review: annabelle cosmetics #abcolourpower

One of the best things about the holiday season? All of the amazing makeup sets. Brands high and low release special limited edition items. No matter how hard I try to resist, at least two or three of them wind up in my makeup collection. This happened when I came across a small set from Annabelle Cosmetics. This is not a drugstore brand I have a lot of experience with. There is no particular reason. Their products look nice - but failed to really grab my attention. So when I saw a little cosmetic bag for $10 CDN it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get to know the brand a little bit better.

The #ABcolourpower cosmetics bag included four products. And of course that super cute little makeup bag. What were they? The Twist Up Retractable Lipstick Crayon in Rock & Rose, the Big Show Nail Polish in Barely Groupie, the Kohl Eyeliner in Black, and the Skin True Bronzer in Caribbean Tan. That is one thing I really enjoyed about this little set. For $10 you get to try out four different full sized products. It covers eyes, skin, lips, and nails. That in itself gives you a great overview of their collection. Perfect for a newbie like me!

Below is a picture of the contents of the #ABcolourpower cosmetics bag. The lip crayon, bronzer, eyeliner, and nail polish. Take a peek at the products I was able to try out.....

Twist Up Retractable Lipstick Crayon in Rock & Rose. Let's start with the lip crayon. This is one of the products that I was most excited to try out. It looked absolutely beautiful in the packaging. So pretty and pink. Which is totally up my alley. Here's the thing. I really wanted to like this. In fact, I thought that this would be the stand out product from the set. It wasn't. And here is why. The colour looks beautiful in the tube. Wearing it? Not so much. The colour is a pretty pink....but it has this frosted 80s finish to it. The end result was less than flattering. Not sure how much use I will get out of this one. Such a let down!

Big Show Nail Polish in Barely Groupie. Nail polish is something I am slowly getting back into. For a long while I wasn't able to wear it at work. Now that I can? I've been constantly trying to do a little more with my nails. It just makes me feel good. The polish in this set is a sheer rosy pink and is super pretty. In terms of pigmentation though this is a sheer shade. Keep that in mind before you buy. You will need to apply a lot of layers or keep it nice and natural. In my opinion, that makes this a so-so product.

Kohl Eyeliner in Black. Eyeliner is my biggest must have makeup product. There is rarely a day that I am not wearing at least a little bit. So you can imagine that I tend to be pretty picky about what I do and do not like. I admit that there are a few favourites in my rotation (like the Hard Candy Walk The Liner liner, the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner, and the Flower Beauty Eye2Eye Liner). But this kohl liner totally wowed me. It was creamy, easy to use, and stays exactly where you put it. Liquid/pen liners are my favourite to use....but this pencil liner was absolutely wonderful. I've been using it to create some super smokey eye looks. This one is definitely a winner in my books.

Skin True Bronzer in Caribbean Tan. Based on the other three products this set would have been just okay for me. Some things I liked, some I didn't, and some were just okay. Then this bronzer came into my life. Going into it I was not super optimistic. There are already a ton of bronzers in my collection. Matte, shimmer, cream, and everything else you could imagine. But then Caribbean Tan happened. It is the perfect bronzer. By far the best one I have ever used. The colour is soft and flattering but still packs a punch. The texture is smooth and buttery. Love, love, love. Lately I have been using this as a quick contour and as a gorgeous blush shade.

Overall, this makeup set left me smiling. Not because all of the products inside were fantastic....but because two truly exceed my expectations. They have actually become a regular part of my beauty routine. What more could I possibly ask for? Who knows....maybe I will try out more Annabelle Cosmetics products in the future.

Have you tried anything from Annabelle?

xo Shannon