Monday, May 31, 2010

May Favorites!! ..And Sex And The City

The weather over here has been blazing hot for the last few days. It was cold pretty much the last 2 weeks which is really crazy since it's usually super hot starting late April. I'm super happy that we're finally getting some summer weather and hopefully it stays this way. What's my favorite summertime treat?
Slurpees! I love these year-round actually but they're definitely the ultimate, cheap summertime treat. Moving onto my May favorites..
1. Styli-Style Browliner24 in "Brown"- I needed a new brow liner since I dyed my hair from dark brown black to medium goldish brown but didn't want to buy a new liner. I found this in my makeup drawer -I never got a chance to use it since it never "matched" me. This is such a perfect match for my new hair color that it's almost scary. It glides on super easily and lasts all day long. Plus it's cheap at only $6 compared to my usual $19 on my MUFE brow cream.
2. Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream- This is only a sample size but I'm happy I've rediscovered this stuff. Because I have eczema, my skin is really sensitive to many lotions and creams -especially anything scented. I've been using this since I was a kid.. like 4 or 5 years old and stopped using it at 18 when I found Cera Ve. I'm using this again now -switching back and forth between the 2. The texture to this cream is really, really thick which might be great but for some, it might feel too heavy. There's also a Cetaphil lotion but I prefer the cream because it's more moisturizing for those with really dry (and/or sensitive) skin. Also, you can use this stuff anywhere you desire -both face and body. This is available pretty much at any drugstore and they sell it at Costco in sets of 2 or 3.
3. Shiseido Perfect Rouge Lipstick in "Spiced Cream"- I raved about this in my review here and still can't get enough of this lipstick. The texture is so smooth and creamy -it feels like a lip balm. The lipstick bursts with color and gives me the perfect nude lips -not too dark, not too light. I love this lippie.
4. Clarins UV Plus Day Screen High Protection SPF 40- I really need to buy a full size bottle of this stuff. I got a sample from a Nordstroms GWP awhile ago and have fallen in love with it. First off, it contains SPF 40 (although I'd still want something higher) which is a must. People, you need to wear sunscreen on a daily basis. We all know that wearing sunscreen will protect us from deadly illnesses like skin cancer and will also keepy the wrinkles and nasty sun damage away. Anyways, I think this has got to be the best sunscreen I've tried so far. It's not thick at all and feels very light on my face. It doesn't give me a gray or white cast -not even in photos, which is a big problem with many sunscreens. Also, there's no gross sunscreen smell. It doesn't have a gross taste either (don't ask! LOL) And lastly, it doesn't dry me out like most other products that contain SPF. This feels like a nomal moisturizer and I often forget it's actually sunscreen.
5. Kat Von D Autograph Eyeliner in "Black Metal Love"- I declared my love for these Kat Von D liquid liners here and am still loving them. The brush makes it so easy to achieve a thin or thick line. I love the color too -it's a true black with silver shimmer. This is a nice alternative to my usual dark brown liquid liner.
6. LORAC Cream Lipstick in "Babydoll"- I bought this about a year and a half ago. I remember wearing this every single day either alone or with Too Faced Mirror Mirror Gloss on top. The reason I love this lipstick so much is because of the color. I've never been able to find a dupe for this -it's a pale salmon with hints of pink. It's one of the best "pale" lippies I've ever found in my whole life. The reason I stopped using it was because it made my lips look super dry (because of the light color.) It also doesn't moisturize my lips (but not drying either) so I just stopped using it. I'm happy I rediscovered it though and now instead of just slicking it on like I would a normal lipstick, I instead pat it on my lips which doesn't give me that "dry effect" it normally would.
7. Milani Eye Tech in "Brown"- Since I reviewed this here, I've been using it a lot lately due to it being so easy to use. I never use it when I need my liner to stay on all day long but for shorter days, I love using it. It just goes on so easily without much effort at all and I love the natural brown color -perfect for those low key looks.
And one more thing..
I found this lovely picture of the SATC ladies the other day. I think they all look super gorgeous -especially at their age. I think Charlotte (Kristin Davis) is the cutest and has the best figure though -plus she's my favorite character. Ok back to the picture, I think there's ONE thing that's really off about one of the ladies.
Cynthia Nixon (Miranda) has extensions. From a distance, I though, "WOW! She looks so hot with longer hair!!" I looked closer though and her extensions are totally the wrong color and do NOT match her real hair color at all. I am certainly no hair expert and know nothing about hair but I'm positive this is all wrong. How could her hair stylist get this wrong?? Shame on her stylist for doing this to her! She looks great but she'd look even more gorgeous if the extensions would've matched.

