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Battle of the: Eyeliner Pens

4 Apr

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I love love love eyeliner pens, they are definitely my preferred method of applying liquid liner.  This is also the tool that I used to master the art of winged liner.  It’s only natural that I’ve accumulated a few dozen in my collection (and tried almost everyone out on the market).  Here today, I’m going to compare some of my favorites:

Marbella 24hr Semi-Permanent Eyeliner VS. Palladio Eye Ink VS. Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner VS. Kat Von D Tatoo Liner VS. Bombshell Eyeliner

*Iron Chef voice* Let the battle begin!

Marbella 24hr Semi-Permanent Eyeliner


Marbella says: Smudge-proof color, waterproof formula won’t smear, smudge or fade for more than 24 hours.  Smooth formula glides on with the ease of a pencil and the color intensity of a liquid liner.  Felt tip easily glides to create delicate to dramatic lines to emphasize your eyes with precision.  100% Natural formula is dermatologist-tested and safe hypo-allergenic.  Easily removes with any makeup cleanser, just rub eye gently with cleanser until the line is gone.  Duo Tip, turn the tip around and use the other end of the tip as a new pen.  $24(on sale for $11.99)/Diosa Cosmetics, Amazon.

 My thoughts:  When they say semi-permanent… they mean it.  This actually stains my skin, even after I remove it with eye makeup remover.  It leaves behind a faint blue stain.  It’s nothing that’s too bothersome to me, a little makeup will easily cover it up the next day.  The pigmentation is slightly lacking and the it has a thicker tip (it’s harder to get a precise line), but still workable.  The duo tip is a nice idea, but very messy when you’re flipping it (I feel like I’m wasting a lot of product).

Palladio Eye Ink

Palladio says: A revolution in cosmetics, these ultra sophisticated and extremely handy liquid liners come in a convenient pen form that’s small enough to fit inside your pocket! The petite design and felt-tip offer an effortless application, while fast-drying, high-intensity color won’t wear or smudge.  $6.00/Ulta, Sallys, Amazon.

My thoughts: This started out really nice, it has a precise felt tip and a pigmented liquid liner.  However, it wore out pretty quickly (about 2 months of using 1-2x a week).  It’s the least expensive of the bunch, but also the smallest.
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NOTD: Easter Inspired Manicure

28 Mar

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Spring is in the air…

Wait.  No it’s not.  Anyone living in the Midwest knows what I’m talking about.  There’s still frickin’ snow on the ground here!  Temps below freezing!  Winter is still in full force here in Missouri, but that’s not stopping the month of April from sneaking up on us.  In order to get rid of my winter blues, I decided to do a lovely pastel manicure on myself.

While the color on my nails doesn’t change the weather conditions, it does slightly brighten my mood.  I haven’t done a multicolored nails in a long time, seeing the 5 different hues on each finger brings me endless joy *psychopath laugh*.   Are you guys doing any special manicure in honor of Easter this coming Sunday?

For additional pictures, (more…)

Gel Mani Using Regular Nail Polish

26 Mar

Nothing to Disclose

I have loved my gel manicure system ever since I purchased it (read here).  It’s easy enough and gives me a chip-free manicure for about 2 weeks, and since I work with my hands a lot that is a huge lifesaver.  The only downside?  Being limited to only using gel polishes, when I have a huge stash of regular polishes that I have collected over the years.  Being the Google-savy person that I am, I searched to see if it was possible to use regular polish with the gel system.  Low and behold, there is a way!  Hallelujah!

Step 1:

Prep nails as you usually would (file, trim cuticles, buff, clean), just like if you were doing a regular gel manicure.  Apply base coat then cure (just as you normally would do).

Step 2:

Apply regular polish, use as many coats as you desire (just as you would when regularly painting nails).  It does not matter what color or type of polish you are using.  The trick is:

You have to let the polish completely dry.

That means, you have to play the waiting game.  This part is crucial, I wait at least 30 minutes before moving on to the next step.  If you don’t wait until it dries, the gel system will not work.  You do not need to cure in this step. (more…)

Milani Ultrafine Liquid Eye Liner, Review

4 Mar

Milani says: Sparkling intense color, long-lasting, waterproof formula.  The ultrafine felt-tip applicator makes it easy to apply a thick or thin line and dries down to a sparkling finish.

