Easy Addiction Magazine

Pacifica Review:

I found Pacifica on Sephora’s website and was interested. Their only real cosmetics are lip tints which they have in various colors and scents- their main focus is fragrance. I’m reviewing two of their body butters which are both unique in function and scent, and their “Love Your Lips” lip tint trio.

Coconut Crushed Pearl- Luminizing Body Butter ($24, 8 FL OZ):

This is a shimmery lotion meant to “luminize” your skin, which I thought would be a perfect product to review for summer. It does provide a beautiful, non-tacky shimmer to any skin surface, but it also gets everywhere. If you put it on your legs, it’ll get on your shorts or pants, it’ll get on your hands when you touch your legs, it’ll basically get on everything you touch. It isn’t that big of a deal as long as you’re okay with leaving a fairy trail of shimmer everywhere you go.

My main and only issue with this lotion is its scent, which is subjective. The scent of both of the Coconut Crushed Pearl body butters make me slightly nauseous. It doesn’t smell like coconut at all, it smells more like marshmallow, vanilla, and all things sickly sweet. (I’m a fan of fruity scents, not sugary ones, but if you like sugary scents, you’ll probably love this!) This bottle is decently pricey for a body butter, but 8 ounces is a LOT. The bottle is hefty and is most likely going to last me a very long time. The butter also spreads well, so you won’t be using much each use. 8/10

Coconut Crushed Pearl- Bronzing Body Butter ($24, 8 FL OZ):

This butter is much different from it’s shimmery counterpart. This one has fine glitter in it as well, but it’s extremely orange and it even smells a little differently. I thought that this would also be a great summer product, but it’s a feisty one. Its definitely very streaky, so blending this extremely orangey body butter is a tough task.I recommend mixing this with a lighter lotion like Lubriderm so that it won’t streak as badly.

It does give your legs a tanner look, but it takes time to work the lotion around evenly. Be sure to not touch anything else while applying this lotion, because it leaves an unpleasant orange stain on everything, including sink basins (though it will wash out and eventually fade). The smell is slightly more sweet and heavier than the luminizing butter’s was, but it’s in the same marshmallow-vanilla family scent-wise. Though this product is temperamental, I still do like it because the overall bronze glow it gives your legs when you blend it correctly is great. 7/10

Love Your Lips Trio:

Coconut Nectar, Guava Berry, Blood Orange ($18.00): This set is terrific, you get three lip tints for the price of 2 (each tint is $9 individually), and they’re all wonderful. The tints are larger than the average chapstick, have a wonderful scent, and moisturize your lips with beautiful color. Two of the tints were slightly cracked at the top when I first opened them (I suppose due to dryness) but the cracks went away after the first couple of swatches and I haven’t had any such problems since.

The tints stay on your lips for a long time without the need of re-application, they smell wonderful but the smell disappears after a couple seconds so that you aren’t overwhelmed or nauseated by the constant scent, and they have no taste whatsoever. My favorite tint is the Coconut Nectar one, it’s the perfect nude lip tint for all occasions! Guava Berry is more of a mauvey pink with touches of purple, and Blood Orange is a berry-toned red, light enough to wear everywhere, and capable of being built up. These tints are sure to last you a long time due to their size and thickness, and I really do enjoy them! P.S., the packaging on these tints is BEAUTIFUL. Gold lacquering on a pink box with mint green trimmings. 9/10

Check out their site: http://www.pacificaperfume.com/ & let me know what you think! 

XO,

EMH

Mally Beauty Review:

Volumizing Mascara:  This mascara has a very wet formula. It’s color is pitch black and it really does add volume to the lashes with minimal to no clumping. I like to layer it over a drier mascara so that the Mally mascara has something to really cling to. 7.6/10

Effortless Airbrush Blush and Highlighter (Peach): The blush on this product has a beautiful golden sheen, but it’s a shimmery blush rather than a matte one. The blush itself isn’t very pigmented so you could either layer it over a matte blush for a deeper look or wear it alone for a light peachy sheen. The highlighter looks intimidating in the pan as a solid gold shade, but actually provides a beautiful finely milled glow to the cheeks and high points of the face; it’s more suitable for summer or warmer climates. 7/10

Ultimate Brow Fix: This brow gel comes with a really well made brow brush with a firm spool at one end to comb out the hair and a soft angled brow brush to apply the actual gel. The gel doesn’t fit my skin or hair tones, (I have it in the shade Taupe and have medium brown hair with natural gold and red dispersed throughout with light skin), but I do use the brush every day with my LA Splash brown eyebrow gel. This set is worth it even just for the double ended brush. 

