xoliana
Member Since: July 31, 2016Reviews
Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner
When I was in my teens, I was lucky enough to find the shade ACDC in a little gift set at Winners for under $10. Though I was already a fan of Urban Decay products, I had never tried their Heavy Metal glitter liners. Needless to say, I've been a... +
When I was in my teens, I was lucky enough to find the shade ACDC in a little gift set at Winners for under $10. Though I was already a fan of Urban Decay products, I had never tried their Heavy Metal glitter liners. Needless to say, I've been a fan of this liner ever since!
The applicator on this is a very fine brush tip, not unlike their other eyeliners. This makes it very easy to draw a precise line along the upper lash line, or to do a little glitter wing. It's a pretty goof-proof brush, I've found, and I'm not always the greatest with brush applicators!
Unlike some glitter liners, which are far too clumpy and chunky, the glitter in this seems to be displaced so much more evenly. The base, rather than feeling too thin or too thick, goes on like a clear gel to seal everything in place. With one layer, it's easy to get an even, but more sheer line of glitter.
I found that it was also very easy to build this product up, adding more layers onto itself without any issues with it globbing up or becoming sticky. This can easily be spread all over the lid for extra shine and drama without disturbing any eyeshadow underneath, either by way of creasing or causing the existing eyeshadow to break up.
This is an excellent product that comes in a variety of shades. It's easy to use and doesn't dry out. Heck, I just found that old tube of ACDC, and amazingly, it hadn't dried out -- eight years later! I still threw it out because it was super old, but that's pretty impressive.
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Quo Gel Eyeliner
I bought one of these potted gel eyeliners from a bargain bin at Shoppers Drug Mart for only $5. Ordinarily, I believe they are at least $12. The shade I got was a beautiful cobalt blue, and the size of the pot was quite large in comparison to... +
I bought one of these potted gel eyeliners from a bargain bin at Shoppers Drug Mart for only $5. Ordinarily, I believe they are at least $12.
The shade I got was a beautiful cobalt blue, and the size of the pot was quite large in comparison to most gel eyeliners. Initially I thought that this was a matte formula, but upon digging my angled brush into the gel, I spotted some extremely fine micro glitter within. I'm not sure if that's just for this blue shade, or if they're all like that, but just be aware in case you don't like that sort of thing. I found it to be a very subtle effect once applied, unlike a glitter liquid liner.
The consistency is extremely creamy, and glides on very smoothly, despite the small amount of glitter it contains. The pigmentation is very rich and true to what you see in the pot. The creamy formula can lead to some smudging if you're not used to using a gel, or if your brush isn't small enough, but if you take your time and have the proper tools, I think you should be fine.
This formula does dry down a bit, though it's not completely budge-proof, and if you wipe at your eyes, it will certainly show. I don't believe this would be waterproof, so if you believe you're going to be in a situation that requires such a product, I wouldn't recommend this one.
Because this formula is so smooth and doesn't crease on the lid, I imagine this would make a great base for different eyeshadow looks, particularly if the other shades work as well as this one. A black and a white would be very suitable for the lid as well as for a liner, so this is a versatile product.
If you're looking to try a good gel eyeliner, I would recommend keeping yout eyes peeled for this one!
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Lise Watier Eye Glitter Eyeliner
I bought two of these, in a sky blue shade and an amethyst purple shade. I really like the brush on this product. It's very small, very precise, and very easy to use. Unfortunately, that's about all I like about this product. The actual formula... +
I bought two of these, in a sky blue shade and an amethyst purple shade.
I really like the brush on this product. It's very small, very precise, and very easy to use. Unfortunately, that's about all I like about this product.
The actual formula on these is terrible. The actual base has no colour to it, and it's like applying pure water. The glitter contained within said water is extremely chunky and clumpy, so when you go to either draw a line or apply some to the centre of your lid, it skips. Some areas will get no product, and suddenly a clump of glitter will form. The more you try to spread it around to get an even application, the worse things will get, because as I said, the base itself is like water -- and applying water over whatever eye makeup you already have on is a recipe for disaster. Your current makeup will smudge, water down in consistency, or completely erase. If instead you try to apply more layers to even out the chunky areas, the clumping gets worse, and an even application is simply impossible to attain.
This product also dries out extremely quickly. Unlike other liquid liners -- or even other glitter liners -- which can last for a long period of time, I've found that these dry out within a month of purchasing them.
Bottom line, save your money! These simply aren't worth it.
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Lise Watier Couleur Folle Loose Powder Eye Shadow
I bought this in the shade Folie Violette, which is a purple, as the name would suggest. I like that this product came with a sifter, as not all loose powder products do. However, the sifter on this doesn't work particularly well. Sifters are... +
I bought this in the shade Folie Violette, which is a purple, as the name would suggest.
