Click on any of the photos to jump over to my review on We Heart This! 
Left to right: MAC eyeshadow in Daydreaming, MAC lipstick in Sounds Like Noise, MAC nail polish in Riot Girl, MAC Mineralize SkinFinish in Lightscapade [photo from We Heart This] 
[photos from Marilyn @ Lipgloss+Spandex] 1 Comment  It Cosmetics Vitality Cheek Stain in Matte Sweet Apple & French Boutique Blush BrushVitality Cheek Flush is a cheek stain infused into a powder! Developed with plastic surgeons, this hydrating, brightening, and antiaging blush gives the perfect naturally pretty flush of color to the cheeks and lasts. This truly innovative formula contains It Cosmetics' Hydra-Luxe technology, including ingredients such as plum oil, cherry oil, hyaluronic acid, pomegranate, seaweed extract, grape seed, aloe, and jojoba that all work together to treat, hydrate, condition, and nourish your skin. Plus, Vitality Cheek Flush is packed with antioxidants, including vitamins A, C, and E, acai, green tea, and white tea. This made-in-the-USA formula is also paraben-free. 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:  When the lovely folks at It Cosmetics asked me if I'd like to try out some of their products, I couldn't say yes fast enough! 
it Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Powder Brush$48.00 This 100% cruelty-free high quality synthetic brush is ultra-luxurious. The soft touch rubberized handle makes application easy and enjoyable. The ultra-high brush hair count makes for the most effective distribution of powder and an ultra-luxe feeling on the skin. This brush is definitely a luxury item! The brush itself is substantial, and has a nice weight to it. The large, rubberized handle makes it easy to grasp, although it makes it harder to fit in my brush jar. The cruelty-free bristles are so dense, and so incredibly soft... it's like rubbing bunnies on your face. But better. And less weird. While the price tag is a bit high for my taste, it is a very good quality brush. There hasn't been any shedding, and I feel that it will last me a long time. It's really more of an investment piece than my usual brushes. Side notes: Scrangie noticed that this brush is nearly identical to the Tarte Airbrush Finish Bamboo Foundation Brush, which is only $32.00 (I have not personally compared the two brushes). But QVC frequently has value sets that includes this brush for less than the cost of the brush on its own! (For example: $42 for the Luxe Powder Brush and a bronzer). PROS:
CONS:
If you haven't tried an it Cosmetics brush yet, you need to. I'm definitely going to scan QVC for deals on it Cosmetics on a regular basis so add more brushes to my collection! Available at it Cosmetics and QVC. Lipgloss+Spandex rating: 
Please click over to QVC immediately and check out this kit. It's a STEAL, and it's only available TODAY, Monday, March 18th. 
It Cosmetics Hello Beautiful Anti-Aging 5-pc Color Collection$54.96 ($155 value!) Includes five full-sized products:
What is it: Hello Beautiful Anti-Aging 5-piece Color Collection gives you the power to achieve an airbrushed complexion, a gorgeous vitality-filled glow that lasts all day, plus beautiful lashes! I'm an over-plucker. I tend to get a bit carried away and sometimes my brows get a little too sparse. I've tried a few things to get them to grow faster, but RevitaBrow was the only thing that worked, and it was a little expensive. So I was pretty skeptical that a $20 brow conditioning product would actually do anything for my poor brows BUT I'm so excited to tell my readers that Billion Dollar Brows Brow Boost actually DOES work! 
Get Thick, Full Brows & Lashes! Our Deep Conditioning Treatment is Designed to Help Strengthen & Condition Thin, Over-Tweezed Brows. Natural formula with no scary side effects: prostaglandin free. So effective, you will see visibly fuller brows in as little as 30 days. Lab tested safe for eyes and skin: passed USA & EU regulations. With regular use, one Brow Boost tube provides a 1 month supply. 
Billion Dollar Brows Brow Boost$20.00 This translucent colorless gel comes in a mascara sized tube, with a doe foot applicator. It doesn't have a scent to it. I applied it at night. As I said, I was really skeptical that a $20 product would actually make my brows grow, but this really did. I really did see to start my brows grow in faster within a week of using this, even though I couldn't resist tweezing a bit, and I didn't remember to use it every night. When I stopped using Brow Boost for awhile, I noticed how much slower my brows were growing. I'm incredibly impressed with this product. It's super affordable, really does help my brows grow back, and it works fairly quickly. I definitely recommend this product. Lipgloss+Spandex: 
Groomed brows are important for polished looking face. Although I don't usually use brow gel, I was more than willing to give this one a try, since I LOVED the Billion Dollar Brows brow powder and dual-ended brow brush. 
Billion Dollar Brows Brow Gel$15.00 This clear brow gel has a spoolie applicator. It adds a nice finished look to my brows. It's not too shiny (which would look weird). AND, Billion Dollar Brows guarantees that their brow gel will never flake! I really like this brow gel. I don't use brow gel on a daily basis (I trim my brows so I don't usually need it), but I do like having this on hand for when my brows are a little unruly or for special events. There's no scent, it doesn't get crunchy or flaky, it just keeps my brows in place all day long. One tube has about the standard amount of product for a brow gel, so I think the price is pretty reasonable. I haven't tried many other brow gels, but I'm pretty happy with how this one performs so I don't think I'll try any others :) Lipgloss+Spandex rating: 
I recently reviewed MAC's Stylish Brow collection for We Heart This, and while I loved the products, I was really disappointed that it was limited edition, and that the color selection was small. Fortunately, there is a company that focuses entirely on brows--all the time, with lots of color options--Billion Dollar Brows.
