I would call this the makeup empties post, but it only consists of foundation-type products, bases, mascaras and lip balm. I didn't use up an eyeshadow or blush in 2014, but I wasn't really expecting to. Onward!
I'm fairly pleased that I finished not one, but two foundations in 2014: the Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup in 110 Ivory (which I loved except for the lid) and the Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF42 PA+++ in #13, which I loved so much and tried to get every last drop out that I busted the seal between the squeeze tube and the dispenser. Don't believe me? Look below. I figured at that point that I could open my back up tube as it had gotten super messy and a bit unhygienic.
I also finished the Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil in CIA which I love which also thoroughly destroyed the last uses of my favorite ever pencil sharpener by DuWop, which of course, they don't make anymore. The pencil is so short, that I can't actually take the lid off, so you'll have to take my word for it!
In the more general makeup department, I finished a Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Spray in the infamous dermstore gwp packaging (4oz) and a small size of Philosophy Purity (1oz) which I use to clean my brushes. Speaking of which, I'll be keeping the small little bottle for travel (and I also keep one by my sink when I use my beauty blender).
In the eye department, I used up what I think is the last of my old packaged Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potions (or at least I hope so, as they are probably bad by now anyway) and a small sample of the Pixi Eye Bright Primer which I found worked as well as the UD, though I didn't find the brightening effect as significant as one would to warrant purchasing one over the other.
I also finished two mascara: Revlon 3D Volume in Black (Waterproof) which I don't recall being remarkable in anyway and the Lash Food Conditioning Drama Mascara* which I loved, but haven't purchased mostly due to the price point (was a PR sample).
Last but not least, I finished 2 lipbalms, which is fairly low for me. Blistex Simple & Sensitive which I never reviewed but is very nice (and cheap!) and I would definitely repurchase once I got through some of my stash and The Body Shop Vitamin E lip care stick which I know and have memorized the name of even though the writing has wiped off as it's my husband's favorite from The Body Shop - though sometimes, I grab myself a stick - or steal one of his.

So there you have it, the 2nd to last empties from 2014. In the effort of decluttering and destashing and generally getting rid of things I don't use, I have recently put quite a bit of my too big (for me) clothing on a site called Poshmark. I had been consigning quite a bit, but this gives a better percentage (80% versus 50 or less) and you reach a much larger audience. Anyway, most of my "closet" as they say, is in the size 14-18 range, but I also have a few pieces that just aren't my thing. Take a look if you're interested and I follow everyone that follows me back. It's kind of fun, if not thoroughly addictive like most online social media-esque sites. I'm there under the same name: jeweledthumb.

I know it's been awhile since these came out. I was hesitant to buy the Revlon Ultra HD™ Lipsticks given the lukewarm reviews, but I had a coupon and there was a deal, and well I got suckered in. There are certainly pros and cons about these lipsticks, though I have admittedly only tried one: Primrose #835, which unlike the horrible stock photos online is somewhere in between a rose and a red (though still in the rose family, if that makes sense - which makes it perfect for those of us scared to wear red during the daytime).
I've found the price for these all over the place, which isn't unusual with drugstore products. Walgreens and ULTA online say $9.99, drugstore.com sells them for $8.99 (though currently $7.19 on sale), Target seems to price them around the $7.99 mark. I don't recall how much I paid for mine, but I bought it at CVS which tends to head towards the higher end, but I know I used coupons and Extrabucks, so I doubt I paid much.
The packaging is both elegant and frustrating as you can't twist the lipstick down, which invariably means lipstick on the sides of the lovely clear tube. Not my favorite.

Revlon says that these Ultra HD lipsticks have "true color clarity without the heavy feel" and that they provide "high definition color in one smooth swipe" (note that they don't make mention of the wear time).
On the left we have 1 swipe and on the right, we have 2. I'd say that's pretty good. It's not patchy, it slides on smoothly and the pigment is pretty intense.
On unmoisturized lips, the lipstick isn't exactly awesome when it comes to gliding and eliminating the look of lip lines; however, I wore this lipstick over the course of 10 hours and here's what I found.

1. The lipstick doesn't last at all (unless you don't drink anything or eat anything) and definitely requires a lip liner if you want any longevity. As I mentioned above, Revlon doesn't appear to make claims about these being long-wearing, so the fact that they aren't shouldn't come as a great surprise.
2. They smell faintly like the Estee Lauder lipsticks, which may bother some, but I tend to like the smell of those so this lighter fragrance was fairly pleasant for me.
3. Ignoring the wear time, these are actually moisturizing and I felt my lips were in better condition after wearing and reapplying during the day than had I been wearing a different lip product - which I don't get with many of the famed moisturizing lip products on the market (the lip butters, for example, tend to dry my lips out).
4. As one would expect, since I found them moisturizing, they aren't sticky, there's no glitter and they are comfortable on the lips. I basically couldn't feel it.
5. The claims of  high pigment is definitely there - though as I mentioned, it's not long wearing.
6. I was a bit put off at first by the bold (to me) color of this lipstick, but I found it pretty wearable as the day wore on and dare I say, a little sexy? Not quite red, but red enough to make me feel as though I was wearing red.

