Give the Gift of Beauty to Others and Yourself

Whether you're looking for presents to gift friends and relatives or something to treat yourself this holiday, beauty products are the way to go if indulgence is your top priority. Here are a few holiday gifts many beauty lovers would enjoy.

Nothing screams festivity more than daringly red lips. Modernize the classic red this year and go matte. Brand name or drugstore, red lipsticks are always stylish. Great matte reds of this season include MAC Russian Red ($14.50), NARS Vesuvio ($25), and Revlon Really Red ($5.00). Or if you are going for double the price, half the matte, but all of the gorgeous, don't miss out on YSL Rouge Volupeté in Red Muse ($34).

Beauty without Cruelty Nail Polish and Lipstick Review

Today I continue with the natural trend. For over 40 years, Beauty Without Cruelty has produced ethical and cruelty-free products that are made with natural, safe ingredients. All BWC color cosmetics are fragrance-free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Beauty Without Cruelty Attitude Nail Colors in Summer Sky ($16.95)

Beautiful sky blue color shown here with two coats.

Made in the UK, this polish applies smoothly with just a single coat. The formulation, as with all BWC nail colors, is without toluene, phthalate and formaldehyde. It dries surprisingly quickly, perhaps one of the quickest drying polishes I have ever tried. Did I mention it is long lasting? This polish has been on my toes for over two weeks with no chip.

Beauty Without Cruelty Moisturizing Lipstick in Coral ($14.95)

Smooth and moisturizing.

This moisturizing lipstick contains vitamin E and apricot kernel extract, making it a truly non-drying lipstick. It applies very smoothly. I wouldn't exactly call the color coral because it is a little more red than coral, but it is a lovely color nonetheless. It applies beautifully and can easily be built to a deep color.

Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to me for testing or reviewing consideration. I am neither paid nor compensated for my opinion. My priority is always to my readers and I express only my honest opinion in every post.

FACE atelier Lipstick Swatches

Face atelier lipsticks in Candy Floss, Coral Reef, Pink Cashmere

Candy Floss

Coral Reef

Pink Cashmere

Disclaimer: This post contains product(s) sent to me for testing or reviewing consideration. I am neither paid nor compensated for my opinion. My priority is always to my readers and I express only my honest opinion in every post.

Illamasqua Excite Powder Blush and Sonnet Lipstick Swatches

Illamasqua Powder Blush in Excite ($23)

Excite looks scary in the pan, but it applies quite well.

This blush is extremely pigmented, so apply it with a light hand and blend it out.

Sonnet is a gorgeous blush. Don't let the color in the pan scare you. Applied with a light hand, it can work its way into your daily makeup. You will not look like a carrot, I promise. The blush is actually a little less orange and more pink than I had anticipated. That isn't to say Sonnet isn't orange. It is a bright, bold orange blush. It is very well pigmented, so apply very lightly and blend away. Just a graze of this product will give you more color than your regular blusher.

Illamasqua Lipstick in Sonnet

Sonnet is a pale, nude peach.

Swatches beautifully, but pretty unforgiving on the lips.

Sonnet will emphasize lines and dryness.

Illamasqua Sonnet Lipstick topped with Lancome Juicy Tubes in Touched by Light

I am normally a big fan of Illamasqua lipsticks, but this shade did not work for my unkempt lips. It has a matte finish and reminds me of Revlon's nude attitude, except Sonnet is peachier, less orange, and applies smoother. Although this lipstick is not for me, I have seen it look very good on others, like on Sophia from Makeup Blogette.

Illamasqua is a UK company and sold in the US exclusively at select Sephora locations and on Sephora.com. You can visit the Illamasqua website to locate stores in your country or to make an online order.

Disclaimer: This post contains product(s) sent to me for testing or reviewing consideration. I am neither paid nor compensated for my opinion. My priority is always to my readers and I express only my honest opinion in every post.

Monavé Swatches: Lipstick, Foundation, Bronzer, Illluminizer

Mineral Makeup by Monavé

Bronzer in Rum #302, Loose Mineral Concealer-Foundation in Caroline and Hyeyeon

MAC Flighty Collection (May 5)

MAC's Flighty Collection is going to be released on May 5, 2011 in the US and Canada. They're throwing quite a lot of collections at us, aren't they? This release will be a little better than usual: 15 Big Bounce eyeshadows!

