Product Review - Eyeko Skinny Mini Liquid Eyeliner Trio

A while back I received a black liquid liner from Eyeko London in a subscription box. I really enjoyed using it, so when I saw this trio of travel size liquid liners that included not only black, but navy and brown, I picked it up.

I had assumed that since I liked the black liner I had tried before, obviously I would like the brown and navy as well. I have been looking for a brown liquid liner for a while as I currently am loving using the Hourglass Calligraphy Liquid Eyeliner in Cognac, but at $37, I was hoping to find something at a lower pricepoint. The full sized Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner is $19. However, the brown was a huge disappointment for me. It is reddish in tone, and extremely dry. I likely will not use this.

l to r: Brown, Navy, Black

Ok, so I don't want to dwell on what I do not like. On to the ones I am happy with. The black is as I had expacted - opaque dark colour and easy application. The navy is truly gorgeous. I have never used a navy liquid liner, so I'm happy to have this one. I wore it today, with a wash of neutral taupe eyeshadow.

I find these liners to be extremely long-wearing. I do not have any problems with them running or smudging. I also find it difficult to remove the liner at the end of the day without using a good eye makeup remover. For me, I appreciate this as I do not have to worry about my liner throughout the day.

The pen-like packaging of this liner, with a felt-tip applicator is so easy to use. It allows you to make a thin, precise line, but of course, if you want to thicken it up, that is possible as well.

Overall, I would recommend the navy and black, but skip the brown. I have not tried the purple or the olive, but I would definitely want to swatch these before purchasing. 

Have you tried any products from Eyeko?

Thanks for reading!

Nail I'm Loving

I was loving this nail so much that I had to pick up another of Essie's polishes from the Neons collection. This time I purchased DJ Play That Song, which is a vibrant grape shade. 

Essie's DJ Play That Song

I'm really loving this colour. I first applied it to my toes, and I think that more often than not, I will use this for my toes. Even so, sometimes it's nice to paint your fingernails with an extra-bright shade like this one, especially in the summer months.

I've been really impressed with my recent Essie purchases. Like I said in my post about Bottle Service, I really like the formula. In the past, I had problems with clumpiness and bubbling. Not with these so far. The formula is quite thin, without being watery or streaky, which allows a nice even application. I need two - three coats, as well as a top coat, but I'm happy with the results. Without a topcoat, this polish does lack shine. It doesn't dry matte exactly, but just a bit more dull than I would prefer.

Have you tried any of the Neons collection?

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Some Drugstore Favourites

I just love browsing the drugstore for deals on all of the great beauty products offered. Some of my favourite products that I've mentioned a ton include Maybelline Color Tattoos and Revlon Lip Butters, but I wanted to write about a few drugstore items that I have not mentioned before. 

L'oreal Extra Intense Liquid Pencil Eyeliner in Carbon Black - This is a super creamy, super pigmented black eyeliner that is very similar to some high end eyeliners that I have tried. Actually, I would compare this to Tarte's Skinny SmolderEyes Amazonian Clay Eyeliner. They both have a similar texture, blend out nicely and stay in place. Both are long-wearing and also include a smudger on the end, which I love. The only real difference I see is that you can buy about three of the L'oreal version for the price of one from Tarte. 

There are a lot of drugstore lip products that are amazing, and comparable to much higher end products. In particular, I enjoy using the Rimmel Exaggerate Full Color Lip Liners and the Revlon Colorburst Lip Glosses. The colours I have in each are:

Rimmel Exaggerate Full Color Lip Liners:

• Eastend Snob - this is the perfect pinky nude liner that can be used with pretty much any lipstick besides red. I love this shade and use it on a regular basis.
• Ravish - when I want to do a red lip, this is the liner I use. It is a deep, almost brick red liner. I don't wear red lipstick that often, but when I do, it is nice to have an inexpensive liner that works.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss:

• Bellini - this is my go-to peachy nude gloss that I use mainly in the summer. It gives that extra shine when I layer over my more coral toned lipsticks.
• Rose Pearl - this is a mauvey rose shimmering gloss that looks pretty layered over any lipstick, but particularly my berry toned lipsticks.

NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Powder in Sunny - You have probably heard about this bronzer, and that is because it is perfect, and so cheap. It is the perfect sheer matte bronzer that could warm up anyone's skintone, or provide the perfect contour. 

Physicians Formula Happy Booster Blush in Natural - I love this blush from Physicians Formula. It gives a really healthy natural looking flush to the cheeks, and it is so cute, with the hearts and the pink packaging. 

So there are a few of the drugstore products that I reach for on a regular basis. But the drugstore is always putting out new and great things, so I'll update my drugstore favourites as I discover and try them.

Thanks for reading!

Stila In The Light Palette

top row l to r: Bare, Kitten, Bliss, Sunset, Sandstone
bottom row l to r: Champagne, Gilded Gold, Luster, Night Sky, Ebony

top row l to r: Bare, Kitten, Bliss, Sunset, Sandstone
bottom row l to r: Champagne, Gilded Gold, Luster, Night Sky, Ebony

One of the downsides of being makeup obsessed is that sometimes (or quite often), great products go unused. This is an example for me - I purchased this palette over a year ago, I believe in early 2012. I then used it a couple times and then sort of forgot about it. 

Lately, however, it seems like this palette has become a lot more popular, as I have been seeing it pop up on several blogs. This has inspired me to pull it out and get some well-deserved use out of it!

In The Light has an assortment of neutrals, that range from your light highlighting shades to your dramatic shades for a smokey eye, or to be used as eyeliner. There is also a mixture of both shimmers and mattes. Included in the palette is the oh-so-popular Kitten, which I personally have gone through two pans, and currently have a back-up in my collection. You also get a Smudge Stick Eyeliner in Damsel, which is a dark brown. 

Here is a very simple everyday eye that I often wear using this palette:

I used Bliss allover the lid and blended into the crease and then a mixture of Sunset and Gilded Gold to slightly darken the outer V and then pulled down under the lower lashline. I highlighted with Bare. The liquid liner is Hourglass Calligraphy Liquid Eyeliner in Cognac, and the mascara is Clinique High Impact.

Of course this palette is extremely versatile in that the above look is for everyday, but you can also create a very dramatic evening look as well.

Have you tried this palette?

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theBalm Blush Collection

Products from theBalm never fail to get me excited. And for good reason - cute packaging, decent pricepoint, and the actual product always performs. I picked up these blush/shadows on Hautelook several months ago. The brand is featured regularly on Hautelook as I may have mentioned in a past post. It seems that I add to my collection each time I see them on there, so this means I own a lot of their products. 

These blushes are actually marketed as a multi-use product that can be used as either a blush or eyeshadow. I've actually only used them as blushes though. And as a blush, these are really great. 

There are three shades:

• Down Boy - a natural everyday pale pink
• Frat Boy - a perfect peachy pink coral shade
• Cabana Boy - a gorgeous plum

l to r: Down Boy, Frat Boy, Cabana Boy

I really believe that any skintone could wear all three shades. The colour is quite pigmented, but can be blended out easily, so a light skintone could sheer out even the plum shade, to be quite wearable. Actually, the plum is probably my favourite and most worn shade of the bunch!

And on to the swatches:

l to r: Down Boy, Frat Boy, Cabana Boy

Have you tried any of these blushes?

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IPSY Glam Bag - June 2013

For the second month in a row, I've been super impressed with my IPSY Glam Bag. This month I received four makeup items and a haircare product, as well as a cute little leopard and neon bag.

Adorable! I love this little bag.

I have been wanting to try the psssst! dry shampoo for some time, however I have never seen it in store, so I'm excited to give this one a try.

Star Looks lipliner in Tipsy - I have never heard of this brand, but it's always nice to try something new. Normally I don't really like wood pencils like this - I find them to be dry and difficult to use. But with this one, the actual product is extremely soft and creamy. It applies really nice, and the colour is a really pretty bright pinky-coral, so I'm sure to use this a lot.

This is from J. Cat, which is another brand I have never heard of. These are actually glitter gel eyeshadows. I would never buy this, and at first this seemed like a dud product to me - when I swatched it on my hand, the glitter was patchy and uneven. But later, I tried using the sponge-tip applicator and applied it to my lid - I was really surprised at how it turned out. The glitter really covered my lid and it actually looked quite pretty. I won't be using this on a daily basis, and actually, I'm not sure where I would wear glitter at all, but I'm trying to think of an occasion, because I kinda like it!

