattoos by Eyestudio / $7 each at Rite Aid
There are the six new, limited edition color tattoos from the Dare to Go Nude Collection for Spring 2014.  love the fact that they are all neutrals! 


Top Row (left to right):  Pure Nude, Stroke of Midnight, Sleek & Spice
Bottom Row (left to right): Nude Compliment, Caramel Cool, Beige-ing Beauty

From left to right:  Sleek & Spice, Stroke of Midnight, Pure Nude, Caramel Cool, Beige-ing Beauty, and Nude Compliment.

Sleek & Spice is a smoky brownish taupe, with an almost metallic finish. Stroke of Midnight is a true black with subtle silver/blue sparkle, this shade is a bit patchy. Pure Nude is an opaque champagne shimmer. Caramel Cool is a warm bronze with a metallic finish. Beige-ing Beauty is a yellowish gold with silver shimmer, also a bit patchy. Nude Compliment  is an opaque shimmery cool-toned taupe. These swatches are all two swipes each. Nude Compliment and Sleek & Spice are my favorites of this collection! 


Claims: "Our ink technology creates 24HR wear for our most intense, long-lasting color saturation. Cream formula glides on without creasing and keeps color vibrant."
Pigmentation: I feel like the lighter shades are less pigmented than the deeper shades, but they are easy to layer and build color so it doesn't bother me. The darker shades have excellent color payoff, one swipe is all you need to get full color.
Finish/Texture: The finish on all six of these is shimmery, almost metallic. The texture on each shadow is very creamy, and can easily be blended with fingers or a brush.
Lasting Power: I have never experienced creasing or fading with Color Tattoos, they last all day for me. I wouldn't doubt the 24 hour claim on these, they are that good.
Packaging: Each shadow is packaged in a small glass pot, with a screw on lid.
Price/Availability: These are $7 each at Rite Aid

Likes:

  • Creamy texture
  • Buildable color
  • Easy to use
  • Pigmented ( but the darker shades are better)
  • Inexpensive
  • Overall great quality

Dislikes:

  • Limited edition 

Overall:
Maybelline won me over again with this collection of beautiful neutrals. I'm a neutral shadow fanatic, and this was exactly what I've been wanting to see from Maybelline. Each color will compliment any skin tone, and can be used to create many different looks. Plus, they are under ten dollars, which blows my mind...because I prefer the quality of these over MAC paint pots! 

I love that Color Tattoos can be worn alone or used as a base for shadows. I often wear mine both ways, and once the shadow dries, it stays on for good. It's easy to remove at the end of the day, and never feels uncomfortable on my eyes. I have at least fifteen different shades now, and none of them have ever creased or faded on me. Maybelline Color Tattoos will always be one of my all time favorite drugstore products!

If you would like to see the other items that I purchased in this collection, check out my Dare to Go Nude Collection swatch video below! 


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Feb 15, 2014

Milani Lip Intense Liquid Lip Colors

If you have been keeping up with me on YouTube, you know that Milani has tons of new products out for 2014! I was thrilled when Milani decided to send me their full line of new makeup, but the Lip Intense Liquid Lip Colors definitely stood out to me the most. I started testing them right away, and after three weeks of constant use, let me tell you...


They are fabulous. 



There are 4 shades total: Pink Rave, Violet Addict, Fiery Coral, and Red Extreme.


The tubes are a bit peculiar, the shape is just odd to me, but it's what inside that counts! These lippies are full of silky pigment that glide on effortlessly!


Swatches from top to bottom: Pink Rave, Violet Addict, Red Extreme, and Fiery Coral.
Pink Rave is a bright medium pink, Violet Addict is a bright pinky- violet, Red Extreme is a bright, blue toned red, and Fiery Coral is a bright cool toned pinkish-coral.


