Victoria's Secret Eye Shadow Quad in Plenty | Swatches & Review

I've always loved Victoria's Secret, it's a must-go stop for me whenever I travel south to Bellingham, Washington for shopping trips (no matter how short!). So when they finally opened up in downtown Vancouver and Metrotown, I was ecstatic! However, I noticed really quickly that Victoria's Secret in Vancouver did not carry products from their "Professional" Makeup line. There were still the lipglosses and nail polish, etc, that was found at the checkout line, but it wasn't until about a month ago when I was browsing the Metrotown location did I notice they've finally introduced the rest of their makeup to Vancouver!

Actually, I have never puchased ANY Victoria's Secret makeup products. I tend to focus my spending in that store on clothing, lingerie, and shower gels (which are absolutely amazing). Fun fact: Victoria's Secret and Bath and Body Works are actually owned by the same company! But today, this little eyeshadow quad really caught my attention:

Victoria's Secret Eye Shadow Quad in Plenty

One of the reasons why I stay away from VS makeup products usually is the price. This quad that I bought was priced at $24.00, which it QUITE pricey considering this is not really an actual makeup brand.  Also, VS products are often hit-or-miss according to majority of the reviews out there. However, that day I had a 20% off coupon from email so I though, why not? If it's good then I'd love for you guys to know, and if it's not I hope I can help you guys save money :)

So let's take a look on the inside.

The packaging is nice and sleek, simple snap closure in the front is sturdy and tight. The entire quad fits into the palm of my hand, more or less, so I can even consider taking this in my purse for touch ups. This packaging reminds of me drugstore eye shadow quads because it comes with a clear window on the top instead of a mirror on the inside. 

The colours are neutral and very easy to style. One of the best features for this quad that sets it apart from others, same brand and other drugstore brand, is that it includes TWO matte shades. More often than not, small eyeshadow palettes that contain 6 or less shades are all of similar finish, and hardly ever includes matte shades. This VS quad in Plenty gives us a matte "Highlight" and "Lid" shade. 

*******

"Base": A light, cream-coloured, shimmery shade. It doesn't lean too cool or too warm. The shimmer is not an overspray and continues to be present as I keep using it, it is not chunky glitter and looks delicately sparkly on the lids. At the same time, it doesn't come off as being obnoxiously light-catchy so it's great for everyday wear as well. 

"Lid": A warm-tone medium brown matte shade. The texture is smooth and buttery, pigmented yet blendable. Even though the designers of this quad likely assumed this shade to be used all over the lid, I love using this type of colours as transition colours in my crease, and being that it can be nicely blended out, it's a great colour for that purpose.

"Highlight": A skin-tone matte shade. This shade actually blends in with my skin almost completely, and I do not have the lightest skin tone around. I imagine people with any skin tone that is lighter than my typical asian skin would likely not be able to use this for any "highlighting" per se, as it would be too dark. The texture of this shade is very similar to the "Lid" shade in that it is smooth and blendable, so I actually use this to blend out any harsh edges and it works beautifully for this purpose. For my daytime eyeshadow looks, I can often get by without applying any browbone highlight, but when I do, I need to find something else lighter (i.e. Foxy or Venus in Naked Basics palette).

"Crease": A deep, chocolate brown shade with larger bits of gold glitter. The base of this colour has some subtle shimmer to it, and the gold glitter is quite noticeable in the pan and in the swatch, but doesn't really translate to the eyelids. I don't get glitter fallout from using this colour but there is usually a bit of deep brown colour fallout if I don't tap my brush out first. I do not use this shade in my crease, because that would be too dark and smokey for my liking on a day-to-day workplace appropriate look. Instead, I use this shade in my outer-V corner to add definition to the eyes. It's not as pigmented as it may seem in the pan so this is probably the more disappointing shade out of all 4. 

*******

Now, this quad really interested me because as a whole, it was a neutral palette which I love, plus when I swatched the medium brown "Lid" shade in the store, it was pigmented and very smooth. It's often common to find matte shades that swatch patchy, uneven, and unpigmented, so I was pleasantly surprised by the quality in this little VS quad. So naturally, I proceed to swatch the matte highlight shade, very smooth once again; the "Base" shade was shimmery but quite pretty. That was enough to interest me enough to purchase and the following is a picture of all four colours on my arm without a primer underneath.  

 

As you can see, the colour payoff is not too bad, but I was hoping for better payoff on the "Base" shade and "Crease" shade. So next I tried them on top my daily staple: Too Faced Shadow Insurance, and here is the outcome:

I think all four colours performed much better but the result was especially apparent with the "Base" and "Crease" shades and I'm quite pleased with the result. "Crease" shade is still not as intense as I would like it to be given what it looks like in the pan, but overall it is alright for what I use it for. 

Overall thoughts:

Texture: Three of the four shades in this quad performed well in the texture department. As a whole, the powders run on the dry side, there are definitely many eyeshadows that are even more buttery than these VS ones. Of course, the brands that immediately comes to mind are high end ones, such as Urban Decay, Too Faced, Lorac, etc. Compared to the majority of drugstore eyeshadow offerings, the VS shadows performed a bit better than most BUT I think Wet n' Wild actually still comes out on top. 

