Eye and lip products from COLOUR POP!

After seeing several Youtube Beauty Guru's posting videos on this new line of cosmetics, I decided to look into Colour Pop cosmetics. It seemed too good to be true; great color payoff, long wear, all for under $10 a piece??? BUT IT SEEMS TO BE TRUE! I went ahead and ordered 3 shadows and 2 lip sticks, the swatches are below.

Colour Pop Super Shock Shadows are super cushiony. It's almost like putting your finger on velvet pudding mousse. Because of their formula, you have to keep the lid on tight. Like the box says "Keep the magic in, close jar tightly after use" and I can completely understand why. These are the softest shadows I've ever felt! They can be used with fingers or with synthetic brushes. They recommend using the finger first to give better color payoff then blending out. I can't wait to play around with them other than the swatches! 

The first eyeshadow is Bill (on the left). It's a very soft almost fleshy-warm toned muted brown taupe. It comes off as almost pink. It's going to be a great wash color or transition crease color

 

 
The next color is simply spectacular. It's called Cricket. Normally I don't go for glittery/shimmer shadows, but this one just called to me. It's a gorgeous purple/wine metallic that is going to be stellar as a mobile lid wash of color.

The third shadow I got was Girl Crush. A muted  and dusty blue based taupe (think I love a good taupe?? YES) it almost comes off as a gray that will be a good transition or crease color. Though I'm thinking I could use it on it's own as a color wash too!

NEXT TO LIPPIES! I LOVE lipsticks that are easy to put on and build, each was swatched 3x to get the full color payoff. The tubes are skinny like a pen, slanted for easy precision and are twist ups. SO GREAT! The pigments are great, I can't wait to see how long they wear!

First up is Button. An easy neutral coral, I can easily see myself wearing this throughout the Summer into Fall. Very wearable but not nude, gives a good color for my fair skin. (Don't be fooled, for some reason I look tan in these pictures, I'm really pale in person.)

As I was shopping, I came across Frida. On the website it's billed as a "A warm mid tone nude pink with a satin finish" and that's true, but on ME it's much brighter, as you can see next to Button. It's coming across much more Pink Lemonade and it's SO CUTE! I love how it's so solid and playful, it's just warm enough to really show off my lips without a ton of effort.

So here's the swatches in a different light to try and show the beautiful colors, top to bottom: Bill, Cricket, Girl Crush, Frida lippie and Button lippie. 

Each eyeshadow and lippie were $5 US each. THAT'S IT. FIVE BUCKS!! When I placed my order, they had a free shipping with every $30 order in the US so SCORE! Colour Pop is made in Los Angeles so it was only a few days wait until my order showed up at my mailbox. I'm really looking forward to wearing all of these! 

And CHECK THIS OUT (from the Colour Pop website)

PS. We are 100% fur baby friendly, bunny approved, and only test our products on humans – the ones in our HQ to be exact.

How great is that??? Go check out Colour Pop and take a look! You might find out you love this line as much as I do!

Eye've been busy - but here's a Two-Fer!

Terrible pun, but still.

I've made some purchases lately that I wanted to share. Both concerning eyes.

Photo from shueumura-usa.com

 

 

 

Firstly, the new eyelash curler from Shu Uemura via the Ebates.com site, New Generation Eyelash S Curler. This oddly shaped curler is reminiscent of a Tweezerman for Laura Mercier curler from awhile back; the surface area is at least 1/3 of the size of a normal wide-mouthed curler and has a definite learning curve when it comes to use. 

Just like the "Bite Bite Bite" method from my previous post; start at the base or as close as you can maneuver the curler, you can use the top white pad as a guide (when you feel it touch your lid, stop!) or just eyeball it. Squeeze with a firm but slow pressure, then release softly, tilt your wrist up (thereby tilting the curler) slowly and do another short squeeze and repeat at least twice. You get SUCH a deep curl out of the S Curler! Because the actual surface area is smaller, it also allows for more precision which also translates into take your time when using this curler. Do NOT rush it! Yes, you can get into the inner and outer corners and curl just about every top eyelash you have, but if you rush you risk yanking out lashes in sections.

The Shu Uemura New Generation Eyelash S Curler retails for $24 US.

On to the next!

PHOTO FROM INGLOTUSA.COM

I've been searching for years, YEARS I TELL YOU, for polymer wrapped Tight-Lining product to NO AVAIL. 

Until now!!! This little beauty is the INGLOT AMC Eyeliner Gel in 77. It's a deep, DEEEEEEEEEP black with a putty-like look but an INK-LIKE texture! It's FANTASTIC! I was first turned on to it by YouTube User AnneThenSheSaid during one of her tutorials. She used it to make a fierce cut crease and by the look of it, I WANTED IT! I commented her video and asked if it was good for Tightlining (demonstrated in my previous post - How to Tight Line) and she told me it was GREAT and SHE WAS SOOOOO RIGHT!!!