So, in summary,  Revlon Ultra HD™ Lipstick in Primrose #835

pros:
high pigment
creamy formula
comfortable on the lips/moisturizing



cons:
poor packaging
poor lasting power
scent might bother some

True color clarity without the heavy feel check
High definition color in one smooth swipe mostly

Honestly, I'll probably pick up more of these as I dislike minty lip colors (which excludes the popular Colorburst Balm Stains) and as I said, I tend to find the lip butters drying. Next time, though, a lipliner is definitely in order!

Have you tried the Revlon Ultra HD™ Lipsticks? What were your thoughts?

This has been one of my absolute favorite foundation combinations as of late. The Revlon Nearly Naked (in 010 Ivory) and the Revlon Colorstay Whipped (in Ivory). I love the finish of the Nearly Naked but it doesn't cover as much as I'd like and I love the coverage of the Colorstay Whipped but I've found that too many passes with my beauty blender causes it to get cakey and a bit drying on my skin. I've found the way both of these products look best is to use both of them. First, I apply a thin layer of the Nearly Naked with my fingers over well moisturized skin all over. Then I take a damp beauty blender and apply the Colorstay Whipped on my problem areas and/or breakouts. I've found that not using it all over and not using too many layers allows it to cover without looking mask like. I then spray generously with a makeup setting spray.

The combo lasts all day* but still looks natural and fresh. In a perfect world, we would want one foundation to do it all, but it's not always possible. At least this duo is fairly inexpensive especially with sales and coupons!

Do you have a magic duo? Share your combos below!

* Most foundations last all day on my dry skin, just for the record

I mentioned on my initial NOTD post, that once I got some tip wear, I would be doing a glitter coat to revive my manicure. Surprisingly enough, Pale Cashmere has lasted pretty well but I did want to update it and when I had trouble falling asleep Sunday evening, it was the perfect opportunity. I took Sinful Colors Show Stopping and Revlon Glimmer Gloss in Pina Colada Pop. I think it is subtle enough for the office but definitely refreshed the manicure. I 'm pretty happy with the longevity of the initial Revlon application and this will prolong the manicure to lasting well over a week!

Even though the last thing I should be buying is more nail polish, I snagged this Revlon Colorstay polish in Pale Cashmere for all of $1.24 on clearance at Walgreens. For those of you who have Walgreens nearby, I would highly recommend going once a week and see what the store manager puts on clearance (it's at their discretion). I've gotten some awesome things on clearance. Anyway, for $1.24 I was all over this nail polish!
Pale Cashmere is a very very light milky pink shade that is fairly sheer. I did 2 coats and got this semi translucent somewhat jelly color. Very office appropriate. I found the formula a little thin/runny and it really pooled up around my cuticles. Nothing a little remover won't fix but somewhat annoying. It's a great clean neutral shade and I think it would nice on most skin tones. I'll probably wear a few days and glitter the tips when I get some chipping. I think a gold glitter would look nice!

Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup launched earlier this year and honestly, I've been a bit conflicted about it. The first time I tried it, it was a disaster and I promptly returned it - fingers, various brushes all made it look awful. The second time I bought it, I finally found an application method that worked for me: cue beauty blender. I can't say it's a holy grail product because while using a beauty blender to apply foundation yields great results, especially on us drier gals, the process and clean up take a bit longer than I'd like. I know not everyone does this, but I like to wash my beauty blender immediately after I use it which doesn't lend itself to the early morning workday rush!
Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup comes in a heavy glass jar with a fairly flimsy plastic lid. I know there have been complaints about the bulky packaging and also the lid but so far, I haven't had any cracking and managed not to drop it either. The wide mouthed jar comes with a stopper which keeps the packaging clean and limits air exposure.
The texture is a little strange. Revlon says this is a whipped product, but it seems much more dense than you would think something whipped would be. I don't find it especially light and airy; but I don't find it as thick as something like the Kat Von D foundation either. It's somewhere in between a cream and a liquid.
Color wise, the shade Ivory isn't horrible (though I'd prefer a touch lighter). If I apply a light layer all over my face, it doesn't look off. Actually, I wore this out to dinner with my parents a few weeks ago and my dad mentioned that it was the best my skin had ever looked (surprising since I had been battling several breakouts). The combination of this plus a damp beauty blender gives a lovely finish and with my dry skin I don't have to even think of setting with powder. I give a quick mist with my Skindinavia and it stays put till I take it off at night. Disclaimer, pretty much every foundation lasts well on my skin so your mileage may vary.

