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Tag Archives: Review

Sleek and PPQ: Me Myself & Eye Palette

Hi Guys and Dolls!!

A few weeks back I was contacted by Devu Cosmetics, a company from Canada that sells Sleek, Barry M and various other goodies that can be a wee bit difficult to get here in the US& Canada. Sure, for those of us in the US you can order from the Sleek site and the cost of the products and shipping are about the same, but Devu is much faster; it only took a few days for the palette to arrive from Canada to California. Mind, if you are in Canada, shipping is much cheaper/faster; I have many Canadian friends and viewers who lament about how long things take to ship to Canada. Enough with this shipping talk, let’s look at this palette! Read the rest of this entry

Juliette Has a Gun- Lady Vengeance Purse Bullet

Hello Guys & Dolls,welcome back! Valentine’s day is just around the corner, and while not everyone is coupled up, I could think of no better time to start talking about Fragrance. This is the time of year ladies start hunting down the latest & greatest ”love potion” & gentlemen start hitting the beauty section of stores looking for gifts. I should know, I worked the last few years in cosmetic retail.  Long before I was a bona fide Makeup Junkie, I was a fumehead. while writing this post I found myself confessing my love affair with “juice”. More on that story later. Today I want to share with you, quite possibly THE coolest purse-sized perfume. ever. Read the rest of this entry

China Glaze ElectroPop Collection Swatches & Review

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Votre Vu Bebe Duette Review

Hello Guys & Dolls, welcome back!  I don’t know where you are in the world, but here in Northern California winter came on quite dry this year. I live in an old drafty apartment, (cold, dry air) with one wall-heater (more dry air). Lately my hair, face, body and hands are screaming on the top of their lungs- “FEED ME SEYMOUR!”.  Read the rest of this entry

Finger Paints “Flakie” Topcoats!!

Hello Guys and Dolls, today I have an important announcement:

*over a loud speaker*

CHEAP “FLAKIE” POLISH ALERT!

Finger Paints L-R: Asylum, Flecked, Flashy, Motley, Twisted

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Sigma Mrs. Bunny Collection- Vegan Brushes!

Hey Guys & Dolls, Welcome back!

Today I’m sharing my thoughts on Sigma’s latest creation- the Mrs. Bunny Collection! This set is a Vegan-friendly version of the same Essential brush lineup that Sigma has sold from the very beginning. The fibers for the brushes are the same as Sigma’s AMAZING Sigmax Kabuki Collection I reviewed last July , and have loved for years. Haven’t reviewed Sigma Brushes in quite some time, so this will be a bit of an overview/comparison to some of Sigma’s Regular brushes.

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Milani Baked Eyeshadow Marble

Hello Guys & Dolls!

Today I’m sharing a Swatchapalooza & review  of the Milani  Baked Eyeshadow “Marble”. These are part of the regular line up available at Drugstores and Massmarket reatailers (such as Target, Walmart, etc) and also on Milani’s own website.

According to the Milani website:

Captivating eyeshadow powder that features multiple infusion of colors baked on Italian terracotta tiles. All of these gorgeous combinations are designed to be used Wet or Dry.

In my opinion, these are for the most part high-quality baked shadows that rival the baked mineral eyeshadows I’ve seen/used from high-end companies. Though these are not officially called Mineral eyeshadows, they look similar and in fact these are made in Italy, as are most  (if not all) baked mineral shadows from high-end companies. Like most mineral/baked eyeshadows I’ve used, these have a medium-sheer color payoff when used dry, But when used wet the color payoff is much more intense, and in the case of these Marble shadows the glitter stands out more. The lighter shades seem sheerer,  and the glitter is too similar to the base color to stand out so they simply look a bit chunky. The darker shades preform much better, most likely because glitter shows up more obviously against a dark background. There is quite  a bit of fall-out all around (no doubt due to the glitter).  The colors themselves are excellent and all can be worn as bold or as subdued manner if you like. I have 5 of the 6 Marble shadows to share with you (I’m missing Medley, the black & silver one).