Ultimate Performance Professional Foundation: The foundation comes with a rather large yet soft tri-tipped sponge for application purposes. The sponge is in the shape of a puffy triangle so that every corner of your face can be reached. It’s purpose reminds me of a beauty blender sponge. The foundation blends lighter into the skin than it appears in the pan, so keep that in mind when purchasing. It has great coverage and can be used as a spot concealer, but doesn’t feel heavy on the skin. 8/10

Cancellation Conditioning Concealer: I really like this concealer. In the tube it appeared a little too dark and orangey, but it also has a lighter finish when applied to the skin. It does oxidize a little, but most concealers do. I apply the white part of the Covergirl and Olay concealer over it and it covers any oxidation on the skin. It has good coverage and has a very thin tip so that only exactly the amount you need will be dispensed. 7.5/10

Check out Mally Beauty if you’re interested in seeing their products or trying them out! Let me know what you think :)

http://www.mallybeauty.com/

XO, 

EMH

NuMe 32 mm Curling Wand:

I’ve been trying out the NuMe 32mm curling wand (largest size) on my own very long hair and on many of my friends with different hair types’ hair as well, to compile the best review I can. I want to break the review down by how the wand responds to different hair textures and hair styles, and in pros and cons. Let’s get to it!

Long, thick, naturally straight hair (mine): This curling iron works wonders on my hair. Not only is it perfect for the length, it’s also perfect for giving me either beautiful doll-curls or beachy waves (comb out the curls with your fingers). I don’t need any hairspray at all when using this iron, because the curls stay the entire day. My hair usually will not hold a curl at all, so having a curling wand that will give me curls without the need to add chemicals (aka hairspray) to make them last, is perfect. That being said, I also do not use a heat protectant. I’ve used this wand about 5 times now and do notice that my hair is noticeably less soft and smooth. I use a leave-in conditioner daily, but even that isn’t remedying the newfound damage in my hair. That’s expected with heat tools, I just didn’t expect the damage to come so quickly. The heat is really high on this curling wand though, and it is not adjustable.

Short, very layered hair (Brooke’s): Brooke [pictured with the short dark brown hair and adorable smile + nose ring] has short and extremely layered hair. Her hair was definitely the only one that was challenging to curl. Because of the fineness and softness of her hair, the short length, and the remarkably levels of layers, it was harder to grasp her hair and get it around the large wand. For hair like hers, I recommend a smaller wand, which NuMe offers on the same page as my 32mm one, at a lower price.

Short, relatively layered hair (Lea’s): Lea [pictured with the brown and gold highlighted hair] had un-straightened and coarse hair pre-curling. The wand did a phenomenal job with giving her smooth, shiny curls and masking any ponytail bumps or crookedness in the hair.

Long, very thick, naturally wavy hair (Traci’s): Traci [pictured with the long, blonde hair] has large amounts of hair that isn’t particularly smooth or shiny. The wand curled her hair in 20 minutes tops and gave her hair a smooth quality which made the curls even prettier. She also did not use any hairspray, and the curls lasted for two days.

Pros:

-The wand requires no hairspray, your curls will last all day.

-The wand’s tourmaline technology (mentioned more on the NuMe page) creates shiny and beautiful curls

-The clamp-less technology makes it easier to curl your hair. All you have to do is put on the heat-protecting glove that the wand comes with, and wrap your hair around the wand however tight or loose you want your curls to be.

-The wand comes with a swivel cord so that the cord never gets tangled or in your way while in use.

-The wand heats up in literally seconds. Full temperature at about 3 minutes, but you can start using it after 1-2 minutes of plugging it in.

-NuMe’s customer service is extremely efficient and friendly.

Cons:

-The wand does not have a heat setting to adjust. It is one temperature, a very high one, and can damage your hair.

-The top and bottom of the wand (where the fittings are) can sometimes catch your hair. Not too much, but enough to be noted.

-The heat resistant glove isn’t really heat resistant. It’s simple a cotton glove that can add some static to your hair when being used to curl your hair onto the wand.

Overall, I rate the wand a 7.5/8 out of 10. I will definitely be using it often, but might need to look into a heat protectant spray soon.

