Maybelline Color Sensational Shaping Lip Liner Review

 *This post was sponsored by Maybelline. All opinions expressed are my own.

In the world of beauty, there are lots of myths and preconceived notions about certain products. Foundation does not, in fact, have to feel like a mask. Those with a natural flush to their cheeks can look beautiful wearing blush. And if the first image that pops into your head when you hear the word "lipliner" is that whole let's-rock-a-liner-10-shades-darker-than-my-lipstick trend, I am about to give you a whole new perspective.

As a self-proclaimed Lazy Girl it's true that applying a liner under my lipstick is not always something I make the time for. However, ever since Maybelline sent me their new range of  Color Sensational Shaping Lip Liners to review, I've been reminded how worth it that extra step can be. A great lipliner will not only give your lip look extra precision and wear time, but it can also open up a ton of artistic possibilities. Whether you want to create a custom lip cocktail, or a perfect ombre illusion, the world of lipliner is your oyster.

What's New at the Drugstore | Winter 2017

Hey there, friends! Is anyone else as excited at I am about all of the new launches from the drugstore? After months of feeling not very enthused by anything in the affordable makeup realm, the shelves of Walgreens and CVS have essentially exploded in the last couple of weeks with products I could not wait to try. Over the past week on my YouTube channel I've put together a couple of videos sharing all of my new loot and putting it to the test for you guys. Curious to see how everything worked out? Keep on reading!

Maybelline 24K Nudes Palette Review

This post is sponsored by Maybelline. All opinions expressed are my own. For more information regarding my affiliations and disclosures click here.

Happy New Year, loves! Is your mind also blown that January is already here? I know this can be a rough month, what with all of the fun and excitement of the holidays behind us, but I do have one piece of good news to lift your spirits. A new year means that a TON of beauty launches are on their way, so you can at least look forward to having plenty of pretty new makeup to play with if you're cooped up indoors.

One of the things helping me get through the post-holiday slump is this Maybelline 24K Nudes Palette ($11.99). Maybelline was kind enough to send it to me to review along with some other fun eye makeup goodies to complete my look. It's got some really beautiful on-trend colors that I'm super excited to show you!

Winter 2016 Empties

*Affiliate links/PR Samples used

Hello beauties! It's time yet again to take out the trash. I've got a boat load of empty products that I need to say goodbye to, and we're going to chat a little bit about each one. Perhaps its just the die hard beauty enthusiast in me, but I love watching and filming empties videos. Sure it's a lot of fun to hear about what's new and trendy, but sometimes I wonder how much of a person's enthusiasm for a product is based on the hype. And that's why empties are awesome. By the time you're ready to throw something away, your opinion is much less likely to be biased by newness. If someone finishes an entire bottle of something and loved it so much that they already have a backup on standby, I'm going to take that recommendation pretty seriously.

In the end, we all work hard for our money, and if we're going to invest some of it into beauty products, we don't want them to suck. And that's why I'm here doing what I'm doing. I'm willing to take one for the team, to risk the occasional fail so that you don't have to. What kind of friend would I be if I wasn't? So if you want to find out my most honest, tried-and-true opinions on some beauty goodness, keep on reading!

Shop the Stash: Brows

Has anyone else noticed that I am SUPER overdue for my next installment of Shop the Stash?! I've been a little bit distracted with all the new goodies I took home from Gen Beauty (can you blame me?), which means my quest for rediscovery got temporarily put on pause. But now that I've had plenty of time to play I'm ready to get back to business!

For those of you who might have missed out on my first couple of posts from this series, we're going through my makeup stash one category at a time in the hopes of rediscovering amazing products I've been neglecting. As we "shop the stash" I'll be giving you mini reviews of each product and tips on how I like to use them. So far we've covered my collection of eye primers, concealers, and bronzers, and today we're going to be chatting all things brow-related!

For the longest time I never considered eyebrows a necessary step of my makeup routine, but now I feel naked if I leave the house without them done! As a result I've ended up with quite an arsenal of products to fill, define, and highlight those bad boys. So let's take a look at everything and see which of these brow goodies are my absolute faves!

