Drugstore Skincare: e.l.f. Hydrating Gel Melt Cleanser

I'm forever on the lookout for less expensive options to my favorite skincare products, especially when it comes to cleansers. For something that spends so little time on your face, you'd think it should be possible to find a decent alternative at a drugstore price point. So I happily ordered the e.l.f. Cosmetics Hydrating Gel Melt Cleanser ($10 for 40g/ 1.41 oz), hoping to save some pennies on my evening double cleanse.

Aaand... Nope. Right off the bat, when we consider the price per ounce for this cleansing balm, it turns out not to be a very cost-effective product in the least. I did actually notice the small volume before purchasing, but I was still hopeful because the ingredients seemed quite promising. It contains argan and rose oils, as well as humectant glycerin. The first ingredient is an emollient fatty acid ester (ethylhexyl palmitate), and there's no mineral oil/ liquid paraffin, or fragrance added. Sounds pretty good, no?

But in my opinion, the Hydrating Gel Melt Cleanser is the prime example that a short and sexy INCI list is not the deciding factor of a good or bad product. Because performance wise, I don't think this is an effective cleansing balm. The first downside is that it's quite difficult to spread around, and even though the gel/balm does melt down into more of an oil with the warmth of my skin, it takes quite a lot of time and product to get this evenly distributed on my dry and made-up face. But even more importantly, it doesn't emulsify enough to effectively dissolve my make-up and sunscreen. It emulsifies a little bit but if you're trying to rinse this off, it's impossible to remove all the melted impurities or get if off without a residual oily film on the face. I take it off with a warm washcloth, but even so, it takes a lot of time, energy and rubbing my skin to remove it sufficiently for my second cleanser to do its job.

And while the packaging looks quite luxe for a drugstore brand, the cleanser is so firm that I need to use a separate spatula to dig it out - plus, it sorts of tries to hide with its weight and heft how little product you're actually getting for your money. The balm itself also smells of... well, plastic. And that's just not very pleasant at the end of the day, you know what I mean?

So here are my thoughts. So far, the oil/ balm cleansers I've tried that featured more appealing ingredients lists (this e.l.f. Gel Melt Cleanser, The Body Shop Chamomile Silky Cleansing Oil, or even the NUDE Omega Cleansing Jelly, which was the best but most expensive) haven't really been ultra effective at make-up removal - which is essentialy what I am using them for. On the other hand, oil cleansers with more questionable INCI lists  (mostly featuring mineral oil as the main ingredient, like the Shu Uemura oils) have all removed more make-up much faster than their more natural counterparts. One notable exception that I thought performed fabulously was the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil (olive oil based), however it is a little pricey - I may go back to it though if I don't find anything I like better. But honestly, from this point onward, I think I'm just not going to bother inspecting ingredients lists for my first cleansers and focus on finding a really effective (and hopefully, not too expensive) and enjoyable product I can safely rely on to take off all my make-up and SPF. I am already halfway done with this e.l.f. cleanser and am in fact investigating some more popular Asian beauty oil and balm cleansers.

Do you have any skincare staples that can be found among drugstore aisles? To be honest, I've only ever really liked two drugstore skincare products: the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser and their PM Face Lotion. Let me know what your favorites are!

Drugstore Acid Tone: Nip + Fab Exfoliate Glycolic Fix Night Pads Extreme

I love trying out new products (hence this blog, duh) and I keep purchasing new things even when I know I've already found a favorite in a given category. Case in point: I love the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads (reviewed here), and I've repurchased them multiple times. But then I heard some buzz about these Nip + Fab Exfoliate Glycolic Fix Night Pads Extreme ($14.99 for 60 pads at Ulta), and I immediately thought 'Fabulous! These could be a dupe for the FAB pads at half the price!'. Uhm, yeah. So I bought them. Because I'm also cheap.