I like that this product came with a sifter, as not all loose powder products do. However, the sifter on this doesn't work particularly well. Sifters are supposed to ensure that not too much product comes out at once, but this one makes it nearly impossible to get anything out at all. I'm not sure if it's just mine that's like this, or if they're all like that. I may have just gotten some bunk packaging. Still, even if that's the case, it's an inconvenience which prevents me from using it as often as I would if it worked properly.
The product itself has okay pigmentation. It's a pretty shimmer, but it's fairly sheer. It's supposed to be bought in conjunction with their Metamorfix mixing agent, which transforms the product into a better version of itself with just one drop. I highly recommend doing this, as it really does work. It basically turns this, and any other loose pigment, into a foiled eyeshadow. The colour and shimmer become much more intense. You can either do this all over the lid, or grab an angled brush and use as an eyeliner instead. This technique also greatly reduces the fallout and increases the staying power, as on its own, these shadows are pretty basic.
If you like really sheer eyeshadow and don't mind some fallout, buy this on its own. Otherwise, I highly suggest pairing these with the Metamorfix. Personally, that's the only way I get any use out of these or would even consider buying another.
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BECCA Cosmetics Backlight Priming Filter
I received a sample of this with my most recent Sephora order. The first thing I did was swatch this on the back of my hand, number one to see if it looked noticeably different, and number two because I do this with any product I'm about to put on... +
I received a sample of this with my most recent Sephora order.
The first thing I did was swatch this on the back of my hand, number one to see if it looked noticeably different, and number two because I do this with any product I'm about to put on my face. I have very sensitive skin and also take issue with fragrance, so I like to test things out on my hand before putting it on my face.
After doing this, I did think I saw a bit of a glow on my hand. I also noticed a fragrance I wasn't too fond of, but it seemed to fade over the course of a few minutes, so I thought I would give this a shot. I put a small amount on every part of my face as a primer before applying my makeup, but any sheen I thought I saw on my hand did not seem to transfer to my face. I loked under different lighting, and still nothing.
After applying my makeup, I looked the same as always. My makeup did not go on more smoothly than normal; if anything, my makeup seemed to be clinging to more dry patches than if I'd applied straight after moisturizer, or over a different primer. This didn't seem to do anything for me -- except irritate my skin and break me out. I thought my skin was kind of tight and burning, and sure enough, by the end of the day, I had a few blemishes suddenly appear. I hadn't changed anything in my skin care/makeup routine. This was definitely the culprit.
I'll be throwing out the rest of the sample and will not be purchasing the full size.
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Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain
I received a deluxe sample of the shade 01 Always Red with my most recent Sephora order. I'm pretty new to the world of liquid lipsticks. The only other brand that I've tried is the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick, whose formula and ultimate... +
I received a deluxe sample of the shade 01 Always Red with my most recent Sephora order.
I'm pretty new to the world of liquid lipsticks. The only other brand that I've tried is the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick, whose formula and ultimate result is far different from this. The Kat Von D is the only one I have to compare it to, though, so please bear with me.
The formula on this is quite liquidy and hard to control. I found it much more difficult to apply with precision than I did the Kat Von D. Part of that could have been due to the very small wand -- as I said, this is a sample -- but the product itself was really slipping around before it dried down. Having said that, the dry time was not as fast as the Kat Von D, which gave me more time to fiddle with it.
Once the colour dried down, it was completely dry, and looked and felt like more of a matte as opposed to a cream. However, the opacity wasn't as strong after one coat as the Kat Von D. I had to apply a second layer, after which I did find that it was a bit tacky and less matte. It could be that two layers is the norm with this formula, and as it's not marketed as matte, this didn't bother me.
What did bother me was the fact that the edges didn't stay immaculate or smooth. They started to get smudgy within an hour of application, and it was difficult to fix them. I don't feel that this would have happened with one layer, because it was dry. Going in with the second layer is what seemed to make the product prone to moving around. Even my non-liquid lipsticks can go longer without messing up on me, so it was a disappointment on that front.
I did enjoy the vanilla scent of the product as well as how comfortable it felt on the lips. The colour was also very pretty. I'm willing to fool around with the formula a bit to see if I can get it even with one layer instead of two. It does show promise.
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Sephora Collection Lip Attitude Glamour Lipstick
This range of lipsticks has sadly been discontinued from the Sephora range, but for years they were my favourite from their line. I still have part of one left, in the shade G06 Rosy Frivol, which is a lovely berry pink. These lipsticks are so... +
This range of lipsticks has sadly been discontinued from the Sephora range, but for years they were my favourite from their line. I still have part of one left, in the shade G06 Rosy Frivol, which is a lovely berry pink.
