Shape Of Beauty Awards 2010

The September issue of Shape features the SHAPE OF BEAUTY AWARDS top picks of everything from facial cleanser to lip gloss, mascara and even deodorant. More than 3,000 readers, SHAPE editors, and beauty experts across the country named these good-for-you skin, makeup, and hair products the top picks of 2010. Here are just a few categories:
Facial Cleansers
• Kinerase PhotoFacials Daily Exfoliating Cleanser ($40; sephora.com): Improvements in skin texture come from a mix of antioxidant-rich superfoods—including kiwi, pineapple, and pomegranate—in combination with jojoba and silica beads.

Anti-Aging
• Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Eye Roller ($23; at drugstores): The three rollers massage away swelling and “deliver a potent dose of anti-agers like pentapeptides, which build collagen.

Body Firming
• Bliss FatGirlScrub ($38; blissworld.com): No scrub will wash away your cellulite, but this one leaves skin “smoother and tighter.” Red algae reduces water retention, Himalayan salt exfoliates, and peppermint extract makes it feel cool and refreshing in the shower.

Lip color
• MAC Cremesheen Glass Lip Gloss ($18; maccosmetics.com): This gloss is “shiny but somehow not sticky,” said a tester. (The secret is in the formula, a mix of soybean oil and aloe.)

Foundation
• Revlon PhotoReady Makeup SPF 20 ($14; at drugstores): Photographers know that flattering lighting makes models look gorgeous. This new foundation uses similar logic; it has light-reflecting pigments that create the optical illusion of better skin. It covers pores, redness, and scars, all without caking.

Shampoo and Conditioner
• Aveda Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair ($24; aveda.com) Rich in repairing proteins and hydrating essential oils, this leave-in treatment helps negate any damage from hot tools or UV rays.

Mood-Boosting Fragrance
• Kim Kardashian Eau de Parfum ($35 for 1 oz.; sephora.com): You’d expect a bold, sultry blend from reality TV star and SHAPE cover model Kim Kardashian, and her new fragrance does not disappoint. It’s a heady mix of florals—like jasmine, tuberose, and gardenia—anchored by earthy jacaranda wood.

Nails
• Best color Essie Nail Polish in Angora Cardi ($8; essie.com) This deep, dusty rose was the testers’ fave: It felt trendy, but not too ‘out there’ to wear to work.


What do you think of these picks?
I have Essie's Angora Sweater so I was kind of happy to see it on the list.
I haven't tried the Revlon Photoready Foundation yet and am not sure if I want to switch from my trusty Revlon Colorstay either.

Eyeliner Face Off: MAC vs Stila

It's funny: in my teens I was always the victim of raccoon eyes, because my liner would always end up under my peepers.

Who'd have imagined there where "higher end" brands that could solve that problem. And longer lasting too? I'd have shrugged it off as a myth. In my eyes all liners where all the same (pun intended).

Over the years I've experimented with a few black ones. Most where drugstore brands (Maybelline, L'oreal, Revlon, you name it) but I don't really recall having had results worth mentioning. That, and the fact that they usually tugged at my delicate eye area.

Imagine the joy when I unexpectedly picked up a MAC liner 3 years back. Looking back that was the first time I even stepped into a MAC store- I was on holiday visiting family in London.

Newho, long story short, I've been hooked on that liner - FYI Technakohl in Graphblack (a matte black kajal) - ever since. A few months back I saw a Youtuber explaining the color Buried Treasure (black/dark brown/grey with gold shimmer which makes it almost look khaki green) and I immediatly wanted it.

Then Kim Kardashian was everywhere spreading her make up advice, and after hearing she used Stila Kajal Eyeliner in Onyx, I caved in and got that too.


A comparisson of the 3 eyeliners:

Top to Bottom: MAC Burried Treasure, Stila Eye Kajal in Onyx, MAC Graphblack

Swatched: (one light pencil stroke)

I did a smear test using one light swipe with my fingers. This was after waiting 5 minutes for them to dry. As you can see the Stila liner smudges immensely. I've seen a few people raving about it, not to mention Kim K. and really don't understand why I can't get it to work or if she's getting paid to advertise. Maybe it needs to be applied with a brush like one would a gel liner, seeing as it's SOoOooo pigmented and just -literally- goes all over the place as soon as I blink. Needless to say my Stila liner gets no luv from me.

