Revlon Colourstay Shadowlinks

This is apparently the week to review freebies because today’s product is another item I received for nothing: Revlon’s Colourstay Shadowlinks. I actually first received one of these new eyeshadows back in November in my Spark Sessions swag bag. The colour I received was a dark green (Khaki is its proper name), a shade that doesn’t really work on me so I only wore it a couple of times.

Then in February, I received an email from Revlon offering me four free shadows as part of its RevlonSelects program. Of course I jumped at the opportunity and selected these colours: Oyster, a light metallic; Onyx, a sparkly black; Java, a sparkly brown and Peacock, a bright, sparkly blue. The first three are shades that I would use all the time while the blue one is a bit of a wild choice that I picked in part to test out Revlon’s claims that these products offer “rich color.”

It was a smart move that allowed me to better test out these products. After trying all five colours, multiple times, I am completely confident in saying that these are so-so shadows that, given their roughly $4 price tag, do exactly what you would expect.

Revlon Parfumerie Scented Nail Enamel

A few weeks ago I received a nice surprise in the mail: A free bottle of Revlon’s Parfumerie Scented Nail Enamel; an item I received because I’m a member of the company’s Revlon Selects team.

The bottle I received was a bright blue shade called Surf Spray. According to the card that accompanied it, this product is “a sensorial experience for your nails, exciting you from the moment you apply your colour.”

And what makes it a “a sensorial experience?” The fact that this polish line features “vibrant, shiny shades that go on smoothly” and a “light fragrance revealed when dry.” Yes, according to Revlon, this item basically blends nail polish together with perfume.

Great Mail Day!

This morning I discovered a mailbox stuffed with completely free goodies! Box one was from the Revlon Selects program and contained two Revlon by Marchesa 3D Jewel Appliqués nail art packs. The first pattern is called Jeweled Noir and has a design that is down right subtle when compared to some of the other offerings in the Marchesa collection. I think I will wear it next weekend when I'm attending Spark Sessions, Toronto's first beauty and fashion blogger conference.

The other pattern I received is called Gilded Mosaic and it is blinged out. While it's a bit much for everyday wear, it'll be perfect for the upcoming holiday session. Now should I wear this product for my Christmas party or for Husband's? (Assuming that the Marchesa line lasts as long as Revlon's original 3D Jewel Appliqués, it won't last much longer than a weekend.)

Box two was my Sample Source Box. It was absolutely packed with all kinds of practical and good-sized samples for everything from Minute Maid Rice to Snuggle laundry softener. Also included were a bunch of beauty-related product including Dove's men line, John Frieda shampoo and condition and the product I'm most intrigued about John Frieda Frizz-Ease 3-Day Straight Semi-Permanent Styling Spray. You can be sure that I'm going to be reviewing that!

Sample Source is a completely free, strings-free, service that you can join over here (and if I remember correctly, it's also going to be sending me a trial subscription to Elle Magazine).

Revlon Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel

I was sent a free bottle of this product by Revlon as part of a Revlon Selects package. That same package included a bottle of Chroma Chameleon Nail Enamel, a product that I absolutely love. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about Revlon’s Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel. It’s actually hard to believe that the same company released both this line and the Chrome Chameleon line because the former is such a dud. I've tried a lot of nail polishes in my life and this one is easily one of the worst I've ever encountered.

The problem is the texture; it’s just too thin and watery. Attractive, consistent colour is only possible if you layer this polish on, which leads to half-a-centimetre of enamel on your nails that never completely hardens. And of course, every layer you apply is another chance to screw up that nail’s polish job.

More On Nail Art Wildflowers 3D Jewel Appliqués

Earlier this week someone over at Revlon Canada spotted my blog post about my mixed thoughts on the company’s new Nail Art Wildflowers 3D Jewel Appliqués and offered to put me in touch with Leeanne Colley, “nail maestro,” creator of @tipsnailbar and official spokesperson for Revlon nail enamels, nail care and beauty tools, who could give me some advice on how to make the appliqués last longer. Of course I agreed to this idea and shortly afterwards Leeanne tweeted at me with a couple of useful tips that I figured I would share below:

• Acetone-based removers (oil and fragrance free) work best when cleansing the nails prior to the application (I did wipe my nails with an acetone-base nail polish remover before applying the appliqués but I probably didn't do the most thorough job)
•  Center the appliqués at the cuticle & pull it over the tip & sidewalls of the nail (stretching) before pressing (this I did not do)

Revlon Nail Art Wildflowers 3D Jewel Appliqués

Dear Revlon, while this might not be the most flattering review, it was a good move to send me a free sample of your Nail Art Wildflowers 3D Jewel Appliqués as part of your Revlon Selects program as I have now discussed this product with easily two dozen people, likely more, more than a few of them are interested in trying this product out for themselves. While some people were interested in the details of this product, most just wanted to know what was on my nails. Hope this creates the buzz you were looking for.

