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Maybelline Fairest Nude Lipstick


July 14, 2011
This week, in my search for a "sort of nude" lipstick (as in not a concealer colored one that makes me look like death warmed over) I have discovered a great light, cool toned, pinky beige lipstick called Maybelline Fairest Nude #235. Maybelline Fairest Nude comes highly recommended on blogs and forums for fair people who have trouble finding a nude lipstick that doesn't totally wash them out. If you normally have trouble pulling off a nude lipstick then give this one a try. I would say it has a satin finish to it. Not matte, but with only a little shine. I always add a little lip gloss, but the formula is nice enough to wear on it's own. The only complaint I have is that it is not available in Canada, so I have to order it online or cross the border to get it.

Revlon Colorburst Lipstick "Soft Rose"


August 11, 2010


I bought Revlon Colorburst lipstick in Soft Rose because I read that it was a dupe for my favorite lipstick of all time, NARS Dolce Vita. Well, let me tell ya, I am sad to say it's not an exact dupe. It is somewhat close, but I find that Revlon Soft Rose is slightly redder and brighter than Dolce Vita. I would actually say that it falls in between NARS Dolce Vita and Nars Gipsy in color. NARS Gipsy is said to be a redder version of Dolce Vita. In saying all of that I have come to love Revlon Soft Rose all on it's own.

Revlon Colorburst lipstick in Soft Rose is a beautiful neutral rosy shade that I think would compliment most skin tones. I am an NW20 and on me this shade definitely takes on a soft red tone and gives my lips a pop of color. It feels silky and quite light going on, stays somewhat moist, and is medium sheer so it doesn't disappear in five minutes, even on bare lips. It cost me $10.49 CAD and I think that is reasonable. I spend anywhere from $17.50 (MAC) to $29(NARS) CAD on department store lipsticks and this drugstore Revlon is definitely comparable in quality. I am impressed with the new Revlon Colorburst line and I am now tempted to try some of the other colors in the Colorburst line. I would also like to mention that the packaging is a much more sophisticated improvement over other Revlon lipstick tubes. It comes in a square black plastic quilt patterned tube that I really like. I will be using this lipstick often and will definitely repurchase when I run out. I think this may be one of my new favorite lipsticks.

***Since I wrote this review I have also purchased Revlon Colorburst lipstick in Rosy Nude. Rosy Nude may actually be closer in color to NARS Dolce Vita, although still not an exact match. I will write a follow up review on Revlon Rosy Nude once I have had a chance to test drive it.

Urban Decay Glide On Liner

vs. Sephora Flashy Liner


July 14, 2010, 2010

Today I am putting Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Waterproof Eyeliner up against Sephora Flashy Eyeliner. Urban Decay 24/7 liners are an HG liner for many people because they glide onto the eye with minimal tugging, they claim to be waterproof, and they are also known for their excellent staying power on the waterline, where other liners often fall short in that department.

To start with, both the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Liners and the Sephora Flash Eye Liners claim to be easy on the eye (as in no pulling or tugging on lids), waterproof, smudge proof, long lasting, soft and creamy, and usable on the waterline.

First I primed both my eye lids with Urban Decay Primer Potion. Then I put Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On liner in Zero on one eye and Sephora Flashy liner in Deep Black on the other eye. I lined my both my upper lash line and my waterline on each eye.

Here is my experience:

8:30 am
I lined both upper lids and waterline…both liners glide on easily with no tugging on the eye. Both liners apply to the waterline like a dream. I do often warm these liners in my hands a little before applying, but they still both apply easily even if you don’t.

11:30 am
Both upper lids still look the same as when first applied. The Urban Decay has faded quite a bit on my waterline and is now only at the outside edges of my waterline. The Sephora Flashy liner is still holding strong on my waterline with very little fading.

12:15 pm
Only forty five minutes later, the Sephora Flashy liner has now faded out on my waterline as well. It is now showing only on the outer edges of my waterline like the Urban Decay.

4:45 pm
Both upper lids still strong and vibrant with no smudging. Some of the liner from my waterline has now migrated very slightly under my eyes on both sides. The Sephora Flashy liner is now almost completely gone from my waterline. There is only a faint trace of it on the rim of my waterline. The Urban Decay liner is still detectable, barely, on the outside rim of my waterline. What is left is still in a consistent dark line across the rim of my waterline though.

7:00 pm
The liner on both lids is still going strong. Looks pretty much the same as when I applied it this morning. The Urban Decay liner is still hanging in there very minimally on the edge of my waterline, but more of it has now migrated under my eye. The Sephora Flashy liner can be considered pretty much gone from my wateline at this point.

