Are you as excited as I am to get your hands on these?  Roses are quite possibly one of my favorite flowers and these blushes are the epitome of "love in a compact".  
I am so bummed that these are limited edition, because I know that they will be a hot seller.  After watching a few videos in the last couple of days where people have swatched them, I know that I need every single color.  Looking here, I know that these colors are universal for all skin tones.  I especially love that they are matte which we all know is my favorite of all favorites type of blush - I love mattes.  

What colors are you planning to get your hands on?  They should be available on milanicosmetics.com next week and are available at select stores like: CVS, Walgreens, Fred Meyer, Meijer and a few others.  Retail for this product will vary from location to location - but I have seen them retailing for about $6.99 - $8.99 at certain locations.  

I am so excited to get these... I will be doing a formal review as well as show and tell when I get my hands on them, so stay tuned!

xoxo
Honey
 
This quite possibly is a great invention for any family, bachelor or single ladies and especially for mommies trying to get their dinner on the table in 10 minutes or less.  It's effortless and easy to use.  Check out my review and demo on my quick taco salad in the video embedded below or click here to watch it on YouTube.

 
I was sent this product as a part of the Expo Trylogy program to review and test out.   This video was uploaded almost a week ago, so I have been using this product for about 3 weeks - almost a month.  Does this product give me whiter and cleaner teeth is just 2 weeks?  Well, check out my review and demo to see what I think. :)

Watch the embedded video below for a review and demo or click here to watch on YouTube.
 
Happy Monday!  It's been a while since I focused on Makeup Kits and how to build your freelance kit... so I figured it would be the best time to start since I'm booking Brides for the upcoming year.  I will be doing a few Quick Tips here on my blog and also will be starting up on my Videos again.  These can be used as a Guide for getting started though I know every circumstance is different and every situation - so you will have to tweak them accordingly.

Quick Tip - Bridal Makeup and Building your kit...

Your makeup kit includes the tools to make magic happen.  It is an investment and it is also how you will represent yourself to your clients.  While I whole-heartily agree that you can find many affordable brands to stock your kit with - I also know that clients are looking to book a Makeup Artist that has quality product.  The better your product, the more you can charge in some cases.   While it is true that the type of products you have does not determine the type of artist you are, it certainly is a reflection of your skill to your clients sometimes.

I use a wide range of products from High End to even drug store.  At one time, I remember when my entire Kit was stocked with nothing but MAC (if this is something you want to do - please please get a Pro Card as it will help with building your kit financially).  While it was awesome to look at, I realized quickly that many of my clients could not wear MAC foundations because it caused them to break out within hours of application.  So I tweaked it and added foundations that are mineral based and my clients love it.  I suggest if you are certified or have a decent portfolio built, definitely invest your time and a little bit of money and sign up for  Pro Memberships.  It will help tremendously with building your kit because you can get products much cheaper.  Just a few companies I am a Pro Member at include:  Motives, Makeup Art Cosmetics (MAC), Camera Ready Cosmetics.   Keep in mind that when you are a working artist, even if you sanitize, your kit items will not last as long as your personal makeup collection, and your kit is ever growing - so you want to make sure that you are investing in it.  It's your business - so you want to treat it as so.   When you make money - invest it back in your business, even if it is just a portion of what you make.

I will be posting a video on how I stocked my kit in the beginning as well as what I currently have in my kit now.  So, stay tuned for that. :)  It will be coming in the next few weeks.  

xoxo
Honey
 




"Success is liking yourself, 
liking what you do, 
and liking how you do it."
- Maya Angelou
 
Check out what made my 5 Friday Favorites in 5 Minutes.  Watch the embedded video below or click here to watch it on YouTube. :)

 
In March of this year, I received products from Parnevu Hair Care line.  I have heard of Parnevu before, but have never tried their products and I was especially interested in trying their T-Tree line.  I received the following products to try out:

·        T-Tree Shampoo $6.00  (12 fl. oz. / 354 ml.)
·        T-Tree Leave-In Conditioner $6.00 (12 fl. oz. / 354 ml.)
·        T-Tree Scalp Oil $6.00 (2 fl. oz. / 59.2 ml.)

