Searching for the Perfect Pink:
Exploring CoverGirl

I am always on the hunt for the perfect pink lipstick. I want something heartbreakingly pretty like the underside of a rose petal. I spotted these Covergirl shades at a Walmart store. They were being ignored on a bottom shelf. I purchased each and every pink shade they offered. I was disappointed by the texture and lasting power of the formula. They just wore off too quickly and the color payoff was fairly weak.

#555(upper left shade) is called Pick-me-up Pink. It is a pinkish violet shade with above average pigment for a covergirl lippie.

#505 (upper right shade) is called Iceblue Pink.
It is a blue based cotton candy pink with high frost.

#545(lower left) is Parisian Pink. I purchased this lipstick for the adorable name. It is a fairly weak carnation pink. It contains no shimmer and is fairly matte-like. I use it to layer with other lippies.

#550 (lower right) is another weak shade. This is called Powerpink. It is also an frosty iceblue pink. This pink has more oomph than #505.

What do you think of Covergirl lipsticks?
Let us know in the comments.

Disclaimer: All the lippies featured in this post were purchased by me.

Day 17: CoverGirl Lipstains

by Ceil

The subject of lipstains seems to bring out some vehement reactions among cosmetics lovers. Love or hate? I have to say that I am usually in the love camp for these products. I will admit major frustration however, with the applicators that lipstains seem to get packaged with. So when CoverGirl came out with their new Outlast lipstains I had to try them…if nothing else, just to see if they came up with a better brush or way of applying the stain.
I have to say, I am totally enamored with these lightweight stains. They not only come in a beautiful range of colors, but also have applicators that are hassle-free and do not deposit huge amounts of stain all in one place. They come packaged in a pen-like brush applicator that deposits the stain naturally and evenly on your lips. The tip has a “hard” texture and can be used as a liner for defining the narrow part of lips as well. It’s like using a felt tipped pen and applying the color exactly where you want it.
And the colors!!! Such beautiful shades! Not just the typical “beet-juice” red. There are 10 colors to choose from ranging from nudes to corals, berries, blush & plum colors. I personally found that the ones I chose all seemed to have a slightly “reddish” tone within their color range….but the red was the “natural” color of the lip, not a fake red. As a result, even the shades I was afraid of …“sassy mauve” & “bit of blossom” …looked very natural, even though they had more “color” than I, as a nude lippie lover, usually wear.
The stain is water-based, non–drying and doesn’t seem to transfer or bleed outside the lipline. And, they don’t have that annoying drippy quality that so many stains have either. You can also layer this stain to increase the intensity of color (let it dry between layers). Outlast lipstains give a soft matte finish…which can be kept nicely with a matte lipbalm , or they are gorgeous with a clear gloss, or clear Mac dazzle glass on top. This is a very fun product that I think will be perfect for a natural summery look. But with colored glosses on top they can also provide a very striking evening-type look as well.

CoverGirl Exact Eyelights Mascara Review

I have been caught up with the lash vibrator trend that I have been ignoring the new drugstore mascara offerings. This new CoverGirl mascara caught my eye due to the promise of eye brightening benefits. Eyelights come in a variety of shades to make your eye color "pop". I am all about trying to make my brown eyes look less....brown.
So...I grabbed the mascara for the blue eye folks.
It is called Black Sapphire. I loved the name and the blue steel shade just looked so new and fresh.

This might have been a poor choice for me. My lashes are black so the color does not show up very well. There was no eye brightening or eye popping movement. I can report that the rubber lash wand resists clumps and delivers on great separation and volume. Curl action is just fair.

Brown eyed girls can choose Black Pearl. This looks like a deep black metallic color.
Hazel eyes have a mascara shade called Black Gold while the gals with green peepers have a shade called Black Ruby. It looks like a plum metal.

It is currently available at your local drugstore counter.
If you have tried this mascara let us know what you think in the comments.
http://www.covergirl.com/sitemap.jsp

Credits: Blogdorf Goodman and CoverGirl
Disclaimer: I purchased this product at my local drugstore.

Gucci Spring RTW 2009: CoverGirl

The blue and turquoise smoky eye was created by Pat McGrath.

I love when artists give us a new interpetation to the smoky eye. This might not be daytime or work friendly but it is fun and quite stunning. This look is from CoverGirl's palettes and is currently available at your local drugstore. No waiting and lemming till spring or stalking Specktra for details.

Credit: Style.com

Brushed With Greatness Project

Miscellaneous Brushes by Cavewoman

This last photo includes a little mix of odds and ends from my brush collection, one from this or that company, that are worthy of mention here on Blogdorf's Brushed With Greatness.

At the top is a Victoria Vogue white-bristle brush that might have been designed to be a shadow brush, but it's too large for that. I bought it at a drugstore, with one specific purpose in mind, to apply Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder to the undereye area over concealer. Its soft and moderately floppy bristles fit perfectly into that area, giving a very even, light application of the powder, keeping it right in the undereye area. It grips the powder very well, too. It is the perfect brush for this one important makeup task that I do every day.

The Armani brush was sold to me at Saks, to go with the Luminous Silk Foundation. I've never used the brush with liquid foundation, Armani or not, because I just can't get a grip on the idea of natural bristles with liquid foundation. Granted, my MA at Saks used it to apply the foundation flawlessly to my face, but I can't seem to bring myself to do it. I use this brush for blush.

The Japonesque flat wide brush sits in my collection, neglected. I'm not sure what the purpose of this shape of brush is. Please let me know what I should do with it!

