New Revlon Balm Stains.

{Smitten (left) + Rendezvous (right)}

What Revlon says: 
"It’s a pampering balm fused with a lightweight lipstain in an adorable chubby crayon. Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain gives softer, smoother lips with a perfect flush of color that lasts hour after hour. The gel formula comes in 12 vibrant shades that match any look or mood."

What I say:
I've never tried out anything quite like a glossy stain, but I'm really impressed with the quality. There is a decent range of colors, from a dark red to a pale nude to a lilac pastel.  I love how it smells minty and fresh but doesn't tingle your lips.  I don't find it to be moisturizing nor drying.  That being said, those with dry lips may want to steer clear overall or exfoliate+moisturize their lips prior to using the balm stain.  I find the opacity can range from sheer to semi-opaque on the lips.  These last for a few hours on my lips, depending on the application.

As I have mentioned before, a glossy finish isn't my favorite but I obviously knew what I was getting myself into since "balm" is part of the name.  In order to get rid of the finish I just apply a minimal amount of product onto my lips, then rub both together and repeat until I achieve the amount of color I would like. 

I've heard these are comparable to the Clinique Chubby Sticks because of the aesthetics, as in the almost identical packaging, not the actual product.

Pros:

• inexpensive (I found mine for $8 @Walmart)
• readily available
• choose from 12 diverse colors
• stain lips for a decent amount of time (a few hours)
• easy to work with the "crayon" tip
• nice twist up packaging
• unique product (certainly for drugstore/high street makeup)

Cons:

• only 2.7 grams (Revlon Lip Butters are 2.55g & Revlon Lipsticks are 4.2g)

Target+Neiman Marcus collaboration.

24 CFDA Participants

As I was perusing Pinterest this morning (as I usually do), I came across an announcement.  For those who are "fashion savvy", if you will, this wasn't just any announcement.  Target and Neiman Marcus have teamed up to create a collection ranging from $7.99-$499.99, which is to release at every Target AND Neiman Marcus  on December 1 this year (it will also be online).
As many of you know, Target have collaborated with many designers (Jason Wu, Missoni, Rodarte, etc...), but this time around 24 CFDA designers (yes, you did read that correctly) including DVF, Alice + Olivia, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Prabal Gurung, Proenza Schouler, Rag + Bone, and Eddie Borgo.
I mean really, could this get any better? more attainable fashion for everyone? I think not.

Which Designer are most excited for? Let me know!xxx

French skincare

{Homeoplasmine pommade, Embryolisse Lait-Créme
Concentré, Nuxe Huille Prodigieuse, Avibon pommade,
Bioderma Crealine H20 Micelle Solution, Nuxe Reve de Miel,
Avéne Eau Thermale| not my photo}

I must admit, I am sssoooo late on this French pharmacie skincare trend that everyone seems to be following at the moment, but I've compiled together [only] seven products that I hope to receive after my Mother returns from her three week trip to Europe (my jealousy, I cannot bear to explain).

I feel as if I have held back on purchasing these items for one reason: French pharmacies [always] tend sell their skincare waaaaaaaay cheaper than the cost of it in California.

Honestly, I feel like I've held myself back on this wish list, with all of the magnificent skincare products available in France.  They tempt me so.  Gee if I lived there I'd be the happiest person with the most beautiful skin and the emptiest wallet!

Alright let's get onto the exciting things:

• Homeoplasmine pommade. Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Stam are users of this product for its healing properties on the skin and lips. A staple in various makeup artist's collections.
•  Embryolisse Lait-Créme Concentré. Once again, many makeup artist adore this product. You may have even hear the Pixiwoos talk about this. 
• Nuxe Huille Prodigieuse. This product is simply a hydrating "dry" oil with a lovely scent.
• Avibon pommade. Filled with vitamin A which apparently works wonders at ridding the skin of blemishes and dry spots. Another of Gwyneth Paltrow's favorites.
• Bioderma Crealine H20 Micelle Solution. EVERYONE RAVES ABOUT THIS! Plus, I've been meaning to try and understand the hype around these water, micelle/micellaire cleansing solutions.
• Nuxe Reve de Miel. I love lip balm, and I've heard this one is one of the best. I also really like the elegant glass packaging, minus the bacterial issue of dipping fingers in to get product out.
• Avéne Eau Thermale. Sort of a simpler, less hyped up version of Caudalie Beauty Elixir. 

Please check back later on for reviews on most of these products! thank you.xxxx

maybelline color show nail lacquers

{Porcelain Party, Audacious Asphalt, Keep Up the Flame,
Impeccable Greys, Twilight Rays}

Once I heard (..err...rather, read) about this nail polish line on UK blogs, I knew it would be of my interest. Much to my dismay, the collection had not arrived to the US quite yet (nothing new here!) so I waited patiently, as I usually do.

  There are a wide array of colors to choose from throughout this range, Maybelline truly knew what they were doing.  Of course there could be a few different shades to choose from, but I'm sure they will release a new collection sometime soon.