My Burried Treasure and Graphblack are a whole other story now. I love both but prefer my technakohl liner.
Burried Treasure is a perfect color if you find BLACK too dark for daytime (e.g. the gym, class, work, etc.)

CON'S of Burried Treasure:

• Melts a bit as you apply it and the tip loses it's shape rather easy. So I wouldn't recommend for lining the upper lashline.
• Holds up for a few hours on the waterline, but not all day like Graphblack.
• I'm picky and like a fine tip on my eyeliners so that irritates me about powerpoint pencils and the frequent sharpening that's needed.

MAC Lipstick Review + Swatch: Fanfare

This is a lipstick I hardly ever hear mentioned by beauty bloggers. Fanfare is a permanent Creamsheen lipstick I bought back in December and never got around to swatching. During the same period I bought this, I also picked up NYX Tea Rose and to my surprise these are great dupes for each other.

I prefer the consistency of Mac's lipsticks 10 times over those of NYX lipsticks which feel more "greasy" on my lips and bleed easily.


 

In the tube it may look a bit boring, but by no means is this a nude, but it's more of a dusty rose color.

The consistency is moisturizing, creamy and highly pigmented without being matte.

MAC FANFARE SWATCH (No Flash):

(very true to color)

It's a great medium salmon pink color. However I don't find myself reaching for it all too often, since it's a bit too bright for my liking. It looks amazing just lightly dabbed on though.
I prefer this lipstick with light eye make-up and little to no blush, but I've seen other bloggers pair it with a dark glittery blue shadow, so it really depends on your preference.

LIP SWATCH (with flash):

(looks less coral in person and more pink)

KOTD: Lavender Lace

Last week I came across some cute nail polish colors by Vogue Fantastic. In case you didn't know, Vogue is a South American brand- made in Colombia. I'd secretly been holding off on posting swatches seeing as my nails are rather short at the moment, but then I decided I didn't really want to wait for weeks till they grew out. Once they do, I'll post updated pics and better Konad nail art looks.

I got 3 colors, my favorite has to be FRESH PETALS, a light purple hue, that reminds me so much of Mac's Limited Edition Lavender Whip lipstick. I have it on my toes too, and it looks slightly pink against my tan skin.

Paisaje, Fresh Petals and Mandarina

(I was really kicking myelf for buying Paisaje, since it comes with a nail art brush, not a nail polish one. I'll have to find an alternative brush for it I guess so it doesn't go to waste. So if you don't want nail art laquers, stay away from the pink bottle tops.)

Check out my Konad Look using Mandarina here.

Product claims:
"Long lasting, Fast drying and Glossy."

Pro's:

-relatively inexpensive

-a few cute colors

Con's:

-you'll need at least 2-3 coats to get good, even coverage.

-limited colors available

Newho, without further a do here is the nail swatch:

VOGUE Fantastic in Fresh Petals (23):

Oh yea, and it retails for about $2.50.

I used the Konad M57 Plate, my Wet N Wild White Creme Nail polish along with Vogue Fresh Petals to achieve this simple look- which is great for short nails:

Face And Outfit Of The Day

Yesterday we celebrated the bf's birthday. None of us where in the mood to get completely dressed up and spent most of the day brunching and watching The A-Team at the cinemas (highly recommend as it wasn't just an action movie, but also included alot of funny lines and shirtless guys ha ha).

At night we went to dinner with family and here's what I wore:

I bought these items back in April, so not all items will be available. The top from Forever 21 is actually a sweater like material and from the Alice In Wonderland collection.

It's so soft and probably one of my favorite wardrobe items of the moment.

The earrings are from Forever 21 and I didn't really accessorize with anything else aside from a black clutch.

I was running very late and only used liner (upper and lower) and mascara.

On my FACE I used:
-Revlon Colorstay Foundation
-Coastal Scents Camo quad (in Medium) for my under eye circles
-Benefit Moon Beam on my upper cheekbones, cupids bow, browbone and nose
-Maybeline pressed powder
-Estee Lauder brow pencil
-Anastasia Brow Wax pencil in Clear
-Mac Technakohl liner in Graphblack
-Rimmel profesional liquid liner
-NYC Moisaic powder blush
-NYX Dolly Pink lipgloss

NYX Dolly Pink is one of my favorite glosses and I'm so happy I picked it up! It's highly pigmented for a gloss and can even be layered to look darker. It's a hot pink that's very wearable, even for those - like me - who shy away from bright lips.

