Smashbox - Masquerade and Reign Lip Glosses

Hello, all!
Just a reminder that my one-year giveaway ends in THREE days!!! It will end 11:59PM EST.

Today's post will be about two lip glosses I have come to use somewhat recently although I've had them for a while. They are both from Smashbox and they are both limited edition. The first one is from the "Masquerade" line and the second one is from the "Reign" line. The Masquerade lip gloss is still sold on their website (it's on sale, too!). I have it in the shade "disguise". The Reign lip gloss is no longer sold on their website and it is older than the Masquerade line if I am correct. I have this in the shade "crowned". You can get this on amazon at a good price!





As I've said before, I am not a lip stick person (yet). I don't think I'm ready for it yet so I'm mostly a lip gloss or lip balm/stain person. Overall, I think both are great lip glosses and the price is pretty fair.

I hate to admit it but I really am a sucker for cute packaging. And I love products even more if the actual product is good as well. At first, the packaging is what made me pick up the Reign lip gloss. It was very cute!




I like the little charm at the top of the tube and it has a 'royal' theme to it. The shade was appealing because it was somewhat pinky-peachy (when applied) and a little orange too (swatched). It also does not have chunks of glitter in it (it has some glitter but nothing too noticeable or crazy) and I feel that it is appropriate for daily use.

In terms of stickiness - yes it is a bit sticky. But not as sticky as other lip glosses I've tried (in particular Tokidoki's Prisma lip gloss) and the color is quite true to bottle. I dislike anything that looks too overwhelming but I think this lip gloss is suitable for all lips! And I think a pinky-peachy is appropriate for all people as it looks quite natural. It also smells good! Taste - not so much lol.

On the other hand, Masquerade is pretty glittery. There are some flecks of gold glitters so it may or may not be appropriate for daily use (depends on what you consider too glittery) but I think it's okay for daily use as well. My friend (who is a lipstick addict) told me that this is great to put on top of lipstick as well.



Masquerade is a little bit darker than my usual liking but that's okay because it's not too dark. What I like is that it's not sticky. Seriously, super sticky lip glosses are not flattering and they're hard to deal with if you leave your hair down. I also like that this "just enough" for when you want your overall face to stand out. It's definitely pinkish when swatched/in the bottle but on my lips I feel like the color doesn't show as much. It's probably my own lip color though!

One thing I don't like, however, is the smell. Compared to Reign, I feel like Masquerade doesn't smell so great but it doesn't really taste like anything. The smell does go away after a while... or maybe I just got used to it.




Bare lips:



Masquerade (Disguise):



Reign (Crowned):



In short: Both are 3.7/5 - I'm pleased with both.

So, are you a lipstick or lip gloss person? Recommend me your favorite of either or both!

NOTD + Long Reviews + New Planner! + Picture Heavy

Finally Thursday! No class tomorrow! Yayayayayay! Nothing is more exciting than that~ But I have a lot of studying to do over the weekend, but so far for spanish we've had 5 exams and I got a 100 on all of them!! But on the essays I keep getting 90s so my average is a 96.67% :( I don't understand why they count for as much as exams though...

Today I couldn't go past Dunkin Donuts because of the scorching heat -_- I ended up getting an iced tea for $.99 and it was pretty refreshing :) My bus came rather quickly and I don't have work today. Overall, a wonderful day so far!

I did my nails this sparkly pink color but it's more purple in the pictures aha :|
It kind of reminds me of those sally hanson nail strips thingy except mine aren't as good. But I can't imagine forking out $9 for something I can only use once!! And I wish I could grow out my nails but I'm so... anti-bacteria LOL. I secretly worry about bacteria that might be collecting under my nails even if I wash my hands often. I am SUCH a loser I promise I'll try to be less loser-ish from now on.





But it'll be a pain to take off later T_T

And since the fall semester is starting soon... I got myself a new planner!



It was pretty darn expensive but my friend knew the store (Banzai) owner so we got 30% off. I think I paid around $10 for this which I guess isn't thatttt bad since it's the binder type thing.




Pretty cute huh? I love the outside of it as well as the cute papers on the inside. I get so sad every time I write in it though, I feel like I'm tainting the cuteness of it all heheh~

PRODUCT REVIEWS:
So in my last post, I shared a small cosmetics haul and I received two requests :) Today I will be reviewing:



-Benefit's High Beam
-Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

I will start off by saying that both products are SO EXPENSIVE!!!
But you don't need a lot of either product so I guess it's "okay" but... I can't get over the price. I know I'm going to repurchase both but ... I still need more time to get over the PRICE!

Benefit's High Beam ($23 at Sephora):


^I was surprised to see that the Smashbox Primer has more product in it...

I know there are TONS of reviews on this but yes, it is a highlighter. I use it on my brow bones and on my cheeks sometimes but it shows up less on my cheeks. In other words, it's a very subtle highlighter. It shows up more in the light (which my camera, unfortunately could not pick up) and it has a little bit of shimmer but overall it's very pearly, which is what I love about it. It blends quickly although I like to warm it up a little bit between my fingers before applying because I feel EVERYTHING goes on more smoother like that (except for primers -- I don't do it with primers for some reason lol).

