lip gloss, lip products

Colourpop x Kathleen Lights Ultra Glossy Lip “Moon Child” | Review

Hello friends!

During the height of my need to own everything Colourpop, I got myself the KathleenLights lip bundle along with lots of others – well, I’m finally getting around to sharing what I think about it!

I also want to start this review off with a note that this gloss is very old  – probably close to 2 years.  This means that my experience with this formula may not be the norm.  I recommend checking your own glosses for any signs of being expired prior to using!

Color: Moon Child is a peach with gold flecks.  The formula of the gloss is pretty thick and opaque, but it can be sheered out – you can see how that looks in the swatches below!  It is a bit pale for my usual preference when fully opaque, so I prefer the look of it sheered.

Finish: With this being a gloss, of course the finish is quite shiny!  Due to the formula itself being thick, I’d say it looks more creamy than glossy, with some shine coming from the flecks of glitter throughout.

Packaging: The packaging is super pretty, as it normally is with Colourpop’s collaborations!  The tube is the typical acrylic, with the lid being a light rose gold.  The wording on the tube as well as the pattern, which looks a bit like half suns, is also in a bronzey rose gold color.

Applicator: Colourpop doefoots are always a hit or miss for me. I find that they’re either a perfectly normal doefoot like most, or it looks like this one – a bit frayed and messy.  I’m not sure if that’s because of the texture of the gloss or what, but it does make getting a perfect application a bit difficult.

I’d also like to point out that it seems that some of the Colourpop glosses come with a brush applicator, and some come with a doefoot. I don’t know if there’s a reason why it’s different between colors – if you do, please share!

Application: Since my doefoot is a bit frayed, getting a perfectly straight line on the edge of my lips was difficult to get.  Fortunately, the color of this gloss is very forgiving for going outside of lip lines, plus because I prefer a less opaque look, I opted to lightly swipe it across both lips and rub them together to disperse product.

Continue reading “Colourpop x Kathleen Lights Ultra Glossy Lip “Moon Child” | Review”

lip gloss, lip products

Colourpop Ultra Glossy Lip “Curvii” | Review

Hello friends!

In a wonderful turn of events, I got the iluvsarahii bundle by accident when I had purchased the KathleenLight’s bundle. ColourPop had given me to go-ahead to keep my bundle while they sent me the correct one, which means that I was able to get double the product!

If you’re interested in the other colors within this bundle, my review of 951 is here.

Color: Curvii is a pale peach with flecks of pink glitter.  Depending on how thick of a layer, it can go from a nearly clear gloss with glitter, to a very opaque peach.

Finish: In terms of gloss finishes, this is relatively creamy with glitter flecks throughout.  The thicker the layer, the more creamy it looks and less gloss-like finish it has.

Colourpop Ultra Glossy Lip "Curvii" | Review - A Midwest Belle

Packaging: The packaging of this lip gloss is really pretty, as it is part of the iluvsarahii collab.  It’s the standard acrylic tube with a gold cap and gold accents.

Colourpop Ultra Glossy Lip "Curvii" | Review - A Midwest Belle

Applicator: The applicator for this gloss is a brush tip – it’s definitely not my favorite for this type of formula, as the product is thick and the brush struggles to distribute product evenly.  I also noticed that there tends to be hairs out of place frequently.

Application: I find application of this gloss to be quite tedious.  The brush applicator means that if I wanted to apply this in a thick, opaque layer I am building constantly, but have to be careful to avoid streaks due to the paleness of this shade.  If I want to use a thin layer as a “wash” of color, it still doesn’t apply evenly with the brush and so I have to dip multiple times.

I struggled to get product my lips without missing spots or having clumps of product in certain areas, with no product in others.

Continue reading “Colourpop Ultra Glossy Lip “Curvii” | Review”

Uncategorized

New at Ulta | December 23, 2019 – January 12, 2020

Hello friends!

I know I just posted one of these – but there were so many amazing new releases that I had to share this one as well!

The drugstore has really been knocking it out of the park with releases lately!  I have a ton of different lipsticks, concealers & foundations that looked interesting. Lipsticks in general this time around really drew me in – plus, as always, I love a good eyeshadow palette!

New at Ulta | December 23, 2019 - January 12, 2020 - A Midwest Belle

Continue reading “New at Ulta | December 23, 2019 – January 12, 2020”

Uncategorized

New at Ulta | September 30 – October 27, 2019

Hello friends!