P.S. I watched Shrek Forever After yesterday and if you're a Shrek fan, go see it. It's the last one! It was pretty good -I expected it to be better, but still good. It also beat out SATC (haven't seen that yet.)

*I found the SATC pic on one of the Yahoo slideshows but forgot to copy the link! Sorry!

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Quickies: Random Sephora Haul- Napoleon Perdis, Vincent Longo, Sugar, and More (Brief Review & Swatches)

Quickies- A new blog series that will contain “quickie” reviews (or sometimes just swatches) of products, hauls, etc. that have been taking up space on my “to-do list” for far too long. Usually, these will be older (but still important!) items I’ve neglected and forgotten to review from weeks/months ago. Hope you enjoy the quickies!
Back in mid November, there was a bunch of Napolean Perdis and Vincent Longo products in the Sephora sale section for dirt cheap. Right when I saw the items on sale, I jumped to purchase a handful of things. Whenever Sephora discontinues a brand, products go quickly and by the house. Most the items I picked up were Napolean Perdis but I did also buy Vincent Longo, Sugar, and Benefit products. Here are the items I purchased:
Swatches..
Above (no flash) from left: Vincent Longo Lip Vinyl in "Loredana", Napoleon Perdis DeVine Goddess Lipsticks in "Calypso", "Electra", "Harmonia", "Xenia", Vincent Longo Liquid Shadow in "Sweet Magenta", Napoleon Perdis Ultra Pearl Eyeshadow in "Lapis", Napoleon Perdis Loose Eyeshadow in "Dust Leaf", Napoleon Perdis Eye Pencils in "Violet Rose", "Brun Mordore", "Noir Bleute", and Smashbox Cream Eye Liner Artist Pencil in "Lapis."
Above (with flash) from left: Vincent Longo Lip Vinyl in "Loredana", Napoleon Perdis DeVine Goddess Lipsticks in "Calypso", "Electra", "Harmonia", "Xenia", Vincent Longo Liquid Shadow in "Sweet Magenta", Napoleon Perdis Ultra Pearl Eyeshadow in "Lapis", Napoleon Perdis Loose Eyeshadow in "Dust Leaf", Napoleon Perdis Eye Pencils in "Violet Rose", "Brun Mordore", "Noir Bleute", and Smashbox Cream Eye Liner Artist Pencil in "Lapis."

Product Descriptions/Colors:
1. Vincent Longo Lip Vinyl in "Loredana"- I expected this to be more opaque due to "vinyl" being in the name but the color ended up being totally clear. The gloss felt a bit thick in texture.
2. Napoleon Perdis DeVine Goddess Lipstick in "Calypso"- Bright, hot pink (reminded me of MAC "Girl About Town.") These lippies had a touch of moisture (but not as moisturizing as Shiseido or Givenchy lipsticks.)
3. Napoleon Perdis DeVine Goddess Lipstick in"Electra"- Pale-medium pink.
4. Napoleon Perdis DeVine Goddess Lipstick in "Harmonia"- Pale-medium salmon pink.
5. Napoleon Perdis DeVine Goddess Lipstick in"Xenia"- Bright berry red. I love the color but it's just too intense for me. Still haven't worn it since I bought it.
6. Vincent Longo Liquid Shadow in "Sweet Magenta"- I love the bright opaque fuchsia but when I tried it on my eye, it was more like a cream shadow where your spread it all over the lid and it sheers out too much. Not the bold pink I expected it to be. It looked like any other eyeshadow once it was spread all over the lid.
7. Napoleon Perdis Ultra Pearl Eyeshadow in "Lapis"- I'm still kicking myself for returning this. This is basically your average medium blue with the slightest touch of green. I just kept feeling like I had this color somewhere else in my collection.
8. Napoleon Perdis Loose Eyeshadow in "Dust Leaf"- Light green with gold tint and tons of shimmer. I couldn't see it looking good on me but I think it would be gorgeous on someone with darker skin.
9. Napoleon Perdis Eye Pencil in "Violet Rose"- Pigmented, shimmery, bright lavender with a touch a blue and magenta. LOVE this and have never seen a liner in this shade before.
10. Napoleon Perdis Eye Pencil in "Brun Mordore"- Shimmery bronze brown.
11. Napoleon Perdis Eye Pencil in "Noir Bleute"- Blackened blue with subtle shimmer. I compared it with the Smashbox liner in "Lapis" thinking they were similar but the Smashbox is lighter with more blue sparkle.
(Not swatched)
12. Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot Lip Service- This was just another lip treatment/balm and from what I can recall, it tasted really, really good. I think it was a fruity minty taste but I can't remember. It seemed to help my lips at first but dried them out in the longrun so I ended up tossing it.
13. Napoleon Perdis China Doll Foundation in "1" (Never tried any of these since they were all the wrong shades. It did appear to be more of a lighter foundation though.)
14. Napoleon Perdis China Doll Foundation in "3"
15. Napoleon Perdis China Doll Foundation in "4"
16. Sugar Tint Tinted Moistuirzer- Seemed "heavier" than other tinted moisturizers and I felt like my skin couldn't breathe under it. No breakouts or irritation though.
17. Benefit Lust Dusters Trio Set (Didn't open these because inside the jars, they looked too similar to colors I already had and I didn't want to "contaminate" them. Ended up giving the set away.)