Needless to say, they're not a dupe, neither in terms of ingredients or performed function in my skincare routine (and speaking of dupes where it comes to skincare is tenuous at best, to be honest). But let me back up a little: the Nip + Fab exfoliating pads contain 5% glycolic acid and an undisclosed concentration of mandelic, salicylic and lactic acids; I'm guessing not very much since they're towards the end of the INCI list. The pads also contain glycerin, niacinamide and panthenol, and they're alcohol-free. They're not however fragrance-free; there's a prominent lemon scent which strongly reminds me of floor/ bathroom cleaner - that's probably my biggest gripe with the product.

The directions specify to use these pads 2-3 times a week at night, or just once a week if your skin is sensitive. I use these every night; 5% glycolic isn't actually very high (same as Pixi's Glow Tonic, for example, which is my second favorite - reviewed here), and I don't find these pads to be overexfoliating. They do however seem to be 'stronger' than the First Aid Beauty Pads - on my skin, Nip + Fab tingle a lot more, and I'd say they keep my complexion a bit clearer (but also a touch drier) than the more expensive pads. I can definitely see the difference in the texture of my skin when I use these, and I think they're effective at keeping pores a bit tighter and minimizing breakouts.

HOWEVER. That's not exactly what I was using my First Aid Beauty Pads for. I always liked to use the FAB pads in the mornings to give my skin a little exfoliating boost and help with the absorption of other products layered on top, overall providing a nice glowy canvas for make-up application. The Nip + Fab pads leave my skin a bit too red to be used in the mornings, be it due to AHA/BHA concentration, added fragrance or the rougher texture of the pad itself. Soo... for me personally, the Nip + Fab Night Pads Extreme definitely are NOT replacing the FAB pads in my routine, and I am going back to the more expensive option once I finish my tub.

As for trying to save some pennies (or being cheap, lol): that didn't work out all that great either. I actually cut my FAB pads in half, therefore paying $30 for 120 applications. With the Nip + Fab pads, they don't have enough solution to be cut and used over the whole face, working out to be $14.99 for 60 appplications, so pretty much the same cost per use as my favorite pads. Lesson learnt, folks - I'm not going to try to mess with a firm favorite. I've now tried A LOT of different AHA/BHA products, both drugstore and high-end, and I usually go right back to the FAB pads for my morning acid tone (I'm still more adventurous with the night time routine though). I hope this review was helpful and please let me know what your tried and true exfoliating product is!

Cheap Thrills: Essence Lipliner in Satin Mauve

When was the last time you bought a make-up product at the drugstore for less than $2? I feel like the days of finding awesome deals at the drugstore are coming to an end, and there's just a few brands left that offer truly inexpensive products that work well. Fortunately, one of these brands is Essence, and when I felt the itch to experiment with lining my lips again, I decided to take my two bucks and invest in their Lipliner in Satin Mauve ($1.99 for 0.035 oz, I bought mine at Ulta).

Just for the sake of comparison, at the same time I also ordered the NYX Slide On Lip Pencil, which costs $7.99. Eight dollars for a drugstore lip liner is getting up there, am I right? Anyway, back to the Essence Satin Mauve. This pencil looks like the most classic, old-school lip liner in the world - it has the standard wood casing (don't you just love the smell of these?) and it's definitely NOT one of the newer generation 'gel' pencil formulas; just your typical firm pencil that takes a bit more work to apply to the lips.

In terms of texture and pigmentation, it's not as good as the NYX Slide On, especially when you're swatching one next to the other on the back of your hand. The Essence Lip Liner is not as smooth or creamy and it doesn't just glide on the lips with the slightest pressure. HOWEVER. In terms of actual performance and feel on the lips, I really like it. While it may look a bit patchy in the heavy arm swatch, I find it applies evenly on the lips, and feels a lot thinner and more lightweight than the NYX; in fact, I can't even tell I have it on. The finish is completely matte so yes, it will exaggerate all your vertical lip lines, but I don't think it's uncomfortable or drying in itself. In terms of wear, I also feel like it transfers less and lasts better than the NYX.