Pigmentation: Again, all shades did well and yielded close-to-pan-colour except the "Crease" shade. As a whole, they translated well to the lids, but could be better. I often find myself reapplying the "Base" shade to the lids after some blending because it seems that I've blended too much away. "Crease" shade was not as deep and dark as it appeared in the pan. 

Blendability: All shades were smooth and buttery, so they are very easy to blend out on the lids. No complaints here!

Staying Power: I had no problems with creasing or fading throughout the day, which is usually well over 10 hours of wear time. However, I always use a primer underneath so perhaps it may not do so well if I didn't use a primer. I think in terms of staying power, these shades performed as well as my other high end eyeshadows. 

Value: So here comes the final and biggest question answered on this post...Is this Victoria's Secret eyeshadow quad worth the $24.00 price tag?? And my answer is....nope. As well as it did perform during this past month that I have been using it, I think it is way over priced for what it is. The colours are very practical and usable, but are definitely not unique. At a fraction of the price, Wet 'N Wild offers an amazing 8-pan eyeshadow palette and trios that gives slightly smoother texture and colour payoff. If you are willing to venture a bit higher in the price points, then you will find great eyeshadow palette options from Urban Decay and other brands found at Sephora.

I'm glad I picked up this one quad to try out, but I highly doubt I would be back for more eyeshadow quads from Victoria's Secret any time soon. I still think I will get a lot of use out of this quad because it's quite convenient for those mornings when I have limited time to make myself presentable. I find for myself that I take too much time deciding what shades to use if I had too many options in a large palette; in this little quad I have 1 shade option for each area of the eye and that eliminates choosing. I'd say skip this eyeshadow quad from Victoria's Secret and save that money towards better eyeshadows from higher end brands, and satisfy your cravings with drugstore options like Wet 'N Wild in the meantime. :)

Until the next post, 

Cheers!    

  

L'Oreal Sublime Soft Micellar Solution VS Bioderma SensiBio Micelle Solution

Hello there! Today's post is going to be about cleansing waters! Specifically, I am comparing a new drugstore product to the oh-so-popular (but pricey) Bioderma Micelle Solution. If you are interested to see the new product and how it compared, please keep reading!

Last week, I spotted the L'Oreal Sublime Soft Micellar Solution at Wal-Mart when I was grocery shopping. I have seen mentions of this product from European beauty videos and blogs quite a few months back, so I kind of guessed that this product will eventually show up in Canada. The list price was $10.99 at Wal-Mart, not on sale, and I felt that was a bit too expensive of a product, considering it is from the drugstore. The next day I was perusing the aisles of Shoppers Drug Mart and found the same item on sale from $12.99 to $7.99! So as you can tell, the price of this product has quite a bit of a range depending on when and where you find it.

 A quick rundown of both products:

L'oreal Sublime Soft Gentle Micellar Solution
Price: $7.99 - $12.99  at various drugstores
Amount: 200mL
Claim: "In one step, this solution cleanses and removes all traces of makeup from the face, eyes, and 
lips. So gentle, it is suitable even for sensitive skin."

• Removes makeup and soothes
• No Rubbing, no rinsing
• Fragrance free, hypoallergenic
• Dry and Sensitive Skin

Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution

Price: $22.00 for 250mL or $33.00 for 500mL (only available ~2 times per year) at Shoppers Drug Mart

Amount: $22.00-$33.00 depending on size

Claim: "[...]gently cleanses and removes make-up from face and eyes. The micelles contained in its formla effectively micro-emulsify impurities while maintaining the cutaneous balance. Soothing active ingredients prevent the skin feeling irritated. Excellent cutaneous [skin] and ocular [eyes] tolerance." 

• For sensitive skin
• Cleanses, removes make-up, soothes
• Non-Rinse, Fragrance Free

So far it's quite clear that both of these products are very similar in terms of what they claim to be and claim to do. I have been using the Bioderma on a daily basis for over a year now as my first step to removing make-up. Although I know the product itself is meant to be used alone and does not necessarily require a second step to cleansing, I personally prefer to go in afterwards with a cleanser of some sort (which I do in the shower, HG product is Philosophy's Purity Cleanser!). I will admit, I am a huge fan of the Bioderma, have not planned to go a day without it since I started using it, and genuinely believe it will be very hard to replace it with another product.

The Test

To test the L'oreal Micellar Solution against my beloved Bioderma, I've decided to go with the "half-face" test. 

Step 1: Soak 1 cotton pad with the tested cleanser, then cleanse half of my face. Repeat with the other cleanser on the other half of my face.

Step 2: Soak 1 more cotton pad with L'Oreal Micellar Solution for each side of the face and compare the amount of residue left from the first cleanse

Step 3: Soak 1 cotton pad with the test cleanser, then hold over eye for 10 seconds and proceed to cleanse off eye make-up. Repeat with the other cleanser on the other eye.

Results 

Aftermath of cleansing! I apologize for the mess :)

At first glace, it does indeed look like Bioderma did a lot better than L'Oreal. However, I would like to point out that that is not necessarily the case, and here is why: The answer lies in the packaging of the product. While both micellar solution comes with a plastic flip-top lid that has a simple hole to dispense the solution, the stream is much more controlled with the Bioderma (i.e. not as fast out of the bottle). With the Bioderma bottle, I feel that I can direct the stream of product easier to where I want it on the cotton pad. In this case, majority of the cotton pad was soaked on the top left hand corner, so that is where all the makeup is concentrated during the removal. On the other hand, I found the solution came out of the L'Oreal bottle much quicker, so my cotton pad was soaked through much faster than I expected (prone to wastage) and therefore the makeup was removed more or less evenly by the cotton pad and looks less concentrated. 