Super Old.. But One of the BEST, Cheapest Hauls I've Ever Had in My Life! Plus Cherry Culture 20% Off Sale

So I've been looking through all of these pictures that I've snapped throughout the months of hauls, reviews, etc. that I meant to post when I first took the pictures but never got around to. I wanted to share this little haul with you..
This is one of the best (in terms of money saving) hauls I've ever had in my life. It was so great I still remember most the prices. During the switch from Longs to CVS last year, they had some amazing sales. Most of the NYX items hadn't even been "marked" yet so nobody knew they were on sale. I randomly asked and to my surprise, everything was around a buck! So basically I got first dibs.. that's probably why I went crazy. This is what I picked up during the sale:
1. Eyelure Lashes- $1.75
2. NYX Trios- $1.50 each! (Retail: $8)
3. NYX Single- $0.75 (Retail $5.50)
4. NYX Ultra Pearl Singles- $1.00 (Retail: $7)
5. NYX Sheer Glosses- $0.75 (Retail: $5)
6. NYX Goddess Of The Night Gloss- around $1
7. NYX Eye/Eyebrow Pencils- $0.50 (Retail: $2-3?)
8. Random Wet N Wild Pencils- $0.25
9. Ardell Lashes- Around $0.75? For sure less than a buck

Funny thing is for the months I had all those NYX products in my makeup drawer, I never bothered to open or swatch them. I think I just got way too over excited about the sale so everything stayed unopen for a really long time. I ended up giving away most of the glosses (I kept 2) and then selling a few of the trios and and singles since they never got around to being used ..but I did make a hefty profit much to my surprise. I kept all the pencils -I didn't want to give these away since it's kind of icky giving someone your used or tested eyeliners! I did keep the lashes as well but I STINK at applying lashes so they haven't been used! And sadly, I still don't use the NYX eyeshadows I own! I really try my best to put my products in rotation but I never get around to using my NYX shadows! My cousin tells me I'm crazy too since she loves the trio I gave her..

Does anyone own any NYX items? What are your favorites? Anddddd, what's the best "money saving" haul you've ever had?!

P.S. Just checked Cherry Culture and they're having another 20% off sale!!!!!! If you're looking for some NYX discounts, check them out. I so so so want the LASPLASH liquid liners but I'm restraining myself from buying. The sale runs until May 31st so hurry! Use the code MD20 if yu want 20% off. Plus free shipping on orders over $40. They also have a rewards program like Sephora ($1=1point) and you redeem the points for gift cards -which saves you even more money. My last order (which was way too long ago) cost me under $20 free shipping included. Click here to see that haul.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Milani LIQUIF'EYE Metallic Eye Liner Pencils in Black, Silver, & Brown (Review & Swatches)

Repurchase: Yes
Price: $5.49 (make sure to buy during BOGO sales.)
Value: 9/10
Packaging: 7/10
Overall Grade: A (but D- for waterline purposes.)
I bought these Milani LIQUIF'EYE liners a few months ago and kept forgetting to review them so I decided it was time. Honestly, when I first used these, I was using them for waterline lining purposes and hated them. I didn't understand how all these beauty bloggers could love them so much. So to be fair, I went back and re-edited my cold, hateful review and found that these are pretty great eyeliners -and run at a decent price too!
(My apologies for not including a lot of pictures in this review. I gave Silver away after hating these but kept Black and Brown. Black and Brown have been sharpened too many times to look pretty for pictures. SOOOO.. I didn't want to take new pictures of the poor things! And P.S. The first pic is totally upside down! =P)

The Packaging: Packaging for these liners is average, which is reason for my "average" rating of the packaging. The liners look sleek dressed up in all black and metallic "bands" and font of whatever color they are for each liner. For instance, Silver is all black with silver band at the end of the pencil and font. Also, the caps are clear -I like black caps more. When I sharpen the pencils, so much product goes to waste and I've tried 3 different sharpeners but that happens with other pencils too -I wish there was one standard, universal sharpener for all pencils. Also, Milani's description says that these sharpen easily with Milani's duo sharpener but I haven't tried it!