L-R: Essence Lipliner in Satin Mauve, NYX Slide On in Nude Suede Shoes, Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Warm Me Up, BITE High Pigment Lip Pencil in Rhubarb

In terms of the shade, Satin Mauve is - finally! - a true mauve shade on my fair skintone with cool undertones. There's a lot of purple to this shade and it even pulls a little grey, which seems to be right in line with the current lip color trends. I was hoping it would be a bit lighter in depth but on me, it's more of a My Lips But Better (Darker) than a nude shade. When I use it to lightly line the lips, it works well even when paired with a lighter nude lipstick, as long as it's more of a cool undertone as well.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with this extremely inexpensive find - I mean seriously, it was two bucks. It actually makes me wish I bought two of the Essence Lipliners instead of that $8 NYX one. I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a cheap lip liner to play with, and the shade Satin Mauve would be a great way to try out that 'purpley mauve with a hint of grey' lip trend without spending $20 for a liquid lipstick. What is your favorite inexpensive product at the drugstore - do you usually go for Wet n'Wild or something from Essence and/or Catrice?

Cult Classics: L'Oreal Voluminous Original Mascara in Blackest Black*

Bad beauty blogger strikes again: would you believe I'd never tried the cult L'Oreal Voluminous Original Volume Building Mascara* ($5.50 - 8.50 for 0.28 oz) before? My first lash love from L'Oreal was the Telescopic, but when I repurchased it more recently, it turned out to be a bit of a fail (review here). After that, I wasn't too tempted to try another L'Oreal mascara, even though the brand releases at least a few new iterations every year. However, I was recently sent the original Voluminous and since it's a HG product for a lot beauty bloggers and gurus out there, I was very curious to give it a try.

In general, I increasingly believe that mascaras are a rather personal thing - what one person expects in terms of result may be the worst nightmare for the next. My lashes aren't in their best condition currently: they're fine, they're not very dark, they're not as long and full as they used to be, so I feel like I need help across all departments. Mascara also has a tendency to transfer onto my browbone easily, so that's another thing I like to watch out for. When it comes to my preferred mascara look, I like long, full but soft and well defined lashes - anything that fails to separate is usually a no-go, regardless of how voluminous it may look.

The Original Voluminous (I have the shade Blackest Black) comes in a very simple dark grey tube with a gold cap. The brush also looks like the most old school, standard, run of the mill wire bristles at the first glance; but when I first pulled the wand out of the tube, I was surprised how fluffy it looked. I tried hard to show that in the photo by angling the wand - hopefully you can see that this brush has lots and lots of rather short bristles. I've had mascaras with this general type of wand before, but the bristles were usually spaced farther apart and/or longer. The tip on the Voluminous tapers down a bit and usually gets rather clumped up with product when you pull the wand out, so I always clean it off on the neck of the tube and only use it to add drama to the outer corners of my eyes.

My expectation for the Voluminous was that this would be an 'extreme drama' type of mascara - meaning that it would absolutely load the lashes with mascara at the barest swipe of the wand, and that it probably wouldn't separate them. Well, I was wrong - it's nothing like that. The stopper very effectively cleans the brush off the excess mascara (with the exception of the very tip) and that combined with dense rows of shorter bristles allows you to control the end result very well.

I hope that you can see this from my slightly creepy eye close-ups, but one coat of L'Oreal Voluminous gives very natural, soft, pretty lashes. It gives plenty of fullness at the roots while at the same time, leaves pretty much no clumps at the ends, meaning that it doesn't really look like you're wearing mascara at all. Every single lash is defined, volumized and lengthened, and the wand fans them out nicely (I haven't used a lash curler for these photos).

At two coats, my lashes start to look a bit more dramatic, but still not overloaded with product or over the top for daytime - two coats is actually my perfect balance. The lashes are even thicker but still not clumpy, and there's a little bit more length there as well. Now when it comes to wear time of this mascara, so far I haven't noticed any issues - I do see however that it can take a few minutes for the Voluminous to dry completely on my lashes, so looking up right after application or trying to mess with your eye make-up is not the greatest idea. But once it dries, it stays on well the entire day without smudging, transfering or crumbling under the eyes. My lashes also remain quite flexible and soft to the touch - not dry and crunchy like with some other formulas - and the mascara is quite easy to remove at the end of the day, it just melts off nicely with an oil-based make-up remover.