At just under $15 at drugstores, it's a nice addition to the drugstore lineup. It doesn't have SPF so you don't have to worry with flashback with photography. Revlon is often on sale and I picked up my jar for around $6 after Extrabucks/coupons which I think is very reasonable. If you haven't had much luck with this foundation, I'd suggest using a damp sponge similar to the Beauty Blender to apply. You may be surprised with the results! I know I'm glad I gave it a second shot.

The blogosphere has been a buzz regarding the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. To be honest, I've had mixed thoughts regarding the two that I purchased; one I absolutely detest and the other I'm liking a little more but don't think is nearly worth the hype.

I purchased two shades: Charm, which in the tube looks like a peachy nude shade and Honey, which is a more my lips but better shade. Prices vary on these items, I think I paid about $5 per stain (including coupons and sales) for mine and I believe the retail price is somewhere between $8-$10 depending.

The idea of a balm stain is a great idea and sounds amazing in theory, but I'm not sure it really works. My lips are very dry and prone to peeling. Lip balm is a major staple in my makeup arsenal. I consider a lip balm something that I can put on my lips when they are dry and peeling and it will heal them and make them look better. These I don't consider lip balms as they don't cure dry lips. Charm accentuates my dry lips and looks patchy and uneven; although it doesn't feel uncomfortable on the lips after the initial application and Honey is a tad bit better in terms of application and looks better but again, doesn't add much moisture. The sticks are a drier consistency upon first application but with the heat of my lips they become a bit thinner though they still retain a somewhat tacky consistency. Honey becomes more emollient than Charm and feels much more comfortable and looks better.

As far as the staining properties, both transfer on me; Charm very obviously onto the can I was drinking from and Honey a bit less. Honey also leaves more color behind which I'd imagine is due to the darker color so the stain abilities of the product might be better with the darker colors in the range. I actually prefer the color of the stain Honey leaves behind a bit more than the color full on as it leaves your lips looking like you had some red popsicles, add some "real" lip balm and my lips look great and supple.
Charm is my least favorite of the two. As I previously mentioned, it really accentuates the dryness of my lips (a la Illamasqua) and it does a peculiar transformation as you wear it. You can begin to see that there is a variance of color. The peachy nude turns into a much brighter color than it initially appears though perhaps in the most unflattering way possible.
As you can see, Honey is much more forgiving and doesn't settle nearly as bad as Charm around the cracks and dry bits on my lips. Still, I don't find it as moisturizing as my other lip balms although it does feel more comfortable and creamy on the lips than Charm!


One thing I do want to note is as someone that generally dislikes minty lip products, these are very lightly scents and don't bother me nearly as much as some of the more mintier options out there. I don't find that the mint burns though it does tingle a little.

So the general consensus for me is I hate Charm and like Honey but like Honey more worn off a bit topped with lip balm which somewhat defeats the purpose of an all-in-one sort of product.

Have you tried these yet? What were your thoughts? If you are tempted but haven't yet, I would definitely wait for a sale as I don't think they are worth their full retail price.

This post seems kind of silly to me, only because I only used up 3 products in February. Granted, it was a short month, but not that short. Anyway, the three products I used up were:

Rene Furterer Deep Cleansing Spray - I'm actually really annoyed that I've used this up as I can't find it anywhere. They used to carry Rene Furterer in Sephora but they've done away with the majority of the line and I can't find this spray sold anywhere online (besides Amazon/Ebay). I'm not sure if this product is discontinued or if it's just really hard to get in America, but if you can get your hands on it and you suffer from anything scalp related, it's an awesome natural alternative to some of the scary stuff your doctor probably prescribes.
Revlon 3D Extreme Waterproof Mascara - I quite liked this. It held a curl decently enough but towards the end of my tube, it started to flake throughout the day. Not full length review worthy.
Ahava Cleansing Cream - This came in the October Birchbox. I really liked this cleanser. It is super gentle but seemed to cleanse my skin decently well though I depended on another cleanser for makeup removal. This little tube lasted forever even with daily use. I'd definitely consider repurchasing this in the future!

And as they say, that's it folks! Let's hope I'm more successful in March!

Revlon Glitz & Glam came out in the same Spice it Up collection as Mistletoe. Glitz & Glam is a pink jelly base jam packed with tons of pink and silver glitter. This is definitely a two coat glitter. It goes on a little patchy at first, but by the second coat you're good to go. I am finding the glitter version of the Top Speed line easier to work with than the creams. And a plus, these do not need a top coat so it's a much faster process than other manicures. As with most chunkier glitters, the nails are not smooth but it doesn't bother me. If it bothers you can just put on some Seche Vite!

