MILANI Easybrow Automatic Eye Brow Pencil

REVIEW: MILANI Easybrow Automatic Eye Brow Pencil

Purchased from: www.cherryculture.com (Also at CVS)

Purchase date: May 2013

Purchase Price: $ 5-8

Size/ Amount: 0.01 oz / 0.28 gms

A well groomed defined eyebrow is the frame to a beautiful look. You can have the most beautiful eye make-up on but if your eyebrows are unkempt it will completely erase the impact of the eye look. 

I usually use a matte powder to set my eyebrows. I have used the one from Maybelline and E.L.F with an angled bruch . Love them both. Just wanted to try a different product that is probably a little more convenient. I was placing an order from Cherry Culture so added the Milani eyebrow pencil in Natural Taupe as well.

Pros:
- It's retractable. No sharpening so very convenient.
- It has a pencil on one end and a spooly with a lid on the other. This is by far the best thing about this product. So convenient and easy. Also a good sturdy spooly not just a basic one.

Cons:
- It only comes in 2 colors.
- It is a little too creamy and makes the hair stick together.
- The thing I hate about this product is that it has GLITTER. Why would you need sparkle or glitter on the eyebrow. It was bizarre. The first time I tried it I saw the sparkle and thought my eyeshadow accidentally spread on it. The next time I did not use any eyeshadow but the sparkle was still there. 

BEWARE: Unwanted sparkle on the eyebrows.

Overall, will not repurchase. Did not like the formula, hated the sparkle. The retractable pencil plus spooly is not enough to make me like it. 

L’oreal Infallible 24 hr Eye Shadow

REVIEW: L’oreal Infallible 24 hr Eye Shadow

Purchased from: Walgreens/ Walmart

Purchase date: September 2012/ June 2013

Purchase Price: $ 7-9

Size/ Amount: 0.12 oz./3.5 gms

Love! Love! Love! …and some more love!

I normally prefer eyeshadow palettes as they are a better value. I like playing with colors & textures when it comes to an eye look & palettes provide more variety.

As I was browsing the displays this particular packaging caught my eye. The first 2 shades I tried were Amber Rush & Bronzed Taupe. I got them home, swatched them, and they were a cure for many of my eyeshadow peeves. I ended up getting more of them when there were good deals going on as they are on the pricier side of drugstore single shadows.

The shadows are:

Highly pigmented: you can get maximum color payout with minimum product

Pressed pigment: they are like a pressed pigment. Not at all powdery, more like a creamy pigment.

No fallout: fallout is one of my big concerns with shadows. But this one had almost no fallout. Especially when I use my fingers, it packs on the color wonderfully and with no fallout.

Shimmer but no glitter/sparkle: this is one of my biggest peeves with shadows. I do not like glitter around my eyes or face. I already have dark under-eye circles and do not want glitter on it. These have very pretty shimmer but no glitter. I have tried quite a few shades, they all have shimmer but no glitter. Couple of the ones I own have glitter, but it does not spread like crazy.

Blend beautifully: they are a dream to blend. I have just used my fingers at times and even with that the blending is a dream.

Long wearing: the color is long wearing but a basic primer is required to avoid creasing.

They come in 18 shades that are in the regular line and they introduce few seasonal colors from time to time. They have very limited matte shades but mostly shimmery. The range has shades of beige, gold, taupe, green, blue, pink, green, brown, grey; so it covers neutrals and colors.                                       

Though they are among the pricier single eyeshadows in the drugstore, you can create eye looks with a single shadow or mix n match them very easily. They are very versatile and long wearing.

The packaging is very light. It comes in a plastic container. The bottom is transparent and you can see the color through it. The top is a grey screw top lid with the color on it. Inside it has a little plastic stopper and it is advised to not discard as it probably keeps the shadow pressed together. These can be used wet or dry, but I use them dry as it is pretty pigmented even when dry.

Here are some swatches:

Amber Rush

Bottomless Java

 

Bronzed Taupe

Glistening Garnet

Golden Emerald

Golden Sage

Perpetual Purple

Smoldering Plum

Seasonal Shades: Miss Candy Spring/ Summer 2013

Cherie Merie

With a Twist

There are 2 more shades-Dive Right In- a light teal with a hint of grey, Strawberry Blonde- a light pink glitter.I have read reviews that this range is less pigmented than the regular line. Cherie Merie is pigmented and I love the peachy coral shade. With a Twist is a let-down. It hardly shows up and I was shocked in comparison to the others. 

Overall: These are my favorite single shadows despite being on the higher side for a drugstore single shadow collection. I will be adding more to my collection for sure :)

Maybelline Eyestudio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadow

REVIEW: Maybelline Eyestudio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadow

Purchased from: Walmart, Walgreens, Ulta, Target

Purchase date: September 2012/April 2013

Purchase Price: $ 8- 10

Size/ Amount: 4 shadows in each palette

Photos Courtesy: www.maybelline.com

When I saw the displays, the swatches, the reviews I was so so excited and wanted to get these ASAP and try them.

So here goes my trial:

I first got these in September last year. I got 2 of them- Smokey Cinnamon & Cozy Cashmere, both limited quads. I loved the way they looked. When I swatched them I was delighted. I tried them as soon as I could. All I can say is L. I tried on Cozy Cashmere first. It did have a matte brick coral shade along with a brown, burgundy & shimmery cream. It did have great pigmentation but I could not get past the glitter and shimmer. It transferred all over & specially around my eyes and under my eyes. I have undereye circles and this did not help. I like shimmer but not glitter and transfer everywhere. I was very disappointed. I then tried the Smokey Cinnamon and that too was sparkle galore. It is one of the higher priced quads in the drugstore and therefore I returned them.

