drugstore – Karissa Talks Beauty

Hello friends!

I’m pulling my lipsticks to review from a specific organizer, which I thought had some of my very old lip products on it and that was it. I was surprised to see this lipstick when I grabbed it! It was a purchase from around the middle of 2022, so very recent compared to other products. I found this while on one of my many trips to TJMaxx, and obviously got excited because it was a unique formula in a nude color.

Color: With a shade name like “nude”, you wouldn’t be wrong in assuming that this is a neutral color. It’s a light brown with warm, peachy undertones that inevitably looks orange when applied to my lips. Still a lovely shade!

Finish: So I was curious to see what BH meant when they said liquid lip powder for their formula, and I can confidently say I understand now! The finish is a very soft matte; instead of the dry look of a standard liquid lipstick, this has a more blurred but still matte look that was incredibly popular a few years ago.

Packaging: I think the packaging of this particular product is really unique! It’s has a cylindrical shape with a rounded bottom. The product name is printed in hot pink, as well as the brand (though a bit hidden), and the rest of the product information including shade name is on the other side.

Applicator: The applicator is in a fun little chair shape, with a pointed tip that moves down into the “seat”, which is just a spot that holds product and hugs your lips as you apply.

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lip gloss, lip products

Uoma by SharonC Beauty Floss Gloss “Rosie” | Review

November 15, 2022December 17, 2022 Karissa

Hello friends!

I try to keep up to date on all the latest trends, so of course I was very interested when Uoma Beauty came out! The prices were a little high for me, so I didn’t grab anything unfortunately. Well, they made an off-shoot brand, with cheaper prices and different packaging for customers who couldn’t afford the higher price tag items, which I love!

I actually got this product not too long ago from Walmart, as they had a two pack on clearance! I was pumped, because as we know I love to review products that are still relevant, but for a good deal!

Color: Rosie is a soft nudey pink; It’s mostly sheer, but does end up giving my lips a bit of a pink tint. The tint is very neutral and does not look like a baby pink or hot pink.

Finish: This is a pretty shiny formula, with a slightly creamy look to it.

Packaging: I love the packaging of this! It’s a completely clear acrylic tube so the product color is clearly visible. The cap is also clear, along with the wand. On the side in white with a hot pink stripe it says “It’s Your Time to Shine”, and on the other side it states the brand name and product. On the bottom is a sticker that lists the product color.

Applicator: The applicator is a flat paddle, with one side having the soft fluffy doefoot and the other side being bare and just plastic. I saw this on another product as well and thought it might’ve been an error in production, but clearly it’s just a style used with glosses!

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lip crayon, lip products

Revlon Matte Lip Balm “Enchanting” | Review

December 14, 2021October 20, 2022 Karissa

Hello friends!

It’s been a little while since I’ve done a review of something that is 1) not a liquid lipstick, and 2) drugstore pricing!

Back in the day (AKA like 2014 and earlier), the Revlon balms were all the rage! Since then, the popularity has really died down and it seems like Revlon has decided to no longer continue with manufacturing despite the rave reviews. I’ll discuss this more in the “where you can purchase” section.

Color: Enchanting is a light peach with warm undertones. Since there isn’t a website that I can compare my observations to, you’ll just have to trust me and your own eyes!

Finish: Matte balm sounds a bit like a contraction, but the actual finish of the product is surprisingly, actually matte.

Packaging: The packaging is a simple plastic that matches the color of the product. The back of the lip crayon twists, which is how the product comes out when you need more. The tip sticks out of the actual tube.

Applicator: With this being a lip crayon, the applicator is just the product in a pointed shape. This works fine when it’s fresh, but as you continue to wear the product it will eventually wear down into a flat top, so you’ll have to adjust the way you apply it. This may mean trying to sharpen it somehow or just putting up with a flattened top instead of a point.

Application: With the product being fresh and pointy, application is pretty simple; I use the side instead of the tip of the product for applying since that speeds up the application process. If you have smaller lips, I’d suggest lining them with the tip of the product and then filling in the rest with the side to preserve the shape longer.

The color isn’t especially opaque, so I do have to go over my lips a few times to get full coverage; I have pigmented lips, so that doesn’t help. Even after going over a few times, I feel like you can still see my lip color underneath.

There is a very strong minty smell when applying. This does go away pretty quickly, but if you don’t like that smell I’d recommend passing on this.

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bullet lipstick, lip products

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick “Fire & Ice” | Review

March 30, 2020October 20, 2022 Karissa

Hello friends!

One thing I love about really popular, classic brands like Revlon is that they’ve been around long enough to establish cult products. One such product, though less popular than another red of theirs, is Fire & Ice!

I was fortunate enough to find this color on clearance, and knew I needed to snatch it up right away!

Color: Fire & Ice is a warm red that leans a bit coral – there is a strong orange-pink undertone to it.

Finish: This lipstick is a cream finish. I’d say it would lean a bit more towards matte than lustrous like a gloss, but it’s not quite satin. Interestingly, it’s also relatively sheer.

Packaging: The packaging looks incredibly classic. The tube is a glossy black, with a clear window on the top of the cap so you can see the lipstick color when looking down at it. When you pull the lid off it’s a shiny gold with Revlon printed on it.

Applicator: This is a standard cut bullet; there’s nothing special or unique about the shape.

