Revlon Colorstay Mineral Mousse Makeup Review

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 I really like the idea of a mousse makeup- it just sounds like it would be light and airy, giving your skin a flawless, airbrushed glow. 

Well, that description is not far off from Revlon's Colorstay Mineral Mousse foundation.  I purchased this during a Buy 1 Get 1 Free at CVS last week, along with Revlon's Colorstay Concealer (a big disappointment I'll tell you about another day).  This however, was fabulous.  I will note that since I have dry skin, I have always used this foundation with a primer.  I chose shade Medium (pictured above).

The packaging says that this foundation will give your skin a soft matte glow.  It contains silk, as well as mother of pearl.  It comes out of the tube in a mousse-like consistency (hence the name), and it spreads very smoothly on the skin with a velvety soft finish.  I would say the coverage is medium. I cannot say enough how much I love this foundation!  I tend to stay away from anything with a matte finish, because of my dry skin, but this is matte, yet glowy at the same time, if that's possible.  It has no shimmer whatsoever, but by glowy, I mean airbrushed looking, not dry or cakey.  It diffuses flaws even better than the new PhotoReady line, in my opinion.  If you're thinking of trying it, check to see if your local CVS is having the BOGO sale!  Revlon has so many great products- Colorstay Eyeliner and Colorstay Eyeshadow quads are great buys! 
Some quick tips: 
If you have dry skin, or even just dry patches, you will need to use agood moisturizer and primer with this foundation. 
Since this is a Colorstay product, it dries very quickly, so you will need to blend it fast for best results.  
The first time I used it, it was a little separated coming out of the tube, so I had to shake it up a little first. 
Check out these video reviews for even more tips, tricks and opinions...

Cover Girl Smoky Shadow Blast Review

One of my readers suggested I review Cover Girl's new Smoky Shadow Blast, and I admit, I've been dying for an excuse to try it.  Drew Barrymore's eyes look amazing in all the ads.  
I normally love Cover Girl products, and I really wanted to love this one.  But I can't.  
The idea is great in theory- to get a smoky eye with one double-ended product.  I chose Bronze Fire (pictured) because I figured I have so many grays/silvers/blacks, I just wanted something different. 


Here are the Pros: 
- Convenient
- Glides on smoothly
- Easy to Use
- Decent range of color combos


Now for the Con:
-Does not last...at all.  I applied it before work around 7:30 am- by 9:30 am, all that was left of my smoky eye was a faded base color up near my browbone, and the darker color had folded into a single dark line in the crease.  It barely looked like I had any eye makeup on at all, nevermind a smoky eye.  Even with eye shadow primer, it only lasted a little longer, but not much.


I really love Cover Girl, but I cannot say that I love this product, as much as I wish I could.  I hope they can revamp the formula and make it last longer.  That's my only complaint but unfortunately, it's a biggie. 
Here are a few great video reviews...

New Ion Technology Skincare at your local drugstore!

The skincare world is buzzing about Ion Technology, and the results seem promising. They use an electric microcurrent to stimulate the skin to boost collagen. One of the lines using Ions to achieve younger looking skin is Neutrogena with their Clinical line.  Roc is also getting in on the trend with their Brilliance line as well as Aveeno with Ageless Vitality.
Here's a quote from Neutrogena's website. "Healthy skin naturally restores itself with positively charged ion flow, which facilitates cell-to-cell communication. Dermatologists are now recognizing that as we age, this flow diminishes, leading to a breakdown in collagen that causes skin to lose shape and definition."  The process is achieved by using two products together.  One that contains ion-mineral conductors and the other is an activating moisturizer.  Once combined, they go to work helping your skin to boost collagen.  Sounds cool...but it also sounds kinda scary!

Roc's website states, "It contains E-PULSE^™: a patented micro-current technology inspired by the latest professional procedures and backed by years of research. It uses electrostimulation to bring new life to the look of your skin.
Electrostimulation instantly creates a gentle flow of energy within the surface layers of the skin and stimulates the skin’s natural process for dramatic results.".  

According to Aveeno's website, Ageless Vitality: 

• Reduced appearance of under-eye and
  crow's feet lines
• Diminished sagging around the eyes
• Diminished look of puffiness and dark
  circles
• Increased elasticity
• Restored appearance of upper eyelid folds
• Improved brightness, dark circles and an overall lifted appearance around the eyes

Here are some of the results from Roc and Neutrogena's websites: 

Neutrogena Clinical retails for between $35-$45 on drugstore.com, while Roc Brilliance is $50 for all products.  Aveeno retails for $35.99 for all kits, plus they offer a $15 off coupon on their website as well.
What do you guys think?  Are the prices good?  Does this technology excite you or scare you?  I can't wait to test these out, but in the meantime, I'd love to hear from someone who already has.

TreSemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo Review

I don't wash my hair every day, because if I do, it gets really dried out. Yesterday, I ended up putting a lot of product in it, and since today wasn't a hairwash day, I woke up late this morning and then realized I had really greasy-looking hair.  So I stopped off at Walgreens on my way in, because I remembered seeing a new dry shampoo by TreSemme, and I figured it would be the perfect thing to review for Frugirl at the same time.
Unlike other dry shampoos, this one is not powdery- it contains mineral clay which absorbs the oil.  I've tried some that leave my roots looking gray, but this one dries clear and sprays clear, like hairspray.  It smells like lemon-lime, which adds freshness to the hair, and isn't sticky at all.  It made my hair much less greasy, and even added some volume. I wouldn't say it looked freshly washed, but it didn't look greasy anymore either.    At $3.99, this is a fantastic buy!

Loreal HIP Jelly Balm Review

So, I've noticed the Loreal Jelly Balms at drugstores, but I could never bring myself to pay $9 for them, because that seems a bit steep for a drugstore product.  But since they were buy one get one free at Walgreens I couldn't resist trying them out.  The reviews on Makeup Alley and Drugstore.com were promising, averaging 4-5 out of 5 stars.  

Jelly Balms come in 4 shades shown in the picture below (clockwise)- Plush, Succulent, Delectable and Ripe.  I chose Plush (pink) and Succulent (a plummy rose) because the Delectable and Ripe (coral and red) seemed too dark for my fair skin tone.

This is my new favorite lip product hands down...and I feel like I've been missing out on something! The color in these is unbelieveable- they have very rich pigment.  Because my lips are very pale in color naturally, I feel like dark colors look clownish on me, and I am always looking for a lip color that enhances my natural lips just a little. The plush gave me the perfect, gorgeous rosy-pink glow that was just a little darker than my lips, and I was surprised because in the jar, it looked very light. The Succulent was a bit darker, and I would wear that one to go out at night.  It's a plummy-rose that is just an amazing color.  Those of you with a darker natural lip color will see more color with this one than with the Plush.

The texture is thicker than a gloss, because it's a balm formula, but it doesn't feel sticky and spreads very smoothly and evenly.  The texture keeps it firmly on the lips, rather than a gloss that slides off after you take one sip of a drink.  This has staying power, and even after the color does wear off, the moisturizing feeling does not.  It makes the lips feel soft and smooth with just the perfect hint of dewiness (it's not super glossy, yet has more shine than traditional lip balms).  Oh, and it smells like vanilla, or maybe it's sugar cookies...  well, whatever it is, it's subtle, yet delicious!  This is going on my favorites page for sure.

Revlon PhotoReady Foundation Review

After trying Revlon's PhotoReady powder, I knew that I had to try the foundation.  It cost $12.99 at Walgreens, considerably less than other HD foundations, such as Make Up For Ever HD, which is $40. 

The first time I used it, I wasn't really a fan. I was in a hurry that morning and I didn't use a primer.  PhotoReady has a pretty thin consistency, and I noticed flakes on my forehead and around my nose right after applying it.  I was so pissed off that my face was flaky and I had to redo my makeup, that I took the foundation right off and used something else.  Needless to say, I was disappointed and I didn't even notice whether the product actually did what it claimed to do. 

The next day, I decided to give it another go using a primer this time.  I applied Loreal's Studio Secrets Primer to my moisturized skin and then added the PhotoReady over it.  Aha, perfection!  It went on smoothly and evenly, and despite it's thin consistency, it covered imperfections very well.  It diffused the light and made my face look really flawless.  Now that I know how to apply it, I am really loving this foundation, and is comparable to the more expensive HD foundations.

People with oilier skin might not have to layer the primer underneath to get a flawless look like I did, but I'd really like to hear from those of you who've used it! 

I've read on other review sites that some people have found this to be glittery...I didn't experience this at all.  It has maybe a slight shimmer in certain light, but it adds a glowy effect that I thought looked really pretty. 

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Gel Oil Review

I am a big fan of body oil, because I find that regular body lotions evaporate over the course of the day, and my skin is dry and flaky again by the evening.  I've been using Neutrogena's Sesame formula body oil, and I love it...it's one of my favorite products in the world. 

