Currently Lemming: Stila Smudge Sticks (Swatches)

What Stila Says:
"Obsessed for Smudge Pots? You'll go crazy for Smudge Sticks! This highly pigmented, waterproof eye liner glides on to deliver intense, vibrant color with staying power.

These easy to apply, eye liners have it all:

* Long Lasting
* Waterproof
* Easy to apply
* Several shimmer intense shades to make eyes stand out
* Vibrant colors
* Self sharpening propel pencil
Shades:
stingray- Black
lionfish- Brown with Shimmer
purple tang- Purple with Shimmer
moray- Olive with Shimmer
koi- Metallic Gold
silverdollar- Metallic Silver
peacock- Cobalt Blue
blue ribbon- Navy Grey"
(Source)

Lets see. We'll go through this one by one.
Long lasting? Yes, they lasted on my hand through a nap and halfway through a shower (Will elaborate on this later).
Easy to apply? Yes, these are incredibly creamy and set within 15 seconds.
Shimmery, intense, vibrant shades? CHECK! LOVE these colors!
Waterproof? Erm. Remember when I said halfway through a shower? They began fading once the hot water spattered on my hand and when I rubbed lightly, they disappeared even more and were completely gone with one good rub. Now, I realize that Stila doesn't claim these to be rub proof, but the colors lose their vibrant shades once the water hit the swatches. I don't recommend that you wear these to the beach.





stingray- Black. This seemed more of a satin black than a matte black--its got a bit of a sheen.
lionfish- This looks cool in the photos but its really more of a dark brown brown with golden undertones. Seems to be metallic rather than with shimmer.
purple tang- SO GORGEOUS. Deep metallic blue purple.
moray- Olive, there's really nothing more to it. Pretty shade.
koi- This is a very brassy gold...However, this and Silver Dollar are much more metallic than the others.
silverdollar- Pure silver.
peacock- Not really what I'd call 'cobalt blue', I think its more teal. Also a little more matte and satiny than metallic.
blue ribbon- Murky middle blue-grey. Also very pretty!

Review: Shu Uemura Primitribe Gel Liners

This is a reader requested review! I'm sorry that I haven't gotten to this until now, but I've been soo busy and tired :/. So I won't elaborate TOO much--if you have questions, I'll answer them in the comments. This will be a quicker read, because I've gotten feedback that readers don't like to do much reading and prefer pictures.

Price- 24USD for 2.8 grams or 0.098 oz. It seems like SO much money for the small pot, because Bobbi Brown's are 21USD for .1 oz and 3 grams. But honestly, shu owns you Bobbi, and I'm not just saying that because shu is god.

Consistency- Shu's is thicker than Bobbi's [which I'm using as a reference because it seems like many have tried hers] and creamier. The creamy texture of the shu as opposed to a more gel texture of Bobbi Brown's makes it easier to use as a cream eyeshadow--as the Primitribe eyeliners are supposed to be used as.

Colors: The primitribe gel liners are GORGEOUS. They are bright, they are rocking, they are perfect. This is what MAC aspires to be, what Make Up Forever does so well in matte finishes. I realize that most people won't wear this regularly [heck I think I've only used them a few times!] but I LOVE them. They're loud, and in your face, and obnoxious, but I love them! The colors Shu released with this collection are:

Spinel: Bright warm hot pink.
Turquoise: Bright medium blue-turned teal.
Citrine: Bright sunny yellow.
All of these are very pigmented and creamy.

Got creasing? Well, yes. I must note though that the actual gel liner product wasn't meant to be used all over the lid; just these colors were. Also, I was NOT wearing a primer, and if used like a regular eyeliner, these wear great on waterline and lid.

These are the only pictures I could pull up. I had a horrid camera--the pink is warmer, the blue is a bit warmer and more teal and the yellow is what I think of when I think 'lemon' yellow, but darker and more vivid. Delicious!