I don't think there's anything else I can say about L'Oreal Voluminous Original - I really love it. I haven't liked a mascara as much as this one in a really long time, and now I want to go around yelling 'Why did nobody tell me sooner?!', except they all did, didn't they ;) I can see myself repurchasing this formula over and over again in the future when I just want something that works really, really well for my lashes. Have you ever tried the Original Voluminous? What is your Holy Grail mascara at the drugstore?

Disclaimer: Product marked with an asterix (*) is a sample I received for free from BzzAgent for testing purposes. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided free of charge. Thank you for reading!

Fall Eyeshadow Update: NYX Hot Singles in Heat and Nude Matte in Dance The Tides

While I may have sworn off buying eyeshadow palettes ever again (here), it doesn't mean I haven't been eyeing any new eyeshadow singles to add to my collection. That's right - even me, a sworn cool undertone lover, have been bitten by the warm eyeshadow bug. And because I've traditionally always gravitated towards silvery taupes and cool browns, I couldn't actually shop my stash to find exactly the shades I had in mind. One sneaky order from Ulta later and I'm a happy owner of two new eyeshadows from NYX: the Hot Singles Shadow in Heat ($4.49 for 0.06 oz) and the Nude Matte Shadow in Dance The Tides ($4.99 for 0.05 oz).

I've only ever owned one other eyeshadow from NYX and that was eons ago when they still came in square packaging (anyone else used White Pearl for a face highlighter before highlighting was such a huge trend?). I actually quite like the updated versions - my plan is to depot these two babies and pop them in my old MAC palette. Interestingly, the Hot Singles have the cute bow detail on the lid, but not the Nude Mattes.

I'm not entirely sure, but I believe all the shades in the Hot Singles range have varying amounts of shimmer - from satins through pearl to even more metallic shades (although not as reflective as the brand's Prismatic Eyeshadows, which give a foiled effect). All of the Nude Mattes are obviously matte finish, but unfortunately the range is limited to very neutral shades of ivory, beige, brown etc. - I really wish the color selection was wider there because I'm currently on the lookout for a killer matte plum shade.

Starting with Heat, the shade I had in mind when I placed that order was a shimmery red berry shade. And in the pan, Heat looks very red, with a slightly more pink berry shimmer shift - this is actually not a very sparkly shade, I would say applied to the eyes the finish is somewhat more satin. The texture of this shadow is quite firmly pressed in the pan but easy enough to pick up on the brush with little to none powder kick-up. I'd say the pigmentation is medium - I definitely own shadows that are a lot more pigmented than this - but it's smooth, easy to blend out or layer for more opacity. I mean, for under $5 at the drugstore, I'm actually rather impressed.

I do wish though that this shade appeared more berry pink on my fair cool skintone; as you can hopefully see in my arm swatch, unfortunately Heat pulls more of a rusty red shade on me. It's obviously darker and a lot more red than my copper shade from Wet n'Wild or a rosy brown Push Up from Too Faced, but it's certainly not a berry. Le sigh.

L-R: NYX Hot Singles in Heat, Wet n'Wild Eyelid shade from Dancing In the Clouds trio, Too Faced Push Up

As for the Nude Matte Shadow in Dance The Tides, I was looking for a very warm chestnut/ cognac brown I could use to slightly deepen the outer corners of my eyes but also in the crease paired with other warm shimmery shades on the lid. I was a little concerned Dance The Tides would end up being a dupe for something I already owned in my stash, but luckily it isn't - it's definitely the most orangey brown I own, and from looking at swatches of the NYX Nude Matte range online, it's the warmest brown in the brand's line-up.