But I was in Walgreens the other day and spotted Palmer's Cocoa Butter Gel Oil.  I thought that a gel formula might be a convenient alternative to the regular oil. 

This product is fantastic!  It's thick, almost the consistency of honey, but it spreads very well, especially on damp-from-the-shower skin.  It takes a few minutes to soak in, but when it does, your skin turns to velvet!  It smells like cocoa butter , so those of you who do not like a coconut-chocolate type scent, won't like this product. I happen to love it, because it smells like vacation.

Another great thing about this product is that it imparts a gorgeous sheen on the skin, like all the celebrities in magazines have.  Regular body oil only gives that sheen for a little while, but this lasts all day.  In the summer when my skin is tanned, I think it's going to look amazing! 

Of course, I'll still use the Neutrogena if it's really humid outside, because I have a feeling that the Palmer's won't soak into the skin well in very humid weather. 

Overall, this is a great find, especially for those of you who have really dry skin, or that want a dewy glow that lasts all day. 

Garnier Ultra Lift Pro Gravity Defying Cream Review

I have been dying to review Garnier’s new Ultra Lift Pro Gravity Defying Cream, but I wanted to wait the four weeks that Garnier said it would take to see results, before I blogged about it.  This is my first go-around with a drugstore skin cream in about five years, and I am anxious to see if a more inexpensive product will work as well as the higher-end products I’ve used during the past several years working at Sephora.  One thing I have noticed is that drugstore anti-aging creams seem to be using the same technologies as many of the more expensive brands, which is definitely a good thing!

The main active ingredient in Garnier’s Ultra Lift Pro is Pro-Xylane, which is a sugar-based molecule from the Beech Tree that stimulates the production of glycoaminoglycans   (From now on, I’ll just refer to them as GAGs).  GAG's nourish and protect collagen and elastin, which are the very things that provide structure and firmness to the skin, acting sort of like a netting underneath the surface.  When a piece of that "netting" breaks down, the skin caves in at that spot, and viola! you have a wrinkle.  As you age, your body makes less and less collagen and elastin, so protecting what you have is essential to keeping your skin youthful.

Pro-Xylane was actually developed by Lancome, and is the main ingredient in their Absolue Premium Bx which sells for...are you ready for this?  $125 a jar.  So the fact that Garnier has put this high end ingredient into a skin cream that sells for $16.99 was too intriguing for me to pass up!

The packaging is very eye catching in a bright red and black box.  The product itself comes in a jar, which is my only real complaint about it.  I would rather see skincare in a pump, because it lasts a lot longer and is much more sanitary, but at the end of the day, it’s not a deal breaker.  One great thing about this cream is, you really don’t need to use a lot- a little goes a long way.  It has a fairly thick, moisturizing consistency which my dry skin loves, and it leaves the skin perfectly prepped for makeup, thanks to its primer-like finish.  It also smells delicious...not perfumey like some skin creams.  It actually smells like sugar - very light and sweet.  

But what you all are dying to find out is, does it work?  In a word, yes!  I've used it every day for the past four weeks, morning and night.  My 32 year old skin was just beginning to get those little forehead wrinkles, and I had previously attempted to hide them by cutting bangs.  Now, if I scrunch my forehead, the wrinkles disappear much faster, like they used to when I was in my 20's. My skin also looks plumper and younger overall.  Garnier says that I will notice more results in 8 weeks, so I can't wait until then. Ahh, technology... I think I'll start growing my bangs out now! 

Enter to win a free jar on our Contests page!

Revlon PhotoReady Powder Review

I've never been a fan of powder, because I have dry skin, but I noticed that in photos, I tend to get a little shiny around my nose.  So when I saw the ads for the new Revlon PhotoReady powder, I couldn't resist trying it out to see if I could get a more flawless look.
I purchased it in the Light/Medium shade and was pleasantly surprised by the brush that comes inside the case- it was a nice, soft flat brush rather than the puff that comes inside most powders.  This powder goes on very lightly and smoothly and disappears into the skin.  It doesn't cake at all, even on my dry skin. I didn't notice any shimmer, but it did seem to diffuse imperfections.  It's not a heavy coverage powder, so it won't hide anything more than a little redness, but I used it to set my foundation and it was perfect for that!  I'd love to try the PhotoReady foundation next, and as soon as I do, I'll let you know my thoughts.

