42 Dubonnet : Brand Review

Hello folks!

Last week, I had posted an interview with the mother daughter duo behind the brand 42 Dubonnet. If you did not get a chance to read it,you can catch up HERE. The brand brings you the mystery and allure from the 1920’s in the form of petite makeup products which you can easily slip into your purse 🙂  The packaging is inspired by the art deco style from the 1920’s and look stunning. It is no wonder they have won a couple of awards for their unique packaging!!

42 Dubonnet packaging 🙂

I am a sucker for packaging and it is a double win in my book when the products perform well too! 42 Dubonnet very kindly sent me 4 of their products to try and I really loved using them. I got a chance to try their Fringe Mascara, Sultry eye gel liner, Lip gloss in the shade La La Lola and the kissable lipstick in Dubonnet.

Let’s start with their eye products. I absolutely loved their mascara! If you are looking for nice fluttery lashes then this one is for you 🙂 The mascara comes with a natural bristle brush and I did not notice any clumping or spidery -ness. I usually go over my lashes 3 times and sometimes even 4 and there was no clumping even then. So yay! It stays put all day- no smudging, no flaking. It holds a curl and my lashes look thick and fluttery, in other words this mascara is perfect!

42 Dubonnet Sultry eyes gel liner and Fringe mascara

I am not a pot gel liner person (always liked felt/brush pens ) so this was the first time in years I am trying a pot gel liner. Guess what..I really like it! It is a nice jet black color and stays put all day. Again like the mascara, there was no smudging at the end of the day and the black was as intense as it was when freshly applied, even after 8 hours of wear.

The lip products were both love at first sight for me or rather love at first wear! The kissable lipstick in the shade Dubonnet is a beautiful warm red and the formula is incredibly smooth and creamy although it is matte. It feels light weight on the lips and is very pigmented. Overall, I love the shade, the texture and it does not dry my lips so I might pick up some of the other shades they offer 🙂

42 Dubonnet Irresistible Kissable Lipstick in Dubonnet and the lip gloss in La La Lola

The lip gloss in La La Lola ( love the name) is a beautiful deep purple shade with fine golden shimmers. This looks stunning on the lips on its own and feels very comfy. I did not find it to be too sticky and actually enjoyed pairing it with the lipstick ..it gave the lipstick a different depth of color! Unlike most lip glosses, this one comes with a brush instead of the doe foot applicator. I feel like you get a better controlled application with the brush.

Swatches of the lipgloss La La Lola (top) and the lipstick in Dubonnet (bottom)

I love that the products are all made in the USA and cruelty free. Overall, the brand has some beautiful high quality products and if you would like to see what else they offer do check their website. My favorite out of these 4 products would be the mascara and the lipstick 🙂 I am looking forward to the new lipstick shades they plan to release soon and would love to try their eyeshadows too 🙂

Have you tried 42 Dubonnet products? If so, what are your favorites?

Hope you’ll are having a great week!

Until next time,ciao!!

*PR Sample. Opinions expressed here are my own. (no affiliate links)

 

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Sabreen Cosmetics Liquid Matte Enhancers

Hello folks!

Sabreen Cosmetics is a cruelty free and vegan brand started by three sisters to honor their aunt who lost her battle with cancer. Read more about their brand story in the interview I posted a few days back! Today I’d like to share with you 2 shades from their liquid matte enhancer lipstick line.

Sabreen Cosmetics Liquid Matte Enhancers in Najiyyah (top) and Laila (bottom)

I love the packaging of these! The black box with flowers and gold detailing is a nice touch 🙂 The actual tube also looks pretty with the pink and gold top.

They offer 12 shades on their website, all of them look intense, pigmentation wise and they are some unique colors. The 2 shades they kindly sent me are Najiyyah and Laila. Both these shades are totally out of my usual comfort zone but it was so much fun testing these out! The shade Najiyyah is a dark red brown which looks awesome for a night out and is my favorite out of the two. Laila is bright neon pink on my lips and I think I might wear this on its own in the summer! I also enjoyed mixing the 2 shades.