When I first saw these, I immediately thought of the MUFE Aqua Liners.  The packaging is identical, same size and color.  The felt tip applicators are pretty much the same, and if there’s a difference my eyes cannot detect it.

I swatched this next to MUFE Aqua Liner #4 and Stila Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Liner in Electric (pics below).  Get this: Exact dupes.  I kid you not!  Same packaging, same applicators, and the formula are the same.  Now, there may be slight difference in the finish if you really study it under a bright light.  However, at first glance when swatched next to each other, they all look the same.  The Milani is also $16 cheaper than the other two.  How cool is that?

Overall
This has the same great quality as some higher end liners for a fourth of the price.  It wears for 10 hours (I suspect it would last longer than that, but I didn’t want to sleep in this to really test it’s staying power).  The downside?  This only comes in 4 colors (2 blacks, turquoise, purple, and emerald).  It’s smooth, pigmented, and has a precise felt tip applicator.  I recommend for my liquid liner gals! BONUS: This is a great way to incorporate Pantone’s color of the year into your makeup!

Glitter Rating: 4.5 / 5
(-0.5 for the limited color range)

Where: Drugstores, Milani. Price: $7.49/0.58 oz
For additional pics, (more…)

Battle of the: Glitter Glue

7 Nov

It’s no secret that glitter holds a special place in my heart.  I’ve been telling people since the tender age of five that I was “born to sparkle” *z snap.*  Being the sparkly person that I am, I obviously like to wear glitter.  Now, finding a way for the glitter to stick to me… that’s where today’s battle comes in:

Sally Girl Sparkle Effect Loose Glitter Glue

vs.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Glitter Glue Glitter Bonding Eye Shadow Primer

Sally Girl says:  Use with makeup or nail polish.  Adds shimmer.  Great to be used to add shimmer and shine! Add to clear or colored nail enamel to add sparkle or to highlight cheekbones by sweeping over cheeks. $0.99/0.17oz.  Sally Beauty, Amazon.

Too Faced says:  A glue specifically formulated to lock down eye glitter and enhance its reflective quality. This colorless cream formula is designed to grab and hold loose glitters, pigments, and shimmers so they won’t come off until you take them off.  $18.00/0.35oz.  Sephora, Ulta, Amazon.


The most obvious difference is the texture, the Sally Girl is a gel and the Too Faced is a cream.  The Too Faced feels a bit stickier.  Both dry to a clear finish.

I patted a generous amount of glitter on top of both of the adhesives before they set.  So far, they both hold the same amount of glitter and look fabulous!

I used this glitter.

I wore the glitter swatch on my forearm (no sleeves) for a couple of hours and went about my business.  This is what I saw when I checked back… (more…)

Target Beauty Bag, Fall 2012

5 Nov

Target had a special promo about a month ago where you had to like the Target Style page and follow to see when they posted about the free beauty bag.  I missed out on the last ones, but I was lucky enough to snag up this past (and sadly, the last) one (I think they had 2 bags before this).  It was completely free, all you had to do was sign up!

Loving the leopard bag.  This will surely come in handy as I am always looking for new ways to stash my crap, I mean, makeup.

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Parnevu Oil Replenisher, Review

30 Oct


Parnevu says: A creamy blend of natural oils and conditioners that strengthens and rejuvenates dry damaged hair weakened by chemicals and heat styling. Castor oil, Coconut oil, and Lanolin replenished lost to the scalp while adding Softness, Sheen and Shine to the hair.  Directions: Daily Treatment: Apply enough product to cover the palm of your hand.  Rub hands together and massage into hair.  Style as usual.  Heat Styling: Can be used when heat styling to help prevent drying and breakage cause by intense heat.  Apply small amount to designated area and style as usual.  Performs best on medium to coarse hair or hair that is extremely dry or brittle.

Something that moisturizes and prevents heat damage?  Sign me up!  My long (mid-low back), thick, coarse hair is always looking for something to keep it healthy.  This seemed like the perfect solution!