As you can see, on my cool skin it pulls rather orange - even compared to my other two warm matte browns, the Balm's Sultry (depotted from the Nude'Tude palette) and Inglot no. 337. Sultry is more of a yellow camel brown, Inglot 337 is more peachy - both are also lighter in depth. The formula of NYX Dance The Tides is also quite impressive: smooth, creamy, pigmented and blendable, although there is quite a bit of powder kick-up when you press your brush into the pan - although not as much as with my Inglot matte shades. I find it easy to work with and it doesn't fade or get patchy throughout the day (tested on top of eyeshadow primer, as always).

L-R: NYX Nude Matte Shadow in Dance The Tides, theBalm Sultry, Inglot Matte no. 337

Here's a simple look with Heat in the outer corner and Dance The Tides in the crease; I used a metallic copper and gold on the lid from my Makeup Revolution I Heart Chocolate palette. There appears to be a blank spot on one of my eyelids but I think that may have been my fault when I was fixing a mascara smudge with a q-tip. My blush is KIKO Shade Fusion Trio in Natural Rose (here) while the lips are the recently reviewed Ilia Beauty Lipstick in Madam Mina.

I would definitely look into purchasing more shades from the NYX eyeshadow singles range in the future; unfortunately I don't have an Ulta close to where I live and ordering online is always a bit of a gamble. What is your go-to brand for eyeshadow singles? I've been very faithful to Inglot in the past but again, I always prefer to swatch in person before purchasing and getting to a counter is currently a bit tricky...

Revisited Step: NYX Slide On Lip Liner in Nude Suede Shoes

Remember when I said lip liners were entirely superfluous products in my make-up bag? Yeah, that was 2.5 years ago now, and nearly all of the lip liners shown in that post have since been decluttered. Until a few weeks ago, my lip liner stash consisted of a red and a universal transparent liner, and I found myself hankering after something else - a neutral nude shade to define the contours of my lips for a more perfected everyday look.

What I've been noticing more lately about my lips is that my natural lip line is not very well defined; the pigment of my lips gets sort of fainter and uneven towards the contours of my lips, and on top of that, I have freckles exactly on my lip line (especially top lip) which make it look even more messy. I don't mind it most of the time, especially when I'm wearing a sheer lip (either a gloss or tinted balm) - but when I opt for a more pigmented lipstick in a shade deeper than a very pale nude, the haziness of my lip line becomes very obvious and the overall look is sort of unfinished. I sometimes use concealer around my lips to help with that, but I thought lip liner could be a quicker option with the benefit of prolonging the wear on my lip products and preventing them from bleeding outside my lips.

To cut my long story short, I decided to pull the trigger on NYX Slide On Glide On Waterproof Lip Liner in Nude Suede Shoes ($7.99 for 0.04 oz) after hearing it recommended numerous times by Emily Noel on YouTube. I liked my NYX Slide On eyeliner pencils in the past (reviewed here - those two dried out though and had to be thrown out!), so I thought this product was worth trying out, even though the price is quite up there compared to other drugstore lip liner options.

The NYX Slide On Lip Liner is a simple non retractable pencil that easily sharpens with my Urban Decay Grindhouse. The formula is similar to that of the eye Slide-ons, meaning gel-like, very soft, creamy, smooth and highly pigmented. It's one of those newer generation lip pencils that glide on the lips without tugging, and are easy to blend out before they set. The finish is completely matte, no shimmer whatsoever, and I can't detect any scent to the product. On my lips, it doesn't feel too too drying, but I'd also say it's not entirely budge-proof: it will partially come off on cups or during a meal, but it certainly enhances the wear time of more emollient or glossy products layered over the top.

L-R: NYX Nude Suede Shoes, Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Warm Me Up, Ilia Beauty Lipstick in The Brides, Bite High Pigment Lip Pencil in Sable

Now, is the shade Nude Suede Shoes my perfect natural nude? Uhm, not really - but it's still a lot better than other 'nude' lip liners I've had in the past. On me, it pulls a beigy brown shade that sits somewhere between darker nude and a My Lips But Better in terms of depth. I believe that on people with warmer (and deeper) skintones, it would be that ideal muted pink nude for everyday. As you may be able to tell, with my coloring, NYX Nude Suede Shoes is more of that trendy Kylie Jenner lip - I don't necessarily hate it but it's slightly out of my comfort zone. Compared to my favorite darker nude lipsticks, Nude Suede Shoes is definitely warmer and more brown.