Laila and Najiyyah swatched

From the swatches above you can see they mean business when it comes to pigmentation! On the lips, a single swipe is all you need for rich color. They dry down to a perfect matte budge proof layer within a minute after application.

I have dry lips and these don’t flake off or make my lips look like a dried prune 😀 I use a lip balm prior to using any lip product and this does not alter the formula of these guys. I am also impressed with the longevity of the matte enhancers. They stayed on quite well even after a meal..no weird flaking or bleeding.

Overall, these are quite comfortable to use and the pigmentation is amazing! Check out their website to see their other shade offerings!

Until next time,ciao!!

 

*PR Sample. Opinions expressed here are my own. (no affiliate links)

Skinzi Cosmetics Liquid Lipsticks

Hello everyone!

I hope you all had a chance to read my interview post (HERE) featuring the founder of Skinzi Cosmetics, Barby Espiritu. She describes her journey from being a quality engineer to starting her own liquid lipstick brand. They have beautiful matte liquid lipsticks which are specifically for those of us who suffer from dry lips. I typically do not wear liquid matte lipsticks (you can see that I have barely mentioned any on my blog) because of my dry lips. I was therefore really interested in trying out Skinzi’s liquid lipsticks. They currently offer 4 shades on their website and plan to expand their shade range soon!

Skinzi Cosmetics Liquid Lipsticks

I really like the packaging of these lipsticks! They are unique and stand out in the sea of liquid lipsticks on the market 🙂 I also think the initial colors they are offering are well thought out. They have a neutral shade : Morning Love, a mauve berry shade: Just Jazzy, a pink : Full Bloom and finally a party red: Paint the Town.

From left to right: Morning Love, Just Jazzy, Full Bloom and Paint the town

The formula which claims to be non drying lives up to this expectation! It glides on like velvet and dries down to a nice comfortable matte finish. They feel very light and comfortable on the lips. It does not highlight the fine lines on your lips nor flake off during the course of the day.

The first time I used one of the liquid lipsticks, I had slathered on a nice thick layer of lip balm..since I didn’t know what to expect with the formula..plus old habits die hard! This made the liquid lip feel a bit gooey on my lips. So wipe off your lip balm before applying these 🙂 and you’ll see how beautiful the finish is 🙂

I like the faint scent these liquid lips have! I could smell some coffee and butterscotch when I first apply it to my lips but after it dries there is no scent.

Swatches of the Skinzi liquid lipsticks

Look at those colors! Aren’t they pretty!! I enjoyed using all the 4 shades but if I had to pick one shade it will probably be Full Bloom..it reminds me of spring and is such a lovely shade on the lips.

If you plan to eat greasy food, you might need to reapply. I personally do not mind this since most comfortable lipsticks do that and I rather reapply than have a bullet proof moisture sucking lipstick 😀 Plus, these guys do not flake off but wear away in a uniform fashion leaving a nice stain..so you could go on without reapplying too.

Overall, I really enjoyed these lipsticks and I am excited to see the new shades coming soon from Skinzi!! Have you tried Skinzi Cosmetics?

Until next time, ciao!!!

*PR Sample. Opinions expressed here are my own. (no affiliate links)

Dirty Mind Cosmetics Lipsticks

Hello folks!!

Today I want to introduce you guys to a brand that delivers great products, is inspired by pop culture but has a bit of naughtiness sprinkled all over 😉 I like that the brand celebrates and encourages you to be your true self and oh their lipstick formula is the bomb!

Dirty Mind Cosmetics Lipsticks

Let us start with the packing. The lipsticks are housed in an elegant matte black square tube and have a magnetic closure. That click sound is always music to my ears :). The packaging reminds me of Kosas lipsticks and feels high end.

Dirty mind cosmetics very kindly sent me 4 of their shades and I love the variety they offer! These lipsticks are vegan, cruelty free, paraben free and the formula is described as semi matte.