The holidays are now upon us, and to be honest I’m pretty excited!  In this iteration of New at Ulta, we have tons of minis and gift sets, which are by far my favorite thing to buy/get!  There’s also quite a few different lip kits; this time of year is when I go a little wild with buying mini lipsticks for review!

I’m pretty excited to also see KKW Beauty now at Ulta – I don’t love buying from brand websites so now I have easy access to another pretty popular brand!

New at Ulta | September 30 - October 27, 2019 - A Midwest Belle

Continue reading “New at Ulta | September 30 – October 27, 2019”

Uncategorized

Monthly Makeup Basket | October 2019

Hello friends!

Today I wanted to share the products that I’ll be playing with in October and (hopefully!) getting a review out on them soon.  Let me know if you’re especially curious about anything you see and I’ll try to prioritize getting a review out on them!

c4de1dd7-64ec-4333-895c-265195db1660

Base:

Make Up For Ever Step 1 Smoothing Primer: I haven’t had much testing time with this primer, but the fact that it’s supposed to help minimize the look of pores is definitely something I’m interested in trying!

Wet n Wild Photofocus Foundation: I’ve heard decent things about this foundation & I’ve gotten the chance to wear it a few times, but it’s been a while since I’ve really worn a full face so I want to see what I think for sure.

Continue reading “Monthly Makeup Basket | October 2019”

Uncategorized

New at Ulta | September 2 – September 29, 2019

Hello friends!

It looks like Holiday season is now upon us!  I had a real love for the new eyeshadow palettes this time around – 6 of the new items are palettes!  Additionally, I’m really loving the little kits that come out and had quite a few on this list.  I just feel like kits are an amazing way to try a lot of different products/colors at a much more affordable price – plus, I have too much makeup to ever go through, so the smaller products make me feel like there’s a chance of finishing them!

New at Ulta

Continue reading “New at Ulta | September 2 – September 29, 2019”

bullet lipstick, lip products

Colourpop Creme Lux Lipstick “Belle” | Review

Hello friends!

In true Colourpop fashion, when I ordered from their website I just had to get free shipping, so I put a few things in my cart to make it up to $30 – no surprise the stunning Disney collection helped get me there!

Colourpop Creme Lux Lipstick "Belle" | Review - A Midwest Belle

Color: Belle is a deep mauve-pink with warm undertones. It’s definitely on the neutral side in terms of a pink, but I don’t think I could say it’s a nude like I had originally thought when purchasing. Colourpop’s website describes it as a “rosy berry”, which I think is very accurate.

Finish: Despite the name of this lipstick being “creme”, I think the finish is closer to a satin-cream.  It’s not as creamy looking as other bullet lipsticks, but there is a bit of shine so it’s not a flat matte either.

Colourpop Creme Lux Lipstick "Belle" | Review - A Midwest Belle

Continue reading “Colourpop Creme Lux Lipstick “Belle” | Review”

Uncategorized

New at Ulta | August 5 – September 1, 2019

Hello friends!

I’m back with yet another New at Ulta, and this month was pretty exciting!  New brands were introduced, as well as awesome new products!

I’m especially excited for all the new collections being released; like Beauty Bakerie, Tarte, and Too Faced!  Plus anytime Colourpop can be purchased at Ulta makes it even more awesome, since basically half of my makeup is Colourpop.

As usual, there’s a ton of eyeshadow palettes that peaked my attention; surprisingly, I seem to have also been drawn in by concealers and setting sprays!

New at Ulta Graphic

Continue reading “New at Ulta | August 5 – September 1, 2019”

lip products, liquid lipstick

Colourpop Ultra Satin Lip “951” | Review

Hello friends!

Funny story with this lipstick- I ordered the Kathleen Lights lip bundle, and was accidentally sent the IluvSarahii set instead.  When I told them about it, they said I could keep it, so yay for bonus reviews for all of you!

img_0634

Color: 951 is a really beautiful warm medium brown shade.  I’d say it has a little more depth than your average nude, but is still pink enough to be less intimidating for those scared of a traditional brown.

Finish: The Ultra Satin lips have an almost-matte finish that never quite dry down.  It’s like a demi-matte with just the slightest bit of sheen to keep from the traditional flat finish that most liquid lipsticks have.

238bef63-630e-47f5-a87a-a2c84fd0fb08

Packaging: The tube of this lipstick is just like their standard tubes, but the cap is a beautiful gold instead of their traditional silver.  The printing on it is also gold versus their traditional holographic text, and it says “iluvsarahii X Colourpop” to notate the collaboration.