Claims: "Satisfy your craving for shockingly intense, super-shiny,full lip color with Lip Intense Liquid Color. Lip Intense applies like a highshine gloss, but has the longevity and wear of a lipstick.  The sponge-tip applicator allows for a fast,easy, and precise application. Paraben-free."
Pigmentation: One swipe gives full color, a little goes a long way! I'm amazed at how pigmented these are, the swatches show it all.
Finish/Texture: The finish on these reminds me of satin. It's not exactly matte, but it does have a hint of shine. The texture is very creamy, like a NYX matte lip cream but silkier.
Lasting Power:  I had 4-5 hours of wear on these before I needed a touch up. They do stain the lips, but not in a pretty way, expect to reapply these throughout the day.
Scent: These have a strong Cheesecake scent to them. I know that's really specific, but every time I smell these it just reminds me of cheesecake frosting. Haha!
Packaging: Like I said before, I don't think the packaging is pretty. I like the bright colors, but the shape is just outdated to me. 
Price/Availability: I didn't buy these personally, Milani sent me them in consideration for review. The only place I have spotted these right now is at  Walgreens for $6.50.

Likes:
  • Great pigmentation
  • Bright, stunning colors
  • Creamy texture
  • Satin finish
  • Inexpensive

Dislikes:
  • Scent is ok, it does fade quickly
  • Lasting power isn't the best, touch ups needed
  • The packaging is a bit tacky

Overall:
I would definitely call these a lip cream, it's like a cross between a creamy lipstick and a gloss. I'm so impressed by the light, silky texture, and the intense color that these have! 

Although I'm over the moon about these lip creams, I must say that they don't have the best longevity. They claim to last 'like a lipstick', but I only had 4-5 hours of wear before these faded badly. They leave behind a funky stain, the ring-around-the-mouth kind, so reapplying is key. It's not surprising, since the texture is so light and silky.

If you're looking for something bright and unique, these are for you!  I already want more shades to choose from! Will you be trying the new Milani Lip Intense Lip Colors?



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Jan 20, 2014

Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Sticks

I am beyond excited that Maybelline recently added six blush sticks to their permanent Face Studio line. I haven't seen a blush stick at the drugstore in ages, since the awful Revlon Baby Stick incident. Let me tell you, these are fantastic. I could not be happier that Maybelline has given the drugstore some great blush stick options!  


These little tubes are so cute! I bought 3 shades: Coral Sheen, Just Pinched Pink, and Pink Fever.


Swatches from top to bottom: Pink Fever, Coral Sheen, and Just Pinched Pink
Pink Fever is a bright cool toned pink,. Coral Sheen is a bright warm coral, it almost looks like a true orange. Just Pinched Pink is a cool toned mauve. These have a very subtle amount of shimmer, it's only noticeable in the natural light.  Swatches are 2 swipes each.

Claims: "Cheeks go dewy and gently glazed with this portable, creamy blush stick.
Glazed pearls and shea butter glide provide blendable, natural color and smooth, even application.Fragrance Free. Non-comedogenic. Suitable for all skin types."
Finish/Texture: The finish is a bit dewy at first, but it dries down to a satin. These have a very pretty subtle shimmer . The texture is so creamy, you could easily use your fingers to blend these out! They glide on the skin so smoothly, it's great.
Lasting Power: Alone these lasted about 5 hours, which is more than I expected (note that I do have dry skin). Over foundation these lasted about 8 hours before they started to fade. I was very impressed with the wear time! 
Scent: These do not have scent, yay! 
Packaging: They come in a small plastic tube (very similar to the NYX cream blushes). After the cap is removed, the stick can be easily twisted up/down. 
Price/Availability: I paid $9.30 for each blush stick at CVS.


Likes:
  • Great pigmentation
  • Nice texture/blendable
  • Easy to use
  • Good staying power
  • Variety of shades to choose from
  • Overall great quality

Dislikes:
  • Blush does not twist down all the way into the tube (I know this problem will go away over time, so it's not a big deal)

Overall:
Maybelline has set the standard for cream blush sticks at the drugstore!  I'm so pleased with these blush sticks, overall I think they are going to be a huge drugstore hit. 

