Hello there! Sorry I haven't especially been keeping up with my promises quite as well as I had hoped. I have several things to tell all of you!
a) I would like to update you on my blush! I wore it today to school and it was super pretty. I applied it on a clean, then moisturized, then powdered face with my fingers. I found it blended and melted quite easily. It has definitely faded but there is still a pretty glow to my cheeks! New fave!
b) Let's talk about showers. I am a very irregular shower-er. Sometimes I take them in the morning, sometime as soon as I get home from school, or usually after dinner (I'm a procrastinator). Sometimes I fail to wash my hair every single day, and up until now, I haven't had a dry shampoo or hair powder to save me from a heavy-haired day. Yup, until now! Today at Safeway, I realized that they may have the Suave Pro Dry Shampoo. And they did! My hair was a bit oily when I bought it so when I tried it as soon as I got home. Ahh, it smells sooo amazing! It smells like French tutti-frutti chewing gum mixed with flowers and love and peace and happiness. It totally absorbed my oil! I'm scared that I'm gonna over-use it like my Evian spray though. hehe. A+ so far though!! It was $2.69 as the introductory price.
c) Tomorrow I'm going somewhere right next to Ulta! I'm really excited because I've never been there! I want some more NYX Products...it's hard to get them anywhere else. I really want some Blotting Papers ($3.59) and a Soft Matte Lip Cream ($5.99) ...I really want Antwerp (Soft, dull pink)! Most NYX is BOGO50% off and I have the $3.50 off $10 coupon sooo I think if in stock I'll get this:
Lip Cream = $5.99
Blotting Papers= $3.59 (50% off = $1.79)
Then to put me over $10 I'll probably grab a Round Lipstick ($3.99, I'll let the moment choose the color), but who knows? I may see something better from another brand. I've never tried Ulta brand so I may give that a go.
I'm excited!
d) I ordered the Apocalyptic Nail Kit from Urban Decay on Hautelook yesterday. Sorry, I was too late to grab a blush, and I just didn't really want any single shadows...
e) I just wanted to let you know I'm completely obsessed with my Arnica Essentiel Hand Cream I bought in France. My hands just soak it up! Literally. See ya laterrrr!
So I don't have too much time and I didn't know too much what to write about so I looked to my makeup collection for inspiration. I'm just gonna give you a reaaaaally speedy run-down of my black eyeliners. Sorry, not too original or incredibly interesting but if you're in the market it may be useful.
Here are my four black liners (I have a liquid one but I don't use it, the felt-tip is a bit messed up.)
Ugh, crappy lighting. I'm also sorry the last swatch is smudged. Sorry for the crappy nature of this post.
The first one (my new fave) is the POPBeauty Cat Eyes Eyeliner in No. 1 Black Onyx. Sorry, I just can't stop talking about it! It's great, super easy to use, fun tool for cat eyes! If you're looking for a true black, however, this one would not be my top recommendation! It's a pretty smokey greyish bluish black (loveee). If you asked me what color it was, though, I would just say black.
Price point: $16
Where to buy: Not really sure, got mine at Urban Outfitters, you can find it here.
The second swatch is the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eyeliner Pencil in Zero. This is soooo ridiculously creamy and awesome. It's a liiiiiiitttttllllleee hard to sharpen, but this is almost my ideal liner!
Price point: $17
Where to buy: Sephora, www.urbandecay.com
The third swatch looks very very very similar to Zero but is actually a LOT cheaper. This is the wet n' wild Color Icon Brow and Eyeliner in Black. It's only a dollar, so that's a MAJOR plus. Put the formula is a tiny bit waxy so the pencil drags a bit meaning you may have to go over it a bit and in the long run it can cause wrinkles :(. But so can smiling, right? It's waxy texture makes it good for tightlining, though! For those of you who don't know what tightlining is, it's applying eyeliner to the skin below your lashes rather than above. It is not long lasting either, though...the color will run down your eyes a little. Despite this down-sides, you may as well give it a try, right?
Price point: $0.99
Where to buy: CVS, Walgreens, etc.
The last swatch is definitely the deepest, blackest black. It's MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack. It's a gel liner from MAC that is ridiculously creamy. If you buy this, make sure it has minimal exposure to the air. It will dry very quickly, so keep the cap on! I love mine but haven't quite mastered the technique so don't use it on a daily basis.
Price point: $15
Where to buy: MAC Stores and Counters
xx,
beautygeek0
If you're looking for a drugstore liner that is as creamy as 24/7 I would check put the Milani Liquif-eye Eyeliners. I've heard they're great and just around $6.50! I may get one one of these days but as you can see, for now I'm happy with my selection. I may get the silver one!
Yeah. Other than that I have a blue and brown liner... A white one... A cream one. Maybe those will be for tomorrow.