The second pad from the top is the one soaked with L'Oreal Micellar Water, used for the second rinse. As you can see, the amount of residue from the first cleanse on either side of the face was pretty much the same, so it seems the drugstore product is holding up well at this point on the comparison test. 

The third pad is from removing eye makeup. For this, I was able to find a difference between the two micellar solutions. The Bioderma did indeed remove more of my eye liner and mascara and was able to do so in less swipes. On the eye where I used L'Oreal Micellar Solution, I was not able to achieve quite the same amount of clean, and it felt more difficult to remove my mascara.

For the record, I do not use waterproof eyeliner or mascara so I do not know how either of these will do if used to remove those.

Final Thoughts

Since the initial experiment, I have been using the L'Oreal cleansing solution every single day, and I found to be very very similar to Bioderma in terms of its ability to remove my make up. The overall texture of the products are very similar too. The L'Oreal Micellar Solution did not leave my skin feeling dry or tugged at all, although I would always follow up with my Purity Cleanser in the shower right after, I feel that I will be comfortable enough to leave my skin as-is after if I was pressed for time (i.e. tooooo sleepy...), just like I can with Bioderma. Also, I experienced no irritation to my eyes when I used the L'Oreal Micellar Solution to remove my eye makeup, good news!

Scent-wise, the two are not the same. While both claim to be "frangrance-free", Bioderma has the slightest ever sweet scent, whereas L'Oreal smells a teeny bit plastic-y, but it's not too unpleasant. 

As a whole, I would recommend the L'Oreal Gentle Micellar Solution for anybody who has been interested to try Bioderma but hasn't because of the price. I think it is a great alternative to Bioderma, especially because it is much more accessible! Because of the bottle design on the L'Oreal bottle, I would personally not recommend it for heavy-duty travelling, since the flip-top isn't as secure as Bioderma's flip-top, so it may be a risk for leakage. Other than that, I am very happy with my bottle of L'Oreal Micellar Solution and it may very well be something I will continue to repurchase! :)

Rimmel Lasting Finish Colour Rush Lip Balm - Swatches & Review!

Hello there! It's certainly been a while since I last posted...and I'm slowly trying to get back into the swing of things :)

Today I wanted to bring to you one of my most recent finds in the drugstore that was personally quite exciting. Rimmel London joined on the "Chubby Lip Crayon" trend and released its "Colour Rush Lip Balm" as part of its new Lasting Finish collection in UK towards the end of 2013. A couple weeks ago, I finally spotted them at Shoppers Drug Mart! However, the price tag of $6.99-8.99 (different Shoppers Drug Mart prices varies slightly) was bit high for my liking, so I decided to wait until Target or Wal-Mart stocked them in hopes that their price will be lower.

The waiting did pay off (sort of)! About a week later I found the display at Target for $5.99 each and I was able to purchase with my Target RedCard for another additional 5% off, so I picked up the following 4 colours:

L to R: 120 All You Need Is Pink // 220 Rumour Has It // 300 Viva Violet // 200 Keep Mauving

This product is your standard twist up jumbo crayon, packaging look and feel is basically identical to the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain, Jordana Twist & Shine, etc. It contains 2.5gm (0.095oz) of product, just slightly under Revlon's 2.7g, so there is hardly a noticable difference. The colour of tube is more or less an accurate representation of the lip balm so that's certainly handy.

The full display consisted of 10 colours in the range, apparently that's 3 more colour's than UK's original release of 7 colours.

Permanent display found at Shoppers Drug Mart

Let's jump right into the colours that I picked up :)

120: All You Need Is Pink: Originally I thought this colour was going to be more red because of the colour of the tube, however, once it is applied to the lips it becomes this bright pink colour. It is not a type of barbie pink, it is more like a muted hot pink colour but still carries a hint of fuchsia to deepen it slightly. This colour is definitely one that I will reach for often during the summer months because it alone does such a good job of brightening my complexion, perfect for when I want to keep my makeup to a minimum. Creamy colour with no shimmer particles.

220 Rumour Has It: Everytime I see this shade name I can't help but start humming Adele's awesome song...anyone with me? Anyway, because of its undeniable tie to the famous tune, I imagined this to be a deep dark red colour. But nope, it's still a pink colour, just deeper than "All You Need Is Pink", definitely more opaque lips. This pinky red colour is rather blue-based, and in general can make your teeth appear whiter, which I love. This is one that I'd reach for on a night out :) Creamy colour with no shimmer particles.

300 Viva Violet: A pinky violet/purple colour. Usually these colours, once they have too much purple tones in them, becomes a tad bit too dramatic for me to where on a regular basis. However, because the pink tones are much more prominent in this shade, this colour compliments wintery makeup trends beautifully. Perhaps I will not wear this much during the summer season, but as we are still in the Winter months here in Vancouver, this colour pairs beautifully with my smokier eye shadows and neutral tone cheek colours. It hasn't left my makeup bag in my purse since the day I got it! Creamy colour with no shimmer particles.