I was STUNNED at how BLACK the eyeliner is and how creamy and easy to apply in the lash line! And let's have a half-second to talk about the price, on the INGLOT website, it retails for $12 US...I'm sorry, are those angels singing???? That's $12 US for 5.5g of pure black inked amazing-ness.

My only concern: it's really really inky. And you need an oily remover to get it off. Of ANYTHING. It took me a good 5 minutes to clean it off my hand and brush. It sets like crude oil. But I LOVE IT!!!

Below is a picture I took of my eye this morning, (sorry it's so yellow. I couldn't get the light to adjust right) I'm wearing the tiniest bit of eyeshadow (mainly because I accidentally pushed through my lashline while tightlining and COULDN'T GET THE SMUDGE OFF), the Inglot liner and mascara after curling my lashes with the S Curler. 

You can see, the curl is DEEEEEP y'all. The liner is solid and tight. And I fully expect all of it to stay that way ALLLLL DAY. 

(I also have my brow stuff on, but that's another post)

  

Has anyone else tried the S Curler or the Inglot Liner? I'm curious. There's 16 shades of liner on the Inglot site, including the most gorgeous red I've ever seen...obviously not for the faint of heart; also warm and cool purples, a teal that I'm drooling over and more!

Never fear: Bold Colors ARE Wearable!

Bold colors are always beautiful. But how one pairs them and wears them can be a challenge. Without going "Full Drag", adding bold colors can seamlessly be incorporated into your eye makeup repertoire!

Maybelline New York has really upped their game when it comes to long-wearing, affordable and easy to use products. Their EyeStudio Color Tattoo 24 hour Cream Gel Shadow works fantastic! The pigments are bright. The formula is creamy but controllable. The top layer does tend to dry out and can crumble when you're dipping into them; but once you're past that slight film, the product is undeniable.

The two brushes I used were a flat liner brush from Sephora.com and a lip brush by e.l.f. Cosmetics. Both are synthetic hair that stain easily. Neither one was expensive so if I need to replace them, it's no big deal.






I purchased the Tenacious Teal and Fierce and Tangy simply because I've always loved a good ocean-y blue and years ago in my stint as a makeup artist I found that bright orange is a really fun and workable color. Both colors are beautiful and really do go well together! The cool of the teal acts as a great accent color to a wash of the orange on just about everyone. Though it's not a combination that most would wear. Don't be afraid! It works!!

Using the smaller e.l.f brush, I put a small wash of the orange from my inner lid towards the outer corner. Once I had the orange placed, I used my finger to smudge the color to cover the majority of my lid. (This creates a good background for your lashes.) Next I used the flat liner brush and tap-swept the brush along the outer lid area until I'd built up a good color saturation. Going little by little ensures you can blend any mistakes away. After I'd gotten the top line, I ran the same flat liner under the lower quarter inch or so of my lower lashes. Again, it's all about contrasts. Because I'm so pale, the cool blast of teal really pops without making the undereye look heavy. (Additionally, putting a little color on the outer edge helps draw attention away from my darker undereye circles.) With the Color Tattoo products, working quickly is a must. The product sets quickly, and as promised, lasts. Zero and I mean ZERO fading. I didn't even use an eyeshadow base. These suckers are on. Next, I used the Tightlining Technique and Products from my previous post. Curled my lashes and put on a good coat of Cover Girl 24 Hour Lash Blast Mascara and I was done!

The Maybelline New York Eye Studio shadows were under $9 US each and since so little needs to be used, they will last both on my face and in my makeup case! The general rule is less is more when it comes to bold and bright colors; but don't be afraid! Play with them! They are really fun and are worth the little time it takes to get used to them! Happy painting!

Gimme that Base!

Sometimes finding the right eyeshadow base can feel like big game hunting on the Moon. Impossible.
Creaseless eye art is the goal, and I've found a couple contenders you may want to try.



Photo courtesy of BeneFitCosmetics via Amazon

 Stay Don't Stray by BeneFit Cosmetics

1. The Good: Cost is $26 US so it's affordable. Available online and in department stores such as Ulta, Sephora, most Macy's, BeneFit Cosmetics, Amazon.com, etc. The texture is liquidy. Easily spreads with finger or cream shadow brush and keeps the eyelids oil free. You can use any type of shadow on it; cream or powder or cream to powder or loose shadow. It keeps your shadow on and if you can use it under your eye, it keeps your concealer in line as well. It color corrects so you may end up using less under eye concealer in the first place.

2. The Meh: It comes in a pump, so you will end up using too much until you get used to the "half pump" and even then, you'll end up with too much. Additionally, you can't see how much product you have left so if you run out mid-application, you're out of luck. It only comes in one color so if you have a tan or are darker complexted, you're in trouble. It'll end up looking chalky and dry and no matter how much you try to color correct, it doesn't blend out. You're stuck. Because of the pump, extra bits of product leak out and can make a bit of a mess. It can be difficult to blend your dry powder shadow if you don't have a light hand.

