Shadowball
Member Since: October 10, 2011Reviews
e.l.f. Cosmetics Intense Ink Eyeliner
Can I give more than five stars for this? Seriously, it deserves it. E.l.f. cosmetics was all sold out of their Intense Ink Eyeliner for what seemed like months, but the minute they restocked it, I placed my order. I popped open the liner a bit... +
Can I give more than five stars for this? Seriously, it deserves it.
E.l.f. cosmetics was all sold out of their Intense Ink Eyeliner for what seemed like months, but the minute they restocked it, I placed my order. I popped open the liner a bit guardedly because my experiences with felt-tip liquid eyeliners have been pretty mediocre, but WOW is all I can say about this liner.
First of all, the tip is much longer than what I've seen on most felt-tip or brush-tip liquid eyeliners. The tip isn't too stiff (like Wet N' Wild's H2O Proof), but also not too floppy (like NYC's liquid liner). The tip is firm overall, but is just flexible enough to make application of the product easy and flawless. Going on and on about just the tip of the liner probably seems silly, but I have never used a felt-tip eyeliner that went on so perfectly.
The flow of the actual product is wonderful. It's not skippy, it doesn't tug on your eyelids and it's not dry or tacky. It glides on smooth and bold, and it won't flake off if you go back over it to fill in a cat-eye line or even out what you already applied. With felt-tip liners I've used in the past, the tip would fray and/or get clogged pretty quickly and I wouldn't be able to use it anymore, but I've yet to see either happen with this product even when applying it over eyelids packed with eyeshadow.
And holy crap, this stuff does NOT move once you put it down. I've put it on at around noon and 14 hours later, the lines are still dark and crisp (it has also survived naps totally intact). It doesn't smudge and it's still there long after my eyeshadow has faded. My only complaint is that it isn't waterproof; if your eyes tear up or you get your face wet, it's going to smudge in the corners. Also, while this was not a problem for me personally, the Intense Ink Eyeliner is only available in black. That's really the only color eyeliner I ever get for myself, but other folks might be interested in a larger selection of colors.
In short, this is, hands-down, the best liquid liner I've ever used. It definitely lives up to its "intense" title with a bold jet-black color, it will last all day with minimal to no fading/flaking and the unique felt tip makes it very easy to make varying line widths on the eyelid. And the best part? This spectacular product is only $3. I've tried similar products that cost considerably more than this that didn't work nearly as well. I will never buy any other liquid eyeliner now that I use this one. It's more than worth it.
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Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion Smoothing Shampoo
I originally purchased Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion Smoothing Shampoo because some blogger said that this product worked wonders for her oily hair. Being the not-so-proud owner of a buildup-prone mane myself, I decided to give it a go. With... +
I originally purchased Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion Smoothing Shampoo because some blogger said that this product worked wonders for her oily hair. Being the not-so-proud owner of a buildup-prone mane myself, I decided to give it a go. With a price tag of about $3, it was already cheaper than my usual shampoo (Tresemme). Mind you, this review is for the traditional wash-and-rinse shampoo, NOT the dry one.
In my case, this shampoo did absolutely nothing for my oily hair. It became just as greasy as if I'd washed it with any other shampoo. However, since this is not a product specifically for oily hair, I can't very well judge it on the basis of something it isn't supposed to target. So let's look at the smoothing aspect advertised on the bottle.
I can say with confidence that this shampoo does live up to its anti-frizz reputation. Despite my hair being straight as a board, it does get frizzy and flyaway pretty easily. But since I've begun using this particular product, my hair has been more tamed and smooth than ever before. I found that it gave my hair a little more lift and also made my hair feel smoother without feeling more oily (at least until it was due for another washing). As expected, I also experienced fewer tangles after washing with this shampoo. Personally, I found the scent to be quite nice as well.
Don't expect more from this product than you would any other shampoo when it comes to oily hair; it doesn't do anything special in that department. But the smoothing feature works beautifully, and I absolutely recommend it to anyone with unmanageable hair. I haven't tried the smoothing conditioner yet, but I do believe that I'll be switching from Tresemme to Suave's keratin hair products from now on.
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Ruby Kisses Liquid Eyeliner
I went on a little search for a new black liquid eyeliner, and following some serious disappointment with the Maybelline Stiletto liner, I took note of my Ruby Kisses 24-Hour Eye Define eye pencil and wondered if this brand also made liquid... +
I went on a little search for a new black liquid eyeliner, and following some serious disappointment with the Maybelline Stiletto liner, I took note of my Ruby Kisses 24-Hour Eye Define eye pencil and wondered if this brand also made liquid liners.