Review: Coastal Scents Camo Quads

One of them was the Coastal Scents camo quad palettes (in Medium), which I think of more as 1 base, 1 correcting color and 2 concealer shades.
I usually have pretty dark under eye circles, which never seem to go away even if I've had 12 hrs of sleep. So after seeing all the hype, I had to try it for myself.  Here's my review, description and tips for using the product.

• PRO: Very cheap. Costs about $7-8 only and you get 4 shades.

The lightest shade (white): the color and consistency of this shade remind me of the NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk so I use it for the same purpose like highlighting/lightening my brown bone or an eyeshadow base. It doesn't get alot of use from me though.
2nd and 3rd medium shades: The 2nd lightest shade is wayyyy too light on my tan skin, but to avoid wasting product, sometimes I'll use some under my eyes and then even it out with the darkest shade.
Darkest shade: I used to think this was a concealer but later realised it's more of a peach dark shade, thus a corrector for greyish under eye circles.

• PRO: Comes with 3 skin toned shades so you can pick which best suites your skin tone.

CON: The consistency is very very thick and creamy, which gives heavy coverage, but at the same time it looks horrible if you have dry skin. So I recommend it for the eye area only, and in emergencies on the face (e.g. a zit or scar that is very noticable and needs quick coverage).


TIPS:
*most importantly, use a very light hand (my #1 recommendation is to use a tiny concealer brush) so as not to get a cakey effect, specially around the under eye area. Then you need to wait a minute and blend out any concealer that has settled into fine lines (under eyes).
*Apply an eye cream first. When it mixes with the eye cream it just glides on and looks much better.


OVERALL RATING:
8 out of 10 stars.

I've gotten other cheap drugstore brands in the past which gave me NO coverage. But this concealer has delivered better results then I expected.
Is it the best concealer out there? For the price... YES. I like the amount of coverage.
If you're looking for light coverage this may be too cakey for you.

The thickness and creamyness is a plus, but at the same time I worry that it may clog my pores and cause more breakouts, so I make sure I take off all my make up as soon as I get home.


Would I re-purchase?
It's greay if you don't want to spend alot of heavy coverage eye concealers or want a back up for your make up kit.  Personally, I'm thinking of just splurging on more expensive concealers to avoid the hassle and worry of this looking cakey or not lasting long.


Note: all items where purchased with my own money and I received no compensation for this review.

My latest Sephora purchases

Hey guys! Sorry for the long hiatus. But I'm back... from my Miami girls vacation with goodies and hauls to show in upcoming posts. It was my first girls get away and boy did I have a blast.

One of my stops was obviously at Sephora, and I'm lovin' the new stuff.

First up is the Anastasia Brow Wax pencil. If you have dark and unruly black brows like me, you know it can be hard to get them looking neat without looking too dark. I mean let's face it: too much pencilling in and I end up looking like Oscar........... 

I was surprised when I tried this out in the Sephora store and noticed how the pencil immediately slicked my brow hairs into place, preparing them to be filled in only where necessary. It looks and feels like one of those crayons I used to use as a toddler. Not only that, but the effect lasts thru-out the day and it leaves brow hairs soft and conditioned.. No flaking and it looks so natural.

Though I find it pricey for $21, it's still something I don't think I could do without... not after seeing the results.

Next, I got the Korres Lip Butter in Mango ($10). I don't feel it gives the best relief for, say, chapped and dry lips. But it does give you this fresh faced peachy/coral lip color and leaves lips looking hydrated.

A few other things I didn't like about it are the fact that you have to dip your fingers in and smear it on your lips, which isn't very hygenic (-----> Want a better alternative? Korres has the exact same product in lipstick form! My review of it here.)
Also, the jar gives the illusion that you're getting a ton of product, till you open it up and see how little there really is--- but the jar does last long so that's a relief.

Nonetheless, I'm in love with the tint of color it leaves behind as well as the natural juicy-factor it adds to my lips, which is why I can't wait to purchase my next one.

And lastly I picked up Benefit EyeBright. I wasn't sure what to expect due to the mixed reviews on Makeupalley.com. It's not something I couldn't do without. The color is that of a pink highlighter in pencil form (think Benefits High Beam) and I use it after my concealer to brighten up dark eye circles. Then I need to go over with my foundation and/or powder to tone down the pinkness of it and make eyes look more natural. The overall effect is slightly less dark under eyes.
This pencil can also be used on the waterline to brighten eyes and as a brow highlight, but I don't like how it looks on me.
Verdict: I'm still on the fence about it.

