Reviews and Other Stuff

Burberry Lip Velvet Crush Review + Swatches

burberry lip velvet crush swatches

 

Hello All. I’ve been meaning to review this amazing lip stain from Burberry. This is kind of a sequel to the fabulous Burberry Liquid Lip Velvet I reviewed a couple of years ago. You can still find it here. That lipstick is one of my holy grails even though it isn’t the most long-wearing lipstick I’ve tried. What I really like about that lipstick is its effect and finish on the lips. It really gives that beautiful, non-drying, soft-matte look that I like a lot. I never ever mind reapplying it because it’s so worth it. I still repurchase some of its shades and still use them nowadays.

 

burberry lipstick

 

Just like the Liquid Lip Velvet, this Burberry Lip Velvet Crush is not that different. Just twist the top part, enough to release the creamy product on the velvety applicator, and you can either dab it on the lips for a sheer lip-staining effect or you can glide it all the way for more color payoff. It feels very lightweight and it sets on the lips within a few minutes. It will then look like a beautiful lip stain with a soft-matte look. It doesn’t overemphasize the lines on the lips, nor does it feel drying. There is no discernible scent and it’s pretty long-wearing.

 

burberry lip velvet crush swatches

 

16 Copper Pink – Perfect everyday light salmon-pink lip shade.

 

25 Cinnamon – works well for light-medium skintone. Looks like a spice rose shade.

 

85 Rosy Mauve – very rosy mauve, may appear quite pinkish at times, especially on different lighting

 

burberry lip velvet crush swatch copper pink cinnamon, rosy mauve

 

You can also apply this Lip Velvet Crush on the cheeks and it works really well. Overall, just like the Burberry Liquid Lip Velvet, this is a well-done lip stain. I really love it and I highly recommend it.

 

burberry lip velvet crush review

 

Have you tried this lipstick already? Are you a fan of Burberry lip products?

 

SHOP THIS POST

 

 

Loving Right Now. Summer 2020 Favorites

The Ordinary Niacinamide

 

Happy summer! Even though this season feels somewhat like a Cruel Summer for me (hello Taylor and hello vid), I will still be sharing with you some of my faves in beauty and skincare. For my picks these warm sunny days, I opt for light foundations with good SPF coverage. I like to let my skin breathe and focus more on good skincare. For me, it’s all about the glow this summer. So, here are my picks this season.

 

Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne

 

Wishful Yo Glow Facial Enzyme Scrub – Really love this exfoliator because it works very well at removing dead skin cells even with just a little amount. I find this to be so exfoliating that sometimes I don’t even know whether this is exfoliating my face or my hands, or both. I would say that this works even better than the Peter Thomas Roth Firmx in terms of its ability to exfoliate.

 

Kรฉrastase Fresh Affair Refreshing Fine Fragrance Dry Shampoo – This is Kรฉrastase’s take on dry shampoo and I think this is great. Be aware though that this has a strong lemon scent, which may be too much for some. I think this works to refresh the hair for about two days without washing, but I don’t think it can help much if you go beyond that time frame, especially if you tend to have oily strands.

 

The Ordinary Niacinamide – A lot of folks have a hit or miss experience with this. On my end, this works really well for my skin. This may have a slightly strong rubbery smell but it does wonders for my pores. In fact, this is the only product I’ve noticed that seems to have tightened my pores even after a few uses. Also, this seems to aid in oil-control. I think the key to this is to use this product with consistency.ย 

 

Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Foam Makeup Remover – I think I found another holy grail makeup remover in this Sulwhasoo product. In fact, I may never look at any other makeup removing products again (fingers crossed). This feels like a light oil that foams immediately once swirled on the skin. One pump of this can cover the whole face and this cleanses very well while removing any stubborn makeup at the same time. Another best thing about this is the fresh botanical scent that is so heavenly. I highly highly recommend this.

 

Ren Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Toner – I love how bouncy this toner feels on my skin and this is gentle enough for daily exfoliation. This really helps in giving that natural glow and in keeping the pores from getting clogged.ย 

 

Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Nourishing Dry Body Oil – We may be in full-blown sun out there but that doesn’t mean we don’t need to moisturize. I love a good dry body oil like this instead of the typical body lotion because this isn’t sticky and this sets on the skin immediately. Also, the almond scent of this is really nice.

 

Peter Thomas Roth Therapeutic Sulfur Acne Treatment Mask – Pimples flaring up this summer? Use Sulfur. This Acne Treatment Mask from PTR has 10% Sulfur that will pull out the bacteria onto the surface, making it easier to extract, thus speeding up the healing process. I love using this on top of zits for a few hours or even overnight. Just be aware that like most Sulfur anti-acne products, this has a strong rubbery rotten egg scent which you may or may not be able to tolerate.

 

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Natural Skin Perfector Broad Spectrum SPF 30

 

It Cosmetics CC+ Cream with SPF 50+ – Like most of you, I still love this popular tinted creamy moisturizer with SPF. This is definitely a step-up of the typical BB Cream, and when I say tinted, this almost feels like a creamy foundation that sets well and covers all your blemishes without being too oily. Also, this gives a nice natural finish that keeps your skin looking natural and not like wearing a mask.

 

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Natural Skin Perfector Broad Spectrum SPF 30 – Another fave of mine this season is this lightweight updated version of the beloved original Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer. For me, there’s really not much difference between this and the old one except that this updated version seems to be a bit less creamy and slightly more matte than the original. Coverage is about that same, wherein this and the old version are perfect for good-skin days, but not when you have a lot to cover.