A quick search revealed that they do! I found a high-definition gel eyeliner and the one I'm reviewing. I went with the latter and there is absolutely nothing for me to complain about in regard to this product. The pigment is gorgeous, it dries pretty quickly and does not move for hours. Even without primer or setting spray, this liner survived my oily eyelids and my taking a nap.
The applicator holds quite a bit of product, it's not too thin or too thick and glides on nice and smooth. It also does not flake off when layered (which the Stiletto liner did), and you can make your line as thin or as thick as you like by changing the pressure and brush angle. This is more of a personal taste thing, but I prefer liquid applicators that are more stiff compared to brush tips. This liner has the stiff tip, for those who are curious. Aside from black, this liner also comes in White, Chocolate, Shiny Navy, Shiny Black and Shiny Gold.
And one of the best parts? Ruby Kisses Liquid Eyeliner is only $1.99. I ordered mine on ikatehouse.com, which has some wonderful products at equally wonderful prices. The bottle doesn't specifically say this item is waterproof, but I haven't had any issues with it.
This is an exceptional product, plain and simple. Five stars across the board, and if I could give more than that, I would. If you're looking for a good liquid liner that won't break your budget, I recommend this all the way. For the cost of one Maybelline Stiletto liner, you could buy three shades of Ruby Kisses Liquid Eyeliner. You simply cannot go wrong!
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Avon Ultra Luxury Brow Liner
I snagged this brow liner new from a rummage sale for a quarter, so I figured even if I didn't like it, it'd be no big loss financially. The liner I chose is in the shade Blonde, and while it's lighter than my actual eyebrows, I think it does an... +
I snagged this brow liner new from a rummage sale for a quarter, so I figured even if I didn't like it, it'd be no big loss financially. The liner I chose is in the shade Blonde, and while it's lighter than my actual eyebrows, I think it does an alright job of filling them out. I actually found it looks darker when applied to the brows compared to applying anywhere else. I put a little on my hand to test the color and Blonde is a pretty light sandy-ash color, but on my eyebrows, it looks darker. So whatever shade your brows are, I might suggest going a shade lighter so your brows don't look too painted on.
Overall, I found this to be an average product; not spectacular and not awful, but somewhere in the middle. I'm not a brow liner expert by any means, but it's not too bad of a product and it seems to stay on pretty nicely. I would never buy it at normal price, though.
So, if you're a loyal Avon customer or you're looking for something new, this product would be on my list of "recommended eye products that you should only buy on sale." I personally did not feel this liner was worth $5, which is the normal retail price, but my tastes may also be spoiled by e.l.f.'s low prices. Given the chance to buy again, I most likely wouldn't.
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mark. Gloss Gorgeous Stay On Lip Stain
I picked this item up at a rummage sale for a quarter. Normally I only buy e.l.f. products, but hey, I'm willing to cheat on my preferred brand a little for that price! Avon's mark. Gloss Gorgeous Stay On Lip Stain was among my purchases and, while... +
I picked this item up at a rummage sale for a quarter. Normally I only buy e.l.f. products, but hey, I'm willing to cheat on my preferred brand a little for that price! Avon's mark. Gloss Gorgeous Stay On Lip Stain was among my purchases and, while I'm not a fan of lip gloss, I'll do my best to give an unbiased review of the product.
First of all, from what I understand, lip stain can dry out the lips, but in spite of what the container says, this product is definitely lip gloss. It's got a somewhat syrupy consistency, and it is glossy. Believe me, your lips will not dry out with this stuff. Gloss Gorgeous Stay On Lip Stain comes with an applicator brush and you get the product itself flowing by clicking the top of the container like a pen. The shade I got is called Bare and it looks like sort of a light cocoa-rose shade on the container, but I don't think it really adds much color to the lips once applied. On me, it just looked like sheer lipgloss.
Also, this stuff has some kind of mint fragrance in it that makes it feel fresh, cool and tingly on your lips. Neither the scent nor the tingle is too strong, and while I wasn't wowed by this feature, it could be a selling point for others.
The price for this stuff is the real deal killer, though. On Avon's website, this stuff is $11. That is really steep for a minty lipgloss and I would personally never spend that much money on a lip product, even if it was fantastic. In conclusion, I just really don't think this was a good product. It looks nothing like you think it will (I know it's called Bare, but if it's sheer, then just call it sheer and don't give such a dark color swatch), it's sticky, and it's scented with a fragrance that some people may not find appealing. Even at half the retail price, it's still not worth it and I would not recommend it.