The 4 shades from Dirty Mind Cosmetics

I fell in love with the formula of these lipsticks 🙂 They glide on so smoothly, and deliver full pigment on your lips with a singe swipe. The semi matte formula is very comfortable on the lips too. I did not experience any drying of my lips from using these lipsticks for a full week continuously (It is really cold and dry where I live and so I am even more impressed by this!).  They also wear away in a uniform fashion so it looks okay even if you do not reapply after a meal. The formula is comparable to many high end lipsticks I have tried.

Swatches of the Dirty Mind Cosmetics lipsticks

The darkest shade of the lot is carpet matches the drapes and surprisingly this turned out to be a favorite! This is definitely not an every day shade for me but I love the rich color and it looks great for a girls night out! I get compliments every time I wear this shade.

The swatches above are all single swipe swatches and you can see how pigmented these lipsticks are! Heart on and Just the tip are probably the shades everyone will gravitate towards for everyday wear. The shade Red Rocket is a beautiful warm red shade. The formula is consistent across all these shades and I really appreciate that. Many a times I have come across lipsticks where the lighter or darker shades are more patchy or uneven compared to the rest of the shades in the collection.

They have 2 more shades in their collection, a real dark shade called BJ and a purple mauve shade called Wanna Scissor. I would love to see them release more shades since their formula is excellent!!

Overall, I really enjoy these lipsticks and highly recommend them. Do check out their website HERE to see the other shades they offer!

 

*PR Sample. Opinions expressed here are my own. (no affiliate links)

The Jouer Ultra Foil Eyeshadow Palette

Hello everyone!

The Jouer Ultra Foil palette caught my eye so many times during the sephora sale, after the sephora sale and when they did additional 20% off on sale…every time  I came really close to buying it. Finally, this beautiful eyeshadow set was available on the Jouer website for 40% off on top of the sale price already listed! I finally bit the bullet and bought this beauty home for 18$! This palette is probably the best beauty steal I’ve managed to snag in a while 😀

The Jouer Ultra Foil Eyeshadow palette

The palette came with an eye topper which I never was interested in so I don’t know where I kept it and hence can’t swatch it..sorry about that. The palette is made of plastic and for some reason reminds me of makeup revolution palettes! The pretty dragon fly is a sticker and I really like the overall look of the palette. However, the original price of this palette is 52$ which I feel is too much for a plastic palette with a sticker on top.

Inside the Jouer Ultra Foil eyeshadow palette

Doesn’t it look gorgeous! If you love metallic lid shades like I do, this is a dream palette. This palette is full of shimmer shades so it requires you to pull out some matte shadows from your collection. I am okay with that since this gives me an opportunity to use some of my single matte eyeshadow shades 🙂 Formulation wise, I found a few shadows a bit different compared to the rest..some of them are more of a traditional shimmer eyeshadow without intense glitter.  Another interesting thing about these shadows is that they can be packed on for full intensity or sheered down a bit for a more subtle look.

Brush swatches of the first 2 columns in the palette

These are swatches build up with just one dip into the pan..if I want to make these really pop I can easily build it up. That my friends, is the beauty of this palette. I have worn these glittery eyeshadows to toddler story time hour with kiddo without people looking at me like i’m some glitter crazy mom. I have also worn these shadows packed on to look like foil for an evening out with the husband.

Brush swatches of the last 2 columns of the palette

The blue shade in the palette has a beautiful brownish shift to it which is very much reflected in the swatch above ( second from right). The purple shade which is the other bright pop color in this palette does not look as vibrant as it does in the pan. I do not mind this, but if you were looking for the exact vibrant purple you see in the pan, you might be a tad bit disappointed! The formula for the blue, the purple and the gunmetal grey ( third shade from right) is more like traditional metallic shadows and not what I’d call foil. Again, I am not complaining these look lovely on the eyes!

Depending on the shades you use in your crease and outer corners of the eye, you can get beautiful subtle shifts to these shades once they blend in with those shades. Speaking of bending, these guys bend beautifully and last all day with no fading (I always use a primer).

Overall, this palette is a winner in my book! Have you picked this Jouer palette up? Which other products do you like from Jouer?

 

Avon Iconic Beauty Palette from Holiday 2018

Hello folks!

