Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush: Coffee Cake, Hot Tamale, Plum Wine

CW from top left: Coffee Cake, Hot Tamale, Plum Wine

I have been so pleased with my Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Coffee Cake (which has become my go-to blush) that I ended up getting a few more shades. I tried to go for colors that I don't already have in some form or another so I purchased Plum Wine and Hot Tamale.

Plum Wine is the most pigmented of the three. In the pan, it looks like a deep wine shade but once applied, it comes across as a berry toned pink. Hot Tamale is bright, almost hot, pink in the pan. However, its pigmentation is subtle so it goes on as a very wearable pink flush. I actually love layering Hot Tamale and Coffee Cake over one another for a pretty, natural look. I photographed Coffee Cake next to these colors so that you can see how brown-toned it is in comparison. I also photographed it with my beloved Dream Mousse Blush in Rose Petal so that you can see how markedly different the colors are in the pans.

My original remarks about the formula generally hold true. These blushes are easy to work with with buildable color and nice blendability. Plum Wine might require a little more care in application because it is more pigmented so you'd want to avoid packing it all on right away.

I have seen these products incorporated into the regular sections of the drugstore so I'm sure they're readily available at this point. This means also that there should be frequent deals on them. Walgreens almost always has a Buy One, Get One at 50% Off deal going on. I'd grab some then! Coffee Cake is my personal favorite because it is so unexpectedly flattering. I highly recommend that one!

L-R: Plum Wine, Coffee Cake, Hot Tamale
Bottom: Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Rose Petal (reviewed here)

L-R: Plum Wine, Coffee Cake, Hot Tamale

Revlon Nail Enamel: Naughty

Revlon Naughty (with flash)

I purchased Revlon's Naughty at the same time that I got Smoldering. Both are duochromey and lovely in the bottle.

Naughty is a deep, murky purple with a bright violet flash. The interesting thing is that the polish looks very much like a creme finish in most lights because the duochrome is so subtle. It only becomes apparent under bright light. While I would have preferred a stronger duochrome effect, I have to say that I am captivated by the complexity of the shade, in the way that both its color and finish can change according to the light.

I've seen other reviews that compare Naughty to Chanel's Paradoxical. I don't own that polish so I really can't say, but I'm throwing it out there!

Revlon Naughty (natural light)

Boots Botanics Eye Colour: Star Anise (Satin Taupe Dupe), Cinnamon

Boots Botanics Eye Colour in Star Anise and Cinnamon

Boots Botanics Eye Colour in Star Anise and Cinnamon

No surprise- more naughty purchases. I've had these for at least a few months now but I definitely got them sometime after I started Project Pan. Anyhow, here are two eye shadows by Boots Botanics, which can be found at Target. I have Star Anise, a grayed taupe, and Cinnamon, a lovely warm medium brown. Star Anise has a satin sort of finish while Cinnamon is matte.

Of course, I could not resist comparing Star Anise to Satin Taupe. They are similar but Satin Taupe is more shimmery and warm, while Star Anise is more gray and a bit deeper. Cinnamon has been a favorite of mine. I love pairing it with Buxom's cream eye shadow in Mutt for the perfect everyday neutral eye.

Both shadows are smooth, buttery, and pigmented. They're a breeze to apply and they last all day over an eyeshadow primer (which I use daily).

The packaging has its pros and cons. The eyeshadow pans are embedded into cardboard with magnetized flaps. I like that they are compact and lightweight. However, they don't come wrapped in plastic so many of the eyeshadows had been compromised in-store. Not ideal as far as hygiene goes but it's usually obvious which have been tampered with so make sure to check before you buy.

Overall, I have to say that I love these. They're excellent shadows in great neutral shades, and they're extremely affordable to boot. I believe I got them for about $5 each, but they sell for $4.50 on drugstore.com if you're interested.

L-R: Star Anise, Cinnamon

L-R: MAC Satin Taupe, Star Anise, Cinnamon

Buxom Mutt across lids, Boots Botanics Cinnamon on outer corners

Buxom Pug across lids, Boots Botanics Star Anise on outer corners

UPDATE 2/11:

I paired Cinnamon with Burberry's Rosewood and I was surprised to find that within this combination, Cinnamon seemed to lean cool. It looked almost taupe with purple tones. That certainly adds to the complexity of the shade!

Burberry Rosewood across lids with Cinnamon on outer corner

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer: Ivory

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer

Maybelline recently released the Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealers, a new collection of twist-pen concealers. I decided to get one in Ivory. I didn't realize it when I bought it but I also have the now-discontinued Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer in Ivory, so I will have a swatch comparison between the two.

I happen to like the twist pen setup because it is more hygienic than dipping your fingers or brush into a pot. For my particular pen, the product all squishes out in a blob on just one side of the brush. I can't recommend the brush for blending purposes. I use it to dot the product onto my undereye area, and then I use a synthetic blending brush to blend it in.

The concealer can look a bit heavy but it does blend out nicely with some effort. After blending it out with a brush, I normally pat my fingers over the area so that the heat can melt the product into my skin. I'd say that it offers medium coverage and it does indeed brighten the undereye, although I don't notice any shimmer in it. I don't find it to conceal blemishes. I don't typically bother to cover pimples, but I happen to have a small pimple on my undereye area at the moment so I've been putting the concealer over it. The redness of the bump still shows through, although it is lightened a bit. Lastly, I do find that the concealer can settle into lines. I don't believe I have wrinkles yet but I see that the concealer sits in the little skin crevices directly beneath my lash line. I'd be wary of this concealer if you have issues with lines or wrinkles.

Dream Lumi Concealer in Ivory

As to how it compares to the Dream Mousse Concealer, I find that the coloring is very similar, if not identical. Texture-wise, however, these concealers are completely different. The Dream Lumi Concealer is, of course, a liquid formula, and I find that it appears to sit more on top of the skin. The Dream Mousse Concealer is a whipped mousse formula that feels almost powdery when it is blended onto the skin. Its finish is more matte so it appears to blend more seamlessly into the skin, which I think you can tell from my photo. However, I get the impression that the Dream Lumi melts better into the skin after some time, although I have not done a proper comparison test of performance between the two (so take it with a grain of salt!).

I think I prefer the Dream Lumi over the Dream Mousse because liquid can be pushed and moved around, and it is hence more blendable. The mousse formula is less pliable because it tends to just sit where initially applied. The mousse goes on better with fingers, but I find that finger application usually yields a heavier-looking result.

Dream Lumi v. Dream Mousse (both Ivory)

L-R: Dream Lumi, Dream Mousse (both Ivory)

L-R: Dream Lumi, Dream Mousse (both Ivory) blended out

I use concealer strictly to brighten the undereye, and I feel that the Dream Lumi Touch Concealer does a good job of that for mild to moderate dark circles. I don't feel that this would be effective for more severe undereye issues. I also can't recommend it to people who suffer from lines around the eyes. I got mine for $8.50, which is quite justifiable. If you're someone who loved the Dream Mousse concealers in Ivory, then you might be interested in trying out the Dream Lumi concealer because they appear to be identical in color. They are, however, very different in formulation and application. I personally prefer the Dream Lumi.