Maybelline Color Tatoo

I recently acquired four Maybelline Color Tatoos, which have been the topic of much discussion on the makeup boards. I wondered what all the hullabaloo was about, so I gave them a shot.

They're purported to be a "24 hour shadow", and they do seem to have quite a bit of staying power, and a seemingly magical shift from a creamy texture to that of a dense powder. They're shimmery and beautiful, creamy on application, and are really quite malleable in terms of how you apply them. They certainly do stay put, that's for sure! Based on my experience last night, the similarity to a powder shadow ends at the blending. 

My first utilization of these was as an eyeshadow base, and they performed fabulously. Without a single touch-up over the course of approximately 6 hours, there was no creasing, no fading, no flaking and no eye irritation. I personally don't have allergies, per se, but my eyes tend to be pissy drama queens at the slightest perturbation of their saline sanctuary.

Swatches, left to right:

(25) Bad to the Bronze
(70) Barely Branded
(55) Inked in Pink
(30) Pomegranate Punk



I used Pomegranate Pink as a shadow base and put a Laura Mercier shadow on top. I also utilized a bit of the Bad to the Bronze in the crease, and didn't pat shadow over it (it was a bit of an afterthought, to add just a bit more definition to the eyes). I was quite surprised that these, despite being a powdery-cream, with a dense texture, did not crease. Creasing sucks and frankly, I've had mid and high-end stuff get all creasey on me, with and without primer. Ok, I lied - there IS no "without" primer. At least, there shouldn't be! I'm not sure how I ever wore eye makeup sans primer. It's just so wrong.

You can purchase these almost anywhere, including your local drugstore, behemoth big-box store, (Walmart, Walgreens, Rite Aid, etc.). They range from $6-8 bucks, and the amount of product you get when viewed in terms of how much product you'd use in an application seems to be quite good! Rumor has it these may dry out if not stored properly. Don't leave the cap off, don't store near heat, etc., and I think some folks store them upside down in order to prevent drying.

Overall Impression: definitely recommended! Whether you use them alone, or you use as a shadow base, these are pretty excellent, especially for the price!! Mama likey.

PSA: Check it out!

We've added a link in the sidebar to our Imgur album of swatches! More to come, so stay tuned!

Just when I thought I was out... they pull me back in: Forbidden Love

Let me preface this with, I'm not quite at the point where I have my shit together to the degree that would facilitate me sitting down, putting on makeup, taking pictures and posting them. I will get there eventually, I promise!

That being said, I bring to you today two products that I hate to love. But love them I certainly do.

Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara:

I don't want to love you. I really don't. You are expensive, and you're one of those well-known brands and I was convinced I was firmly entrenched in the indie / drugstore camp. How foolish of me. My overarching resolve to find beautiful replacements / dupes of the Hot du Jour has not wavered. But honestly, we're talking mascara here. You put it on your eyes!!! It's one of those cosmetic products that you can't sanitize, shouldn't share and could, at any moment, go horribly wrong. But not the Lancome. Oh, no.

I had heard good things about the Lancome Hypnose Star mascara and was determined to try it, but had already segued out of "hey, let's blow lots of money on expensive products" and into "I'm a makeup junkie, but oh shit, I need to rein this in, or disaster will strike!!" So, I listed this mascara on my wish list in the MakeupExchange subreddit and fortunately for me (my wallet), I obtained a deluxe sample of this mascara.

It went on beautifully. It is very light (in terms of not being intrusive, as some mascaras can be). It's deliciously black (awww yiss!).  I've had it on for a few hours, and it hasn't flaked or faded.

I really dig this mascara. And I might have to purchase it...

Incidentally, I am also enamoured with Hypnose Star's cousin, or maybe sister, Lancome Cils Booster XL Super-Enhancing Mascara Base. Sweet jesus, that's a long damned name!!! But it's a pretty sweet product.  It goes on white, and then dries to clear / invisible. The Cils Booster does an excellent job on your lashes for those times you don't want to wear mascara (I know, that sounds ridiculous to me, too!!).


Next up, Peter Thomas Roth!

Peter Thomas Roth FIRMx(tm) Peeling Gel. Oh ma lawd. I'm not sure if this is some gimmick whereby you slather it on and it is chemically engineered to ball up and appear as if it is sweeping away those dull, dry, dead skin cells on your face, or if it is some magical wizard potion sent by some magical skincare deity.  Whatever it is, I love it! You smooth it on, and massage gently with your fingertips. Wee balls of...something appear under your fingertips, and voila! Your face feels like a baby's arse. I will let you know how this works out, after I've used my deluxe sample for a few days. 

PTR, I don't want to love you!! You're soooo expensive and honestly, I'm trying to fly the straight and narrow, where purchasing is concerned. But you...you are very, very tempting and I fear that I might succumb to your charms one day. I'd better get cracking on inventing that thing, that I patent, and then license for a handsome sum. Ha ha ha. Stop being so damn sexy PTR!!!

