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Golden FOTD and Maybelline Illegal Lengths First Impression

Happy Friday! Today I am sharing a golden eye look I played around with and my first impressions of Maybelline's Illegal Lengths mascara.

In a previous post I wrote about Tarte's Smoldereyes jumbo liners and how I just am not a fan. I keep playing around with them to try and make them work for me, and I did have some success with them in this look. After running Laura Mercier Cafe Au Lait through the crease, I placed the Gold Smoldereyes jumbo liner in the outer and inner third of the lid, as well as under the lower lashline. In the center of the lid I placed NYX  Yellow Pearl and ran Antique Gold, a green-gold color, in the crease as well.

Since I was having a good Smoldereyes day I thought I would try my luck with the skinny black Smoldereyes liner and lined my top lid and waterline with it.

For mascara, I used Maybelline's Illegal Lengths for the first time. Let's talk about that, shall we?

Maybelline Illegal Lengths Mascara First Impressions

Maybelline Illegal Lengths is a fiber extension mascara. Some people experience irritation or severe flaking of the fibers as they fall off from your regular lashes. As a lover of bold lashes, I am always looking for something give me a false-lash effect, and wanted to try this out. It did apply easily and this was only two coats.

 Once concern I have so far is that you can see the fibers sticking out at odd angles from my regular lashes...they look like they've gone haywire! I'll have to see if a lash comb helps with this, but if it just removes the fiber, what is the point? Granted, most people are not as up close to my lashes as these photos, but it is a bit annoying.

In comparing to my other mascaras, it does seem to give me more length and a good amount of volume. So far I am very interested to see how this mascara ends up working out and will be wearing it for another week or so before I give a full review.

FOTD Products Used:
Maybelline Age Rewind Dark Circle Concealer
NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Dark  Brown/Brown
Tarte Smoldereyes Jumbo Liner in Gold
 Tarte Smoldereyes Skinny Liner in Black
NYX Eyeshadows in Antique Gold and Yellow Pearl (round trio)
Laura Mercier shadow in Cafe au Lait (crease), Vanilla Nuts (browbone and inner corner)
Maybelline Illegal Lengths Mascara in Blackest Black (top)
Maybelline Lash Discovery Waterproof in Black (bottom lashes)

What products have you tried lately?

XO
Beauty Cents

NYX Butter Gloss in Eclair and Apple Strudel Swatches and Review

Does anything scream "spring!" more than new, brightly colored lip gloss??

NYX Butter Gloss ($5!) has been taking the Beauty Blogosphere by storm this spring. There are 12 shades in the Butter Gloss line total. NYX describes them as:

"• What it is: It’s buttery lip gloss with a sweet scent that provides sheer to medium coverage on your lips without that sticky feeling.

• What it does: Provides nourishment with a flush of color on your lips giving you the perfect pout.

• Why we love it: Adore that it can be worn alone or over your favorite lipstick! It’s delicious and gorgeous at the same time."

My Ulta was pretty wiped out when I went to try them out, but I ended up with Eclair and Apple Strudel. Eclair was on my "want" list, and Apple Strudel I was undecided about. So, do they live up to the hype? Let's have a look!

Eclair is a lavender-pink. NYX describes it as pink but I think the swatch on my hand and on my lips it comes off with a hint of purple, which I really love, because it is super wearable.

Apple Strudel is a peach-coral. NYX describes it as peach. It gives me lips a good little punch of color and great shine.

The Butter Gloss has a spatula applicator, my personal favorite. The tube is designed really well to keep too much product from coming out at once. You can literally hear the little "pop" suction noise of the applicator leaving the bottle neck.

The Butter Glosses smell delicious, like some kind of baked good. They feel moisturizing on the lips and give great shine without being a heavy, gloopy gloss. When they fade, after about 2 hours, they leave my lips in great condition. I have pretty chapped lips and have never had these leave pigment on my flakes like many other lip products have.

Overall, I am really glad I picked these up! They provide a hint of color, a lot of shine, and they make my lips look like they are in better condition than they really are. I love the smell, the price ($4.99 at Ulta) can't be beat and I really enjoy wearing them. I definitely recommend these!

What shades have you tried in NYX Butter Gloss??