The Product: Like I said, I hated these when I first tried them out. I have to make it loud and clear that these are not intended for the waterline. Milani's product description states, "Extremely smooth eye pencil with the application and feel of a liquid liner that delivers true color payoff, in a metallic finish with a long-lasting wear." It doesn't say anything about being waterproof, so I see that's where I went wrong.
On the waterline, these last for about 20 minutes tops. That's why I was so frustrated with them. No matter what color I tried, these staying power was ridiculously weak and would start to disappear in a matter of minutes. This happened on days where I had super watery eyes and on days when I had no allergies whatsoever.
Now for non-waterlining purposes, these are excellent. They're better than some more expensive liners out there and only cost about a quarter of the price. The liners glide on smoothly and evenly without any effort at all. Whenever I line my upper lashline, these will last for hours (about 8 give or take) and requires a good makeup remover to remove it. When I did a hand swatch, I washed my hands several times throughout the day and it still stayed on and required a makeup remover. Funny how it stays on through several hand washes but NOT for my waterline.

Swatches..
Above (last 3 on left): Silver, Brown, Black.

The Color: All the colors are extremely rich and pigmented.
1. Silver- Bright, metallic silver.
2. Brown- Matte brown that's dark enough to be an alternative for black but light enough to not look so much like black.
3. Black- Rich, deep black. Very gorgeous.

On the Eyes..

This is about after just 20 minutes of wearing it on my upper lashline and on my waterline. Notice that it's already almost gone.

Overall: These are great liners at a low price. These liners effortlessly deliver smooth lines and rich, pigmented color. They also last very long (over 8 hours) and require makeup remover for removal. I give this an overall "A" for that purpose but for waterlining, go with another product. This doesn't even make it an hour on my waterline.

On a sadder note, the Magic have been eliminated. =( Hopefully LA won't win this year.. but I'm not really rooting for Boston either. Anyways, off to watch Alice in Wonderland with my little brother and sister now!! I missed it in theaters.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Project Work On My Summer Wardrobe

random clothesFashion Trends & Styles - Polyvore

My wardrobe has been so boring and uninspiring lately. I wear the same clothes year round -just in different colors. First item in my daily wardrobe is either a tank or v-neck tee with pocket (refer to white tee on top left) in any color.. black, white, grey, red, blue, yellow, olive, brown, etc.. I own almost every color! It's my favorite shirt. The second thing is jeans or leggings. The third is a cardigan. In the winter/fall, it'll be wool and in the spring/summer, I'll switch to cotton. And for shoes, it's flats. Boring plain old flats. I decided to create a little collage via Polyvore to inspire me. The items at the top are what I currently wear and the items on the bottom are what I want to start wearing.
So as of now, I vow to work on my Summer wardrobe. I want to break out the splashy colors, pretty jewelry, and accessories galore. The funny thing is I do own pretty tops and dresses but I never wear them -I just feel so comfy going into my habit of jeans/tee/cardigan/flats. You can probably tell that my favorite store is the GAP. I'm a total GAP whore and love things from Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Piperlime as well -all GAP companies. Soooo, I also vow to start shopping at other stores since those particular stores, especially GAP, are known for their casual basics. I also need to stop spending every dollar I get on makeup!! That's what keeps me from updating my wardrobe. So sadly, no more of THIS!!!!!!!

Random MakeupFashion Trends & Styles - Polyvore

Anyways, I thought this was sort of interesting.. I learned from this article that 50 cent recently lost 54 pounds for a movie role. This used to be him..
And now this is him! (bottom)
That's it for now! <3

*Both 50 cent pics are from the article listed in the post.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Random Haulage: Sephora, Shu Uemura, & CVS!!

