Sunday, September 5, 2010

Personal Project 5 Pan

My personal makeup collection is small, but having fought some serious urges to buy makeup I really didnt need right now in the past month or so, I've decided to go on a personal Project 5 Pan. I'm going to keep the name "Pan" even though its not pans I'm trying to get to the bottom of.

Originally I believe it was lollipop26 who started this project for herself and its spurred in the Youtube community for makeup junkies ever since. I think its a great way to make sure your getting your moneys worth out of the products your buying. Especially since to be hygenic so many of them dont have a very long expiry date.

A little while back I was hit with the realization that lip glosses and lipsticks arent supposed to be kept really for more than three months. Personally, this expiry date is a bit rash but I get the point behind it. Dont keep your lipsticks forever!

So my personal version of Project 10 Pan is going to be Project 5 Pan and it's going to be for lip products. Although I dont have a ton I'm trying to get rid of I dont want to buy anymore (and hopefully be done this project by the holidays so I can haul the lip-product giftsets then) until I've finished a few.


So I dont know if everyones done this but I saw Lisasz09 pick the products she wanted to finish beforehand. In addition to that I've also decided that I'm giving two products away to my mum. There's no way these two products would get finished by me and the weird idea that I'd keep them for 10 years and use them someday is ridiculous now that I know how long your supposed to have them. So two lip glosses (a deep cherry red by Avon which is nameless and a dark burgundy plum also by Avon called Berry Cool) are going back to her. Also, I took a lipstick of hers called "Gentlemen prefer pink" which is a Revlon lipstick that I'm going to return so that she can wear it and finish it herself. So right off the bat, I have three less products lying around and going to waste. I feel better already:).


Avon Glazewear Shine Lipgloss

Onto my personal list of what I want to finish. I have 3 Avon lipglosses in tickled pink, a baby pink which is nameless and sweet maple. All pretty colours, two of which have quite a bit left, the baby pink probably should be the easiest to get rid of. Then I also have a lipstick in sunkissed ginger which I think may already be expired from the way it applies. Ew?! I'm not sure. I might be biased so I'm going to try and apply it and if its time to say goodnight I'll count it as done to balance out how much product I have left to go in the other glosses. The last product I'm going to try and finish is actually one that I might not repurchase to my surprise.

Guess Who: Which Blonde 'Prrrs' For Lipglass?
The last product I'm going to try and finish is my MAC lipglass in Prrr. Its a great colour, I really like the look of it, but I dont like the feel or stickyness it comes with so it's time for me to get some good use out of it and finish it up for a Back to MAC trip.

I'm excited about this. I tend to get excited for anything makeup really lol. But I'm glad once again about my personal ability to control my spending (I know, I know, I say it like a broken record) because I'm not wasting my money like I feel some makeup gurus really have.

I want to be done this by mid-November. So I have two months, which is ample time in my opinion to use this. I just have to stop using my Revlon one which I feel is the perfect topcoat to any lipstick lol.

Wish me luck!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

My First Tag!

Yayy! My first tag post:).

Okay, so this is a tag I just saw julieg713 do and I loved the idea. And I wanted to share my own so here goes.


My go to primer is Urban Decay Primer Potion (UDPP). I use this whenever I'm going somewhere special, when I especially dont want my makeup to crease. I have also found that cream based concealers work really well as bases too but they dont compare to this. I do use those if I'm only going to be out for a few hours.


My go to foundation is MAC's Studio Fix Liquid Foundation in NC25. I have three words for you; best, foundation, ever! I love the coverage this baby gives me! I have lots of acne scarring on my cheeks and let's face it, some acne as well. With this product, I dont even need concealer.

Which answers the next go to question, I dont use concealer.


For setting powder, my go to powder is Studio Fix by MAC (in NC4). While this is my go to because it's amazing as a foundation and setting powder, as a setting powder alone I also love Bare Escentials Bare Minerals Matte Powder. The great thing about this setting powder is that (as well as also having great coverup) it lets your skin breathe since it's mineral-based and best of all it has the most natural finish I've ever seen. While MAC's Studio Fix makes you look flawless, flawless doesnt look real, Bare Minerals Matte makes it look like its YOUR skin.