Check out the wand at: http://www.numeonline.com/shop/products/Curling-Wand.html

XO,

EMH

Josie Maran Cosmetics:

Argan Balm: My first reaction was definitely shock at how large the balm is. It is accurately about the size of my entire palm. And practically two inches in height as well. This is a balm that will last you…well a very long time. It has a solid surface but easily melts to the touch and spreads well over any surface. There is little to no scent, it smells like an oil-based balm, which it is. It has a little bit of an oily feel to it, but it works well with hydrating your skin. I’ve used it on damaged finger nails, cuticles, lips, and dry skin and have found the Argan Balm helpful. It is a little inconvenient for travel, given its large size, but the size is appreciated alongside it’s price and quality.  (7/10)

Beautiful Eyes Palette in “Beautiful Blues”: This palette is stunningly beautiful. As the photos (which are completely unedited) show, the colors are bright and beautiful and the packaging sleek and professional. The shadows took quite a bit of work to swatch though. The light blue and the brown shades took many swipes of my finger to give off any true pigmentation, whereas the three other shades had a bit of fallout/blotchiness and required more blending to be even. Overall, the palette isn’t as pigmented or creamy as it could be, but if the shadows were put over a good eye base, they are truly beautiful colors that would compliment many skin tones. (6.5/10)                                                                                                         

Arquiste Perfumes:

Company blurb: ”Price: $165- $175 A scent is a time capsule. It can invoke our most intimate memories and dreams, and open doors to distant worlds. Curated by an architect specializing in Historic Preservation, Arquiste is a fragrance collection that transports the wearer to evocative moments in history.”                                                                                                                                                                                                 

The idea behind these perfumes is very unique. The perfumes are meant to transport the wearer to a certain moment in history, detailed differently for each perfume. For example, the perfume in L’ETROG is described as such “October, 1175, Calabria, Italy: In Medieval Calabria, a family gathers to celebrate a good harvest. Within a cabin built of Palm leaves and other woody branches, an aromatic bounty is presented.  The citrusy scent of the Etrog citron, a regional specialty, brightens the air while embracing Myrtle and lush Date Fruit envelope the sweet warmth of the Mediterranean night.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

The perfumes themselves seem designed for a more mature age group, they are definitely more heavy and rich than a younger audience may be used to. That being said, the scents really do transport you to the stories behind each one. You can go to any Barney’s New York to check out the scents, or http://josiemarancosmetics.com/ to see which products spike your interest!

XO, 

EMH

A Review of the NYC Blushable Creme Stick in “Berry New Yorker”:

I was skeptical of this blush for the longest time. A stick blush that looks like a large berry-toned glue stick from NYC for only $3.99 seemed like a serious risk.

I finally tried the blush today and am absolutely IN LOVE with it. It blends extremely easily, isn’t blotchy on your skin, and sits on your skin perfectly without being greasy or shiny. It looks like a very natural, beautiful flush on your cheeks. I am sorely tempted to go out and buy every color of these blushes! 

I’m leaving for a short trip to Wisconsin soon with a group of students at my school and I’ll be taking this blush as an easy, portable, and gorgeous everyday flush of color. So excited about it!!

ps: I also thought that “Berry New Yorker” would be too dark or red for my fair skin tone, but it actually gives me the perfect flushed look. I also read reviews on it on MakeupAlley and two of the reviewers had tanner skin who said this shade was also perfect on them. 

Check it out for yourself! http://www.newyorkcolor.com/products/face/blush/blushable-creme-stick

XO, EMH. 

A Review on LA Splash’s New Products

Enlightened Creamy Shadow Base (Nude):

8.5/10

The packaging of this product is beautiful. The simple font and packaging look a bit like Philosophy’s classic packaging, and this base is larger than most eyeshadow bases on the market. In a round pan, it’s about the size of a child’s palm and the color as well as staying power is intense. The base in “Nude” is a light shimmery gold color, perfect for any season, and perfect under any eyeshadows. Other than a light barely noticeable shimmer, the base itself isn’t overly pigmented that it would change the color of any shadows you put on top. It’s a light, creamy base that doesn’t weigh down your lids at all. [I’ve been using it daily for weeks now, and it holds up your shadows on a 12hour day!] 

Diamond Lux Intense Eyeshadow:

7/10

This isn’t the first Diamond Lux shadow I’ve tried, but the texture and pigmentation of this shadow isn’t as strong as the first one. I have it in “Mystifying,” a shimmery deep purple, whose glitter seems to be the key part of the shadow, rather than the color. The purple itself shows up more as a dark smear which quickly blends out while the glitters stay. If you’re looking for a good shadow to do an extremely light smokey eye, then this could be the one.

Glitz Cream Glitter Shadow:

6/10

This shadow is protected by a barrier of seemingly impenetrable glitter particles. In the color “Mosaic,” you really have to use repetitive back and forth motions on the cream shadow to warm it up and actually get any product out of the pan. The color is a dismaying “black” but the glitters are truly colorful and phenomenal. This definitely looks like something that could crease very easily though, so be sure to use it over a base and maybe even add some of your own glitter shadows over it.