Although they are about ten dollars with tax, these will last you a while. They are nicely pigmented, so a little really goes a long way. They blend out effortlessly, even with my dry skin. These have shimmer to them, but it is very subtle, and once it's blended out it's barely noticeable. The lasting power is nice too, and there are a variety of shades to choose from, although I wouldn't mind seeing more collections in the future! 

I'm excited to see what other brands may do to follow up, I'm hoping for a blush stick trend this spring.. is that just me?



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Jan 14, 2014

L'Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire Liquid Lipsticks

L'Oreal definitely isn't my first choice when it comes to lip products at the drugstore. For that reason, I wasn't expecting these new liquid lipsticks to blow my mind. I really didn't find them to be anything special, honestly they are more of a pigmented gloss to me, not a lipstick at all.


 There are 16 shades available, and I chose Ruby Opera (left) and Pink Tremolo (right).

Ruby Opera (bottom) Pink Tremolo (top)
Swatches are two swipes each.

Claims: "Transform lips from ordinary to extraordinary. Color is richer, lip surface is smoother and shine is magnified. Formulated with precious micro-oils and rich color pigments, Extraordinaire provides the ideal balance of color and care for perfect lips."
Pigmentation: These are extremely pigmented, that is the best thing about this product. It really does only take a little of this gloss to get full color on the lips. 
Finish/Texture: The finish is very shiny, like a gloss. The texture is smooth, but almost a little too slick. It did bleed out of my lip line a bit, and I usually don't have that problem.
Lasting Power: These only lasted 2-3 hours on my lips, and they did bleed.
Scent: OMG you guys, these smell SO STRONG. It's like a cherry/chemical smell. It's just so terrible, I hate it because it takes a while for it to fade away.
Packaging: I think the gold plastic is so tacky, the bottle is just ugly to me in general. The applicator is fuzzy and it grabs a lot of product, which I do like.
Price/Availability: I paid $10 each for these at CVS


Likes:
  • Great pigmentation
  • Nice applicator/easy to use
  • Variety of shades to choose from

Dislikes:
  • Awful scent
  • Expensive for the quality
  • Slippery texture/bleeds out of my lip line
  • Poor lasting power
  • I think the packaging is kinda tacky..


Overall:
If you're looking for something that feels and looks like a pigmented gloss, this is for you. I do like the pigmentation on these, but there are other things at the drugstore that do the same thing for me that are cheaper, such as the Maybelline Color Elixirs. 

I wouldn't say these are a liquid lipstick, especially since they feel and act more like a gloss. I wasn't a fan of the extremely shiny finish, or the super slick texture. The texture was almost gooey, it seemed to slip out of my lip line no matter what. The scent is almost unbearable for me, like I said it's a weird cherry/chemical scent that is just so unnatural. I also think that ten dollars (that's not even counting tax) is a bit much for the amount and quality of the product.

Overall, these just were not exciting to me.  I think they're nice to use over a lipstick, but that's about it. There are other things at the drugstore that are pretty much the same idea, but are cheaper and better quality. 

Have you tried the L'Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire Liquid Lipsticks yet?
If you would like to see what these look like on my lips, please check out my video review on YouTube here.



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Jan 11, 2014

Covergirl Tru Blend Foundation

Covergirl recently relaunched their Tru Blend foundation line, which I never remember being a fan of, but decided to try anyway. Also the ad campaign had the singer Pink on the display, with her skin looking about the same shade as mine. Long story short, the foundation was too dark, it oxidized, and the formula wasn't impressive..

Here's what the new packaging looks like. There are 21 shades in the line and I chose the lightest one, Light 1. 

