NYX Powder Blushes in Bourgeois Pig and Terra Cotta Swatches and Review

NYX Cosmetics Powder Blush ($5.99) is always a good deal when you can get them on sale. I recently picked up the last two colors I wanted in my collection: Terra Cotta and Bourgeois Pig.

These are smooth, but not the most pigmented blushes I own. I do like the sheen to them that make your skin look fresh and not overdone.

Terra Cotta is a great brown/bronze that makes a subtle contour on lighter skin tones. I wouldn't recommend this for tan or darker skin tones because the pigmentation is just not there. 

Bourgeois Pig is a bright rosy pink that is much more pigmented than Terra Cotta and gives a nice flush to cheeks.

Excuse my slightly derpy picture (no idea why I always look up in pictures) but Bourgeois Pig is on my left cheek and Terra Cotta is on my right.

If you are looking for some cheap blushes, I would definitely recommend Bourgeois Pig and Terra Cotta, but for lighter skin tones. Both wear well before fading at about hour 7.

Do you have a favorite drugstore blush shade?

Smashbox Be Legendary Lip Gloss in Coraline: Swatches and Review

As I slowly turn into a lip gloss hoarder, let me introduce you to another lovely that has found its way into my lip gloss rotation: Smashbox Be Legendary Lip Gloss in Coraline ($20). 

Let me just get this embarrassing confession out of the way...I kind of bought this for the shade name...

Image Credit

I love the move 'Coraline'. Is anyone else as crazy as me and buys things based on names? No? Only me? 

Anyway, I was also curious about the formula of these, I will have you all know...and the color was quite pretty as well!

I think the sleek square packaging is classic and chic and the extra long brush makes application easy. This gloss is supposed to give mirror-like shine with a non-sticky finish.

This color is much pinker/rose than coral/peach as it looks in the tube, which was a bit of a bummer to me, but I still think it is a pretty shade for everyday wear because it has decent opacity but will still let your natural lip color shine through. What really won me over was the formula! I love how smooth and easy to wear it is and it is definitely not sticky at all!

This gloss gives my lips such a plump/plush appearance that I cannot get enough of! I will be picking up more shades...they have a sparkly black shade that I have my eye on!!

Do you have a favorite lip gloss formula? This has entered my top 5 in terms of feel on the lips!

Lorac Alter Ego Lipsticks in Duchess, Show Girl, and Girl Next Door: Swatches and Review

I went a bit crazy for Lorac's new collection of Alter Ego lipsticks, which are their line of opaque matte lipsticks with ingredients like Acai Berry, Pomegranate extract, and Vitamins C & E. 

Three colors have found their way into my lipstick stash: Duchess, Show Girl, and Girl Next Door ($16 each). 

I swatched almost all of them at my Ulta and could have walked away with many, many more, but tried to pick some colors that I do not have many dupes for (basically forcing myself away from the gorgeous red). I ended up with a nude, a hot coral pink, and a light pink, all with names that made me smile and giggle. I love the idea of wearing a shade for what you want to embody for the day. So fun!

I like that the color is visible through the tube so there is no guesswork when you are looking through your purse or makeup bag and there is a subtle vanilla scent to all of these which I really enjoy. Almost MAC-like in nature.

These are very pigmented and opaque in one swipe of the tube, whether against skin (as shown here) or lips, and they will mask your natural lip color well. I have pigmented lips, so I found this a great benefit. These are not complete mattes (although stated to be). They are about 95% matte, but have a bit of creaminess to them. I would say MAC mattes are the most matte, and these fall right after. You do need to prep lips well before use (I did not and it is pitifully evident in the swatch photos below. Sorry!).

Duchess is a rosy nude with opaque coverage and a very creamy texture. It wore well for 4 hours but was completely gone shortly after. This emphasizes lip lines and any dryness, but not so much if you prep well and use over a balm, but really is easy to apply and an easy color to wear. I love this nude on my skin tone.

Show Girl is a bit more forgiving and wears slightly longer at 6 hours (fading nicely). It is a lovely watermelon shade that is punchy and perfect for summer. I think this is my favorite of the bunch!

Girl Next Door emphasized dryness the most and was the most matte on my lips. The Lorac website describes this as a coral, but it is a light pink with some nude and possibly coral undertones but it is not a true coral. This is a pretty shade, but the hardest to apply; I found it less creamy than the others.

Overall, I really love the wear time and feel of these on my lips. They are comfortable and have such a rich feel. I will definitely only be wearing them on days I have time to prep my lips well though! Even though they may look dry, they do not feel so on the lips, which I am thankful for!

Have you tried any of the Lorac Alter Ego lipsticks? What is your alter ego if you could describe it in one word??!!