NYX Slide On Lip Liner in Nude Suede Shoes worn all over bare lips on NW15 skintone.

That doesn't disqualify it though as a layering option. Sure, it doesn't pair well with very cool/ mauve nudes and MLBBs in my stash, but it does work with the two lipsticks from the right side of my swatch (ILIA The Brides - sneaky peaky of their Fall 2016 release - and a now completely used up Bite Sable High Pigment Lip Pencil), and a lot of my sheer nude options, especially when used with a lighter hand and softly blended in. It's also a lip liner you could absolutely wear on its own, but as you may be able to see in the mug shot, currently my poor dry lips can't take that matte finish without something creamier/ more emollient layered over the top.

I've also realized why I really have such a love/ hate relationship with lip liners. When I give myself a more defined and filled in lip contour (I'm not talking about over lining here! Just evening out my natural lip line), my lips instantly look A LOT bigger. And I'm not used to seeing myself with such full lips - even without lining they're kinda on the big side, and with the liner, I feel like my face is dominated by those fat pouty lips. I'm guessing you guys are probably rolling your eyes at me right now, but for whatever reason, I haven't been able to fully embrace that look on me (also, some people have commented my lips have gotten even bigger/ more swollen in pregnancy). I don't know though - maybe it's time to just go with it and experiment with playing up my lips instead of the eyes? We shall see.

Back to the NYX Nude Suede Shoes, I think it's a really good drugstore lip liner and I would safely recommend it - just be aware that if your coloring is similar to mine, it's not going to be a real nude on you. I actually picked up another drugstore lip liner in the same order that's a lot more of a cool mauve shade, so I shall experiment (and review) that one next. Do you guys wear lip liners? Is it an indispensible part of your make-up routine or something you only pull out for special occasions?

Luxuriously Cheap: Kiko Milano Luscious Cream Lipstick no. 502 Review

Lately, I've been able to gauge rather accurately my true feelings about a product I'm testing by my enthusiasm for posting about it on the blog. Case in point: this incredibly inexpensive Kiko Luscious Cream Lipstick in the shade 502 ($9 for 0.12 oz/ 3.5 g, currently on sale for $3.90 - I purchased it on sale in Poland for 15 PLN). I've had it lingering in my 'to try' pile for a couple months, and when I finally cracked it open, it promptly got transferred into another pile of stuff I like to call 'tried but not excited about'.

First things first: for your mere couple of bucks, you're getting a luxuriously packaged lipstick in metallic tube with an innovative opening/ closing design: you push from the top and the lipstick pops out on the bottom, and then you can pull it completely open. A little bit similar to the mechanism in Chanel Rouge Allures, but slightly less smooth/ easy to click in and out. The bullet itself is a bit slimmer than that of a standard lipstick, comes embossed with the KIKO logo, and smells faintly of vanilla/ cake - a bit different than MAC lipsticks, but very pleasant still.

Kiko claims that the Luscious Creams are 'creamy lipsticks with pure, intense color' and that they are enriched with 'K2 Repulp', which contains Hyaluronic Acid and has a moisturizing, plumping, revitalizing and anti-aging effect. Quite a big claim for such a small lipstick, don't you think?

Curiously, I can't see Hyaluronic Acid or Sodium Hyaluronate or anything like that in the INCI on my box.

And when it boils down to it, I think my Luscious Cream is a perfectly nice lipstick, but I'm not completely over the moon. It does have a smooth glide, and the texture is somewhat thinner than most of my cream finish lipsticks - more lightweight and less slippery on, the exact opposite of the old NYX Round lipsticks, if you've ever had one of those (which I disliked the formula of). It's also nicely pigmented, although I wouldn't call it intense, and the finish is satin (no shimmer but not as glossy as some 'cream' lipsticks). Now here comes the clou of this review: because of that thinner texture, this Kiko lipstick does nothing for my vertical lip lines. There's no plumping or 'increased fullness' (as per their website), you can clearly see all the puckering on my... uhm, pucker?

