* REVIEW * Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil

Happy Monday!

I've been out of work for a whole week because of the ice/snow,

so it's hard to go back to work today.

Meh.

Anyway... on to today's post :)

I've never used concealer.

However,

I grabbed one from Ulta a couple days ago,

and I've been giving it the old college try.

The Product

UD's 24/7 Concealer Pencil

I bought DEA (;p heh) as it goes best with my skin tone.

Some of it's Claims:

- dries matte

- long lasting

- easy to apply with "precise application" b/c it's a pencil

- covers blemishes and dark circles easily

- sharpens for long use

The Review

Okay so- as I'm getting a little older,

I've decided to try/start using a concealer.

I've never used one before,

but the bags/darkness under my eyes is more of a regular battle than it used to be.

Sigh.

SO,

since I've had tons of luck with UD's Naked foundation,

it only made sense to try their concealer, too.

Here's my face prior to any foundation or concealer:

:D

The flash helps a little,

but I've got some baggage going on under my eyes...

not to mention some blemishes (thanks facial tanner)

and redness going on.

So, after applying my Naked foundation, 

I applied the concealer under my eyes.

I used to suggested triangle method,

so as not to look like a raccoon :)

Heres the before & after for each eye:

PROS:

- easy to apply

- I love that it dries matte, just like my foundation

- Blends easily (I used a sponge)

- Comes in 8 different shades to choose from

- easily brightens up dark circles/blemishes

CONS:

- a little pricey at $20

- must buy UD's Grindhouse pencil sharpener (another $10) 

in order to sharpen this concealer

Verdict

It's true that I don't have a whole lot to compare this concealer to

since I've not really tried any others yet.

(though I plan to!)

That being said, I did use UD's claims as my basis for comparison and judgment.

You can easily tell in the pictures the noticeable difference between

my eyes before the concealer and after.

I definitely feel like I look more awake/younger,

(can't believe i'm saying that... i'm only 25 after all! humph)

and it also easily covered any blemishes.

I do like how it dries matte and was uber easy to apply, too.

I know UD makes a liquid concealer for $8 more than this pencil,

but I have a feeling it would be a bit harder to apply.

The only thing that really kind of bugs me is that

 I now have to buy the $10 pencil sharpener in order to use it :/

All in all, very pleased. Well worth the $20.

RATING (OUT OF 10): 9

ColourPop Lippie Stix 'Ellarie'

Well, I have a newfound obsession.

I was told by GaGa for Nails to try Colourpop Cosmetics,

and I'm highly impressed!

I bought two matte lippie stix from them;

here is the first!

'Ellarie'

This hippie stix is described as a "deep, sultry cranberry"...

uh, yes, please!

Here it is in indoor lighting:

Annnnd in natural lighting:

It's absolutely gorgeous,

though I found it to be much lighter than the picture portrayed on their website.

Either way, I love it.

These stix are super easy to apply (even with my shaky hands)

and they feel great on.

Can't wait to buy more! :)))

* SEMI-REVIEW * Covergirl's Colorlicious Lip Lava 'Mauva Lava'

Happy Sunday Sunday, everyone!

This particular product caught my eye in Walgreens the other day.

I've only ever tried to the Outlast lipstick from Covergirl, and it's been okay,

so I figured I'd branch out just a bit and try this gloss.

The color looked gorg,

so I was pretty excited.

The Product

Here's the product on Covergirl's website:

I mean, that color looks seductive and awesome, right?!

Here it is on:

Review:

Though it does "saturate" my lips with color as it claims,

the consistency of this gloss SUCKS.

I've tried other glosses with the same feel,

and I hate it.

It's sticky and thick.

No way I could kiss anyone or anything with this bad boy on without totally grossing them out and making a mess :/

It's a shame, really,

because I was very impressed with the color quality.

If you don't plan on kissing anyone or being in wind with hair longer than your temples-

you might be fine ://

Verdict:

This stuff isn't really expensive, but I still wouldn't waste the money.

There are other loses out there that give you color saturation and shine

without feeling like you've got thick glue or paste on your lips.

This would be a last resort for me.

RATING (OUT OF 10): 2

* REVIEW* Younique Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes !

Okay, has anyone even heard of Younique before?

I'm not all knowing, but I just came across this brand in the past couple months.

I started seeing all the posts on FB about some mascara that made it look like you had fake lashes.

A product that makes it look like you have fake lashes-

without the hassle of actually wearing fake lashes?!?