200 Keep Mauving: This colour is one of the more neutral in the line up. For myself, my natural lip colour is quite pigmented so this colour perfectly deepens the natural tones of them becoming a great "my lips but better" shade. For people with lips that are less naturally pigmented, this colour leans brown with hints of pinks that I think will be very appropriate for school or work because it's not such a bright colour, but rather able to help achieve the put-together look. Creamy colour with no shimmer particles.

Texture: These lip crayons are very comfortable to wear! They feel light and thin, but the colour payoff is amazing. It glides nicely on the lips with no tugging. However, it does tend to become patchy on any overly dry places on your lips so if you happen to have any of those you might want to add a basic lip balm underneath. All the colours applied creamy and shiny without any detectable shimmer or sparkly particles. I did not find that these dried my lips out at all, but don't expect them to be able to hydrate your lips if they are feeling a bit dry.

Scent & Taste: Straight from the tube I can detect a very faint but distinct sugary sweetness on the product, but it is not quite noticeable once you apply it on your lips. There is no minty scent or tingly feeling to these, so all in all I find them very comfortable to wear.

Colour Payoff: I would have to say colour payoff is perhaps one of the most impressive feature of these lip crayons. Even the light colours that I tested out at the store were able to provide opaque colours in one swipe! I don't have to go over the lips again and again to achieve the colour in the tube for any of these.

Lasting Power: These are not necessary advertised to be super long lasting, but the darker colours did leave a stain on my lips. Wear time is normal, most likely it will need to be reapplied if you were to eat and drink. Without eating or drinking, the original shine wore off in about 30 minutes but the colour was around for about 1.5 -2 hours. Again, because the darker colours do give a teeny bit of a stain effect so you can likely get away with not reapplying until after the 3 hour mark if the lack of shine doesn't bother you much.

Overall: I think these are great value for your money in terms of the amount of product and the quality of the product! I am very happy with the colours that I chose, however I wish the colour range did include one that was more of a true blue-based red. The overall colour range leaned quite pink, even the neutral colours were pink based. That kind of limited the selection of colours so perhaps Revlon still wins in the shade selection department, especially since they added a matte (very impressive) and super shiny line to their chubby lip crayons not that long ago. I say give these Rimmel Lasing Finish Colour Rush Lip Balm a try if you are one who enjoys lip colours that feels almost weightless on the lips but still provides shiny full-on colour in a single swipe :)

NEW! Maybelline Electric Neon Baby Lips - Swatches & Review

Hello everyone! It's been a while since I last posted...I've been busy with other things and a bit lazy too.. :( Anyway, today I would like to bring you a quick look at Maybelline's recent expansion to their Baby Lips line, with 6 new electric neon shades!

These have surfaced in the United States a couple months ago and since then I've been on a small but constant lookout for them to start appearing in our drugstores. I spotted these at my local Wal-Mart last week and have played with them for the past few days. They were in the permanent display along with the original shades and there is no indication to these being limited edition. Read on to find out my thoughts on how they compare to the original release of Baby Lips!

If you are not familiar with the Baby Lips formula, here is a quick blurb to get you up to speed. They are marketed as tinted moisturizing lip balms that provides 8 hours of moisture and gives a sheer wash of colour. The Baby Lips are lightly flavoured and it more or less related to the name and colour of the particular shade. So yes, each as a unique flavour! They are also lightweight and non-sticky.

These new shades in the range appear to be fun, bright, neon colours that seem like an awesome idea for summertime. The tubes are black for all but the writing on the cap corresponds to the colour of the lip balm inside. I find them so fun to carry around in my purse and there is a teeny bit of excitement that I get everytime I pull one out to use :P On the package it states that these are made "with shea butter & vitamin E". Both ingredientshave a reputation of being moisturizing. However, these new shades do not have SPF (sun protection), whereas the original shades do have SPF 20. **Fun fact: The limited edition shades also did not have any SPF.**

70 Pink Shock: This is a sheer hot pink shade, no shimmer. Perhaps the most pigmented of the bunch, it definitely gave the lips a pretty layer of pink that may replace the need for lipstick. This shade is slightly cherry candy scented, quite pleasant to me. The scent does linger on the lips for a while.

75 Fierce N Tangy: This shade appears "highlighter"-kind of neon yellow in the tube but swatches pretty much clear. It does not produce any colour on the lips and might as well be a clear lip balm. It is still very moisturizing and smells like lemons. However, the scent and taste is reminiscent to lemon-scented dish soap so that wasn't quite as enjoyable...

80 Berry Bomb: This is sheer purple shade with no shimmer. Even though it's name is Berry Bomb, I found the scent and taste resembling more that of grape than berry. A light, sweet kind of grape, nothing overwhelming and I quite enjoyed this one. This colour does not come off very strong on the lips, but it managed to give it just enough purple tinge that my natural lip colour deepened, but also enhanced the natural pink undertones.

85 Oh! Orange!: This one is pretty obvious, it's the orange shade! I also think the name of this shade is rather cute :) Unfortunately, this colour was not flattering on my lips or my skintone, it also seemed to accentuate my dry skin on the lips. The colour payoff is there though, so if yo're in the market for a fun sheer orange lip balm, this could be the one for you. It has a light minty orange scent.