For blush, I use Dainty Mineralized Blush by MAC on a daily basis. However, I'm waiting on my Trace Gold which is a bronze-goldy colour and looks super natural on the skin. I think once I have that colour it's going to be my go to blush. Plus it'll also help contour and bronze my face a little (which I dont do otherwise, answering the next tag go to question).


I dont use a cream highlight that often although I did get a sample of Benefit's High Beam. I tried it once but it looked too white on my skin (I have a warmer skintone so I think if I got Moon Beam, it would look better). Overall though, I have very oily skin so I dont think that highlighters are a good idea for me anyway. I dont use a highlight in powder form either.


My favorite mascara these days is still the Sephora one. While I'm using the hourglass one, I'm finding that it's clumping a lot sooner than my Sephora one did, it's not as volumizing, nor as lengthening.



My favourite eyeshadow is Sin by Urban Decay. It is my all over the lid, highlight under the brow, inner corner colour and anything else I want with most looks. I've used others but I feel like this colour brightens up my eye the best, blends the best with other colours, and is the perfect nude/cream shade for my skin (and in my opinion, anyone).


My favourite eye liner is Loreal's Linear Intense in Black. I've been using this eyeliner since I was 16 (I'm 23 now) and I've never felt the need as of yet to try anything else. It's very black, very easy to apply. I love it! All I want to try is the dark brown version for more natural looks.


My favourite lip liner is MAC's lip pencil in Soar. It's the most beautiful colour, a dark pink with a touch of brown. It suits my lip colour and works well with most of my lipsticks. I do need something different for more nude or light pink looks but it's still my go to.


My favourite lipstick these days is Precious Brown by Rimmel London. It's from the Moisture Renew line and I love the formulation! It's a pinkish brown and it's soo moisturizing and feels amazing. It's a great wash of colour with one application or a great opaque colour with a few more. Love, love, love.


My favourite lipgloss is by Bonnebell in cappuccino. It's the most beautiful nude lipgloss. It smells like a cappuccino and it blends amazingly with any colour. I have some brighter lipsticks that I find harder to pull off on their own but with this lipgloss, I can wear anything. It mutes out the lipstick in a way that's perfect for me. It's also great to wear on its own.

I dont do anything to my eyebrows. They're naturally fine and it doesnt suit me to do anything.


My favourite makeup brushes are by Sigma (they would probably be MAC if I owned the MAC ones lol). My favorite from theirs is the SS 187 for foundation, SS 150 for powder and blush, SS 239 for eyeshadow on the lid and the SS 224 for crease eyeshadow.


I dont really have a favourite nail polish although I love all the new shades that AVON came out with this year.

Yay, that was so much fun.:)






ail Polish

Friday, July 23, 2010

MAC Collections


I dont know why but I'm not that impressed by MAC Collections.

When I watch gurus talk about what they got from them and see how excited they are, I fee like I should feel excited, but I'm not. It may have to do with the fact that I'm still creating the basics and because I'm not letting myself just go crazy but I dont know. I have yet to see something that is a MAC Limited Edition product that I really badly want.

There are, however, lots of MAC permanent eyeshadows, lipsticks, brushes, lipliners, eyepencils and blushes that I want to get. I feel like being smart about buying your makeup makes it such a long-term plan that it takes away some of the fun. Boo :(!


The only lipliner that I have from MAC is Soar and it is beautiful (it's described as a midtone pinkish brown). I havent bought any lipstick other than Bombshell, not because I dont want to, but because I'm really impressed with the Rimmel Lipsticks that I bought and I want to get my moneys worth out of them this year before I go buying MAC stuff.


I'm actually really proud of myself and my will power with makeup. I mean I totally want to buy things like makeup gurus do, but I'm stopping myself so that I dont end up on Project 10 Pan a billion times.

Also, I feel like when you just keep buying makeup that you dont enjoy it. I recently just started using an eyeshadow from my Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows by Urban Decay that I hadnt even touched yet and I love it. I want to enjoy the things I have. I dont want to just have them.

