ALL SHADES OF Wet n Wild WNW megaglo Highlight Powder

Purchase

The price point of these highlighters are reasonable at only $4.99 a piece. The two shades: Precious Petals and Crown of my Canopy, I purchased at my local Walmart. It is a few cents cheaper on the Walmart site. The four new shades: Royal Calyx, Botanic Dream, Golden Flower Crown, and Blossom Glow, I purchased when they all launched on the wetnwild website. The order took longer than I expected. I placed the order on July 10, 2017 and it came in on July 19, 2017.

Packaging

Sealed

Broken seal

There is a black seal that proves no one opened your product that you purchased. I really hate the seal because it is a pain to rip off. Adding on, since the product is affordable, the packaging is hit or miss for every individual highlighter. My precious petal highlighter clicks securely when it is closed but my royal calyx highlighter does not. I have not traveled with the royal calyx highlighter yet so I do not know if it is secure. Other than that,  the packaging is aesthetically pleasing to the eye for its price. It is sleek with a black bottom and clear lid. Everything is labeled like how wet n wild products are usually labeled.

Product

Precious Petals

This is my every day highlighter. It is a warmer pink highlighter with gold shimmer. The formula is very soft and glides on well. The only con about this product is that in certain lights, it looks like a salmon colored streak on my face. I just need to blend this out better. I recommend the RT under eye setting brush for this highlighter and then taking a stippling brush to blend it out.

Crown of my Canopy

The formula is similar to Precious Petals. The formula is slightly softer, however, the color is too dark on me. I have light-medium skin tone and way to dark on me. The color is really pretty; it is a copper color with copper shimmers. I think it would look pretty to mix a little of this product with bronzers for an all-over glow.

Royal Calyx

This highlighter was not my favorite. It felt slightly grittier when I finger swatched the highlighter. Also, in the finger swatch, the silver shimmer particles were larger than Precious Petals and Crown of my Canopy's shimmers. I might just use this as eyeshadow.

Botanic Dream

This formula was a hit for me. It is a true pink highlighter with silver shimmer. I would say it is a cheap alternative to Jeffree Star's Regina George skin frost. Definitely not a dupe, but similar. This swatched beautifully with great pigment.

Golden Flower Crown

I also really liked this formula and color. Formula was soft and smooth. It was a true gold GOLD highlighter. No complaints at all about this highlighter.

Blossom Glow

I had a problem with this highlighter similar to the Royal Calyx highlighter. The formula felt rougher when finger swatching and slightly more chalkier. I am not crazy about this highlighter's effect. It does not give the same glowy look as Precious Petals or the other ones I like. The color of Blossom Glow is a cool toned baby pink with silver shimmer.

Overall

I would recommend these products, but only 4 of the 6. Also if you are not into crazy colors, not all of these are for you. And lastly, I feel these products are geared toward medium to deeper skin tones because some colors are too dark on me and I have light-medium skin tone.

Mini Colourpop Liquid Lipsticks Haul

This is my first purchase from Colourpop and I only bought liquid lipsticks and a gift for a friend. Colourpop liquid lipsticks are only $6 a piece. With other promos included, colourpop is a really affordable cosmetic brand for those on a budget. I liked the packaging it came in. There was a pamphlet that taught you different makeup looks along with a little postcard that seemed to be personally written by a little girl. I thought that was really cute. A plus with this brand is that Colourpop is cruelty free, which I appreciate, but they are not entirely vegan. Some of their products are vegan, just make sure to check the ingredients in each product.

swatches left to right: marshmallow, tulle, petit four, guess

Mini Haul

Guess (Ultra Matte)

Swatch on my lips

Swatch on my arm

The color is a beautiful deep purple that can pass as black sometimes. It makes my teeth look super white. I love the color but the formula for this color is a pass. I needed 2 layers of this to make it look decent on my lips. It was too patchy with just one layer. This liquid lipstick dries down to a true matte and can be very drying even if your lips are well moisturized. Because this formula is super matte, it is kiss proof except in my inner lip where there is slight moisture. If you already have this color I would suggest a hydrating lip liner underneath. Another con for me was that it flakes after several hours of wear. I would overall pass on this color.

Petit Four (Ultra Satin)

Swatch on my lip

Swatch on my arm

The color is a medium gray with a mix of blue. It looks more like a blue lipstick with a hint of gray in person. This lipstick clashes with my yellow undertone and it looks worse on me as I tan. This formula is not kiss proof and is slightly tacky even after letting it set. It is a comfortable on the lips, but if I press my lips together and pull them apart there is some stickiness. I think this lippie is good for someone who wants to try new and bolder colors. Overall this lipstick is comfortable, but I would recommend it to to paler girls or deep skin girls with pink to neutral undertones.

Tulle (Ultra Matte)

Swatch on my lip

Swatch on my arm

This color looks way darker than it seems online and in the tube. It is a deep burgundy with an equal mix of wine and red. This is not a 'my lips but better' color on me. Tulle reminds me of the "Kylie Jenner lip color" from a couple of years ago. It is a comfortable matte, but it does have slight transfer in the inner rim of the lip even after letting it set. When removing it with coconut oil, I get a slight stain on my lips but that is not a turn off for me. I would recommend this lippie to everyone.

