Review: Revlon PhotoReady Bronzer in Bronzed & Chic (+ Comparison to Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons)

This bronzer was released as part of the Summer 2012 Escapism collection by Gucci Westman, and I'm not sure if it was limited edition. Some sources say it is, while others don't, and I don't recall if I have seen it in stores lately, and that may even vary by location! In any event, I still want to share my thoughts on this bronzer, and hopefully provide you some information in case you can still purchase it! The cute pattern in the powder is what initially caught my eye when this first came out. Then, the thought of a matte drugstore bronzer with multiple shades just drew me in. I had to get it, and I'm sorry I didn't share it with you guys sooner!

The packaging is a typical plastic one, and the size is quite rectangular to accomodate a brush and a small mirror. I could do without some of these features, but I can see how it could be handy for on the go application for those of you who do reapply, etc.The powder itself does have a nice texture - no complaints there. It is not as long-wearing as my experience with some high end bronzers, but it does last around 7-8 hours on me. I also think this may be good for fair skin - here's a shot of the two darker shades blended together on me -

This bronzer does seem to have some red in it, which was unexpected for me but not bad on my complexion. You will see what I mean when you see the swatches - they definitely have a red tone to them, in comparison to my Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons Bronzer in Brunettes. I did find it a bit harder to blend than some of my other bronzers, which to me just means a few extra blending motions than I would normally use.

I also realized that I didn't include a swatch of all the shades blended together! Eeek! If you are interested in seeing those, please let me know and I can update the post. (I do plan to eventually, but if you are interested I can definitely update sooner rather than later!)

So how does it compare to one of my favorite bronzers, Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons in Brunettes?

 In the pan, these shades definitely look quite similar, but once you swatch them, there are noticeable differences!

Revlon's bronzer is noticeably more red in comparison to Guerlain. This may not work for you, but I imagine that Revlon's bronzer is probably more blush-like on a variety of skin tones, and might even be more wearable for those afraid of too orangey bronzer? (Do let me know if you have thoughts around this!) Guerlain's looks a bit more orange-y here, but it really does bring a warmth to my skin that is quite lovely. While my Guerlain bronzer is the darker shade option, this Revlon bronzer clearly encompasses a wider range of fair to medium tones. Overall, I think this bronzer is a great affordable matte bronzer, which is so hard to find these days! Guerlain bronzers will always have a special place in my makeup collection, but I think this is an amazing alternative!

Again, I'm sorry my photos are inconsistent - I took these over the last month or so on a few separate occasions from my hotel room. It has been a bit tricky to work with the sun and figure out the best times to photograph!

I'd love to hear what you think about these bronzers! Have you tried either one, and if so how do you think they compare? Do you have a bronzer favorite you'd like to share? :)

My Summer Favorites

I've been meaning to share my current summer favorites for quite some time, but I really procrastinated because it was so hard to choose! In the end, I didn't include any bronzers because it is just too hard to choose, but perhaps I can share that in a separate post if you guys are interested! So here are my most used products this summer - Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer- This is one of my favorite products of all time. I don't think it works as well for people with oily skin, so I'm sorry if that is your skin type! It is just so easy to use, has great coverage if applied properly, and often tames minor redness.

YSL Creme de Blush #4 Bright Coral - I purchased this blush earlier this summer, when I suddenly realized bright cream blushes could be quite pretty and actually not scary or hard to use. I love this - it has such a great glow that is perfect for my skin tone, and almost provides a bit of contour. Review will come soon!

Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blush in Flushed - This was another one of my purchases when I got into this cream blush phase. This color is also quite wearable and fits my skin tone quite well. Like the YSL, it provides a bit of contour, and is a fraction of the price! Will post a closer look at this blush in the near future as well.

La Roche Posay Anthelios 50 Daily Anti-Aging Primer - I really wanted to try this, and I believe it was one of the brand's new products this summer. It works great, and most importantly, protects my skin! Review also coming soon.

Nars Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base - Seriously, this stuff is my favorite. It works wonders on eye makeup, it really does!

Givenchy Mister Light Instant Light Corrective Pen in Mister Toast - An awesome "light reflective pen" for the shadowy bits of my face. Cheaper than YSL's Touche Eclat, and more blendable. I like this shade best for me right now too.

