Review: Concealers

Hi everyone! Sorry it's been a while, I have been slaving away at university. I decided I would take the time to do a concealer review, but then I had a better idea! This is a review and comparison of EVERY CONCEALER I OWN!

The concealers I'm going to talk about are CoverGirl TrueMatch, CoverGirl + Olay concealer stick, Revlon Photoready concealer, Maybelline Age Rewind, L'Oreal Perfect Match, Benefit's Lemon Aid, and Vichy solid concealer. I have only tried the lightest shade in all of these products.

CoverGirl TrueMatch: This is a liquid concealer with low-medium coverage. I really like this one, and I used to use it a lot because it's not too thick. It matches my skin tone really well, and doesn't feel heavy! I often pair it with the CoverGirl foundation from the same line.

CoverGirl + Olay: This is a concealer stick that I've heard a lot of good things about. Personally, I find it a bit dry for my skin type. However, it does give you decent medium coverage, and is not overly drying for a concealer stick. It's just not my favourite.

Revlon Photoready: This is my favourite concealer stick! Feels less dry than the CoverGirl + Olay, and it matches my skin tone really well. Provides medium coverage, and doesn't feel to heavy on your skin! If you're going for slightly more coverage than a liquid concealer, this does the job!

Maybelline Age Rewind: This is a dark circle eraser, which means it's a light concealer with illuminating properties, and it helps cancel out red and purple tones under the eyes. Personally, I love this concealer. So much that I use it all over my face! It's really light and provides just enough coverage to get rid of minor red areas or small pimples. For someone with no acne problems, this concealer works great for the whole face, and really helps wake up the eyes.

L'Oreal Perfect Match: To be honest, I was really disappointed. This is a liquid concealer that has a brush dispenser. The idea of it sounds really convenient, but the concealer dries up on the brush. This concealer is very drying, and has an orange tone. It got chunky and gross from staying on the brush, and it wouldn't come out evenly. I wouldn't recommend this product to anyone.

Benefit Lemon Aid: This is a yellow concealer made for covering dark under eye circles. For the price, I don't really think it's worth it, but it does help cancel out purple tones really well if you have bad under eye circles. The texture is really nice, and it goes on well.

Vichy concealer: This stuff is very drying, but extremely high coverage. If you have really bad acne, acne scars, or any injury (cut, bruise, etc.), this stuff will cover all of it. The lightest shade is still a bit too dark for me, but I put some normal concealer on top and it looks fine. I use this for the rare moments I have bad acne. I also used it when I hit my head and got a massive bruise, and it hid everything! A high coverage concealer like this is worth having for those moments.

If you have questions or comments about these products, let me know! Tweet me @PennilessBlog or email me at pennilessbeauty@gmail.com

Review: Revlon Lip Butters

I admit, I'm a bit of a lip butter junkie. I purchased my first one (Creme Brûlée) two months ago, and now I have six! I know, it's crazy, but they really are my favourite lip product! You can find these practically anywhere, and they usually cost between $8 and $10. 

 

From left to right: Creme Brulee, Sugar Frosting, Tutti Frutti, Creamsicle, Berry Smoothie, and Candy Apple.

These lip products have the most universally flattering shades, are super hydrating, have great staying power, and are a definitely more than worth the already modest price! I can apply one in the morning, and it will last a good 6 hours without making my lips feel dry, and they don't feel greasy either. The formula is fantastic, and the staying power is remarkable for the type of product.

 

Creme Brulee is a neutral shade with a bit of shimmer. Sugar Frosting also has a shimmer, and is a really pale pink colour. Tutti Frutti is a gorgeous coral colour, a little more of an orange-coral shade. Creamsicle is a soft orange shade, which was popular because it was the one Emma Stone wore in the ads. Berry Smoothie is a beautiful berry colour that is more of a wine colour than purple, I think it looks great on most people! Candy Apple is a soft, yet bright red, which is perfect for those who want to try a red lip that's not intense in colour.

 

Give them a try! They may become your favourites too.

Walmart and Lawtons Drugs Haul

It's time for a new haul! This morning, I had some spare time so I went to Lawtons to look for a nice blush. Blush is the one thing I don't have a favourite product in, so I'm always looking for a perfect blush. Anyway, I only bought 2 items (I'm on a strict budget this week!), which came to $13.51. Again, there were no sales at Lawtons, and I have to say I'm a little disappointed!