The Luscious Cream lipstick feels comfortable on my lips initially, although 2-3 hours into the wear, they start feeling a bit dry and I need another layer to get some of that creaminess back. The lipstick feels comfortable longer, and my lip lines are diminished, if I layer a lip gloss on top; in fact, it's a perfect formula for wearing alongside a lip gloss, because even with that extra shine on top, the combo still stays put and does not smear all over the face. So if you enjoy layering lipsticks with glosses, the thinness of this formula may be a big plus for you; I normally don't layer, but I enjoy it with this particular lipstick.

L-R: Kiko Luscious Cream in 502, Maybelline Warm Me Up, Red Apple Lipstick Audrey. Swatches below in the same order.

The shade 502 is a pinky nude with some mauve undertones - a fantastic nude shade for cooler skintones that compliments just about any eyeshadow look or blush shade. I don't have another lipstick that comes close - Maybelline Color Sensational in Warm Me Up is warmer and deeper (more in the 'My Lips But Better' category), Red Apple Lipstick Audrey is deeper and rosier.

I would recommend this lipstick formula if you actively dislike overly creamy lipsticks, or don't have issues with vertical lip lines/ other texture on the lips, and/ or like layering glosses on top of lipsticks - I mean, it's pretty nice, especially considering the sale price. But if you're looking for a smoothing, hydrating go-to lipstick, it may fall a bit short for you. Have you tried any lipsticks from Kiko? What is your favorite drugstore lipstick brand?

Earning My Blush Stripes: Kiko Shade Fusion Trio Blush in No. 1 Natural Rose

I used to be a major blush fiend (as evidenced in the Addicted to Blush Tag) and was obsessed with the idea of finding the perfect pinky peach, the most effortless baby pink, the ultimate universal nude blush. Recently though, I've sorta given up on that quest. Not that I don't love blush - my face looks uncannily zombie/ vampire like without it - but a lot of the different blushes I had would end up looking roughly the same on the face. So I did a bit of culling of the less-than-ideal formulas... and as a result of seeing all that empty drawer space, I purchased another blush. Sigh.

But you guys, it was just too pretty to resist - look at it! It's the Kiko Shade Fusion Trio Blush in shade no. 1 Natural Rose ($15 for 6g/ 0.21 oz, available online at www.kikocosmetics.com/en-us/ and at Kiko stores). When I visited a Kiko boutique in Warsaw, I was a bit surprised by the price difference between this new Shade Fusion formula and their regular Soft Touch blush, which was also on sale. But as soon as I compared the texture of the two blushes and taken into consideration the design of the packaging, I wasn't at all interested in the more affordable Soft Touch line. I had to get the Shade Fusion.

The compact of the Shade Fusion blushes is just beautiful - small but weighty, with a simple, clean, luxurious feel. There's a nice mirror inside, and no wasting of precious space to include a crappy brush. Since the metal is so reflective, it is of course a fingerprint magnet, but I can live with that - and all make-up fans should now heave an orgasmic sigh because the closing mechanism is magnetic. Aaaaah.

But the tactile feel of this powder blush is what really made me pull out my credit card. It's so smooth and fine, with a silky texture and no powder kick-up. Yet, the product isn't hard-pressed into the pan - it's very easy to pick up with both my swatchy fingers or a blush brush. Not sure how Kiko pulled that off, but it's just so, so pleasant to use.

L-R: Kiko Shade Fusion in Natural Rose, NARS Douceur, Hourglass Mood Exposure, Catrice Rose Royce

I obviously gravitated towards the most neutral shade in the range, no. 1 Natural Rose. However, similarly to the Catrice Defining Blush in Rose Royce, the Kiko blush doesn't really look rosey on my skintone at all. Instead, it's quite warm and very slightly peachy. Compared to my other 'nude' blushes, you can see that both NARS Douceur and Hourglass Mood Exposure are a lot more brown. The pigmentation of the Kiko Shade Fusion blush is medium but buildable, and the finish is quite matte. You could of course play with the shade depth of this blush by concentrating your brush on different stripes - sometimes I like dipping my brush into the two darker shades on the bottom and applying that to the back of my cheeks, and then using the middle and top stripe for the apples to give myself a more dimensional look.