Sephora Professional Heated Eyelash Curler - I'm nearly incapable of curling my lashes with a regular curler, so this has been a staple for years. (Dare I say 5 years, since the beginning of my makeup craze?) I've had a few, as the part where you put in the battery seems to stop fitting with the rest of it over time... I guess it is not well made, but at least it's affordable! (Any heated eyelash curler suggestions are welcome!)

Benefit Eye Bright - Saw this in a Lisa Eldridge video sometime last year, and it just provides the most amazing lift to the outer corners of your eyes. If you have that downturn in the outside corners of your eyes, you must try this!

Diorshow Maximizer + Maybelline Falsies Flared - I've already talked about how amazing this combination is on me, but I really must reiterate: you absolutely need to try Diorshow Maximizer ASAP!

I'd love to hear if you've tried any of these products or have any recommendations for me! What are your summer favorites? Also, how do you feel about this style of photo? I'd like to do more like these!

Nail Polish Review: OPI My Very First Knockwurst

Meet Kimmi here. :) 

First of all, I want to send a huge thank you to Joyce for offering me the opportunity to contribute to her blog.  I have been curious about the blogging world for a while now, and I am beyond excited to share my thoughts on a polish from the new OPI Germany Collection with her readers. I must admit, I am not too sure which aspect of the polish I find to be the most interesting: that it is a shade I really like or where I bought it at.

In my neck of the woods, OPI is primarily sold at Ulta stores and stand alone nail salons.  However, I stumbled across OPI at the hair salon inside of a Walmart.  Finding the popular brand in Walmart was only the first half of my shock.  The salon had a special sale going on for the polishes: Buy One, Get One Half Off.  Half off!!  My boyfriend knew I was not about to let a deal like that slip through my fingers.  Not only did the salon have the "basic" OPI shades, but they also had polishes from the Shatter line and the brand new Germany Collection.

From the preview pictures I looked at online, the Germany Collection did not interest me that much.  When I saw the collection in person, however, the neutral nude shade My Very First Knockwurst caught my eye.  I did not have a single nude shade in my polish stash, so I figured I would give this one a shot.

I apologize if the watermarks are annoying.  I also upload the images to my Instagram account, and I watermark them in case they are stolen by another account.  A lot of pictures stealing has been going on lately and I would rather be safe than sorry.

I must admit that I love this shade!  It is very professional looking and a safe color choice to go with for the work environment.  The pinkish nude kind of reminds me of the NARS lipstick in Cruising.  The polish is of the excellent OPI quality, but it did streak a bit on a few of my nails.  However, it was more than likely my fault.  Before this manicure, I had to remove some glitter streaks I had on my nails and it probably left a few of them "roughed up."  I fixed the streaking by using my Avon Smudge Corrector to smooth it over and applied a third coat of the color on the nails that needed it.

What are your thoughts on the latest collection from OPI?  Have you found high end products at surprising locations as well?

Introducing Kimmi!

I met Kimmi last year sometime, when we both started posting extensively on Sephora's BeautyTalk forum. We bonded over our beauty obsessions and our excessive amounts of time spent on BeautyTalk! ;) She has been thinking about starting a blog, so I thought she could give it a try here and share her nail polish know-how and love of makeup with all of us! Expect a post from her soon, with a gorgeous neutral shade from OPI's Germany Collection. She loves brights, which is always so exciting as I feel SO neutral all the time, and her favorite brands are Urban Decay & Kat Von D. She is also enjoying her experiences with Nars and Benefit. (Is it obsession time yet? lol) From the drugstore, we share a mutual love of Maybelline mascaras and Revlon Lip Butters!

She is quite talented at all things nails, and her favorite nail polish brands are OPI, China Glaze, and Zoya. I have my fingers crossed that she can somehow magically (and virtually) teach me how to do my nails better! She will start her third year of college next week, and she loves doing her nails to de-stress. Some of her hobbies include nail art, videogames, photography, and volunteering with animals. (All of which I think are GREAT!)

So please say hi to Kimmi, and I hope you enjoy her contributions to bronzer bunny!