90 Minty Sheer: So another one with no colour! This is the green one and true to its name, it's super sheer and it has a minty scent. However, this type of mint comes with a touch of "plant" to it...so not my favourite kind of mint. I personally much prefer the Peppermint scent of the original baby lips (clear balm in the green tube) over this one.

95 Strike A Rose: This is a great sheer red-pink colour, also no shimmer. Compared to Pink Shock, this looks more neon in the tube but comes off less neon on the swatch and on the lips. The end result for me was a healthy shade of pink with a lot of shine and a sweet fruity scent. I can't pinpoint it to a certain kind of fruit on this particular shade. I enjoyed this shade and I like how it gives colour but still sheer enough that your natural lip colour shows through.

Overall Impression: I think I enjoy most of these new Baby Lips shade! The texture of these new ones are even more soft and less sticky/slick than the original so I find that a great improvement on the formla, making me love it even more than the old. The colours aren't the most exciting thing ever but they work. Nothing would be scary to wear out of the house, however, for most of these you won't want to be caught applying them without a mirror because if you miss your lip lines, they are pigmented enough to let everyone know :P Also, it would be advisable to still use some sort of light lip balm with SPF prior to applying these Baby Lips, especially in the summertime with lots of sunlight, becase your lips get can get sunburned too! Lips are the most common place on the body that is neglected when it comes to applying sunscreen and there are a number of cases of pre-cancer being diagnosed from the lips. So please don't forget to shower your lips with some sun protection love too!! These were purchased at Wal-Mart for CAD$3.96 + tax, so the price is not too bad. I think these are a great option if you want something light, quick & easy, and affordable! 

Have you picked up any? Interested in trying them out too? Let me know below! :)

Joanne

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigments - Swatches and Review!

One of the latest and possibly most highly anticipated drugstore items are these Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigments! Ever since Maybelline uploaded a sneak peak picture on instagram I've been on the lookout for when these pigments will land in the drugstore. I finally came across them last week and I picked up all 10 shades that are offered to play with them.

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons why these pigments are so anticipated by drugstore makeup enthusiasts is because pigments are quite rare in the drugstore makeup department. There really aren't many brands that have ventured into pigment/loose eyeshadows. More over, Maybelline has some pretty impressive claims for its new product, as follows: "Double-dipped pigments create intense eyeshadow colour intnsity. Superior staying Power, for crease-proof wear all day long." -maybelline.ca

Well, doesn't that just make it sound like these pigments are a must-try product? Let's see some swatches below.

Part 1: The Neutrals

3 swipes, no primer

(L to R)
1) 30 Black Mystery - The darkest colour of the entire range. This is a blackened deep charcoal colour that could be built up to an intense black if several layers are used. The finish has a subtle sheen to it, but the most notable feature of this particular shade is that it contains a fair amount of deep blue glitter/shimmer in it that catches the light. The overall colour reminds me of a star-filled night sky.

2) 45 Downtown Browm - A brown colour pigment that leans toward the cool end of the specturm. This is a very easy to use neutral colour that can be incorporated into almost any eye look. There are a small amount of pearl color shimmer in this pigment but it is not super noticable, so the overall finish is simply a pearly brown colour. Colour is buildable, and will definitely work well as an outer corner or crease colour. It will come in very handy for a wearable daytime smokey eye look.

3) 35 Breaking Bronze - A colour that is very true to its name; this is a straightforward bronze colour. Nothing fancy to spice it up, but this colour itself will be able to create for you as fancy a look as you would, or as toned down as you like. I personally think this colour would compliment a tanned complexion beautifully for the summer, or it will look great even on fair skintones for a spiced up night look.

4) 60 Buff and Tuff - This is like a lightened version of downtown brown, and also a bit warmer in tone. There are noticable gold shimmer flecks in this particular colour, which I am personally not a fan of. I would have liked this shade more if they did pearl/silver shimmer instead.

5) 55 Barely Brazen - This is the lightest colour of the entire range, and it's a classic nude champagne-y colour that is perfect as an all-over lid colour to add some sparkle to your eye. Or for a more intense look, this colour can be used as an inner-corner highlight and browbone highlight. There are not mch shimmer/glitter specks noticed in this shade because the entire finish of this colour is just so reflective already.

Part 2: The Brights

3 swipes, no primer

1) 25 Wild Gold - A true-to-pot, solid yellow-gold colour. I personally would consider using this colour as an under eye liner right beneath the lower lashline to add a fun pop of colour. If you have too much yellow tones in your skin already this would not work too well as a main lid colour as it would accentuate the yellow tones too much.

2) 20 Pink Rebel - Unfortunately, this colour did not come off as pink and vibrant as I expected from just looking at the pot, but the colour is still very pretty. The colour is more like a toned-down hot pink, with purple undertones, almost like a fuchsia pink colour. It does have a small amount of silver glitter specks incorporated in it, so it gives a sparkly look when the colour overall catches the light.

3) 15 Potent Purple - A grape-toned pruple colour. This one is almost like the dud of the entire range because it was the hardest to swatch with intense colour, and was also quite patchy and uneven when I tried to swatch it on my arm for the above photo. The colour is pretty, and the finish has a nice sheen, bit it is not easy to work with.