Another reason why I selected this color is starting tomorrow, Revlon polish is on sale for $4.99 plus $3 in Extrabucks back at CVS - limit 6! Combine that with some of the Top Speed coupons floating around and you can get a few bottles of this for only 99 cents a piece! Bargain.

Even though I don't particularly like the Revlon Top Speed formula, I couldn't resist this new (limited edition?) shade that they just brought out.

It is stunning.
It looks pretty in the bottle, but it really shines on the nail.
The base color is blue (see it!?) and then it has very fine green and gold glitter in it.

A swatch on a piece of paper towel really makes the gorgeousness evident.
Definitely one of those glow from within polishes. Apologies for the cuticles and sloppy painting job. I'm impatient!
See the glow?

If you can still get your hands on it, I'd recommend it! I paid about $1.99 after sale and coupons. This is in the same display as the crazy neon purple colorburst lipgloss in the Revlon Spice It Up collection. A gorgeous subtle green for the holidays.

The blogosphere has been a-buzz regarding these new Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters and for good reason! With sleek packaging, an array of colors, a moisturizing formula and a nice price tag, it shouldn't be much of a surprise. I picked up a few last week when Revlon products were about 40% off after Extrabucks and the Lip Butters were already reduced from the $8 or so retail price to $6.99. Pink Truffle is the first one I tried and I am in love!
Pink Truffle is a slightly browned pink. It is pretty neutral and is the perfect "my lips but better" shade for girls with some pigment to their lips. This color gives a brightening effect to the face but not in a "woah I'm wearing bright lips" sort of way.
 What I really love is the formula. I have dry lips. Whether I drink liters of water a day or drink nothing, my lips are usually dry. I found the Maybelline Baby Lips to be reasonable to wear, but I wouldn't find them moisturizing, in fact, after using them for a few weeks, I'd dare to say they are a bit drying. This on the other hand, actually moisturizes my lips while I'm wearing it with the color that I'd get from a sheer lipstick!

I find this comparable to the Clinique Buttershines and the discontinued Stila High Shines - though the price tag on the Revlon Butter Shines is much better!

Definitely pick these up at your local drugstore if you manage to find them. The good news is I've heard they will be permanent to the Color Burst line in January 2012!

Many of you should know that various Revlon lip products are $6.49 with $5 Extra Bucks back at CVS this week (limit 6). Well, I would keep an eye out for the above display (sorry it's a bit fuzzy - I get this weird guilty feeling when I take pictures in stores and my iPhone goes all shaky). It includes a very large selection of the Colorburst glosses and each gloss has a $2 off coupon stuck to it. This makes your glosses FREE (actually, you'll make about 50 cents on each in the end) after Extra Bucks! Pretty awesome.

During the last Zoya promo, I picked up Petra from the Fall 2011 Smoke & Mirrors collection. I clearly have a thing for slightly murky purple toned polishes and Petra sums that description up perfectly.


Depending on the lighting, it can look anywhere from a deep gray-almost black color to brown to a deep shade of purple.


The opacity of this polish is excellent. It went opaque in just 1 coat (though extra passes were needed as it's been sometime since I've done regular manicures).


The minute I got this on my nails, I thought the base color bore a striking resemblance to Revlon Perplex.
The base colors are nearly identical and if you own Perplex, you would know that the shimmer rarely makes an appearance on the nails unless you're under the right kind of lighting.
Both appear slightly darker swatched than in the bottle. They are basically the exact base color. I'd say if you missed out on Perplex, Petra would give you the same color, although you obviously would be missing out on the shimmer.

I'm not sure to call this Flash Reviews or really things I've liked that I've been reaching for, since I don't dislike any of the items I'm showing in this post.
You may remember when I was on the search for the world's softest travel kabuki. Well, ladies and gentlemen, if you're in the market for one, the ULTA one has been fabulous. I have used it every work week day for months now and it is still soft, still dense, I very occasionally lose a hair but it's not often. I adore this thing. Now, the retractable part doesn't lock in place but the brush has never opened in my purse. If you are looking for a good travel kabuki go get this one. At $18 even at full price it's significantly less expensive than others on the market and ULTA always has promos and coupons for their in-house brand.
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Sassy Mauve (creme) is one I picked up at CVS when Revlon lip products were ridiculously cheap after Extrabucks. I'll admit, I'm not usually a lipstick person, but I have been reaching for this one a lot. The color is very work appropriate. It can be worn full on or blotted down to a stain and it doesn't dry out my lips. It's a nice slightly muted berry tone.
I know this is probably going to sound a little silly, but I love these CVS Instant Hand Sanitizing Wipes. As much as I love antibacterial gels, they don't seem to actually remove anything from your hands! These are fabulous on the go, especially if you're not near a sink (and they are individually wrapped so you can share). I always have a few of these in my purse.