Here is a swatch of Tru Blend L1 

Claims:"truBLEND Liquid Makeup is available in 21 shades and features a new shade matching system. To find your perfect blend, first determine your shade family. Second, choose your number. Coordinate complementary truBLEND products based on your number for a seamlessly flawless nude look that blends in and virtually disappears. "
Formula: The formula is thicker than most liquid foundations. I don't like the way that I can actually feel it on my skin. It's a bit cakey for my liking.
Finish: The finish was a bit dewy, but not glowy. 
Coverage: The coverage was medium. I couldn't really layer it without it looking like too much, since the formula is so thick. 
Lasting Power: I don't really know that lasting power since I couldn't wear this out of the house.
Scent: There was no scent.
Packaging: I think the bottle is bulky, but  I do like the pump though.
Price/Availability: I paid $10.50 at CVS

Likes:

  • The pump is useful

Dislikes:

  • Expensive for drugstore
  • Thick, cakey formula
  • Color does not match/turns orange
  • Coverage was 'ok'
  • Overall quality is poor
  • Does not live up to claims

Overall:
Covergirl foundations have never impressed me in the past, but I wasn't expecting this foundation to let me down as much as it did. I really had high hopes that this foundation would work for me color-wise, especially since they claimed that the line will match 99% of women, AND since they had models with similar complexions to mine on the ads. 

I really didn't have anything to like about this foundation other than the pump. The formula was very thick, making application more difficult than it should be. The coverage was alright, and the finish was a little dewy. I think over ten dollars is ridiculous for the overall quality of this foundation. Revlon Colorstay is a bit cheaper, and it's my holy grail. So I would never repurchase Tru Blend again, since it really did nothing for me.

It's incredibly misleading to use women with pale, cool skin tones on the ad/commercials, and not actually have a color in the line that pale women could use. I always find most makeup product ads to be ridiculous, but Covergril takes the cake this time. Just look at the color swatch on the website, it's totally different from what you actually get! 

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Dec 23, 2013

Covergirl Tru Magic Skin Perfector Mattifier

Oh my, where do I even begin this review? I haven't disliked a product this much in a while! Covergirl is one of my least favorite brands at the drugstore, but that didn't drive me away from trying this 'skin perfector' balm. Basically, what it's supposed to do is control oil. You can use it underneath your makeup as a primer, on top of makeup in place of powder, or just alone to blur pores. Either way, this did not do anything for me at all. 


 Covergirl Tru Magic 'Soft Touch Balm'


The balm also comes with a sponge applicator, which is actually nice to use. However, I don't like the fact that there is no place to house the sponge with the compact! 

Claims: "Perfecting balm for a soft, smooth finish. Controls shine, non-greasy, won’t clog pores." 
Finish/Texture: The finish it gave was matte, but the texture was like silly putty! It literally feels like thick goo. Even when I used a small amount, I just didn't like the texture. It didn't give a 'blurred' finish. It honestly just made my face look cakey.
Lasting Power: I wouldn't say that this has 'lasting power' because it really didn't do anything for my makeup at all, other than make it look messy.
Scent: This is unscented.
Packaging: There's no place to put the sponge, and there's also no mirror. Two things that really irritate me, I feel like all compacts should have that. (Personal preference).
Price/Availability: I paid $11.79 at CVS

Likes:
  • Nice concept being introduced to the drugstore
Dislikes:
  • Didn't give a smooth finish/matte finish/blurred look
  • Texture feels like silly putty/greasy feeling
  • Balm does not work well over makeup or as a primer
  • Expensive for drugstore
  • Packaging could have been better
Overall:
Even when I only used a thin layer of this product, it felt terribly greasy on my skin. It did not give me a matte finish, or even a 'blurred' finish for that matter.. 

Whenever I used this, I could just feel the balm sitting on my face. It had such a heavy texture, that it was hard to apply evenly. It honestly felt like a putty more than a balm, it was unpleasant to put on my face, especially over makeup. It made my makeup look cakey, and when used as a primer it just felt terrible. I didn't notice it control any shine either, this product really had no purpose for me. 

I feel like this 'balm' was just put on the market to introduce a new concept to the drugstore and Covergirl was the first to do it, and for that I give them credit. Hopefully other brands will follow the trend and deliver something that actually works. 

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