However, there are a few things I don't like about it..

_The price ($23 for 0.45oz......)
_The applicator, as many have said as well. It's impossible to use every bit of it but I for one, will!! I'm going to cut a straw in half (the long way) and scoop it out until I use every bit of it LOL. Ugh, I just hate wasting stuff...


-The packaging in itself is awkward as well. Why... is it a nail polish packaging thing?? I'd love it if I can squeeze it out instead, maybe if people keep complaining about it, Benefit will change it? :P Wishful thinking~



That's about it!
Product itself: 4.5/5
Packaging: 3.5/5
Applicator: 3/5
Price: 1/5
Repurchase: Yes (4/5)



^Simply dotted



^Slightly rubbed



^What's left after application



^Swatch

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer ($16 at Sephora):
Okay, this one is VERY expensive as well. I can't tell which is worse, the high beam or this primer... lol. This isn't the full-sized one, I really didn't have the heart to fork out $36 for something I may not like so I got the small one for now.





I will first begin with my skin type/facts.

-Kind of pale (NC15/20)
-Redness around nose area.
-Dry-normal but I get acne sometimes :( but no blackheads.
-Small-ish pores.
-Quite sensitive to the sun.
-I don't tan but I burn very easily.
-I use BB cream and concealer. BB cream is a MUST for me, esp. in the summer because I am sensitive to the sun. SPF is very important.

With that said, I don't really need a primer in the winter because my foundation/BB doesn't really fade. I don't wear much to start off with but in the summer, especially in humidity, my face sometimes does look like it's melting even though my skin is somewhat dry in some areas. That really is not attractive at all. I'm going to wear it in the winter though, I just feel like it sets everything in place well because it has a matte finish.

On the other hand, my mom has oily skin and we share this primer. I noticed that this extends the life of my make up about 4-5 hours (and I never have to blot when I use this) and my mom doesn't have to blot for an extra 3 hours. My mom used to always be stressed out about how her make up does not last but after using this, she only has to blot once the entire day, only around the nose area.

So if you can't tell already, we love this product!! After we finish this we will buy the full size one, even though the price tag is hefty.



^look how small it is!



^ This is how it looks when it's squeezed out. I don't know how I feel about this but.. the feeling of it is very... silicone-y. Super soft, but silicone-y. My mom likes that feeling but I'm still on the fence about it.



^ This is my bare naked nose after I woke up. As you can see, there is a little bit of shine.



^ After using it on my nose, pores show less right?? As you can see it's matte, but I think it accentuates my dryness a little. Not sure if it's because I took too long today to moisturize after washing my face, but yeah. But it doesn't show once I apply the rest of my make up so that's okay.

Product itself: 4.8/5
Packaging: 5/5
Applicator: 5/5
Price: 1/5
Repurchase: Yes (5/5)


PHEW. Was this too long?!? I just wanted to be very thorough about it.
So, how was everyone's day today?!

FOTD + Cosmetic Haul

Blah blah blah I hate humid weather! It makes me feel really BLAH, if you know what I mean. I really hate the humidity in New York, I heard that in California, the weather goes up to almost 100 degrees but it's rarely really humid. Today was only 90 degrees here but it was so humid, I'm glad my classes are over before noon and I work later in the day, that means it's still a little less humid. I don't know about you guys but I'd much rather be a little cold than stinking hot! Because when you're cold, you can just keep wearing clothes. When you're sweating, how much can you really do in terms of dressing "down"?!?!

Also, I thought I'd share that I haven't had soda in 4 days HAHA. It's a start right? Everyone has to start somewhere. LET'S GO FOR THREE MORE DAYS, JANE!

A photo of me to commemorate my endurance in the humidity today. It's worth commemorating because my face actually stayed together in the heat HAHA:



Bahahaha my hair is all messed up and stringy looking thanks to the beautiful humid weather today. Did I mention how much I love the MAC studio fix concealer? It was kinda expensive but I love it to bits. Who the heck likes to wear foundation in the middle of summer?! a teeny bit of concealer is the way to go!

Oh and I think I have a bug bite on my forehead, I hate bugs. Big ugly bugs make me want to cry ;(

And for something more interesting, my recent Sephora/Bloomingdales haul :) I spent a ton of money and I now have $49.84 + a $15 metro card under my name HAHA so pathetic. Can't wait till my next pay day so I can start SAVING again! Save, not spend! I have a separate "emergency expense" and I usually keep it to $200 but I've spent most of that up. I was doing really well though ;(


_Smashbox Lip Treatment (SPF 15)
_Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer (Smaller size) <- $16!!!!!! WHAAAT.
_MUFE HD powder
_Benefit High Beam
_Mac Mineralize Skinfinish (Semiprecious Pearl)
_Mac 116 Blush Brush
_Birthday freebie from Philosophy! Smells like vanilla cake.

More in depth post will follow this one. This is just a sneak preview :) Is there anything you guys want a specific review on?! :o if so, do let me know!
Horray for being poor now!!