beyond natural

cost cutting, cutie, drugstore cosmetics

Brand:  Revlon

Line:  Beyond Natural

Product:  Protective Lip Tint SPF 15 and Cream Lipgloss

 

     Next up in my continuing coverage of Revlon’s Beyond Natural Line are its Protective Lip Tint SPF 15 and Cream Lipgloss.  I’m happy to say that I am fairly pleased with both products.  The Lip Tint is the perfect alternative for those days when you just need a bit of color, but don’t want to look like you’re trying too hard.  Though it is almost November and not exactly beach weather in Joisey, I imagine this product will be a staple in my beach bag.  Crispy lips are never attractive, but the SPF 15 should keep my lips protected and kissable.  Although the product does not have the best slip, it provides decent, sheer coverage that is virtually weightless.  It doesn’t crack, bleed or feather and wears a decent length of time.  There are about eight colors to choose from, and though that may already seem like a small range, the range becomes smaller when I mention that the two lightest colors are virtually worthless.  I happen to be so fair I make Nicole Kidman look like she’s spent too much time in the tanning bed.  If I can’t pull off the line’s “Pink” and “Peach” shades, I’m fairly sure nobody can.  Steer clear if you wish to avoid looking like a porn star or an extra from the set of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.  For neutral shades that are more flattering, try Beyond Natural’s Neutral Pink or Rosy.  The latter is actually not “rosy” at all, but rather a very lovely and wearable peach. 

     I adore cream lipglosses and mourned when my limited edition Exotic Orchid cream lipgloss from L’Oreal finally ran out.  I’m ecstatic to say that I have found a replacement in the Beyond Natural Cream Lipgloss shade of Neutral Pink.  This, my friends, is the crown jewel of the Beyond Natural line.  Unlike the lip tint, the cream lipgloss has a slip that is damn near perfect.  There is no goo, glop or tackiness to speak of.  It does not tout itself as a “lip plumper”, but it does just that.  Best of all, there are no sparkle particles to be found, just a smooth, polished sheen.  There are eight shades of Cream Lipgloss as well, but for some reason, the shades translate better in gloss form than they do in the lip tint.  One word of caution…..there is no SPF in the Cream Lipgloss, so either apply it over the lip tint or over your own favorite SPF.  Both the Protective Lip Tint and Cream Lipgloss retail for $7.99 at a drugstore near you.

 

Cut Costs Cuties!

 

Gemma

cost cutting, cutie, drugstore cosmetics

Brand:  Revlon

Line:  Beyond Natural

Product:  Skin Matching Makeup

 

     I hate gimmicks.  I tend to run in the opposite direction of what I perceive to be gimmicky product launches.  I’ve saved quite a bit of money and heartache that way.  On the other hand, I’ve recently found myself changing my mind about products that once seemed gimmicky to me.  I’ll cite mineral makeup and primers as two examples of products that I’ve come to accept as legitimate additions to my cosmetics bag.  It is with this newfound open mind that I decided to give Revlon’s new Beyond Natural Skin Matching makeup a fair shake.

     Revlon Beyond Natural Skin Matching Makeup ($10.99 for 1oz.) left me pleasantly surprised.  It was strange to see how this gritty whitish cream actually transformed into a smooth canvas that was at least a decent color match to my skin tone.  Worn over the primer, it provided medium, matte coverage that lasted about twelve hours.  I was able to build the color where I needed it, (under my eyes where blue veins create a roadmap to nowhere).  It was weightless and perhaps the most breathable non-mineral foundation that I’ve ever worn.

     Despite all of its positive attributes, I didn’t love Beyond Natural enough to ditch my Sally Hansen Inspired by Carmindy liquid foundation.  I prefer dewy luminosity to a matte finish any day of the week.  SHIBC delivers that “I just got some and you didn’t” glow in spades. The added bonus is that it feels so luxurious you’ll have trouble believing you didn’t pay through the nose for a bottle.  Beyond Natural’s color selection is also disappointing with only five shades to choose from.  Perhaps the best indication that SHIBC was the way to go came from my dear husband.  Bless his heart, he doesn’t notice much, but on the days I wore Beyond Natural he frequently commented on how tired I looked.  One morning, after returning to my SHIBC, he looked up from his paper and commented cheerfully, “Honey, you look like you finally got some sleep last night!”  That was all I needed to hear.  Beyond Natural has been banished to the drawer of misfit cosmetics.

 

Cut Costs Cuties!

Gemma

 
cost cutting, cutie, drugstore cosmetics

 Brand:  Revlon

Line:  Beyond Natural

Product:  Smoothing Primer

      Revlon has recently launched a new cosmetic line called Beyond Natural.  Products in the line are promised to leave the wearer looking “perfectly natural, never overdone”.  The new line appealed to me because I tend to favor the “less is more” approach to makeup.  I eagerly picked up a few items from the line and took them out for a test drive.  Some of the items were hits, others were misses.  The greatest “hit” from the line was the Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer. 

     Primers have long been a staple of high-end cosmetics lines.  Once upon a time, if you wanted to buy one, you had to purchase one from brands like MAC and Smashbox at outrageous prices.  Today, just like every drugstore brand is launching a version of Bare Escentuals mineral makeup, so are they flooding the shelves with lower-priced primers.  I once guarded my DHC Velvet Skin Coat the way Britney guards her triple mocha lattes.  At $20 for a .52 oz tube, it only saw the light of day on extremely special occasions.  Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer has liberated me.  It retails at $12.99 regularly, but can frequently be found BOGO or as much as half-priced at any major drugstore chain.  At those rates I can justify using it every day.  The bonus is that it outperforms Velvet Skin Coat.  As God is my witness, I shall never hoard primer again. 

     Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer fills in fine lines, wrinkles and pores and creates an ultra-smooth canvas for your makeup to adhere.  It is a weightless, long-wearing, gel formula that does not turn greasy.  The Revlon website says it has a “clean, fresh fragrance that refreshes your senses”.  I can neither confirm nor deny that claim as I have a fairly serious sinus thing going on at the moment.

     Primers are not gimmicks my friends.  They really do improve the wear of your makeup.  Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer is a great gateway primer for you primer virgins out there.  In fact, it is so good, there is no need to ever go hardcore and splash out on a higher-end version.

 

Cut Costs Cuties!

Gemma