Maybelline Coral Burst Blush: Review & Swatches

As part of their new limited edition Color Goes Electric Collection, Maybelline released something we hardly ever see at the drugstore level: orange blush! I don't think I've ever tried a Maybelline blush before (maybe at some point in high school), but I am a fiend for orange make-up, so Coral Burst blush came home with me! I got it for about six bucks at Walgreens.

Coral Burst looks very bright in the pan, so I was a little wary it might turn out to apply sheer. But I was very pleasantly surprised with the quality of this blush!

The texture is very smooth and blendable. The blush is also quite pigmented, but you can easily diffuse that intense color to give a softer look. Coral Burst has a satin finish, so there is some soft shimmer, but not outright sparkle.

Left: Unblended. Right: Blended.

I'm very impressed with both the blendability and the color pay-off.  It's an absolutely stunning color and I think it will be perfect for the warmer weather we (hopefully) have coming up.

I himmed and hawed over buying Coral Burst for at least a week, because I thought it would be too similar to another orange blush I own, MAC Modern Mandarin. But after failing to find a comparison between the two online, I finally just bit the bullet and thankfully, they are not dupes! I've included a comparison shot here in case it helps anyone else with their purchasing decision. They photographed pretty similar, but the difference is much more distinct in real life. Modern Mandarin is lighter, less intense and less red than Coral Burst. Unless you really love orange blush though (like me), then you still probably don't need both.

  Left: Modern Mandarin. Right: Coral Burst.

Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids Lipstick: Review & Swatches

I love me some crazy lipstick. If it's bright and it's bold, I'll wear it. But sadly for my wallet, lipsticks that are unique colors and good quality tend to come at a higher price point. So I was very excited when I heard Maybelline would be releasing a new set of Color Sensational lipsticks called Vivids, which promised bright, pigmented lip colors at a drugstore price!

I immediately began stalking my local beauty haunts for these and was thrilled to finally find them at Target. I tried to avoid shades that were potentially similar to lipsticks already in my stash, so I wound up with four lipsticks in all. Do they deliver? Read on!

 L to R: Vivid Rose, Vibrant Mandarin, Hot Plum, Brazen Berry

The packaging on these is very similar to the regular Color Sensational lipsticks, except the tube color is, appropriately, a more vibrant red than the core lipsticks. I must say though that I don't like how these are sold without any type of seal or casing. I saw two women flat out putting these on their lips while I was browsing the rest of the make-up aisle--not cute and the exact reason why I think all lip colors should come with some type of sanitation protection. Make sure to check inside the tube before you buy so you don't wind up with one that's already been "sampled." :-/

Packaging woes aside, in the pigmentation department, these are extremely impressive. They deliver bold, opaque color in just one or two strokes. They do leave a stain behind, even after the minute or two they were on my hand. Personally I don't mind it but I know some are not a fan of lip color that hangs around, so whether the stain is a good or bad thing depends on you.

 Vivid Rose

 Vibrant Mandarin

 Hot Plum

 Brazen Berry

 L to R: Vivid Rose, Vibrant Mandarin, Hot Plum, Brazen Berry

The formula is glossy smooth, almost like more of a balm than a lipstick, which makes the opacity all the more impressive considering how softly these glide across the lips. There is a light vanilla scent to these. It's not as noticeable as, say, MAC lipsticks but it is there. Once on, these lipsticks feel comfortably lightweight, never thick or drying.

Overall, I am absolutely loving these and highly recommend them! They deliver fabulous pigmentation with a surprisingly lightweight formula and you can't beat the price. I bought these for $5.99 each at Target and it was money very well spent. Vivid Rose and Vibrant Mandarin are my two favorites of the four I tried, but now I am dying to go out and get more!  If you are a bold lip lover, then you owe it to yourself to give these a shot!

Have you tried any of the lipsticks from this line yet? Do you love them as much as I do?