3.The Verdict: If you have the time and patience to work with it, travel a lot and need to have products that double their use, and are very fair skinned; Stay Don't Stray is fine for you. However I do recommend stopping into a store to physically see and feel the product for yourself.





Photo courtesy of Laura Mercia via Amazon.com

 Laura Mercier Eye Canvas

1. The Good: Cost is $26 US. Available online and in department stores such as Sephora, some Macy's, Amazon.com, LauraMercier.com, Nordstrom, etc. Five colors are available right now. Spreading a thin amount of the creamy base creates an almost magnet-style attraction for eyeshadow. You end up with a true to color result for your shadows. Cream, powder, cream to powder and loose powder shadows work well on this shadow base. Brightens and color corrects the lid, removing any redness and creating a good neutral-skin colored canvas for your colours of choice. Dries down quickly so there's no waiting to put on your eyeshadow. It's easy to blend your eyeshadow on this product even if you accidently get a little heavy handed. The wear is fantastic, I checked my shadow application after 15 hours and my look never faded!

2. The Meh: Though it comes in 5 colors, the color range doesn't go deep. So the same applies here; you could end up with a chalky look if you don't use it sparingly and have a deeper complexion. If you don't have a cream shadow brush, you can use your finger but you'll use too much. Trust me. Plus, you don't want to put your finger into the container, the oils from your fingers break down the product. The pot is glass and the lid plastic which means if you drop it just right you could end up with a shattered eyeshadow base or a cracked lid and the product is garbage bound.

3.The Verdict: I love this product! I recommend testing it yourself to find the right color, but other than that, GO GO GO! I purchased the EC1 (the lightest shade), and it brightens and makes the eyespace look more open. The texture is lovely and creamy, doesn't drag on the tender skin of the eyelid and you can't argue with results. It worked so well after a particularly trying evening of karaoke, dancing around like a maniac and of course, adult beverages; I was thoroughly impressed. Not a single greasy-lookin' crease and the colors were the same as when I first applied it. Highly recommended!


What counts the most is that your eyeshadow base does it's job: keep your eyeshadow looking the way you want it until you want to take it off. If what you use right now (or if you don't use any) isn't cutting it; give one of these two a try! You might find a whole new world in your pallette of shadows once your base is doing it's job.

So many brushes, how do you choose?

If you've ever wandered through a cosmetics department, you may have seen the utility belts stuffed full of makeup brushes strapped to the waists of makeup artists beating away at the faces of their clients. I've always loved a gorgeous set of brushes, but when I was one of those artists I understood the panic and confusion when a client would ask "but which brushes do I need?" I thought about it, and came up with a basic collection of three eyeshadow brushes for powdered eyeshadow (loose or pressed).
My favorite brand of brushes is Laura Mercier (all photos courtesy of LauraMercier.com) . While they aren't cheap, they are definitely the best brush for the long run. I've had my brushes for easily 8 years, and they are still in perfect shape with minimal maintenance.

First, is the Eye Colour Brush. It's a basic brush with flat and tapered bristles and an oval tip, ideal for applying all-over lid color and brow-bone highlight colors.



Next is the Eye Crease Brush. Rounded with tapered bristles, allows for easy application to and above the crease (for "hooded" lids) and makes blending easier than with similar softer brushes.




Lastly, my favorite brush is the Corner Eye Colour Brush. This brush helps create the most sought after "smokey" effect by allowing for definition and gradual layering. Holding the brush vertical and along the top lashline, sweeping from outer corner in towards the center of the eyelid, a bedroom eye-smokey lashline is quickly and easily applied with whatever deeper shades you choose. Additionally, it makes taking that same deeper powder shadow and making a soft undereye smoke effect effortless.





Creating intense or natural looks are easier than you think, especially if you have brushes that you know how to use. Patience and practice is always recommended for beginners and remember, less is always better. You can always add on color or intensity, it's impossible to take it away (though with blending you can get pretty damn close). Don't be afraid to play with your eyeshadow!

Eye can SEEEE you!! (just kidding!)

So I've been trying to take a decent picture of just my eyes for what I'm embarrassed to say about 2 weeks. I know. It shouldn't have been such a pain, but it was!
This post is a reference post and a "look, see!!" post in that I took a results picture from my Best Mascara I Ever Used post.

 

Here is my eye without any makeup. The lashes are virtually non-existent. The tips are blond-ish and with my McWhiterson skin, they get completely lost.

And here is that same eye, with the lashes curled and two quick coats of the Covergirl 24 hour mascara.
It's a pretty remarkable difference, even with just a simple curler.