Billion Dollar Brows brow powder$16.00 for 0.07 oz Available in four shades: Blonde, Light Brown, Taupe, Raven I tried the darkest shade of brow powder, Raven, which is for those with "very dark hair color and dark skin tones." I was worried it would be a little dark but it's perfect in my opinion. It has just the right amount of pigmentation, and is really smooth in texture. This brow powder is a fantastic no-frills product. While $16 might seem like a bit much to some, one pan will last you years, even if you use it every day. I'm kind of over the BB craze. It was just too sheer for my blotchy, broken out skin, and I didn't see what the fuss was about. But when I heard about the new CC creams, I had hopes that it would improve upon the BB formula, and be something that actually gave a little bit more coverage. Hard Candy's new CC Correction Creme does just that!  Hard Candy CC Correction Creme$8.00 for 1.5 oz Available in 4 shades: Fair, Light, Medium, Dark Only available at Walmart and Walmart.com CC creams are the next generation of BB creams that are an all-in-one product designed to moisturize, prime, color correct, brighten, and even skins complexion. The point of difference in the CC cream is that they have additional coverage properties and color correcting benefits. Essentially, they are a merge of skin care and cosmetics. The multi-functional CC crème aims to provide better skin coverage to treat and cover uneven skin tones more effectively than a BB Cream - plus the benefit of daily skin protection of broad spectrum SPF 15. 
Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm$34.00 for 1.5 fl oz Our innovative beauty balm offers multiple skincare and makeup benefits in one simple step. Our powerful, multi-mineral complex instantly achieves a healthy glow and improves skin's overall appearance. I've heard SO much about BB creams, but I hadn't tried one til recently. When Sephora had the new Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm as one of their 100 point samples, I snatched that up right quick. I wasn't sure what exactly a BB cream is, but this post by Musings of a Muse really helped me get a better idea of what a "true" BB is expected to do. The Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm sample I received came in Nude Glow (one of six available shades), described as a "warm beige with golden undertone." Let's take a little look-see at my before/after pictures:
First of all, according to the Muse's criteria, I would guess that this Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm is really more like a tinted moisturizer than a true BB cream. I haven't tried a "true" BB cream so I can't compare them. Instead, I'll focus on what the product claims it will do and how well it works for my needs. I think Nude Glow is probably too dark for my NC25 skintone. It does add a tint, because it's too dark, but the formula is quite sheer. My skin doesn't really look more "radiant," but it might look the tiniest bit more even. It was moisturizing, but had a dryer finish than most tinted moisturizers I've tried. It didn't seem to cause breakouts, and I like that it has SPF20. I used this as a primer under makeup and it didn't seem to affect the foundation one way or another. For me personally, this product is kind of useless. Although the length of wear and finish are great, it just doesn't have enough coverage for me (or most people, I'd assume). If you have almost perfect skin, you can probably get away with using this instead of foundation. However, for anyone else, it doesn't work on it's own, and while it's not a BAD product, it's not exceptional enough in any way to replace any products currently in your makeup bag. Lipgloss+Spandex rating: 
I don't give enough love to skincare products. I just kind of expect them to do their job, and help my skin stay outta trouble. There have been a lot of skincare products that haven't worked for me, and the few that have worked are way underappreciated. But today I want to tell you about a skincare product I love so much that I use it year round, and have even repurchased it a few times: MAC Oil Control Lotion! 
MAC Oil Control Lotion $15.00 for 30mL/1.0 fl oz. $30.00 for 50ml/1.7 fl oz. The ultimate no-shine base for oil control. Natural exfoliants help improve texture and clarity. Lightweight and instantly matte, bonds makeup to the skin for fewer touch-ups. Oil-free hydration with natural colloidal minerals and antioxidants. Formulated to keep skin pH-balanced. Use day or night. My skin can be very oily, but it can occasionally be a little dry and sensitive from the baking soda I use with my facial cleanser. Instead of trying to find a product that can work with varying conditions from day to day, I just avoided face moisturizer all together. I had never found one that I liked--most of them felt oily and heavy and made my foundation melt off. But MAC Oil Control Lotion is some sort of magical potion that just makes my skin perfectly moisturized without being oily. It's a thin, light feeling lotion that applies easily and smoothly to skin with your finger tips. The convenient locking pump applicator dispenses a pea-sized amount--I use 2-3 pumps to cover my entire face. It keeps my skin perfectly hydrated but not oily all day long. And one bottle lasts me months, since a dab will do ya! If you're like me--acne prone with oily skin--and you think you don't need lotion for your face, this one just might change your mind! Lipgloss+Spandex rating: 
|  Hi, I'm Marilyn!
I'm 27, live in the PNW, am obsessed with makeup and fun ways to work out. I also write for WeHeartThis. 
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