First Impressions: Revlon Cherished Love Gift Set

Over the past few weeks I haven’t had a lot of new products to test out but I have been road testing a gift set from Revlon. Last month I had lunch with one of my old work colleagues and she gave me this as gift from everyone. I was completely overwhelmed and did not expect anything like that at all and it was a really nice gesture. I have used each of the items a couple of times now and I wanted to share my initial thoughts with you! I will also let you know the price of each item and whether or not I think they are worth purchasing.

What’s In The Bag?

Revlon’s Cherished Love gift set retails for $59 (NZD) and contains seven pieces: a lipstick, a lipgloss, a nail polish, a top coat, a highlighting palette, an eyeshadow quad and a vanity bag. I must say I love the bright red quilted vanity bag. The zips are heart shaped and say Revlon on them. This would be a good bag for travel if you had taller products you didn’t want lying down. The bag is my favourite item from the gift set! 😛

Lips

1. Super Lustrous Lipstick – Softsilver Rose | RRP: $25.99

As soon as I saw the colour of this lipstick I thought it was beautiful! Pinks are my favourite to wear and this lipstick should be right up my street. Revlon are famous for their Super Lustrous lipsticks and the formula of this one is super moisturising and is nice to apply. Softsilver Rose has a pearl finish which is the perfect way to describe how it looks on the lips. The shade has a frosted, metallic element to it but you won’t end up looking like Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. When I applied this for the first time I found I had to apply a few coats to get nice, even coverage and to build up the colour. Honestly, I found this shade a little underwhelming and if I saw it in a shop I wouldn’t be jumping to pick it up. I have only worn this lipstick once and I’m not going to give up on it yet but I haven’t reached for it again since trying it.

Would I purchase the item on it’s own? Yes, on a couple of conditions. Despite what I just said, if you were in the market for a shade like this or you were starting to get into makeup, I would consider it. This lipstick has a lovely formula and feels comfortable to wear. As far as price goes, it’s mid-range, you’re getting a quality product so the price tag is justifiable.

2. Super Lustrous Lipgloss – Super Natural | RRP: $27.49

The packaging of this lipgloss is really nice. It’s quite simple and sleek and lightweight but I like that. You can clearly see the colour you’re getting and in my opinion, the packaging makes the product more luxurious. I have reached for this lipgloss more than the lipstick. I have tried wearing it on it’s own and layered over Blankety by MAC – I really liked this combination! As the shade name suggests, Super Natural is a lovely nude gloss and is the lightest of the lipglosses I own. The formula is more sticky than some of my others but the applicator is a good size and applies the product well.

Would I purchase the item on it’s own? Possibly. I like the shade and would be tempted to pick it up if I was in the market for a nude gloss. Personally, I wouldn’t spend more than $15-$20 on a lipgloss and if this gloss was cheaper I might buy it. I don’t wear lipgloss as frequently as lipsticks and that coupled with the sticky formula means I’d rather invest my money in one of the lipsticks.

Face

1. Colorstay 16 Hour Eye Shadow – Addictive | RRP: $34.99

This little quad does look lovely paired with the lipstick. Neutral browns have pretty much become a staple in everyone’s makeup bag and this palette is the perfect compact size if you’re traveling or going away. Having said that, the plastic does feel a little cheap. The quad comes with it’s own applicator which I have used and it does OK to apply the shades. You get three matte eyeshadows and one with a slight bit of shimmer. They aren’t the most pigmented eyeshadows but they do apply smoothly and are easy to blend. The shadows aren’t powdery and don’t create fallout. There is a diagram on the back showing you how to apply the shades but you can come up with your own combinations too.

Would I purchase the item on it’s own? No. The formula is fine but there are plenty of palettes out there with similar shades. $35 for an eyeshadow QUAD is too much. I’d recommend saving $5 and buying ‘The Nudes’ palette by Maybelline instead. You’re getting eight extra shades with more colour variety for less money.

2. Highlighting Palette – Rose Glow | RRP: $32.99

Just like the eyeshadow palette, this is a good compact size for travel and if you’re on the go but the packaging is more sturdy this time. This product is a highlighter and blush all in one so it’s handy if you’re in a rush. Pink blush is a classic and I this palette would suit fair skinned beauties in particular. The pigmentation is OK (which is why it might not work for people with darker skin) but that means you get a more subtle look and can build the product up if you desire. This is a wearable everyday palette if you’re looking for that rosy flush.

Would I purchase the item on it’s own? Again, no. I don’t know if it’s just me but the prices of these products individually seem too high. I don’t wear pink blush a lot because my skin has quite a pink undertone to it and this palette didn’t enhance my complexion. I do have a pink blush (My Girl by Dainty Doll) and I prefer how that looks to this palette.

Nails

1. Colorstay Gel Envy – Beginner’s Luck | RRP: $19.99

I am loving natural, neutral looking nail shades at the moment and when I saw this in the set I instantly liked the colour. However, similar to the lipstick I’m underwhelmed. The colour is a beautiful light pink iridescent shade with red shimmer but it doesn’t translate on the nails to look as nice as it does in the bottle. The colour is ever so slightly too light and almost washes my nails out (which you will see further on in the post). This shade would look better on darker skin tones, the contrast and lightness would really pop. I have no problems with how the polish applied, the brush was lovely and the formula easy to apply. This isn’t the longest lasting nail polish but you will get a few days wear without chipping.

Would I purchase the item on it’s own? No. As much as I love the name of this shade and how pretty it looks in the bottle I wouldn’t buy it. I’d rather spend my money on a different colour or an OPI polish (as I think they’re a similar price, $19.95). I don’t know what ‘gel envy’ refers to but my nails didn’t look extra glossy and shiny.

