Tell Me How You Feel....Part 3

Greetings!

It is almost the weekend and once again here is another installment of a discussion post.  This week I want to know how important is it to you that you have good skin.  When I type "good skin" I mean a face with little to no blemishes, little scar marks, dark spots, things of that sort.  I am curious to know because recently I met a woman who said that having good skin was irrelevant to her, all she needs is for her makeup to look good.  *crickets*  Whilst her face is reminiscent of a porous planet in our solar system.......cough.......Saturn.........cough........lol 

Now I know that a part of having a flawless makeup application is having great skin, a smooth enough surface that will enhance your beauty and not diminish it by trying to cover up texture and other underlying face issues.  In my humble opinion I think having great skin is actually better than having all the NARS products that I can fit in my makeup kit because I know at the end of the day it's my face that I have to live with and I am making sure that I preserve it so that I'm looking tight in my 60s! lol 

What I do think is that a lot of woman contribute their confidence to the makeup they have as if having that certain holy grail product saves them from having to actually face the dark circles they see every morning.  I take great pride in taking care of my skin and making sure that I am not too dependent on the crutch of cosmetics.  I can honestly say that I feel just as beautiful walking around the city without makeup as I do with it on, why? because I know that makeup comes off and it is really the person inside that makes you exude beauty, not that limited edition blush.  But alas, that is my sole opinion.  I want to hear yours!

What is more important to you?  Good skin? or Flawless makeup application?  or  Do you think they go together?  Tell me in the comments!  :)

Urban Decay Rollergirl Palette--The Deets

Greetings!

I hope everyone is enjoying hump-day and looking forward to their weekend plans! :)  As for me, I look forward to burying my head in a sea of research journals and books preparing for a huge paper that I have due at the end of the semester (extreme sarcasm).  Well, it must be done!  But in between that writing I will be hauling and scouring the internet for awesome makeup finds that I haven't tapped into yet.  Just recently this scouring led me to the annual Urban Decay Friends & Family sale that allows consumers 20% off all purchases including sale items!  Of course I took advantage of this because I already knew that some of their sale items were already cheap and with the added bonus of 20% off I couldn't resist.

I was surely surprised when I happened upon this sale because it wasn't really marketed as much as it usually is which surprised  me because I know so many devoted fans to the brand.  *shrugs*  More for me I guess. lol

I hauled two items which I will be separating in two posts because of time constraints at the moment but I know you all don't mind.  This post is dedicated to the Rollergirl palette that normally retails at around $36 but with it being in the sale section of the site and with an added 20% off I got it for about $11.50.  I squealed in excitement too because I was always interested but never willing to dish out that much money.

Here's the product packaging:

Front View

Back View

Binding View

I really appreciate Urban Decay for gracing the cover of this palette with a Black woman that is donning natural hair.  It lets me know that they know who their consumers are and appreciate us for helping make their brand a staple in the makeup community.  Kudos!  I always like how Urban Decay's palettes are like books in that they have sturdy binding and decorative covers and this was no different.

Now let's get to the good stuff:

Here lays the beauty that is within, lol.  The palette consists of four eyeshadows, (from left to right) Woodstock, Verve, Suspect, and a repeating culprit, Darkhouse, one of my favorite and also limited edition eyeliner pencil, Whiskey, and a mini size lip junkie in Crush.

The eyeshadows are all very beautiful and extremely pigmented as is expected of Urban Decay, no surprise there.  The pencil is smooth and offers good color payoff.  The lip gloss on the other hand is quite sheer though not a deal breaker, what did turn me off is the weird minty/vanilla smell.  I may just end up giving this to my mom who doesn't mind wearing a sheer color on her lips.

Below are swatches:

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Verve

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Suspect

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Woodstock

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Darkhorse

Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner Pencil in Whiskey

Urban Decay Lip Junkie in Crush

Overall, I love this palette!  The packaging is terribly cute and versatile, I look forward to using this on trips for easy access without the hassle of looking for a gazillion single eyeshadows.  Look forward to seeing me use this in a FOTD, when? I don't know, lol.  I would recommend to those who are interested and at a price like $13 (the sale is over but the price is still reasonable) you should!

What do you think?  Yay or Nay?  Do you have this palette already?

