REVIEW: Annabelle Leopard Bronzer in "Jungle Belle"

i love Shoppers and i especially love their Clearout section. 

i picked up this Annabelle bronzer along with a lipgloss on clearance for $2. how can you say no to a pretty leopard bronzer at such a pretty price?

so this Annabelle Leopard Bronzer in "Jungle Belle" (13 g) was actually released with last year's Jungle Belle Summer 2011 collection. Annabelle does not have this Leopard one anymore but don't fret because they have a Zebra version (in Haute Gold)! 

swatching this bronzer was hard work! i tried to swatch the three different colors (peach, pink, brown) separately and then all together to show you a better idea of the colors. but the color was extremely difficult to pick up with my finger. the pigmentation was poor - it took more than 5 swipes each to get some color payoff on my arm. the peach in particular can hardly be seen. i find that it actually shows a tad better on my cheeks (using a brush) but then again, i don't really need my bronzer to be that dark on my cheeks. there is also a slight shimmer and i like how the colors look mixed together.

overall, i was not too impressed with this product. i'd give it points for the cute packaging though... 

have you fallen for the packaging before? do you own any Annabelle bronzers and if so, do you think they have improved? 

REVIEW: Annabelle TwistUp Retractable Lipstick Crayon

right on the heels of my second Revlon Balm Stain post, i have another lip crayon for you!
make that two!

thanks to Kristelle (Crystal Candy Makeup) and her reviews on four of the 12 available shades, i was convinced that i needed some Annabelle TwistUp Retractable Lipstick Crayons in my life.
and what better opportunity to buy them than during a Shoppers Optimum BOGO lipstick/lipgloss event last Wednesday from 6 to 9 pm (BOGO = buy one, get one; thought i should clarify that since i only figured what that meant this year haha). thank you marsbar35 (Marsbar Jewelry & More) for telling me about this awesome promotion!! i love the blogging community! <3

there were a few other colors i wanted to try but i decided to go with "Bubble" and "Mai Tai".
"Bubble" is a pink coral. it reminds me of pink lemonade or some kind of Kool-Aid flavor. i'm only wearing a light layer in the picture below because my lips were not in the best condition that day. i am sure the color could be more pronounced if preferred. "Bubble" seems to emphasize the cracks in my lips more so than "Mai Tai".

artificial light; natural light

i was confused about the name "Mai Tai" so i did a little search. a Mai Tai is a type of cocktail and i think Annabelle may have also found this name fitting because of their new spokesperson, Marie-Mai (a French Canadian singer). anyways, "Mai Tai" may look quite intimidating in the tube but the red actually applies more sheer on the lips. i think reds make my lips look gigantic... i quite like the color though. it's a great starter red if you are just starting to venture into Gwen Stefani territory.

Annabelle TwistUps are a lipstick and lip liner in one. the tip allows you to line your lips precisely. both shades apply smoothly but since these are quite pigmented, i'd suggest exfoliating first to get rid of any dry patches. the TwistUps leave a slight shine and is non-sticky, unscented and paraben free! wear time is pretty good - seems to be about four hours, but less if you choose to eat/drink.

curious about the similarities and differences between Revlon's Balm Stains and Annabelle's TwistUps?
both have a range of 12 colors - i think Revlon has more plum shades while Annabelle has more purples. i prefer the color payoff of the TwistUps- which may be because they are lipstick crayons rather than a mix of a lip balm and a stain, which in turn is why Revlon's is more moisturizing. so really, both are great products!
the TwistUps are thinner but roughly the same height. they also have a clear plastic cap that allows you to see the color.

Annabelle TwistUps retail $9.99 each at Shoppers and contain 1.5 g of product. are you planning on checking these lipstick crayons out? i think i might want "Absolute", "Divine", or "Mimosa"... decisions, decisions.