Thursday, March 28, 2013

I’m Alive! (L’Oreal’s Glossy Stain Review)

Sorry it’s been so long since my last post, I’ve had a lot of homework to do (still do, actually, but as tomorrow is my birthday and I have another week until the next thing is due, nothing further will happen until Thursday night), and I also had to clean up my mess of a bedroom to finally get my desk in here so I could bring home the computer I built with my boyfriend, because he and his family are moving, and for some odd reason, they don’t want to drag around a desktop computer that doesn’t even belong to them. Odd.

Anyways, that is not what I’m here to talk about.

You’ve probably all already seen the new-ish L’Oreal Colour Caresse Shine Stains, and seen plenty of reviews of them. I picked mine up, however, not long after hearing about them, and I think they were on sale at Shoppers at the time, as well.

Anyway, if you have heard of them, great, but if you haven’t a lot of people have compared these to the YSL Glossy Stains, since both products go on as a gloss, but leave a stain on your lips, hense the YSL product name. That was the same idea I had when I first saw these, and since the YSL ones are so great (but sooo expensive!), I had to try out this product. Let’s take a look, before I give you my review, though, shall we?

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Packaging: It’s cute, but I have two issues… 1) The second you touch it, it’s covered in your fingerprints and no longer looks all shiny and pretty. And, 2) No where on the package itself does it say the name of the product. I had to google “L’Oreal glossy stain” to figure out the official name. Ugh! For function, though, this is a perfectly good tube and has a perfectly good wand with a doe-foot applicator.

Swatches:

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The second swatch is after letting the colour sit for a while on my skin, and then rubbing off the gloss. The product remains sort of tacky on the skin, and I find this on the lips as well. When you first apply, it feels very wet and slippery, and I find that it is very hard to get the colour to go on evenly, and very easy to end up blotchy. The best remedy I’ve found to this dilemma so far is to not try too hard, because the more you swipe at it trying to even it out, the worse it gets.

There’s really nothing about this product that I’m super happy with, and its pretty disappointing for the price. It doesn’t smell good, feel good on the lips, it feels wet, then gets sticky. It rubs off quickly, and even the stain doesn’t have much staying power. I really don’t think I would suggest this product for anyone in love with the YSL Glossy Stains… or anyone else for that matter, unless you are just curious and have the money to spend. Save your money and get a good Revlon lipstick instead, or almost anything else, really. >_<

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So, let me know if you’ve tried these, I’d love to hear what you thought about them, I'm just not too impressed by them myself.

Also, I will have a birthday post in the next couple days, since today (March 27) was my birthday. However, since my presents weren't beauty-related, those, and some of my purchases from today will be over on my other blog: Thought-Constellations around the same time, and I'll also write about what I did today for those who are interested. I did buy myself a couple cheap little makeup presents today that I will show you, as well as a mini-review on the Benefit birthday gift from Sephora.

Anyway, thanks for reading, as always I'm very thankful that you take the time out of your day to visit my blog! =)

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

ELF Haul!

It’s been a really long time since I bought anything from ELF, unless you count a couple brushes that I bought in Seattle over the summer… Which I should. But I don’t. Anyways, the last time they had “free shipping,” which is actually $8 shipping for Canadians, my friend and I decided to split that cost and order some stuff we’d been wanting to try out for a while now. Almost everything I got was from the more expensive Studio and Mineral lines, though the most expensive thing was $6, so still awesome. Anyway, here’s a quick look before we get into the individual products.

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Liquid Liner in Stardust:

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Although I do like ELF’s studio liquid liner pen, I only recently bought the Wet’n’Wild liquid liner, which I’ve been loving, so I didn’t see a need to get a new black liner. I did, however, want to get a glitter liner. Little did I know I’d find A couple more Annabelle glitter liner at Shoppers on sale for $1 each a couple days later, so I bought a green and a bronze… though it looks like I never showed those in a haul. Strange. Anyways, not the point.

I really wanted to get a glitter liner to add some fun sparkle to regular liquid liner. As a kid I loved glitter, then I had a phase where I was afraid of it, and now I like glitter again. Who doesn’t want sparkly eyes? I haven’t used this one over my W’n’W liner, just my old ELF liner, which went oddly streaky underneath; hopefully that was an effect of the black liner, and not of this glitter. It doesn’t come across well in the swatch above, but I love the clear holo of this glitter!