I was down to try it!

Read on to see what I found... :)

The Product

*picture taken from Younique's website*

The 'mascara' comes in a hardy, stylish carrying case (pictured above).

Inside are two tubes- one containing the 'transplanting' gel and one containing the fibers.

Both are applied just like mascara, with an almost identical brush used in many mascaras.

Some of it's Claims:

- "dramatically enhances and magnifies appearance" of your lashes

- easy to use with their 3 step process

- water resistant

- wash off easily

The Review

Okay, so I had seen lots of before and after pictures of this product from random people who posted them on fb and online.

I have to say that- a lot of them- were pics of regular lashes that became clumped and wiry looking... and I wasn't too keen on that.

I had a friend who said she tried it and it was amazing, however,

so I gave in.

Here are my lashes before ANY makeup whatsoever:

Here are my lashes with two coats of the gel/fibers:

PROS

- easy to apply

- definitely makes my lashes look at least 2 or 3 x longer

- comes with super cute, durable case

- washes off very easily

CONS

- a little expensive at $29

- does give a slight wiry affect, depending upon how many coats you do

- fibers sometimes fall from the brush/your lashes under your eye below

- has to be applied carefully for those of us that wear contacts

The Verdict

This product no doubt extends lashes significantly. The quality of the LOOK of your lashes, however, depends upon how many coats you use. Obviously, if you have short lashes you're going to want to use several coats (you can technically use as many coats as you want). Your lashes will be longer... but each coat causes just a bit of clumping and that wiry look. The shorter your lashes are and the more coats you use- the greater the chance they'll look clumpy and wiry. Not a good look. 

Although it might be tempting to use coat after coat to get those nice, long lashes- don't do it.

For those of you with short lashes, I recommend two coats (that's what I used in these pics).

For those with longer lashes, I would do no more than 3 coats.

:)

RATING (OUT OF 10): 9

November favorites!

I haven't been blogging regularly enough to even have a 'favorites' post these past months,

but I'm finally making it up for that today :)

BEHOLD, my favorites (some that I blogged about, some that I didn't get around to) 

from November!

1. EOS chapstick in 'Green Mint'

I love EOS chapstick.

It lasts forever and works fantastically.

What I like best about this 'Greent Mint' flavor is the

(duh) minty flavor :) It reminds me of winter/the holidays,

so I think now is a perfect time to go buy it.

If your lips are as chapped as mine,

it will be a welcome reprieve! :)

You can find these almost anywhere, from Target to Walgreens- & stores like them.

2. Urban Decay's Illuminated Powder

I did a post on this bad boy the other day here.

Basically, it's perfect for the holidays.

I don't regularly use powder at all,

but I make an exception for this one.

3. L'Oreal Butterfly Intenza mascara

I reviewed this mascara the other day,

and it's UH-MAZING.

See my full review for the details! :)

4. Yes to Carrot's Shampoo & Conditioner

So I originally bought this brand because I wanted to try something without all the harmful chemicals that mainstream brands use.

Carrots seemed different but not too wacky.

Turns out, (I didn't pay close attention) and it's actually for a dry scalp O_o

Lucky for me that I bought this,

because the cold weather this past month has caused my scalp to be super dry.

It's never flaked before,

and it's super irritating and embarrassing.

This product, though, helps immensely with that.

PLUS, it's made out of completely safe ingredients AND makes your hair smell good :)

I definitely suggest this brand for anyone who is struggling with a dry scalp 

and/or just wants a safe and healthy alternative!

5. Maybelline 'Expresso Exposed' lipstick

I did a review on this lipstick here.

It's been one of my favorite, go-to Fall lipsticks.

I love all Maybelline lippies,

and this doesn't fail to disappoint! :) 

* REVIEW * L'Oreal Butterfly Intenza mascara

If you've been following my blog for awhile,

you'll know that aside from SYN Cosmetics/glitter/metallics/red... I love me a good mascara :P

Lately, L'Oreal has released some mascaras that have been ON POINT.

Is today's post going to be the exception?

...

Read more to find out! :) 

The Product

L'oreal's Butterfly Intenza mascara

Okay, so the chevron background went a lithe haywire 

with the mirrored look of the mascara casing...