10:00 pm
So…thirteen and a half hours later…it’s time to wash my face for bed. At this point the waterline color on both eyes is completely gone with no trace. But both the Urban Decay liner and the Sephora Flashy liner on my upper lids are still going strong, and with very minimal fading and still no smudging.

Ok, so here are my final thoughts. I have to say, I am impressed. And I am pretty much equally impressed by both the Urban Decay 24/7 liner and by the Sephora Flashy liner. Both had nearly equal staying power on my eye lids and, even though the waterline coverage didn’t last as long as I had hoped for with either liner, it lasted longer than any other liners I have tried, except for maybe MAC Fluidline, which always ends up stuck in patches to my contact lens no matter how meticulous I am with application.

Well, which to choose? Both the Urban Decay 24/7 linerand the Sephora Flashy liner have their pluses. The price is a big factor. The Urban Decay 24/7 liner is $16 US/$22 CND and the Sephora Flashy liner is $8 US/$10 CND making the Sephora Flashy liner half the price of the Urban Decay liner! Half the price! The other deciding factor is color selection. Urban Decay has way more color selection in the 24/7 liners. And I mean they have some really drool worthy colors. All shades of blues, greens, purples, browns etc. that I am dying to get my hands on. So what is a make up loving girl to do??? Sigh…I know I will probably end up with all of them in the end! =D

Covergirl Smoky Shadow Blast


April 21, 2010
Covergirl Smoky Shadow Blast is a double ended tube with creamy complimenting eye shadow sticks on each end. The idea is great. It really is. The packaging is slim and easily portable and it is quick and easy to apply. The colors are pretty and shimmery and great for an evening out. I really saw myself stashing this in my purse and whipping it out at a moment’s notice to quickly change my make up from office to last minute dinner plans out. I had high hopes.

Unfortunately, Covergirl Smoky Shadow Blast may well be one of the worst Covergirl products I have ever used. I followed the instructions on the back of the package and applied the shadow as suggested. And, I tell you, I loved the look of it. I tried Covergirl Smoky Shadow Blast in Silver Sky and it came out as beautiful shades of purple and grey that looked great with my dark brown eyes.

Only one hour later I rechecked the shadow in a mirror and was absolutely shocked to find that the eye shadow had almost completely faded from my lids, and the color that was left on my lids had turned into a thick, creased mess. Seriously yuck!

I did not try Covergirl Smoky Shadow Blast with an eye lid base, although I normally would use a base under my eye shadow products. The thing is, if this product can’t even last sixty minutes on my eye lids without fading and creasing without a base I can’t imagine there is any chance of getting twelve to fourteen hours of wear out of it in an average day, even with a base.

I was extremely disappointed in Covergirl Smoky Shadow Blast and returned it.


Covergirl Lash Blast Length Mascara


February 24, 2010

I find I neither love nor hate Covergirl Lash Blast Length mascara. It is just…average. I don’t feel that it does anything special for my lashes. It doesn’t plump my lashes up in any way (although, I admit, it does not claim that it will), it maybe makes my lashes look slightly longer but nothing earth shattering, the color is just a matte black that doesn’t really stand out. I don’t mind the wand, which is a little longer than normal. Though for smaller eyes the length of the wand may be a bit of a problem. I do find that the mascara still has issues with clumping, although I have used worse. I have to really work with the wand to keep my lashes clump free. And I do find some flakes on my face through out the day. I will give it credit for not smudging though. Besides the few flakes I end up with on my cheeks, the mascara stays put through out the day but then comes of easily with my cleansing cloths at night. One complaint that I do have is that I don’t find it separates my lashes all that well. I have to kind of fluff out and separate my lashes myself after the mascara dries. I do like that this mascara does not leave my lashes brittle. I feel like I can touch my lashes afterwards without having to worry about breaking the tips off, which has happened to me with other mascaras.

I generally like Covergirl mascara and have bought a number of different types over the years and tried them out. Covergirl Lash Blast Length mascara kind of underwhelms me. Although not a bad mascara in comparison to other brands I have tried, it is probably my least favorite of the Covergirl brand of mascaras.

Would I buy Covergirl Lash Blast Length mascara again? Probably not. There are other mascaras at the same price point that I prefer, and that I think do a better job.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Liner


February 22, 2010

My new obsession recently has been kohl eye liner, or to be more specific, eye liner that will last for more than five minutes on my waterline. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Liner is the apparent holy grail of eye liners for people who want their liner to stay put on their waterline, or anywhere else.