XO
Beauty Cents

Rimmel ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Review

I don't know about you, but as a working girl I appreciate two things in my beauty routine above all else: the ability to speed things up, and products with all-day lasting power. The latest Rimmel eyeliner to hit stores, the Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal skinny liners, are supposed to last all day, even on your water line. I consider Rimmel one of the better drugstore brands and knew I wanted to try these out given what they claim to do.

I picked Scandaleyes up in 001 Black and 005 Nude. Other colors I saw on the shelves include black with sparkle, brown, and taupe. I have seen various shades of blue and purple online, too.

Scandaleyes in 005 Nude and 001 Black

The Scandaleyes liners are very creamy and highly pigmented. As you can see from the swatch, the nude color is a medium beige and is actually really close to my skin tone. I love using the nude in my waterline to open my eyes and brighten them, without the obviousness and harshness that I feel white liners have on me. I have been using the Nude liner almost every day and in many of my FOTDs.

The black liner is equally impressive. It is so easy to work with, and doesn't tug at my eye lid at all. It smudges out really easily within the first minute of applying bit doesn't budge after that, which makes sense since they are advertised as smudge proof.

Both Scandaleyes liners really do last ALL day. While the nude is a little hard to tell because of how subtle it is, in black I can attest that after 6 hours it is still perfect on my waterline and after 8 it starts to fade a bit. On the lashline, it lasts until I take my makeup off, which varies but is usually about 14 hours of wear.

At less than $5 a pop, the Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal liners are a must have for anyone who appreciates a long-lasting, creamy, easy to smudge liner. If you haven't experimented with a Nude liner on your waterline, I really recommend picking this one up, because it is safe for that area and doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes. If you are someone who already has multiple black liners (guilty as charged!), I feel like this is a great back up to have in your purse or wherever else.

I highly recommend these liners and feel they are as good as or better than many higher end kohl pencils. I purchased both of mine at Ulta but have also seen them at CVS, Walmart, and anywhere else Rimmel is sold!

Have you tried these liners yet? Let me know, especially if you have used different colors than me!

XO
Beauty Cents

Kenra Platinum Blow Dry Spray Review

Hi everyone! 

You know that feeling you get when you have just found a really, really good product? Like you want to tell everyone you know about it? Well, I have been using Kenra Platinum Blow Dry Spray for almost a year, and I still have that feeling. I first received a sample of Blow Dry Spray from Ulta, and have just repurchased for the third time. Blow Dry Spray is designed to cut your blow dry time AND provide heat protection. The possibility of cutting blow dry time was enough to convince me to try it out.

According to the Kenra Professional website, the Blow Dry Spray also promises to:

• "Dramatically decreases blow-dry time
• Provides intense heat protection from damage and breakage
• Lightweight formulation detangles, smoothes, and softens
• Eliminates frizz and resists humidity
• Provides long-lasting, healthy looking results"

For full disclosure, I have wavy/curly, medium thick hair that is always dyed and often blow dried and flat ironed. To blow my hair out straight can be a really tiring event day after day, taking me 35-40 minutes. It frizzes in humid weather and can also start to wave in the heat. Years of dying, bleaching, and flat ironing has also left my hair in lackluster condition.

Kenra's Blow Dry Spray seriously works! It cuts my dry time down to 20 minutes, and I value all of the extra time I have in order to get other things done in the morning! The spray is used on towel dried hair. I usually spray it 1-2 times on each third of my head, concentrating one spray on the top layer for ultimate heat protection and the second spritz on the underside to help speed up my blow drying process. A few weeks after using it I did feel it might be drying out my hair, but now having used it for a year, I do not feel that way anymore. My hair is definitely in better condition for using this product. Speeding up the blow dry process lets me blow my hair out straighter and sleeker than during a normal blow out, because I can dry a section much quicker and with less effort in pulling my hair taut with a brush. So, Blow Dry Spray protects my hair from my blow dryer, decreases the time I need to expose my hair to the blowdryer, and gives me a sleeker finish - meaning less flat iron time. It is no wonder my hair is healthier these days!

Although it has not been humid it quite a while here in the Northeast, I can also attest that during the hot humid summer of 2012, my hair held up better than previous years. It doesn't stay as sleek and straight as it did when I had a Keratin treatment, but for a spray-on treatment, Blow Dry Spray really does a great job of locking humidity out and keeping my hair from frizzing out.

If you have frizzy hair or are someone who loathes how long it takes them to blow their hair out in the morning, you really need to pick this product up. Even if it doesn't take you terribly long to blow your hair out, I feel like any product that can shave 10-15 minutes off of your morning routine is one worthy of having in your cabinet! It is also worth noting I have now seen another version of this spray called a "mist" that is designed for fine hair. I haven't tried it myself.

