Drugstore Rave: Loreal Infallible Lacquer 24hr Eyeliner

I have to admit, my make-up stash consist mainly of high end brands since the color payoff and pigmentation is usually not up to par in my experience. Lately however, drugstore make-up has really impressed me. I've been searching for a good brown gel eyeliner for awhile now and I haven't been able to find one that I like. They are either too flat of a color, too light or too dark. Amazingly, I found the perfect shade and consistancy from the drugstore! I think it just came out since it was in those display cases. It's called the Loreal Infallible Lacquer 24hr Liner and I got the color Bronze Bronze. It also comes with a really good USEABLE brush. The consistancy reminds me of Bobbi Brown's Gel eyeliner and it actually seems to be more smudge proof. I find that the Bobbi Brown Gel eyeliner dries up too quickly and ends up flaking on me. The retail price for the Loreal Infallible gel eyeliner is $9.95 but there are always sales happening. I got mine at Rite Aid for Buy One get One Half Off.

Packaging is a sturdy glass jar and comparable to Bobbi Brown and MAC Fluidline. The opening is not too small like the Clinque gel liner so it's easy to get the product out.

Most brushes that come with liners are rough and basically not useable. This one is actually really good and comes with a cap!! It also reminds me of the Bobbi Brown's eyeliner brush that retails for $25. It has a flat and fine tip but the BB tip is a bit shorter. I really love the short handle which makes it easier to use. I personally use an angled eyeliner brush but for people who like this shape it's a great added bonus. 






Left: Loreal in Bronze Bronze, Right: Bobbi Brown Chocolate Shimmer Ink

 As you can see the Loreal eyeliner is darker compared to Bobbi Brown's Chocolate Shimmer Ink. They both have shimmer to it but Loreal's is less intense. Loreal Infallible Lacquer liner was also harder to wash off than Bobbi Brown's Gel eyeliner so it will last all day and will not smudge. I think this color is perfect for everyday since black eyeliner can be too harsh. However, if you want a darker liner there are 4 other shades available: Blackest Black, Dark Slate, Espresso, and Navy. I'm pretty excited about this product and I think this is a must have for gel liner users!

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain

There has been many rave reviews on the Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stains and I've been loving these as well so I wanted to share my thoughts on them. I have Beige Aquarelle # 19 and Encre Rose # 17. Both of these are gorgeous colors and the formula is unlike anything in the market. They give you a glossy shiny finish on the lips and they last about 4-5 hrs for me and the darker colors leaves a noticeable stain after all the product has disappeared. The stains I've tried stung and are really dry on the lips but this is hydrating and does not accentuate any dry flakes.

 

The tube is a sleek black and of course their trademark gold packaging as like most of their makeup products . It is shorter and thicker than a regular lip gloss packaging and there is a window that shows the stain color. The applicator is pretty unique as it's flat with a pointed tip which helps with outlining the lips. It is also very flexible which makes it easier to press the stain into the lips.  The stopper allows a small amount of product so I do apply two coats for a full opaque color.   

I'm wearing YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain in Beige Aquarelle #19 which is an online Sephora exclusive and also available at Barney's. It is a nude pink color which is perfect for everyday. It is really pigmented so it covers the mauve tone in my lips. It is not too cool toned so it doesn't make you look dead. For those who have tried Rose Pastelle #18 and thought it was too light than you should give this one a try. It does take a bit more effort to apply than #17 but I simply smooth it over with my fingers for an even application.  



 

 Here I have on YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain in Beige Aquarelle #17 which is a bright blue toned pink, almost Fuchsia. The color is gorgeous when you initially put this on but I do find that after some time of wear it changes and becomes a bit darker. It might be because it is staining the undertone of your lips.

Both of these have a strange cooling sensation when first applied on the lips, almost like if you quickly swiped an alcohol pad over them. It then turns into a creamy consistency that isn't sticky and feels very hydrating. You also don't get the goop that gathers in the center of your lip which you have to take off with your finger, know what I mean?! I think the product is perfect for those who are lazy at reapplying lip color like me. It wears off really nicely and just leaves a stain. Have you gave these a try?

Colorful Bright Loafer Flats for Spring

I wear loafers or flats basically everyday during the spring and even the summer. I prefer loafers over ballet flats since I do not find ballet flats all that comfortable. I'm specifically talking about the ones that are more rounded and less coverage in front so it's not fitted on your foot. Actually, I don't even really like the "toe cleavage". Anyways, I do not walk around in flat sandals when I commute to Manhattan for work because the streets are so dirty, it makes your heel cracked and dry too. I've been looking around for new shoes since I've been wearing the heck out out my Ugg Sightsee loafers. They have some really great colorful loafers available now and I'm pretty impressed with the selection. Here are some of my picks.