Might Not Make It- Wet n Wild H2O Proof Liquid Eyeliner

Greetings!

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend, I know I did!  I spent time at my city's fair with my nephew and had an "interesting" time.  I don't know what it is about going to these things but as I get older I realize how much emphasis I used to put in attending these types of events from the outfit to how much games I won, now I'm just glad to get in a funnel cake without feeling guilty afterward, LOL.  Enough about that, let's get into the review, shall we?

As some of you may know I have been on the search for a decent liquid eyeliner ever since my favorite ran out a couple of months ago and since then I have been on a search for a new favorite.  I first wanted to start on the drugstore brands first and work my way up to the more costly liners.  I happened across this Wet N Wild H2O Proof liquid eyeliner at my local drugstore and figured since it was priced right at $1.99 I'd give it a try.  The color I chose is in Black-Brown, a darkened brown that leans more black than brown.  See for yourself.

One Pass

Two Passes

Let's first start with the obvious, definitely not an opaque liner, even with two passes it was still giving me streaky pay off, a no go for me as I do not have the time to wait for it to dry and then give another passing.  The color is pretty spot on in terms of color name.  There was no scent to this product which is wonderful for those afraid of scented cosmetics, then again, I don't think I've ever heard of scented eyeliner, lol.

Next, is the packaging, pretty weird but I don't really care, I'm more concerned with the product than I am the packaging but for those of you that care, here goes.

The actual product is in the lower half of the packaging and the long silver part is the liner brush/sponge/toothpick.....more on that soon.  I felt with this kind of packaging that I would get a brush applicator but I was sadly disappointed when I pulled it out and saw this:

From your perspective it looks like a soft, felt-tip applicator but in reality it is not.  Applying this to the lids is the equivalent to taking a toothpick to do the job of applying eyeliner.  I was definitely bothered by this because I was expecting more.  It is flexible when swatching but when actually doing the job as eyeliner my eyes were not pleased.  The color was NOT opaque and takes a good 2 minutes to dry.  :(

Now I bet your curious, "Is it really waterproof?"  First of all, this product does not claim to last for a certain amount of time but I took it upon myself to swatch it on my hand at 3PM and check back at 3PM the next day.  Keep in mind I was washing my hands, washing my hair, greasing my scalp, washing dishes, etc.  This did not budge so if you're looking for a waterproof liner this may be it.  Here's how it looks after that 24 hours:

Minor cracking but overall it lasts.  I'm pretty sure that you all wouldn't be wearing liquid liner for 24 hours but I wanted to show you how this product held up to its waterproof claim.  I think it did pretty well.

Overall, I would not recommend this product because of the liner applicator and the lack of color opacity.  I know there is better out there than this and I wouldn't want you to succumb to this. 

So what do you think?  Have you tried this liquid eyeliner before?  Do you use it?  Do you like it/ hate it? 

Revlon Photo Ready Perfecting Primer Review

Greetings!

Remember a few weeks ago when I blogged about my love affair with face primers?  I promised to do a more thorough review once I was able to use it for a while.  Well, I think I got more than enough use out if it and I must say that I am impressed, then again, Revlon rarely disappoints.  Here is what the company says:

Revlon’s NEW primers are lightweight primers that soften skin and diffuse light to help minimize flaws and even out skin texture. It creates a perfect canvas so that your foundation will glide on more evenly and smoothly. Primers can be worn alone or under foundation, and are oil free, talc free, fragrance free, paraben free.

Try Revlon PhotoReady™ Perfecting Primer to soften skin, reduce the appearance of pores and fine lines, and smooth skin texture and tone.

Source 

Yup, everything stated is just about right!  Using this primer made my skin look and feel and look noticeably smoother.  I loved the fact that it didn't have a greasy feeling after application like other face primers can do.  If anything it feels more like a regular skin lotion than a face primer and I like that alot.  There is no scent to it which is good for those that are sensitive to cosmetic scents.  The product comes in a pump much like its foundation counterpart that dispenses just enough product.  

Another thing I really appreciated about this product is that my face was less oily throughout the day.  Normally my face can get oiler in my t-zone later in the day but with this product I was left with a matte face.  Also, I tried using this sans foundation and the results were the same.  My skin was left matte and my pores looked smaller.  