I think, to keep myself happy, I will slowly add to things that I can justify. For instance, the lipliners. I only have one shade. On the other hand, I will refrain from adding more to what I dont need really. For example, lip sticks. While 8 lipsticks really isnt that many compared to gurus, I personally think its enough to last me the rest of the year. I'm glad I bought such different shades.


Tuesday, July 20, 2010

NARS Laguna Bronzer and Orgasm Blush Duo


This is kind of a epiphany moment to my earlier post about the best of NARS. Turns out, NARS has a duo with Orgasm blush and Laguna bronzer. I'm almost dumfounded by how amazing that is.

I feel like most of the time, an idea like this is something that us beauty addicts cry and wish for but dont realistically expect considering how amazing it would be.

But here it is. It retails for $38.

I'm still not getting it. I'm on my personal version of 10 Pan. I said that when I got the basics of all things makeup I would rev my engine in another direction for a while. So the time has come.

Boo.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Someday

The following are splurges I really want to make someday but I refuse to let myself make right now considering the dent in my pocket makeup has made in the last 6 months.


This is called Madly by NARS. I really want to collect NARS blushes one day, someday, sigh. But not today. When I do, I really want to get this. It's described on the Makeup Geek website as a seashell pink and I think it would look gorgeous. The same idea as having MAC's Trace Gold for that hint of colour and beautiful shine. I dont know if I would get orgasm first because I really believe that my Dainty minearlized blush by MAC is a really close colour.



Not this quad specifically, but I really want a chanel quad for my purse. For my makeup bag with which I can take off all my makeup and do it again. I dont want just touchup stuff in my bag. I'm often out for the whole day and I feel gross after 5 hours. The makeup has faded and I really badly want to reapply. For that purpose, I want one of these.



Dior Lip Glosses are another splurge I want to make. They retail for $30 CAD which I found out at a local counter and I was like whoa. Way too much for a beginner. But oneday, someday.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Moisture Renew Rimmel Lipsticks

So I bought 5 more, lol. I am now the owner of 6 of these lipsticks and I LOVE them. Honestly, I am thankful that I'm not swelling up and deciding that I cant go for drugstore brands because I have to spend a lot of money to get something worthwhile. That attitude has always irked me and I'm so happy I didnt adopt that.

So the 6 (I was going to say flavours, lol) colours that I own are: precious brown, nude delight, soft coral, vintage pink, rose sorbet, and latino. I have to say, I love the way these colours look on me. All of them. Well, rose sorbet is super bright and I'm not going to where it wherever, whenever but it's a gorgeous colour that I will wear. Honestly, I'm so happy about this purchase. For under $35 CAD I bought 6 amazing lipsticks. That's awesome. And I like all the colours, even better.

So the images I found online dont show the colours for what they really look like, but I really want to share them in any capacity I can so here goes...


Nude Delight
First of all, the bottle is a royal purple, not blue at all. This nude is pretty close to the actual colour but what I want to point out is that it's not bad quality. It's not like you have to layer and layer and layer and still you dont have a colour you like. It's also not drying in any capacity, Best of all, you dont even need a lipgloss with these because they're like cremesheens, they're a little glossy. They all have a shine to them as if they're glosses, except that they're not. It's like having a lipstick and lipgloss in one. I wasnt sure about nude lip colours but I really like this one. I'm super glad I bought this.


Soft Coral
The reason I wanted to buy a coral coloured lipstick is Mizzchevious because she wore them once in a tutorial and it looked phenomenal. As I'm going I want to also mention that another reason why I didnt also stick all these lipsticks in my MAC haul is because I'm just getting into makeup (for the millionth time) and I'm not sure what colours I like on myself. Especially with lipstick, I'm completely new to this. I dont want to invest in MAC lipsticks until I know what I like on my face. That's another reason why I bought all these different shades because I want to see how they look on me. The surprise was how amazing quality they are. This is an amazing coral. Another thing I appreciate about these lipsticks is the colour is buildable. So the first swipe kind of almost blends that colour with your lips, and the more you apply, the more opaque it becomes. This way, you can work in the colour, with how much you want out of it.