Final Farewells: My Fall 2016 Empties

Friends, it's time yet again to go through my beauty trash. I love filming empties videos, but I also totally can see how strange the whole concept probably is to someone who isn't as immersed in the beauty world as my crazy self. Because really, who else hoards expired makeup and empty bottles?

In all seriousness, the reason I think empties posts are so awesome is that when you've used a product to the very last drop, you really know how you feel about it. It's like a relationship. In the beginning its all excitement and newness, and you're probably willing to overlook the little flaws and annoyances. But time goes on, and when the honeymoon phase is over you've either found yourself a beautiful partnership, or end up realizing that that product...er...person...isn't as awesome as you originally thought.

It's been a couple of months since my last empties round up, so I've got A TON of products to share with you guys. Did I find true love? Or was I already checked out of our relationship? If you want to know, grab yourself a snack, cozy up, and get ready for some real talk (beauty style).

Trending Now: Glittering, Metallic Eyes

Trying to mentally prepare myself for fall is never an easy task. Don't get me wrong. I'm all about everything pumpkin spice, plaid shirts, and being able to dig my beloved boots out of hiding. But the change of seasons is always bittersweet. Winters here in New England are brutal, and fall sometimes feels like a pretty little distraction from the impending dark and cold. But, before I get myself too depressed thinking about Connecticut mid-February, let's put the focus back on what we've got to look forward to in the coming weeks.

Fall makeup might just be my all-time favorite of the entire year. Vampy reds, lush berries, rich chocolate tones...it's basically the season for extra sultry glam. While blindingly bright highlighters were all the rage this summer, the sparkle factor appears to have transferred to the eyes for fall. Whether you're just adding a bit of shimmer to the lid, or incorporating serious metallic shine into a full-on smokey eye, there are tons of options popping up at every price point to unleash your inner MUA.

As someone who's always had a soft spot for glitter, I'm welcoming this trend with open arms. The combination of a warm, inviting fall color palette with intense sparkling shine is especially gorgeous, and has me totally inspired to create some killer eye looks. If you're as into this trend as I am, here are some product recommendations to get you started!

The Ride or Die Makeup Tag: Holy Grail Favorite Products

So today's post is a bit of an impromptu one. I'm not normally one to get sucked into the hype of YouTube challenges and tags, but considering how much I a. love Jaclyn Hill, and b. love talking about makeup, I really couldn't resist. Her energy is so infectious, and pretty much immediately after watching her video I found myself planning to film my own take on the tag.

If you're feeling a little lost, Jaclyn posted a video last week creating a "Ride-or-Die" makeup tag, encouraging everyone out there to share their holy grail, tried-and-true, all-time favorite makeup products of life. A ton of other beauty gurus have joined in on the fun (you can see Tati's video here) and it's been really interesting to see how different (or in some cases similar) everyone's responses have been.

As a word of warning, today's video is a particularly chatty one. With so many products to talk about, and so much love to be shared, I think I got a little carried away. But, if you're still curious to find out what my ride-or-die favorites are, and don't mind hanging out with me for a little bit, keep on reading!

Save or Splurge? Another Drugstore and High-End Beauty Showdown

*This post contains affiliate links.

Anyone who's been around these parts for a while knows that when it comes to beauty products, I appreciate having a healthy mix of high-end and drugstore options. Sometimes the quality of a product merits the extra cash, sometimes the budget friendly option performs better. It's one of the things I love about beauty blogging. The more I try and review, the better able I am to compare and contrast so you guys can reap the benefits!

I know I'm not the only one who loves searching for a good dupe. It looks like my original Save or Splurge post has been getting a lot of attention lately, which made me think it's about time I did a follow up! Over the past 7 or 8 months I've been keeping an eye out for potential pairings, and I think I've now rounded up a nice little selection of products to share with you guys.

Today I've got four of my favorite high-end beauty products to talk about: a cult favorite liquid lipstick, an iconic brow pencil, the perfect summer blush tint, and the super glue of eyeshadow primers. Are they worth the splurge? Or should you save your money and opt for these budget friendly drugstore options instead? Let's take a look!