Application: I found application on this lipstick to be as easy as any other traditional bullet lipstick. The point is just sharp enough that you can get a crisp line relatively easily, though I imagine that the more you wear it down the harder it will be to get that even line.

One thing that I struggled with was needing to build up opacity on this particular color. I would typically swipe about three times to get the opacity level I wanted. While it would look opaque from normal talking distance, when looking up close you could definitely see the darkness of my lips poking through still.

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lip products, liquid lipstick

Physician’s Formula The Healthy Lip Velvet Finish “Berry Healthy” | Review

January 20, 2020October 20, 2022 Karissa

Hello friends!

I was unbelievably lucky and found a bunch of these Healthy Lips on clearance at Walmart – I couldn’t help but snag some because I’ve heard people rave about them. Spoiler alert: for good reason, too!

Color: Berry Healthy is a neutral, deep pink that leans slightly cool, but could mostly be considered a neutral pink-berry. The neutral-ness of the shade tends to make it look less berry than what one would traditionally think – there’s very little purple in it. I personally would consider this a pink nude in my own collection.

Finish: As most liquid lipsticks do, this formula dries down to a matte finish. The packaging states that this is a velvet finish, but to me there isn’t much shine, and what little there is definitely goes away as the product wears.

Packaging: The packaging on this lipstick is definitely unique to other liquid lipstick tubes! It’s square and acrylic with the silver cap. This definitely feels weighty and more luxurious than a typical drugstore liquid lipstick. The only complaint I have is that it’s unnecessarily bulky – there easily could have been less acrylic on the outside of the product and still kept the aesthetic.

Applicator: I adore the teardrop applicator with a well on the inside. The shape lends well to application – it’s easy to get a crisp line with the pointed tip. The well ensures that you don’t have to dip into the tube a second time as it holds enough product for both lips.

Application: I found application of this to be strange at first, until I got more comfortable with the formula. It’s not actually fully opaque; it’s semi-opaque, but with this particular shade that actually worked in its favor. The product is thicker than you would expect – not a mousse, but also not thin like a standard liquid lipstick.

There were some issues with evenness on application, especially on the edges of my lips. You could definitely tell that some spots were more pigmented than others, however it was incredibly easy to just use my finger and dot off the excess.

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New At Ulta | November 25 – December 22, 2019

January 6, 2020January 5, 2020 Karissa

Hello friends!

It’s time for yet another installment of my New at Ulta series! I’m definitely a bit delayed in getting this one out to y’all, but I ended up taking a break over the holidays. Rest assured, the new year has reinvigorated me and I hope you’re all excited for what 2020 has to offer!

There were a lot of new palettes & lipsticks that drew my attention this time around – especially from Milani and the drugstore in general. There were also a few base products that sound interesting!

New At Ulta | November 25 - December 22, 2019 - A Midwest Belle

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New at Ulta | July 15 – August 4, 2019

August 5, 2019August 4, 2019 Karissa

Hello friends!

Once again, we’re here to talk about the new beauty at Ulta that’s caught my attention! Unfortunately this is another month where there wasn’t a ton that really looked interesting to me, but we do have a lot of eyeshadow palettes and listicks!

Also super exciting – Nabla Cosmetics is now being carried at Ulta! I added a couple of products that sounded really interesting to my list from them, especially because I’ve heard so many good things about their eyeshadows.

New at Ulta Graphic

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

August 2, 2019July 28, 2019 Karissa

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” →

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New At Ulta | June 10 – July 14, 2019

July 15, 2019July 14, 2019 Karissa

Hello friends!

Last month was looking a little weak in terms of new beauty releases, but this month is jam packed with them! There’s a ton of beautiful new eyeshadow palettes, and some awesome mini sets of products I want to try. Out of everything on this list, I’ve already picked up one of the mini Mac setting sprays, but I got the watermelon scent.

A lot of the makeup on this list is from Makeup Revolution/Revolution Pro/Revolution Skincare; how many brands can they have?! Additionally, Tarte has a few intriguing products on my list.

New At Ulta | June 10 - July 14, 2019 - A Midwest Belle

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lip gloss, lip products

Wet n’ Wild Megalast Liquid Catsuit High-Shine Lipstick “Send Nudes” | Review

June 14, 2019October 20, 2022 Karissa

Hello friends!

A while ago, Wet n’ Wild launched their liquid catsuit matte liquid lipsticks, and they seemed to be extremely successful! Since the trend now is moving back towards glossy lips, they expanded the line to include this new “liquified lipstick” formula.

Color: Send Nudes is a warm, light-medium nude with peachy undertones. It’s definitely on the lighter side, but it’s not as pale as some other peach nudes on the market.

Finish: The finish of this lipstick is, as you would assume, shiny like a lip gloss. It’s not as sheer as you would expect for the shine, so it looks a bit creamy as well.

Packaging: I really enjoy the packaging of this lipstick! It’s a shorter, stumpier tube than a traditional liquid lipstick. It’s the same packaging as their matte liquid lips, but instead of a black cap, it’s white!

Something important to note was that I had such a hard time getting this open the first time! I honestly thought that I got a defective one because it was so difficult, but after walking away and then trying again I did get it. After I got it open the first time, I haven’t had any other issues.

Continue reading “Wet n’ Wild Megalast Liquid Catsuit High-Shine Lipstick “Send Nudes” | Review” →