Vintage Pink
This is an amazing colour. It's a mauvey pink. Looks very vintage-y, lol. As the name suggests. It is an extremely flattering colour. The nice surprise about this colour was that it doesnt look as dark as it seems. It's actually a bit more muted but extremely beautiful. Cant wait to wear this one as well.


Rose Sorbet
This image is actually extremely realistic. This is the exact colour that I see, it's also the exact colour when applied. As I get into this stuff, I usually tend to favour the less bold and dramatic, I think because I'm still getting used to everything on my face. But I think if I extremely nude makeup and t hem just this lipstick with maybe eyeliner it would look nice. Maybe for a really special event though. It's gorgeous though.



Latino
This lipstick is a little less bright than this image suggets. This is a bit more muted than rose sorbet, but very similar in the type of pink it is. I havent worn it as much as some of the others (I think I'm already a third into precious brown after wearing it everyday, reapplying, for a week). I havent experimented as much with this one because I know this one is a safe choice for me. I will like it. It's just a matter of wearing it. The others, I had to try to really love.

I'm not going to talk about precious brown because I already mentioned it in another post.

So that's my ramble about rimmel lipsticks. I would suggest everyone to try them out. I got them on sale for $5 CAD each. They're totally worth the money. Definately a great bet for trying out colours on your skintone and so forth.



Best of Nars

So from everything that I've watched, I've learned that there are some products that companies are known for. And I dont mean MAC being popular for foundation and lip products or clinique being famous for skin-friendly stuff. I mean actual products. So here's some products that I think are the most frequent recommendations of gurus, websites, and regular consumers for the company NARS.


Nars Orgasm
I have heard about this blush from EVERYONE. In fact, gurus often talk about this blush as if it's already understood that this is a famous item. I've tried it, I personally think MAC's Dainty Mineralized Blush is the exact same thing. Obviously, I'm no expert. But having worn it, I didnt decide to start saving up for it.



Nars Laguna
This is probably the most talked about bronzer. I forgot to mention, while this is the best of NARS, these are the most talked about blushes and bronzers. So regardless of brand, orgasm is the most talked about blush and laguna the most talked about bronzer without fail. I just grouped them together because it just so happens these two products are both from the same brand. ANYWAYS, moving back to the bronzer. The colour doesnt show up great in this image but I've seen live shots of it and it really is pretty.

So that's my short ramble. I miss makeup. I want more stuff. Somethings wrong with me.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Eureka!

I've had several enlightened moments in the last 24 hours, and I'm extremely ecstatic about them!


First, I was thinking about my MakeUpForEver Camouflage Palette which I never use. It really irks me that it was so expensive and it doesnt work for me the way I wanted. The green looks green on my skin rather than concealing my acne scars. I'm sure someone knows why but I'm unaware why this is. Actually the green I still have no solution for as of yet. However! I realized that I could use the rest of the palette as an eyeshadow base! Before I got my hand on eyeshadow primers I had applied too much concealer on my lids (by accident) and realized later that it had held my eyeshadow in place beautifully! So, voila! That is how I'm going to use this palette. I'm going to run out of UDPP (Urban Decay Primer Potion) soon enough and I havent gotten any MAC Paint Pots as of yet (for annoying reasons) and so this would work perfectly.

I'm obviously not one of those people that is okay with getting products that never get used. I am extremely careful with what I buy and it hurts when you invest so much energy into something because you have all these expectations, and then it doesnt work out.

The other moment I had was with a new lipstick that I bought from the drugstore. I had heard gurus talk about Rimmel's Moisture Renew Lipstick line and how it was decent for a drugstore brand. And in all honesty, the purple packaging had been sucking me in from the start. But in all honestly, I love this lipstick. I got the shade Precious Brown and it suits my skintone and my lips own pigmentation so amazingly that I just want to apply and reapply and look at how amazing it looks and feels. And it really is moisturizing; I can never wear a MAC lipstick on its own because of how drying it feels but this I dont even feel the need for gloss. I'm so happy with this product. I'll definitely be picking up more of these in a drugstore haul soon.

