Every once in a while I receive coupons or discounts at CVS, because I have a CVS discount card and I enrolled in their Beauty Club Rewards program. I rarely use these, because the most convenient CVS for me does not have the best product selection and these coupons usually last about 2-5 days, so not much time for me to get there. However, this time I did use a $5 off of a $25 purchase and I thought I would share with you all out there. Everything I bought was beauty related and with my own money.
Warning: This entry it pic heavy and very long!
My first selection was the limited edition Wet N Wild Hot Rocks collection. I have been eyeing these since they first appeared around my city and always passed on them, but this time I decided to scoop them all up before they disappeared for good. These didn't seem to sell out around here and I don't see too much talk about them around the beauty community, but I think they look like fun. This is the complete set, all 6 shades. If you have any, let me know if like them!
Next, I picked up 2 of the Revlon Colorstay quads. On the left you have #580 Free Spirit and the right you have #585 Sea Mist.
These quads were part of the Spring 2013 collection from Revlon. However, I'd like to point out something- I work for Walmart and when we changed our permanent displays for Revlon early this year, these 2 quads were set in our permanent displays. We have not received much more of these quads in our shipments in the past couple months, but we did have them regularly this year. I'm thinking this may change once they change the modular again and new quads will take their place, but I'm not sure if these quads would really be considered limited edition. If anything, a better term would be "seasonal". I will say, Walmart did not receive all of the Pacific Coast collection; we did not get the gel liners, cheek tints, or limited edition lip butters that I saw on the displays in CVS and Walgreens around here. - Above is a pamphlet that was free that you could take with you from the display they had in Walgreens and inside it explains the collection by Gucci Westman and gives you looks you can create with the palettes.
Before I get to the swatches, I'd like to say that I have never purchased or used any of these Colorstay quads before, so I had no idea what to expect. Obviously, I was hoping for good results and I must say I was surprised. Also, I'd like to add right now- I did not use any primer in any of these pictures. These are all straight from the palette to my hand!
This is the "Free Spirit" palette. I swatched this one first, because initially I thought this would be my favorite palette of the 2; the colors go together well and I like the overall look of the colors better than the other one. The picture above is with just one swipe of color with my fingertip. The colors didn't perform so great, at least not as I had hoped. The black color was the only color that really seemed like it had any staying power without primer. The lightest blue was a little on the powdery side, but overall these colors are not bad with fallout, just kind of drier than average. I do want to add that I swatch all 4 colors, but the tan shade really blends into my skin (it is the first swatch and really hard to see), but I foresee it being a very good base and all-over color for my eyes, and is actually my favorite of the 4 colors, which surprised me.
This second photo is the same palette ("Free Spirit"), but I went over the swatches a few times to build opacity. The colors are definitely buildable and look better with a few more swipes than just 1. Overall, I'm not that impressed with this palette though. I'd like to wear it on my eyes though and actually try it out. Like I said before, I think the tan color is going to be my best friend as an all-over color and it seems really blendable. These colors do go together well though, but they're also colors that you could get else where in either higher-end companies, as well as in drug store brands. These colors all came out matte, except the black has some sparkle in it, but still looks pretty matte when applied.
Here's where the real surprise came in- Initially I thought I would not like the "Sea Mist" palette. These colors do not look that appealing at first glance and I really didn't feel they went with each other that well. I almost didn't buy this palette at all, but decided to get both since they were a collection together. - Well, after swatching these babies, I still don't feel they go together that well (at least not for my style), but they perform well. The photo above is of just one swipe of color with my fingertip. These colors are shimmery, not matte and you can see the shimmer a little in this photo. They do not have sparkle and you do not need to worry about it being "too young" or "too party-like"; they just have a hint of shimmer that gives it a nice glisten.
This second photo is of the "Sea Mist" colors with a few layers applied. Buildable colors, but unfortunately, because of light you cannot see the shimmer a little in this photo. The pink color is the very first swatch and it is nice, it's just hard to see on my skin, because I'm tan. (I always forget how tan I am until I do swatches, lol.) Honestly, I probably won't use all of these colors together, but they are the type of colors that give a nice pop of color to a look or give a little pick-me-up for a look without being too dramatic and they perform wonderfully.
Final verdict: These palettes have been around since spring and they are still available. I am finding them still around at Walgreens, CVS, and Walmart. However, the Pacific Coast displays are going away, so they are mixed in with the regular Revlon products, with the exception of Walmart, obviously. So, if you're interested I suggest scooping them up soon, because as I said before- I think they are going to disappear as fall and winter shades roll out. If you're on the fence, I would skip the "Free Spirit" palette. The "Sea Mist" palette performs much better and the colors are nicer, in my opinion; the colors will be nice for fall too.
Side Note: Like the pamphlet from this collection, on the back of the palettes it has looks you can create with directions using these palettes.
Last, but not least, I bought a lipstick! The Revlon beauty products were "buy 1, get 1 50% off", so I needed to purchase 1 more thing to meet the $25 goal.
I purchased one of the new Milani Statement Lipsticks. I first saw these from YouTube beauty gurus and they were raving about them. Then Nouveau Cheap reviewed them and they all looked so great, so I wanted to get my hands on them. They are selling fast around here, so it's hard to get your hands on them. I have yet to see a full display, as I feel they are selling fairly fast as the stores receive shipments.
The color I bought was #16 Flirty Fuchsia. Let me say, that this was not my first choice in color. Sadly, most of the colors has been tested by customers before me. These tubes, thankfully, have a protective label on the back which you have to peel off to open. -I love products that have safety seals on them, because there are a lot of people out here who contaminate products and it makes me really weary. But enough of that! Someday I will rant about this though, so get ready!
The top swatch is just 1 swipe and the bottom swatch is with a few swipes. It doesn't have the best initial payoff, but obviously a few coats will solve that problem. For the price, about $5.50, it's not a bad buy. If you don't normally wear bright or noticeable colors on your lips, I suggest trying this line of lipsticks so that you aren't spending too much money, especially if it's just for a certain occasion; outfit; or costume. The lipstick has a nice smell to it. As I wrote in previous entries, I cannot stand the smell of Revlon lipstick and if a lipstick has a nasty smell, I won't wear it. There is a hint of that waxy/crayon smell, but it's not too bad.