Marshmallow (Ultra Satin)

Swatch on my lip 

Swatch on my arm

This color is a lavender with a mix of gray. This color looks more like a muted, pastel purple on my lips. I really like this color because it is unique. I think this color is more flattering on tan to deeper skin tone girls because of the contrast it would give. I'm personally trying to get use to the color on me. The formula itself is similar to Petit Four which is comfortably, a little tacky, and not kiss proof. I think if you want to try a color not in your collection, I would recommend this color.

elf Matte Lip Color Review and Swatches

This formula is really comfortable for every day wear. Longevity is reasonable; if you eat oily stuff it will fade, but it will fade nicely. Reapplying or layering the product is not difficult, nor does it look cakey. I also love that these are thinner than traditional bullet lipsticks. There is more precision when applying the lip product. These lip colors have a sharpener in case the tip becomes too blunt to line your lips. I highly recommend these lippies. Below are the colors I purchased with my own money. 

 Rich Red

This is a neutral red but may come off slightly blue-toned with yellower skin tones. It has a demi-matte finish. I don't like this color on its own for my skin tone. I prefer this under a warm-red lip color.

Rowdy Rouge

I love this color. It is a true scarlet color. It looks great with my complexion and trendy for the summer look. This is also demi-matte, but feels slightly drier than Rich Red, but still comfortable.

Catwalk Orange

This a pinky-orange color. It is sheer and needs about 3 swipes to build to its full opacity. I have very pigmented lips so the way it swatched on my hand did not show up the same way on my lips. I think it clashed with my lip color so this color is a pass for me. Also, this color was more of a cream finish.

Praline
I love this color and it was demi-matte. The color is a brownie-pink and looks great on its own or under lighter lip colors.

Scarlet Night

This is a dark-purple berry color. It goes on a little more patchy than the other colors I got. I would skip this color. If you already bought this I would recommend using a lip liner or another lipstick underneath it, but it kind of defeats the purpose of this product.

Overall:
Although some colors were misses for me, I really liked these products and will be getting more colors. These are not true mattes, rather they are comfortable demi-mattes. For $3 it is great and you can find them on sale for an even better deal. They are also a cruelty-free product, however, it is not vegan.

Curology

Overview

Curology is a monthly subscription that sends a bottle of medication tailored towards your skin from a survey and pictures you upload to Curology. I actually heard about this from two Youtubers: Michelle Phan and Saaammage. After thinking about it, why not give it a go? My first tube of medication was free from the link I obtained from Sam to sign up with. The next bottle of medication will arrive 3 months after the first order for $20 shipped.

So why did I choose to try it?

I have acne caused by my diet and hormones. My diet can be regulated, but my hormones are out of my control. During the time of the month (TOM), I get at least seven volcanoes on my face. So being me, I pop them myself once I see the white head forming which results in acne scars. 

My Curology

I crossed out my name on the bottle :)

I ordered my first Curology medication on June 7th. In the survey, for skin conditions I am concerned with, I chose everything except aging. My medication consists of 0.25% zinc pyrithione, 1% clindamycin, and 4% niacinamide.

The Chemicals

Zinc pyrithione relieves excess sebum, and has both antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties. It is known to relieve dandruff and eczema and is FDA approved for prescribed amounts and how it's used. This may cause skin irritation if you are allergic to this chemical; it would be best to test it out on a patch of skin on your arm before putting it directly on your face. Clindamycin has antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties. This helps fight against bacteria that causes acne on your skin. On the other hand, if you stop using this product after a week, your acne may worsen. It is like taking prescribed antibiotics where if you do not finish the medication, you will have a harder time getting rid of the bad bacteria in the future because not all of the bacteria was killed the first time and now it is even stronger. Also, in my opinion, I do not like that fact that they do not tell you when to stop using the medication. No one is suppose to be on antibiotics forever. Niacinamide is vitamin B3 that is commonly prescribed in creams to reduce wrinkles, fight against hyperpigmentation, and tighten the skin making it tougher for acne to develop. Do not ingest topical creams with niacinamide; it may cause diarrhea.

How to Use

It's really simple. Apply 1 to 2 pumps of the medication after you washed and towel dried your face at night. Rub it in until it absorbs; it absorbs really fast and does not feel sticky at all. Continue with your regular skincare regime. In the morning just use sunscreen and moisturizer. 

Results

Before

After

From the before picture you can see I have a lot of acne scars, texture, and acne. And in the after picture, I have less acne and less acne scars. Overall, I am concerned with what would happen if I stop using it after this bottle. But right now, I am seeing some positive results after six weeks of usage. Like I said, I have hormonal acne so a magical cream isn't going to cut it. I will continue to use up this bottle and decide whether or not to continue with the subscription. 


UPDATE #1:
I have purchased another bottle. I feel that my breakouts have diminished. AND remember to use sunscreen for the best results.

UPDATE #2: 

Today is June 24, 2017 and I can say my skin has been better than last year. I have been slowly weening off of this stuff and I did not have a bad reaction. I get breakouts during the TOM but still that is something I can not control. The main difference is that the pimples are smaller and less painful than they usually are during the TOM. Most of my scars are gone but that may be due to another product that I will be reviewing. Here is my last picture update.

6/24/2017 Clean face with no makeup. I do have some scarring around my nose and a tiny pimple right above my eyebrow.