Review: KoyVoca Highlighter

September 21, 2017September 19, 2017 Mstldelano1 Comment

As I mentioned previously, I went a little overboard (in a good way) while shopping for beauty products. At the same time that I purchased the Nicolet Beauty lip catnips, I purchased a new highlighter from KoyVoca. Like I’ve mentioned before, I love supporting indie beauty brands, and KoyVoca is another small business that specializes in cosmetics that flatter demographics that are traditionally ignored (primarily women of color).

For the record, I generally avoid highlighters. I don’t want to look like every other 20-something on Instagram. And since I have oilier skin, my pores tend to look larger and many products can amplify skin texture. Highlighters are some of the top offenders when it comes to putting the spotlight on textured skin.

But, in the interest of keeping a more modern look, I looked for a highlighter. I didn’t want a very warm, golden product, because I have cool/neutral undertones and warm tones tend to be unflattering on me. So this product needed to have neutral undertones, preferably cool ones, but I didn’t want it to make me look like a corpse (a pretty common occurrence with cool-toned products).

This highlighter had to come correct, or I would never use it again.

I took a chance on $1,000,000,000 (Billion Dollar) Babe.

I’m officially a highlighter convert.

This shade is the perfect neutral: warm enough to make my skin look alive, but cool enough that I don’t look sallow when wearing it. It looks amazing on the skin, too: it doesn’t make my pores look enormous.

Don’t let the swatch fool you: it is far more neutral than the camera is capturing. Here’s another view of the product in different lighting (it captures the cool tones a little better).

I’ve worn this product on my cheekbones, nose bridge, brow bone, and inner corner. I got so many compliments on my “glow”! I really loved how it looks on the skin. So, I ordered some more stuff from KoyVoca, including the face powders, foundations and another highlighter.

Aside from the actual product performance, I was pleased with KoyVoca. The product arrived quickly and were well packaged. I found the prices were extremely reasonable, as well.

Are you all enjoying the highlighter trend? Tell me about the highlighters you enjoy in the comments below!

Review: Nicolet Beauty Lip Catnips

September 16, 2017September 15, 2017 Mstldelano2 Comments

During my beauty binge a few weeks ago, I came across Nicolet Beauty. I was intrigued by the line, because they offer vegan lip products in both glamorous and unusual shades. They offer both lipsticks and lip glosses. But that’s not the only thing that lured me in.

Look at the container. LOOK. AT. IT.

Nicolet Beauty sells “lip catnips” (intensely pigmented lip gloss) in both the standard lip gloss tubs, but they are also offering a few of their shades in these limited edition special containers. Now tell me: wouldn’t you just LOVE to have these on your vanity?

I ordered two of these limited edition glosses in the shades “Florence” and “Norino” (there are two other shades, as well: Delphia and Zona). The website describes “Florence” as a “Metallic Berry lip gloss”, while “Norino” is described as a “Rose Gold metallic lip gloss”. I found both of these descriptions accurate, and the pigment was intense and true to what is shown on the website.

(Florence on the left, Norino on the right)

I. Loved. These. Catnips! The coverage is gorgeous and these smell like cupcakes! I’m a bit more partial to “Norino”, mainly because this is the one that I’ve worn more frequently. I have gotten compliments on the rose gold shade when I wore it. I anticipate that “Florence” will be an absolute hit this winter (I usually go a little deeper on my lip shades during the cooler months, so this one will be a perfect change from “Norino”).

(Florence and Norino in their pots)

Now, a few disclaimers are in order. These are both shimmery shades, so if you love your mattes, this isn’t for you. Also, while the website lists these as lip glosses, the website also cautions that these are highly pigmented. So these colors apply like a lip gloss but have coverage and finish like a lipstick. These do not apply as sheers and, since they don’t dry down to a matte finish, they blend well with lip liners (you don’t have to rush and blend because the lip catnip doesn’t dry completely).

Since these are glosses, you can expect that these will remain a little “tacky” and retain their sheen throughout the day. Funny enough, I found that the colors looked a tad shinier when unmanipulated, and took on a more matte look when I pressed my lips together. If you want a shinier look, you will have to layer a clear gloss over the lip catnips, or just remember not to press your lips together too much.

The unexpected surprise of this order was the fact that I got the glam lip brush along with the catnips. I can’t promise you that everyone receives a lip brush (it wasn’t mentioned on the website) but I was delighted to see this coordinating accessory in my package.

Oh yes, about the package: it arrived quickly (within a week) so I was pleased. These glosses are ordinarily $16, but as of September 15, 2017, these are on sale for $12 each. This is a great way to get some affordable luxury in your life!

That’s my review of Nicolet Beauty. I hope that the company continues to produces these luxuriously packaged items, because they are unique and help me to quickly tap into my inner glam.

What do you think of Nicolet Beauty? Let me know in the comments below!

beauty

Review: Glow by Melodye Lip Glaze

September 14, 2017September 14, 2017 Mstldelano1 Comment

A few weeks ago, I ordered a ton of beauty products from small, indie brands. One of the orders I placed was with Glow by Melodye. The company specializes in sleek lip colors that last for a long time and leave lips shiny, hydrated and picture perfect.

I purchased the colors “I Love Her” and “Extraordinary Smile”. “I Love Her” is bright, bubblegum pink with bluish undertones, while “Extraordinary Smile” is a bronze that balances both cool and warm undertones.

I tried both of these colors and enjoyed them both. I wore them with a deeper-colored lip liner to create a more ombre-d look. I liked the application as well as how these products weren’t drying at all. Also, the color was intense enough that it didn’t fade during the day, but not overpowering to the point that people noticed my lips before they noticed me. Full disclosure: these are NOT matte lipsticks. These feel like lip glosses and you can build up the color, so instead of drying down to a dry matte look, these instead have the look and feel of a semi-sheer liquid lipstick.

There is one caveat about the product: the two that I purchased had shimmer in them, which was not indicated on the website. I fully expected “Extraordinary Smile” to be shimmery, because the product photo on the site depicts a shimmery-looking product in the tube. But “I Love Her” surprised me: the photo on the site appears to be a shimmer-free product, but it isn’t. I saw the shimmer when I looked at the tube in person, and then I confirmed the added shimmery flecks when I swatched the product. Other than that unexpected finish, everything else was fine with the product.

Here’s the deal: nowadays, EVERYONE has lip products. So it’s hard for me to say conclusively that this is the best available. However, the prices are reasonable and the products work well. The shipping was also pretty fast, and the packaging was cute (hot pink envelopes!).

A bit of brilliance: Melodye enclosed three of her business cards, so I can easily refer my friends to the website without having to remember the hyperlink information.

Would I order again? Yes, definitely. The price, speed of delivery, and quality of product are all good reasons for me to reorder. I only wish that the brand would extend to other products, or at least add additional shades to the line (I already have lip products in pretty much every shade on the website). Once Glow by Melodye expands, I’ll be right there, ready to support again.