I have been using all 3 products for the last several months to test them out.  I also wanted to be able to use them in combination with other hair care regimens to see how they worked together.  I have also repurchased the products a few times.

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Watch my video below for the full review and my thoughts on Parnevu's products from their T-Tree Line that I was able to try out.  My thoughts in a nutshell... I really do like them.  I have a few things I would change or improve, but still - I think they are great.  Watch the video embedded below or click here to watch on YouTube.

 
I am a Handbag and Shoe Addict... yes, even more than Makeup! lol I truly have a passion for collecting handbags and this one is no exception.  To show off my new handbag, I decided I would do a "What's in my purse" video.  This purse is super cute, but what I like about it even more is that it is stylish but allows me to still carry all my essential mommy items for the kids... like snacks and band-aids. 

Check out what I have in my Designer Mommy handbag and watch till the end to see where I got this bag and the details of it all.    While this bag may be temporarily sold out on Shoplately - it always gets brought back in and is perfect for any style or handbag lover like me.  

Sign up for Shoplately via this link: https://shoplately.com/u/vv5zp15p and get a $5.00 credit if you use Facebook to login.


 
I would be lying if I didn't say that Smokey eyes are such a go-to no matter the time of day or time of year.  They are sultry and in most cases, super duper easy to recreate.  This is a makeup look I have used many many times in the past, but this is the first time I am using the Too Faced Sweet Indulgences Palette to create it.   This makeup look is very similar to that I do on brides.  It is a favorite of mine because it works well with brown eyes and would also work very nicely with green and hazel eyes too.  If you have blue eyes this could work well too, but to bring out the blue, try adding a bit of purple liner to your water line.
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Tutorial for this look is embedded in the video above.  If you would like to watch it directly on YouTube, click here.  All products used are listed also. :)

Products used:


Eye Shadow Base:  Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze
Eye Shadow Colors:  Too Faced Sweet Indulgences Palette - Teddy Bear (transition color), Lovey Dovey (all over lid color), Marshmellow (Inner Corner Highlight Color), In the Buff (browbone highlight color) and Black Sugar (used to smoke out the liner) Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette - Crave (outer v - outer crease definition color)
Eyeliner:  Mally Beauty Evercolor Sparkle liner in Black
Face:  Olay Fresh BB Cream
Brows:  Mary Kay Brow Gel Set and Brow Pencil
Lips:  Milani Color Statement lipstick in Rose Amour topped with MAC Lip glass in Nymphette
Bronzer:  NYC Sunny Bronzer
Blush:  Too Faced Papa Don't Preach (Sweet Indulgences Palette)
Highlight:  Too Faced Candle light Glow (Sweet Indulgences Palette)

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The necklace pictured above is from Shop Lately.   Shoplately offers a wide range of accessories from Jewelry to Handbags and so much more.  Sign up for a free account using your Facebook login and you can get a $5.00 shopping credit to use towards your purchase. 

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Thank you so much for watching my tutorial and reading the post.  Have a wonderful week!
xoxo
Honey
 
It was a super hot day yesterday... and it was mandatory for us to cool off and cool down.  Since my hubby put out the pool, the boys and I took full advantage of it and cooled our bodies off and relaxed.
I do enjoy the warmth of Hawaii's sun... but it is very important to find a way to stay cool.  My boys love the water as much as I do...  so they surely enjoyed every moment of it. 
I hope you all had an awesome weekend.  I'm blogging from my phone so this will be interesting to see how the app works. Wishing you all an awesome week... enjoy the sun but don't forget to hydrate with water and apply sunscreen.coco
Honey
 
 
Summer months and the Hawai'i heat have always had me wearing some really relaxed makeup... but it's also because I just love a bare face.  Mascara and a lippie (lip balm or lip butter) is usually my go-to.
On my face today...  
Coconut Oil as moisturizer
Dior Show Lash Maximizer Primer and L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara on my lashes
A blend of Revlon lip butters in Cupcake & Sorbet on my pout.
 