Summer Beauty Haul | Birthday Goodies, 4th of July Deals & More

When I was a little kid, I used to hate the fact that my birthday was a. in the summer and b. the day before the 4th of July. I never got to bring cupcakes into school or have my birthday announced over the loudspeaker, and every time I tried to throw a party to celebrate, all my friends would be away for the holiday weekend with their families. I basically decided that the universe had cursed me with the worst birthday ever.

Twenty years later, my opinions have done a total 180.

I love my birthday. There are always amazing deals happening right at the time where I might have some newly acquired gift cards to spend, I never have to work the morning, AND I get fireworks. I mean, seriously. Thank you mom and dad for bringing me into the world on what I have determined is essentially the perfect weekend.

As you can tell from the title of this post, I've done a little damage recently in the shopping department. How could I resist picking myself up a few birthday goodies at a time where so many sweet deals are to be had? I suppose I could have had more restraint...but really, since when are birthdays about denying yourself? I always love sharing what I'll be testing and reviewing next with you guys, so I've rounded up all my new loot and filmed a little haul video.

Shop the Stash | Concealers

Hey friends! It's time for another shop-my-stash installment. For those of you who're new to the Little Blushing Birdie scene, I've been on a mission to sort through my makeup collection. To swatch, play, and rediscover old flames in an attempt to curb those urges to go out and haul more goodies. A few weeks back we delved into my bronzer collection, and today I'm busting out makeup's magical eraser. The eradicator of dark circles. The banisher of blemishes. The nemesis of redness. Yes, today we're chatting about the little miracle that is concealer.

May Favorites

Hello there, friends! May has been a bit of a crazy month for me, and I know I haven't been as active around these parts as I would like to be. It's not for lack of things to share. I've got A TON of posts queued up, waiting for me to make time to finish them. My hope is that I'll be able to get my butt in gear over the next couple of days and get down to blogging business. On that note, if you aren't already subscribed to Little Blushing Birdie by e-mail, it's the best way to get notified whenever I post something new. It'll deliver a snippet straight to your inbox so you can remember to check it out whenever you've got the time.

Anyway, back to the reason your here! There are a few great products I've been playing with this month that I'm excited to share with you all. Truthfully I've been using a lot of the same things I've been loving from the past couple of months (the IT Cosmetics CC Cream is life), so if you really want a clearer picture of my beauty loves, I'd recommend looking back at my previous favorites posts from this year. But as any beauty junkie knows, there's always something new to talk about. So let's get to it!

Orange Crush

As a warning, this post may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I seriously CANNOT get enough of orange colored lips. There's something so fierce and energetic about a firey pout that it basically gives me an instant boost of self confidence every time I rock one. Plus, orange just screams summertime. Spicy lips, bronzed skin, beachy waves...what's not to love?

Today I wanted to share five of my favorite lip products for channelling my inner sexy salsa dancer. If orange seems way outside your comfort zone, I challenge you to take the plunge and give it a try! It's an extremely flattering color on light and deep skintones alike, but much like its oh-so-basic cousin pink, it's all a matter of finding a shade that works right for you.

New In: Drugstore Lip Loves & Loathes

In true Lauren fashion, I've added way more lip products to my collection recently than is probably necessary for anyone ever. In my defense, the drugstore basically exploded with new products in the past three months, and as your resident beauty expert I feel compelled to stay on the up-and-up for you guys. Fortunately I'm all about that coupon life and was able to snag all of these products at a crazy discount as a result. Seriously. If there is one thing I want you to take away from reading my blog, it's that you don't need to spend a small fortune on beauty products. Part of the reason I love writing reviews is because it affords me the opportunity to take some of the guess work out of the shopping process for others. I want you all to shop smart. To have your cake and eat it too (or in this case, have your lipstick, plus another lipstick, and still have money for your morning coffee run).

So let's chat a little bit about what's new and good in the world of drugstore lip products. L'Oreal, Maybelline, Revlon, and Burt's Bees all had some promising launches that I've put to the test for you. Spoiler alert, some are pretty great, some are all right, and at least one is kind of awful. Have some guesses as to what's what? Let's see if you've got some beauty mind reading powers.

