Enter the Contest HERE! Beauty By Jemz is giving away a fabulous prize full of goodies from MAC Cosmetics! The prize is valued at $113.00 and contains: “Whisper of Gilt” Extra Dimension Skinfinish ($34) from the Limited Edition Holiday 2012 … Continue reading
I’ve been seeing a lot of products lately that seem to be dupes for other high(er)-end items out in the makeup world. And sometimes dupes are fabulous, really amazing, twin-like items. So my goal in this dare-to-compare blog is to … Continue reading
Dear Santa… I’ve been a very good girl….
Time to round up the amazing beauty buys out there for the Christmas season! Now, I never get presents. Seriously. Nobody ever buys me things for Christmas. I get a lovely card, usually filled with sparkles and Santa stickers from … Continue reading
There’s nothing better than the Fed Ex man buzzing at 8:20am to give you a box of makeup goodies. Honestly, he could show up at 4:37am, and I would still be elated. Yay for makeup goodies!!! I Must say… Make … Continue reading
When E.L.F launched their new HD blushes, I was the first in line to make my order! But I noticed that since these new HD blushes were part of the “Studio” line, I could use my handy coupon code for … Continue reading
I got a sample of the new “PHOTO FINISH HYDRATING UNDER EYE PRIMER” by Smashbox in my last purchase from the Sephora store and was super eager to try it, especially since it’s not yet available to purchase in stores (and because it feels amazing to be in on the exclusive new thing!).
I gave it a try last Saturday when I was going out for several hours to see how it held up and if it gave any improvements to the wear of my makeup. Now since the sample sized tube didn’t come with instructions, I just used my common sense in applying it. I applied my primer all over the face, then this under eye primer, then my foundation (Nars Sheer Glow in Cadiz is my current go-to), then my concealer (Bobbi Brown concealer/corrector in Dark Peach) which is really just a warm corrector for my dark circles and not a concealer for acne/marks etc. since I have none (at the moment). I applied my liquid bronzer and cream blush, filled my brows, and added my eyeliner and mascara. Sounds like a lot, but I use each item sparingly and blend to hell and back. In 10 minutes I was out the door at 3pm.
I got home at about 12am. After 9 hours, my concealer usually fades & creases a wee bit. I also notice that my bottom lid eyeliner tends to smudge a tiny bit (even when I use my UDPP on the lower lid) even when using my favourite waterproof eyeliner (Urban Decay’s “Perversion”). But, this time, my concealer and eyeliner were both PERFECTLY in tact!
Needless to say, I will be the first in line, calling up Smashbox with my pro order as soon as this stuff hits the Canadian border. It was absolutely fantastic! It moisturized under my eye area without making me look oily or adding too much ‘slip’ to my concealer or eyeliner. It added a very slight reflective property as well, which made the area look brighter and helped combat my dark circles. And it added staying power to my eye makeup.
Nine hours in this warm Canadian summer, walking the streets of Toronto on a Saturday, strolling through Dundas square, shopping at Eaton Centre and hitting up Revival for a performance and then heading to a sushi bar for a bite before heading home… and my under eye makeup not only held up, but looked flawless when I got in just after midnight. This product has me sold. And even though I’ll be shopping with a pro discount, I still (and it is sooo hard for me to say this most of the time)… I still would purchase this product at full price. Even though it’s set to be $29 US, (so you just know the CAD price on this is going to be something silly like $35 a tube) you need just the tiniest dab under each eye and so 1 tube will probably last 6 months for the average person’s daily wear and probably a year for someone like me who doesn’t often wear a full face. You can also swing my your local Sephora and see if you can get a sample tube of this stuff with your purchase, then you can try it out for yourself!
It almost burns me that this product works as well as it does and is pretty hefty for the price but apparently pain is beauty, so if your pockets are hurting then this must be making you look flawless indeed.
Happy shopping!
So today I have on the Maybelline New York Eyestudio gel eyeliner in Blackest Black. I put it on @ 1pm… Let’s see what happens in a few hours!
And 12 hours later… It flaked & smudged all over my top lid.
Staying power = C+
Pigmentation = B+
Price = A
But if it doesn’t stay & the pigment just isn’t that great then the low price just isn’t worth it!
One of my absolute top favourite eyeliner pencils is from Urban Decay, the colour is their matte blackest black called “Perversion”. This is a miracle eyeliner pencil with it’s super waterproofness and it’s gentle glide on & ultra pigmented formula. I fell in love with this stick ages ago but could only find it in their little travel size/trial size/gift pack things. Super disappointing since it just wasn’t worth it to get all the extra colours I knew I just wouldn’t use. But NOW you can get it in FULL SIZE!!! I feel like this was done especially for me because the last time (before Christmas) that I was in Sephora looking for it (more like praying it would magically be in full size this time) I was nearly on my hands and knees begging the associate to tell me why it had gone and if my favourite colour would ever return. I might have also offered to sell my soul for just one stick. It was possibly quite a scene. So I’ll take this token of good will by Urban Decay to unleash my favourite colour in a full sized stick and I’ll repay them by stocking up on half a dozen. $23 each in Sephora stores in Canada. Thank You Urban Decay and the Very Empathetic Sephora Sales Associate!
Order it online too: http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P133707
So if you know me, then you know that there are 3 makeup product areas that I am EXTREMELY particular about. First, eyeliner. Second, mascara, Third, brow fillers. I take these products very seriously because I love my eyes, they’re my favourite feature on my face. BUT, they are also quite small and require the right products to make sure they ‘pop’ the way I like them to. So here I’m going to start with my #1 favourite thing, eyeliner, and review my top rated items in pencil and liquid, black and white.