I know, I'd rather these be 15 new colors of paint pots too! These shadows are supposed to be very sheer and creamy. I've heard that though quite light, fluffy, and flighty, they don't stick around your lids for too long. Hence the flightiness! But maybe I'm wrong and they'll be awesome - and we'll have something new to love.

Expect vibrant Zoom Lash mascaras, 242 brush, and newly formulated eyeshadows.

Are you anticipating the Flighty collection? Or picked up anything from Quite Cute?

Disclaimer: Handmade Reviews is not affiliated with MAC Cosmetics. Images courtesy of O My.

Clinique Acne Solution Foundation and Bonus Time Gifts

I got my Clinique acne solutions liquid foundation from Macy's to counter those little irritating bumps on my forehead.

It's really just 0.5% salicylic acid added to regular foundation.

Too cool for me, but I can now wear foundation without worsening my breakout.

Dries very quickly, but blends okay.

And with my purchase came some fun gifts:

Oh, and two pretty makeup bags!

• Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion, 1 oz./30ml
• Lash Doubling Mascara in Black, .14 OZ./4g
• Take The Day Off Makeup Remover for Lids, Lashes and Lips, 1.7 FL.OZ./50ml
• Clinique Colour Compact: Colour Surge Eye Shadow Duo in Twilight Mauve/Brandied Plum, Blushing Blush Powder Blush in Smoldering Plum
• 2-in-1 Lipstick & Gloss Duo - Different Lipstick in Shy, 1.3g/.04 OZ o Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 in Mystic, .15 FL OZ/4.5ml"

I was impressed with this free compact.

The lipstick can be removed from the lip gloss.

Left to right: Twilight Mauve eyeshadow, Brandied Plum eyeshadow, Smoldering Plum blush, Shy lipstick and Mystic lip gloss

I'll review the foundation in a few weeks. You can get the bonus kit at a Clinique counter with purchase of $21.50. :) I'm glad I made this purchase. I admit I don't need any of these things - but who doesn't love freebies?

CoverGirl Continuous Color Lipstick Review

I just picked up CoverGirl Continuous Color lipstick in Bistro Burgundy and I am super impressed with it! Not so much because of the color, but because it feels completely non-drying on my lips. Its texture is very creamy and it glides on smoothly.

Here, I am comparing it with a sample of Clinique High Impact Rouge in Rosette:

CoverGirl Continuous Color Lipstick in 430 Bistro Burgundy and Clinique High Impact Rouge Impact Lipstick in 17 Rosette

Bistro Burgundy and Rosette

They are similar, but Rosette is more pink with fine glitters. Bisto Burgundy is a deeper red and a lot more moisturizing (though Rosette in itself is not dry). The staying power of both are similar: four to five hours at most. I am going to pick up a few more colors of CoverGirl Continuous Color lipsticks. It's definitely one of the better drugstore lipsticks I've tried.

Light application of Bistro Burgundy

Maybelline Super Stay 24 Color Review

Swatches coming soon (without my camera at the moment)

Maybelline Super Stay 24 is extremely long lasting and nondrying - though the color selection leaves something to be desired. I tried on Everlasting Wine and it was quite true to its name.  It stained my lips for well over 24 hours (something I'm not too happy about). I am sure it lasted so long because the color I tried was so dark and because I rubbed so much on... but it is ridiculous when washing my face with soap does not remove my lip color. I also swatched Wear on Wildberry, Forever Chestnut and Timeless Rose on my hand and it took several hand washes and scrubbing with makeup remover to remove the color completely. I would only recommend getting this product in a natural, wearable color unless you want to go to bed with deep stained lips. You can wear this one to the beach without fear.

Disclaimer: This post contains product(s) sent to me courtesy of bzzagent. I am neither paid nor compensated for my opinion. As always, my priority is to my readers and I express only my honest opinion in every post.

Lancome Colors

I have been really into colored lipsticks lately. It seems that the days of the nudes are over (for now). I picked up two Lancome lipsticks earlier this week and have been love- love- loving them. I grabbed one in Classique Pink from the Spring collection and one in Coquette from the Fall 2010 collection. I also received the Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate and should be posting a review of it soon.