 



 

 

1. Annabelle Multi-Blush palette in Fresh Pink. $5.97. This was actually on display near the front of the store, and I believe it was on special (for that price, how could it not be). There are 5 shades of blush: 3 shimmery, 2 matte. I really like the bottom shade, so I'm excited to try it out! I know I tend to like Annabelle powder products, so hopefully this will become a favourite.

 

2. Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil in Cottage Cheese. $5.99. I actually heard about this from one of Emily Eddington's videos (love her! Here's her youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtC8m_F7jX2fGOQ3_nomg4g ), and it looks like a nice shimmery off-white colour for the inner eye and brow line. Now if only I could get the cap to come of!!!

Next, I went to Walmart, and the prices were AMAZING as always. My total came to $23.64 for 3 items.

1. Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie. $7.97. I LOVE the lip butters, I have about 6 of them now and they're all gorgeous. Plus, they feel so smooth and they don't dry out. Definitely a makeup staple for me!

2. CoverGirl Lip Perfection jumbo gloss balm in Haute Pink Twist. $6.97. I already have the one called Blush Twist, and I absolutely love it! This one is bright pink, which is a new shade for me (usually I go nudes, light pinks, or soft reds). I hope I like the colour!

3. Rimmel Scandaleyes waterproof eyeliner in Nude. $5.98. I needed a nude pencil for my waterline because it's been really red lately. I've heard this is really creamy, plus it's waterproof so I hope it does the trick!

If you have tried any of these products, let me know what you thought of them! Tweet me @PennilesBlog or email me at pennilessbeauty@gmail.com

Love you all!

Lawtons Drugstore Haul

Another haul from Lawtons Drugs! I decided to splurge a little and get a few new makeup products. I was a little disappointed by the lack of sales at Lawtons today, so my total was $74.12 for 7 products.

1. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable balm stain in Honey. $9.95. The colour is darker than I expected, and a little more purple-y, but the colour still looks nice and I've heard that these feel great on the lips!

2. CoverGirl Lip Perfection jumbo gloss blam in Blush Twist. $7.19. Has a bit of shimmer, and the colour is exactly the same as the cap, so there's no mistaking the colour! I've heard so many good things about these pencil-style balms that I had to get a few of my own.

3. Milani eyeshadow primer in Nude. $9.99. This is my first eyeshadow primer, and I'm not entirely sure why I haven't bought one in the past! It says it works on all skin tones, so that sounds pretty good to me.

4. CoverGirl + Olay concealer balm in Fair. $7.99. I really like my Revlon PhotoReady concealer stick, and I've heard this one is just as good or better. I guess I'll have to find out!

5. Garnier Moisture Rescue cleasing cloths for dry and sensitive skin. $8.49. I'm currently using the oil-free Neutrogena cleansing cloths, and I am not a fan at all. Hopefully these will be better! I'll be doing a makeup removing cloth review and comparison soon!

6. Maybelline Line Stiletto liquid eyeliner in Blackest Black. $9.99. I've tried the CoverGirl felt-tip liquid liner, and I was extremely disappointed. This one claims to have really good precision, so hopefully this product will make me like liquid eyeliner. So far, I'm a pencil girl only.

7. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind dark circle eraser in Fair. $11.99. I've heard so many good things about this product! I've been dying to try it for a while now, so I finally bought one, and I just tried it out... I actually quite impressed! It's like a liquid concealer, but it doesn't feel dry or thick, and it actually kind of feels refreshing! The coverage is good for people with some darkness around their eyes, but mine are really bad so I might have to layer it on. I was actually a bit worried when I started twisting the collar and nothing was coming out. It took a while to get the product to the surface, but I still think it's worth it!


If you have tried any of these products, let me know what you thought of them! You can reach me by email at pennilessbeauty@gmail.com or Twitter @PennilessBlog


Have a lovely day!

Lawtons Drugs and Shoppers Drug Mart Haul (Canadian Drug Stores)

Hi again, we're having very dreary weather here, so I thought this would be the perfect time for another blog post! Today, I went to Lawtons Drugs and Shoppers Drug Mart to look at some products that I had been doing a bit of research on. I'll start with my Shoppers haul:

I only bought 4 things, and the total came to $27.10, which isn't too bad considering the quality of Quo products.

1. Quo Blending Sponge $5.00 (Similar to a Beauty Blender, but cheaper!) Quo is a Canadian company that sells makeup products, makeup brushes and tools, nail tools, and nail polish... Basically everything beauty-oriented.