I also finally got a pencil sharpener. I know, that's just embarassing that I have to mention that. But I'm lazy and I hadnt really needed to until my Urban Decay Zero eyeliner pencil needed sharpening, lol. So I picked up one by Quo and it works amazing. I've learned quickly that with cream liners, the key is to sharpen the slightest amount off because the last thing you want is a sharp point that breaks off. I also love how it doesnt sharpen anything too long; it makes them short which is perfect.

Yay:).

Thursday, June 17, 2010

88 Eyeshadow Pallette


To buy or not to buy? That is the question I've been going back and forth on for ages with this palette. I know it's recommended for people who are new to makeup because it has every colour, the eyeshadows are very pigmented, and its extremely cheap considering what your getting.

My problem is that I always decide that I have 2 Urban Decay Book of Shadows (soon to be 3!) which have such a great colour range that they have been great for me so far. I feel like I could spend those $30 on something I need. I'm still building my collection (and I'm not sure anymore if its ever going to be enough) and I have many things that I need and dont have.

But then I hear so many gurus mentioning how they love this palette because if you ever dont have a colour, you can just pull this out and you can find the colour your looking for. This makes me want to get it then! I dont know. There's so many other great products I need first. I think I'll get this palette when I feel like I needed a colour for a look that I dont have. I havent felt that yet so I dont know.

I do think this palette is great for anyone who isnt attempting to follow a lifelong committment with makeup through. It gives you every colour you need and it'll last a very long time despite the fact that it doesnt look like the eyeshadows are very big.

New Favourite Makeup Guru: magicgrl111


OMG! I'm loving this makeup guru. She's not as big as many of the others I've mentioned before but I'm realizing how amazing she is at makeup!

I really appreciate how most of her makeup tutorials that I've watched implemented different techniques. Sometimes with gurus, they use very similar techniques to achieve very different looks. And when you're like me (and you watch them incessently) you start to get bored of the same idea being replayed because you want to learn something new. Although, I have to add, I love that you can use almost the same technique so many different ways as well.

Anyways! Her name is Selby and she's a mid-20's American makeup guru on YouTube. She has about 24,000 subscribers (and she deserves many, many more!) I recently found a tutorial by her and subscribed to see what else she had because I found her makeup results really nice. I've discovered that she uses and owns a wide range of products and uses them in various ways. I'm really enjoying watching her videos.

Plus! She's gorgeous! Everything she does looks amazing on her, and lets face it, that matters when your trying to transform yourself from an ugly duckling to a beautiful swan!


Resisting Temptations, Investing in the Right Makeup & Products I'm Considering

Since I've developed this obsession with makeup, I've started to habitually check the Sephora and MAC websites everyday. Yes, everyday. I am aware that they dont change that often, but that's how often I like to look at them. The problem with this is that I'm always discovering these amazing deals at Sephora that I really want to try. Unfortunately, my budget (as well as my conscience) dont allow for that. So I'm often left feeling, "Aw, man!"-ish.

To feel better, I'm going to list below some of the new gift packs at Sephora or sets or weekly picks as they call them, hoping someone else will enjoy them for me.

Best in Bronze Deluxe Sampler ($113 Value)

Best in Bronze Deluxe Sampler ($39)
This set is a "Sephora's Favourites" box which means that its not from a single brand. Sephora has also released a mascara set like this which I own and adore, and I believe this is the second Sephora Favourites to hit the shelves. I personally think this is a GREAT idea. It allows you to really try out (in a fair sample size) all of the best bronzers (or at least many of the great ones) and get a feel for what you like, what you dont, and why. And then, once you know, you can purchase the full size of what you like! I am enjoying the mascara set for many of the same reasons; with the addition that I find I like using these products for as long as they last in the sample size anyway. There's so many products out there that I want to move on and try what else there is! Having a full-size bottle means it either gets wasted or you drag yourself to use it longer than you want to. With sample sizes, that's not a problem. And honestly, 40 bucks is a fair price. Yay Sephora!


