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Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes First Impressions

I recently got this ADORABLE little set of metallic Aqua Eyes eyeliners from Make Up For Ever, and I decided to “road test” them in kind of a unique way. I swatched each one on the back of my hand, and just went about my life. I did not make any actual attempt to remove them, like when I washed my hands I didn’t scrub over the liners or anything I just washed like I normally would.
“Life” over the last few days has consisted of:
– using hand sanitizer regularly
– showering (yay!)
– carving 3 pumpkins
– running around doing errands
– preparing food
– sleeping with my hand (the one w/ the swatches, mind you) under my pillow
… you get the idea.
Right After Swatching

I gave them a few minutes to ‘set’ before I tried the traditional smudge test of letting them set and then smudging over them with my fingers. So far, so good. No smudging. 
24 Hours Later

After 24 hours, the gold liner’s swatch had faded a little bit on one part of the swatch. The rest were going strong! I was impressed, and left them on my hand to see what happened.
Pumpkins
Ok have you ever carved a pumpkin? It’s seriously gross. I had pumpkin matter all over my arms up to my elbows almost, some of it was on my chest, and some even managed to get on my face. I washed my hands several times in addition to the regular use of hand sanitizer and showering that I usually have in everyday life.
Results

I applied these on my hand on Thursday night. It’s now Saturday night (by the time you read this it will be Sunday though). I can still see a tiny mark where one of the swatches was. Seriously. It’s from the black liner. The gold was the first to rub off (which by the way didn’t fully disappear until last night), followed with some distance by the silver. The bronze, dark grey, and black held on for quite a while, but are now gone except for the tiny faint smudge where the black used to be.
But damn. Thursday night to Saturday night. That’s pretty darn impressive, don’t you think? I wish I had thought to take pictures throughout the days I had them on, but I was just so caught up/busy with whatever I had going on haha. I’ll be doing more tests with these (like uh, using them on my eyes would be nice eh?) and I’ll post more info and swatches later. I just had to post this when I realized I still saw some eyeliner on my hand tonight.
The kinda funny (or sad, depending…) thing about this trial is I was walking around with eyeliners on my hand for 3 days and no one said anything. They probably figured they didn’t want to know! 
The Make Up For Ever Rock For Ever Aqua Eyes set is $36, available at Sephora. It is limited edition though, so if you want it grab one up now while we still have the Friends & Family discount. ;)
Product sample provided for editorial purposes.
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Midnight Blue Eyeliner Makes For A Hot Summer Look!

Navy blue may be a cool, icy tone, but that doesn’t mean it’s not hot for summer! Consider swapping out your average black or brown eyeliner and swiping a midnight blue or navy shade for a look that’s bold but at the same time softer, suitable for day or night! Navy eyeliner is less heavy than black, yet nearly always just as common (if an eyeliner comes in more than two colors, navy is likely to be one of them!) — it’s just way underrated since it doesn’t always suit everyone and doesn’t have quite the dark defining power as black does. But in the summer months ahead, you can afford to go with something a bit softer, especially during the day time when you want to keep things minimal yet pretty!

Aside from looking more daytime-appropriate, navy also makes the whites of your eyes pop, and makes light-colored eyes really sparkle. I love the metallic finish of this midnight blue gel liner from Smashbox’s Jet Set collection, but if you’re looking for something more matte, Smashbox also has a cream-to-powder liner (shown top left in Picasso) that goes on great with the help of an eyeliner brush. I love Urban Decay’s Ink for Eyes in Binge — the sleek case and eyeliner and smudge brush included makes it hard not to covet, but if you have a steady hand (some people still can never get the hang of liquid liner), DiorLiner Precision Eyeliner is the way to go for precise definition and saturated color!

– Alex Gambardella for TheFind
Save on Midnight Blue Eyeliner at Sephora from TheFind.com’s coupon site.
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NYX Studio Liquid Liner Swatches

Here we go! Swatches of all 12 shades of the NYX Studio Liners (with bonus Super Skinny and Super Fat eye marker swatches). I’m really impressed with the studio liners. Once they set, they are vibrant and extremely budge proof. They also do not fade. I am particularly fond of Extreme Sky Blue.

Studio Liner vs. Skinny & Fat Eye Markers: The Extreme Black shade is “blacker” than the super skinny and super fat markers, and also a lot more stay-put. When I rubbed the swatches, the studio liners didn’t move one bit. The skinny & fat markers smudged.

