After waiting 3 whole days (man, I know!!) for my Avon order to come in, I was uber excited when it showed up! Via my friend, Faren, of course :) I ordered a really cute bracelet set (in which I will be discussing my newfound love of bracelet layering in another post later) and Mark’s newest, hottest summer makeup line Ibiza Sol lip gloss in Chica Coral.

My first reaction: LOVE it!

The smell is amazing. The color is amazing. I love the marble look to the gloss itself. It’s super cute, slightly shimmery (meaning there are some fine sparkles in it), and very summer-y!

It smells like cake or something very similar (I’m like world’s worst at identifying smells). I could eat the lip gloss based on the smell alone. However, there’s no taste to the lip gloss. Which is fine because I don’t wanna find myself licking it off my lips every time I put it on. And, at least on my skin tone, the color is great! It’s definitely on the sheer side, but there is a hint of coral color. I love it. I think it’s perfect for summer. Because, if you’re like me, I don’t want a lot of color on my face…I like to save that for fall and winter. It’s not too sticky. For me, it’s right where I want it to be as far as how it feels on my lips.

I like the packaging. It’s not “high end”, but it’s cute and fun. I’m a little worried I might poke myself on the edges, but that’s just me…I’m a klutz.

Bad lighting. But, you can see the marble look of the gloss. Also, it’s a bit darker in reality than what you see here.

The marbleized lip gloss also comes in two other shades: Hola! Bronze and Bonita Pink (click on this link to view and/or purchase: http://shop.meetmark.com/shop/product.aspx?src_page=product_list.aspx&level1_id=0&level2_id=0&pdept_id=0&dept_id=0&dept=prodline&line_id=406&pf_id=41430) If you’re one of my friends from home, then I suggest you make your purchases through Faren.

I was a bit worried about purchasing the coral one because of my skin tone. With corals, for me, it’s a hit or miss. Most are too orange for my skin tone, but with the pink mixed in with it, I think it’s absolutely perfect!

I’ve been wearing it for about 45 mins now, and it’s still noticeable! As of right now, I don’t know how long it will last, but from other review I’ve read (from the Mark site), people claim it lasts well over an hour (some say up to 2). Which is about what I expect from a lip gloss that is not “high end” (Like Mac, Lacome, etc).

My only concern, thus far, would be I hope the lip gloss doesn’t lose it’s marble look from putting the brush in and pulling it out constantly (mixing it all up).

I’m impressed and highly recommend this gloss if you’re in the market for something cute, affordable, and great quality!

E.L.F Eyeshadow Palette!

As I made mention before, E.L.F is not the greatest product out there. I’m not a fan of their lip glosses (in fact I bought a pack of 3 and immediately threw them out as soon as I used one), I’m weary of using their powders and blushes because I have slightly sensitive skin and many brands tend to break my face out easily. Their eyeshadow is not the greatest quality, but I still buy it and use it from time to time. You just can’t deny their pretty colors! This palette that I bought was only $5! (Another thing E.L.F is known for…their super cheap prices!)

The colors are not that vibrant, I must admit. Nor are they heavily pigmented. Meaning, it takes many layers for the color to show up very well. Unlike the singles I have bought from them before, it seems they have improved the quality of the powder. When you rub your brush over the shadow, it doesn’t dig out a god awful amount all over the brush and onto the table (er…wherever you do your makeup!). I feel like I’ll actually have this palette a little bit longer because of this! (Did any of the make sense? If there’s a better way for to explain that, let me know!) Unlike many palettes out there, this palette has no rhyme or reason to the order in which the colors are placed. But, for me, this makes it more fun coming up with some cute combinations! I wouldn’t recommend using any of their colors for a highlighting color (like they suggest). None of them are light enough to use for this.

I must say the palette itself is sooo cute! It’s slim and matte black with a window at the top to show the first 3 rows of shadows. It also has “Eyes. Lip. Face” etched into the cover. It looks very high end, in my opinion. When you open the palette there is a huge mirror below the window for use to apply the shadow (although, I don’t know anybody who uses the mirrors provided because I apply my eyeshadow in the morning and don’t need to apply it again for the rest of the day. But, I’m sure it’s handy for on the go application!) It also comes with a double sided eyeshadow applicator, but I don’t recommend using it. I highly recommend an eyeshadow brush.

This palette has some fun colors for a cheap price! And while E.L.F doesn’t make the greatest quality products, I still recommend buying it. Especially if you’re “poor” like me and need many colors for a good price!

This looks so high end! :)

Inside the case. You can see me taking a pic in the mirror lol

A close-up of all the pretty colors! My favorites are the purples and the nudes!

Where to buy: Target, www.elfcosmetics.com

Price: $5