Kenra Professional is available at Ulta in varying sizes. The smallest one is $13.00; I have been purchasing the middle sized 3.4oz for $22 when I have a 20% coupon for Ulta. It is not available on Ulta's website but I have seen it on Amazon.

I hope if you pick this product up you love it as much as I do! What are some of your HG hair products or morning beauty time savers?

XO
Beauty Cents

Shopaholic Tag!

Hi! Today I am trying something different.. Immy over at http://bebeautiful901.blogspot.co.uk tagged me over the weekend. Check her out and enjoy!

Shopaholic Tag
 

1. Would you consider yourself a shopaholic?

Ughhh...sometimes! I go through spurts where I totally am and other times where I can stop the impulse. I am mostly a shopaholic regarding beauty products and accessories. I normally do a few big clothes shops a year and just pick up a random item here and there.

2. How would you classify your style?
Comfortable, relaxed, a little preppy, a little Jersey.

3. What store can you not leave without buying at least one thing?
Ulta....ahh!


4. Where do you find the best deals?
Sometimes Ulta, Walgreens, Walmart for sure..for clothes I can do really well at Kohls, Macys, New York & Company, and lately, Uniqlo!


5. What designer are you willing to splurge for?
Not a designer, exactly, but I definitely splurge on my handbags. I won't go crazy on shoes or actual clothes, but I have many designer bags (Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Furla, Kate Spade) and consider them an investment.

6. Do you have a "go to" shopping outfit?
Usually something flowy/comfortable that doesn't take too long to change out of, and a cross body or lightweight bag that doesn't make my shoulders or back ache after carrying it too long.

7. What is your guilty pleasure? (Aside from make up)
Chocolate and pretty much all Bravo TV programming... Real Housewives forever!

8. What is one staple clothing piece you cannot live without?
A good pair of riding boots... again as you can see I am more of an accessories girl!


9. What is a trend you hope never goes out of style?
Leggings with tunics and long tops... having the option to wear something comfortable yet cute is something I would really miss!


10. What trend did you love that passed way to quickly?

 Hmmm...none that I can think of! I do love the 60's influence but that is still around a bit.

11. Who is your fashion icon?
I love everything Kate Hudson and Jennifer Garner ever wear on the red carpet... so glam!

Well this was a nice change... Thanks Immy! 

MAC Sketch: Swatch and in two FOTD's!

Hi there! One of my favorite eyeshadows to play with is MAC Sketch. It's part of their permanent collection and I see it used in YouTube tutorials quite often. I have had it in my makeup bag for years. Today I thought I would share swatches for any of you who have considered it or are in the market for a dark plum, as well as show you two ways I wore Sketch this week.

 Sketch is great because it is so blendable and buildable, like most MAC shadows. Want a light wash of medium plum? Does that. Want a smokey plum eye? Does that too. How about a wine liner? No problem. It is so versatile that it is no wonder many people consider it a staple. The swatch above is just one layer. Like with every other MAC shadow I have owned, the staying power on this is really impressive and literally lasts all day and well into the evening without a touch up.

So, how did I use Sketch this week? Have a look, and let me know what you think! I am always trying to improve and change up my techniques.

Sketch FOTD #1: Plum All Around

 Here I worked Sketch into the crease and lower lashline, with Lancome Color Design eyeshadow in #311 "You've Got the Look" on the lid. You've Got the Look is in the same family as Sketch but is a shimmer with a good amount of glitter in it. There's a good amount of fall out with this shadow, so I definitely recommend tapping it out well before applying to your lid. I also worked NYX Sahara (dupe for MAC Naked Lunch) along the lashline, inner corner and under the brown to lighten up. This ended up being a little more dramatic and bold than I normally do during the daytime, especially as a glasses wearer, but I was pretty pleased with it anyway!

 Products Used:

Lancome Teint Idole Foundation in Bisque 2C

NYX Mosaic Powder Blush in 06 Rosey

NYX Sahara

Lancome Color Design 311 You've Got the Look

MAC Sketch

Rimmel Scandaleyes Liner in Nude

Sephora Waterproof Smokey Cream Liner in Must Have (black)

Buxom Amplified Lash Mascara

NYX Brow Cake Powder in 02 Dark Brown/Brown

Sketch FOTD #2

Following the earlier FOTD's high level of vibrancy (for me!), I tried out a toned down use of Sketch by pairing it with a gold shadow on the lid and just blending the two pretty well.