NYX Studio Liners are $4.50 each.
The NYX Super Skinny Eye Marker is $9.
The NYX Super Fat Eye Marker is $10.
All are available at NYX Cosmetics.

Here’s a little video I did on these liners (MY FIRST VIDEO!)…

Products provided for reviewing purposes.
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Stila Smudgepots…in a Stick?

Stila Smudge Pots have always been a favorite eyeliner of mine. They are fantastic gel/cream eyeliners. They glide on smoothly and once they set, don’t budge. At all.

Stila has expanded their eyeliner range this summer to include new Smudge Sticks, which are basically Smudge Pots in a pencil– and waterproof. AWESOME.

Stila Smudge Sticks debut in 8 waterproof shades:
  • Stingray – Black
  • Lionfish – Brown w/ Shimmer
  • Purple Tang – Purple w/ Shimmer
  • Moray – Olive w/ Shimmer
  • Koi – Metallic Gold
  • Silver Dollar – Metallic Silver
  • Peacock – Cobalt Blue
  • Blue Ribbon – Navy Grey

Overall these look and sound great. I just wish they’d stuck with the fish naming scheme for all of them, because that is so cute! If I were in charge over at the Stila Naming Stuff department, Silver Dollar would be called Marlin, Blue Ribbon would be Bluefin, and Peacock would be Damselfish.

What do you think? Will you be picking these up? They retail for $20 just like their potted counterparts at stilacosmetics.com.

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LORAC Eyeliner on Sale

Hi all, just a quick sale/deal post. :)

Previously I raved about LORAC’s Front of the Line felt tipped eyeliner pen. Well, right now LORAC is offering 50% off on this super awesome eyeliner, bringing the price down to $10. Even if you’ve tried other felt tipped eyeliners you should check it out, because unlike anyone else, LORAC’s felt tipped liner comes in green. Love it.

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Aromaleigh Retro Hi-Fi Matte Collection

The lovely Miss K over at Aromaleigh sent me samples of her latest masterpiece to review for all of you. The collection is the Retro Hi-Fi Matte Collection. Just take a look…

(photo from Aromaleigh.com)
This collection is a color-lover’s dream. The swatches are very true to life (photographing color products is never easy!). Miss K describes them…
“20 of the brightest, boldest and most vivid sweet matte shades… inspired by Atomic Age’s pink refrigerators, candy colored prom gowns, nifty interior design, space age prototype cars in lollipop shades, colorful diners and sweet shoppes, poodle skirts, and hip sci-fi pop culture.”

 Well, she nailed it! These are really fun colors, and have made me come out of my neutral comfort zone to try some brights. The formula for these is utterly incredible. They apply brilliantly. On the lid they look as smooth and bright as a cream eyeshadow. Without a base they do crease on my oily eyelids, but that is to be expected. If you want a BRIGHT, fun, dreamy looking eyelook, these are for you.

My picks from the collection…(descriptions are taken from the Aromaleigh site)

  • What’s Shakin? – Cool toned purple.
  • Got Dibs – Warm toned purple.
  • Radioactive – A vivid cool green.
  • In The Mix – Smoked violet. 
  • Daddy-O – Slightly muted turquoise blue.

Gee, think I like purples? :)

The Retro Hi-Fi Matte collection is available in full size or sample size at Aromaleigh.com.

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Look: Green Cat Eye

Here’s a quick eye look I threw together. Mr. Boyfriend helped me take pics of it. :) I usually don’t even do makeup this dramatic, lol. But Linda of My Pretty Pink Box asked me to create a look with these to showcase their quality and pigment.

 
Not sure why the color looks faded in this picture…I was just happy to get a color accurate photo. Btw that’s not a giant zit, it’s a little mole thing I have always had on the side of my nose near my eye, lol.
Breakdown…
Lid – Glamour Doll Eyes ‘Immature’ eyeshadow, which is a really pretty shimmery green-teal. It’s not a color I’d normally gravitate towards, but it’s very pretty and intensely pigmented. Lovely to work with too. Not a lot of fallout.
Outer V and some Lid – Glamour Doll Eyes ‘Grease Lightning’ eyeshadow, an olive/khaki green with gold shimmer. LOVE this color. It’s beautiful. Unfortunately you can’t see it very much in this look because I just used it to make the transition from green to black less harsh.
Liner/Cat Wing – Glamour Doll Eyes ‘Graffiti’ eyeshadow, which is black but has emerald green sparkle. I think the sparkle would show better if I had used the shadow wet. Oops.
Highlight – NARS Bellissima I
Eyelashes have an extra crispy coating (lol) of NYX Doll Eyes mascara.
Brows are filled in with Billion Dollar Brows powder in Taupe, which always photographs much redder than it actually is. It’s truly a seal brown with NO redtones in it whatsoever, but tell that to my camera…
Like these shadows? My Pretty Pink Box has a special holiday deal on them!
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The Gloss Menagerie Loves LORAC!

