Revlon Luxe Creme Eyeshadow

Happy Saturday! 

As Christmas and New Years is coming upon us quickly, there will be many parties and festivities to be had and of course, that means you need festive make up! I have come across the new Revlon Luxe Creme Eyeshadow (which is part of the limited edition Revlon Fall/Winter 2014 Boho Chic Collection by Gucci Westman) at the drugstore recently and felt the need to share it!

The Specs: 

The Formula: The formula of this eyeshadow is soft but definitely not the "creamy" consistency that I was envisioning. In the pot, it has a somewhat spongy feel, unlike any other eyeshadow that I own as of yet. When I wore it, it had great staying power with my Nars Pro Prime. I can't speak to how it holds up without a primer but maybe I should test that out soon and let you guys know. 

The Color: The color I picked up is Street Style. It is a dark, forest green with flecks of gold and blue shimmer throughout. As far as I know, this is the only color in the collection and since this collection is limited edition, you will definitely want to snatch it up quickly if you like it! 

The Price: $8.99 at your local drugstore or Ulta (I have not seen this product at Target or Wal-Mart.) 

Love,

Ky

OOTD: Polka Dots & Purple

Top: Merona (Target); similar here

Jeans: J.Crew Toothpick Jean; exact here

Shoes: Old; from JCPenney; the brand is Cosmopolitan; similar here

Love,

Ky

Alert! New Maybelline Lipstick Collection!

Hello friends!

As is my duty, I wanted to inform you all of a new Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick collection that has recently hit the shelves. I had heard rumors of this collection here and there but kept it to myself until I was able to get my hands on it. After some searching, I was finally able to find this new pastel collection at a local drugstore and wanted to review it for you all since pastels seem to be all the rage this fall/winter! I only picked up one color, mainly because my drugstore only had four of the colors (I know there are more) and I knew that the other three were not going to flatter my skin tone.  Enjoy!

The Specs: 

The Formula: The formula/texture of this lipstick is the same as the rest of Maybelline's infamous Color Sensational lipsticks (with exception to the new creamy mattes). It has a shiny finish and is not drying on the lips. It lasts for about 2-3 hours, depending on how much you eat or drink. Out of all drugstore lipsticks, the Color Sensational formula is by far my favorite. 

The Color: The color I picked up is called "Power Peony (#720)". It is a soft, yet fairly bright blue-toned pink that is very, very similar to my favorite pink lipstick ever (Maybelline Vivids in Pink Pop). I have no idea whether or not this collection is going to be permanent, as I cant find any information of it on blogs or Maybelline's website. So, I would say that if you like this color, definitely pick it up but know that if the line is not permanent, you can get a very similar color with the Pink Pop lipstick. You can see what that color looks like here.

The Price: Around $5-6 at Target, Wal-Mart, or your local drugstore. 

Note that the lighting in these pictures is not great since they were taken in the evening so the pink is showing up a little darker than it actually is. 

Love,

Ky

Hey All You Dry Skin Suffers Out There..

Happy Sunday!

I wanted to share a great new drugstore skin care cleanser with you all today. If you have dry, sensitive skin (like me), it can really be a challenge to find a good cleanser that a. won't irritate your skin and b. make your skin feel completely stripped after you wash your face. I have been on the hunt for years and while I had previously been using Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, it was still irritating my skin and I knew I had to find something else. That's when I happened to stumble upon Garnier's Nourishing Cleansing Oil for Dry Skin. Recently, using cleansing oils to wash your face has been all the hype but I had never been able to find one that wasn't super expensive. That's why I was so overjoyed to find this little gem in Target not too long ago!

The Specs: 

The Claims: This cleansing oil claims to "dissolve impurities & makeup and replenish skin". I can definitely back these claims up. This cleanser, while being an oil, does not leave any residue or weird film on my face. Instead, it leaves my skin glowing and hydrated and happy. It's basically perfect. 

Drawbacks: None. At least if you have dry skin. I have heard that even people with oily skin use cleansing oils to wash their face but I don't know if I would recommend that, at least for this product.

Where to find it: Target, Wal-Mart, or any drugstore. Runs for around $6. 

Love,

Ky

OOTD: Pops of Color in the Fall

Happy Sunday!