One more brand that I have never heard of! This is a gel liner from Cailyn. It comes in this packaging that is similar to the Revlon Colorstay, with the brush in the lid. I got the colour Iron, which is a dark grey. This applies really nice and the brush is decent - I was able to get a very smooth line, and even winged it out. I'm quite impressed with this liner.

The last product is a Mosaic Powder from NYX. I received the shade Dare. I have seen these in stores, so I was excited to see this in my bag. This is a really pretty face powder that can be used allover, as a bronzer, or as a blush. It has a subtle sheen, but is not too shimmery. Lovely.

I should mention that you will not be seeing any further Glossybox posts from me - they are discontinuing their service to Canada. It wasn't really a disappointment however, I was thinking of cancelling since I'm enjoying Ipsy so much more.

Thanks for reading!

IT Cosmetics Vitality Lip Flush Butter

I have been a huge fan of IT Cosmetics since the first time I tried their products. I am never disappointed when trying a new product from them, and these lip butters were no different. I've been enjoying the Vitality Lip Stains for some time now, so when I heard a lip butter was being released, I was really excited. 

As you can see from the picture above, these lip butters are full of great ingredients. As such, these lip butters feel so nice on the lips. Extremely hydrating and smooth, my lips feel great when wearing them. They also have a lovely, but very light scent that almost reminds me of the scent of MAC lipsticks, which I love. I cannot taste anything on my lips, however.

There are three shades in the collection: Pillow, In Love, and Darling.

l to r: Pillow, In Love, Darling

And here are the swatches:

l to r: Pillow, In Love, Darling

As you can see, the colours are just gorgeous - sheer, but still pigmented enough to give your lips a nice flush. I consider my lips to be fairly pigmented, and these all show up beautifully. 

As for lasting power, these are not stains like the previously released Vitality Lip Stains. These are more like gloss balms, so they will need to be reapplied. However, you will probably find yourself wanting to reapply due to the luxurious texture!

Can you tell I like these?

I would definitely recommend picking up one of these lip butters!

Thanks for reading!

Product Review - Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation

Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation is a mattifying foundation that has been designed to absorb oil and last all day, in order to minimize the need for touch-ups. This is exactly the type of results that I look for in a foundation, however, I've never really tried anything that has been able to do this for me. I don't want to say this foundation is perfect, but it is currently the best product that I have ever tried for controlling shine throughout the day. 

I purchased this foundation at the end of last year, however, I have to admit I didn't use it at first. Now that I have been using it, I wanted to give it a good test period before writing a review. Foundation is a tricky subject for a lot of us, and since everyone's skin is so different, everyone has their own preference. As I've mentioned before, I have oily skin that needs blotting by lunchtime, or about every 3-4 hours. I also prefer a medium to full coverage foundation that can be built up, or layered with concealer without looking too cakey. 

When I first purchased this product, Sephora did not have it stocked in my local store. I had to order it from their website. Of course this made me nervous, but I had swatched a few shades when vacationing in the USA, and I generally select the lightest shade in any range, as long as the undertones are on the yellow side. I do have a fair amount of pink in my face, but my neck and body are more yellow, so I tend to try to match my face to my neck. For your reference, I'm a shade 117 Marble in the Makeup Forever HD foundation.

I selected the shade Porcelain, which the Sephora website describes as "very fair with yellow undertones". When I got it home, my initial reaction was that it was not the right shade - much to yellow, and made me feel a bit orange. I did not return it, however, but put it aside, until recently when I tried it again. Now that it is the summer, and I have a bit of colour, it seems to be a much better match. I think in the winter, I will try either Vanilla (pink undertones) or Shell (neutral undertones). 

Now that it is summer and my natural skin colour matches the shade of the foundation a bit better, I have been wearing it pretty much everyday, since the beginning of June. One of my favourite things about this product is the finish. It dries down to a powder finish, like the name suggests, which leaves your face feeling really natural and un-sticky. There really is no need to use a setting powder, which is nice. I have been layering concealer over the foundation in the areas I need it, and haven't had any issues with this.