On Friday, July 19th - many from around the World sported their mint manicures/nails for the beautiful Talia Joy in her memory.  While I didn't do the fishy on my wrist this time around, I made sure to include my little fishy on my nails.  It still saddens me that we lost such a beautiful person in the YouTube beauty community.  She was an inspiration to so many and I know she is adding her Glitter and Sparkle to Heaven above. 
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Photo from Talia's Instagram - no copyright infringement intended
I started watching Talia several years ago and was immediately glued to the screen.  I commented on a few of her videos and even with her massive amount of subscribers, she found a way to respond to some and I was "Talia hooked". lol

I watched this little girl get so many things accomplished over the last few years and have cheered her on all the way.  As a parent, I can only imagine what her Mommy Desiree and Sissy Mattia are going through.  They have been so strong through it all.  

While Talia will be missed tremendously, I know that she is no longer suffering and that gives me comfort knowing that she has gone through so much for most of her young life and she is now at Peace.
I send a ton of prayers to her family and friends during this very difficult time and will continue to hold her love and compassion dear to my heart.  She has made such a huge impression on me... just with the few times we communicated together and I will always cherish those times.  

Rest in Love and Paradise Baby Girl... You have made such a huge impact on my life and I will cherish it forever.  I will make sure to continue what we discussed and I will strive to help the Warriors!  xoxo ~ Honey
On my nails I am using the following polishes:

Main color (mint/turquoise) - Wet n Wild's I Need a Refresh-Mint
Accent Nail (small glitters) - Polish Addict's Neon Nights
Accent Nail (large glitters) - Sinful Colors' Watch it Shine

"A little fishy told me to... 
Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming!" 
~ Talia

 
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I have been wanting to do Friday Favorites for some time now... because I know that it will hopefully help to shorten my very very long Monthly favorites.  Let's face it - my "Youtube videos to do" list is growing and growing and growing... so I figured I would get with it and just do it already. lol

I am going to make mine a little bit of a twist.  Since I like to talk a lot (I'm starting to hear the teachers voice from Charlie Brown in my head), I am going to keep it to 5 Favorite products each Friday and I will also make sure to keep the video to 5 minutes.  This will allow me to talk about the products and what I like about them, but also not keep my viewers watching me for 20 minutes just blabbing away. lol

I hope you guys like this new series on my channel (and blog).   The video is embedded below or you can watch it directly on YouTube here.

Have a great weekend!
xoxo
Honey

 
I was super excited to get my July Ipsy Bag (My Glam) and couldn't wait to open it.  I have already tried out some of the items and will have formal reviews for them coming soon... but check out what I got in the video embedded below or click here to watch it on YouTube

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It is super easy to take a nice soft wearable look that you can rock out during the day and bump it up a bit so you can transition it to a night look.  And, I even contoured, blushed and highlighted for all of you. lol This look is super easy to create using just a few basic steps and by changing a few colors to create the simple look.

You do not need to use the same colors or the same palettes as I have.  I have created similar with my Wet n Wild Color Icon Palettes as well as my ELF ones.  Check out my video tutorial embedded below, or click here to watch it on YouTube.  The video is a bit longer than I would have liked, but I take you into detail as well as show you my contour and highlighting regimen.  I hope you all enjoy.  Pictures are posted below as well and you can find out the products I used in the video.
Please note that all images were taken on the same day but the lighting was different because one was taken during the day and the other as the sun had set.  
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The Day look - pictured above.  While this look may be a bit bold for some, you can easily wear something like this to work (if allowed) because it's a soft look with pops of color.  
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The Night Look - pictured above.  In this look I wanted to darken my lips and really darken or add a smokey effect to my eyes.  You can also take the time to intensify your blush or contour to give your features a more distinct and prominent look.
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Most of you know that I live in Hawaii... the beautiful sandy beaches, the ocean and tradewinds are all a part of my backyard.  But for Hawaii natives or those that live here, the Heat and Summer time weather is year round for us... so that means for me, casual but chic and dressy are a must to not only beat the heat but to look classy and stylin'.  Since I was out in the heat today with my boys and I knew I would be pretty active, I wanted to make sure I had something flowy (I know that's not a word, but we'll pretend for now - lol) cool, comfortable and of course, super cute and classy.