CLINIQUE All About Shadow Nudes Palette - Review

I realize this isn't a drugstore product, but I recently received the CLINIQUE All About Shadow Nudes palette and It. Is. Awesome.

The palette was $36 (Sephora), and frankly, worth every penny. From the gorgeous, silvery packaging (which, unfortunately, is prone to fingerprints, scratches, etc.) to the beautifully silky texture of the shadows, I don't regret buying this baby for one second.

The shadows, as you would expect in a palette at this price point, are well pigmented, super finely milled, incredibly silky and utterly blendable. The range and selection of colors and hues allows quite a bit of versatility in terms of whatever look you might desire to achieve. If you want subtle, "no-makeup" makeup, you can achieve it with this palette. If you want to do a bolder smoky eye, there are deeper shades well-suited for this purpose. The lighter shades are lovely for highlighting, and the deeper shades show up quite nicely, without getting all muddy or chalky or generally looking like ass when blended. You can actually differentiate the shades (assuming you've been practicing your blending!).

If I may be so bold, I have to say that after doing a full eye with this palette, I was extraordinarily psyched at the result. I may have achieved one of my best eyes ever - and this is not hyperbole. The colors pop, they blend where they should and they stand out where you want them to. Oooooh, and little to no fallout!!!  Fallout sucks, hard, and causes the makeup gods great ire. It also totally screws up your painstakingly perfect foundation and concealer job and, why!! Just, WHY!??

I give major props to CLINIQUE for the brush they've included with the palette. I have a strange natural aversion to hideous, foam-tipped applicators and I loathe, with the fury of a thousand suns, tiny little shit brushes that typically come with shadows. This is a nice, long, dual-ended usable tool. You can actually utilize this brush in the same manner you would one of your staple brushes. I think that's pretty frickin' sweet, personally. Note to cosmetics companies: STOP PUTTING SHIT BRUSHES IN YOUR PALETTES!!!!!

I realize I'm probably going off the rails here a bit, but the importance of your tools, where makeup is concerned, can NOT be overstated. I am not insinuating that you have to go out and drop hundreds of dollars on some fancy shmancy honkin' brush set, but you do need the proper tools if you're going to create a look as fabulous as you are. I'll discuss brush types, brands, their uses and care in another post.  o get back to the subject at hand, I'm very pleased with the tool that CLINIQUE has seen fit to include with this palette.

In summary, this is a hands-down winner. Whether you are a makeup maven with a penchant for hoarding makeup or you're someone who wears makeup infrequently (why!!?? it's soooo fun!!!), this lovely and versatile palette is for you. After pondering whether this palette would be better suited to particular eye colors, it's my opinion that it would likely look smashing on just about anyone. For the brown eyed ladies, the coppery tones really compliment the deep brown of the iris. Similarly, the muted shades with their understated shimmer and range of hues would really accentuate blue eyes. Heck, this is going to look great on just about anyone!!

tl;dr - I adore makeup of all kinds, colors, textures, etc. This palette really wowed me though - I was all googly eyed and there were cartoon hearts and angels floating above my head. There may have been an audible SQUEEEEEEEE as well.

Until next time ;)

Brazen Cosmetics - Review

I recently signed up for Brazen Cosmetics' monthly "Friends With Benefits" subscription service and received my first bag a few days ago.

Let me preface my review with a tl;dr: This is a pretty sweet monthly. I recommend it if you're into indie stuff and, in my humble opinion, you should be! In my marvelous makeup journey, I have run the gamut from mid-high end to drugstore to indie, and I have to tell you, there's nothing quite like supporting a start-up that puts out a quality product that you love, versus supporting a nameless, faceless conglomerate that manufactures its products god knows where (hint: places with incredibly lax or completely absent quality standards...Looking at you, China.). I've laid out the cash for $50+ palettes, goops, creams, potions, etc., thinking that a higher price guaranteed quality, when in fact, it doesn't. Drugstore and Indie brands have really been stepping up their games as of late. There are higher end products I've purchased after falling for the hype, only to find they just weren't all they were cracked up to be (looking at you, OCC Lip Tars - I know, you're all kind of beautiful to look at, but when the rubber meets the road you lag way behind products from brands a fraction of the price of yours).


Brazen has three subscription options, outlined below, and you may rightly assume here that I was quite pleased with what I received, or I probably wouldn't waste your time babbling on about them:



THE PACKAGES:

Silver:  For $15 you receive three (3) 3g pots of Brazen's UltraLuxe™ eye shadows. On their website, they note that these shadows are "unreleased, shades you'll get your eyes on before anyone else". Certainly can't poo poo that, right? For those of you unfamiliar with or new to this magical world of indie makeup, a 3g pot will actually yield quite a few uses, so you'll really have a chance to test-drive the shadows!