The packaging on these leaves something to be desired; The shadow is housed in a rather large compact with a  metallic bottom and a clear, rounded top; The applicator is useless, and in my opinion only makes the compact bulkier than it needs to be (Although it’s worth mentioning that most drugstore brands include unfortunate applicators/brushes, and that the inclusion of applicators makes the packaging bulky). When I first got these some were a bit difficult to open, though now they open with ease. In any case the product inside is great and that’s the whole reason you buy them anyway.

I reviewed the Baked Mettalic Eye Shadows last week if you’d like to see that review as well.

Here’s a breakdown of the 5 colors I have:

Melange- Shimmering black with gold and copper sparkle/glitter. Inglot AMC 64 has a matte base and larger glitter particles; MAC Velvet Lady(LE, 2007)  is blacker with sparse, larger glitter flecks. This works well as a crease/outer lid color, as a liner, or on the lid for a smoky eye., nicely pigmented used dry and very intense used wet.

Drench in Gold- Blonde-wheat gold. Very shimmery/sparkly and a bit sheer, very similar to MAC’s New Vegas Mineralize Skinfinish (LE, 2007), this works well has a gold highlight all over the face.

Intermix- shimmering  beige-tan with gold shimmer. Less intense compared to MAC Bronze eyeshadow. This one is slightly sheer weather applied wet or dry, though wet it works nice as a lid shade. This one and Fusion look so  similar when swatched it’s difficult for me to tell them apart.

Fusion- Shimmering beige-tan. Slightly deeper, and pinker compared to Intermix; less intense compared to MAC bronze. This one is slightly sheer weather applied wet or dry, though wet it works nice as a lid shade. This one and Intermix look so  similar when swatched it’s difficult for me to tell them apart.

Mix It Up- Black base with green/teal glitter. This is lighter and more uniform compared to MAC’s She Who Dares duo from Venomous Villains. In fact if you swirl both colors from that together this color is a near-dupe. When used wet, the MAC version has more of a micro-glitter sparkle effect where the Milani Version has more of a uniform metallic look. If you like dark,shimmery teal, GET THIS!!! This and Melange are my favorites, from both the Marble and the Metallic eyeshadows!

Swatched dry over Too Faced Shadow Insurance From L-R: Melange, Drench in Gold, Intermix, Fusion, and Mix It Up

Applied wet over the dry swatches above; From L-R: Melange, Drench in Gold, Intermix, Fusion, and Mix It Up

Milani has been a fave Drugstore/mass-market brand of mine for a long time, but I think a truer statement now is that they are just one of my fave brands period.  Milani always seems to come out with amazing products at a price point that is easy to swallow!

What? Milani Baked Shadows Metallic

Where to Buy? Drugstores, milanicosmetics.com

How Much? $7.49 for 1.5 gm

Tested on Animals: NOPE!

*****

Disclaimer

Some of the products shown were sent by PR or the manufacturer for review consideration. Complimentary products never receive preferential treatment; My viewers & reader are my #1 priority and I honor your trust by always being honest with you. This video/post contains opinions that are solely my own; I am not influenced by, nor do I represent any company.

Milani Baked Eyeshadows Metallic

Hi Guys and Dolls!

Today I’m sharing my swatches and thoughts (Show and Tell anyone?! *eyebrow waggle*) on the Milani Baked Eyeshadow Metallic- something I’ve had for a few months but for some silly reason I haven’t talked about it!  On the upside I’ve had them so long that my review is quite detailed and concrete. Here’s what Milani has to say about  them:

Captivating eyeshadow powder that features multiple infusions of colors baked on Italian terracotta tiles. Metallic eyeshadows contain richly refined color intense metallic pigments. All of these gorgeous combinations are designed to be used Wet or Dry.

In my opinion, these are for the most part high-quality baked shadows that truly rival what I’ve seen from high-end companies; in fact these are made in Italy, as are most  (if not all) baked mineral shadows from high-end companies. Like most mineral/baked eyeshadows I used, these have a medium-sheer color payoff when used dry, but used wet watch out- they are brilliantly pigmented and metallic! I really like that they are build-able because you can use them as transitional colors -in between/under other shadows to help them blend. I find shadow like this are easier to use than ones that are full-force, and unlike some “buildable” shadows that get flaky/cakey/dry looking as your build, these keep their texture, which is good for most of these shades. The Lasting power is pretty good, much better with a primer, though I did notice a tiny bit of fading even with a primer. The colors themselves are excellent and all can be worn in a bold or as subdued manner if you like. I love that they did a brown- I don’t have any baked mineral browns!