Dolce Vita Damala- $79

http://www1.bloomingdales.com/shop/product/dv-dolce-vita-loafers-damala-tassel?ID=609787&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results

Ciao Bella Magda Moccasin- $49

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/ciao-bella-shoes-magda-moccasin-flats?ID=653832&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results

Steve Madden Croquetl loafer- $72

http://www.endless.com/dp/B005UBA3X8/ref=asc_df_B005UBA3X81976091?tag=googlecom09c9_endless-20&creative=395033&linkCode=asn&creativeASIN=B005UBA3X8

Charles Phillip loafers- $135

http://www1.bloomingdales.com/shop/product/charles-philip-loafers-neon-brights-smoking-shoe?ID=598930&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results

Dolce Vita Delice Flat- $78

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/dv-by-dolce-vita-delice-flat/3225275?origin=related-3225275-0-0-1#/BVRRWidgetID



Fantastic Find!! FusionBeauty SculptDiva Contouring & Sculpting Cream Blush

If anyone lives in NYC, there is a discount store called Jack's World which is categorized as a 99 cents store. There is one right up the block from my work and I drop by occasionally during lunch time. I've found many great steeply discounted makeup items that are still currently at Sephora. Most of these items however are either about to be discontinued or no longer available at Sephora. There was a bunch of items from the FusionBeauty line and I came across their SculptDivaContouring & Sculpting Blush which they were selling for $2.99!! The original cost is $29 which they still sell at beauty.com which I linked below. That's an amazing deal so definitely run to your nearest Jack's store to see if they have it.

http://www.beauty.com/fusionbeauty-sculptdiva-contouring-and-sculpting-blush-crave/qxp277376?catid=273816

On to why this blush is so amazing besides the steal of the price....
This blush is a cream to powder finish with is very smooth and easy to blend. It is not at all sticky on the skin which is why I like this so much. It doesn't go on patchy and takes little effort to apply. I simply swirl one or two fingers into the product and dab it onto the cheeks until it is blended out. On me it last through a full work day which is about 8 hrs but keep in mind I have dry skin.

Some of the claims are:

Rose bud extracts help refine skin's texture as hydrating conditioners nourish.

A concentrated dose of Amplifat™ complex plumps up the skin for visibly firmer cheeks.

Over time, this ingenious formula works to diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

I'm not reading too much into these claims since all I really want is a blush that's easy to apply and gives me a nice healthy color to my cheeks. But hey, if it does help with firming, wrinkles, and approving the appearance that's just an added bonus.

The colors I purchased are: Haute (mid-toned rosey pink), Crave (shimmery peach apricot), Gossip (nude mauve) They are all very wearable colors. Crave is the only color with noticeable golden shimmer to it.

Haute

Crave

Gossip



From Top to Bottom: Gossip, Crave, Haute

  

With Flash from Left to Right: Gossip, Crave, Haute

 I initially only purchased Haute but I was so impressed that I went back to get the other colors too. Again, it was only 3 bucks so that is an amazing steal!! I'm sure you can find this discounted online as well. If I had to choose one of them out of the three it would be Haute. It's just the perfect natural looking pink glow. I've been using these everyday for over a week and I have to say the formula is probably the best out of the cream blushes that I've tried.

Essie Demure Vixen

I was looking through my stash of nail polish for a neutral spring color and I came upon this one which I bought and never worn before. In the bottle it doesn't look like much but I was surprised to see how good it looked on my nails. It is a muted mauve with purple specks of shimmer in it. The shimmer is hardly noticeable unless in bright light or sunlight but it just adds something extra to this color.

It works really well with my skin tone and it's a subtle color. This came out for the Summer 2010 collection but you should still be able to find it online. The formula is like a lot of the Essie polishes, just easy to apply, thin but opaque consistency. The only thing is it does require three coats to get the color in the bottle. Most of my other polishes only require two coats. The pictures don't do this color justice but you get the idea. I just think this color would work for any occasion, work, wedding, etc.

5 Products I'd Cry if They Were Discontinued

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Products I've Been Recently Loving and Used Up and OOTD/FOTD

I've been having so many camera and uploading issues. My files are too big and are not uploading onto youtube for editing. Maybe it's the setting on my camera?? I don't really know but I was finally able to put these two videos up. I'm trying to get a tutorial up but there has been no success. I use natural daylight to try to film a tutorial but the sunlight is just too bright and washes me out. The colors I use do not show up well on the camera so I'm still working on that. I filmed my MAC eyeshadow collection two weeks back but I'm still unable to upload since the file is so large. Stay tuned. :)

First video is a review of the products I've been using recently and some products I've used up or about to finish.

Second is the outfit I wore that day. Spring is here!!