So I've had some major studying/homework to do these past few days and it's been tough!! I've been so tired lately and have been only getting about 3 hours or less hours of sleep. Anyways, here's some randomness  I discovered this while studying.. =P

Yupp this was in my sociology book. Verne Troyer (a.k.a. Mini-Me) and Yao Ming.
Ok onto the hauls..
I picked this up from Sephora a few nights ago.
1.Sephora Collection Makeup To Go Palette in "Bronze Tones"- $15!!
2. Pucci Vivara Eau De Parfum Sample- $0
3. Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Eau De Parfum Sample- $0
I love free samples. =)
Shu Uemura! This is my first time buying their lipsticks..
2. Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited in "343"- $23
3. Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited in "344"- $23
CVS.. I couldn't find much during the sale..
1. Milani Powder Bronzer in "Medium"- $5.99
2. N.Y.C. Sun 2 Sun All Over Bronzing Powder in "Bronze Mist" (75% off)- $1.25
3. Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat (50% off)- $4.49
Online Sephora haul!! Haven't received this yet.. but so happy I finally got the LORAC Multiplex gloss in 3D!! =)
1. Shiseido The Makeup Mascara Base- $23
3. Cover FX Setting FX- $8
4. Bare Escentuals Wink & Kiss Set- $0 (Free with any online purchase. Use code W895P)
Alright that's it for now!! I'm finally enjoying some free time to just relax and do nothing. =) Watching Totally Spies Right now! It's sort of like Charlie's Angels cartoon kid version.
*Collage (all pics from Sephora), Seche Vite (drugstore.com), and Totally Spies (google.)

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Nudey Tuesday: Physicians Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Bronzer & Powder Foundation Set (Review & Swatches)

Repurchase: No/No
Price: $15
Value: 6/10 (If the foundation had worked for me, it would be a 10/10)
Packaging: 8.5/10
Overall Grade: B+ (for bronzer)/D (for foundation)
I wanted to get the Physicians Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Bronzer since Karen did a post on it. I actually found it at CVS in a "set" that included the Healthy Wear SPF Powder Foundation for free too (all the shades included a free powder except for "tan.") There were also other sets like 2 Healthy Wear tinted moisturizers for the price of 1 and blush/bronzer sets. Anyways, I bought Medium (and the foundation came in Natural Beige.) I really bought the set for the bronzer but I'll include my thoughts on the foundation as well. =P
The Packaging: I absolutely love the little compacts that the bronzer/foundation comes in. The foundation comes in bright orange compact with pink text/tab thingy/ribbon and the bronzer is the same but it's a glittery bronze. Both also come with a mirror which I love! Super convenient. Both also have a little pink sponge applicator thing for applying -I didn't use this for application purposes so I can't comment on how well it works. The one thing I can't stand (and this is pretty minor) is the fact that when I open up the compact (this happens for both), the tray that holds the bronzer/foundation always pops up revealing the sponge applicator underneath. It's just annoying and takes away half a second of precious time when I'm in a rush.
The Product:
Healthy Wear SPF 50 Bronzer-
Click here for the company description of the bronzer. I wanted a bronzer that has a glow and some shimmer (without making me look like a disco ball) and something that I could contour with. All of my bronzers are matte so this bronzer is a nice break from my usual matte bronzer. I wouldn't say that it's very shimmery but it does give a nice "glow" effect. However, I definitely cannot contour with it. It's too light. The only thing it really does is perk up my skin and give me a nice glow for the summer sun. It's a decent bronzer but it doesn't give me much color (the tan one might be better but I haven't tried that.) Overalll, this felt comfortable on my sensitive skin. Many powders/bronzers/etc. can make my skin irritated or itchy so I'm happy about that. It also contains SPF 50 which is always a plus but I still like to use sunscreen anyways (so that there's protection all over the face and not just wherever I apply the bronzer.) So for those who are looking for a "natural glow" effect, I'd say give this a try. If you're looking for a stronger, more dramatic bronzer, you might want to skip this.
Healthy Wear SPF 50 Powder Foundation-
Click here for full Physicans Formula description. I don't use powder foundations because I have super dry, sensitive skin and most powders tend to irritate my skin and look dry and cakey. I really don't have much to say about this except for like usual, this made my skin look cakey and incredibly dry. The coverage I guess was decent but nothing to boast about. It also irritated my skin and made my face itchy and red. I only tried it once and it didn't make me break out so that's a plus. As a non powder foundation user, I think it's best to look up reviews of people who actually DO use powder since there's never been a powder I loved. Reviews of Makeup Alley give it a total 3.8 so it might be something to check out if you are a powder user. Also, it has SPF 50 -always a good thing.
 Physicians Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Powder Foundation
Physicians Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Bronzer
The Color:
Healthy Wear SPF 50 Bronzer in "Medium"- Nice medium bronzey glow with barely there shimmer. It looks shimmery in the pan but it shows up as a nice glow on the skin. It also shows up a bit darker on the skin even though it looks so light in the pan. (Also comes in Fair, Light, and Tan.)
Healthy Wear SPF 50 Powder Foundation in "Natural Beige"- Matte beige with neutral undertones. Way too light for my skin. (Also comes in Translucent Light, Translucent Medium, and Creamy Beige. They need to make more colors because there are no options for those with deeper skin tones.)
Swatches..
 Above (no flash) from top: Natural Beige foundation, Medium bronzer.
Above (with flash) from top: Natural Beige foundation, Medium bronzer.
 Here I'm wearing the bronzer right along my cheekbones where the arrow is. As you can see, it doesn't give me much "bronze" but a little bit of glow instead.