The packaging on these leaves something to be desired; The shadow is housed in a rather large compact with the black bottom and a clear, rounded top; The applicator is useless, and in my opinion only makes the compact bulkier than it needs to be (Although it’s worth mentioning that most drugstore brands include unfortunate applicators/brushes, and that the inclusion of applicators makes the packaging bulky). When I first got these some were a bit difficult to open, though now they open with ease. In any case the product inside is great and that’s the whole reason you buy them anyway.

I reviewed the Baked Marble Eyeshadows recently if you’d like to see that review as well.

Here’s a breakdown of the colors:

Teal The Truth-  robins-egg-blue with metallic golden shimmer; Great Color payoff and a smooth texture, looks about the same wet or dry. This is one of the better ones from this set of 6. There are many shades similar to this but I can’t think of an exact dupe; Sigma Oversee is deeper and greener, Urban Decay Shattered is bluer and more complex.

Blue My Mind- metallic deep blue with a brighter blue shimmer and gold flecks, a Bit sheer and a touch difficult to build up on the eye when sued dry, but used over a sticky base (a NYX jumbo pencil for example) it has a wow factor that rivals the deep shade of MAC’s Sea and Sky duo.

Purrr-Fect Purple- dusty violet with a pink shimmer- a bit gritty and the color pay-off is disappointing. this is the only shade that doesn’t wow me- I still like it, but perhaps the color is just a little dull for my taste, and considering how Milani tends to come out with really rich purple products, this one was a let down for me. The Base color of a dull purple reminds me of MAC Purple Haze and the shimmer reminds me of MAC Violet Pigment.

I Heart You- warm metallic red with a red-pink shimmer Great pigmentation and can I just say how great it is to see a red eyeshadow available at the drugstore/mass-market and part of a  regular lineup (not just for holiday/limited life). I don’t know of an exact dupe, Sugarpill Asylum is deeper and less pink, MAC’s Dangerzone is more golden and has less glitter.

Pink Twice- light pink with a pink shimmer that appears brighter than the base color- LOVE IT… as a blush. This is another shade that is gritty and has poor color payoff when used dry, and becomes a bit better when used wet, though still gritty, However I love using this as a transitional color and to blend out purples. The Only comparison that I have that comes close is Sugarpill’s Birthday Girl which is more pigmented, smoother, and has glitter where pink twice has glitter and shimmer.

Rich Java- satin chocolate brown with gold shimmer HOLY PIGMENTED BROWN MINERAL EYESHADOW BATMAN! This is probably the best quality shadow of the 6 in this set, and a bit rare; I can’t think of any baked/solid mineral eyeshdows that are chocolate brown. In terms of color It’s VERY close to MAC’s Center Stage Mega Metal shadow and “Make Your  Mark” Pro Longwear eyeshadow.

Ready for a Swatchapalooza?

Clockwise from the top: I Heart You, Pink Twice, Rich Java, Teal The Truth, Blue My Mind, and Purrr-Fect Purple

Swatched Dry, no base From L-R: Teal the Truth, Blue My Mind, Purrr-Fect Purple, I Heart You, Pink Twice & Rich Java

Swatched Dry over Too Faced Shadow Insurance, L-R: Pink Twice, I Heart You, Teal The Truth, Blue My Mind, Purrr-Fect and Rich Java

Built up a wet layer over the dry layer above, L-R: Pink Twice, I Heart You, Teal The Truth, Blue My Mind, Purrr-Fect and Rich Java

Milani has been a fave Drugstore/mass-market brand of mine for a long time, but I think a truer statement now is that they are just one of my fave brands period.  Milani always seems to come out with amazing products at a price point that is easy to swallow!

