makeup – Pure Sugar

Review | LipSense Lip Color & Lip Gloss

Posted on October 12, 2017 by Carol — No Comments ↓

I feel like I am constantly searching for a great lipstick. Every few years I find one I love, but then it goes out of production and I have to start from scratch. Well, I am happy to say that after a few years of looking, my current search is over!

I was offered the chance to try out LipSense from Red Gate Beauty and after using it for a few weeks, it’s official: I’m in love. LipSense is not your typical lipstick. It is waterproof, kiss-proof, and smear-proof. The color and gloss are both available in an array of beautiful shades.

LipSense is a long-lasting liquid lip color that lasts between 4-18 hours. I can personally attest to it lasting for 6 hours and lots of talking, drinking, and eating! It is lead-free, wax-free, gluten-free, vegan, kosher, and not tested on animals. Plus it is made right here in the U.S.A.!

To wear LipSense, you just have to follow a few steps. First, clean and dry your lips. Then shake the bottle of color. Swipe the color on in one direction (just a thin layer). If you want more color, wait 10 seconds and reapply. (The first time I tried the color I was surprised by the tingling sensation, but that is just the cosmetic-grade denatured alcohol which create a bacteria-free environment in the tube. It wasn’t unpleasant at all – it just caught me off-guard.) Five seconds after you apply the color to your lips you can apply the gloss, which acts like a magic sealer and moisturizer.

My favorite part about the gloss? You can choose from several different colors that adds just a little bit extra to your lips when combined with the color, or you can wear it on your own for a natural look. For my gloss, I chose Orchid, and it really is the perfect topcoat to the Praline Rose color.

In addition to being long-lasting, the color itself is what I love most about LipSense. It is so hard to find color that isn’t over-the-top or really fake looking. I don’t wear a lot of makeup, but I do like to accentuate my lips. LipSense is perfect for that. And if you want a vibrant color, they have plenty to choose from! Plus, you can mix and match colors in order to get the shade that is uniquely yours!

I’m excited to offer my readers a 15% discount code if you want to try LipSense out for yourself. Head over to Red Gate Beauty and use the code bloggymoms15 at check-out.

Trying Out Mineral Fusion Makeup

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Carol — No Comments ↓

Many years ago I heard about something called “mineral makeup.” It was supposed to be better for your skin, so I gave it a try and loved it. However, over the years I’ve had opportunities to try out other types of makeup so it no longer is my go-to. I was recently offered the opportunity as a Smiley360 member to try out Mineral Fusion makeup, so I jumped at the chance!

Smiley provided me with a full-value coupon to purchase the Mineral Fusion product of my chosing at Target. I decided to try the Sheer Tint Foundation in Neutral.

I wanted to love this product, but overall it was not for me. When I squeezed the foundation out of the tube, watery liquid dribbled out, no matter how hard I tried to shake everything up first. I found that I needed to do quite a lot of blending to get the foundation to look less “caked on.”

Also, the “neutral” is still too dark for my fair complexion. This, of course, is not something that Mineral Fusion did wrong. I’m just naturally pale. The other day I did my makeup using the Mineral Fusion Foundation and my daughter (who is 5) asked if I’d been a the beach. Out of the mouths of babes! But she has a point — I will keep this in my makeup bag until the summer is here and I have a little more color.

I would not totally give up on Mineral Fusion, though. I think I would love their lipsticks and mascaras.

According to Mineral Fusion: “Our products also help protect from environmental damage. We add age-defying antioxidants to all of our products – pomegranate, white tea, red tea and sea kelp, plus vitamins C and E – to defend against free radical damage. In addition, we enrich our products with specialized botanicals to provide targeted treatment that soothes and nourishes your skin. Our cosmetics are free from parabens, artificial colors, fragrances, gluten, phthalates and talc to ensure that even the most sensitive skin stays beautiful.”

Click here for a $3.00 off coupon and try it for yourself!

Spring Influenster VoxBox

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Carol — No Comments ↓

I was so excited to be chosen to receive my Spring VoxBox from Influenster! It was full of fun products for me to try out and review and so far I’ve liked everything.

My box included:

Rimmel London Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara
Kiss Everlasting French Nails
Peach Pie Car Freshener from the Labor Day Movie
Playtex Sport Fresh Balance
NIVEA Skin Firming Hydration Lotion

Some boxes also included the Softlips Cube. Sadly, mine did not 🙁 I made an unboxing video when I received it. Check out my first impressions! I’ve been testing everything and sharing my thoughts on Instagram, and Twitter. So be sure to follow along!

Disclosure: I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. All opinions expressed are my own.

the eyes have it: l’oreal review

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Carol — No Comments ↓

Lately I’ve been trying out quite a few new products. Some I recieve because I am members of programs, some because I sign up for a lot of freebies and coupons, and some because… well, I just like to try new things. So I thought that I’d designate Wednesday as the day I post reviews. I’m trying (trying!) to get some kind of blogging schedule going, but it’s hard because I’m used to writing in a very unstructured way.

At any rate, today I’m writing about makeup. I am a member of BzzAgent, which many of you have no doubt heard of (and you might be members yourselves). I was sent two full-sized L’oreal product samples to try: their new One Sweep™ Eye Shadow and Double Extend® Eye Illuminator Mascara. I’ve been using the products since the end of March. While I wasn’t so sure about the mascara at first, after using them I can say that love them both!

The One Sweep™ Eye Shadow

This eyeshadow allows you to apply three shades at one time, simplifying the process of having great-looking eyes. Normally I don’t bother with more than one color of shadow, even though I like the look. With One Sweep, it’s the best of both worlds. It took me a little bit to figure out the best way to use the applicator (I obviously didn’t want to apply the lightest shade to the bottom of my lid.) But once I got the hang of it, the application was super easy. The name of the product is a bit of a misnomer, as I needed at least two or three sweeps in order to get good coverage.

Double Extend® Eye Illuminator Mascara

I have a love/hate relationship with mascara. I love the way good mascara accentuates my eyes, but I hate many of the mascaras I’ve tried. I was a little skeptical when I saw the tube of L’oreal Double Extend. One end is a traditional mascara brush, but the other side is shaped like a ball, and the color is bronze. (This is the “illuminator” part of the mascara.) I’m 35 years old, so I feared this would be a little too much.

Actually, the sparkle from the illuminator end is really subtle. It gives your lashes just a hint of sparkle — perfect for a night out. The traditional end of the mascara tube includes a brush that makes your lashes appear fuller. The makeup is a little on the thick side, so it helps if you have a lash comb to separate out your eyelashes. Overall, I think it is better than most of the other mascaras I’ve tried.

Both of these products are available at stores like CVS and Target, so you should have no problem finding them if you want to try them out for yourself!

Disclosure: I received these samples as part of my participation in the BzzAgent program. The opinions I’ve expressed in this review are my own and I receive no further compensation for posting them.

Tag Archives: makeup