These lipsticks are so comfortable to wear, and come in a variety of unique shades and finishes. G06 is a cream lipstick with rich pigmentation and a satin sheen. It smells like strawberry candy, and feels like wearing your favourite lip balm.
The other shades in the line vary from a selection of nudes to reds and dark plums. Some of them contain small amounts of micro glitter, akin to the Metallized finish of the Urban Decay Vice lipsticks. Others are creams like G06, and some are even meant to be exfoliating balms.
The lipstick itself is shaped differently than most others. Whereas the traditional bullet lipstick has a tapered, almost triangular shape at the tip, these are round all the way through with a simple slant at the top. This makes precision application a bit trickier, but the formula is very forgiving if you make a mistake.
It's too bad that these are no longer available. Sephora's cream lipsticks are the closest thing available, buy they're still not quite the same.
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Missha Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Hydro-gel Mask
I know what you're thinking -- snails? Gross! But honestly, this might just be the best mask I've ever tried. This was my first time trying out Korean skincare. I bought this sheet mask when I saw that it was supposed to be very soothing on... +
I know what you're thinking -- snails? Gross! But honestly, this might just be the best mask I've ever tried.
This was my first time trying out Korean skincare. I bought this sheet mask when I saw that it was supposed to be very soothing on sensitive skin, and that it would provide refreshment and moisture to skin that's feeling a bit tired. My skin is the very definition of extremely sensitive, and it's tired, just like the rest of me. The thought of something containing snail essence was a bit off-putting, but I decided to hold my judgement until I'd tried it for myself.
When you open up the package, the contents are very moist and slippery. The sheet mask is split into two pieces: one for the upper portion of your face, and one for the lower. It's a clear mask, and I will upload a rather unflattering photo just to show how funny you look with it on! Because it's so slippery, it is quite difficult to get it into the right place. I also found that it was too big for my face shape, so once I got it into position, I just relaxed for about 20-30 mminutes to let the essences soak in and do their job.
The product itself smells very nice. It's not too strong, even for someone like me. I found that it had a very cooling and calming feeling on my skin. After I removed the mask, I gently rubbed in the excess, making sure not to waste any. This left my face feeling not at all greasy or sticky, and after I had rubbed it in, my face felt very smooth, and it looked visibly brightened. At 27, my skin is just starting to change, but this made a clear difference after just one use.
I would definitely repurchase this in the future. This was a very pleasant experience!
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Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner
I received a deluxe sample of this in my Sephora Birthday Gift. I've tried many different pencil eyeliners over the years, but none of them have felt like this. This glides on impossibly smoothly, just like a potted gel eyeliner. The pigmentation... +
I received a deluxe sample of this in my Sephora Birthday Gift.
I've tried many different pencil eyeliners over the years, but none of them have felt like this. This glides on impossibly smoothly, just like a potted gel eyeliner. The pigmentation is absolutely insane to the point where you barely even need to touch your skin to get full colour. You can get an easy and perfect application in one sweep, without having to tug at your eyelids or go over with multiple layers.
Once this sets down, it stays in place all day. It won't smudge or budge. I've worn this outside when it was raining enough to get my face wet, and it didn't move. I've worn it during a massage therapy session, with my face smushed into a towel, and it didn't move. The quality is exceptional.
The only downside is the price. A full size is quite expensive, and I'm not sure if I'm willing to part with more than $30 for a single pencil. But this really is a great product.
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BECCA Under Eye Brightening Corrector
I received a sample of this with my most recent Sephora order. I have very dark purple under eye circles, which are even more noticeable due to my very fair, translucent complexion. It takes a lot to cover my dark circles up, so I'll take any help... +
I received a sample of this with my most recent Sephora order.
I have very dark purple under eye circles, which are even more noticeable due to my very fair, translucent complexion. It takes a lot to cover my dark circles up, so I'll take any help I can get! Being that Becca is such a popular high-end brand and I'd heard good things, I thought that this would at least help a little bit, but this did absolutely nothing when applied.
I don't wear liquid foundation, so I applied this first, before applying my liquid concealer. It has a pale peachy tint, which is supposed to counteract darkness. Although it went on smoothly, it did nothing to brighten or conceal my purple rings. I tried patting it in rather than spreading it, thinking that may be the issue, but still no effect. When it came time to put on my concealer, it looked the same as it always did.
Maybe this is supposed to work on a skin tone other than mine, or discolouration different to mine. All I can say is it did nothing for me, and I won't be purchasing a full size.
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