 

Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint – This one-of-a-kind tinted foundation is SOOO good. I don’t know why I waited so long to have this. From the unique packaging/presentation and texture, down to its ability to give a second-skin finish, I’m really impressed with this product. This is one of those light foundations you can wear everyday and not look like you’re wearing one. Also, the brush applicator that comes with this actually works very well in giving that natural even skintone look.

 

 

bath and body works hand sanitizer review

 

Bath and Body Works Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel – These are my favorite affordable hand sanitizers to combat the vid. I love the varied scents of these and they feel like a step up from the ordinary hand sanitizers which have very strong alcohol scents.

 

Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne

 

Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne – This is a really nice and neat summer scent. I love the combination of nectarine and honey in this fragrance, which is not overpowering yet fresh, toned-down, and long-wearing at the same time.ย 

 

e.l.f Primer-Infused Blush in Always Fiery – Got this blush for free and I’m really impressed by how easy this is to blend. Just a slight dab on the cheeks and you’ll have a nice peachy flush (not reddish at all). Also, this lasts a long time and doesn’t slide off.

 

Revlon Kiss Plumping Lip Creme in Nude Honey and Barely Blush – Love these affordable plumping lip cremes. These are great as everyday tinted lip moisturizers that somewhat feels like a gloss. I really like the lightweight non-sticky feel of these and I love the shape and look of the tube, which make these so easy to apply. I also think these are a good alternative to the Too Faced Lip Injection because this feels milder, whereas the too faced one can sometimes feel too tingly.ย 

 

Drunk Elephant F-Balm Electrolyte Waterfacial Mask

 

Drunk Elephant products are some of my go-to skincare favorites this summer.ย 

I especially love their F-Balm Electrolyte Waterfacial Mask which really doesn’t feel like a mask, but more like a cooling lightweight moisturizer with some waterburst beads as part of its texture. Perfect as a daily facial hydrator and this feels so calming on the skin, eliminating all dry spots or dry areas. Tip: Put this in your minifridge.

I’m also loving their T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial 25% AHA + 2% BHA Mask for that immediate overnight glow. I love how this exfoliates and renews the skin, making it glowy and soft. This may have a slight tingly feel upon application, but this is all worth it.

 

Holly Golightly eye mask

 

Silk Eye Masks available HERE and HERE – Whenever I need a quick shut-eye, I grab these. These are so perfect for power naps because the soft satin textile is very conducive for relaxing or recharging. Also, the cute designs are very Holly Golightly-ish.

 

Peter Thomas Roth Therapeutic Sulfur Acne Treatment Mask

 

And those are my faves this summer. What’s yours? Stay tuned for my Fall picks.

 

SHOP THIS POST

 

 

Kaja Beauty To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before Set Review + Swatches

kaja beauty

 

2018 was the Summer of love. The year and the season where The Kissing Booth, Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, and To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before were released in Netflix. Yes, I keep tabs because I watched them all! lol. I love a good rom-com and these three films were a lot of fun to watch, even though I may no longer be exactly at the right demographic to watch them. Still, to me, they proved to be some of the best films I’ve seen in 2018.

It’s been a long time since rom-coms started becoming popular again, but with the latest The Kissing Booth 2 and TATBILB, P.S. I Still Love You (sequels), I’m hoping that there will a renewed love for well-done movie genres like these. Anyway, speaking of “To All The Boys…”, Kaja Beauty released a set inspired by this heartwarming film early this year. Though this set is only limited-edition and is no longer available nowadays, still, I would like to share with you its contents and the swatches. You can still purchase each product (individually) at Sephora. Check them out below.

 

kaja beauty moon crystal rose quartz

 

Cheeky Stamp Blendable Blush in 01 Coy (0.17 oz: 24 USD) – This is the cutest blush packaging I’ve ever seen. So cheeky and so chic. This is also very easy to apply, just dip the heart applicator on the liquid blush and stamp it on the cheeks. The shade coy is a light dusty rose that is perfect for a very sheer and natural flush blush effect. See the rest of the Kaja Beauty Cheeky Stamp swatches HERE.

 

kaja to all the boys i loved before set

 

Heart Melter Lip Gloss Stick in 08 So Fine (0.049 oz: 17 USD) – Blushing Cinnamon. This is a very gorgeous rosy cinnamon shade that looks like a medium warm nude on my pigmented lips. The feel is like a velvety lip gloss that is so lightweight and non-sticky. This has a click to release application. For more Kaja Heart Melter Gloss swatches, click HERE.

kaja beauty heart melter so fine

kaja beauty moon crystal rose quartz review

 

Moon Crystal Sparkling Eye Pigment in 04 Rose Quartz (0.29 oz: 16 USD) – As a matte eyeshadow lover, I was a bit wary in using something as shimmery as this rose duo-chrome liquid eyeshadow. But what I find out is that since this is very pigmented and has a metallic finish, I only have to use a bit of this in order to add drama to my lids. Since we’re all about emphasizing our eyes nowadays, I’m really enjoying the look of this. This is very easy to apply and this adheres well on the lids.

 

kaja beauty moon crystal rose quartz swatch

 

Overall, this is a great set and if you haven’t seen the “To All The Boys…” films, well, you must. Imagine yourself applying these Kaja beauties right after watching them while listening to Marina’s “All About Love” or Lauv’s “I Like Me Better” theme song. It’ll have you swooning in seconds.

 

kaja to all the boy i've loved before

 

*Big thanks to Kaja Beauty for providing this set. All opinions/reviews herein are by the editor.

 

SHOP THIS POST