From left to right: Lancome Classique Pink, Lancome Coquette, Dior 512 Bronze Couture, Bobbi Brown 2 Pink Berry, Nvey 351 Eco Lip Color

Le Rouge Absolue Classique Pink is true to its name. It is a lovely vibrant yet natural pink lip color that goes on very smoothly. It is definitely more moisturizing than the Coquette. I like Coquette, but am a little disappointed in its texture. Although not drying, it definitely is not as moisturizing as I had expected it to be. It has a purple red hue while staying true to the pink/berry family. Its metallic highlights add some earthly brown, which I really enjoy.

Two other colors I have been wearing lately are Dior Bronze Couture and Bobbi Brown Pink Berry. Bronze Couture is similar to Coquette in color, but a little more on the bronze orange side. I find it surprisingly drying. Bobbi Brown's Pink Berry, on the other hand, is lovely to work with. It's a beautiful pink that glides right on. I usually don't wear pigmented colors, but I have been wearing more questionable colors:

Nvey Eco Lip Color in 351

It's a dark pinkish purple color. I feel so - grown up wearing this color. It really gives a darker, more mature appeal. The lipstick itself is very soft and easy to apply. The only problem is that it may be a bit too soft: always the first of my lip colors to melt when it gets hot. 

Lancome Classique Pink, Lancome Coquette, Dior 512 Bronze Couture, Bobbi Brown 2 Pink Berry

Nude Lipstick Comparison: MAC, Revlon, Nyx

MAC Creme d'nude

I am doing a review of my nude lipsticks today. I only have three at the moment, but they are similar enough for a comparison review.

NYX Circe, Revlon Nude Attitude, MAC Creme d'nude

MAC Creme d'nude - This is my favorite nude lipstick. It is a pink-toned opaque beige. It feels super soft and moist upon application. Because it is creemsheen, it is glossy and slips around my lips quite easily. I wish it had more staying power because it will transfer onto any surface it comes into contact with. In addition, it is quite opaque and sheer, so I must apply generously for good coverage. Of course this lipstick does wear perfectly well with a good lip liner under it. This is one nude that I feel comfortable wearing without a gloss. I have never been able to do that with Myth, a satin finish, because it can get chalky alone. Beware of Creme d'nude melting. It is so soft that it will easily melt and break in the heat.

Revlon Nude Attitude - I read somewhere that Revlon's Nude Attitude is similar to MAC's Myth or Creme d'nude, so I wanted to give it a try. It's a matte lipstick, which I adore for the season. I love the packaging, with the see-through plastic on top of the lid. It was all so perfect when I got it. The color looked beautiful when I opened it. Matte always gives a very clean look. As soon as I applied it on my lips, however, I knew that it wasn't for me. I found it drying, chalky and orange. I understand that mattes will emphasize dryness, but this lipstick practically sucked the moisture from my lips. It also left me with orange nude lips, kind of like a tan gone wrong. Now I know that this is not that case for everyone, but this lipstick just doesn't cut it for me. I use this lipstick only after a good lip scrub and lots of lip balm in addition to a slab of shiny gloss on top. I won't be repurchasing though. It's not bad for a $6 lipstick, but I can do without it.

NYX Circe - This is one of NYX's round lipsticks that are sold for less than $3 at Cherry Culture. You don't expect too much from a $3 lipstick, but I always find NYX products to be excellent quality for their price so I gave this one a try. Circe is a brown taupe nude. It is clearly darker than the other two colors with less indication of pink or peach. It is less sheer than Creme d'nude, which I enjoy. It covers my lips up very nicely and gives that covered up nude without the concealer consistency. Surprisingly, this lipstick is extremely soft and moist. It does not dry out my skin when I wear it. The downfall is that it does not last and I have to reapply throughout the day. Regardless, I prefer this over the Revlon Nude Attitude for its color, moisture and price.

From left to right: Creme d'nude, Circe, Nude Attitude

Do you like nudes? What is your favorite lipstick? Please recommend one to me. ;)
I am always in search of a moisturizing lipstick. Like, always.