(click the banner to visit LORAC’s site and get this deal!)

Today is LORAC Love day for me…I’m loving LORAC’s new fall stuff. On that note, I just heard about an awesome steal, an exclusive VIP Starter Kit on LORAC’s website. These are all FULL SIZED products (except for the mini bronzer)! Unbelievable deal for some great stuff. The $18.50 kit includes:

3 Eyeshadows: Cappuccino, Harmony, Persuasion
2 Cream Lipsticks: Eloise, Charity
2 Lip Polishes: Delicious, Bliss
Double Ended Eyeliner/Shadow Brush
Mini TANtalizer baked bronzer
Front of the Line Liquid Eyeliner in Black
The set’s retail value is $160!!!!!!!!! (Just LOOK at all those exclamation points!! This is serious!!) And they’re pricing it at only $18.50 while supplies last!
I am wearing the Front of the Line liquid eyeliner today and I have to say of any felt tipped liquid eyeliner THIS one is the easiest one to use. I’ve said many times on the blog that I am “eyeliner retarded”…well this one can make even me look good. I have it in black, and brown and green shades are available as well. Can I just tell you how refreshing it is to see a company offer a green? So many stop at black and brown. Black and brown are not the only neutrals, makeup brands! Green, navy, grey…all of them are fantastic neutrals as well! So yay for LORAC “going green”. ;)
I have also tried the TANtalizer bronzer. I’m not that into bronzer, but if you like the sparkly bronzy goodness of something like MAC Warmed MSF, you’ll love TANtalizer. I like stuff like this because you can also use it as a shimmery eyeshadow, too. And when foiled, or used wet, these baked products look amazing on the eyes.
If you already know you’re a LORAC fan and you want to spend more to get free shipping (LORAC has free shipping over $50) I have some ideas for what you should grab, too!
SPF 15, smooth creamy color with vitamin E, olive oil, and collagen-boosting. Paraben free, too! I highly recommend Nude Scene (LOVE this!), or for a “my lips but better” look, Premiere. There are also some really lovely reds in this line. Leading Lady is your classic Hollywood starlet red.
$22 ea
You know how I feel about baked goods. These are no exception. They go on a bit nicer than the MAC Mineralized blushes, too. There’s no crazy glitter Shh, don’t tell MAC I said that. ;) I wish there were more colors of these, but Velvet Rope is very, very pretty.
$24 ea
Also stop by the VIP Discount section. There are some major deals there on lovelies such as the Pink Python and Snake Charmer palettes (each are now under $20!).
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Review – Korres Soft Eyeliner Pencil


I’ve been really into Korres lately. I tried a cherry oil lipgloss from that big Sephora 500 beauty insider point gift and was hooked. I wanted to try all of it– I love the gloss that much. So I tried the White Tea facial cleanser and Wild Rose moisturizer from the gift set and those are really nice too (detailed reviews to come).

