Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous + Comparisons & Possible Dupes

After hearing some buzz about the new Revlon Balm Stains (and slowly figuring out that they weren't the Stain + Balms that I wasn't a fan of) I had to try them. They looked very similar to the Clinique Chubby Sticks that I love and for less than half the price! I only picked up one so far but I have a feeling I'll be getting more very soon.


I found these at Target today...I've read other blogs saying they come in twelve shades and I've seen pictures of a big display but Target only had about six shades to choose from. I pick Rendezvous because I love the orange trend right now.


When I first chose it I thought it would be similar to the Clinique Chubby Stick in Mega Melon that I already own. (Why I didn't just pull that out of my purse and compare in the store, I'll never know.) I was totally off. I do have another lip product that close in color but we'll get to that in a minute.


I've only had these for about 12 hours but I can already tell you that they are closer to the Tarte Lipsurgence Natural Lip Tints than the Clinique Chubby Sticks. I love both brand's versions but here's why I'd group them with Tarte more:


Smell: this is the biggest difference. The Clinique Chubby Sticks don't smell like anything but the Revlon and Tarte ones both smell like mint.
Taste: because they both smell like mint, they kind of have that minty taste/feel on your mouth as well. Not a bad thing but different from Clinique.
Stain: The Tarte and Revlon perform more like a stain where the Clinique are more like a glossy tint. This is good and bad for me, as stains wear off unevenly on my lips but while the glossy stain types last a good amount of time, they don't last as long as a stain, obviously.


Revlon Rendezvous is a coral that leans mostly orange in the tube put pulls a little red on the lips. I wish it would've been a truer orange on my lips but it's still pretty. It has tiny - and I mean tiny - micro shimmers in it that I normally don't like but they are barely noticeable. I think they give it more of a sheen. Believe me, if there was noticeable shimmer, I would've probably returned it.


Enough blabbing...roll pics!
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain - Rendezvous


Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain - Rendezvous


Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain - Rendezvous


Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain - Rendezvous & Clinique Chubby Stick - Mega Melon


Revlon Balm Stain - Rendezvous, Clinique Chubby Stick - Mega Melon, Tarte Lipsurgence - Moody
Revlon Rendezvous, Clinique Mega Melon, Tarte Moody
Revlon Rendezvous, Clinique Mega Melon





Top & Left - Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti, Bottom & Right - Balm Stain in Rendezvous


Left to Right: Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti, Revlon Balm Stain in Rendezvous, Clinique Chubby Stick in Mega Melon, Tarte Lipsurgence in Moody


Obviously, the Clinique Mega Melon isn't as close as I thought it would be but I did find Revlon Tutti Frutti Lip Butter to be very similar. The main difference is how glossy it is, and how it stays that way. The Balm Stain starts out that way but slowly dries to more of a satin finish - but it never feels dry to me, which is awesome. The Balm Stain is also a little more sheer (but buildable) and the Lip Butter is more like a lipstick to me.


To me, it's all a matter of personal preference. The Balm Stains have more of a "staining" effect on the lip and the Lip Butter is more of a glossy balm or lipstick. Balm Stains have the minty effect, Lip Butters don't. I'm sort of bummed I picked out a color so similar but the formula is different enough for me to keep.


I can't wait to try more of these soon!


Have you tried any? What do you think?

-Liz

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Pie > Cake

I'm really not one to get into politics or anything like that. I don't like to push my views on other people and I really hate when people do that to me. That being said, I am so friggin' disappointed in North Carolina. I'm not going to lecture but come on! Why do so many people care so much what other people do with their own lives? Who gives a crap if two people of the same sex want to get married? I know a lot of straight people who don't take marriage seriously so what does it even matter? If two people are in love that's all there is to it. It shouldn't matter what gender. I have a few people in my life that are gay, but even if I didn't I would feel the same. Just because other people in the country "don't like it," it shouldn't be allowed? Well I don't like nasty, squeaky Crocs. Can that be outlawed? I'm sure I could rally enough people to get behind that. What about Creed? Mushrooms? Girls who wear a baby pink version of their boyfriend's favorite football jersey? Where does it end?!


I'm going to leave it at that, it's all been talked about to death and it seems that the majority of the country has no problem with gay marriage.  It shouldn't even be called that, it should just be called "marriage." I just wish we'd all come together and start moving in one single direction for once. Life is about change, people! It's the only constant.


Anyway, that off my chest, here's something that makes me a little abnormal to society:


I hate cake. I realize how strange and unnatural this seems to some of you but I always have, always will. I also hate frosting. Not just "Nah, it's not my favorite but I'll eat it if there's no other choices..." No. I refuse to eat cake and sometimes, that means I go without dessert. It's a tough life. There are, however, a few exceptions: angel food cake, pound cake, pineapple upside down cake and cheese cake. I don't know why those are acceptable to me. It's mainly your typical chocolate or yellow birthday party cake that I can't tolerate. For one, the chocolate cake has a weird chemical after taste to me and I don't know why but it's gross.
I don't understand why someone would order "Birthday Cake Remix" at Coldstone on purpose. I mean, without a gun to their head.


I also dislike caramel (pronounced carmel in these parts). I say dislike because as of late, I've been dabbling into a few caramel flavored foods. I would never order a Caramel Macchiato or eat a Werther's for the fun of it, but I'm trying and that's what's important.