Garnier Triple Nutrition Undo Dryness Reversal Treatment Review

As you all know, my hair is very dry, due to bleaching, blowdrying and iron use.  I like to use a deep conditioning treatment once or twice a week to keep my hair soft and manageable, and at $22.50 for Frederic Fekkai's Shea Butter Hair Mask, my current treatment, I decided that I need to find something a little cheaper.  I noticed that Garnier had come out with a treatment in their Triple Nutrition line, and upon reading the back of the bottle, I found that, just like Fekkai's treatment, it contains Shea Butter, plus it also has Olive and Avocado Oils.  It even looked the same in the tube- same color and consistency.  The best part?  It cost just $6. 

So I tried it this morning in the shower.  It's a pale yellow color, with a thick, buttery consistency that spreads very easily through the hair, just like the Fekkai treatment.  It smells great, and contains tiny beads, which, according to the packaging are apricot seeds.  I'm not sure if they do anything, but it's a nice touch.

I left it on while I washed and scrubbed- about 3-5 minutes.  My hair felt very silky as I rinsed.  

Overall, it conditioned my hair very well- it didn't look like shampoo commercial hair, but it looked considerably less fried on the ends, and even had a little shine.  It does everything the Fekkai does for less money.

The one thing to be careful of with this treatment, is that it is very heavy, and may make fine hair look greasy.  It seemed to weigh my hair down a bit, so I think next time, I will only apply it from the middle of my hair to the ends to avoid getting greasy roots by midday. Overall, this is a great alternative to the Fekkai Shea Butter Treatment for a fraction of the price.

Revlon Luxurious Color Eyeshadow Review

I've been reading good things about the new Revlon Luxurious Color Eyeshadows, so I was really excited to try them out!  I chose to try Platinum Glimmer (pictured), which is a gunmetal gray.  It's one of the "satin" formulas, as opposed to the "perle" which had a little too much shimmer for a Tuesday morning. 
I was really impressed with the pigmentation and softness of the powder, which reminded me of Stila's eyeshadows.  At $5 each, they really pack the same pigment power as much more expensive shadows, which is a great thing.  The other nice thing is the range of colors- although limited, all of the colors were very appealing.
But....even though my shadow was gorgeous when I left the house this morning, by 1pm, it had all but disappeared from my eyelid, and a definite line of shadow had settled into the crease.  Maybe it's too soft and powdery?  I don't know, but I was really, really disappointed, because I want to like this shadow!  I find that Revlon's Color Stay 12 Hour Shadow palettes have much better staying power than these. I'm going to try it with an eyeshadow primer tomorrow and see if that will help the color grip better.  I'll keep you updated on what happens!
****UPDATE****
So yesterday, I said I would try this shadow with an eyeshadow primer.  I actually used the Loreal Studio Secrets Resurfacing Primer on my lids, and sure enough, the shadow stayed put! It's 9pm, and it's still going strong.

Loreal Studio Secrets Resurfacing Primer Review

Loreal has just launched a new line of Professional Makeup Products in the US.  They've been in the UK at Boots stores for a while now, because they had an exclusive on it.  The line includes 3 different primers that correct redness, dullness and shine, a resurfacing primer, and foundation, lip products and eye colors.  I didn't see the makeup in stores yet, but I was in Walgreens the other day and they do have the primers.  I chose to try the resurfacing primer, which was in a jar, while the other primers were in pumps.  It cost $12, and while it is a pretty small jar, other reviewers have said it lasts a long time.

This is what the packaging says "L'Oréal Paris Studio Secrets Smoothing Resurfacing Primer is inspired by professional make-up artists, this primer masks wrinkles and uneven textures in the skin, making the complexion feel smooth and soft, with a remarkable velvety touch." 

The product is a baby pink color and has a fluffy marshmallowy texture, unlike other primers that have a silicone-like feel.

It goes on sooo smoothly and gives your skin a baby soft, matte finish.  It fills in pores and wrinkles and even hides some of the redness around my nose and dark circles under my eyes.  (and I haven't even used my foundation yet!)

When I did use foundation, I used about 1/3 of the amount I usually use, in part due to the smooth surface and also because I didn't need it in some areas. 

This is one product that I feel truly lives up to it's claims- I am obsessed with it and will use it every day!

Here's a photo of the rest of the line- I cannot wait to try it all, and of course I will be reviewing the products, so stay tuned. 

 

Here's a great You Tube Review on the Resurfacing Primer!