Review: Color Sensational High Shine Gloss

Maybelline Color Sensational High Shine Gloss ad (Captivating Coral)

             There's a point in every girl's life where she graduates from using plain old lip balm to the ultimate shiny lip gloss. It was exciting and as a kid, it was definitely a big deal. I used to sneak in uses of my older sister's lip gloss whenever I could, because of course, lip balm was soo boring! When I was finally able to put on my big girl pants and elevate myself to the liquid gold itself, I was struck with another problem. Which  lip gloss do I use? Do I go with clear or is that too normal? Can I pull of color? Would it be too much? But nowadays, there's no such thing as too much color, ladies. Searching for the perfect shade of lip gloss is frustrating and when you happen to find it, the feeling rivals that of a breath of fresh air. You go home and you slick it on your lips to admire the perfection...and wait, what?! It's sheer. The color completely just disappears on your lips and now? Now you're more than frustrated. Enter Maybelline's Color Sensational High Shine Gloss. A wax free gloss with "pure liquid pigments." "Have the beauty gods finally granted our wishes?" you ask. Well, I would sure say so.

"Electric Shock"

Pros: great pigmentation, definitely affordable, glossy as promised, didn't dry lips, not sticky, available in 12 shades

Cons: didn't soften lips as promised, didn't last that long, brush is adequate

There are other lip glosses out there that promise rich color (like L'Oreal Color Riche), but many sorely disappoint. When L'Oreal Color Riche gloss came out, I loved the Watermelon Crush shade, but it was too sheer to even show up. Ever since then, I had been looking for a working alternative with a good price tag to boot. I got the Color Sensational gloss in Electric Shock and it was the exact same shade, except it was actually pigmented. I was ecstatic, absolutely thrilled. And, I bought it at my local CVS for only $6. Its shine can be seen a mile away and its color range isn't that bad either. Not the widest selection, but in a good variety of color so that everyone can find a pretty shade. It apparently has honey nectar that softens lips, but I didn't really notice a difference. However, it did not dry out my lips either. For me, the gloss only lasted a few hours, definitely not the best performance when talking endurance, but I can put up with that in return for the other advantages, including the fact that it's not sticky. The brush is okay...it does what it's supposed to do, but it could be more precise (teardrop shaped brushes are best for a precise application).

Electric Shock swatch

My Final Verdict: The pros beat the cons by a mile, in my opinion. It's one of the best lip glosses I've used in a while and it's cheap! So far, I only have one shade, but you can bet that I'll get more soon. So yes, I really do recommend, my friends.

xoxo,
TrinaD. <3

Review: Sally Hansen Crackle Overcoat

              Everyone knows that the latest craze when it comes to nails is crackle nailpolish but while OPI came out with the first of its kind, every brand of nail color seems to be coming out with its own version. However, with all of the choices it's hard to know which brand delivers so I decided to take matters into my own hands...or onto my hands I should say. After testing multiple brands I concluded that my favorite was Sally Hansen's Crackle Overcoat which can be found in most drugstores. Here's why I chose it...

Pros: 8 shades to choose from, easy to use (even for inexperienced nailpolish users), decent price, available at drugstores, it works like promised, quick dry time, looks gorgeous after sealed with a shiny top coat

Cons: it takes a little practice to get the hang of it (maybe after one or two fingers and it's easier to do it on yourself than on others)

      Like I said in my "Pros" section, there are 8 different crackle shades to choose from. That might not seem like too many but you always have to use a base color and your choices are endless there so you never have to have the same look twice! It comes in a hot pink, denim blue, black, gold (a very tasteful shade), violet, white, red, and silver. The price for mine was about $6. 50 and I would say that it's a good price considering the popularity of the product. While the OPI brand is only available at specific beauty stores...this polish is sold at Walmart, Walgreens, etc. so it might be easier (and cheaper) to purchase for some. For me, this crackle polish dried in about a minute and it was extremely easy to apply once I got the hang of it (only took me two fingers to get it perfect, which is a lot less than some other brands). Also, it looks absolutely fabulous if you paint on a shiny top coat to seal it (which you should always do but it looks especially good) because it really brings out the colors and makes it a lot bolder.

My Final Decision: If you're into the new "crackle nails" trend then I definitely recommend getting Sally Hansen's Crackle Overcoat. It works well, looks great, and is easily your ticket to fun and gorgeous nails.

xoxo,
TrinaD. <3