Just like with my complete and utter fear of roller coasters, I wish these statements about me weren't true. Nothing makes you feel like a freak show more than a family devouring Grandma's Famous Homemade Red Velvet Cake and you refusing to even try it. The first time people find out I try not to make a big scene. I whisper to whomever I'm with "No, thanks." Their reply is usually "What? Why not?!" After beating around the bush I'm usually forced to come out with it. "I don't like cake."


Gasps


Silence


"What do you mean???" Then comes the voices, round and round like a carousel "Liz doesn't like cake? Liz doesn't like cake! She said she doesn't like cake." It's also not one of those facts that people accept and move on with their lives after hearing. Their day takes an interesting turn and their personal goal is to get you to try and eat cake. Not just eat the cake, but change your whole view on cake, do a 180 and end up loving it. Not gonna happen, cake snobs.


I guess the point of this whole thing is that everyone is different. None of us are the same but we're all living on the same planet at the same time. Everyone should be able to do what makes them happy. (Given what makes them happy is not murdering little old ladies for their Sucrets and handmade afghans or something.)


I'm sure you have a little freak bone in you, too. Let it shine, be different. It's what makes the world go 'round.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

I could commit the perfect crime.

I love any kind of crime show. I love everything about forensics and trying to figure out "who-done-it." In fact, if you're one of the few people reading that don't already know, my biggest aspiration is to find a dead body. Not a whole body, just a part. Preferably a finger or maybe a leg from the knee down. I don't know why, I just do. I was hoping my dreams would come true during one of the four summers I worked for Parks. Nope.


Every now and then, I'll hear about a body that was found in our city or a few cities over. Everyone at work automatically knows to send me their condolences. I think I need to get a better game plan, it seems most corpse sitings happen in the middle of the night. That's my problem right there. I'm going to have to plan some excursions.


Just a few months ago, a contractor came to our work and told us a story of how he went to his building to grab a generator, opened up the gate and found a man's leg. WHAT? Label me jelly. Even worse, he just left it there for a WEEK before calling the cops. I'm not sure what I'd be more excited about, finding it or being the first one to notify authorities. Ahh...one day...


Anyway, back to crime shows. It all started with Are You Afraid of the Dark. when you're a kid, that title sequence is just about the scariest thing there is. Picture it: Sicily, 1922 A row boat that's swaying in the lake filled with blue fog. An empty swing that's still *gasp* swinging. The sound of chains followed by...wait for it...a clown. I know, terrifying.


The next show I remember being obsessed with was Unsolved Mysteries, ya know, before they moved it over to Lifetime (and I'm pretty sure it's since been canceled.) That show scared the crap out of me and I loved it. I can hear the theme song right now...
http://youtu.be/K2S6ZQn9lvk
The best part of that show was obviously the "Unsolved." Knowing that there was a killer just lurking somewhere was totally scary awesome.


Then there was America's Most Wanted. I used to watch this at age 12 at my dad's house when it aired at midnight (okay, think it was 9pm but to a twelve year old, that's late.) Let me tell you, hearing "The suspect is considered very dangerous by the FBI and was last spotted two days ago in Detroit, Michigan." is not the most calming thing to hear as a kid. I just love the unknown.


My mom has always watched Forensic Files so that must be where I picked that up. Seriously, one of my top 5 shows of all time. Probably top 3. The theme song is freaking awesome but the best part about it is the narrator. Peter Thomas. Also heard on the Burger King commercials and, if you live in Michigan, the Beaumont Hospital ads. "Do you have a Beaumont doctor?" Ugh it gives me chills and I love it. If he ever stops narrating that show or HEAVEN FORBID passes on, I will see no point in continuing to live. Which is bad for me considering he's gotta be at least 70 by now. Forensic Files is one the greatest crime shows in history, and I'm not being funny. I'm dead serious. Pun intended. Sadly, I've slowly stopped watching this show for a few reasons. A.) It's only played late at night or really early in the morning. 2.) Since that channel switched from CourtTV to TruTv there's more Ursula looking broads towing fake cars than murder mystery shows and D.) I no longer get TruTV in my bedroom, Comcast clearly has something against me and insists on gives me every other channel but that one.


On to 2012, aka the year I discovered the ID channel. Hands down, the best channel ever invented. My favorite part is that they play crime shows all day and all night. No matter what time I turn it on, there's a 90% there's a good show airing. Just don't get me started on the host of Dark Minds and his frosted pompadour. This channel changed my life. Dramatic, I know. This is the sole reason I'm keeping Comcast. How pathetic is that? Everything else about that company sucks. But right now, I don't think anyone wants to see me going through Investigation Discovery withdrawals. It wouldn't be pretty, that's for sure. I love the variety of shows and the majority of them are good. (I can't score them lower just because I've seen about 60% of the stories on Snapped, Forensic Files, 20/20 or E! Investigates ;))


One annoying thing about these true life crime shows, though, is the interviews with the family. For once I'd like to see an honest interview about a victim. Maybe it's just in hindsight how each person is remembered in a positive light but instead of the old "She was always happy, always smiling! She was the best thing to happen to this town..." Maybe someone tells the truth? Maybe she was kind of a bitch? Or maybe she was just alright and wasn't the straight A student that had big things going for her? I gotta be honest, if something horrible happened to me, I'm not so sure everyone would be talking about how pleasant I was. Maybe that's something that gets you killed in the first place. If all those families are telling the truth, then only the optimistic, cheery, light-of-your-life kind of people get murdered. Hmmm.


Anyway, I've got to catch up on this Scorned marathon, you know, to prepare myself for the new episode tonight. They clearly have me wrapped around their finger.