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Avon Brilliant Moisture Lipcolor
I actually have not bought from Avon in quite some time, but I spied some unopened products at a rummage sale for 25 cents each, so I figured I'd give them a try. Also, as a small side note, I'm giving a 3-star rating on price because I can't seem... +
I actually have not bought from Avon in quite some time, but I spied some unopened products at a rummage sale for 25 cents each, so I figured I'd give them a try. Also, as a small side note, I'm giving a 3-star rating on price because I can't seem to find this product on Avon.com, and also because I know I did not pay normal price for them. It does seem to be available on eBay for anyone who's interested.
Two of my choices were the Brilliant Moisture Lipcolor in the shades Satin and Ruby Slipper. I was expecting these to be lipstick, but they sort of tread the line between lipstick and lipgloss. I couldn't see the color swatch for Ruby Slipper on the bottom of the container, so I just sort of gambled on that one.
My biggest issue with these is the odor. They smell exactly like nail polish and they taste kind of bitter. No, I didn't go out of my way to eat them, but being lip products, some is bound to wind up in your mouth. As far as the colors, Satin looked like sort of a tan-rose shade from the swatch and, when applied, is a light shimmery tan color. Ruby Slipper is a reddish-pink color. This one was disappointing; when I think of ruby slippers, I think of a bold, primary red, not red-pink. I didn't leave them on long enough to see how long they lasted.
But as far as upsides, they come in a convenient travel-sized container and have what I think is called a "doe-hoof" shape. They're thinner than your typical lipstick and can be applied more accurately, and they do go on smoothly (though that might be because mine were in my purse for several hours in summer heat and were, consequently, slightly melted).
Part of the reason I'm giving a bad review is because these did not meet my expectations, but other people might find them more appealing. But I just cannot get over the smell. It's not as potent as nail polish, but it's enough to notice. I would personally never buy these at normal price.
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Maybelline New York Line Stiletto Ultimate Precision Liquid Eyeliner
Short answer? Meh. I went looking for a new black liquid eyeliner that would be an improvement over my e.l.f. liquid liner, intensity-wise. I'd seen this particular one before from Maybelline and decided to give it a try. Really not impressed with... +
Short answer? Meh. I went looking for a new black liquid eyeliner that would be an improvement over my e.l.f. liquid liner, intensity-wise. I'd seen this particular one before from Maybelline and decided to give it a try. Really not impressed with it. The color seems to go on nice and bold at first, but it rubs off really easily if the brush isn't fully loaded with liner before each application. And since the applicator doesn't hold much to begin with, you're going to find that you have to dip and shake the bottle each time you want to put the brush to your face.
In addition, it doesn't stay on worth a crap. I used this product with eyelid primer and setting mist and it still faded/smudged off within a few hours. Even just after it dries, it loses some of its bold, black luster. The brush is kind of long, thin and tapered, and it would work well for doing the cat-eye look without tape or Q-tips if you didn't have to reload the brush before every stroke.
Overall, I didn't care for this product and I would not buy it again. My $2 liquid e.l.f. black eyeliner stays on most of the day and doesn't flake off, even if it's not as intense. Wet 'N Wild's H2O Proof liquid liner is better than this one too and the applicator holds considerably more pigment. The box for this stuff appears all tempting and sexy, but for all its alleged "ultimate precision," it lacks in quality.
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e.l.f. Cosmetics Matte Lip Color
E.l.f.'s matte lip color is a product with an interesting design. It is, in fact, lipstick, but it's in the form of a retractable pencil, which makes for more precise application without the need for lip liner or a lipstick brush. Also, as evidenced... +
E.l.f.'s matte lip color is a product with an interesting design. It is, in fact, lipstick, but it's in the form of a retractable pencil, which makes for more precise application without the need for lip liner or a lipstick brush. Also, as evidenced by the name, this lip product does not go on glossy and shiny. This might be a turn-off to some folks, but I personally don't always want my lips to be shiny. It feels sort of like a cream eye shadow pencil/crayon when it goes on and it's definitely not moisturizing (yes, I've put eye shadow on my lips before). It's more of a silky, powdery dry. While this might sound odd, it also smells and tastes kind of nice, too. And for those of us who have boyfriends that aren't nuts about winding up wearing lipstick after a kiss, this is a lovely product. It's kiss-proof (and also not very smudgy), and your guy may not even notice the presence of color if it's one of the more subtle shades.