This one is an accurate pic:
This one is too, maybe slightly darker in real life.
I like the packaging--but how creative can you get with gel liners? Glass pot, check. Black lid, check. Limited edition design on the cover, check. I really like the design though :D.

Overall, if you love brights, then you need these. They are a dream to work with and are beautiful. In my opinion, totally worth the 24$ price tag, and work fast--these are limited edition!

Side note: Spinel is an Asia only release.



* Another side note: To get it to show up to this intensity on my eyes, I did have to layer. However, I was using a brush that sheers the product out. I think I used three sheer layers.

What do I use to apply/blend these puppies? A brush like this! It says 6m sable on the handle but I'm really not sure if its available as it was part of a set. I think it could also be used as a lip brush, but I find it gives great control over the color.

What do you think? Will you be picking up a Shu Uemura Primitribe gel liner?

Swatches: Jill Stuart Eyeliner Pencil

[image from ichibankao.com]

Jill Stuart Eyeliner Pencil retails for 600NTD/18USD. It comes in two colors, with a smudger on the other end, and a beautiful cap. I don't know if these also smell like roses, as I didn't sniff it :P but they probably do as everything JS is scented.

Ah, this pic turned out blurry. Okay, 01 charcoal black isn't really that dark and pigmented, and it's not very smooth and creamy either. However, it does last longer and is harder to take off than 02 champagne bubble. Champagne bubble is, like the name suggests, a shimmery creamy white that's used to brighten the eyes. 02 is creamier than 01, but also rubs off faster.

But for the money, you can find better pencils that these two.

Swatches: Maquillage Dramatical Gel Liner

[image from ichibankao].

Gah, I've had the first pic for like 2 weeks, but they didn't have the last two shades so I swatched those during the last weekend. I LOVE THESE. SOOO pigmented, so creamy, *dies* I'm totally hauling soon. Seriously. Even if they are on the pricey side of 720NTD = about 21.8USD compared to a load of other Japanese brands.

GY831 & RD632 were limited edition for the holiday 2008; my counter just had the testers out because they still had some left. Aren't they GORGEOUS? Seriously, wish they were part of the perm line.


GD855 is definetly more yellow toned but it was a cloudy day when I took these. It's definetly more of a true gold, like Shu uemura's.

Swatches: Beaute De Kose Esprique Precious Mat Lasting Cream Eyeliner

[photo from ichibankao.com]

Whoo! Super long name. Well, Beaute de Kose Esprique Precious is a brand under Kose, and one of their eyeliners is this cream eyeliner, retailing for 28USD.

I don't really know why they call this 'Mat', because the BK002 definetly isn't. BK001 and BR300[Please disregard mislabeled swatch] are dark and matte, but BK2 is a dark purply black ish color with shimmer. I don't know if you can tell that it is softer than BK1 in this picture, but here it is. Also, there seems to be a new color, BL900 [and BK002 is supposedly discontinued], but at the counter, there wasn't BL900 and BK002 was still there. Strange.

Review: Clinique Egyptian Creamshaper

Me wearing Egyptian eyeliner. You can see it pulling more bronze on me this time [I paired it with MAC go]. It's on my bottom lashline.

Behold, the eyeliner that's going to turn me into an eyeliner junkie. All the wonderful ness of eyeliner--using it as a traditional Indian kohl liner, water/tightlining, etc. are now unlocked to me!

This pencil is super creamy [hence the name, creamshapers]. They glide on, depositing color [you may have to go back a few times to get really rich color]. But, because of the creaminess, it doesn't last on my oily lids [the top] without UDPP. With UDPP, it can last slightly longer, but creases and disappears. I don't like lining my top lids though, (I much prefer waterlining) so it's no big deal for me.

Once I swatched it on my hand, it did not budge at all. On my eyes, I line the bottom over UDPP and it'll last through 8 hours; at the end of that it'll just be bronze shimmer though. It's just OK for me lasting power wise.


Another bad thing about the creaminess though is that it'll probably run out fast. At 15$ a pop [with tax], I would hate to be out of this in a few months! But it's so gorgeous, it's probably worth it. I know someone whose gone through 4 of these and is on her 5th! But I, being the cheapie I am, cringe at 15$ for a pencil liner.