Beauty In A Box - Aqua Essentials Kit ($124 Value)

Sephora Beauty in a Box - Aqua Essentials Kit ($69)
I believe this set is a bit more recent than the last one but still fairly old. I REALLY BADLY want to get this set. Makeup Forever is such an amazing company and these are amazing products that they've put together. It gives you the chance to try out their new Aqua Creams in very wearable colours (warm beige & taupe) as well as their famous mascara, and some lip products. It's still quite pricey, although fairly so considering the actual prices of these products, but I just cant dish out that much on things I really dont need. I already have great neutral eyeshadows (although not in creams), so many mascaras and I dont know if those lip products would suit me. But if I could, I could easily justify getting this gem.


Despite the fact that this post is about resisting temptations, the truth is I am able to get over them. I am very proud of the fact that I've bought the makeup that I use. There have been very few products that I've bought on a whim and I dont like to waste my money so I'm glad that I've really researched into what I've gotten. I just dont feel like investing in these sets, I dont think they are worth it for me, but if these investments can work out for someone the way others have worked for me than thats whats most important.

Speaking of investments, I am definitely going to be picking up the new Urban Decay Book of Shadows Volume III set to release this fall. I know that there will be repeat eyeshadows (not officially, just by past experience) but I'm willing to live with extra Midnight Cowboy and Twice Baked eyeshadow since, in reality, they are very pretty shades. I'm excited to see what they come up with for this.

I also want to invest in some skin products. I want to get the tinted moisturizer by Laura Mercier but I've been hearing mixed reviews about it. Well actually, I've heard great reviews, I'm just concerned that it's not going to give me the coverage I want. Anddd, it's extremely expensive so I wouldnt want to get it unless I really think it's worth it. I do need a good eye cream though, I'm really looking into Clinique's products since their tested for allergies and are thought to be good for acne-prone skin.


I also need a new foundation. I'm currently using MAC's Studio Sculpt and it's very good coverage but can easily be made to look cakey. It's quite thick and it's not the look I need every single day. I need something that feels lighter on my skin because this foundation is like a mask. While it makes my skin look amazing, I feel like I'm putting my face on everyday with this foundation. I would suggest it for oily skin (since creams are less likely to look oily than liquids) and for those who have scarring or marks because no one can see them with some of this. Great product, but I need something that suits my changing needs and this no longer meets the requirements!

So this ended up being about several things but they are what's on my mind and I feel lighter having said them. Yay blog!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

MAC Finishes

So, I've watched a lot of makeup videos as I've said before and I feel like I've caught on to most of the lingo. I still cant get a grasp on the different finishes from MAC though. So in an attempt to better understand them, I'm going to list and explain them in plain english.

(In case anyone cares, I turned to EnKoreMakeup and other web sources to make this)

So I'm going to talk about the different lipstick finishes first. There are six as far as I know. They are matte, satin, amplified cream, frost, lustre and glaze. Apparently, the pigmentation of these lipsticks is different. So they range in how opaque the colour is when you apply it to your lips.

At the one extreme you have matte lipsticks which are the most pigmented and have absolutely no shine. They look like they have the most colour because of this.

Next is satin lipsticks which have a bit of a sheen to them but still no glitter or anything too shiny. Apparently these two are the ones that give you the most colour, with one having no shine and the other one does.

Next is amplified cream which apparently has the creamiest formulation. So this one is similar to the first two in terms of how much "colour payoff" you get from the lipstick. The difference is how it feels; its much creamier in texture. This one also has a sheen to it (it's not matte).

After those comes frost which are, appropriately, very frosty looking. So its basically a very shiny version of whatever the colour is. This one has less pigmentation compared to the others. While the first three seem to differ mainly in terms of the gloss/shine, this one has less colour as well as much more shine.

The next finish is called lustre. This one is a bit more transparent than all the others. So this is kind of like a lip gloss in the sense that it will look different on every person because of the colour of their natural lips underneath.

Last is glaze lipsticks. These are at the opposite extreme from matte lipsticks in the sense that these have the least amount of pigmentation when applied. This one has no shine.

