makeup review: buxom lip plumper

i confess: i'm a sucker for lip gloss. and lip stick, and lip stains. pretty much any makeup. it's hard to go grocery shopping without picking up something.

in the lippy area, i tend towards glosses. my lips tend to be dry, so i gravitate towards products that i can actually feel on my lips. buxom lip plumpers come in a multitude of colors and instantly work the moment you put them on. my lips feel tingly and cool, and i especially love the color. i went with destiny, a peachy color that is super flattering, especially for summer. i ordered this product a few weeks ago, and just ordered a second tube because i've used it so much. at $18, buxom lip plumpers are on the low end of sephora's price scale, making them even more worth it.

bottom line: two out of two lips plumped to perfection, yummy taste and smell and perfect color. i am now obsessed!

makeup review: maybelline lip stain

i can't tell you how many times i've spent pacing the makeup aisles at target, wondering which lip stick, lip gloss, nail polish or eye shadow i should buy. discovering a new favorite is like finding gold - once i find something i love that works, i'll pay whatever it costs for it. i'm partial to sephora, but that doesn't mean i don't love a great deal. sadly, i'm finding less and less quality among the cheaper products. you get what you pay for - most of the time.

i've been wanting to try a lip stain for a while now. i love the idea of it - lips just stained, as if i've been eating strawberries. no gloss, no shine, just simple natural-looking matte color.

i picked up maybelline's color sensational lip stain in cranberry crush at target for about $6.50. i haven't had a lot of luck with maybelline products and usually go for revlon or l'oreal. unfortunately, my bad luck continued with this lip stain.

the pros: beautiful color (very flattering berry-red), matte finish, and it really did look like i had just drank some kool-aid.

the cons: stayed on for all of five minutes before it started flaking off, too expensive for a drug-store product to not last longer, can't go with any other glosses because it flakes off then too.

my verdict: i'm still searching for the perfect lip stain. this is not it.