Here is my OOTD for you all! Although it's fall, I still like to incorporate some color into my wardrobe on occasion so here is an example of how I do that! The overall theme is still dark but I love that this dress is so bold and definitely an attention-grabber! On its own, this dress is pretty edgy so I decided to pair it with this light blue sweater to make it a little softer and more girly.

Here is a close-up of the pattern. Fun, right?

Dress: Target 

Sweater: Target 

Tights: Target 

Heels: Gianni Bini (can be found at Dillard's) 

Watch: Target 

(Clearly, I love Target. But then again, who doesn't?) 

Love,

Ky

My Newest Addition

Hello friends,

As promised, I'm here with a new post! So, let's talk fall lipstick for a bit. When I say fall lipstick, I mean MAC's Heroine lipstick. To me, it's basically fall in lipstick form. I will give fair warning though: if you're not into purple lipsticks, you probably won't be into this. But those of you who are like me and dare to step away from the security of the classic light pink and nude lipsticks, then I have a game changer for you. 

I've always heard talk thrown around about MAC's Heroine lipstick but I hadn't really given much thought to it. I mean, who would choose to wear purple lipstick? If you would have asked me to put this on 2 years ago, I would have said heck no! But my tastes have changed and that's what has lead me to this gorgeous lipstick. 

The Specks: 

The Color: MAC's website refers to Heroine as a, "bright purple". I beg to differ. I would describe it as a darker purple and definitely fall appropriate. It definitely has some blue hues within it, which means your teeth look whiter and it flatters those of us who have warmer skin tones (like myself). 

The Finish: MAC is infamously known for the finishes on their lipsticks and this one falls in the matte category. Be sure to keep this in mind when deciding whether or not to purchase. Since it is matte, it will last for hours on your lips but it can be a bit drying.  However, you can easily combat this by using chapstick before you apply and/or adding a gloss on top. ( I recommend Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Berry Allure.)

The Price: $16 at your nearest MAC counter or online. 

"Life always begins with one step out of your comfort zone." - Shannon L. Alder

Love,

Ky

The Return of the Blog..?

Yes..you read that correctly. I am bringing the blog back! I'm sure many of you are thinking to yourselves..where did she go in the first place? Well, let me break it down for y'all.

Summer 2013: Starts blog 

Fall 2013: Starts first year of college but still blogging sometimes

Spring 2014: Falls of the face of the blogging world. This comes as a result of taking 24 hours that semester (don't ask me why I did that; I still can't figure it out either).
Summer 2014: Takes 21 hours of summer classes (obviously, still no time for blogging)
Fall 2014: Starts at OU in Price College of Business as a Junior (my hard work paid off!)

This brings us to today and why I'm here. I started to realize that I really missed my little blog and the fun that I had writing and reviewing various make-up and beauty items. My hope is to get back on my blogging game from here on out. However, we must remember that I am still a college student and school has and will always come first. There may be some weeks where I'm a little absent but I promise to try to come back quickly.. :) So saying all of that, I want to welcome everybody back to my Sparkle & Shine blog! I have so many great things to share with you all as I get back into this and I can't wait to show you some awesome products I have discovered since I left! 

Be expecting some more posts soon! (Maybe even later today..)

Love,

Ky

OOTD: Fall, Festive, & Floral

Cardigan: Target

Tank Top: Forever 21

Skirt: J.Crew

Scarf: Target

Tights: Target

Boots: Famous Footwear 

Love,

     Ky  

What about Colored Mascara?

Hello friends! I wanted to talk about a new trend for Fall: colored mascara. Colored mascaras have been around for quite a while but it seems like this year they are more popular than ever. With that being said, I decided to pick up one to try and share my thoughts with you all! 

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Vision Violet ($6.40)

Isn't this picture awesome??

The Verdict: I honestly could not get this color to show up on my lashes. Although the last picture may be deceiving, it is a very dark, plumy purple that honestly looks like black mascara when applied to the lashes. I guess I should have picked a more vibrant color to test out but I wanted the purple one since I have green eyes. Overall, I am not very impressed with this product but I won't totally bash it because I did not choose a very bright color. I think they are fun to play around with and since this particular product is relatively cheap, I would say pick up a few and try them out for yourself! 

Love,

     Ky