Studio Small Angled Brush:

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I got this for a couple reasons: it was $3, Studio brushes are fantastic, and I wanted it for cleaning up my manicures. Now I have it, though, I’m worried about putting it into polish remover. Instead, I’m thinking of using it for its intended purpose: eyeliner. We shall see. This brush is great, though. It’s very soft, and fairly firm. Another good studio line brush.

Essential Eyelid Primer:

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I wanted to try out the primer from the essential line because I’ve tried the Mineral line primer from ELF, and I like it, but I’m not exceptionally impressed. Also, a lot of bloggers/vloggers use this primer, so I wanted to give it a chance. For a dollar, who can complain?  I haven’t got a chance to give it a try yet, though, since I want to use up the Mineral primer first. I might change my mind eventually.

Daily Brush Cleaner:

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I’m lazy, and rarely get around to washing my brushes, which is why I bought this. It’s basically a brush sanitizer, that you spray on, wipe off excess product onto a clean cloth, and let the brush dry. Nothing special, and the effect could probably be achieved with an alcohol/water mix, but I’m giving it a try.

Mineral Lipstick in Rich Raspberry:

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Of course I got another lipstick! These feel really nice and soft on the lips, and don’t end up drying. Also, the colour is very nice. However, it also doesn’t last long and wears off very easily. For a three dollar lipstick, though, I’m still pretty happy, since it’s a nice colour somewhere between bright and neutral on me, and it’s not that hard to reapply lipstick when it comes off anyways.

Studio Blush in Candid Coral:

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I think I picked this colour because it looked pretty on the screen and reminded me of Benefit Coralista, which I love. Little did I realise that this is practically a dupe for that colour! It isn’t nearly as pigmented as the Benefit blush, and it doesn’t have the fantastic scent (which I’m sure some people would actually be happy with, but I love the smell of Coralista!). Overall, though, for a three dollar product (apparently, I’m going to keep emphasizing the cheapness of these products), I’m content.

I would have liked to get another colour, but I guess I can be happy to have a cheap version of Coralista to use when I know my makeup won’t be on long, or when I don’t need it to look as wonderful. This colour does give a nice glow with a nice bit of shimmer and colour. If you have Coralista, I wouldn’t recommend this particular shade, however. On the other hand, if you are lusting after Coralista, and can’t afford it, try this!

Studio Kabuki Face Brush:

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I don’t think I needed a kabuki brush, since I have perfectly good fluffy powder brushes, but I did want it. And besides, who honestly needs any of the makeup they buy? I’m pleased again with the quality of this brush, like the rest of the Studio line. My only issue is that this brush somehow manages to dot a bit of the powder it picks up onto my shirt when I do my makeup. Whether the brush is too bendy, not quite dense enough, or it’s actually my own fault, I can’t really tell you. Still, I like this brush.

Studio Warm Bronzer Quad:

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100_2482(Swatch: top four are the colours individually, and the bottom shade is all four shades swirled together. The first, bronzy colour seems to be the most dominant shade.)

I bought this in hopes that it wouldn’t be shimmery, and I could use it for contouring. To my sadness, it is fairly shimmery. However, after using it to contour a few times, I’m pretty happy with it. It’s pretty pigmented, particularly the two darker shades, and I only need a very little bit on my brush to make a subtle, pretty contour. Also, the two lighter shades can be used as a pretty highlight. Another not-amazing, but good product.

All in all, I’m pretty happy with this haul. I haven’t had much opportunity yet to try the products a lot, so we’ll see if any of them end up in my favourites in the future.

Thanks for reading!

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Shiro Fatality Finishing Powder Review

Hello again!

I got this in the mail a while ago, and decided to use it out a bit so I could talk about it, rather than just giving you my first impressions.

I bought this powder because I wanted to find a cheaper replacement for my now-empty Make Up Forever setting powder. I was looking at a couple: the ELF one, Fyrrinae has a couple, and this one from Shiro. I decided on this one because ELF charges too much for shipping (that said, I have an ELF haul coming up >_>), and I couldn’t decide between the Fyrinnae options. Also, Shiro has pretty good shipping to Canada. Oh, and it’s a finishing powder, and it’s called Fatality… I thought that was hilarious, and I hope some of you do, too.

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In the package, she also sent me a little sample of one of her eyeshadows, and a Reese's peanut butter cup. I was pretty happy to get this particular colour, since I was considering getting it to try out, partially because it’s called Extermination (if you don’t get it, watch some Doctor Who), and also because it’s this pretty, shiny gold colour.