I received my Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Liner in Zero, a really nice deep matte black, and was really excited to give it a try. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye Liners claim to be waterproof, smudge proof, and gentle enough not to pull on the eye, and they come in an array of neutrals and vibrant fun colors.

Since I bought this liner mainly for my waterline I gave it a go there first. It did not stay on my waterline for twenty four hours but, honestly, that was expected. The waterline is a tough adversary for any cosmetics product. It did, however, last a good five to six hours with only minimal fading and only very slight migration to my under eye area. To me that is a success. Gel liners, like MAC’s Fluidline, may last a bit longer but they require a brush, a steady hand, and a whole lot of patience to apply. My Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Liner can be thrown in my purse and be applied in thirty seconds at any time, anywhere. So I have to touch up once before going out in the evening. The ease of use is totally worth it!

As a liner on the rest of the eye, I am again very impressed. It really does glide on smoothly with no pulling or tugging at the delicate eye area. It dries to water proof in about thirty seconds but still give you a chance to smudge it along the lash line for a great smoky eye. And it did last all day. It was still there when I washed my face before bed that night. The color stayed vibrant and crisp through out the day with no need for touch ups. Just a side note, I did use Urban Decay Primer Potion as a base, so I am sure that helped with the long wear.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Liners are very soft and buttery (which is why they don’t pull the eye). The only downside to this softness is the fact that it is very hard to sharpen this liner to a fine point to draw a thin line. I have heard that sticking the liner in the freezer for a bit before sharpening really helps and I have also read that buying a high quality sharpener (like Urban Decays’s Grind House sharpener) works wonders.

All in all I really love Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye Liners. They are $17.00 in the US and $22.00 in Canada. I live in Canada and I find the Canadian price a bit high for an eye liner and have been buying mine from Ebay instead of Sephorafor almost half the price. I can’t wait to expand my collection and get more colors…I don’t even know where to start! There are so many great colors.

Enkore Crease Brush


January 28, 2010
Youtube guru Enkore has released his own line of make up brushes! All of his brushes, so far, except the disposable foundations brushes, are made as duo fiber brushes. There are brushes for face and for eyes.

I ordered the small Enkore crease brush from Enkore’s website. It is $11.95 US, and I think with shipping and exchange rate I ended up paying around $18.00 CND for it. Taking into account the quality of the brush I feel that it was a fair price to pay.

The crease brush came wrapped in pretty white and black patterned tissue paper with one of Koren’s business cards stuck to it, and, my most favorite part….the brush came in a wonderful, reusable clear plastic slip cover case! I now use this soft durable plastic case daily to safely carry my eye brushes in my bag for workday touch ups. What a great added touch!

The crease brush itself, as you can see, has thicker black bristles on the bottom and wispy white bristles sticking out the top, giving it the duo fiber effect. It has a black wooden handle, similar to MAC brushes, and a silver (I think made of nickel?) ferrule, and I believe it is about 7 inches long. All in all it feels like a solid and well made brush and it is easy to tell that Koren has been able to put a lot of his experience and input into the design of this brush. He also said in his video that he specifically requested that there be no nasty smell to the new brushes, as this is a common problem, even with the more expensive department store brushes, and a big complaint of his fan base. (Check out his Youtube video on how to deodorize smelly brushes!)

The Enkore crease brush seems to pick up eye shadow color well and is small enough to fit perfectly in my crease without spreading the shadow into areas I don’t want it to go. The bristles are so light and soft that you barely feel them as you go back and forth across your eye. I would say I might consider it a little sloppy for outer v work but that could just be my inexperience. I find that putting a little pressure on the brush to blend color out in the outer v tends to make the white bristles flatten sideways in an L shape, and so can push color farther out the side of my eye than I would like…does that make sense? You would not get that with any of the blending brushes from MAC, as all the bristles are the same length. One positive of the white bristles being so wispy and light is that when you want to deposit just a little shimmer or just a little color, like some vanilla pigment for example, over your brow bone or in the inside corner of your eye, the white bristles pick up just the right amount of color and can be lightly whisked and blended across the area so that you are left with just a nice light wash of shimmery color.

Overall I don’t have a single negative thing to say about this brush. Any troubles I have with it are more than likely my own inexperience coming into play, as I have said. I have had it for about a week and have used it every single day. All of Koren’s brushes have gotten very positive reviews so far and, considering most of the Enkore line of brushes is less than half the price of similar MAC brushes, I would highly recommend you give them a try. Koren really seems to care about his fans and their opinions and I think that is going to help him make a great success of his new make up and accessories line.