4) 10 Brash Blue - A truely intense cobalt blue colour. The colour payoff on this shade was excellent, true to pan, and brightly intense. Although this colour is definitely not for the faint-of-heart and can't really be used for "every day looks" , I know I will be having lots of fun using this colour to create looks for halloween makeup this year! This is also a great colour that I can consider using under my lower lashline as an eyeliner.

5) 05 Never Fade Jade - This is a type of forest-y pine green colour that isn't really that close to the colour of actual jades. This type of green has quite a bit of blue undertone to it so that it appears cooler and darker. Still this is a gorgeous colour and is considerable for anyone who enjoys using greens often, especially because it compliments brown eyes beautifully and really makes them pop. This is also a great colour that I can consider using under my lower lashline as an eyeliner.

Overall Thoughts...

As exciting as these are to the drugstore makeup world, after playing around and experimenting for one week, I don't think these are a groundbreaking product by any means. The following breakdown will likely explain why that is.

Texture: The texture for most of these pigments are very smooth and forgiving. The exceptions would be Potent Purple and Pink Rebel, as they came off quite uneven and splotchy. The ones that have noticeable glitter in the pigments did not feel gritty on the eyelids either.

Fallout: YES, these pigments will be a major fallout pain if you don't prepare a sticky base for them. Therefore, an EYE PRIMER is a must in order to use them because otherwise you will find a fair amount of the colour on your cheeks. Also, to further avoid fallout, do not use the swipe motion with your brush to apply them. Instead, the pigment should be patted into the eyelid with a flat eyeshadow brush, sponge-tip applicator, or even your fingers to ensure minimal fallout.

Pigmentation: Pigmentation is strong for most of these colours, again with the exceptions being Potent Purple and Pink Rebel. However, I don't think it's as exceptional as what Maybelline appears to claim it being. When compared to the minimal track record of drugstore pigments, Maybelline has done a really good job with these already, but by no means will it be turning be away from my MAC pigments any time soon. Using these pigments on top of an eyeshadow base definitely intensified the colour payoff for me, and another great way to get strong colour payoff is actually to use a Color Tattoo Cream Shadow in a corresponding colour (i.e. Never Fade Jade & Edgy Emerald, Wild Gold & Bold Gold, Breaking Bronze & Bad to the Bronze, etc etc) as its base, because that is also a nice and sticky, long lasting base trick! I really believe Maybelline meant for these pigments to be paired with the Color Tattoo Cream shadows...what do you think?? :)

Lasting Power: I needed to use a good base underneath the pigments on my eyelids in order for them to last most of the day and remain crease free. Without a base, the colour started fading quite fast and also started to fallout onto my face o.O" So I would have to deem the claim of "for crease-proof wear all day long" to be another fail, as that was not possible unless extra measures were taken. When a primer type of product was used prior to the application of the pigment, the performance of the pigments were significantly better than without.

So overall, I enjoyed trying out these new pigments but I don't think they are an absolute must-have by any means at this point in time. The colours are nice and I like how the range is separated into neutrals and brights, so there will be something for everybody :) If you enjoy using loose, mineral eyeshadows and pigment type of eyeshadows, you will likely enjoy trying these out. If you prefer something that is less messy to work with then I'd say stick to the regular eyeshadows in pan-forms, because these can be quite a disaster if not used carefully.

These pigments retail for $7-10 each for 1.3g of product depending on which drugstore location you get yours at. These are new, permanent items to Maybelline's lineup. I imagine we may be seeing new, limited edition colours in later Maybelline collection launches.

Have you spotted these are your local drugstore makeup departments yet? Will you be trying them out? Let me know! :) Thanks for reading~

Joanne


Disclaimer: Products mentioned in the above post were all purchased by myself with personal funds. This post and its content are not sponsored in anyway and all are my personal, honest opinions. 

TOPBOX June 2013 - Open Box Time!

Time for June Topbox! I'm so happy that Topbox has been shipping out of Vancouver lately, such that I receive mine right the next day the shipment notification email is sent from Topbox :)

This month I've opted for the regular box (AGAIN) as I was not intrigued by any of the Prive Box choices (AGAIN). Well, if there are a good number of subscribers out there like me, then at least those who opted for any of the Prive Boxes will probably be guaranteed their choice. Anyway, this month I quite enjoyed the contents of my regular box, so lets jump in to everything!

Wrapped within the typical purple tissue paper I found 4 products that were all makeup related so I am very happy about that. It also looks like everything was a pretty decent size!

BENEFIT Ultra Plush Gloss in Sugarbomb

BENEFIT Ultra Plush Gloss in Sugarbomb - 6.5mL: "Silky & luxurious shimmering pinky nude lip gloss. Full Size: $19 (15mL)". I can never say no to a Benefit product, especially when it's one that I already know I love. I know it kind of defeats the purpose of Topbox's original intentions of letting me try new products and broaden my experience, but hey, I'd prefer a product I know I like rather than an unknown one that I end up not enjoying. I've previously received a similar lipgloss sample, but in the shade "Dandelion", from February's Benefit Prive Box (my first and ONLY prive box to date). The texture of these glosses are really smooth and non-sticky, however, due to the lack of slick they don't tend to be the longest lasting product out there. The colour is on the sheer sid eof the spectrum but still enough colour that it can be used on its own for my lips, given them a great "my lips but better and shinier" appearance :) $19 for the full size sounds a little steep, but don't forget to look at the SIZE of the tube...15mL is quite hefty for a lipgloss, considering most brands offer only half or less of that! The size of the sample here already beats a lot of lip glosses in my collection haha. Value: $8.23.