Fast forward...April this year. I was tempted yet again to venture out to see if I had not used them right. I got Coral Oasis & Mad for Mauve. I swatched the quads and my love was just about to be rekindled. But once again, I tried them both on my lids and the sparkle immediately reminded me of why we ‘broke-up’ in the first place. My entire under-eye area was glittery and that is all I could see. The colors in Coral Oasis were very unique, but the Mad for Mauve look could be achieved using other quads as well. 

They do have good pigmentation in almost all shades (the mad for mauve was average) and a unique selection of colors put together per quad, I so wanted to like it but I just could not get past the sparkly fallout.

Click on the image & look at the undereye area- can you spot the sparkle? This was the remainder after clean up!!!

Overall:

Pros: Great colors. One surprise color in every quad.

Cons: The sparkle fallout explosion everywhere. Have to use a primer to bring out color and avoid creasing.

Jordana Powder Blush

REVIEW: Jordana Powder Blush

Purchased from: www.cherryculture.com

Purchase date: May 2013

Purchase Price: $2.49

Size/ Amount: 0.08 oz/ 2.2 gms

Good pigmentation, great color choice, creamy not powdery, less than $3, now that’s a blush I would definitely try. So I got 4 Jordana Powder blushes from cherryculture when they had a 20% off sale. This is my first time trying these blushes and I must say I am impressed. They have good pigmentation, 17 shades plus 12 new shades, they have an almost creamy texture and not one of those with powder flying everywhere. Some of them have a wonderful sheen without the glitter, which is very important to me- no glitter. The gold undertone does show up on the cheeks and for those who do not want that, this may not be the blush for you.When you go to their website- http://www.jordanacosmetics.com, you can see individual blush swatch and details on their texture- Pearl, Matte, Shimmer.

They come in a round plastic container with a screw cap lid. The packaging is not the best but it’s neat and not flimsy. The lid is transparent so you can see the color inside. It does not come with a mirror or brush. But it is very light and small and it’ll be easy to carry in the little make-up pouch in your bag.

Here are the 4 shades:

Bronze (BP-02)

Bronze (BP-02)

Bronze (BP-02) swatches

As the name suggests, it is a true bronze shade. It has a beautiful pearl finish with a golden undertone. This would be great for the summer bronzy look. It would be a great eyeshadow as well. When blended out, this is more towards peach than brown.

Tawny Beige (BP-14)

Tawny Beige (BP-14)

Tawny Beige (BP-14) swatches

This is a dusty rose shade. It has a very tiny hint of white shimmer, but when you apply it this shade almost shows up matte unless you look closely. It is the sheerest of the 4 I got and would show up better on light to light medium skin tones. It gives a sheer color to the cheek when applied.

Blushing Rose (BP-37)

Blushing Rose (BP-37)

Blushing Rose (BP-37) swatches

This is a plum rose shade. It has a gold shimmer undertone when blended. This one can certainly do without a separate highlighter. This was the one that was slightly more powdery than the rest but still not the kind that flies everywhere.

Coral Sandy Beach (BP-38)

Coral Sandy Beach (BP-38)

Coral Sandy Beach (BP-38) swatches

This is a beautiful pinky coral shade. This also has a gold undertone when blended. I don’t own the Balm blush in Hot Mama, but from the swatches, this seems like a close match.

Side by Side Swatches

Overall, good blushes for the price. :)

Wet n Wild Color Icon Blusher

Next to the lip color, blush is the easiest way to freshen your face instantly. It is the make-up basic that brightens and enhances the natural look of your face without it having to be a bold addition to your routine. Just 2 things to be careful about, where to apply blush based on your face shape and cheek bone structure; and be careful not to overdo the application. This is a quick pick-me-up year round.

REVIEW: Wet n Wild Color Icon Blusher

Purchased from: Walgreens/ CVS

Purchase date: September 2012/ May 2013

Purchase Price: $2.99

Size/ Amount: 0.14 oz.

These are the most pigmented drugstore blushes I have come across. You just need to use a very light gentle swipe of the brush to get color on the cheeks. They last for 4-6 hours before you have to touch up. They come in 4 shades. What I like about them is that they do not add a ton of glitter on the cheeks. It was a learning experience to be very light handed with application as the first few times I ended up with clown cheeks. You will also need to tap or blow off the excess from the brush. They come with a small angled brush, which does not really work. It comes in plastic packaging with a black base and a transparent top. This does not come with a mirror. The packaging is light but sturdy so that is a plus.

Here are the 4 shades:

831E Pearlescent Pink

Peachy pink with gold shimmer. The shimmer does show through but overall it gives a beautiful sheen. You can go without a highlighter here. It gives the skin a natural glow. I would say this is the lightest blush of the lot.

831E Pearlescent Pink

831E Pearlescent Pink

831E Pearlescent Pink swatches

832E Heather Silk

Medium pink with plum undertones. It is completely matte. It does have a hint of mauve. It gives a rosy flush to the cheeks with cooler undertones.

832E Heather Silk

832E Heather Silk

832E Heather Silk swatches

833E Mellow Wine

Pink with coral & red undertones. It has a hint of shimmer. Not as much as Pearlescent Pink. This one also gives a nice sheen to the skin. If someone wants to try a coral blush but does not want to go full on coral, this is a good one to start with.

833E Mellow Wine

833E Mellow Wine

833E Mellow Wine swatches

834E Berry Shimmer

Berry with a gold undertone. It does not have shimmer but as you blend the gold comes through. It also has tones of brick red and the color is quite intense. This one gives the most impact with least product. This is the one where you need to be very careful and use an extremely light hand. This is the one I could not find in Walgreens and had to get it at CVS.

834E Berry Shimmer

834E Berry Shimmer

834E Berry Shimmer swatches

Side by Side blended out Swatches

Overall, very pigmented, buildable, affordable, great quality. J