You also receive a mini of UltraGlaze™ Lipgloss or Ultraplush™ Lipstick, also exclusive and unreleased.  That's $25 or more (retail value) of makeup! Not too shabby! As if that weren't enough, you also get a 10% discount on orders from their e-store and Beauty Lounge AND free shipping within the US. They will ship to Canada and other international locations for only $5.00 extra which, as anyone who has had to ship stuff internationally from the US knows, that's a screaming deal!! 

Gold: The Gold package, $20 before shipping, in addition to the goodies you get with the Silver package, gets you a full sized exclusive shade of UltraGlaze™ Lipgloss (unreleased, woot!), AND a 15% discount in the e-store and Beauty Lounge, and free shipping in the US. That ends up being a $40+ value for $20 bucks. Can't argue with that!

Not temping enough yet? Oh wait, there's more:

Platinum: Their highest tier, the Platinum features everything in the Silver and Gold packages, and also includes a full-sized (5g) Ultraluxe™ eyeshadow in addition to the full sized lipgloss, 3x 3g eyeshadows and a mini exclusive shade of their lipgloss or lipstick.  For $25, you end up with $60+ retail value of product.  Shweet! But wait, there's even more! You receive a 20% discount in the aforementioned e-store and Beauty Lounge and free shipping on orders (US).  Niiiiiice!



"Get to the Taking Care of Business Part!!"

 THE REVIEWS:

Overall Impression:
I was thrilled with the contents, the packaging and the products, especially for the price. The packaging was super cute; someone obviously put some time and thought into it, and that's one of the sweet touches that come along with Indie products. When was the last time that multi-national conglomerate of cosmetics sent you a mash note with your order? Truth be told, I was pretty stoked about the return on my $15 investment.

The Samples:
If you prefer samples in pots, this is the monthly for you, as the "samples", which are quite generous, come in wee jars with screw tops, versus wee baggies. Personally, I am a fan of both options for packaging, but I know not everyone is. I end up transferring my baggie samples into wee containers anyway, with awesome labels denoting super powers, so as to be able to ogle them, lovingly, through their clear acrylic exoskeletons.

The Goods:

The first product I tried, the UltraGlaze Long-Wearing Color-Rich Lip Gloss™ in "Under the Covers", kind of blew my mind. It is, at first glance (or maybe second - I get the order mixed up), "hmm, another bubblegum pink frost", cue high school flashbacks. Let me (re)iterate, I am so not a pink / pink shimmery / pink frosty kind of girl. If I'm wearing a frost on my lips at all, it's a muted, deep plum with a slight gunmetal shift. Why? Because it's both reminiscent of a time and place in my life; a time when I was edgy and hip and cool, and frankly it just fucking looks good. 'Twas a time when I could fit into that teeny black cocktail dress, pair it with a feather boa and sassy strappy heels and be all, "aw yissss, so fierce!" Flash forward to now, and well, let's just go with "frosts aren't for everyone" and leave it at that. 

UTC is a frosty, shimmery pink lip gloss. Not particularly glossy in the traditional sense, it is very well pigmented and upon closer inspection, a very rich, multifaceted color. It's got a lot going on underneath its pretty exterior, and quite personifies the "don't judge a book by its cover" memetic.  

Boring Backstory: I grew up in a time where bubblegum pink, super frosty lipstick was all the rage. As every generation does, we look back on our "blunderyears" and think "what the fuck were we thinking???" Frosty can be a dicey thing - not everyone looks good in them, but this...this gorgeous, beautifully pigmented, silky textured, gold-laden loveliness was heavenly!! It looked AMAZING. It was so pretty and reflective. I don't know what kind of crazy alchemy they used for this, but they managed to strike a perfect balance between "perfect shimmer / frost" and "oh god, why!!" It was really pretty and quite striking. UTC definitely makes an entrance!

tl;dr  - I was really quite taken with this gloss. Sure, it could have been the lovely afternoon sun streaming in the window or the tasty beverage I was enjoying, but OH WOW, that lipgloss. Holy. Crap!

On to the eyeshadows: Brazen's UltraLuxe™ eyeshadows in Snow Day, Blizzard and Frostbite. They are very generous samples!! You will get *many* uses out of these. They seem to be quite well pigmented and they are definitely very well...sparkled? Shimmered? They are true to their names and quite striking. See my swatches here. Frostbite in particular is just gorgeous, in terms of shimmer and of how well the color really exemplifies the name, know what I mean? Snow Day swipes on with a beautiful finish, is SO sparkly-pretty, and is also very true to its name.

My schedule has not yet allowed me to actually test drive the shadows (I know, that sounds ridiculous), but they are quite lovely and as long as you use an eyeshadow primer (which you always should, unless you're some kind of crazy person), they will show up beautifully!

BRAZEN COSMETICS hails from Ferndale, MI. And I don't know specifically why, but I have such a thing for the upper midwest: WI / MI / MN / IL.  Pretty much, if you border one of the Great Lakes, I love you and I really don't know why.