What? Milani Baked Shadows Metallic

Where to Buy? Drugstores, milanicosmetics.com

How Much? $7.49 for 1.5 gm

Tested on Animals: NOPE!

*****

Disclaimer

Some of the products shown were sent by PR or the manufacturer for review consideration. Complimentary products never receive preferential treatment; My viewers & reader are my #1 priority and I honor your trust by always being honest with you. This video/post contains opinions that are solely my own; I am not influenced by, nor do I represent any company.

MAC Posh Paradise Show & Tell

Hello Guys & Dolls! Today I’m happy to share my swatches and thoughts on the few products I picked up from MAC’s Posh Paradise Collection. As many of you know I have a soft spot for anything purple, and I also happen to really  love Paint Pots. I feel like MAC did us purple lovers a solid by releasing not 1, not 2, but 3 incredible purple Paint Pots! The only down side for me is that this collection is not part of the permanent collection so if you want these get them fast! Who knows when MAC will give us colorful Paint Pots again? (note to MAC- please don’t ever tease us with those Big Bounce shadows again. They looked like Paint Pots in rainbow colors. They were terrible. That was not nice.) In addition to the “Purple Reign” as I’m calling it, several other jewel-tone colors were launched but I had to limit myself to what I would realistically use. I think these colors would really compliment the permanent and currently neutral line of Paint Pots.

Paint Pots have been among my favorite eyeshadow base/primers since they launched in 2007 (right around the time I took my” like” of makeup to a full-blown obsession). I love using these to give my eyeshadow a colorful boost, to turn Duo-Chromes into flashy drama queens, or in the case of the natural shades like Painterly, Soft Ocher, Nubile, Ground Work and Quite Natural,  using them to conceal flaws on the eyelid. Some may argue that you could use a regular concealer or products similar to NYX jumbo pencils, but for me the magic of Paint Pots is that they are very “crease” and fade resistant.

Paint Pots work well for most people alone as an eyeshdow base/primer hybrid,  though if you find them too drying I’d suggest a tiny bit of eye cream on the eyelid before the Paint Pot. (I love MAC Fast Response eye cream because it de-puffs and it’s not greasy.) If you need more staying power than these provide I suggest layering with an eye primer like Urban Decay Primer Potion or Too Faced Shadow Insurance.

I also picked up a Nail Lacquer, “Immortal Gold”; MAC Nail Lacquers are much smaller than average (.34 oz vs the standard .50 oz) and are also more expensive than most,  however the chrome-like Gold/Green just stole my heart. I used a Mattene from a previous lauch for effect for the p

Enough talk- ready for a Swatchapalooza?

From L-R: Half-Wild, Hyperviolet, Imaginary, Nubile, Treasure Hunt

Half-Wild is a red-biased purple that dried down almost matte but with a bit of shimmer. This one will be great to add a punch under grapey-purples, and will also add a kick to deep pinks etc

Hyperviolet is a deep burgundy with a matte finish and shimmer. It’s a bit patchy when swatched; it looks very similar to MAC’s Sketch eyeshadow

Imaginary is a deep blue-biased purple that flashes navy in some lights. It has a frost finish an a minor green undertone if you look closely. It’s very complex and a must have if you like smokey looks

Nubile is a fleshy-peach with a subtle sheen. It’s a great neutral base in the same way Painterly, Soft Ocher, and Quite Natural are. This is deeper and warmer that Painterly and peachier that Soft Ocher

Treasure Hunt- is a light butter gold with a frost finish. perhaps due to the frost finish this one feels the creamiest of the 5 I have. A great multi-tasking base this works well under a multitude of colors (I loved it under VEX the other day)

Sorry for the lame Swatch of Immortal Gold- this is one layer. Still, I’m impressed this looks as good as it does with just one layer!

Did you get anything from Posh Paradise? Share it in the comments below!

Thanks for stopping by!

Lit Cosmetics Review &Swatches

Hi Guys and Dolls! Today I’m sharing with you my swatches and thoughts on Lit Cosmetics! I love their glitters and I’ve had them for a while, but they were hiding in the back of a drawer-FOR SHAME! Read the rest of this entry

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