February Favorites 2016

We've found our way to the end of yet another month, which means its time to talk about the best beauty products I've been using in the past couple of weeks. I'm still pretty hooked on a lot of what I was using in January, so you should definitely check out that post as well if you haven't already. Still, there are always new loves, discoveries, and rediscoveries to talk about, and I've got quite a few of them to share!

Disappointing Products, Part II

Consider today's post a PSA to the beauty world. For the past year I've been putting aside products that for one reason or another were a let down to me. From wonky formulas to lackluster pigmentation, there are many a reason a product can disappoint, and it's really frustrating to waste your money on something that you just don't enjoy using. Hating on beauty products is not something I like to do, but sharing my true feelings is important to not only keep me honest, but to also help steer you all in the right direction. Cause let's be real, we work hard for our cash money, and if we're going to spend it on a new mascara it better not give us raccoon eyes!

New in: Drugstore Beauty for Winter & Spring 2016

Guys, the temptation to haul drugstore beauty right now is real. Have you seen how many amazing new launches hit the shelves for the new year? From on-trend makeup to rival hyped high-end brands, to all-natural skincare goodies to make any green beauty lover swoon, there's something for pretty much everyone to get excited about. I'm not gonna lie, I've already picked up a few things that I just couldn't resist trying out for myself, but there so much more out there I'm dying to get my hands on. Here's just a few of the latest products to appear in the drugstore this season that I think are worth checking out!

Best of 2015 Beauty: My Makeup Picks

Happy New Year! It's hard to believe, but 2016 is already here. It's amazing how quickly 12 months can fly by and all of a sudden its January again. While 2015 was a relatively low key year for me in my personal life, I feel like it was pretty exciting for me blog-wise. I started out my first affiliate partnerships, revamped my YouTube channel, worked with some great brands, and tried SO. MANY. PRODUCTS. I wrote 171 posts (that's more than the two previous years combined!), totally revamped my site design, and have finally started to figure out this whole social media thing. In the end, blogging is definitely a labor of love, but I couldn't be happier about investing my time and energy into creating this space that I can share with all of you. I've got so many plans and goals for the coming year, and hope that you'll all be up for joining me on that journey.

But, before we get to ahead of ourselves, I want to give 2015 a proper send off. I've spent the last few weeks rifling through my cabinets, digging through my drawers, and perusing my old blog posts to come up with an epic list of my most favorite beauty products from the past year. For a moment I considered making one short list encompassing my best-of-the-best products, only to quickly realize that it's kind of impossible to just pick one favorite makeup or skincare item from the hundreds that I've tried. So instead, I offer you this. Over the next few days I'll be sharing my best beauty discoveries of 2015, with each post focusing on a particular group of products. So let's start things right by talking about everyone's favorite beauty addiction - makeup.

5 Minute Makeup Tutorial

Happy Sunday, all! I am cozied up at home with my cup of coffee, starting my day off being a little bit productive. It's been a cold, rainy, generally gross week, but finally the sun is shining again and I am ready to actually enjoy a little bit of fall. I'd love to go out and get a couple of pumpkins for my front stoop, maybe even bust out the Halloween decorations. It's October people, time to embrace all things festive!

On a day like today when I'm either going to be out and about running errands or relaxing at home, I like to take a break from full-face makeup. All I want is to look polished and put together without having to expend a whole lot of time and energy getting ready. In the spirit of having a little bit of fun, I thought I'd put my skills to the test and see if I could come up with a makeup look to share with you guys that you can do in five minutes or less.

New In: Drugstore Lippies

Guys...I've gone a little crazy with the lip products lately. Switching up your lip color is one of the easiest way to pump new life into your beauty routine, and what better place to snag a new shade than the budget-friendly aisles of the drugstore? There were a few products in particular I've heard fellow bloggers rave about that I really wanted to try for myself, so I rounded up my Extrabucks and my coupons and ended up with this little collection of lippies. I've had a few weeks to swatch, play, and test these bad boys out, and am finally ready to give you all a verdict!