Read, Eat, & Doll Up: Affordable Blush Reviews

Read, Eat, & Doll Up: Affordable Blush Reviews: Battle of the Affordable Blush Blush in order from left to right as swatched: $15.00   Hikari blush in Tango $14....

Affordable Blush Reviews

Battle of the Affordable Blush

Blush in order from left to right as swatched:

$15.00   Hikari blush in Tango

$14.00   Topshop blush in Let Her Go

$ 7.00    Sleek blush in Pomegranate

$ 8.50    Milani baked powder blush in Luminoso

$ 6.00    Maybelline New York Fit Me blush in Medium Coral

Hikari Blush:

Very smooth powder- but still powder. Not really buttery. However, this blush is EXTREMELY pigmented, all you have to do is very barely touch your brush in it and you’ve got enough for both cheeks. Very blendable, and buildable if you blend too much away. Not particularly long lasting, but doesn’t wear off quickly either- very average in this department. I would give this blush a 4 out of 5 for affordable blush. It is a bit pricey, but still affordable. If you’re looking to only own one blush, this would be a good brand because with a light hand it can be sheer, but it can also be a “wow” blush without too much work.

Topshop Blush:

This blush is a “WOW” blush. It is very buttery and VERY pigmented. It belnds easily without loosing any pigment. Be careful how much you put on your brush, because even when I use a light hand, I have enough for both my cheeks, and a friend's. It’s a beautifully formulated blush and lasts a long time. The first time I tried it, I was bare faced, I just couldn’t wait, so I slapped some on, hung out around the house all day, and before bed when I went to wash my face, I still had blushed cheeks. I would give it a 5 out of 5 for affordable blush.

Sleek Blush:

Almost too smooth- when swatching, it balls up a bit and gathers, but it smooths right back out and is very blendable. The only thing I didn’t like was the color selection, I had a hard time finding something I wanted to take home. I grabbed pomegranate because I don’t have anything like it, however I was a bit scared of it at first. It is a bold cranberry blush, but it blends out to a smooth natural color, like a real blush. Another thing I would like is a bit longer life, it wears off the cheeks a bit quickly, but if you prime with a cream blush beforehand, I find it sticks around longer. Overall, 4 out of 5 for me.

Milani Baked Powder Blush:

I love this blush. This is a bit of a cult favorite and with good reason. It is so smooth you have to look to see if you’re touching it, and its also very pigmented, but not so much so that it’s hard to work with. I find I like to do about two layers. It’s very buildable and because it’s a baked blush it gives this beautiful natural glow to the skin. I am obsessed with this blush and it is one of my all-time favorites. Is a 6 out of 5 an option?

Maybelline Fit Me Blush:

I am disappointed with this product. I love Maybelline, and especially the Fit Me line, the foundation, powder, and concealer are great drugstore options. This blush however is very powdery and dry, it lacks pigment, and what pigment you work really hard to build up wears off extremely fast. I am a huge fan of Maybelline- one of my top three drugstore brands and I use their mascaras almost exclusively as far as drugstore options are concerned. I just really didn’t like this product. The color is beautiful, but the formula is just not what it could be. I would give is a 1 out of 5, as I never reach for it.

Review: Netflix for Books?

Is it worth the hype? 

Price: $9.95 per month

Features:

• Available on Android, Apple, and Kindle platforms
• Can recommend book based on what you read
• Different themes to choose from
• Offline reading available once book is opened, up to 10 books at a time
• Seamless reading from one device to another, can start reading on iPad and pick up where you left of on your iPhone 
• over 100,000 books in all genres from fiction, self-help, science, political, and more

Pros:

• Hundreds of thousands of books available whenever you want them
• Can change font sizes and colors to make easy on eyes
• Good titles to choose from from major publishers as well as Indie publishers
• No driving to the library or buying books/ebooks
• Estimates how much time it will take to read

Cons:

• No page number, however gives you percent of book read
• Miss out on real book feel
• Occasionally crashes (Not often, but more than once. However didn't lose my place).

Experience:

    As a writing major, and an aspiring writer, it's kind of in the job description to be a reader. I am a voracious reader once I get going. It isn't unusual for me to read an entire book, or even two if I have the day off, in a single day! I average reading about 15 books a month. Sometimes it can be close to thirty, but when school is in session I don't have as much time. I am the girl who has a book everywhere she goes. At a concert I went to with my husband and his friends, I once took out a book, sat on the ground, and started reading- at a metal concert! Needless to say everyone thought it was funny, but not out of the ordinary because it was me. The ease and convenience of having Oyster right on my iPad mini makes it so much more lightweight to carry books with me, so even if I finish a book, I have hundreds of thousand more at my fingertips! I am able to read while in the bath on my iPhone (it has a life proof case) and pick up right where I left off on my iPad when I get out of the bath! It's fantastic! I do miss the feeling of having actual pages, and the lack of page numbers does irritate me slightly, but not enough to overshadow how great this program is. I save a lot of time and money by not having to drive to the library, pay late fees, worry about ruining books, or having to buy books. For just about ten bucks a month, I have it all at my fingertips.

So should I or shouldn't I?

 

   I don't think Oyster is for everybody. If you are someone who reads under three or four books a month, I would pass. You just won't get as much bang for your buck. Ten bucks a month isn't expensive, but when you could go to the library for free and only have to make one trip, you're saving your money. Oyster is perfect for those who have to take multiple trips a month to the library or buy a ton of books. Books tend to cost anywhere from 5-20 dollars, depending on popularity, size, and hardback or paperback. Also, for the type of people who like to have something to read everywhere they go, I would also suggest it, as it weighs less and takes up less space in a purse to have it on your electronic device. To anyone who loves to read, I would recommend Oyster %110. I am all about value, and for me, a program like this is revolutionary. 

Disclaimer: This is not a paid review, it is %100 honest opinion and I pay for my services each month.

Always Awkward Introductions

  First posts are always extremely awkward. So I am going to begin in the classic way; by introducing myself. I'm going to start with the basic list of stats. My name is Heidi. I am 21 years old. I am married to the love of my life. I am currently seeking a creative writing undergrad degree from the University of Central Arkansas (set to graduate in December 2015). Immediately after, I will be moving to England (yes the country) to live with my husband who is in the Air Force. I am a wife, a writer, a cook, a reader, a vegetarian, a make-up lover, skin care enthusiast, faerie and mermaid obsessor, late-sleeper, candy-eater, picture taking, Harry Potter loving, animal freak, traveler, who watches entirely too many movies and loves her bed. 
    My goal in starting this blog is to encourage myself to write more and also to have a place to explore my favorite hobbies. I intend to share bits of my writing, review books and beauty products, share recipes, and pictures of my travels. I hope you don't mind sharing in the adventure. Welcome to my life, hope you love the weirdness as much as I do.