Have you tried any of these?

What are your latest HG products?

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Review

I thought about getting the much talked about Urban Decay Primer Potion, but then I figured the packaging of this one was way better and fuss free. I have very oily lids so a product like this was a must have.

A few reasons why I prefer Too Faced Shadow Insurance better then the Urban Decay Primer Potion:
-the tube is very easy to get all the product out and you won't need to cut open any packages/tubes.
-a little goes a long way. All you need are 2-3 dots to cover you're entire browbone and lid. It also dries quickly and you're ready to go.

-since it doesn't have a sponge tip, and the product comes straight out of the tube, it's much more hygenic. Sponges can create bacteria. And you just use your fingers to blend and apply.


Other things I liked about this is that my eyeshadow doesn't crease, even after I once fell asleep with all my make up on! Crazy. I've read some reviews where people say this product sucks and does creases but honestly, I don't understand how that could be possible. As soon as it dries, it transforms into a matte/dry finish and my lids never get oily when I have this on. Plus it intensifies shadow colors.

My only complaint is that the product can separate: when you squeeze some out you get a clear liquid first, so it's best to smush the product around in the tube before using so it mixes.
I use it with my cheaper eyeshadows like Coastal Scents eyeshadows, Revlon and Boots No7.
Have you tried this one? Which is your favorite shadow primer?

**I just read somewhere people use this as a lip primer.

Bargain Find: Jordana Basecoats

I did a post 2 years ago about my favorite budget friendly find: Wet N Wild base coat. It was great and only a buck. I never spend alot on basecoats- on topcoats Yes!
Whether you buy expensive or inexpensive basecoats, they're a must because they protect your nails and help manicures last longer.

Lately I've found another better brand that I've been blogging about: Jordana Cosmetics. I'm really drawn to their nail polishes and treatments -due to the polish formulas and packaging- and have grown to dislike Wet N Wild polishes after trying these. The brush allows for easier and smoother application since it's not too thin.

The basecoat I got is called Jordana Calcium Boost Basecoat with Calcium Gel. It leaves nails shiny and seems to actually strenghten my weak nails. Love it. Oh and did I mention it only cost $2?

I'll be doing swatches of these soon...
(I did a review for the last one on the right here - called Red Of Hearts)


What's your all time favorite basecoat?


[All these products where bought by me, and this is my 100% honest review.]

Benefit Moon Beam Review + Swatch

I've been meaning to review this product for some time now, since I picked it up at Sephora 2-3 months back. The first time I was intrigued to try it was when I saw it on Pixiwoo's Youtube channel: Moon Beam was mixed with Chanel Vitalumiere foundation - to achieve that glowing-goddess-look all over. [FYI I haven't dared to try that combination yet since I already struggle with oily skin - even when I use skin mattifiers- so you can imagine why I really don't want more highlighting shine on my face.]

In the bottle it looks yellow-gold/champagne with a peach, pearl hint and it comes with a brush that reminds me of a nail polish bottle.

While I was in Sephora I did some swatches of both products and blended in.

I felt the High Beam was more on the silvery-frost side- great if you want a more noticeable highlighter and specially if you're on the pale side. Moon Beam blends into your skin tone and is more subtle- supposedly nicer for tan/medium skin tones.

What I LOVE about this product:

-A little goes a long way. I don't use it everyday, only for nights out, but all I need is 1-2 drops of this for all the areas that I want highlighted (cupids bow above lips, cheekbones, straight down the nose). I mean, priced at $24 I was reluctant to fork over the cash, but when you think about how long one bottle will last, it's well worth it.

-How to use: It's insanely easy to apply. After my foundation, I just dot it onto the areas that need highlighting, then use my fingers to pat into skin for a flawless look. This is basically my Holy Grail highlighter.
After that use powder products like you usually would (liquid products always should be used BEFORE powder to avoid a cakey look).

-Unlike so many powder highlighters there's no glitter! Nor shimmer. All you get is this dewy glow. I've been wanting to try a Mac Mineralize Skinfinish (highlighter) but then I thought about it and this already does such a good job, I don't think I need to look elsewhere.