All in all, I really like this new Shade Fushion Trio Blush in Natural Rose - it's pretty, it's easy, it suits a variety of eye looks or lipstick shades. If you've been skeptical about Kiko products so far, I'd say to give them a shot, even if the range seems a bit overwhelming at first. I think that for the price, the quality is quite outstanding, and the brands follows current make-up trends very closely - so if you wanted to try something a bit outside of your comfort zone, you could do so with their products without breaking the bank. Have you tried any Kiko products? What are your favorite things in their line?

Liquid Matte: Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick in Nude-ist

I don't believe there's a beauty brand currently on the market that hasn't come out with a matte liquid lipstick product - even drugstore brands like Revlon and Maybelline have jumped on board (btw, I'm loving that the drugstore is following make-up trends more closely in the recent times!). However, the European drugstore has had their version of a liquid matte for a couple years now - it's the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet ($15.40 on Asos for 0.2 fl oz/ 7.7 ml). I would look longingly at the display every year when I'm in Poland, and this time I decided to pull the trigger and buy one of the most popular shades in the range, 07 Nude-ist.

I don't have a huge experience with matte liquid lipsticks because it's not a product I usually find comfortable to wear. I've tried a few stains in the past and I still own a tube of NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Monte Carlo (reviewed here), but I rarely reach for them - my dry lips don't really appreciate a matte finish. I have heard however that the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets aren't very drying and last on the lips a very long time, so I was hopeful to find a gem.

The packaging is simple enough: I like that it's exactly the size of a regular lipstick, so it fits perfectly into my lipstick organizer, and I like the shape of the doe foot applicator, because it allows me to define the contours of my lips with a lot of precision, making my lips look bigger without needing a lip liner. One thing to note is that this liquid lipstick is not scent-free; I don't think there's any added fragrance, but it has quite a strong chemical scent as you're applying it. It does dissipate though after the lipstick dries down.

I find the texture of this to be more liquid than mousse-like, as in the NYX Matte Lip Creams - I'm sure there are still silicones in this formula but I'm guessing not as much as in some other matte lip products. Nudist is a nicely pigmented shade, although I do find that it doesn't apply perfectly evenly - it looks a lot more sheer towards the inside of my lips than it does around the edges (you can see a little bit of that in the close-up photo). When freshly applied, it makes my lips look quite smooth, but unfortunately, within an hour or so it definitely accentuates all of my vertical lip lines. Instead of a sensual pout, I'm left with a mouth looking like a shrivelled raisin. Not cool. As for longevity, I have to say that I'm a bit disappointed. Even after the product sets on my lips, I still get transfer on tea cups, and it wears off quite easily even through light snacking and drinking.

L-R: Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Nude-ist, YSL Rose Stiletto, Bite Rhubarb, Revlon Lip Liner in Pink

Despite the name, Nude-ist definitely isn't a nude shade on me - but I wasn't really expecting it to be. What I was however expecting was a cooler mauve shade like it appears to be in the tube; it turns out though that Nude-ist is actually a lot closer to the color represented on the cap. It pulls a warm rose with hints of brown on me; very on trend, but not a shade that suits my coloring the best. I actually found Nudist to be very comparable to Bite High Pigment Lip Pencil in Rhubarb. Both YSL Rouge Pur Couture in Rose Stilleto* (reviewed here) and Revlon Color Stay Lip Liner in Pink are a bit more pink, but still quite similar.

I think you can tell by now that I'm not completely enamored with this purchase. While I really enjoy how Bourjois Nude-ist looks when I first apply it, it's neither very comfortable or texturally flattering as the day goes on. I don't know, you guys, maybe my lips are just not cut out for this matte liquid lipstick trend. Have you jumped on the bandwagon? What is your favorite matte lipstick formula?