Overall: The bronzer is nice if it's what you're looking for. This didn't work for me as I was looking for a glowy bronzer with light shimmer that I could use for contouring. It doesn't add much color to my face at all and just adds a nice glow so if that's what you're looking for, I'd recommend it. I liked the packaging overall but it bothered me that the pan (with the bronzer) always flipped up.
As for the foundation, I didn't like it at all. My skin is very dry and sensitive and this was a BIG no no in my book. The foundation made me look super dry and cakey and it irritaed my skin making me red and itchy. The only reason this got a "D" grade was because it didn't make me break out (but I only tried it once so who knows!! ) Overall, this would be a great value if both the products worked for me but they didn't. I'd say give the set a try if you can find it since you get 2 items for the price of 1. If it doesn't work for you, pass it along to someone else!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Milani Eye Tech Liquid Eye Liner in "02 Brown" (Review & Swatches)

I've been wanting a good felt tip liquid liner in brown for sometime now. I really want the Eyeko one actually (in all colors) but I don't want to pay for shipping!! Anyways, I got the Milani Eye Tech Liquid Liner (I think it's $5.99) instead at CVS (ended up getting it free with coupons) so it couldn't hurt just trying it..
The Packaging: I like the packaging -it's simple and small. The material isn't the "mirrored" kind so it doesn't get fingerprints but it scratches really easily which bothers me. It's the same type of material on some art pens -I forget what it's called! The cap twists off to reveal the felt tip. It sort of looks like a fancy art pen. Be careful of ink spilling around the sides of the tip (on the black part) because it got all over my fingers -I always hold pens, pencils, and eyeliner very close to the tip.
The Product: The packaging tells the user that this liner is "easy to use, has a felt tip NIB applicator, has precise control, and is smudge-proof." I have no idea what a NIB applicator is but they're pretty correct with their description.
My initial reaction when twisting off the cap was that the liner was very wet. However, it doesn't drip or run while I'm lining my eyes so that's really good. It does take a while to dry though. The first time I used it, I let it dry for about 40 seconds and then went on to curl my lashes. The whole line (at my lashline) smudged. I'd say you need a good about minute and 30 seconds for it to fully dry. This definitely isn't waterproof (you can remove it with even baby wipes or water.) The liner wore fine for about 7 hours straight with no smudging but that was on a day where I didn't rub my eyes or have allergies (watery eyes.) On another day, I wore the liner for about 5 hours and then took a nap. When I woke up, the liner had completely disappeared. I've done this with other lines (Urban Decay Liquid Liner, MAC Fluidline, etc.) and usually if anything, only the wing rubs off and the liner at my lashline stays on perfectly. The liner is smudgeproof but will not last if you rub your eyes (a lot) or your eyes water. The liner did stay on when I (lightly) rubbed my eyes.

A major positive about the liner is that it's super easy to use (easier than my L'Oreal felt tip liner.) I actually tried to apply it while on the train with all the stops and bumps and to my surprise, I actually lined both my eyes evenly with no mistakes! This is probably the easiest liquid/cream/gel liner I've ever used.

The Color: The color is a dark, chocolate brown that's not so dark that it looks black but just right so that you can still tell that it's brown without it being too light.

Swatches..