Belvada Mini Eyelash Curler

Belvada Mini Eyelash Curler: "Compact and easy to use, this curler will create a natural looking curl. Full-size: $5.99" So this eyelash curler does not have any metal parts to it, so on top of it being very compact, it is also very lightweight. I have never used an eyelash curler apart from the typical metal ones (my current one is from Shu Uemura). I find that because I have a rather typical Asian eye shape, which means my lash line does not have much curve to them, many eyelash curlers actually don't fit my eye and cannot get to all of the lashes. So far just looking at this eyelash curler, it seems flatter than the usual metal ones so perhaps I will be able to use this. There is a small flap in the back that pulls down to become the lever for the curler and folds back up and locks when it's not being used. I think I will give this a shot tomorrow when I do my makeup hehe. Value: $5.99

Jelly Pong Pong Fairy Lashes Mascara - 8 mL: "A mascara specially formulated to make eyelashes flutter and flap. Full Size: $24(8mL)" Well well! A full size makeup product that is NOT a nail polish, how exciting! Honestly, I have not heard of this brand previously, so I went to take a look at their online site and found that this brand sold a lot of cute makeup items! It seems that it is an Europe-based company that produces its products in Italy, and the top selling-point of this brand is that it infuses botanical (plant) essence into its products that are good for your skin at the same time as making you pretty. The price point seems to be mid-high end, so I'm hoping this is going to be good stuff. But again, I am aware that of all makeup items, mascaras are the most common culprit in the emotional roller-coaster of rants and raves, especially when you have Asian eyelashes like me hahaha. I'm interested to try this mascara out soon, but first I must finish the one I am currently using (Maybelline The Rocket non-waterproof, I like this stuff!) as I like to keep only one open and used mascara at any given time. Value: $24

PARI Beauty Colour Cubes - 1.3g each x 2: "Multi-purpose mineral prigments in convenient stakcs. Use as eyeshadows or mix for versatile use. Full Size: $30 (5 stack, 7g), $35 (8 stack, 11g)" I was so super excited when I saw this in the box this month! I personally LOVE eyeshadow pigments and the remind me so much of the stacks I have from the brand Naked Cosmetics and I love those so much! I'm pretty surprised that this sample contained 2 colours as I think giving just 1 colour would be more typical of what TopBox tends to do. (Not complaining here! Thank you TopBox for the pleasant surprise!) The top colour appears quite yellow in the pot but when applied to skin it is more of a pearly white colour with gold reflects in the light. It is a very pretty colour and it makes a great highlight in the inner corners and the browbone. The second colour is a reddish pink with a sheen to the finish. I don't think I would choose this colour as a first choice for everyday eyeshadow, but for special occasions that may call for a more dramatic eye look I think this would be good. Also I think this colour, applied with a very light hand, will actually pass for a pretty blush colour! Because of the sheen, it may even double as a cheek highlight. The texture to these are great, very smooth and very pigmented! The info card mentioned that this brand can be purchased at Sears, which I have not seen before in Vancouver. If I come across it I'd be interested in trying out more of these mineral pigments for sure! Value: $8.75

Total value of box: $46.97

I'd say this is a very impressive month for TopBox from what I have received so far, and I am actually very happy with it! And I will use everything in it!! My experiences with the previous regular boxes haven't been too shabby either; at this rate I may never have to choose a Prive Box! Of course if there is one that is really really enticing I will go for it, but the regular boxes don't seem to be too big a disappointment :) Good job TopBox! Absolutely looking forward to the July one!

If you are interested in joining TopBox for $12+tax per month and receiving your own monthly subscription, check out their website at www.topbox.ca (this is NOT an affilated link).

Disclaimer: Monthly subscription paid for with personal funds. This post and its contents are not sponsored in anyway, and all opinions are honest and personal.

May 2013 IPSY Bag

My IPSY bag arrived in the mailbox today and there is a surprisingly large bulge in the package!

Since my previous experience with IPSY bags have been pretty much all positive, I have some high hopes for it every month, and no difference this month because all the sneak peek pictures seemed to be very promising! I like how IPSY releases sneak peak pictures that hint at what products are included in the bag each month, and often those are very cute and fun to look at and perhaps take a guess at what they might actually be.

Here's a look at what came in the pink envelope this month:

IPSY May 2013 Theme: Spring Fling

1) The bag with products
2) The "Spring Fling" theme card
3) A NuMe special offer card for $110 off when ordering from their website for hair styling tools

The material of this month's IPSY bag is quite similar to the March bag (navy/white stripes with anchors), I have to say the quality of April's bag is so far the best. The colourful chevron print is very cute though.

And the above is what greeted me when I first popped the bag open. And honestly my first thought was "what kind of colour is THAT for a lipgloss....??" And my next thought was "darn! I wanted the Macadamia hair oil sample!" LOL

Here is a closer look at the contents of my IPSY bag this month.