I honestly can't find anything negative to say about this product because it worked so well for me.  If I had to chose a gripe it would be the glass bottle it comes in, this could be a problem for those that travel.  I knew I had that concern when I took it with me on a recent flight.  

The price and availability of this product is decent too.  It can be purchased at your local drugstore between $8 and $11, and if I were you too, I'd get this when Revlon is having their Buy One, Get One 50% sales, that way you can get two, ;).

I hope you all found this review helpful and I really hope that it works as well for you as it did for me.  

What do you think?  Yay or Nay?   

 

Tell Me How You Feel....Part 2

Greetings!

Last week I blogged about the hype surrounding limited edition cosmetic products and how quick they are to sell leaving many of us kicking shrouds of dust around us bitter and disappointed at others "I need to have" mentality.  I was actually surprised at how many of you felt about the topic and I'm glad that I am able to share those thoughts with you.  Since it was received so well I've decided to make it a weekly post here at Cosmetic Diet because frankly, I have alot of thoughts when it comes to beauty and I feel that it will benefit us all if we have a platform to discuss these issues, after all, a pretty face doesn't always mean a pretty mind.  So let's get on with today's topic, shall we?

Imagine yourself walking across the street, face done, hair done, nails done, only to have someone misconstrue your desire to be "done up" with the idea that you're trying to snag a man.  Assuming that most of you don't apply makeup or spend hours at the salon for a man's affirmation of your beauty, I think that others who persistently identify your good looks with trying to find a companion are ridiculous.  Granted, as women, we have the tendency to perhaps spritz that perfume that he likes or wear those bangles he complimented you on the last time you wore them because hey, you like to be admired.  But for the most part, you should be doing these things for you not him, her, or they. 

"Why are you always dressed up all nice like that? "  Why the hell not?!  Who doesn't want to wear nice clothes, look presentable with some blush and mascara?  Instead you may be questioned on your motives and not how your confidence level allows you to stand a little straighter, walk alot stronger, and speak a little louder all because you took the extra time out to make sure that your eyeshadow was blended well.  I cannot describe how these types of questions used to irk me back in undergrad from those who would walk around campus with pajamas and slippers.  Excuse me for having the decency to actually give a damn about my appearance.  At first it would bother me because I felt that maybe I should dress down a bit, but that thought process was quickly dwindled when I thought about the woman that I wanted to be.  I am strong believer in "act the part, be the part," if I look like a milliion bucks, well damn it, I am and who's to tell me otherwise.

I know often in the beauty community many of us get these same comments, questions, and side looks from others because we like the process of enhancing our beauty because we know it can be the difference between being greeted at the door by the help or being mistaken for the help.......

So what do you think about this topic?  Tell me in the comments. :)

Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Banana?......

Greetings!

Recently, I have been inspired by bright colors and the variations among them.  As usual when this happens I make sure to spice things up in my wardrobe and on my nails.  This time I took it to the next level and added glitter, one of my most favorite and most hated beauty accessory.  I absolutely detest anything glitter because of its tendency to stay well after removal BUT I do love how dramatic it can be.  Up until now I hadn't realized just how much my nails resemble candy corn, I swear this was unintentional, lol, but I overall I like the end results.

This week I decided to go with a pearlescent orange that I knew would be dazzling.  This nail color is reasonably priced too at $1.99 at your local drugstore, I purchased mine from Walgreens.  The color is Courtney Orange from the Sinful Colors nail polish line.  I love this line because it offers an array of colors without forcing someone to break the bank.

For the bedazzlement I opted for two Milani nail art colors in Yellow Design and Art of Gold.  These are a little pricier coming in at $4.99 each but if you catch them on sale at your local drugstore than you can probably find these for $2.99...maybe.

Milani Nail Art Lacquer in Art of Gold

Milani Nail Art Lacquer in Yellow Design

So, what do you all think of this week's nail design?  Yay or Nay?

Unintentional Ulta Haul....

Greetings!

Have you ever walked into the store with absolutely no intention on purchasing anything, just to browse and then walk out with enough items to supply a small classroom of children?  Me neither….