 Eye Swatches..
Above (no flash): Milani Eye Tech in Brown 
Above (no flash): Milani Eye Tech in Brown
Above (with flash): Milani Eye Tech in Brown
See how the liner at the lashline is sort of rubbed off? That's because I needed to wait a little longer for it to dry.
Overall: I think this is a pretty decent liquid liner. I do really like the color and I love that it's super easy to use. My only gripe is that it rubs off so easily and takes so long to dry but with patience and my allergy medicine, the liner does stay on all day. I've just had better staying power with other liners but this still is overall a good liner and you can't beat the price. I give this an overall B+. The description that Milani gives the liner is correct but I guess when they say smudge-proof, I automatically think "waterproof" as well.. which it isn't. If these were completely budgeproof, they'd be an A in my book but for now, they're at a B+.

Friday, May 21, 2010

I Can Dream Can't I?

wishlist may 2010Fashion Trends & Styles - Polyvore
So much to want, so little money, and so little time!!
1. MAC Venomous Villains stuff. This is why I can't buy anything.
2. NARS Blush in Luster, Sin, Gina, Gilda
3. Dior Diorskin Shimmer Star in Amber Diamond (would love to have Rose Diamond as well)
4. Benefit Powderazzi (I can't find this anywhere anymore!! I think it might be discontinued??)
5. NARS Multiple in St. Barts, Copacabana, Luxor
6. LASplash Lid Splash Liquid Liners in Navy Blue, Mesmerized, Purple Tide, Starburst Pink, Laguna Beach, Lilac Frost, Seal Beach, Chamelion, Perfect Storm, Pink Fantasea, Sparkling Red Sea, Pacific Ocean, Hula Girl, Twinkle Stars, Pink Titans, Twilight Zone, Royalty, Khaki, Seastar Copper, Merlot, Behemian Night, Purple Heart, Twinkling Seaweed, Golden Sea, Cotton Candy (Can you tell I want all of them??!)
7. Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in 5 Peach, 8 Red, 9 Coral, 14 Satin Brown, 16 Pink Beige
8. KIKO Cosmetics EVERYTHING.. mainly the eyeshadows and glitters. STINKS they don't ship to the U.S.
9. YSL Rouge Volupte in 2 Sensual Silk
10. LORAC 3D Multiplex Gloss in 3D
11. Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine in 317, 306
12. OCC Lip Tar in Hush, Rx, Pageant, Pretty Beige, Katricia, Orange, Vapid, Hoochie, Demure
13. Barry M Lip Paint in 129 Palest Lavender, 113 Sheer Pink, 101 Marshmellow, 147 Peachy Pink
14. Barry M Lip Gloss Wand (not shown) in Pastel Pink, Bubblegum Pink, Strawberries and Cream, Toffee

I'm dying for the Dior Amber Diamond but I feel like it's soooo expensive and I could buy 2-3 other products with that money. I'm also trying to stay away from the Beauty.com sale (that I've waited months for) because I want to save all I can for MAC Venomous Villains now. =( Most of the other things have beeen on my list for months but I keep trying to fight the urge!!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Gel CreamLiner for "Hazel Eyes" & "Brown Eyes" (Review & Swatches) WARNING: Picture Heavy!!

I bought the Physicians Formula Gel CreamLiners months ago –like at the beginning of the year so it’s been in the files for quite a while. At $11.99 each, these are a fantastic deal since you’re getting 3 liners so you’re basically 4 bucks a pop (compared to $15 MAC Fluidline or Stila Smudgepot.) I remember being so hyped up for these to come I got them the day the shipment came!
Brown Eyes Set
Brown Eyes Set
Brown Eyes Set
Hazel Eyes Set
Hazel Eyes Set
Hazel Eyes Set