Illuminating Highlighting Eyeshadow:

9/10

I love these shadows. I have them in “Champagne” and “Wedding Bells.” The colors aren’t obnoxiously pigmented, but subtle and light. They direct light to wherever they are applied and can be worn alone or paired with other shadows. “Wedding Bells” is the perfect inner corner and highlight color- it’s a light, silver white that blends in easily and looks natural on the eye. “Champagne” is the perfect all-over lid color, a careful blend of gold and taupe that would compliment any skin tone.

Hydro Liquid Shadow:

7/10

In “Dreamy” and “Holographic,” these two liquid shadows are more liquid glitters. Complete with a doe foot applicator, the shadows don’t go on thick and pigmented, but rather more like a glitter liner. They’re perfect for putting all over the lid to add glitter, and even have a consistency which, before dried, could be used to adhere loose glitters on top of the liquid shadow to intensify the look. They’re easy to use and perfect for holiday or late night looks.

Check out http://lasplashcosmetics.com/ to see which products you might be interested in checking out or trying!

XO EMH

Price Point: $4 - $17.50 [Most products range from $4-$8]

Overall Product & Company Rating: 10/10 (Let it be noted that I have never once given out a 10/10 for a company before)

       In one of the most adorable and beautiful companies that I’ve discovered thus far on my magazine-writing career, B’rit Buttons combines both entrepreneurial skills and personal beliefs. Started by Brittany Collett, the store (featured on Etsy), sells beautiful handmade button earrings and lip balms. Collett credits the inspiration for her earrings to her personal walk with God and her studies in the Bible. The company’s name, “B’rit Buttons,” came from the Hebrew word {b’rit} which means covenant.

       The Etsy shop [www.etsy.com/shop/britbuttons] describes the company’s motto:

       “A button takes two pieces of fabric and closes the gap between them. Just as a button closes the gap between two pieces of fabric, Jesus has closed the gap between us and the Father, being the new covenant by his shed blood.” 

       Each pair of earrings comes with a note on antiqued paper sharing the Bible verse which inspired the earrings’ design, her personal revelation on the verse, and a few short prayers for the buyer of the earrings; and is carefully crafted and absolutely gorgeous. The earrings are covered in a soft, colorful fabric that is tightly sewn. Each pair’s careful craftsmanship and absolutely affordable price makes it something to be treasured.

       The lip balms, cleverly called “Brit Balms,” are truly phenomenal. Their scents match their titles to a tee, and their texture is smooth and light without being too light or too heavy. Texture-wise, they are the middle ground between Burt’s Bees and Nivea. They last a long time on your lips and contain mango butter, beeswax, coconut oil, sweet almond oil, vitamin E oil, stevia, and the various scent flavorings. (I also have to admit that I can’t stop smelling the “Sweet Orange and Grapefruit” balm, it smells so good)! They are professionally packaged- complete with shrink-wrapped covering around the lip balm and a simple paper case with the label of the balm’s flavor and number.

       My entire order was remarkably packaged with all the details that only handmade products could bear. The photo album linked shows the opening process of the package which I enjoyed SO much, along with the actual products. I highly recommend these as birthday or holiday gifts, or even just as a treat for yourself! Check out www.Etsy.com/Shop/BritButtons to see the collection for yourself.

XO, 

EMH

So the newest Sally Hansen polish I’ve tried out recently is “Virtual Violet” in the Hard as Nails Xtreme wear series. The first thing I wanted to point out was the color. Which is actually really unique and beautiful! Its this violet that gives off a blue sheen under light, is shiny and bright, and appears almost a bright lighter purple in different lighting. I get bored of nail colors easily, but this one looks different all the time, so I haven’t gotten sick of it!

The Cons? The day I applied it, there were already chips. Only on two fingers and pretty minor…but still. These polishes are decently “Xtreme Wear” in some senses, but when it comes to chipping, without a base or top coat I wouldn’t expect it to last. You really have to have a good clear top or base coat though, or the color of the polish would be ruined. I’ve had it on my nails for two weeks now (wow!) and have cut my nails a week ago so the color is doing decently on my nails now that most of the bottom chips have been cut off.

The Pros? The color is beautiful, as stated above. The finish is smooth and glossy, And the brush and formula are easy to apply. The flat brush made the polish easy to apply even with my left hand, and I’m right handed.

Overall Statements: If you want to polish to stay unchipped and to last longer, apply a good CLEAR top coat or base coat. The product recieves a 7.5/10 simply because an Xtreme Wear polish SHOULD wear extremely well…without chips. But the color is beautiful and suitable for either summer or winter because of its undertones and sheen. Check it out!