As for oil control - it really does help with the shine. I can still use a blotting tissue, but there is a noticeable difference between when I am wearing this foundation versus any other foundation. Even if I did not blot, I could actually go through the whole day without feeling disgusting, so that is a major selling point.

I have tried pretty much every matte primer, or mattifying gel, etc. that I have come across, but have never had results like this. I'm very excited to have this product in my life. I should note that I have not yet tried Estee Lauder Double Wear, and have been meaning to for a while now. I know a lot of people with similar skin types like this foundation. I wish I could compare the two, but for now, I'm going to stick with the Hourglass.

If you read my April Favourites post, you may remember that the new Cover Girl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 foundation is something that I have been enjoying using. It also provides a matte finish and dries down to a powder texture. I do stay matte longer with Hourglass, but the Cover Girl foundation is a really good option as well.  Both are really good foundations, but of course Cover Girl is the much more affordable option.

Neither Hourglass in Porcelain nor Cover Girl in Classic Ivory are perfect matches for me. I can make either work, but for me, 117 in Makeup Forever is still the best colour match for my skin that I have found so far.

In natural lighting, top to bottom: Makeup Forever #117,
Cover Girl Classic Ivory, Hourglass Porcelain

Bottom line

This should go without saying, but shade selection is crucial. Unless you are very golden, I would not select the shades with yellow undertones. 

If you have oily skin, I think you need to at least get a sample to test this product out. This foundation really does wonders with controlling the shine, and so it will remain a constant in my routine for this summer, and I'm going to try out another shade once I go back to my winter colour.

Have you tried this product yet?

Thanks for reading!

Maybelline Color Tattoo Limited Edition 2013

I looked high and low for these things until I finally gave up and turned to ebay. Of course when buying on ebay, it only made sense to buy the entire collection to save on shipping and handling. Right? Of course. 

l to r: Shady Shores, Waves of White, Blue Paradise, Icy Mint, Lavish Lavender, Seashore Frosts, Precious Pearl, Cool Crush

I have read other reviews of these limited edition shades, and they have not really been that good. Other bloggers have said that the colour pigmentation is lacking, and that they fade quickly. I'm disappointed to have to agree, but these really are not as good as the permanent collection. However, I still have been enjoying them. With a primer, I don't have an issue with fading. If  you want a super opaque look, you still probably won't get it with these, but for a sheer wash of colour, they are quite pretty.

The one I was most excited about was Lavish Lavender. I used it as an allover lid colour and built it up with a couple of thin layers (if you are going to do layers, be careful to ensure they are thin layers or the product gets a bit uneven). I thought the look was really pretty in the end, but with one of the permanent collection shades such as Bad to the Bronze, one thin coat is really all you need to get an opaque base. 

I'm also really liking the blues - Blue Paradise and Cool Crush are both really pretty colours and lend themselves well to a sheer wash of colour on the eyelid. 

All in all, I would have to say that if you are looking for the colour intensity of the permanent collection, you will likely be disappointed. But if you love the new colours and are interested in a sheer look, or interested in using one of the colours as a base for a powder shadow, these are quite lovely.

Shady Shores

Waves of White

Blue Paradise

Icy Mint

Lavish Lavender

Seashore Frosts

Precious Pearl

Cool Crush

Have you given any of these a try yet? 

Thanks for reading!

Nail I'm Loving

So I just picked up this new nail polish from the Essie 2013 Neons collection impulsively. I had not yet heard of this colour or seen it anywhere, but I don't have anything quite as vibrant in my collection, so I had to have it. The colour is called Bottle Service, and it is an extremely bright, deep pink with a bit of reddish undertones. It is so flattering on, and I cannot stop staring at my hands! I love it!

Besides the amazing colour, what makes this polish so great is the ease of application. Often I have a difficult time with Essie polishes. Some apply beautifully for me, but more often than not, they bubble upon drying. Bottle Service was basically opaque in one coat, and after two coats looked perfect, with no bubbling. I try to do thin coats, but sometimes it is difficult - even on the nails where I used a bit too much polish, I did not see any bubbling. I did apply a top coat of Seche Vite which definitely made the finish a bit more shiny than it otherwise would have been.

If you are looking for a new bright shade for summer, I would highly recommend picking up Essie's Bottle Service.

Thanks for reading!