Here's a better pic (including the brush) from L'oreal's website:

Some of it's Claims:

- extends your lashes "like wings"

- contains a "breakthrough double winged tip" brush

- fans out and separates lashes

- provides 9x more volume

The Review

I've done a post/review of L'Oreal's original Butterfly mascara,

and I've also used it in a ton of my makeup looks on here

(and in everyday life, AND it made my top products of 2013 post).

I was extremely impressed with it,

so I had high hopes for this newer, updated version.

Let's just say, it did not disappoint! 

I do have longer lashes naturally. This can be nice,

but a lot of mascaras can really muck them up and cause them to stick together.

( see this one from Benefit, for example)

Here are my lashes prior to any makeup:

Here they are with L'Oreal's Butterfly Intenza macara:

Whew!

Muchhhhhhh better :)

PROS:

- Reasonable price at $8.99 bucks

- Gave plenty of volume and length!

- Easy to use brush

- Hardly ever clumps, even in the tube/around tube opening

CONS:

- The brush is a bit bulky, so it's a little hard to reach those 

teeny tiny lashes in the inner corners of my eye

- I like using black, but this only comes in 2 shades of black, 

which might be a problem for people who prefer brown

The Verdict:

I absolutely love this mascara. The volume and length it gives my lashes is awesome.

I can only imagine how fantastic it works for those with not as much lash.

It appeals to all kinds of customers!

Plus, the price is pretty good.

I've been using this particular tube of mascara for almost a month now,

and it's still maintaining the same consistency and quality as the first time I used it.

Very pleased!

I definitely recommend this to everyone :)

RATING (OUT OF 10): 9

* REIVEW * Urban Decay Naked Illuminated Powder

So it officially feels and looks like the holidays are here.

The mall and shops all over town are putting up their Christmas decorations,

and we have several night below freezing... and days that are barely above it :)

It's my favorite time!

The Product

In spirit of all the magic and sparkle of the holidays,

I wanted to do a review of a recent product that I picked up and tried for the first time a month or so ago:

Urban Decay's Naked Illumated powder

This is an-almost translucent powder packed with sparkle and shimmer.

It comes with this handy brush:

I haven't used powder AT ALL for yearsssss because of how caked on they tend to look.

Will I give in and actually use this powder?

Read on to find out! :)

Some of it's Claims:

- Gives skin a luminous look with shimmer & "light reflecting particles"

- Lightweight

- Won't look metallic, like the cheaper formulas do

- Provides color like a loose powder

- Convient since it's similar to a pressed powder

The Review

I tried a similar product many years ago (Too Faced's Chandelier translucent, shimmering powder), so I had KIND of an idea what to expect.

It was hard to really get pics of the shimmer with my camera,

but on my skin, it looks EXACTLY like it does in it's box on the pic above-

Just as shimmery, and exactly as opaque as the color pictured.

So, now for the important stuff:

PROS

- Lightweight; doesn't look 'caked' on

- You actually get significant sparkle!! It's noticeable, but not like "Hey, I work the pole/corner" kind of noticeable ;P

- Comes in two shades, Luminous (which is what I have) or Aura

- The brush works great; not a useless add-on like with some powders

CONS

- It's a little pricey at $29

- It doesn't last quite as long as I would like, although it doesn't claim to be a long-lasting product

The Verdict

Though I'm not one to ever use powder, I use this bad boy 'erryday. It's perfect.

It's lightweight, easy to apply, and it gives that sexy shimmer that I love so much.

Especially around this cold, magical time of year- I like using a bit more sparkle than normal.

This product definitely lives up to the task and my expectations.

I highly recommend! 

RATING (OUT OF 10): 9.5

Was this review helpful?

Have you had a different or similar experience with this product?

Let me know!

Wet N Wild's Fergie 'D-Vinely Chilled' lipstick

So as I was randomly perusing my local drugstores' shelves the other day,

I snatched up this baby.

It looked like Fall to me,

and I'm a sucker for an oxblood-colored anything.

(I actually ended up pairing it with this look)

I've only ever tried one other Fergie lipstick (and I've been much less than impressed with Wet N Wild's other Fergie products), so I didn't have very high expectations.

Here's what I found:

As you can see, indoors, it's a lusty, merlot-red.

In natural light, however-

It turns much more fuchsia-red.

----

I like it better as the wine-red :)

Either way, it was an okay buy.

The formula wasn't as great as nicer (and my more preferred) lipsticks like Maybelline,

(and certainly nothing like Mac),

but hey- you get what you pay for.

It's cheap and great for every now and then.

I have no problem adding it to my arsenal of lipstick options :)