My previous post was on the lovely lipsticks in the Avon Iconic Beauty holiday collection which I had ordered from their website. In order to get free shipping, I added the Iconic Beauty Palette too into my cart 😀 and today our review is all about this palette.

The Avon Iconic Beauty Palette

Avon gets an A+ for the beautiful packaging! I love the outer box and the inner palette cover looks nice too. This palette comes with 4 eyeshadows and 2 blushes. Out of these 2 products I’d say the eyeshadows were not the best. The shades look pretty in the pan, but the color payoff was not that great.

Inside the Avon Iconic Palette Holiday 2018

The gold shade was the biggest miss in my opinion. It has sparkle but is extremely sheer in pigmentation. I have to really really build up the shadow for it to look atleast somewhat close to how it looks in the pan. The other 3 shadows are better pigmentation wise. However, all of them are extremely powdery. The shadows do last on my eyelids when used with a primer. So all that building up of the color does not go waste! I do not think these shades will last very long without a primer, since they are so powdery I think they might just ‘dust’ away.

Brush swatches of the Avon Iconic Palette

As you can see from the brush swatches above the gold has barely any pigment. You really need to keep packing on the shadow for any pigment to show up!

The 2 blushes are the saving grace of this palette. One of the shades is a peachy pink with gold shimmer ( NARS Orgasm style) and the other is a more deeper matte peach blush. The blushes are also powdery so expect some powder fallout all over the palette. These blushes are build able which is a good thing as far as blushes go! You have better control over the amount of color you are depositing on your cheeks. I found the blushes to be pretty long lasting too! I have dry skin so I generally do not have issues with powder products disappearing towards the end of the day.

Overall, this is an okay palette. I think I will stick to buying lipsticks from Avon since their formula on the iconic lipstick line was amazing 🙂

What are your favorite products from Avon?

Avon Iconic Lipsticks from Holiday 2018

Hello folks!

This review was supposed to go up in December but then I got caught up with so many things around the holiday season as we all do! I had purchased these lipsticks and an eye and cheek palette from the Avon Holiday collection on black friday. To be honest, I have never been interested in Avon as a brand, but when I saw these lipsticks on Instagram, I just had to have them!

If you are into vintage and retro makeup, this is your dream collection. Look at the beautiful outer boxes for these lipsticks! I have decided to keep these boxes..they just make me happy 🙂

The Avon Iconic Lipsticks for Holiday 2018

Now if you’ve fallen for the outer box packaging, wait till you see the actual lipstick cases 😀 They look fabulous..especially since these were 6 or 7$ a piece. Each lipstick case is gold metal and has a distinctive pattern on the lid. They have a nice weight to them so they don’t feel cheap.

So lovely! The Avon Iconic lipstick cases look fantastic 🙂

I usually buy a shade or 2 from a collection but with this one I just couldn’t resist getting all the 5 shades. The 5 shades are Sugar Plum: a magenta shade, Holly red : a classic holiday red, Holiday Chocolate: a pinky brown nude, Wine Kisses: a deep purple shade and finally a shimmery lipstick in the shade Merry Mauve. Merry Mauve is more light pink than a mauve so I’m not sure why they named it so!

Avon Iconic Lipsticks

Things get even better ;)..the formula of these lipsticks is amazing! They feel like a high end lipstick. Avon describes these as a satin finish, but they look more creamy than satin on my lips and I love it. They glide on very smoothly, have rich pigment and feel very comfortable on the lips. I even like Merry Mauve although it is shimmery. It did not look frosty on the lips thankfully! Except for Wine kisses, which is too dark for my personal liking I have been rocking these lipsticks all through December 😀

Swatches of Avon Iconic Lipsticks, from top to bottom: Merry Mauve, Wine Kisses, Holiday Chocolate, Holly Red and Sugar Plum

The formula is consistent across all the shades. There was no patchiness or skipping among any of them.

Overall, it is a beautiful collection which hit the mark with the packaging and the actual product too! I am impressed with Avon and would love to try more of their lipsticks in the future 🙂

What are your favorite Avon products?

Until next time, ciao!!