Neutral Eyeshadows - NARS

In attempts to use some of my older products that I have not been paying too much attention to, as of late, I went rummaging through the drawer where I store many of my eyeshadow singles. These often get overlooked as I normally reach for a palette, just out of convenience. Most of the shadows that I have from NARS are in single form. I have a couple of small palettes and duos, but the single shadows are always amazing, with their creamy texture and great blendability. Anyways, I thought I would talk about some of my favourite neutrals that NARS offers. I actually don't have any brights, so while I love the neutrals, they are also all I have!

l to r: Barritz, Cairo, Ashes to Ashes, Lhasa, Bali, Galapagos

Barritz - this is a perfect "blank canvas" type of shadow for me. You can barely see it in the swatch above, but it is there! I like to blend this over my entire lid, up to the brow before I apply any colour. 

Cairo - this is a rosy taupe shade with a bit of shimmer. Really pretty to blend out darker colours or as a lid colour. 

Ashes to Ashes - this is one of those "taupe-y, brown-y, mauve-y, not quite sure what to call it" colour. Actually, it is very similar to Cairo, but definitely darker. It is really pretty as an allover lid colour, or blended into the crease.

Lhasa - this leans more towards grey. It has a bit of a tinge towards lavender as well. It is also more cool than I'm used to wearing, but it really is a pretty neutral on all eye colours.

Bali - this is more of a brown-taupe, and is more of a matte. I love this for darkening the outer corner and for blending into the crease for a more smokey look.

Galapagos - this is a gorgeous warm deep brown with gold sparkle in it. Don't be afraid of the sparkle though - it looks like a lot in the pan, but once on your eye, it blends beautifully. I really like this one all over the lid or just along the lashline.

Now that I've taken inventory of all my neutral NARS shadows, I'm thinking it is time to run out and add some colour to my collection!

Thanks for reading!

Favourites - May 2013

It's favourites time again, and May was a month where, while I did purchase several new products, I mainly used items that were already in my collection. I suppose the two eyeshadow palettes are relatively new (mentioned here and here), but the blush, lip stain, polishes, primer, and hair oil are products that I have had for a little while.

Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment - I received this as part of a Glossybox. While it is a sample size, there is actually a lot of product. Of course with a hair oil, you only use a small amount, so this bottle is lasting a long time. I really like using this on the ends of my hair in the morning before I use my curling iron. It really makes my hair look a lot healthier and seals off any split ends. I want to purchase a larger size, as well as their Deep Repair Masque.

Murad Skin Perfecting Primer - I purchased the acne and shine control version of this primer. I don't find that anything completely controls my shine, but just helps me last a bit longer until I require a blotting tissue. I really like how this primer is tinted. It does not come in various shades, and the tint does not match my skintone, so this cannot be worn alone, but I do find that the tint helps me apply less foundation than normal, as my skin looks more even. So, I do really enjoy using this, and will be repurchasing once this tube is finished. 

The Meet Matte Nude and the Wet n Wild Sparkle Till Morning eyeshadow palletes have been my go-to eyeshadows for the month of May. I've been doing a lot of neutral brown eye looks, and between these two palettes, you really have everything you need. I don't even find it necessary to have a separate liner as the darkest shades in each palette can be used with an angled liner brush. 

Hot Mama from theBalm is such a gorgeous blush colour! I'm obsessed with it! It is a pinky-coral with gold shimmer in it, that reminds me a bit of Nars Orgasm. The shimmer is definitely not too much, but at the same time, you can skip the highlighter if you wanted. I'll be posting more about theBalm blushes in the future, because I have accumulated the whole collection, and they are all beautiful.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey - I just realized that I have never mentioned the Revlon Balm Stains on my blog! I really enjoy using them, and my favourite is Honey. It is a really perfect nude pink, but shows up really well on my lips. I love how they have a bit of shine, but also last so long. I forgot about this one for a little while, but used it a lot in May.

I have also been loving the Zoya Pixie Dust nail polishes in Nyx and Godiva. First of all, I have been having really good luck with Zoya in general, but these textured polishes are really fun. They dry down matte, with a little bit of glitter in the background. I love these muted shades, and the formula is so easy to apply that it looks flawless on the nails. Love these. 

I can't wait to see what June will bring!

Thanks for reading!