-It's a liquid so it doesn't rub off and lasts longer then powders.

(Swatch: Dotted on, then blended into skin)

Have you tried Moon Beam and/or High Beam? And which is your favorite highlighter?

Valentines day nails: Red hearts

My newest nail polish addition: Jordana Red Of Hearts. Usually I'm not a fan of clear glitter polishes as they seem a bit.. 90s? But when I saw this heart filled bottle, I had to have it.

Red Of Hearts is a clear base with a slight reddish tint, loaded with red sparkles and red heart-shaped glitter. If you want more glitter, you can build the amount with additional coats- perfect for layering over your favorite polish. There have been several polishes similar to this available in the past: Maybelline Deeply In Love ($3.50) and the 2009 collection Nicole by OPI ($8). None of these compare to the one from Jordana because mine only costs $2. :)

Now, when I tried to swatch this polish I realised it wasn't gonna be easy to apply. But here's a great tip: the hearts probably won't come out of the bottle when you use the brush- only the glitter. Apply as many coats of the polish as needed to achieve the glitter look you want.

Then, take a toothpick/stick and go fishing for hearts. It is much easier to pick them out of the bottle than it is to try to paint them on with the brush. Once you've gotten the heart onto the toothpick, gently press it onto your nail. Apply as many hearts as you wish then seal with a topcoat. The hearts and glitter actually stay on very well... a bit too well?

Here is my Valentine's day inspired look- obviously you'll have to ignore my messy application:

Essie Mint Candy Apple Review + Swatch

On my trip to LA, everywhere I turned I was haunted by images of this nail polish. I knew I had to have it.

As the name says, it's a mint green creme nail polish - and FYI: I heart creme nail polishes. This is lighter then MAC's Peppermint Patti which kind of dissapointed me at first, but I got over it. :)

Also, I used to find Essies brushes hard to work with- and seemed to get way too much polish on my brush resulting in alot of polish on my fingers. But nothing to worry about as I've finally gotten used to that and now truly love it, because you can get an opaque coverage with 2-3 coats.

Here's some nail art using Essie's Mint Candy Apple (via Nail Crack):

Have you tried this color?



Jordana (in Grape): easy Valentine's day nails

This is one of my favorite cheap nail polishes: the packaging and formula are amazing. The brush is just so well designed and provides ease of application (=very important to me). And these babies only cost $1.50! The only downside is the limited colors available compared to OPI and China Glaze.

I decided to do a Valentine's day inspired look using this polish and a bunch of heart shaped nail stickers I bought at Forever 21 for $1.80.

The nail polish glides on without streaking, and gives even coverage. I added a basecoat, then the Jordana nail polish in Grape. With the first coat I was good to go, but I wanted it to be neater and added another. With a good topcoat my nail polish was chip free for 2-3 days.

Nails on day 2 (click to enlarge)

Maybelline Define-A-Lash Volume review

The hot pink/metallic packaging is probably the main reason I bought it. :) I had the first version of the Define-A-Lash - which I only liked as a daytime mascara. So did this one live up to expectations?

Packaging: 5 out of 5
Price: 5 out of 5 ($7.50 or less)
Overall: 4 out of 5

What it claims:

• Clump-free: Lightweight formula coats lashes cleanly. Unique built-in clump remover leaves zero clumps on brush for zero clumps on lashes.

• Very Voluptuous: Sculpts and plumps the lash look for perfect fullness

• More refined: The new volume lash look, perfectly defined..

(click to enlarge)

What I like:
Aside from the packaging I like that it truly defines and seperates lashes. The tube is also so well made that once you take out the mascara, there isn't an overload of product on it. (unlike, for example, L'oreal Voluminous). I think it has to do with the ultra fine plastic bristles on the wand.

I LOVE a mascara that gives me a "so perfectly seperated it looks fake"-look, and this one delivers.

What I dislike:
It doesn't add as much volume as other volumizing mascaras. I'd say from a 1 to 10 it deserves a 6 on the volume-scale, which is probably due to the rather thin wand.

Also, when I apply it, I need to not blink for 10 seconds or I end up with smudges on my lower eye .. The formula it's a bit on the "wet" side.