2. Quo Brow and Lash Definer $4.00 (Great for travel, bought it for my upcoming TRAVEL POST!)

3. Off! Deep Woods insect repellent $5.99 (Also great size for travel, and will be featured in my upcoming TRAVEL POST!)

4. Annabelle Perfect Bronze bronzing pressed powder in Sun Kissed $8.99 (Now, I need to say a few things about this brand because it has REALLY impressed me! Annabelle cosmetics is a Canadian brand - based in Montreal - that makes hypoallergenic, paraben-free, and perfume-free products. Whether or not you live in Canada, I would definitely advise checking out this brand in any Canadian drug store or online. This line of cosmetics is absolutely perfect for sensitive skin!)

Now for my Lawtons Drugs haul! I was extremely impressed by some of their sales, especially their Maybelline mascara sale and their Revlon lip product sale. I always get really good deals at Lawtons.

The total for these 4 products came to $20.18, which is amazing considering the lipsticks and mascara should usually be about $10 each.

1. EOS lip balm in Strawberry Sorbet $3.39 (I actually just put some on while I was writing this, and it smells just like strawberry ice cream... YUM)

2. Maybelline Colossal Cat Eyes mascara in Glam Black $4.49 (It claims to leave no clumps, and give you a cat eye look. The brush has the same shape as the CoverGirl Clump Crusher - which I love - so I figured it's worth a try! Especially for the price... WOW!)

3. Revlon Lip Butter in Creamsicle $4.99 (I LOVE the Revlon Lip Butters! This shade looks really bright, I think it will be a nice summer colour)

4. Revlon Super Lustrous Matte lipstick in Nude Attitude $4.99 (I swatched this nude shade, and I find it goes really well with my skin tone. Can't wait to try it out!)


If you have tried any of these products, let me know if you liked them or not! You can tweet me @PennilessBlog or email me at pennilessbeauty@gmail.com ! Once I've tried all of my new products, I'll post a review. I'm definitely thinking of doing a brand review for Annabelle cosmetics... So many blog post ideas!

ALSO, keep checking this blog for my new TRAVELLING CARRY-ON post! It will be up before this Saturday, and I can't wait! Packing and organizing have always been my thing, and I have some really cool tips and tricks to share with you all!

Until next time,
Penniless Blogger

Walmart Haul

Hello everyone! So today I decided to browse Walmart for some drawer organizers... Instead, I ended leaving with only makeup products. Anyway, I decided to do a haul to show what I bought for ONLY $33.87! I was actually kind of impressed.

So these are the 6 items I purchased. I have heard great things about all of these products, and I have tried them before. I'll do a review once I've tried them all!

1. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Silver City Pink $6.97 (Definitely cheaper than drugstores)

2. NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny $2.97 (Such a good price, really hard to find one that hadn't been opened)

3. Maybelline Define-a-Brow in Dark Brown $7.46 (Hopefully this will be dark enough for my black eyebrows... Why can't my eyebrows be blonde like my hair? Ugh)

4. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Clear/Transparent $4.96 (I've heard this works great on brows)

5. Wet n' Wild Coloricon trio in Walking on Eggshells $2.97 (Awesome price, and gorgeous nude shades)

6. Wet n' Wild Coloricon eyeshadow collection in Petal Pusher $4.64 (Another awesome price, and has the most beautiful shades of purple... I think I'm going to enjoy this one!)


If you have tried any of these before, let me know what you thought! Tweet me @PennilessBlog or email me at pennilessbeauty@gmail.com . You can also Facebook me at www.facebook.com/PennilessBeauty

Have a lovely day!

Review: Revlon Lip Butters!

It's review time! I've never been a fan of lipstick (still not), but Revlon Lip Butters feel like a lip balm even though they look like a lipstick! The colour lasts a long time, and so does the hydration. I only re-apply once in a 12-hour day. The best way to wear these is to apply a regular lip balm first to act as a primer and help hydrate your lips. The lip balm (if it has spf) can protect your lips from the sun as well. So, here are my four favourites:

 

 

From left to right, there's Creme Brulee (nude colour), Candy Apple (soft red), Sugar Frosting (light pink), and Tutti Frutti (coral). They all have a shimmery look, but not to the point that it looks really glossy or unnatural.

Revlon Lip Butters are sold in most drug stores and even a lot of grocery stores (Loblaw's, Superstore, Dominion). The price is usually between $8 and $10 per item, so the best thing to do is get them on sale.