Best Product Reviews

So I was going over my list of my favourite makeup gurus and I realized that the list is fair game when it comes to makeup tutorials, but its different for hauls and reviews.

I thought I'd do a quick list of my favourite YouTube product reviewers:


1. Lollipop26
She is definately the best makeup guru for reviews. Laura seems extremely sweet but she is very honest about all her reviews. There is no being nice to any brand or product for the sake of anything else but quality and performance. I respect her SO much for that. She tends to do more "products I regret buying" and "dont believe the hype" videos which may seem like bashing to some, but not to me. I appreciate videos where people talk about the products that dont work for them because you get to know WHY some products work/dont work for people. Everyone has different skin and every product doesnt turn out the same or look the same on everyone. Its nice to know why it might not work as well as why it may work. Often when its a good product you only hear about how amazingly life-changing it is. I want more details though, lol! Laura gives the full picture. She also gives the full picture when she raves about products, says exactly why they work and what they do. Love, love, loveee!


2. JuicyStar07
Blair also does great reviews. She is very thorough in trying them out; she's mentioned many times that she waited to use products for at least a week, sometimes more, before she did a video on what she thought. I really appreciate that because as a makeup guru, these girls have SO much makeup and they really dont need to put an extreme amount of effort into their reviews but Blair does. I feel like I can trust her judgment of products because of this. Also, and this is for anyone with similar skin, her reviews are perfect for me because we have a similar skin type. She has oily/combination, acne-prone skin and so do I. While I know that this isnt a reason for everyone to watch her reviews, its a personal one thats REALLY important for me. I also understand that despite having similar skin types products may still react differently on our skin but I can at least rely on her advice better than from people who have dry or normal skin. Love, love, loveee Blair and her sincerity!


3. MakeupGeekTV
Many of the reasons Marlena is a good reviewer are the same reasons why she's a great makeup guru. She's sweet yet honest about it. There's no bashing on her channel but she, as with all things, is extremely concerned with being informative for her audience so that they can get the most from every video. You get the sense that she genuinely cares about people who watch her videos and makes a conscious effort not to cheat them out of the real honest truth with any product. She's also very unbiased towards products in the sense that she tries all things. She wont not try Victoria Secret products because they are not generally a makeup line, or try a new makeup brand that no ones heard of. She tries and reviews all sorts of products from all sorts of companies and gives great reviews. She's not afraid to say the truth about the quality of products and how much she likes something which makes me trust what she says!


4. Temptalia
Christine has the most informative website I have yet seen from a makeup guru. Its a lot more professional than the other ones and it seems like more of a business than a personal blog. She tends to say "we" a lot when she's talking about stuff so it seems like she has a team of people who support and help her. So she's a great reviewer because of all the information she has. I feel like I'm getting extremely intelligent, detailed facts as well as opinions about products. She has as much information as there is possibly out there on products, plus she has everything thats coming up, everything that came out. Honestly, her website is amazing. If not her channel, I would say her website is the best one to check out for beauty/makeup related information. She's also very sweet, as all of them are, but very to the point which I appreciate as well.


5. Lisasz09
I recently came across Lisa and I havent really noticed her makeup tutorials (I'm not sure if she even does them!) but she does great reviews. That's basically what I watch from her. She's very detailed, very honest. I like her for the same reason as I mentioned with others; she tries the products thoroughly before she gives a review and is very detailed and informative about the products when she does do a review. I also like with her that she is exposed to very different brands than you typically hear about so if your looking for something and your not satisfied with all the "pop" brands she gives lots of great advice on alternatives.



So I really appreciate all of these ladies for their reviews because they allow me to make educated choices in the beauty products I purchase. We're not all makeup gurus or on YouTube getting lots of free products so I like that I can really find out what the pros and cons of different brands, products, beauty-related items are before I go spend money on them.

Thanks to all of them!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Hourglass Superficial Lash in Carbon


I'm LOVING this mascara.