While this outfit may seem pretty basic, it is actually fairly popular this time of year.  And, let's face it - Maxi dresses and skirts are timeless pieces you can stock in your closet and pull out anytime of the year.  A ribbed tank is something you can easily find at any store and it can be dressed up or down whenever needed.  Add a cute Fedora to the mix and some platform wedge flip flops and you got a complete outfit that is not just casual and cool - but definitely full with class and style.  

I also wanted an outfit today that would allow me to showcase this awesome new handbag I got.  Isn't it gorg?  OMG, I think I fell in love with it almost immediately after seeing it online.  More on that later in the post.  Now, on to the photos and don't forget to check out the video slideshow embedded below or click here to watch on YouTube.
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My makeup for the day was a very simple everyday look I love to wear...
Mascara (Diorshow Lash Maximizer, Starlook's Lash booster, Benefit's They're Real Mascara)
Lips (Revlon's Kissable Lip balm in Cherish)
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Top - Black Ribbed Tank from Old Navy ($8.50)
Maxi Skirt - Jeans Warehouse Hawaii ($22.00)
Footwear - Wedged Platform Flip flops from Colin Stuart, Victoria Secret ($32.99)
Sunglasses - Oakley Tortoise Shell Polarized Fuel Cell Shades ($199.99)
Necklace - 14K Gold Rope Chain with 14K Gold Plumeria Pendant (gift from Hubby)
Earrings - 14K Gold Plumeria with Diamonds Studs (gift from hubby) and 14K Diamond Studs (gift from hubby)
Rings - Wedding rings "left hand" and 14K Gold Black Tahitian Pearl Ring "right hand" (gift from Hubby)
Bracelets - Silver and Gold Hawaiian Heirloom Bangle bracelets (gift)
Watch - Invicta Divers Watch ($695.00)
Handbag - Luxury Studded Tote bag in Black from ShopLately
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Don't you just love this handbag?  I love how classy and chic it is. :)  I got it from ShopLately and it was such a steal.  Check out ShopLately and see all the awesome handbags and accessories they have there at a discounted price.  Many are comparable to Designer brands.
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I truly love doing fashion posts and I hope all of you are enjoying reading and watching them.  At the end of the day - I believe that all Women, regardless of size should love the skin their in, love themselves and love what they do.

Wishing you all a wonderful day!
xoxo
Honey
 
These two palettes happen to be my favorites (besides my Naked 1 of course) and I find that I turn to them quite often.  While they do have a bunch of similarities between them, they are very different and unique as well.  Check out my video below (or click here to watch on YouTube) and see swatches and more on each palette.  Find out my thoughts about both and which one I prefer the most by watching the video - I do not get into any details except for basics here in this post. :)

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Price Comparison:
theBalm Nudetude Palette - $36.00 (thebalm.com)
Lorac Pro Palette - $42.00 (sephora.com or Lorac.com)
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While there are other things similar and different between these palettes, here are a few that obviously stand out.

Similarities:

Each palette has a nice range of neutral toned colors
Each palette includes matte and shimmer shades
Each palette is perfect for use on all eye colors.

Differences:
Lorac Pro has 16 shades, Nudetude has only 12 shades
Lorac Pro has a wider range of neutrals to include a deep purple as well as a nice matte cream color.
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The Lorac Pro Palette comes with 16 shades in a range from Matte to Metallic/Shimmer.  There are 8 mattes and 8 shimmer/metallic shades.
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The Balm Nudetude Palette comes with 12 shades - four matte shades and eight shimmer shades.
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While out and about in Walmart a few days ago, I came across the new Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigments.  Now, these were recently released in the last month I believe, and while I really couldn't wait to see what they looked like, I opted out not to try one.

I'm unsure of what the retail price is for this particular product, but I do know that our local Walmart is selling them for over $6.00.   At first glance, they do seem really pretty but I'm wondering if the colors are as vibrant as they look like in the packaging.  I guess i will just have to pick one up to find out.

The color selection from what was left in my local display showed a pretty nice range of neutrals which I think will definitely work well for most people.  The teal and purple colors also appealed to me too - but I really didn't get a good look or was able to swatch them so I have no idea for sure.