What can I say about the packaging? The mirrored cap and end are a nice touch? There's not much i can say about pencil liner packaging. The cap fits well and definetly won't fall off.

The color of Egyptian is this really beautiful dark bronzed olive, overlaid with golden shimmer. It's amazing! And it's super hard to photograph! Look out for pics!



On comparisions with the Clinique Egyptian cream liner, I have heard conflicting ideas. There is one that states that the cream is a little more 'flat', and not as pretty as the pencil one, or the other, that says that they are the exact same. One thing is for sure though--the cream lasts way better than the pencil. I hope Clinique re-releases the cream version!

Haul: Clinique Egyptian

Over the weekend, as I bought inordinate amounts of nail polish, (But at great prices!) I also got this sole liner for 14$ (actually more like 15$ after tax). But I LOVE IT. Seriously. The color is gorgeous, it's really creamy (hence the name creamshaper :D), absolutely glides on and actually stays (though on the lower lashline). I am in love. Full in depth review to come shortly!

EOTD: Another Try at Eyeliner

Hi All! It's been awhile since I tried eyeliner--like, deep dark black eyeliner and I took a picture to see if it was OK with you guys! How is it?

Naked Eye:


Eyelined eye:



What I used:
Kanebo KATE Gel Liner BK3 (old formula)
Imju Fiberwig mascara black
and TheBalm ShadyLady Liner Brush (which is slightly frayed :/ I got it for 5$, but now it's 8 on sephora.com! It's a real deal though!)

The Brush: (Source)

PSA: Free Bobbi Brown Eye Trio!

"Eye Trio:
Receive a FREE eye trio when you enter offer code EYESET2 with your 65$ order through January 18th 2009*.

This limited edition set features Bobbi's best sellers--full size Black long wear gel eyeliner, Mini ultra fine eyeliner brush, and Mini everything mascara in a cosmetic case (measures 7.5"L x 4"H). Everything you need for stand out, dramatic eyes!

*Offer code required, valid through 1.18.09, midnight ET or while supplies last. Valid only at BobbiBrown.com, one time use."

Cite: BobbiBrown.com

Review: Mad Minerals Indelible Waterproof Gel Liners

I had always wanted to try Mad Minerals Indelible cream liner due to the massive amount of raves they were getting, and the beautiful colors. When a lovely MUA'er sent these to me, I was super excited. But now, as I sit down to review them, I write with a heavy heart. (I am just so dramatic! :D)

Link to website Madminerals.org
Texture: Mad Minerals has a very creamy texture, again, more like a cream shadow. Usually I have good luck with this kind of texture (reminiscent of Kanebo Kate) but not here.

Color payoff: Honestly, maybe it was because they weren't capped tightly enough or something (which would be my fault) the payoff is horrible! It looks more like a bad super sheer cream shadow than an eyeliner that's supposed to define your eyes! It gives more payoff on my hand than my brush, which is NOT a good thing!

Lasting Ability: Mad minerals creases on me quickly, and flakes off within two hours. I couldn't wait to rush home and get it off :/

Price: This retails for 8.99USD on the site posted above...it may be quite cheap compared to most other brands but I would save your money!

Packaging: I also have a rant with this! The caps are made of plastic, and, like it already happened to one of mine, break easily. The name of the gel liner is printed on a black sticker at the bottom, which I like. But I abhor that cap! Grr!

Variety of colors:
I recieved two colors: Magnetism and Marcasite. Magnetism is a black flecked with lots of gold shimmer, so it applies like a dark brown. Unfortunately I could not take pictures of this one because the lid cracked very soon after I recieved it and it dried out. Marcasite looks like a beautiful silvery charcoaly grey in the pot, but just looks plain grey once applied.
This comes in a range of 13 beautiful colors: the color selection is certaintly better than most companies!

