mini haul

Hopped on over to my lovely CVS today and took advantage of the little Covergirl deal that is going on this week. It's when you buy $10 of CG products, you get $3 Extra Bucks. Extra Bucks (EB's) are just like cash, only you can use it at CVS. You can use EB's on anything throughout the store, except to purchase gift cards, alcohol and tobacco.

I bought the CG Everbloom Kiss lipstain (~8.50) and a CG Eye Enhancer in Indigo Impact (~3.50), used a $2.50/2 coupon. I payed 9.50 out of pocket and recieved $3 EB's. So, basically I got these two products for about $6.50! Yay!

I had really been wanting to try out one of these new lipstains from Covergirl. Ever since I first saw the ad on TV for them with Drew Barrymore, I was seriously drooling over them. A Lipstain is my absolute favorite lip medium. I love the matte look, staying power, and finish of a lipstain. I can apply it in the morning and not have to worry about constant touch-ups throughout the day.

Excited to try this out, I ripped open the packaging and tested this baby out. This lipstain is in a marker format. It is just like a sharpie! Gotta love it. First impressions: It applies very smoothly and with high pigmentation. The color glides on the lips and dries fairly quickly. It is easy to go overboard though, so blotting the color with a tissue will help disperse the color in a softer, more natural way. After 2 hours, I still have a lovely, natural pinky/plum lip coloring. I can add a shine inducing lip gloss to add a kick of reflection, but I prefer the matte look (look 2 posts below).

For reference, I have tried Revlon, Vincent Longo, Liplicious, and Bliss lipstains, and have found that they all are great, but it just takes practice to get the application right. Exfoliation is the key. Simply massaging the lips gently with a soft toothbrush, or washcloth before application will assure a smooth and desirable finish. Believe me, it is very easy for lipstains to apply unevenly especially on dry and chapped lips.

As for the eyeshadow, it reminds me of Urban Decay's Deluxe Eyeshadow in 'Adore', which I recently aquired. I should have remembered this before purchasing, as I am not too much of a 'blue' girl. But this was the shade that really caught my eye. It is a bright, almost electric blue. Unlike most CG Eye Enhancers, this shade has a lot of pigment, and can easily be applied for a soft finish, or layered for a more dramatic look. Not bad for $3.50!