2. Colorstay Gel Envy Diamond Top Coat | RRP: $19.99

Like the nail range, I’m not sure what’s meant to make this top coat special but with Diamond in the name I’m imagining strong, shiny, beautiful nails. Having only tried the top coat once and only with Beginner’s Luck, I can’t really comment on it until I’ve worn it with my other polishes. My nails haven’t cracked or split since wearing it and they do feel quite strong. One thing I don’t like is the black bottle, you can’t see how much product is left or if the product has hardened and dried up and needs to be thrown out.

Would I purchase the item on it’s own? Maybe. Again, what’s putting me off is the price. I can’t comment so much on the quality of the top coat until I’ve used it more but Maybelline’s Dr Rescue is about half the price and I really like how that performs.

Swatches

Top To Bottom: Super Natural, Softsilver Rose, Addictive eyeshadow quad and Rose Glow highlighting palette.

Beginner’s Luck and Diamond Top Coat.

Left: Wearing Addictive, Rose Glow and Softsilver Rose, Middle: Wearing Super Natural and Right: Wearing Super Natural over Blankety by MAC.

Overall

I would only consider purchasing half of the products on their own if they weren’t part of this gift set. $59 for the set is an absolute steal when you consider you’d be paying $161.44 if you were to purchase these products individually. For $59 I believe the set is worthy of it’s price tag, but it makes me wonder how can they afford to sell the gift sets at such a discounted price. If you were giving this to someone who is a makeup lover or is just starting out with makeup, I’m sure they’d love it. I won’t be reaching for these products all that often but I will continue to test them out because my thoughts could change.

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Let me know your thoughts! Did I give a fair review or was I too harsh?

May Favourites 2016

Here we are at the end of another month and I’m already half way through my week off from work. If I could sum this month up in one word it would be exciting! I’ve been looking forward to my time off for a long time, I’ve been doing some online shopping and had a few bits and pieces arrive as well. May has been a pretty good month for me and I hope it was for you too! Onto the favourites!

1. Rimmel Exaggerate Eyeliner 212 Rich Brown – I’ve really upped my eyeliner game since purchasing this in March. I would never apply eyeliner because I didn’t know how and couldn’t do so confidently. I have made good progress which I think is down to this being a retractable pencil. There’s something about the nib on a liquid eyeliner that scares me. The nib on this eyeliner is almost like a crayon and it glides on easily without being messy and getting all over my eyelid. I find this lasts well, I haven’t experienced any fading or smudging and it’s not a pain to remove. If you’re a newbie to eyeliner or not the best at applying it like me, I’d recommend trying this out!

2. Maybelline Dr. Rescue Top Coat – I have been meaning to include this little gem in my last two monthly favourites posts but I have forgotten to photograph it both times. How cute is the bottle?! You get 7ml of top coat which is about half the amount of product in a normal nail polish but you really don’t need to use a lot of this at all. It looks pink but does in fact apply clear. The product adds a gloss and shine to your nails that is sure to smarten up any manicure and gives them a gel-like effect. This top coat doesn’t feel thick applied over two coats of polish and in my experience does prolong wear.

3. Rimmel Match Perfection Loose Powder – Translucent – If you had told me that powder would work for my dry skin and make my makeup look better I never would have believed you. I took the plunge and purchased the matching powder to my Rimmel foundation and I have become a convert. I thought this was quite a splurge at $19 considering it’s only a powder but I don’t need to use very much at all and a little goes a long way. I have been applying this all over my face with my Real Techniques Blush brush as it’s big and fluffy and allows me to sweep the powder across my skin. I really do think this does a wonderful job at setting my makeup and holding everything in place. It’s become one of my everyday go to products.

4. DQ & Co. Love Your Skin Balm – This is another product that has taken me by surprise. I got this as a freebie from work and it’s a multipurpose balm that claims to be good for skin, cuts, bites, sun damage and chapped lips to name a few. One thing that intrigued me about this was the claim to help with acne and blemishes. The balm is formulated with Active Manuka Honey and Vitamin A (retinol) to promote healing and minimise scarring. At night I have been applying this balm on my chin and around my nose where I’m prone to breakouts and it has made a big difference. I’m lucky that I don’t get a lot of acne anyway but my skin looks clearer since using this. The skin around my nose can get extremely dry and flaky and that hasn’t been happening either.

5. OPI – Bubblebath – I have barely taken this nail polish off all month and I can fast see it becoming one of my signature colours. Bubblebath is a sheer, neutral, sweet candy pink which gives an almost French manicure look once applied. This polish applies like a dream, lasts for about a week on my nails without chipping and is very much my nails but better! To read more about Bubblebath and see what it looks like on, CLICK HERE.

6. Conor Maynard – Contrast – This album was released in 2012 and I used to listen to it like crazy! I don’t know what got me thinking about it again but I ended up downloading it and have been listening to it all month. I have always thought Conor’s voice is exceptional and very unique. He has this cool R&B/pop vibe to his music which mixed with his tone is proper swoon-worthy, think somewhere between Bieber and Timberlake. His music is sure to appeal to a predominantly female audience but Conor has this cool swagger that makes things feel a bit more grown up. Standout Tracks: Turn Around, Vegas Girl, Better Than You, Pictures and Just In Case.

May’s Spotify Playlist:

This month’s playlist is relatively short in comparison to some of the others I’ve done but things have slowed down a bit on my new music radar. (And I’ve been listening to Contrast all month). This playlist is very male heavy and only features one track by a female artist.