Well, the other day I decided to mosey on down to my nearest Ulta to redeem a gift certificate I received in the mail for spending a certain amount of money there in the past year. Yippppeee!  There must have been 20 things on the list to chose from but I decided to go for one of the L’Oreal Riche’s new lip colors in Peach Fuzz.  I was pretty excited about it too, I just knew I was going to be able to resist the Revlon Buy 2, Get 1 Free sale but I failed terribly and caved in and got suckered in to buying Revlon lip products.  I’m pretty glad that I did too because in the midst of it all I was able to patiently chose which colors I wanted in between me pacing back and forth trying to talk myself out of buying yet another lip product.  

I decided to go with two lip glosses and one matte lipstick.  The glosses are Lilac Pastelle and Coral Reef from the Super Lustrous line and the Revlon lipstick from the matte line is in Smoked Peach.  I would say that these fall right in line with a spring cosmetic diet routine since they are light and fresh colors.

From L to R; Revlon Matte in Smoked Peach, Revlon Super Lustrous lip gloss in Lilac Pastelle, L'Oreal Colour Riche in Peach Fuzz and Revlon Super Lustrous lip gloss in Coral Reef

 

Smoked Peach is a shimmery pale peach color with shimmer in it, when swatched and applied the shimmer is not apparent and turns out to be a very pretty peachy-nude color.  Since I am not new to this formula I know these lipsticks to be very comfortable when on the lips, not moisturizing but comfortable and have a good wear time, having at least a 3 hour wear time, not the best but it gets the job done.

Lilac Pastelle is a pale lavender color that goes on milky and if you’re not careful can make you look sickly if worn straight from the tube but if that’s your style……….nothing special here, if you’re a fan of purple lip products like I am then you will find humor in owning this one because it comes a cute package, reminiscent of Chanel gloss packaging, only shorter.  It has a sponge tip applicator which is pretty typical.  There is no noticeable smell and it goes on smoothly.

 

Coral Reef packs a little more color than Lilac Pastelle, from the same line but is still pretty sheer overall.  This is a peachy color, perfect for the spring and summer months, again it comes with a sponge tip applicator and no apparent smell.  I think that this will go well with Smoked Peach.

 

And finally, the product that I actually went into Ulta for.  LOL Besides the packaging the product is bleh, normal price ranges from $7 to $8 depending on your area and let me tell you, I wouldn’t spend $2 on it, not only is it very unnecessary but sheer as well, but hey, if that’s your thing this is right up your alley.  The color is in Peach Fuzz and goes on peachy but really goes on clear if you ask me since it is so sheer.  I’m pretty sure that this product wasn’t intended to deliver opaque coverage but it is pretty in the tube, right?  And plus it was free.99, my favorite price! 

 Below are swatches if you care to see, hope you enjoy!

From top to bottom: L'Oreal Colour Rich gloss in Peach Fuzz, Revlon Super Lustrous gloss in Coral Reef, Revlon Super Lustrous in Lilac Pastelle, and Revlon Matte lipstick in Smoked Peach

And that’s it folks!  Have you hauled anything recently?  Let me know in the comments!

My February 2012 Hit List (Favorites)

Greetings!
This past month I found that I was reaching ALOT for neutrals, typically because I wanted to get some use out of my Urban Decay Naked palette, for the most part it is nice but definitely not a "must have" as so many bloggers will have you believing.  I think you'll be just fine with another palette with less eyeshadows.  Then again, that is is just my opinion....Now for the fun stuff, shall we?

First up we have the Naked palette by Urban Decay, the neutral colors really came in handy on my trip to DC as it was really easy to pick what colors I needed with ease.  The gold/bronzey colors in this palette are super pretty.  I also like the fact that it was really easy to fit in my travel makeup bag!  SCORE!

Next up is Motions Mousse, as an overall brand I really like Motions products and this one in particular is no different.  It keeps my frizziness down and smells wonderful. 

This month I really enjoyed the neutral lip, I've been reaching more for two glosses, MAC Perennial High Style, a peachy-nude color and MAC Liquer, a subdued wine color.  These two go perfect with neutral eyes and a soft blush.

Olive Oil Edge Control is seriously heaven sent!  My edges are uncontrollable but with this product I am able to stay cool without the fear of my edges not laying flat.  It is a clear gel like product but doesn't get hard or flake like other gels.  It smells nice too, as you can tell I am a fan of hair products smelling nice.  : )

NYX Dark Brown long eye pencil is the perfect brown liner, I use mine to first shape my eyebrows before I fill them in.  It applies smoothly and lasts all day.