My newest favourite: Kat Von D Autograph Eyeliner in ‘Pur Amor’. This matte black colour will stay all day and is the perfect brush for liquids with an easy to grasp and control handle. Not for the unpractised, so practice first with a cheaper liquid (like NYC‘s black liquid eyeliner for less than $5 at drugstores or Wal-Mart) until your technique is perfect. Then, upgrade yourself. $21 at Sephora.
My #1 clubbing and summertime eyeliner for extreme days and nights: GOSH Extreme Art Eyeliner Gel Liquid. This is the last eyeliner you will ever buy for a night out on the town. The black is glossy, and the colour is extremely intense. The brush is not made for those faint of heart or who are trying liquid for the first time so please practice elsewhere before buying the ‘big guns’ and by big guns, I mean this liquid-gel eyeliner. If you apply it and make a mistake, you’ve got about 4 seconds to fix it or neaten it up with a damp q-tip. If you don’t make it in time, you’ll have to use remover and then clean after the remover so the re-application will stick to the skin again. Basically, it can go bad, all bad. But, I have put it on myself and clients for a ladies night out and still seen it look absolutely perfect in the morning, no flaking, no smudging, no fading. We’re talking 18 hours later. Amazing stuff. Looks like a liquid, applies like a thin gel. $15 at Shoppers Drug Mart stores. Look out for their GOSH cosmetics promotions for 10-20% off which I’ve spotted happens quite frequently and makes it a breeze to stock up. Black is #07, the silvery-white is #14, and I also use #19 and #26 silver shimmers and #20 gold shimmer to highlight the tear duct for a night out since it looks great in pictures instead of a plain white pencil.
My favourite waterproof pick: Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Liquid Liners. I put all my eyeliners to the test by applying it to my hand and seeing how long it will last through washing of hands, cooking, etc. These have fantastic staying power. I put the black on my hand and it lasted nearly 12 hours with no flaking, smudging or fading and it lasted nearly 20 hours before completely disappearing (#13 matte black). I also LOVE the white (#16 diamond white) to use on top of black eyeliner pencil on the lower eye (below the waterline) to add a shimmer to eyes and a ‘pop’ when taking pictures. The only set back to this eyeliner: pigment. The 2 above are blacker and more highly pigmented colour, which I love because I like the deepest, darkest, most dramatic black I can possible get. And the white is shimmery, but not pigmented so you’d need to apply a white pencil underneath it if you want it to look like an opaque shimmery white instead of a translucent one. The second thing I’m not keen on: the brush. It’s like a sponge brush instead of a soft bristle brush which makes this a bit harder on the eye (especially on the waterline) and feels a bit on the ‘idiot-proof’ eyeliner to me which I find makes it harder for me to wing and be artistic with, but if you‘re in need of an idiot proof liquid, this here is your pot of gold. $26 at Sephora.
My favourite self-sharpening sticks: STILA Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Stingray. This is the blackest blackest blackest pencil ever. Goes on ULTRA smooth with no dragging or pulling. Feels heavenly. Extremely pigmented. And waterproof. Amazing stuff. $26 at Sephora, but worth it. The second favourite here is a drugstore alternative: Covergirl Perfect Point Plus in Black Onyx. So smooth, and a very inky black. Precisions is to die for and makes for a perfect cat eye. Love it when I don’t feel like using liquid on my top lid and for using on the waterline for short stints or non-strenuous days. Lasts long, but not as long as the STILA stick. I would strongly recommend it but limit your use to day as I doubt it will go the distance if you take it out on the town. Fantastic buy at about $8 at drugstores or Wal-Mart.
My favourite pencils: The all-time favourite for me is the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil. My favourite colour is ‘Perversion’ which is the best shade of black I’ve seen in a stick. Ever. However, you can only get it in the new holiday kits at Sephora where you can get a variety of minis. Unfortunately, I don’t buy this brand for all the colours, just the black or white. So, the next best one you can get from them is the ‘Zero’ black or the ‘Yayo’ shimmery white, both are $22 each at Sephora. Well worth it, since they glide on in the most heavenly way and stay put for about 10 hours without giving you raccoon eyes. Plus, these pencils are the smoothest criminals you can lay your hands on, I promise.
The cheaper alternative: SEPHORA COLLECTION Flashy Waterproof Eyeliner in #10 Deep Black or #02 Flashy Silver. $10 at Sephora. It’s nice, smooth, has good pigment and is waterproof for day wear, but I wouldn’t recommend it for a night out of dancing or wearing to the gym. This would be bad, very bad. But if you have dry skin or non-sweaty days, then this is a perfect alternative to the pricier favourite of mine.
My favourite drugstore alternatives: CoverGirl Liquiline Blast. It’s waterproof, blendable and highly pigmented. Goes on smooth. It’s a bit smudgier than I like in my everyday pencil but makes for a fantastic smokey eye and even has a nifty smudger on the back just to ease you into mastering the smudging technique. About $10 at drugstores or Wal-Mart.
NYX Sticks for Eyes Eyebrow and Eyeliner Pencil. They are smooth, have great wearability, don’t tug on skin, are non-irritating for sensitive eyes and the pigment is great too. I use #901 Black or #906 White, the #918 White Pearl is softer and a bit shimmery and tends to look better as a tear duct hilighter as opposed to a waterline pencil. You can purchase them from select drugstores for about $5 each.
NYC liquid eyeliner in black is the ultimate for a drugstore brand. Very inky, very black, with a smooth and ultra-fine brush. Drawback: it’s not waterproof so don’t attempt a night out on the town with this one. You can find it in Walmart of drugstores for about $5.
If there is an eyeliner you would like me to review, please drop me a line on this note or on my page a tell me which brand/type/colour you’d like a review on.
Stay Beautiful!
beautybyjemz 