The lash comb/spoolie is a recent acquisiton from Tarte. It's a great lash comb, better than my expensive Rubis which lost some teeth one day when I was cleaning it. I love the long handle, it's easier to use than the folding Sonia Kashuk, and the spoolie is nice for brow grooming.

The red-handle synthetic brush is the Lola Cosmetics concealer brush. Way way too big for undereye concealer application, but okay for spot-concealing on the face. I have actually used this brush for foundations. It works well with cream foundations. It may seem a bit small for face work, but it was certainly too big for the undereye area.

The Maybelline shadow brush was cheap and nicely shaped for blending crease colors.

Two short-handle shadow brushes from Garden Botanika are good for travel bags. One of them has a very useful v-shape, great for working a smokey color into the outer crease area. I've never seen another company offer a brush with this shape.

The little stubby Cover Girl shadow brush was also a travel purchase. Who would think that such a nicely-made, well-balanced, usefully-shaped tiny brush could be found in a blister-pack on a peg at the Cover Girl wall!

I need to repeat Discovery #1 here.
I have too many brushes.

Disclaimer: The featured products were purchased by the reviewer, Cavewoman

CoverGirl's Mascara Volume Exact Review

Plump 'em...Dont Clump 'em

This mascara is designed to give easy high volume, clump free lashes. My lashes need all kinds of help. They need volume, curl, separation and length.

This mascara has recently won the CEW award for best mascara under $12. I was in doubt that it was better than Max Factor's Volume Couture.

Volume Exact's has a similar rubber brush to Chanel's Inimitable and Max Factor's Volume Couture. According to the press release the magic is in the bristles of the brush. Each "bristle contains two tiny micro-chambers, or grooves, that completely surround each lash, coating each lash individually and allowing more of the formula to coat every lash. " I can not rave enough over these type of mascara brushes. I am so hooked that I use my Max Factor brush in all my mascaras including Dior's Blackout.

Exact Mascara delivers on volume. It creates a bold lush lash. My lashes are not fan-like but they do appear to have multiplied in size and volume. There was no clumping issues but I did make a mess during the application. The Cover Girl Mascara was heavier on my lashes than Chanel or Max Factor. This made it more difficult to keep a curl.

I did a comparison of all three mascara wands. Max Factor and Cover Girl appear to have the exact same rubber brush. Cover Girl's wand is less slanted and the bristles are not as soft as Max Factor. Chanel's wand is significantly smaller in size with softer and denser bristles.

I prefer Max Factor's Volume Couture Mascara to all of the mascaras I have tested. It is a great value. It delivers on all its promises and has a great price tag.

Have you tested all three? Which do you think is better and why? Let us know in the comments!

Disclosure: A press sample of this product was provided by CoverGirl Cosmetics

Covergirl's True Blend Whipped Foundation

This $8.00 jar reminded me of my former holy grail foundation from Chantecaille. Chantecaille's Future Skin foundation gave a sheer light coverage, felt as luxurious as whipped cream and managed to make the skin look natural and fresh. It let the skin shine through instead of creating a mask or barrier.
Covergirl's version does all this but without the $60 price tag.

There are 15 shades ranging from 3 different ivorys to Soft Sable.
This product is available at most drugstores.

Disclosure: A press sample of this product was provided by CoverGirl

CoverGirl's Trueblend Luminous Loose Blush Powder Collection

I have been using Pure Romance(pictured to the left) as an all over powder instead of a blush. It reminds me of my beloved Caron loose powder in Venitienne. It leaves a subtle rosy glow with an extra pop of gold shimmer.

Shimmering Sands is ridiculously gorgeous. It is a caramel color with iridescent gold and apricot shimmer. This is way too dark for me to use as a powder. I have to use a light hand and a skunk brush to apply this as a blush.
The powders retail for around $7.00 at your local drugstore.

Photos: Blogdorf Goodman


Disclosure: A press sample of this product was provided by CoverGirl

Drew Barrymore Takes on New Starring Role with CoverGirl Cosmetics

Actress and Filmmaker Signs Her First Major Beauty Campaign

This afternoon Drew Barrymore was ceremoniously unveiled as the newest face of CoverGirl Cosmetics. The star and filmmaker will not only find herself in front of the camera launching new products for the company, but also behind the camera as a co-creative director of her first TV commercial for the Brand.

“I am honored to be associated with a brand that has been at the forefront of its industry for almost fifty years,” Barrymore said. “CoverGirl has managed to change with the times, yet stay in touch with women of all ages and backgrounds. To be chosen not only as the newest face of CoverGirl, but to be given the opportunity to be a co-creative director of my first TV commercial is truly amazing.”

A beloved actress and gifted filmmaker, Drew emulates the iconic image of the CoverGirl brand with her fresh, natural beauty, and energetic yet authentic spirit. Her carefree, upbeat personality shines through in all that she does.

“Drew is a wonderful addition to the CoverGirl family and her role – both in front of the camera and behind the scenes as co-creative director – is new and different for the cosmetics industry,” said Esi Eggleston Bracey, Vice President and General Manager, CoverGirl Cosmetics in North America. “We wanted to honor Drew’s passions as a filmmaker and are thrilled she is not only lending her beautiful face to CoverGirl but also lending her artistic talents as the co-creative director of the ad campaign.”

Barrymore represents the CoverGirl ideals of both inner and outer beauty. She has been recognized for her sense of style, appearing on top magazine covers and is also an avid volunteer with the United Nations World Food Program.

Barrymore’s national print and TV ad campaigns will break in January 2008. This is the first major beauty contract for the actress. She joins CoverGirl spokesmodels Queen Latifah, Christie Brinkley, Keri Russell, Molly Sims and Rihanna as the newest face of the Brand.

Photo and Info from Covergirl.