Brown Eyes Set
Hazel Eyes Set
The Hazel Eyes Set "closed" back up fine but when I twisted the caps on all the containers to the Brown Eyes Set, it didn't line up correctly. It closed up really unevenly.
Brush
The Packaging: The outside “box” packaging is fun –it’s like their Shimmer Strips eyeshadows. The box shows the 3 looks and in the back are instructions.
The actual liners come in stackable cubes sort of like legos or if you’ve ever bought mineral makeup in stacks. The cubes connect together so that the lid of one liner is actually the bottom of the other and so on. Each set comes when different “color bands” depending on the eye color. Brown eyes comes in purple “bands”, hazel eyes with pink, blue eyes with blue, and green eyes with green. The bands are a mirror type material so it’s highly prone to finger prints –not a good look.
The main gripe I have with these is that while the cubes in my Hazel Eyes Set closed up perfectly fine, the Brown Eyes Set wouldn’t. When I’d close up all the cubes all the way, they looked jagged and didn’t fit perfectly in a “straight” stack. If I just twisted it up and made them into a straight stack, the cubes wouldn’t have been closed all the way and the liner would end up drying up. (Sorry, sounds confusing. See the pics above.)
Above: Espresso (Brown Eyes Set)
Above: Purple (Brown Eyes Set)
Above: Black (Brown Eyes Set) It's hard to see the blue glitter but it's in there.
Above: Taupe (Hazel Eyes Set)
Above: Pink (Hazel Eyes Set) See the silver glitter?
Above: Black (Hazel Eyes Set) Pink glitter!
The Product: I really like these liners. They’re smudgeproof and waterproof and wear perfectly all day for me. I’m not sure if they’re “gel” or “cream” as I was under the impression that liners are usually one or the other but I’ve never seen anything else marked as “gel and cream” –I guess they’re both?! Anyways, the majority of the colors are pigmented and you won’t need to “go over” your line twice. Also, you’ll need a good makeup remover to remove these liners. I really don’t have much to say about these. The consistency is good, the variety is great, and the fact that it’s longwearing is fabulous.  Btw, I never tried the brush but it looks way bigger than my other liner brushes.
UPDATE: I've noticed some minor "streakiness issues" with a few colors from both sets (Purple, Pink, and black from both sets) so I'm lowering the A- grade to a B+.
The Color: Looking at the Brown Eyes and Hazel Eyes sets in the store, the colors all looked exactly the same (black, brown, purple) so I was super delighted when I found out all the colors were different.
Brown Eyes Set
1. Espresso- This is an almost pigmented, matte, rich, dark brown. If you look closely, there’s some minor shimmer. It’s very neutral and inbetween medium and very dark brown.
2. Purple- This was my least favorite out of the bunch because it wasn’t as pigmented as the others. The color is a plummy darkish purple with pink shimmer. Because it’s so sheer, I have to go back over it about 2 or 3 times to achieve decent color payoff.

3. Black- I love this! This looks like a typical black liner one has small blue specks of shimmer and I don’t have another liner like it. I’m excited for this! The pigmentation is great and not at all streaky.

Hazel Eyes Set

1. Taupe- This is lighter than the brown from the Brown Eyes Set. It's like a dulled down antiqued brown taupe with dull bronze and shimmer. Whew! That’s a long description. It also has good color payoff.

2. Pink- This is so pretty. This is a medium toned pinkish purple color with silver shimmer. This has good color payoff but not as good as the brown or black.

3. Black- This has colored shimmer too but it’s not blue. It’s pink! I’m so happy that even the black liners from the 2 sets are different. This is a rich black with pink shimmer. It’s kind of like the Stila “Little Black Dress” smudge pot from the Barbie collection.

Compared to the Stila Smudgepot in “Little Black Dress,” the Hazel Eyes black liner is similar but when swatched side by side, they’re a bit different. The Physician’s Formula liner has a better black base (more pigmented) while the Stila Smudgepot is a tad sheerer and not as rich black. The shimmer in the Stila Smudgepot is a lot more apparent though while in the Physician’s Formula, there’s less shimmer (but still a decent amount.)

Swatches..
Above (from left): Column 1 (from top) Brown Eyes Set- Espresso, Purple, Black. Column 2 (from top) Hazel Eyes Set- Taupe, Pink, Black.
Above (from left): Espresso (Brown Eyes Set), Taupe (Hazel Eyes Set)
Above (from left): Purple (Brown Eyes Set), Pink (Hazel Eyes Set)
Above (from left): Black (Brown Eyes Set). Black (Hazel Eyes Set)
Above (from left): Black (Hazel Eyes Set, Stila Smudge Pot in "Little Black Dress"
Overall: I’m very happy with these. They’re good quality and they’re extremely cheap compared to all the other gel/cream liners out there. I paid $17.49 (BOGO at CVS) for 6 cream liners –a pretty good deal if you ask me. One MAC Fluidline is I think $15 now so that’s pretty cool. I think these are great for anyone who wants lots of colored liners without paying such a hefty price. They’re also good for anyone who just wants to try cream liners or anyone who just loves liners in general (like me!) The only downside was the Brown Eyes Set not closing up “perfectly” –I ended up giving it away since I hate little “perfection” issues like that. Also, there were issues with the streakiness of a few shades. I’ll most likely be buying the Blue Eyes Set next but I have to admit I prefer to use liquid liners. Overall, these Physicians Formula liners deserve an B+.