Hard Candy Haul

While I was home in North Dakota, I decided to stop by the new Wal Mart in Grand Forks and get some Hard Candy items I was hearing about. (There is a Wal Mart sort of close to me in LA, but I've heard horrible and scary things about it and have been warned not to go... so I don't.)

First I decided to try the Glamoflauge Lite in Light Medium because I don't have a very good basic all-over concealer. I am really impressed with this. It comes with a more yellow tone on one side to correct and a more pink tone to cover. It is very creamy and easily blendable. It's not the greatest for under eyes, as it does pull a little bit, but I have used it in a pinch. Cost: $6

Left: the yellow end / Center: the pinker end / Right: blended together

Then I decided to try the Cheeks and Balances Contouring Stick in Cheeky Pink. I have started to really love cream highlighters. I really like that this comes with a highlighter. It's very light, but is nice for days when I don't want to wear a lot of makeup, and can definitely be layered. Cost: $7

It's hard to see the highlight, but I think that's kind of the point. It's just a nice shimmer. This was only one swipe.

Of course I had to pick up one of the All Glossed Up Hydrating Lip Stains. I chose the color Pout. This is my new favorite makeup trend: the tinted lip stain/balm sticks. I don't have a lot of them yet, but I do have a few, all different brands. This one is amazing. I may brave a trip to the Wal Mart here in LA to get another color (or 5), that's how much I like it. (Though, I think I'll just order them online.) It is very smooth and hydrating. The stain lasts a long time too. I can't say much as far as morning to lunch, etc. but I can say that I am very happy with it. I will be wearing it a lot. Cost: $5 

Pout is very pink, and is not this sheer on the lips. Again, this is only one swipe. You can see that it is very glossy though. 

Last, I decided I wanted a bronzer, but I don't really know how to use it and what color would be the best so I thought the So Baked Contour Trio in 3rd Wheel would be a good option. It is a baked powder that comes with a highlighter, blush and bronzer in one. I love the finish of this powder! It has a nice sheen to it without being glittery and the bronzer isn't too dark for a novice like me. I find myself layering this on top of a cream blush at times. Cost: $9

I wish this brand wasn't exclusive to Wal Mart because I really like it, but now that I've moved to LA, it's so much harder to get. I've bought other items from Hard Candy in the past: tinted mascara, glitter eyeshadow, and nail polish. My favorite is the Black Tie Affair nail polish. 

thebalm "How 'Bout Them Apples?" Palette

In March, I received a sample of thebalm's "How 'Bout Them Apples?" cream for lips and cheeks. I had never used a cream blush before, but I found that I really liked it. I was hesitant to buy the full size because it's much larger than the sample and I didn't know if I had room for it. The more I used the sample, the more I really liked it. I had a bunch of Birchbox points to use so I finally decided to get the full palette. ($32)

"How 'Bout Them Apples?" is a multi-functioning lip and cheek cream palette. Each freshly picked color is formulated to have a smooth finish that won't streak or fade, so there are no bad apples in this bunch!

Here is my sample size on top of the full palette.

The name of the palette is in reference to putting the color on the 'apples of your cheeks' and each color is surrounded by a picture of an apple. The names are also references: the sample came in the color "Pie" (apple pie).

The palette also has these cowboys next to each color. Not sure why. It's definitely not a reason I got this product. A lot of people love these pictures... and sure they're attractive, but most of them are badly photoshopped and I could really do without them.

The top of the box has the colors Cider and Cobbler. Cider is a very pale pink that does not show up on my skin. It *may* work for darker skin tones, but I have no idea. Cobbler is a nice red color. Both are very creamy. (Excuse the fingernail mark in Cider. Didn't even notice until after I took these pictures)

The middle section has the colors Pie and Crisp. Pie was my sample color and it's a very nice coral pink color. It's a very natural flush on the cheeks but more on the coral side on the lips. Crisp is the only color that has a sparkle to it. This picture doesn't show very well, but it's a nice pink with gold flecks in it. It's really great on the lips and a nice highlighting color for the cheeks.

The bottom has the colors Candy and Caramel. Candy is a very bubblegum pink color but is very natural on cheeks. Caramel looks like a scary brown color but it's almost like a bronzer-type color. It looks like you've got a nice tan. Very neutral pink color and easy to wear.

Top to bottom on my arm the colors are: Caramel (the neutral, brownish color), Candy (bubblegum pink), Crisp (with the gold flecks - you can kind of tell in this photo), Pie (coral pink), Cobbler (red), and Cider (non-existent pink).

And here are the colors more blended. The Cider completely disappeared, even on my pale forearm. The colors are very pigmented so you don't need to use a lot on your cheeks but it's very buildable for lips. 

I personally love Cobbler (the red) for my lips. It's a very safe red. The formula seems to last a good amount of time on lips, but starts to get pretty dry. It's also very lasting on the cheeks, but I wouldn't call it a stain. 

Overall, I am so glad I bought this palette. It is very large and takes up a lot of room, but I love the color choices. I've been applying them with a brush, but for my sample I used my finger mostly. If you're a fan of cream blushes, or mutli-use products, you should definitely give thebalm's "How 'Bout Them Apples?" a try!