My thoughts
My favorite use for this is for heat styling, I apply a quarter sized amount to the palm of my hand and warm the product up by rubbing my palms together.  I then apply to my hair, mostly concentrating on the ends (where it’s the driest) and avoiding the roots.  The first thing I noticed was the baby lotion scent, it’s rather strong and it gives me a headache (I’m not one for strong scents).  However, after about 5 minutes it’s not detectable on the hair.  Parnevu describes this as a cream, and I would have to disagree, this has more of an ointment consistency (which isn’t’ surprising since the first listed ingredient is petroleum).  I thought the greasy/waxy formula (think, pomade) would weigh my hair down and make it sticky, but surprisingly it doesn’t.  After massaging it into my hair, it just feels soft!  This would be great for anyone looking for an inexpensive hair moisturizer that helps protect from heat that has medium/coarse hair (as Parnevu suggests).  Ladies with fine/thin hair, steer clear, this isn’t for you.

Glitter Rating: 3 / 5

Where:  Parnevu, Sally’s Beauty Supply, Amazon.  Price: $5:00/6.0oz.
For additional pics, (more…)

EOS Alice in Wonderland Lip Sphere set, Review

22 Oct


EOS says: Smooth on any of these Alice-inspired flavors and you will be transported to a lip balm Wonderland. Our delicious, all-natural, 95% organic lip balms are paraben-free and packed with nourishing shea butter and jojoba oil.

I’ve been searching for this set EVERYWHERE!  I’m a huge fan of these lip balms and the blueberry one included in this set particularly caught my eye.  Happy to say I finally found it at Walgreens the other day!

My thoughts
I love, love, love the packaging!  The box has little Alice’s all over it, and when you open it there’s a sweet little quote from the Mad Hatter.  There are 3 full-sized lip spheres (watermelon, vanilla, and blueberry) in this set.  They are all lightly scented and apply smoothly.  There are two lip spheres that I can’t stand (the summer fruit and strawberry sorbet, not included in this set) because they smell funky and make me feel sick.  None of these give me that sickly feeling, although if I had to choose my least favorite it would be the vanilla.  This set would be perfect for anyone who likes all natural lip balms, and of course, Alice in Wonderland fans!

Glitter Rating: 4 / 5

 Where: Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, Ulta, Amazon. Price: $8.99/3 lip spheres 0.25oz ea.

For additional pics, (more…)

Friday Favorite: EOS Lip Sphere in Sweet Mint

19 Oct

Why I love it
Two words: cheap and effective.  I’ll start off by saying I don’t love some of these lip spheres, but this one definitely stands out.  It’s has a mint scent and a cooling sensation when applied.  The packaging makes it easy to find in my giant bag lady purse.  It doesn’t feel sticky or waxy when it’s on my lips, it just feels like a light layer of balm.  It’s all natural and cures my chapped lips!  If you aren’t a fan of all things minty, I suggest the Honeysuckle Honeydew lip sphere.  It doesn’t have the cooling sensation, but it’s still 100% natural and just as effective.  I love these little guys and their “egg” packaging!

Where: Target, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, CVS, Ulta, Amazon. Price: $3.29/0.25oz.

For additional pics, (more…)

Reduce the appearance of dark circles with… Visine?

4 Oct

I know, it sounds crazy.  But this drugstore eye drop can help reduce the appearance of those pesky under eye circles.  While I get some sleep at night, it never seems to be enough (a girl can only handle a 7 day work week for so long).

Under eye circles are caused by dilated blood cells.  The most common ones are blue/purple in color.  Since the skin around the eye is very thin, they are more visible in that area of the face.

Just put a few drops on a cotton swab and swipe onto the darkest areas underneath your eyes.  The active ingredient (tetrahydrozoline HCI) constricts the blood vessels, therefore reducing the appearance.  While the result is temporary, it’s still a quick fix and a nice alternative to concealer.

This is very drying to the skin, so don’t rely on this too often.  Only use 2-3 times a week (if you must).

Now, isn’t that somethin’?  Pretty interesting, eh?  Even if you don’t end up trying this, you at least have some good water cooler talk.  People will be amazed at your awesome knowledge! (more…)

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