I also thought it was super cute that she wrote that little thank you on my order print-out.

Anyways, first, let’s take a look at what I actually spent money on, the Fatality Finishing [Move] Powder:

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This powder is a pretty good size. I was surprised with the small-ish size of the package, but I got over it when I realised to was packed to the top with product. Also, it’s a great size for my powder brushes to dip into.

The powder itself isn’t the same as the MUFE powder; it has a little bit of grittiness to it, while the MUFE is perfectly smooth and oddly glide-y… I’m sure you know what I mean if you’ve ever tried it. It’s not uncomfortable however, and it still goes on invisible, doesn’t get cakey, and looks great over my foundation or BB Cream, which is what I use it for. It doesn’t smell like anything, and is great for mattifying.  I would definitely suggest this for anyone looking for a new, affordable setting powder.

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As you can see above, the colour on this shadow is pretty neutral, though I think it has pretty good pigmentation. It does also have a fair bit of microglitter in it as well, though, so it can be a little fall-out-y. I find though, if I use an eye primer, and make sure to press the shadow onto my eyelid, rather than swiping, I manage to get away more sparkle-free, if not completely. It is possible, also, that I’m just not skilled with glittery powder, or loose shadows. All that said, though, I really like this colour, and would love to try out more of Shiro’s shadows.

Let me know if you’ve tried this powder or any of Shiro’s powders. I would also be interested in hearing your thoughts on Fyrinnae’s eyeshadows, if you have tried those. Thanks for reading! =)

Thursday, March 7, 2013

February 2013 Favourites

Hey all! I’m getting this in here a little later than I  like to, but it is before the end of the first week of the month, so it’s all good, right? (Of course it is.) Anyways, just a few things to share with you:

MAC Amplified Lipstick in Impassioned:

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This sounds a little like cheating because I posted my review for this lipstick only about a week or so ago, but I did buy it closer to the middle of the month, and I’ve worn it more than any other lip product since then. I could continue to rave about this lipstick, or you could just go read my review if you haven’t already!

Wet n Wild H2O Proof liquid liner

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I basically bought this on a whim, though also partly to replace my ELF liner pen. Luckily, I’m actually really happy with this liner, though! It goes on super black, and it actually is waterproof. Even on those days when I’m in my makeup for hours and hours, my shadow might leave, but I am still wearing this liner. And it’s cheap! What’s not to love?

Sephora Triple action cleansing water

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You might remember that I got this as a replacement to my Sephora foaming face wash, because I wanted to try something different, even though I liked the line. I do quite like this. I like that I don’t have to get up and wash my face, just pump some onto a cotton pad and it gets off all my makeup. It doesn’t leave a sticky or greasy feeling residue on my face either, and it’s more hydrating—or at least less dehydrating—than a toner, so if I don’t put on moisturizer right after, my face is still happy.

Non-Cosmetic favourites:

Knitting

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This might seem a little geeky or something, but I really like knitting, especially now that I’ve basically got it down. I’m pretty proud of my bunny pictured above, too, even though he isn’t stuffed yet. Also, why is stuffing so expensive? I think I might take my mom’s advice and scavenge some old dead socks or fabric scraps, but yes. Also, I made a TARDIS wrist warmer, though my multi-colour skills are a little lacking, so it’s super tight, and thus hard to wear.

Miso Soup

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Before you point out that this is a picture of instant miso soup, I want to let you know that it is just individually packaged portions of miso paste, which is what is used to make actual miso soup. You just mix the paste into hot water, and then add the dried green onion and wakame, and you literally have miso soup. I think this is great, because I love miso soup. Probably a bit too much. It is my favourite part of going out for Japanese, and I’m always tempted to order a second bowl. I don’t know why, but something about the simple, salty soup just makes me happy.

Also, it doesn’t taste like tofu, if you never had it, which I can attest to, because I hate tofu.

My New Blog:

thought constellations

Yeah, shameless plug. Still though, even though I’ve only posted a couple of times, I am loving having somewhere to post my thoughts about non-makeup stuff, as much as I love makeup. I would love if you would check it out and subscribe!

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And that’s everything for the past month! Let me know what your favourites have been, and also your thoughts on anything I mentioned above. I always love hearing from you, and would love you even more if you subscribed over at my other blog as well (and here, if you haven’t)! =) Thanks for reading, lovelies!

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