I worked Sketch under my lower lash line, gold into the inner corner, and Kat Von D's Enjoy The Silence (from her True Romance Shadow palette in Saint) on the browbone. I am totally aware my eyeliner job is quite sloppy on this eye! But hey, I can't be the only girl who is flying out of the door on work mornings like a crazy person.

Products Used:
Palladio Cosmetics Herbal Wet/Dry Powder Foundation in Cypress Beige
NYX Mauve Blush
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Sandstorm
NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Dark Brown/Brown
Maybelline Age Rewind Dark Circle Concealer in Light
Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Eyeshadow in Gold
Mac Sketch
Kat Von D Enjoy The Silence Eyeshadow
Revlon Colorstay Liner in Black Brown
Rimmel Scandaleyes in Nude (waterline)
Revlon Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake

What do you guys think? How have you used Sketch? Is it a staple in your makeup bag, too?

LORAC Breakthrough Performance SPF 15 Lipstick in Premiere Swatches, Comparisons and Review

Hello all! Today I'm sharing my review of LORAC's Breakthrough Performance Lipstick in Premiere. This formula has SPF 15, LORAC's signature anti aging complex, and is infused with Vitamin E and Olive Fruit Oil. It's paraben, fragrance, and sulfate free. It's designed to increase cell turnover and make your lips look smoother, and the formula is supposed to resist feathering. I don't usually have a problem with that, but hey, good to know.

The Premiere shade is described by LORAC as a soft rose. It's a pretty accurate description, although I find it has a bit of mauve to it. The formula is creamy and glides on really easily. Its extremely comfortable to wear and actually makes my dry patches and flakes look better, not worse. It's moisturizing properties are evident and appreciated by this dry-lipped girl. A lot of lipsticks with SPF seem to irritate my lips (anyone else?!), and this one doesn't at all. Bonus!

I was recently thinking that Premiere reminds me quite a bit of Rimmel Airy Fairy/MAC Creme Cup. The left swatch is Premiere, and the right is Airy Fairy. Premiere is a bit darker with the same amount of swipes, and has more red to it. Airy Fairy has a bit more blue. They are still pretty similar, both on the hands and lips.

Overall, I really love the formula of the LORAC Breakthrough Performance lipsticks. I think they look great and feel great, and are supposed to be keeping my lips from aging all the while. What more can a girl ask for? They are a little pricy at $22 a pop, but I have no complaints about its performance. I think this is a great formula and would definitely pick up another shade (It Girl and Nude Scene both caught my eye!) if I felt like splurging or next time a 20% VIB Sephora or Ulta coupon comes around.

Have you tried LORAC's Breakthrough Performance lipsticks?

XO
Beauty Cents

Revlon Lip Butters Swatches And Review: Strawberry Shortcake, Peach Parfait and Sweet Tart

I might possibly be the last person on the face of the earth to buy one of Revlon's Lip Butters, but thanks to Ulta's 40% off sale for Revlon, NYX, Almay and Physicians Formula this week, I am now the proud owner of multiple! Revlon's Lip Butters promise to moisturize while providing a lot of pigment. My lips are often chapped, and it drives me crazy when my lipsticks fade and accentuate any flaking I have going on. Even when I use lip balm prior, this still happens to me with some lipstick formulations. So, a pigmented lipstick with serious moisturizing properties is VERY appealing to me.

First, the packaging is so adorable. It's not terribly sturdy like my more expensive lip products, but is totally acceptable for drugstore makeup.

I chose three Lip Butters in Strawberry Shortcake, Peach Parfait, and Sweet Tart. I always tend to buy pinks, mostly on the lighter side, so Strawberry Shortcake looked like an obvious choice. Peach Parfait is a little out of my norm, but I have seen some great reviews on other blogs, so I figured I'd give it a go. Sweet Tart seemed a little punchier than my usual picks, and since these are supposed to be more sheer and less of a commitment than a traditional lipstick, I felt bold enough to try it out.

Top to bottom: Strawberry Shortcake, Peach Parfait, and Sweet Tart

Strawberry Shortcake on my lips is a light, cool-toned pink with slight purple undertones. In some lights its true pink, kind of Barbie. It starts off sheer but is very buildable. This is about three swipes. I feel like the shine of it makes it more wearable than if the same color was in a traditional lipstick. It brightens up my face and I am so excited about this one!