While these are some of the cheapest nail lacquers on the market, they only contain 0.23 fl. oz. or 7 mL of product.  This may seem like a disappointment to some, however I find it extremely tedious to actually finish an entire bottle of nail polish; in fact, I don't believe I ever have, unless you count shattering an entire bottle of glitter nail polish in your bathroom! 

I bought the colors porcelain party 380, audacious asphalt 390, keep up the flame 250, impeccable greys 410, and twilight rays 240. 

Pros:

• Great color selection
• Inexpensive ($3 @ Walmart)
• Easily accessible at drugstores
• Only 2 coats needed for most of the nail polishes
• No top-coat needed, unless you like to prolong the wear of your nail polish.  Other than that, they dry pretty quick.
• Smaller amount of product, which means you can get through a bottle faster without the product becoming too thick to use

Cons:

• As the consumer, one may not appreciate the small amount of product. Like I've mentioned in the "pros", I actually prefer it!

Swatches:

Porcelain Party

Audacious Asphalt

Keep Up the Flame

Impeccable Greys

Twilight Rays

As usual, thanks for reading! xx isabella.

currently playing:

Alright, I'm just gonna come flat out and say it.

I LOVE music!
.....actually no, that would be a preposterous understatement, but I guess we shall just go along with it for now.  

Basically, my point here is that I do not wish to limit the content which I post on this blog in any way, shape or form...you could call this domain my personal ['creative'?] outlet.  

I am not a single faceted person (most of you can relate, I hope) so I thought to myself, "gee, why not share some musical ambrosia with the rest of the world?!" (or the internet, whichever you prefer).

So without further ado, here it is!

• About a Man by Deadwood Floats.  Found out about this band because of their amazing Bon Iver cover of Holocene [free track here!].  I realized they have a ton of potential so I looked [listened] into their music; to say the least, I was pleasantly surprised.  My favorite part of this song is certainly the intro, I love the classical symphonic build up.  It's truly a beautiful collaboration of instruments.  Give it a listen, you won' t be disappointed!
• Sex Tourists by French Kicks.  Pretty provocative name, if I do say so myself.  I downloaded some music and came across this song. Thought it was a decent tune, then let it go.  I recognized this track whilst viewing the new-ish movie, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, but I couldn't recall what song was playing for the life of me.  This immediately progressed into my burning desire to figure out the song which struck such a nostalgia in me.  So, I searched high and low like a mad woman through the interwebz, but never realized what was truly in front of me.  After my revelation, I returned to the sweet bliss of the guitar and drum combination throughout the song.  Definitely a great track for a night driving playlist.  I can't quite  figure out why certain songs appeal to me through specific scenarios, but I sure like it! ha.

After searching for links to the songs mentioned above, I concluded that they aren't new whatsoever, so my apologies but they obviously still hold prominent spots on my playlists!

• Everything Goes My Way by Metronomy. This band has this really unexpected English electro-pop vibe.  I've been a fan of Metronomy for only a short period of time, but I dig their style immensely.  The pinnacle of my love for them struck once my friend turned on this song whilst en route to a party sometime before the last week of school.  Such a lovely simple tune, I'd say it's quite mellow as well.  Give a listen to The Bay and The Look.
• Tanlines by Brothers.  Found this track on an old Urban Outfitters playlists.  While I'm at it, I might as well let you guys know that Urban Outfitters makes amazing playlists for up-and-coming artists.  I find that a lot of the bands and such they post along their playlists blow up within the next year, or so; playing at pretty big venues & festivals.

 With that, I shall sign off from this draft [now published] at precisely 12:57 in the morning (you could call me a night owl)! xx

rimmel london lasting finish by kate lipsticks.

My initial attraction to this range of lipsticks derived from Kate Moss' input toward them.  I simply adore Kate, and her collaboration with Rimmel could not have been any better.  Personally, I am drawn to this range, not only because of Kate, but also the selection of colors; ultimately I would be buying them, and do not intend to let my money go to waste just because Kate, or any other celebrity for that matter, happens to be a contributor. It is quite rare to find a great color selection of lipsticks, let alone from high street brands, so as you may already tell, I love these lipsticks!

8, 12, 6, 9.

Originally I bought number 12, which is a true orange color, I loved it so much that I wanted to pick up a few more: numbers 8, 6, and 9.  I'd say number 8 would be absolutely stunning paired with a subtle smokey eye during the fall, same with 9, a berry red color.  Number 6 reminds me of the lipsticks from Iris Apfel for MAC collection which were all incredibly bright-right up my alley, so I immediately knew I had to buy number 6; I would describe it as a poppy coral.

Just a few  side notes:

• I am not a fan whatsoever of shiny lipstick finishes, and unfortunately these lipsticks have a glossy look to them...BUT I have found that they can be easily maneuvered to a matte finish, as most lipsticks can. 
• They faintly smell of some sort of plastic fruit, not necessarily unpleasant, just different

Now with the pros and cons.
Pros:

• Readily available at most drugstores (I found mine at CVS)
• Inexpensive, around $5
• Pigmented
• Sleek packaging
• Average amount of product (4 grams)

Cons:

• They don't really last too long, but that really doesn't bother me.

Overall, these arent the most amazing lipsticks ever, but they are really nice especially for the cost.