Check out Enkore’s website at: www.enkoremakeuponline.com

Joe Fresh Beauty


January 21, 2010
If you live in Canada I would highly recommend you guys check out the new Joe Fresh Beauty line of cosmetics at the Real Canadian Superstore. Most everything is under $10.00 and some, like the eye shadow, as cheap as $4.00, and all products appear to be very good in quality. Between my sister and I, we have tried out a number of the different Joe Fresh Beauty products, along with Joe make up brushes, and have been impressed with all of it.

The eye shadows seem highly pigmented and easy to apply and blend, with beautiful color choices. The eye liners, which come with a built in sharpener and smudge brush!, actually stay on my eye for an entire work day with very little fading or migration. The mascara gives volume and lengthens and stays put all day. I particularly love the clear mascara/brow gel! It works great at keeping my brows in place. The line of make up brushes is inexpensive and appears to be well made and soft to the touch. I have been using a Joe concealer brush daily, which is like butter on my skin. And the great thing is that the packaging is simple and elegant, along the lines of more luxuriant brands, making the products attractive enough to keep on your bathroom counter or pull out of your purse for touch ups. I can't wait to try even more of this line.

Joe Fresh Beauty has a full line of lipsticks, lip glosses, blushes, bronzers, cheek tints, brow powders, concealers, foundation, mascara, eye shadows, liners and more, and the buzz on all of it is really positive. If the price of MAC and NARS products makes you cringe then definitely give Joe Fresh Beauty a try. You will be pleasantly surprised.

Stay tuned! You will definitely be hearing more from me on the Joe Fresh Beauty line in the future.


Brush Guards!!!


January 20, 2010

I was watching Enkore Youtube reviews the other night and came across his review for The Brush Guard. I immediately ordered some and you guys just have to check this product out! What a brilliant idea.
www.thebrushguard.com
Here is the official blurb on The Brush Guard website:

The Brush Guard is a stretchable, breathable tube which protects your makeup brushes:

While drying - bristles dry in perfect shape
In use - handle stays clean and grips better
In storage - no snags or squashing
On the move - perfect packing



I ordered my Brush Guards online and within twenty four hours had a very pleasant email from one of the investors of the company named Diane. Within one week of placing my order to the company in California (I live in Canada) my Brush Guards were sitting in my mailbox. I was very impressed with the customer service and the speed of delivery.

The Brush Guards themselves really do seem to do what the company claims. I was even able to fit my MAC 182 kabuki brush into the larger Brush Guard. The only down side is that it does take brushes a little bit longer to dry than normal, but, it really does help them keep their shape so I think it is a good trade off.

It really does make sense to me to purchases these. They are very inexpensive. I think, including shipping to Canada, which does cost a few dollars more, I paid under $8.00 CDN total for the variety pack of six Brush Guards. I have invested so much money into quality brushes and this is an inexpensive way to protect that investment. I am very happy with this product and plan to order more.


MAC 217 Brush


January 20, 2010


Time and time again I am impressed with MAC make up brushes and my new MAC #217 shader/blender brush is no exception. This is a great brush! I have worn eye shadow off and on for years but have only gotten a little more serious about learning technique lately and I have been struggling with learning to blend well. The MAC #217 is a great starter blending brush.

The MAC #217 brush is made of white goat hair and is approximately 7 inches in length with 1/2 inch bristles formed in a dense oval shape. It is $27.00 CDN or $22.50 US. The bristles are firmer than the MAC #222 or #224 brush, but not stiff, and are very soft against the eye. The only real complaint I have heard is that the white bristles can stain with darker colored shadows. I guess the only answer to that is to make sure to wash it immediately after use. I would also suggest you use a Brush Guard when washing and drying this brush to help keep its shape.

The ferrule of the MAC #217 brush has been pinched just below the bristles, creating what is essentially a triple use brush. The flat wide part of the brush allows for packing on of shadow to the lids, the narrower side of the brush fits into the crease just right to add color and blend, and then the tips of the bristles allow for color placement to the outer v and the crease, and an all over swirling motion to blend, and sweeping motion for the addition of brow bone color etc. The MAC #217 gives you flat and fluffy all at the same time! It is really multifunctional and if you only splurge on one MAC eye brush this should be the one.

It is also great for applying cream products to the eyes and I have read that many people like to use it to place concealer under the eyes because of the wonderful stippling effect this brush gives.