This lip color goes on quite smoothly, and it's not sticky either. The colors aren't tremendously intense, but with the shades I chose, I wasn't necessarily going for bold. I have the shades Praline and Rich Red. Praline is a neutral-rose color that perks up the lips with a subtle hint of color (it's a little darker than typical natural lip color), and would go nicely with neutral eye shadow. On the other hand, Rich Red's color swatch can be a little misleading. The shade on the box and on the stick itself is a dark red, but when applied, it's actually a bright primary red. It seems that shine can help fire-engine red lipstick really "pop" and it does seem like Rich Red is a little subdued without a glossy finish. But not in a bad way - more like if you put on normal lipstick and kissed a tissue to remove the excess. If you'd prefer red with a little shine, e.l.f.'s Moisturizing Lipstick in Velvet Rope might work a little better. If necessary, you could easily apply some clear lip balm or lip gloss over the matte colors for a more "traditional" lipstick feel.
Overall, I think this is a really cool and unique product. I've never seen matte lip color before and it works quite nicely. Once again, e.l.f. comes through with a fantastic price: only $3.00. So hey, if you wind up not liking it, you won't be out more than a couple dollars. If you're not big on shiny lips, but still want to wear lip color, this is the product for you.
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e.l.f. Cosmetics Studio Makeup Mist and Set Spray
I'd like to preface this review by saying I have never used a setting spray before I tried this product, so I can't personally say how it compares to the competition. But, I have heard many people say it works just as good as more expensive brands... +
I'd like to preface this review by saying I have never used a setting spray before I tried this product, so I can't personally say how it compares to the competition. But, I have heard many people say it works just as good as more expensive brands. Also, I use this along with eye shadow primer.
In short, I love this stuff. It works beautifully, and while it may not hold for 24 hours, it will effectively "freeze" your makeup for several hours. The very first time I used this spray, I put on eye makeup in the afternoon (like 2pm) and then fell asleep later in the evening. At 11pm, my makeup hadn't budged at all - not even from the rolling around I did when I was sleeping, and my white pillow didn't have even the tiniest smudge on it. Not only is this spray odor-free, but it dries quickly and doesn't make your skin feel sticky or stiff once it does.
This spray only costs $3.00 and it is more than worth every cent. Don't bother with other brands that charge upwards of twenty bucks for the same exact thing. E.l.f.'s Makeup Mist & Set is a must-have cosmetics staple, and while I'm still working through my first bottle, I'll be getting more the second it runs out.
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e.l.f. Cosmetics Waterproof Eye Liner
When I first tried e.l.f. products, I wasn't impressed at all; I tried concealer, a smoky eyeshadow palette, and a bottled liquid eyeliner, and all of them were pretty crappy. But, I'm so glad I gave them a second chance and I intend to provide... +
When I first tried e.l.f. products, I wasn't impressed at all; I tried concealer, a smoky eyeshadow palette, and a bottled liquid eyeliner, and all of them were pretty crappy. But, I'm so glad I gave them a second chance and I intend to provide reviews on all the things I've gotten within the last month or so, with this being the first. Also, please note that I use all my e.l.f. products with their primer and setting spray.
I have this particular eyeliner in two shades: black and coffee. It's a liquid liner with a brush tip that goes on much like a marker would. To be honest, I was very iffy about this at first because I know from past experience that brush tip liners get clogged when applied over eye shadow and the flow of the liner stops. This has not happened yet with this eye liner.
The brush tip allows for very precise and variable application, so if you'd prefer a thin line, you can do that... or, if you want a thicker line, you can easily either create a single thick stroke or layer thin lines on to create a single bold line. Unlike e.l.f.'s crummy bottled eye liner, this one doesn't flake off if you apply a new layer of liner over a previous one.
The black liner is not the boldest, blackest black to ever exist, but I personally love it. The coffee liner is great if you're going for a more subtle look and would be great for everyday work makeup. These liners go on smooth, stay put and work great for a precision cat-eye look. Also, these are very much waterproof; my eyes water a little when I apply makeup and this stuff does not budge or run off. Overall, this is simply a beautiful product that works better than any other liquid eye liner I've ever tried - better than L'Oreal, Maybelline and several other more expensive drugstore brands.
One last thing: the price of this liner is just as wonderful as the liner itself. It's only $2.00. But don't be fooled by a low price and assume the product itself is cheap as far as quality. E.l.f.'s waterproof eye liner is an absolute steal for the price, so even if you don't like it, you won't be out much money. If you're looking for a good liquid eye liner that won't cost an arm and a leg, I have to recommend this one. I promise, you will not be disappointed. It comes in several other shades too, such as dark green, bright blue, and purple.
Also, for those who aren't aware, e.l.f. is a cruelty-free brand - they do not test their products on animals. I understand that might not make a difference to everyone, but I personally love them even more for it.
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