Three New Products to Try!

It's been crazy at casa de Primp as we wind down the school year, but I've still managed to check out the new goodies that have been popping up from beauty brands. Josie Maran, Becca, and YSL all have new items that I've been able to check out and own now for a bit, so let me enable your beauty habit and show you the pretties!

First up here's a picture of the three items I purchased:

                      

Left to right: YSL Baby Doll Kiss and Blush in 9, Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflé in Raspberry/Opal, and Josie Maran Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Creamy Oil in Boundless Berry 

So here's the thing. Cosmetics companies are full of cheeky evil buggers just rubbing their cheeky evil hands together in glee as they imagine all the different ways they can get me to succumb to their products. Basically, I'll make it easy for them and just list all the ways you can sucker me in: 

1- Use a cool-toned pink color 

2- Call a high end makeup product "Baby Doll" 

3- Simply add the words "beach" or "shimmer" or "soufflé"

4- Put a cheek /lip product in a pretty tube, a heavy glass pot, or a cool nail polish looking bottle 

Yeah, I pretty much had NO DEFENSE. All my cards are belly up and all of them are two's faced with a hand of aces. I mean c'mon. 

The things that did make me pause were the price of the YSL--yikers that thing is expensive. I'm not even going to list the price out of sheer embarrassment, but you can google it if you don't already know. Some beauty gurus try to justify it saying it does double duty as lip and cheek product and throwing around terms like "money's worth" but let's be real, if you are spending that much on a single beauty product you aren't stopping to buy just that one thing. Anyway, shut up Karen and get to the review and pix please. 

Ok so here is all the pretty swatched on my splotchy pink wrist:

                                       

That's (top to bottom) the YSL 9, the Becca, and then the Josie, full on and then blended. 

First up the YSL: this is a cool product and I think I got the most safe color available, I think. Number 9 (Rose Epicurean) is a muted subtly neutral-bluish mauvey nude pink that I think would look good on a lot of people. It evens out lips nicely and applies well, making your lips feel pillowy and smooth. I find myself wearing it a lot after I'm done with work, as it goes with everything and is so comfy to wear around the house but still makes you look put together. #9 is not statement and ends up letting your eyes be more of the focus, but it does look very pretty and fresh on, and the applicator is well designed and easy to use. I like this a lot, but although I use it almost every day, I'm not sure I'd repurchase it due to the price. I seem to like it the more I use it, though. 

                         

Here it is in natural sunlight on my lips--in different light it can look darker but basically it's a nice mauvey nude pink.

On the cheeks it's nice, muted and natural, but I can easily find dupes in my collection that don't make it something I reach for as blush too often if at all. The formula wears well and doesn't make my lips weirdly dry like some lip products can. Overall I'm very glad I got it, but am not interested in checking out the other colors just yet....maybe when (if) they get more shades. 

                          

Pretty but not a must-have for me, YET...although I do reach for it a lot! Do I feel baby doll-esque in it? Not really, but who cares--I still love that cute lil script! 

Next up: Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflé. This is a product I basically stalked and harassed the Sephora worker to find in the back of the store for me, as it wasn't out yet. I love Becca blush and highlighters, like every other blogger out there, so I couldn't wait to try this. I got Raspberry/Opal, which is the most cool-toned in the bunch. It's a maroon-ish color shot through with gold, and the texture is mousse-like and dissolves into skin, giving an "I've just been out in the sun for a few hours without sunscreen" glow. I like it, but I am still pale from a decade long winter, so right now it is very bronzed on me, which is not necessarily a bad thing. It doesn't seem to emphasize pores too much and the wear time is pretty good--I don't notice it fading mysteriously or anything. It feels powdery on my skin, definitely not creamy; I just put it on with my fingers. If the colors and sheen of the Hourglass Ambient Blushes had a baby with the texture of the MUFE HD blushes you'd get this product. There does seem to be more shimmer than color in some of the other colors, though, so beware. Overall, I really like this product and will get a lot more use out of it as the summer approaches. 

Finally, the Josie. Ah, Josie. If you have read this blog you know I love my Josie. This product, like the YSL, claims to be for both lips and cheeks but it is much cheaper. Here's what it looks like heavily applied to my lips--this color is "Boundless Berry":

                          

It's a thin gel-oil hybrid that you can use on your cheeks or lips. This color is seriously intense and you only need a smidge on your cheeks, but it instantly melts with your skin and makes you look flushed. I don't know about the staying power, as I have been layering products recently, but I like the texture--it's not oily, more dewy. On both lips and cheeks you can vary the intensity. I really like the color and although I don't do berries or reds a lot this is one that I think looks good and will probably suit a number of skin tones--it's very wearable. It feels soft and hydrating on my lips. It is, I believe, the most intense of the colors available and goes for $18.

Well that's it...three new products to tempt us makeup mavens. They all give different effects and I like them all for different reasons. Let me know if you pick any of these up or if you've tried any of the other colors available!