Application: I use the Kate gel liner brush that came with my 6 Kate gel liners. This brush has served me faithfully, but not even it's magical powers could save this liner. I had to really dig into it to pick up some pigment. And then when I went to apply it, it skipped and tugged. I wouldn't recommend this liner for use on the waterline as I bet it would flake off and irritate your eye.

Marcasite pics:





Verdict: Save your money--any gel liner is better than this one!!

Review: Guerlain Terracotta Loose Powder Kohl

This product had intruiged me for a long time, even before my makeup addiction. Now, however, as I review this, I feel it hasn't lived up to the hype.

Product and usage: A loose kohl, intended to give eyes that smouldering sexy look that we all tend to want these days! Part of the Terracotta collection.

Application: I use this the Eastern Method (Laying the thin stick applicator flat against your waterline, close your eyes and then drag to end). It's semi easy, I got it in about 3 tries, but do expect to make a mess before you really get the hang of it. It can also be used the Western method (simply drawing it on like you would with pencil). Here is a very good tutorial for the Eastern Method:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub5bfsQ1b5s&feature=related
It gives an easy tightlining effect. Some product will no doubt get into your eye but I find it non irritating.


Color and other colors: Noir (shimmery black), Brun Doré (golden brown), Oriental Metal (browned taupe), or Bleu (Tealish navy). Of course, there were several limited edition colors in the past that include: Pourpe, Kaki, Secret Glow, Aqua Blue and Oriental Bronze. I am sorry to say that I cannot comment on these colors.


(MAC carbon left)
Finish: I believe all of the kohls are shimmery and sparkley.

Lasting Power: This lasts fairly well--its not a complete line at the end of the day but you can still see smudges of it. The water from my eyes ( I don't consider myself to have watery eyes) seems to 'drag' it lower--and it won't budge there! This is why I have given it up. However, others have not had this problem.

Packaging: It comes in a velvet pouch (may be squished to the bottom of your box) and a gold and coppery bronze box. The actual product itself is housed in a kind of egyptian gold and dark brown (this is the Black shade remember, other shades come in gold and whatever the shade was) shape. I can't describe the shape well--hopefully the pictures can do that for you. I find it looks very luxurious but it's made of plastic.



Ingredients:
Talc, nylon-12, octyldodecylstearoyl stearate, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, sorbic acid, butylparaben
MAY CONTAIN: Mica, CI77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI77499 (Iron oxides), CI77007 (ultramarines), CI75470 (carmine), CI77510 (ferric ferro-cyanide) CI77288 (Chromium oxide greens)

Price: 33 USD for 1g NetWT .03OZ. Again, another price raise?? I'd bought mine for 31$. I bet this could last you forever though.

OVERALL: I wouldn't purchase it again. In 5 sentences:
1. Super pretty luxurious packaging (and skimped on the material used..it's plastic).
2. Slightly messy and hard to use but you will get it eventually.
3. Lasts fairly well, until the water from my eyes drags it downward where it refuses to budge.
4. 33$ for .03 oz. I find it could probably last forever, but I still wince.
5. Gives an easy smokey tightlined look, but I probably will not repurchase due to lasting ability on me.

Haul: Recently Acquired Eye Makeup!

Depicted are:

Laura Mercier Eye Color in Rose (recieved in swap..going back up it is! Not my color!) To be DC'ED!

Laura Mercier Black Ebony Eye Liner (recieved in swap--love!)

Besame Alluring Eye Shadow in Plum Dandy--also recieved in swap, beautiful!! Especially when paired with MAC Magnetic Fields.

What recent items have you been loving lately?

Haul: MAC and Sephora!

I got:
Guerlain Loose Kohl Noir 1 (35$ with tax, at Sephora)
MAC Lightly Ripe (14.50)
MAC Mauvement (19.50)
and a sample of Heritage Rouge pigment


Top is MAC Party Mate (Naughty Nauticals May collection)
Bottom is MAC Lightly Ripe, (August Cult of Cherry collection)


Hope that helps someone!