After struggling with cheaper brushes and ending up with blotchy patches and harsh lines in my eye shadow I was getting very frustrated and annoyed. I just could not figure out what I wasn't doing right. Using the #217 brush with the same shadows (MAC) they now go on like a breeze and blend out beautifully. I don't know how I ever lived so long with out this brush. It has made me feel more confident in my abilities to apply shadow and more creative in my attempts to create new and interesting looks. I am so happy with this brush I am thinking of buying a back up so I always have a clean one on hand. Buy this brush. You won't regret it!


MAC 182 Buffer Brush




I thought nothing could top the love I have for my MAC 187 stippling brush, but I think I may have found my new favourite brush! I was recently able to splurge and buy the MAC 182 buffer brush. It was love at first swipe! This brush is so soft and silky against my skin that I actually look forward to using it every day. It does a wonderful job of effortlessly buffing my translucent powder into my foundation and giving a flawless finish to my face.

The MAC 182 is just the right size, not to big and not too small. It is made of goat hair and feels very solid and of good quality. The first time few times I washed the 182 some dark dye came out, but I have seen that before and it is nothing that concerned me too much. It is fine now. Some people have complained of a bad smell when they first got their MAC 182 brush but that was not my experience. Mine had barely any odour at all and after a good wash smells just fine. It has shed, but very little, just the odd hair here and there. Overall, I have no complaints, although, for the price you pay for it I wish MAC had included a case a little sturdier than the cheap plastic container it comes in.

I would highly recommend the MAC 182 brush if you can stand to spend the $55 CND on it. It is multi functional and can be used for buffing in setting powders or applying bronzers or blush. It has definitely shown me what a difference a quality brush can make in my make up application.


Benefit Face Powder in Georgia


I was trying to replace an inexpensive Bonne Bell face luminizer I have been using for years that appears to have been discontinued. After a lot of research the only product I could find that came even close to the color and texture of the Bonne Bell product was Benefit Georgia face powder.

Now, I want to say that I looked Benefit Georgia up on Makeupalley.com, as I do all cosmetics before I buy, and it got really low marks in the reviews. Normally that would put me off a product, but after reading through the reviews I realized two things. First of all, people who were giving it low ratings were often referring to it as a blush, which it is not. It is a face powder and luminizer, which is a completely different thing from blush. And second of all, it is a product which only really works well for very pale people, so anybody who tried it with anything but a very light skin tone complained that it didn't show up on them at all. So, I don't think the 55% rating it gets on Makeupalley is really a fair judge of Benefit Georgia itself. The people that used Benefit Georgia correctly and had the proper skin coloring for it gave it high marks.

Benefit Georgia is a peachy colored pressed powder, that comes in a cute but impractical, little retro cardboard container with a little wooden handled brush. I am really not a fan of the container. The lid does not come of easily and it will be a bit of a pain to travel with. Also, it is not so portable to throw in my purse for touch ups during the day. A compact would have been much more practical and much easier to get my make up brushes into. As for the brush that comes with it, I think you either like it or hate it. I am not a big fan of it and would rather use my own bronzer brush or stippling brush for smoother application.

Benefit Georgia, as I have said, is not a blush. No where on the Benefit website or the Sephora website is it referred to as a blush. It is a face powder and luminizer. It is meant to be used in the same way as a bronzer (swept over the face at the points the sun would touch like top of cheek bones, bridge of nose etc) or it can also be used in place of an all over face powder to give you a glow and help set your foundation.

The powder itself looks quite peachy in the pan with a slight peach scent to it. It has a very slight shimmer to it, but there are no chunks of glitter, which can be a downfall of similar products, and leaves a barely discernable pearl finish to skin. When applied to skin the powder is very, very sheer and light. I sweep it across the tops of my cheek bones and through my t-zone area and I find it just gives me a nice subtle healthy glow. I have not used it as an all over face powder, because that is not the reason I bought it, but I imagine, with a light hand, it would give a pretty all over glow.

The only negative thing is that Benefit Georgia is $36 CND! I think that is ridiculously over priced. NARS blushes and bronzers are quite a bit less than that and NARS makes top notch blushes and bronzers. I am really not sure how Benefit can justify the price. I bought mine off of Ebay for a fraction of the price.

I do like Benefit Georgia and probably would repurchase again. There is quite a bit in the pan, though, and I imagine it will last me quite a long time. I like products that seem effortless to use, and Benefit Georgia face powder does fall into that category. One would have to try really hard to over use this product. Benefit Georgia is really great for people who are either a little scared of bronzer or are simply happy to embrace their paleness and want to enhance it.