Then I got a lip butter trio as a birthday gift. For those of you who didn’t know, I turned 23 this past Saturday. :) And a blogger buddy of mine sent me the lip butter trio from Korres as a very thoughtful and awesome birthday present. I will review those in more detail later, but I love them!!!
So, on that note…I wanted to try more. I recently purchased the Best of Korres Color set because it seemed to have a very good array of things to try, including another cherry oil lipgloss (LOVE).
But this review isn’t about the lipglosses. Or the lip butters. That’s right, we’re finally getting to the point. Yesterday I decided to try the Soft Eyeliner Pencil that came with the set. These eyeliners are said to be soft, soothing, and even hydrating. They contain Vitamin E oil and they claim to give rich, vivid color without tugging on the delicate eye area. They also say they are great for the inner rim of the eye right there on the pencil itself. Sweet!
Or so I thought. :\
As I’m writing this I realize it should have been a big neon flag that these hydrating pencils would probably end up “hydrating” all over my eyes as they smudged (without tugging!) all over in the California heat. Except I guess I consider myself an idealist so I tightlined with the pencil and went off about my day of shopping with various birthday gift cards.
Now, few things in life are as horrifying for me as shopping for clothes. Don’t get me wrong, I love getting new clothes. Getting them. Having them. Wearing them. I do not like shopping for them. I hate trying them on, I hate taking my clothes off and putting them back on over and over (there goes my career in Vegas…), the booming music in the stores, the bad lighting in the dressing rooms, etc. And that’s once you even establish that the store has something you like, something in your size…yeah. No wonder I shop online a lot. And rarely for clothes at all. So I’m doing my thing in a fitting room when I take a moment to glance in the mirror. Aside from all the frizzy craziness going on with my hair, what really stood out was my eyeliner. All over my undereye area. Fabulous. I didn’t even put any eyeliner on my lower lashline or anything like that. I did the best I could to rub it off (yes, I rubbed my undereyes…desperate times, yo!) and cleaned it up with makeup remover when I got home.
Later, I took a shower and cleansed with the Korres White Tea cleanser. Except, all of my mascara and eyeliner were still on. :| So then I grabbed some Philosophy Purity Made Simple, my go-to get-everything-off cleanser, and re-did just my eye area. The mascara was gone, but oh my god– I still had raccoon eyes! How come it smudged everywhere and wouldn’t stay put before, and then I couldn’t get it OFF? I had to get in there with a q-tip and scrub gently with more makeup remover in between all of my bottom lashes after I stood under the shower rinsing my eyes. No fun. No fun at all.
I’m not sure if I’m going to use this pencil again. I mean, it did have rich color. It didn’t tug…but it behaved very oddly otherwise. Maybe I’ll try it again on a not humid and sweaty day and see how that works.
Have you tried the Korres Soft Eyeliner??
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Urban Decay Fall 09 – New Products

Wow! This launch is huge. There are over 30 new additions to the Urban Decay line! I will have reviews as soon as I can, but for now I will just give you some stuff to drool over! :) The launch includes both new products and new shades of products we already love. Here are the new products being launched.
Cream to powder foundation! The foundation comes with a brush, too! Nifty! Like the Pocket Rocket glosses I reviewed recently, this foundation contains hyaluronic spheres as well. Those help maintain the skin’s moisture balance. I really hope the shade Illusion is light enough for me because this sounds like such a neat product.

Inks For Eyes are cream liners with a new high-tech polymer called Nylon 12. Why should you care? Because this ingredient decreases ‘drag’; these clever inks won’t tug on your delicate eyelids and will give a smooth finish every time. I love the packaging; look at the gorgeous peacock design! And the fact that the brush is included is a nice touch. One end is a brush and the other end is a smudger for when you want a touch of drama. There are 6 shades Inks.

Now here’s where the fun really starts. New primers! Urban Decay is perhaps most well-known for their Primer Potion for eyeshadows. Now you can get the full primer potion treatment. The first one is the brightening complexion primer. This primer can be worn under makeup or alone and will help keep skin looking fresh, awake, moisturized, and diminish fine lines.

UD’s new lip primer is a soft, fade-free, feather-free primer that won’t dry out your lips. It gives your lips a silky finish while helping to keep your lipstick on longer. Bonus, it also has SPF 15. I don’t know if you’ve ever sunburned your lips, but it’s not cute.

The other complexion primer in the collection is the Pore Perfecting primer. This is a non-greasy primer designed to diminish the look of pores and fine lines for an airbrushed look. UD says this primer is ideal for oily skin but could be used by anyone either alone or under makeup. They also assure us that the formula is non greasy! That is good news, because who wants a greasy face? Yeah, I’m looking at you Smashbox.
I’m very excited to try the UD lash primer. It contains protein to enrich your lashes including silk and wheat protein, which if I recall correctly is the same ingredient Aveeno uses to make their fabulous shampoos and conditioners. If it’s good for my hair it must be great for my lashes! What you won’t find in this primer is any parabens. ;)
I also want to mention that whoever wrote the copy for this product on the UD site should pat themselves on the back. I have never read something so creative on a cosmetics site. They describe the primer as constructing “towers of Babel…reaching for heavenly lashes”. Bravo.
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