5742d935-780b-47ff-8c08-89afca932102

Applicator: The applicator on this is standard for Colourpop; a basic doefoot. While mine does fray a bit and doesn’t sit smooth, I had no difficulties at all with getting straight lines.

Application: I found the application of this particular shade to be very easy.  The color is opaque in one swipe and easy to get a smooth, straight line, even on the edges.

It does remain slightly tacky because it never truly dries down, so in the first few minutes after application it feels a bit off until you get used to it.  If I hadn’t been paying specific attention to that detail, I wouldn’t have felt this on my lips at all.

There is no discernible scent with the Colourpop lipsticks; it smells a bit like chemicals, but the scent isn’t offensive and did not linger. I could never smell it once it was on my lips.

This color had a tendency to emphasize the texture of my lips, especially when they were dry, so even upon application within a few minutes you could see each crack and crevice.  This can be helped by either having smoother lips than I do, or exfoliating/using balm the night before use to minimize the clinging!

img_0660

Transfer: One thing that I’ve noticed with all Colourpop Ultra Satin lips is that they transfer quite a bit; this one was no exception.  I found that it would come off on my water bottle after just drinking water, and always came off on my food.  I left lipstick everywhere, especially as the first layer wore down.  After it faded off a bit the amount that transferred did lessen, so if you blotted right away you would probably have less issues than I did!

Fading: Despite the fact that the amount of transfer was frustrating, I was surprised that the fading wasn’t too bad.  After eating a larger or more messy meal, there was a definite need for reapplication, otherwise I had a ring of product around the outside of my lips, and my lips looked even stranger due to the line emphasis.  However, just wearing throughout the day with drinking, breakfast and a non-messy lunch means that this lip product would still look good!

One thing I did notice was that the product built up a bit as the day wore on, which meant that I had patches of slightly orange dry spots on my lips.  This is something that I had only noticed when my lips were especially dry, so again if you properly moisturize beforehand I don’t think you’ll have this issue.

Comfort: Unlike a normal matte liquid lipstick, this never dries down completely. Because of that, I could always feel a bit of stick when I pushed my lips together and I felt more aware of it being on my lips.  That said, it remained incredibly comfortable throughout the duration of wear.  It’s not hydrating,  but it’s also not drying at all and is a great formula for those who hate liquid lipsticks for the feeling of them.

Overall: I love the comfort of the ultra satins, but the fading and transfer of them is definitely frustrating. I think part of the problem is that I have yet to try a lighter shade; both Stud and this one are a bit darker, more brown-toned nudes so it’s not a surprise that the appearance and wear would also be similar.

I haven’t quite decided if I’ll keep this yet, but I’m leaning a bit towards yes.  It’s really beautiful, and if you love this formula and can put up with the fading, you absolutely will not be disappointed!

Price Point: If you really love this color but don’t want to purchase the bundle, you can buy the single lipstick here for $7.  However, if you’re looking to buy a few lipsticks and save some money, you can buy the whole kit here!

Have you ever tried the Ultra Satin formula from Colourpop?

Uncategorized

Where Are They Now? | Makeup I Reviewed Between April and June 2019

Hello friends!

I’m back to share a roundup of where the products I reviewed this quarter have gone!  I ended up testing quite a few different products, so I thought getting a quick glance at my thoughts would be beneficial to you all!

A category that I wanted to add starting this quarter is “wouldn’t repurchase”.  Since I’m expanding my reviews to cover more makeup products than just lip, I thought that this was a necessary section!  It’s what I would consider the “it was okay” stuff – it wasn’t so bad that I would immediately declutter it, but I wouldn’t buy it again when I run out.  So, if a product is in this category you’ll probably end up seeing it in my empties posts down the road! I don’t want to waste products by getting rid of them if they aren’t perfect, but I don’t want to mislead anyone by making you think I loved the product when I didn’t!

I do also want to say that lip products are a little different than anything else on this list.  I try to hold them to higher standards and I own so many that I just consider keeping them to be the other makeup equivalent to “wouldn’t repurchase”.  I just have such a love affair of trying new lip products constantly that I’m not sure I would ever use one up, let alone need to buy a replacement!  I do want to be clear though – if it’s staying in my collection, it’s something that I think is a good product.

Continue reading “Where Are They Now? | Makeup I Reviewed Between April and June 2019”