Ok, so last week I purchased the Urban Decay Beauty in a Box set exclusively by Sephora from their website. It was $39, plus I think I had 20% off with the code "extra". I don't think that works anymore, just saying. The kit was originally $52, but was recently reduced in a big sale that Sephora is having on a ton of random, assorted products. Oh, and by the way, there are two UD Beauty in a Box kits at Sephora. The other one was too glittery for me. This particular set contains:
Mini Size ________
-24/7 Eyeliner in Zero (matte black) -Eyeshadow Primer Potion in...Original(?)
Full Size ______
-Eyeshadow in Romp (dark purple, shimmery) -Eyeshadow in Skimp (champagne, shimmery) -Skyscraper Multi-benefit Mascara (black) -Lipstick in Wicked (mauve, a little shimmery)
Ok, I'll go one at a time, and then I'll give you my overall impression of the kit.
Eyeliner
The Urban Decay 24/7 liner is a matte black. It's the best-selling shade in the line. I have also tried it in Rockstar (dark purple) at a friend's house. It seems as though it should twist up, the liner is not actually in line with the pencil, but it is a sharpening pencil. You might not know what I'm trying to say, but if you see the product or look closely at the tip in a picture, you might get me. Look at where the product meets the pencil... Anyways, although I do not currently have a good sharpener, this is better than a twist up. It won't get all blunt, and won't have bacteria build up on the tip. Regarding the product, I have mixed feelings. This eyeliner has won awards; it's supposed to be awesome. For me though, it just seems too smudge-able, and the line is a bit spotty. It's not really jet black. Maybe it's not supposed to be. Maybe that's what liquid is for. For now, however, this is going to be my go-to black liner. I'll test out its lasting power and get back to you. Full-size goes for $17 a pop. For me and most people, that's a lot. Right now however, you can buy sets of two for $26. I mean, you don't get to choose the colors, but I think one of the sets has Zero. It also includes the normally $9 sharpener. This is a travel size or a mini. It's ok though, I'll never get through the whole thing before I find a new black eyeliner. I'm looking into MAC's blacktrack fluidline gel liner for next month's splurge. That was a bit rambly, let's get on with it.
Primer Potion __________
I'm pretty sure I got the original. Now however, they also make matte tawny (Eden), champagne (Sin), and gold (Greed). I got what's called a "travel size". It's reeeeallly small. The applicator almost fills the whole thing up. Not sure how many uses it'll get. I want to try this especially under my eyes, to prevent "racoonage" and simultaneously conceal dark circles. I might creative and see if it works as a highlight on my nose. After all, it is a matte liquid that is a little big lighter than my skin tone. This is for making eyeshadow last. The product claims shadow will last for 12 hours. I'll try it out on New Year's Eve and get back to you. ;)
Eyeshadows ________
The product:
Beautiful. Amazing pigmentation and great shimmer (not glitter!).
The colors:
Skimp: My favorite out of the two. It's this beautiful shimmery champagne color that I can use as a highlight, or a soft-spoken shadow for my lids. I think this will also go well under my eyes. It is too light for a liner in my opinion. I will not try this as a highlight on my nose because it is shimmery. It has a perfect amount of shimmer for me. I love this color!
Romp: It's a really dark purple. It's beautiful, and well pigmented, but unless I want super dramatic, I'll stick to using it as a liner. Nice, but not for me.
Mascara ______
Hmph. I really dislike this product. It's sooo clumpy and makes me look like I have four giant eyelashes. It also looks flaky. I like the applicator. It has short bristles and a bendy tip, but the product is a miss. Not for me. It's so big that I don't want to throw it away though. Usually I figure something out for products that don't work well for their purpose, but this is mascara. Since my brows aren't black, I just don't know. I'll keep it in the cupboard below the sink. It seems so sad, but it just doesn't work. I am getting another UD mascara in the mail soon; I bought the discontinued Big Fatty Colored Mascara in Indigo, but one of my friends has it and loves it. I got it on hautelook.com for $2. Score. Meanwhile my friend got it at retail price... like $17 or something. :) Don't buy Skyscraper. It's $22 on its own.
Lipstick ______
What surprised me was how much I like this. When it came, I told my mom she could have it if it was too dark, but when I showed her the color, she told me it would be fine for me. It has the perfect amount of shimmer, smells nice, a beautiful color, the only thing is it tastes a little bitter. It does keep me from licking my lips! I would put on a little bit of clear, sweet gloss if it really annoyed me. I have the set of Buxom lipsticks, but this to me is my first real lipstick. It is tied for first favorite in the set with the eyeshadow in Skimp, retail $17. This lipstick isn't super long, but it retails for $22 anyway. Oh well. If I run out, I'll wait for the next sale on hautelook. One final thing to mention about this lipstick is the packaging. The tube is purple metal, and the cap is clear, heavy plastic with purple designs printed on. A little tiny sword sticks out of the bottom. Amazing packaging, but very heavy product...
So, overall I am pleased with this. I will give Skyscraper another chance another day, but all the other products, I am excited to use. I would not buy this for $52, but or $39, with a $25 giftcard, with 20% off, with free shipping, I would buy it any day. Go for this if it is still $39, people.
xo, beautygeek0
P.S. Sorry I was rambly. I hope I gave you some good insight. Remember, I'm new at this.