Have any of you tried these products?  What are your thoughts on them?  As someone who owns my own Mineral Cosmetics Indie Company, I'm very interested to see how bright and bold these are.  I wish the display was much neater, but considering this was coming from Walmart, this actually was the neatest out of many of the displays there.  I don't normally pick up too many cosmetic items from our local Walmart in fear that they may have been tampered with.

I figured I would share these with you.  I do wish or hope that Maybelline comes out with pressed shadows with the same 24 hour type wear as these should have - because I love working with pressed shadows more.

xoxo ~ Honey
 
 
While out shopping a few months ago at my local CVS Store (we call it Longs Drugs here) I came across these Lip Balms in the NYX Display.  Our local CVS store has an awesome NYX display and you can normally find every NYX product there.  So, I was very excited to try these out seeing as I have not seen them anywhere else prior to this.
PRODUCT NOTE:  
I have searched NYX's Website as well as a few other sites and have not seen these anywhere except for Cherryculture.com ($3.00).  I do not know if NYX has discontinued these but they are still available at some CVS locations and they were recently stocked in my area.
I paid about $3.99 for each one - which in my opinion is a little more costly than I would like to spend for such a little amount of product and packaging that is pretty basic, but I was willing to do so to try out a product from one of my favorite drug store brands. 
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I only purchased two shades:  Spasibo (neutral color) and Xie Xie (pinkish red tone).  Both of them to me are pretty universal shades so it is easy for me to use all the time and not be so selective. 
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Xie Xie NYX COLOR Lip Balm
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Xie Xie is a Strawberry type color but soft on the strawberry, as if you mixed a creme into it.  I like it because even if it can be a bright color - it is still very wearable for all day every day use.
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Spasibo NYX COLOR Lip Balm
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Spacibo is very nude on me, as you can see from the swatch above, but it shows up on my lips nicely and looks like a nice nude lipstick.

These Lip Balms, while moisturizing only have a color/tint and moisturizing capabilities.  They are not known or possess gloss type capabilities and if you are looking for a glossy look, you may have to apply actual clear gloss over them.  While they did moisturize my lips, it was not something long term and application to remoisturize was definitely required.  I also noticed that a day or so later... my lips felt dry even if exfoliated and moisturized with my normal routine.

These lip balms do move more than what I am used to.  When you eat or drink or if you like to lick or lips, etc. - you can expect it to smear.  I think these may have a tad bit too much mineral oil in them and if you are one like me that are not huge on that - this may not appeal to you.

All in all - I liked these products... they were pretty okay but I still think they could use some work considering they are NYX products and haven't held up to the brand standard.  I do think they are just too expensive in my local stores and while I do get that they need to keep with the cost of living... it is not worth it.  I will not be purchasing anymore unless they are on discount.

Sparkle rating... 3.7 - 4.0  - probably more towards 3.7

Hope you guys enjoyed this review.
xoxo
Honey
 
I am a lippy junkie and almost fell of my chair when I seen the new lippies from Pacifica.  Natural Mineral Ultra-shine and moisture-rich coconut keep your pucker perfectly colored and cravably soft.  This collection includes:  Lip Butters, Glosses and Balms for kissable soft lips.  I especially love the colors because they are neutral in toned and so beautiful.  Check out Pacifica today!

 
DETAILS FROM THE EMAIL:
SALE ENDS 07/19/2013 AT 11:00 AM EASTERN STANDARD TIME, USA. 
Orders placed prior to this announcement are not eligible to receive the promotional discount. There are no rain checks. We reserve the right to cancel any order due to unauthorized, altered, or ineligible use of offer, and to modify or cancel this promotion due to system error or unforeseen issues.

All orders must be placed on the Coastalscents  website. Please do not call to place orders. 
 
This week's nails are a bit darker then I would have liked, but I am loving them.  I hauled a few of the Fing'rs Nail Polishes from the new Heart 2 Art line last week and I couldn't wait to play around with them.  

On my main fingers I am using Stop Metalling In My Business #33018 which looks like a metallic blue color, but it is a transitional color shift or chameleon type color (duo chrome) and it ranges from a dark green, almost a hunter metallic green to a purple, dark gunmetal silver and has tiny little shimmers of glitter - just like a metallic nail polish would have.  It is absolutely gorgeous and I wish the camera would have shown all the details of it much more.  

