$24.00 for 0.136 oz blush
$34.50 for the brush
$35.00 when purchased as a set on QVC

Product description (color/dupes): This matte blush gives the prettiest, natural flush of color. I love how Matte Sweet Apple looks on my NC25 skin! It's kind of like the shade of warm reddish pink on a Pink Lady apple.

Pigmentation: The pigmentation of this blush is AMAZING! It's one of the most pigmented blushes I've used to date. There's a bit of trial and error figuring out how much blush to use. Lighter skintones may find this too pigmented and difficult to use.

Texture: It's finely milled and smooth. Really lovely.

Application: A little really goes a long way! Gently press the brush onto the pan of blush, then brush on to skin. I usually do this between 1-3 times per cheek, depending on how flushed I want my cheeks to look. And the French Boutique Blush Brush makes it so easy to apply blush! I have several blush brushes, but this brush is almost foolproof to use. The brush is very comfortable to hold. I'm obsessed with it. These two products are great individually, but together, they make applying blush a really neat experience.

Length of Wear: This wears all day! I only noticed a slight stain effect when swatched on my hand.

Packaging: The packaging is simple and compact, with a nice mirror inside. It's a rubberized compact, which can tend to get a bit dirty.

Value: The blush is pretty average in terms of price per ounce. It contains the same amount of products as your average NARS blush ($29.00 for 0.16 oz), but less than your average MAC blush ($21.00 for 0.21 oz). However, this blush by It Cosmetics is one of the most pigmented I've used--meaning that I'll get more applications per ounce of blush. I like that.

Love it or leave it? I adore these two products--the blush brush is the best blush brush I've ever used, hands down. And the blush is one of my favorite shades of blush. At $35 for the set, I'm encouraging you to go over to QVC immediately and snatch it up before it's gone. I kind of want to buy all four... and have four blush brushes. ;)

Lipgloss+Spandex rating:

$36.00 for 4 x 0.07 oz eyeshadow and 0.34 oz blush

I love Hello Kitty. I love houndstooth. I love nerdy glasses. So when I saw this on clearance for $17 at my local Sephora inside JC Penney, AND I had the Beauty Insider coupon, I decided that I had to have it. 

None of the colors have names, but here are my descriptions:

Blush:

• Warm coral with iridescent pink overspray. This is REALLY pigmented, so use a light hand. I just press my brush lightly onto the surface of the blush, then tap to remove the excess product before applying.

Eyeshadow:

• Matte black with purple glitter. This color is very chalky.
• Gunmetal grey shimmer. Smooth and pigmented, this color is the best in the palette, by far.
• Matte fuschia. Really chalky, and not very flattering. 
• Iridescent white. Fairly sheer, not much pigmentation.

Please click over to QVC immediately and check out this kit. It's a STEAL, and it's only available TODAY, Monday, March 18th.

$54.96 ($155 value!)

Includes five full-sized products:

• 0.30-oz Celebration Foundation ($35 value)--available in five shades
• 0.33-fl-oz Hello Lashes 5-in-1 Mascara in Black ($24 value)
• 0.118 fl oz Tightline Full Lash Length Primer in Black ($24 value)--exclusive to QVC until 9/18/2013
• 0.24-oz Vitality Flush Color Stain Stick in Je Ne Sais Quoi, a sheer pink ($24 value)--exclusive to QVC until 9/18/2013
• Heavenly Luxe Buffing Airbrush Foundation Brush ($48 value)

I love mid-and high-end makeup. I love the makeup counters, the testers, the packaging... and of course, the quality. But sometimes I need some makeup in a pinch (forgot something while traveling), or want to try a trend without breaking the bank.

I was shopping at Forever 21, buying some skinny jeans, and saw that their makeup collection has really expanded. I’d heard some good things and thought I’d see for myself.

love & beauty blush in Pink
$1.80 for 0.16 oz
Made in Taiwan, cruelty free. The color is a classic, cool-toned medium pink. The texture is very smooth and fairly pigmented. The plastic compact is decent. There is a bit of fallout, and it does fade a little by the end of the workday.

love & beauty gel eyeliner in Black
$1.50 for 0.07 oz/2.00 g
Made in China, cruelty free. I was all set to be disappointed by this, since cheap eyeliners of any formula tend to be craptastic. But this stuff really impressed me. It comes in a sturdy frosted glass container with a plastic lid. It's small, but per ounce it's still a good value. The texture of this gel liner was smooth and creamy and incredibly pigmented. Good length of wear, no smudging, no flaking, no irritation. The swatch did stain my arm a bit, even after I wiped it off with a makeup wipe.

love & beauty eyeshadow in Dark Olive
$1.80 for 0.10 oz/2.83 g
Made in China, cruelty free. It's a cool toned dark olive shade that leans a bit brownish, with gold microglitter. Even with the glitter, the texture is smooth and fairly pigmented even without primer. There is a bit of fallout, both of the shadow and the glitter, but not enough to be a real issue. It had all day wear when used over primer. The plastic compact is cheap feeling, but it's still a decent product overall, and there's a pretty good amount of product. This has talc, petrolatum and mineral oil in it, which isn't a concern for me, but may be for some.

[click on a picture to enlarge it]

Does it compare with a high end brand, like MAC? Not really. But are they still good products, and would I be willing to try more products? Heck yes! They’re less expensive than most drugstore products, and they have a decent product selection and range of colors. The fact that they're made in China is a drawback, but I haven't had any issues with them. I’m happy with what I bought, and don’t feel like I wasted money on any of them. If you’re on a tight budget, or are looking to try out a new trend without committing a lot of $$$, Forever 21's makeup is a good bet.

Lipgloss+Spandex rating:

“Created to take the heat, like the women who wear it. Heat and perspiration-resistant cosmetics that help improve your skins natural, healthy appearance."


I was really excited about the opportunity to test out rae cosmetics! They care about makeup and fitness too--it seems like so many people think those two interests are mutually exclusive, but it's nice to see that there are companies and consumers who love both.

rae cosmetics promises that their products won't smear, cake, or smudge, no matter what the weather, or what activity you're doing. Their ingredients are hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, and cruelty-free. They use minimal product packaging to reduce waste, and they donate all of the proceeds from their Smartie lipgloss to Girlstart, a non-profit helping girls succeed in math, science, technology, and engineering. That's awesome. 

rae cosmetics sent me their tinted moisturizer, blush, and mascara to test out.

The Balm "Hot Mama" shadow and blush
$19.00 for 0.25 oz

Description: "A true all-in-one essential: sexy shadow, striking blush, subtle highlighter, and light-reflecting lip finisher tucked inside a go-anywhere compact." Free of :
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Dyes
- Phthalates

Review: "Hot Mama" is a warm coral hue, with a touch of pink, and golden shimmer inspired by multi-tasking moms everywhere. The color is very pretty on cheeks and lips, but looked terrible on my eyes. (Let's stop trying to make everything multi-purpose, please!) Hot Mama lasts all day long, and still looks great by bedtime.  It's pigmented but not overly so, making it easy to apply and build. The blush is housed in an adorably decorated cardboard casing with a magnetic closure. The packaging doesn't seem as sturdy as some plastic compacts, but it's managed to hold up pretty well in my makeup bag! Which is actually quite impressive.

Pros:
-Gorgeous color, flattering on many skintones
-Reasonably priced

Cons:
-Doesn't work as an eye shadow

If you're looking for a dupe for NARS Orgasm, this is honestly pretty close. I prefer Hot Mama because color is less sparkly than the NARS version, and therefore more wearable. It's also much cheaper.

Click here to read the review of The Balm "Hot Mama" on We Heart This!