NuMe Finishing Serum - Conditions and Seals (10mL): "This light, greaseless, and humidity resistant formula delivers a straight up glossy finish. NuMe Finishing Serum protects your hair from environmental and physical stress, treating split ends and sealing hair with added, brilliant shine. Full Size (50mL) - $29" So even though I was initially disappointed for not receiving the Macadamia healing hair oil treatment sample like some other people did with their bags, this product from NuMe appears to be of similar use and also smells really good! The scent is light and refreshing, slightly perfume-y but not too overpowering for my taste. I went ahead and tried some first on the back of my hand and then at the ends of my hair. The consistency of this product is more on the thick side, but it gets absorbed amazingly fast and leaves no greasy or heavy feeling at all! The samples is a generous size at 10mL and I'm sure I will get more than just a few uses out of it. However, as NuMe is still currently only available online, I'm not sure I will consider purchasing a full size even if I end up really loving this, since shipping to Canada is often way too expensive. Value: $5.80

YABY Cosmetics Concealer 20mm Refill Pan (Full-Size): YABY online description claims: 

» creamy texture, extremely easy to apply. 

» highly pigmented to correct any imperfection on the face and body, creamy and gentle for around the eyes.
» tear proof! a concealer that won't run away with your tears.
» vegan friendly - contains no animal byproducts. 
» heavy duty metal pans are designed to be sturdy and not easily warped. 
» reusable pan - sanitize empty pans with alcohol and keep some in your kit for special mixing needs. 

As the website states that their refill pans are 20mm in diameter, 3.50g, and sold for $4.85, I took out a ruler and measured the pan I have. Sure enough, it measured to be 20mm in diameter, so I am claiming this to be a full size item! The colour I received was cc008 buff, and it looks like a pretty light colour but I think I can make this work for me used as an undereye concealer. I think I will be trying this out tomorrow and storing this metal pan in with the eyeshadow samples, also from YABY, that I keep in my Z-palette :) Value: $4.85

Juicy Beauty Reflecting Gloss in Champagne (4mL Full Size): "This Reflecting Gloss will give your lips the most brilliant shine on earth. The combination of antioxidant-rich berries, minerals and sweet agave will wrap your lips in radiant colour." This is a full sized product according to product description on the juicybeauty.com website. The packaging is of a standard lipgloss size, and has a foggy matte tube. This type of external packaging often distorts the colour of the product and may give false initial impressions. This was that case for me as when I first saw it inside my IPSY bag I was not happy at all with the colour selection for me, especially since I know this product was available in 3 other shades, which seemed to be more "normal" lipgloss colours because they were more red/pinks. This lipgloss has a doe-foot applicator which I like, and I swatched the product on the back of my hand. The colour "Champagne" appears to be a light peachy golden hue in the tube but actually comes off almost completely clear with just tiny, reflective shimmers. This would be a gloss that I can use to top off pretty much any lip colour I choose to wear to give a glossy finish. Wearing this gloss just over the middle parts of the lips would enhance the shape of your lips and give an illusion of fuller lips :) The scent is strangely full of citrus! I really do like it, but count me as surprised because I've come to expect lipglosses to be sweet and more often than not vanilla-scented. Value: $15.00

ZOYA Nail Polish in PIAF (15mL Full-Sized): PIAF, a creamy daisy yellow with silver micro glitter, is from ZOYA's Lovely Collection for Spring 2013. I love how IPSY offers its subscribers nail polishes from recent collections! To be honest, I am not one for yellow polishes normally, as in I likely would not choose to purchase one for myself. This is the reason why I like the idea of beauty subscription services because it opens up opportunities to branch out! I swatched PIAF on my nail colour wheel and the effect was quite lovely. Full opacity was achieved in 2 coats, and there were no leveling issues at all. The polish is non-streaky considering the fact that it does have all that micro glitter in it. The finish was very glossy and can probably pass without a top coat (but I always add a top coat because I LOVE my Seche Vite!) Although this was part of a Spring collection, I think it is going to be a beautiful summer colour and I would definitely wear it as such. Value: $8.00

PACIFICA Island Vanilla Perfume Roll-On (10mL): Inspired bu the unique magic of Tahitian vanilla, this sensual blend sets sweet and sultry vanilla absolute, with honey-jasmine notes and a touch of fruitiness, against a deep and beautiful base of tea. 100% vegan." While I have not yet owned any products myself from Pacifica, I have come to know this brand as one that just has fabulous scents! There are several that I personally enjoy and have such an urge to bite the bullet each time I try out samples at a store, but so far I haven't done so. I am so pleased that IPSY has given, yet again, another more than generous item this month. This is more than just a sample tube, this is a "full-sized" roller-ball. The scent is rather sweet, definitely a day-time fragrance choice for myself. I know I will be making good use of this product as well and it will probably be totally gone before this summer ends! Value: $12.00

  Total Value: $45.65

I think I have once again been wow'ed by the value IPSY delivers month after month since they have launched in Canada. The colour selections of the products included this month are not really my favourite, I do have others in mind if I got to choose for myself. However, I am very happy with the type of products included this month and so far IPSY continues to be my top pick for beauty subscription service.

You can get your own IPSY bag for $10/month (+$4.95 shipping to Canada). It would be amazing if you opt to use my referral link here: http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-h050ed8nabt8mci but you certainly don't have to!

I hope you enjoyed this post, thank you for reading!