Overall:
Easy to use mascara. You'll have to be carefull though if you're using more then one coat. At first when I tried this mascara I was very dissapointed with the lack of volume and kept comparing it to my holy grail L'oreal Voluminous. But after using a few times I find myself only reaching for this mascara, even for night time looks where you want more drama.
The most effective way to apply: just sweep a coat all across lashes starting on the outside. Then quickly go over it again to properly seperate and lenghten lashes more - and so you don't end up with spider lashes. You have to really wiggle the wand.

I love how it's so easy to use and there is no clean-up necessary when you take it out of the tube. The bristles come out with the perfect amount of product.. I still can't get over that bit.

Taking it off is moderately easy. Everytime I take off my make up I find another lash has fallen. :(
I haven't been able to find many mascara's that don't do that though, which sucks. Maybe it's my make up remover?

Reviews: NYC Mosaic Color Wheel and NYX Peach Blush

I got this blush about a month back and wasn't too pleased with it at first. It was cheap ($5 or less), packaging was simple with a see thru lid.
On the plus side you get a ton of product in it that'll last you for months. It's also oil absorbing which is great for reducing shine and oily skin.

The old me used to shy away from mosaic patterned make up thinking it would give uneven color- but I'm actually a really huge fan of them now after trying this. This blush comes with a mix of ligth brown, barely pink, pink and a darker pink.

I expected it to be darker, and was dissapointed at first since it wasn't showing up on my medium toned skin. It has a light frost (nothing dramatic so don't worry!) So I left it at the bottom of my make up bag.

Today I tried a new combination: this NYC mosaic blush along with my NYX blush in Peach. 

• 
  
  The NYC blush truly lives up to it's name and gives you a pink, dewy glow- nothing too over the top - just natural looking rosey cheeks and it's buildable. It's now my Holy Grail drugstore blush!

• 
  
  NYX blush in Peach also didn't get much love from me at first, since I find it to be chalky and too light on my skin. Seriously, when you dip your brush in it, a lot of powder seems to come off.

I used a swipe of each together then blended with a powder brush. When I was outside and in natural lighting, I realised how dewy and natural my blush looked.

I'll definitly be repurchasing the NYC Mosaic blush again. I wouldn't mind the other peach version of it too!

Here's a picture I managed to snap up of me wearing the NYC blush recently:

How to choose the best flat iron

There's so much contradictory advice and information out there about straightening irons.
How wide should it be?
What is ceramic plated and does it work?
What are tourmaling crystals?
What characteristics to look out for?
Which is better? Chi - Ghd - Or another brand?
Check out this Youtube video and review from one of my newly discovered make up guru's - who has previous experience working at a salon.

REVIEW: Coastal scents

Here's my honest opinion and review.There are LOADS of similar 88 and 120 palettes available on Ebay too, so don't get me wrong: Coastal Scents is not a bad site or make up supplier. In fact, I'm happy that there are cheaper alternatives to brands like MAC and Nars, so people who want to create looks and play with make up can do it on a budget/for a reasonable price.

I was so excited to receive my Matte 88 palette, and try out new looks.

I've only been using this palette a few days, with a shadow primer (Two Faced Shadow Insurance) and though the color payoff is good and they are pigmented, not all shadows are as good as others- some colors don't show up as well as others- I've heard this is the same for some Mac shadows though.

When you dip or swirl your brush in the palette there is significant shadow fall out, but if you're gentle it's not as bad. This also means there's ALOT of chance you may end up with shadow fall out during and after application. This is what bugged me most of all.

I've seen alot of negative reviews about Coastal Scents which I also don't agree with though:
-I mean for instance, though the shadows are dime sized, I don't mind it. How often will I be using hot pink, orange, red or lime green??
-I do wish it came with some highlight shades, but I guess I'd need to get the shimmer pallette for that.
-A big palette isn't handy when you want to carry your make up around.


Would I buy more Coastal Scents shadows?
For the price- YES, but only if I manage to solve the whole "fall out" problem plus now I know what to expect. I'm also so happy to be experimenting with new make up looks I watch on Youtube.
The brushes are great too! I can't say anything bad about the ones I've received so far and finally have a bigger variety to choose from when doing my make up. I love the prices even more.:)


Must haves from Coastal Scents and what I love:
- I've gotten some great brushes for $2, which I'd pay 10x more at Mac. The only thing is that sometimes you expect a smaller/bigger brush and in person it looks alot different.
I didn't just buy any brush though. I had a friend recommend the best ones she'd tried to me.
-My brushes came in a cute baggie with a free sample of a Copper pigment;
-The gel liners are just ok. With a good brush it goes on effortlessly. They're where a bit dried up though and when I would apply it, the dry bits would flake and fall into my eyes during application. After buying these twice and getting dried up ones, I'm definitly just sticking to Mac Fluidline which may be double the price, but only ends up being $9 more ..
-The fact that I now have so much variety in shadow colors and brushes to choose from is the best part. Some of the shadow palettes even come with a mirror.