So I couldnt help it, I opened another mascara from my Sephora's LashStash. I really did try to work with Tarte and I think it would've worked out better if the mascara hadnt been a stain. I mean who is going to want a mascara that stays on their lashes for 4 days? Dont most people wash their faces twice a day? It was impossible to get off. I would think I got it off, and I would get raccoon eyes getting lots of it, but no matter what I did the next morning I would wake up with mascara around my eyes. I cant have that; I have acne-prone skin which will easily break out if theres makeup left on my face overnight. Not to mention, trying so hard to get mascara off means being a little harsh with your eye area (because you keep reapplying the makeup remover and rub the wipes) so I just wasnt happy with the whole idea.

To be honest, I cant see that mascara working for anyone. No matter what, taking it off is a pain and I cant see anyone being okay with that. Maybe the people who love waterproof mascara. I can understand wearing it to the beach or to the pool but you eventually have to take it off. I dont know, maybe all waterproof mascaras are like this and I just dont know the best way to take them off. It just didnt work for me. Sorry Tarte! I wanted to love you, but you made it hard:(.

So back to what this post is REALLY about, lol. I decided to open the Hourglass Superficial Lash mascara in Carbon from my Sephora Favourites set and I have to say I am LOVING it. I thought the brush was really weird looking (most brushes are rounded but this one was like dead straight). I thought that was going to work to its disadvantage but it somehow works great like that! (In fact, the Tarte one was shaped for the eyes and that didnt help). Okay, okay, enough bashing tarte. This new mascara rocks! It lengthens nicely, not the most length I've ever had but pretty good that I wouldnt complain if I wasnt trying to be completely detailed. The part that I love the most about it is how well it separates my lashes! I feel like I have more lashes than Iknew and I can see each one individually which makes my lashes look more volumized even though the formula may not be made for that.

Actually, let me get an official description: "Superficial Lash Volumizing + Lenghtening Mascara is a hydrating mascara that coats lashes in weightless volume and sheen. Eyes are instantly defined as lashes visibly increase in volume, length, and height."

Okay, so I very much agree with the description. I like their technique to volumize by not having a very thick formula but my separating the lashes. I love the result! I am SO happy I opened it, I know I just wasnt going to be satisfied for 3 months with the Tarte one.

Wow, so I checked out the price for the full bottle and it's $26 at Sephora for this full-sized mascara. Honestly, I'm probably going to keep repurchasing this set of favourites because these sample sizes have enough in them to last 3 months, but if anyone cares, thats how much it costs.

Listing Time:

Pros
1. Lengthens
2. Volumizes
3. Nice packaging


Cons
1. Expensive

Urban Decay Book of Shadows Volume 3

OMG!! I just read on temptalia.com that Urban Decay is releasing a new book of shadows this fall! So far I have Volume 2 and Volume 3 (Alice in Wonderland version) and I am so happy with them. I have yet to buy MAC eyeshadows because these two pallettes have given me all the colours I havent felt like I needed! I get happy everytime I open my makeup drawer and see them there. Sometimes I just pull them out and smile when I realize how much I lucked out by discovering them! Check out the image of the pallette below and be as happy as me!

Urban Decay Book of Shadows Volume III

Several places where I've read about the pallette I've also read lots of concerns about the rising price of these pallettes and the fact that they have repeats. I think this needs to be put into perspective. These pallettes are amazing quality; they have amazing pigmentation, are unique and give you a great range. More importantly, they are a great size, they will last you a long time, and they are affordable. Yes, I think they're affordable. They're a GREAT investment. They may cost you $70 (Canadian, for Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows) but think about it. There's 16 eyeshadows, 2 eyeliner pencils and one mini primer potion bottle. That's less than $4 a piece. Compare that to MAC or any other brand which gives you the quality that this brand does!

And so what if they repeat colours?! I've learned as I've tried the colours in the palettes that I was less excited about that they ALL look amazing. So having repeats means that you have more of some great shadows. I dont think that's a good enough reason to hate on Urban Decay.

I hope there arent too many repeats but I love em so much I'm probably going to buy it no matter what! I dont care what anyone says, Urban Decay rocks!

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