Review -- NYX Butter Lipsticks

I'm a big fan of the NYX Butter Glosses ever since I tried them last year.

So when I saw that they were adding lipsticks (and balms) to the line, I knew that I had to give them a try.

In general, I much prefer lipsticks that have a creamy, moisturizing feel to long-wearing lipsticks that tend to feel dry. I'd rather have to reapply more often than have to deal with dry, cracked lips.

The NYX Butter Lipsticks are supposed to be a lightweight formula that melts into the lips while still delivering vivid color -- and honestly, I feel like they absolutely live up to those claims.

I purchased two of the 22 shades that are available: Pops, which is kind of a mauve-y my-lips-but-better shade, and Candy Buttons, which is bright peachy pink.

Review -- Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid Touch Foundation

My skin's been acting a little strange this summer.

I used to have seriously oily skin and all the problems that came with it, like regular breakouts, foundation melting off my face, and greasy shine pretty much two minutes after I washed my face.

But since I turned 30 and started using Retin-A, I've gotten drier and drier. In the winter, it's not usual for me to have a flaky patch or two that requires a heavy-duty moisturizer to get it back in shape.

When warmer weather comes around, my skin definitely veers more toward normal, so I don't need a hydrating foundation and can use a face product that's more mattifying.

This summer, though, my skin has actually been oily -- with the major shine and melting foundation to go with it.

It's weird because I haven't changed my skincare routine at all and it hasn't been a particularly hot summer here in NY so I don't know why it would suddenly become an oil slick.  But whatever the reason, I've been relying on thinner foundations with a matte finish to keep me looking as fresh as possible.

There are a ton of thin, liquid-y foundations that melt into the skin for a bare skin look on the market now -- I have the Giorigio Armani Maestro Foundation, L'Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder, and bareMinerals Bare Skin Foundation, and I like all of them to varying degrees. (In the past, the GA and L'Oreal ones were a little too drying for my skin, though now they cooperate pretty well with my skin. The bareMinerals foundation seems to work with my skin no matter how it's acting, so it's my hands down favorite.)

The Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid Touch Foundation seems to follow a similar concept.

Review -- Benefit Rockateur Blush

I wanted Benefit's Rockateur Blush from pretty much the moment it was introduced two or so years ago.

But it's $28 and the blush drawers in my makeup collection have been overflowing for a while now, so I told myself that I couldn't justify the purchase.

And unlike so many times in the past when I didn't listen to my own advice, I actually held fast and didn't buy it, even though I wanted it desperately.

But then a couple of months ago, I found myself in the Benefit section at Sephora and that damn little box just screamed my name. And honestly, I kind of felt like I'd earned it because I'd waited so long to get it and I'd actually gotten rid of several powder blushes in my collections.

So I bought it.

Review -- elf Studio HD Blushes

Over the past year or so, I've gotten really into cream blushes.

I suppose that it makes sense because they have such a fresh, dewy look on the cheeks that I really appreciate now that my skin has become drier.

Of course, some days, I use a cream blush as a base and layer a powder blush on top of it to really make the color last all day.

However I'm using them, cream blushes really rock my world these days.

But I was still a little reluctant to try the elf Studio HD Blushes, which have been around for a while now. That's because a few years back, Makeup Forever had a similar type product and I got a deluxe sample with purchase at Sephora and just wasn't particularly impressed.