New fave: Body Shop concealer

I was vacationing in London and stopped by the Body Shop. The sales associate was nice enough to answer all my questions and even helped me pick out the right shade. And I've been happy and under-eye circle free ever since! :D

Since it comes in a jumbo pencil form, it's consistency is drier but that's perfect for my oily complexion as it doesn't slide right off. The pencil doesn't tug on my skin- it's slightly creamy and super easy to blend. If you have dry skin you can use a liquid concealer though.

The shades are numbered. I'm 03, contrary to what I guessed when I first tried it on. So I definitely recommend going to a make up store instead of to just ordering online if you're trying a concealer (brand) for the first time.

I use this under my foundation or peachy concealer..


I can't rave enough about this though:
1. It's perfect for when I'm on the go (or have overslept!). You just gently dot the pencil under eyes, on blemishes or wherever you need coverage. Then blend it in with fingers (or a brush).
2. It'll last for months. So far I've been using it every day for the past 6 months and have only had to sharpen it 3-4 times. You don't need much and by the looks of it this stick could last me till next year.
3. I plan to repurchase.

But.. the con's:
1. You'll need a really wide sharpener. I had to buy one specially from the Body Shop since I had none.
2. It costs $11.00 (on Amazon). In comparison MAC concealers are $16.50. So the price is ... ok.

 

Jordana Cotton Candy Lip Gloss Review + Lip Swatches

Sadly I have to say this product was a waste of money (ok, only $2.50)! Now I'm pretty sure Jordana Cosmetics must have some great lipglosses too, but this gloss just left me a bit disgusted lol. (I do love their Longwear glosses though..)

Now I wouldn't mind the cherry medicine smell, but this gloss is the messy and wayyy too frostiest.

I got it in Cotton Candy which is described as a "Frosted color with high pearl content". I wish I'd read that on their website before buying.

Here is the result:

Have you tried any Jordana glosses?

L'oreal Voluminous Mascara review and pictures

I'd tried this mascara years ago, but didn't used to think much of it. So when my last mascara finished I was eager to try this one again and see what so many Youtube make up guru's are raving about. I got it in Soft Black since that's was the only color available at my local drugstore.

What it claims: Voluminous Original Volume Building Mascara is uniquely formulated to build lashes to 5x their natural thickness for a full and dramatic lash look. Patented Volume-Maximizing Brush thickens lashes smoothly and evenly, leaving them soft with virtually no flakes, smudges or clumps.

• Clump-resistant
• Fragrance-free
• Suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers
• Opthamologist tested and allergy-tested.

Price: Very reasonable. I got it for $6.00 but you could get it for less.


Clump-factor: as long as you don't try and do multiple coats you should be ok. I find that at the second coat - if you wait too long - you'll already begin seeing clumps, so work fast and do 2 coats at once.


Color: I got it in Soft Black, and now really wish I'd gotten it in Blackest black. Not that it makes a huge difference, but Soft Black looks a bit like charcoal grey. Good if you don't want too dark of a look, but personally I love it for night time.


Lenght: Some people have reported/commented that this mascara makes their lashes TOO straight ("terantula lashes") but this can easily be fixed with an eye lash curler.


Thickness: I don't find it adds thickness to my lashes. It does make them look slightly fuller though and more fanned out.


Removal: So easy! Maybe because for the past months I'd been using waterproof mascara's (duh!) but removing this mascara is like a dream. I use extra virgin olive oil and it comes off rather quickly.


Overal verdict: Yes I'd buy it again and recommend it to everyone! It's now my go-to mascara. The packaging is a bit boring but I can live with it. I agree with some reviewers that the brush could have also been less fat so you can better get into the outer lashes/eye corners. I'm thinking of combining this with other mascaras.

The only thing I can say is that this mascara gives such dramatic lashes, I'd rather only  use it for night time.

Here you have the full look (eye liner, brows slightly filled in and Voluminous Mascara):

Does it live up to what it claims?
Have you tried it?