My accent nail has In Mint Condition from the same line.  Absolutely gorgeous gold/teal blend that also color shifts because sometimes it will look teal/turquoise and sometimes it will look all gold with teal glitter.  It is absolutely gorgeous.
I will have a complete and full review on these polishes after I have used them all a bit.  I will also figure out a way to show how it color shifts between colors.  It is gorgeous and for the most part - considering these were only about $1.69 - they work fairly well.  Of course (FIRST IMPRESSION) there is some things I needed to work with or work on when applying - but the colors (these specifically) are phenomenal.  Stay tuned for a review in the coming weeks!
xoxo
Honey
 
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NYC never ceases to amaze me.  Their very affordable drugstore line consistently comes out with new products to keep up with ever growing trends, but they keep with their affordable price point so that they can be purchased by anyone.  

While shopping at Walmart a few months ago I happened across these Applelicious Glossy Lip Balms from NYC.  Being that I am a lover of the Baby Lips from Maybelline, I immediately wondered if these would be similar so I figured I would pick up a few.   These lip balms are at many different retail stores, I have seen them at Walmart, Kmart, CVS and Walgreens.  They come with 0.12 oz (3.5g) of product and are roughly about $2.99 at most stores.   

Watch my embedded video below for my Quick Review or click here to watch it on YouTube.  More details below.
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Each Applelicious Glossy Lip Balm has an apple shaped core.  This core is filled with a unique formulation that will not only add gloss and shine to your lips, but also helps with moisturizing.  Not only is this apple shaped core cute but there is a reason to its design.

The packaging of each is super cute.  Similar to any type of lipstick or lip balms, it has a twist up feature that allows you to feed the balm/gloss up as you use the product.  I haven't had any difficulty with it getting stuck - so I am going to say that it works well.

The cap on the tube is clear which allows you to see the color you are wanting to buy.  To me - this is a plus that any drug store brand could add when having tinted or colored lip products.  It gives you the opportunity to know exactly what you are buying.  Let's face it... the swatches on displays are not the greatest to go by when choosing the right shade.
The apple in the middle contains Shea butter, jojoba and avocado oil which helps with moisturizing your lips.
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Apple Blueberry Pie
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Apple Blueberry Pie
Apple Blueberry Pie is a very flattering color on me.  Nicely pigmented with a pinkish hue and blue undertone.  It has a purple look to it but I think it would work well for many people - especially those with my skin tone.  
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Pink Lady
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Pink Lady
Pink Lady is such a beautiful pink tone.  It's one of those that give your lips that pouty look without over doing it.  I would even consider it a light Barbie Pink type of color - but since it's a balm, it has just enough punch of color to be able to be worn on a daily basis, any time of year and by most skin tones.  
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Applelicious Pink
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Applelicious Pink
Applelicious Pink is probably my favorite of them all.  While it is not a color I would rock out daily, the pigmentation is phenomenal and it is such a pretty berry red color.  I absolutely love how bright it is on my lips for a balm.
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Pros
Pigmented, moisturizing and affordable.  Color Pay off is awesome but I wish it would last a little longer.  The color lasts just about as long as my baby lips, but in my opinion - these are so much more pigmented.  I love the texture, they remind me very much of my Revlon Lip butters.  Moisture in my lips lasted for a long time - an hour later and my lips still felt quenched, several hours later and my lips still felt smooth and soft.

Cons
Even if I have only tried out 3 of these glossy lip balms, I am completely impressed.  As I mentioned in my video - I was a little off put by the scent when I first opened them, but I'm happy to say that was temporary and the original smell is no longer there.  I just smell a nice soft apple scent.  These balms do not have any flavoring or do not taste like anything but lip balm, so if you are a flavor junkie like me, then that may be a con in your book.

Sparkle Rating...  4.6 Sparkles!
Yes - that's pretty high in my book... but I like these so much - I'm going to try and get every single color. :)

Hope this review helps you out if you are interested in getting these. :)
xoxo
Honey