Lindsay

Okay, now that I'm done with Revlon, back to you, regular readers. The reason why so many people were interested in this product is because the design I was sent, Bow-quet, is quite eye-catching and clearly something a little more advanced than your typical polish job. I know I could never create this pattern using polish, nor could I create any of the patterns that are available as part of this collection (Note: The images linked to might just be available to Americans). And while some of these patterns are a bit, let’s go with flashy, some are quite pretty.

Revlon Chroma Chameleon Nail Enamel

I have found my new favourite nail polish: Revlon’s new Chroma Chameleon Nail Enamel. Sure, it hasn't quite been one week and I've only try out the one colour but trust me, it’s love.

OK, before I go any further, I need to state that I received my bottle of Chameleon polish for free as part of the Revlon Selects program. But please believe me when I say that I'm not gushing because I received this product for free, I'm gushing because this product is truly great.

“Shine in rich jewel tones with the sensation of sleek colour changing multi-chromes on your fingertips,” says Revlon and to that I say, “Yes please!” I simply love how this polish looks; somehow it manages to be two-tone in a way that’s almost elegant.  Gold, the name of the colour I received, has a jade green base colour that turns gold when the light hits it. It’s really quite pretty and surprisingly versatile, going with a wide range of clothing styles and colours.

Revlon Nail Art Moon Candy

Revlon’s Nail Art Moon Candy is one of those products that I normally would have completely ignored. I mean, look at it, doesn't it look like something your 12-year-old self would have been all over?

But since it was included in my Revlon Selects package I decided to try it out and, much to my surprise, it’s actually a product I can see myself using again.

One reason why I’ll likely be using it again is that, unlike most other nail art out there, this product is easy to apply. To start you just paint on the solid colour polish. Like other Revlon polishes, this one goes on easily and consistently and dries to an elegant, glossy finish.

Once the plain colour has dried, you paint on the “art moon candy,” which is really iridescent flecks that are cut in a variety of shapes and sizes. These flecks are supposed to bring a 3D effect to your nails though the vast majority of the flecks go on smoothly and lay flat against the nail. As a result, you can barely feel a 3D effect, let alone see one.

Revlon PhotoReady Primer + Shadow

It’s a miracle! Finally an eye shadow primer that prevents creasing! Okay, it did only prevent that problem for about five or so hours, but still that’s better than any other product I've used.

Before I continue praising this product, let me back up and explain how I got it and what it is. As I mentioned last week, I'm one of the lucky bloggers who was picked to be a part of the #RevlonSelects program. This means that I get sent free, new Revlon product to try and review.

One of the items in my box was Revlon PhotoReady Primer + Shadow, which uses the tag line: Limitless looks. One palette. No guesswork. It’s one of those eye shadow palettes that visually explains what colour goes on what part of your eye area.

Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede Lipstick

I am not a lipstick person. I find that, generally, lipstick looks unflattering on my thin lips and leaves them feeling dry and uncomfortable. I also find that lipstick is too high maintenance for me; I hate having to consistently re-apply a product every hour or so.

Because of all of those reasons, Revlon’s ColorStay Ultimate Suede Lipstick in Backstage is not a product I would have ever bought for myself. But since it arrived as part of my free Revlon Selects package, I decided it give it a try.

Initially, I was a bit hesitant to put it out. Not only was it a lipstick but it was one that, in the tube, looked to be a dark, purple-ish red colour. I couldn't pull that off. But then I applied it and happily discovered that this shade goes on lighter, and less purple, than one would expect.

Got My Revlon Selects Package!

A couple weeks ago I found out that I was picked to be part of the new Revlon Selects program, which sees dozens of lucky beauty bloggers receiving new Revlon products in exchange for our opinion and buzz.

Today my package arrived and this is what was in it:

• ColorStay Ultimate Suede Lipstick in Backstage
• PhotoReady Primer + Shadow in Metropolitan 
• Nail Art Expressionist in Vincent Van Gold
•  Nail Art Moon Candy in Orbit 
• Diamond Collection nail file