Here we have Peach Parfait. It's a warm apricot with gold glitter, which you can slightly see in the shot. It really is a very respectable nude lip for those who don't want obvious corpse-nude lips but just a neutral lip to go with a heavier eye or cheeks or a generally toned down look. I find myself pulling for this when I used to pull for Rimmel's Nude Delight (or MAC Shygirl) but just want something a little less orange. For reference, this swatch is 2-3 swipes.

Finally, Sweet Tart! This one is so adorably bold. I think it is a bit more red in person but is just as bright in the photo. It is a reddish pink with cool undertones. I think this is a color I would be a little cautious or hesitant to wear in a traditional formula on a day to day basis, but again, this formula just makes it way more comfortable and wearable for me. This is the most pigmented of the bunch, but this is also a couple of swipes. This is a great pop of color with a simple look and I am really glad I took the plunge and picked it up! While you can't tell in this photo, this color does fade a bit to a more matte finish than the other two.

General Review: I think the Lip Butter formula ROCKS! They really are moisturizing. It is such a blessing to not have to always worry about lip prep when I want to wear a colored product. It takes the stress out of the weekday routine, for sure, because these don't accentuate dry patches (Sweet Tart does slightly after wearing off and I really feel like my lips are in better shape for having worn them for the past week.

The staying power on these are better than your average lip balm or gloss but do need to be reapplied every 3-4 hours and after eating/drinking. They are very comfortable to wear and are not sticky, gloopy, or thick on the lips like a lip gloss. They feel much more like a lip balm, but provide a really awesome shine in addition to their pigment.

On the whole, I am really thrilled I picked these up and I would definitely buy additional shades that catch my eye. Pick these up when you can, if you haven't already!

XO
Beauty Cents

FOTD: On Trend, Office Friendly Spring Turquoise Liner

Hey everyone!

I am seeing blue, green, and purple liners all over the place on YouTube for the spring, especially on the lower lash line. Here's my take using MAC Steamy shadow as a liner:

I used gold on the lid, tan in the crease, and MAC's Steamy, a great frosty turquoise shadow on my lower lid as well as halfway through my lash line. I followed the blue out under my winged eyeliner for a little oomph that still felt office appropriate!

Have you tried this trend?

Products Used:
Garnier Miracle Skin Perfecter for Oily/Combo in Light/Medium
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder 
Laura Mercier Eyeshadow in Camo
Laura Mercier Eyeshadow in Cafe au Lait
MAC Eyeshadow in Steamy
Tarte SmolderEyes liner in black
Buxom Amplified Lash Mascara in black
NYX Brow kit in medium/dark
NYX blush in Mauve

XO,
Beauty Cents
 

Current Lipstick Faves: Rimmel Edition

Hi everyone!

I have been on such a lipstick kick lately. While I've always had a few staples in my makeup bag, I've never been a big lipstick person. I finally hopped on the lipstick train, however, and in my attempt to try a variety of colors and finishes, scoured the drugstore for promising yet budget friendly options. 

I am currently loving these two shades, both by Rimmel. They are Airy Fairy 070 from the Lasting Finish Line, and 101 from the Lasting Finish by Kate Moss line.

 Swatched: Airy Fairy on top, 101 Kate on bottom

 

I wound up with Airy Fairy because it has pretty much a cult following. It is supposed to be a dupe for MAC's Creme Cup, which I have seen in many YouTube makeup tutorials and always thought it was really pretty on fairer skin. So when I saw this hard-to-find shade at my Walgreens, I snatched it up and LOVE it! It wears really well and is a great "my lips but better" type color. It is a pinky nude that doesn't highlight my often chapped lips. I keep swiping this on when I have done a heavier cheek or eye and its the perfect complement.

 

Next is shade 101 from the Kate Moss collection. This is from the Lasting Finish collection, not to be confused with the matte collection. For differentiation, the Lasting Finish line has red packaging, while the matte line comes in black. Anyway, 101 is a great medium, blue toned pink. It wears just as well as the regular Lasting Finish line. It's bright without being too Barbie, Nicki Minaj-ish. I love having the little pop of color and I like to pair this with a clean winged liner look.

What are your current lipstick faves?

XO

Beauty Cents