This past month I really enjoyed playing around with the new Maybelline Eye Studio 24 Hours Tattoo but I fell in love with Bad to the Bronze, it went well with the Naked palette.  It is a pigmented bronze color that delivered a great color payoff that lasted all day. 

And finally, Bath & Body Works body butter in Moonlight Path, had me smelling like a sweet meadow.  Seriously, it is a soft and mild floral scent that lasts all day.  The product is thick, probably thicker than the current body butters currently available since I did get this before they reformulated the body butters.  I'm almost done with mine and I'm afraid that I won't find this scent anymore....BOOOO!

Welp, that's my hit list.  What were some of the items that you enjoyed using this month?  I want to know in the comments.

Tell Me How You Feel....

Greetings!

MAC, Makeup Art Cosmetics, the end all and be all for many beauty junkies for good reason.  The lip colors are great, there's a blush color for everyone, and the MSF's are heaven sent peaces of domed arches.  Despite all of that MAC is always putting out a new collection that gets people anxious and excited to get the "next best thing"--I get it.  You want to get that red lip because it's unlike anything you've ever seen and yet you have a drawer of red lipstick that haven't been used.  You wait in line on your lunch break because you just have to get 4 of those new MSF's that your counter only has five of.  Just like you I love these collections just as much as the next person but what I am really peeved about is the audacity of some people to deliberately purchase half stock only to sell it at a higher market price.  Do you know that I saw a Candy Yum Yum on Ebay for $125 dollars!!  $125.......that's gas money!  Don't get me wrong, everyone is trying to make a buck but I mean, that much for a tube of lipstick is outrageous.

Let's not forget about how quickly MAC sold out of lipsticks from their most recent collection, Shop MAC, only to have it restocked and sold out AGAIN within minutes, I didn't even have a chance.  I am truly amazed about the power of it all, we continue to buy these items and never really use them, I mean do you really need three tubes of Ever Hip??  I guess what I'm saying is,"Can I have a chance?"  LOL

I am really interested in knowing how you feel about this.  Tell me, do you think it is all worth the hype?  Is it worth it?  Is MAC the cosmetic version of the Jordan?  TELL ME HOW YOU FEEL....

Milani, Milani, Milani!

Greetings!

Remember when I told you all that Milani was an awesome brand?  Well, once again, I'm here to sing Milani's praises.  Next up is the Milani Minerals blush, to be honest with you, I had no clue about this line of blushes until they went on sale a few weeks back at CVS for more than 75% off, with a deal like that I couldn't resist.  So I trekked on over to CVS and purchased three that looked promising.  A bit apprehensive because of my recent blush purchase from E.L.F. cosmetics, I went ahead anyways because I'd heard so many great things about it via Twitter.  I was glad to have snatched up the last three because this particular CVS Milani display was wiped out!  To say the least I am VERY HAPPY that these worked out great, the colors I chose were Mai Tai, Sunset Beach, and Sweet Rose. 

From L to R: Mai Tai, Sunset Beach, & Sweet Rose

From L to R: Mai Tai, Sunset Beach, & Sweet Rose

Each blush has a mirror and a brush in a bottom compartment.  The brush is not my cup of tea but the mirror is convenient for those times when you're in a rush to head out. 

On the bottom lists the name of each product and an ingredient list, something that is rare to find on packaging on beauty items.

As you can see, it comes with a decent amount of product with 4.40 g. 

For the most part, the application is smooth and buttery, I really like the fact that the colors aren't too bright for days when you just need a hint of color and not a full on hue.  I would recommend these for those in neutral office environments or for days when you want that simple and fresh faced look.

Here's what it looks like on my skin, I'm a MAC NC50, by the way.

Mai Tai

Sunset Beach

Sweet Rose

Pretty colors, right? I love these! What do you think?  Yay or Nay?

Wet N Wild Has Me Buzzing

Greetings!

I know, I know, I haven't blogged in about a good week and a half and for good reason, let me explain.  I was preparing for mid terms (I am a Master's graduate student) AND I was heading up to go on my spring break to DC, more on that later.  Forgive me?  Good.  Now on to the good stuff.  : )

If you don't already know Wet N Wild has decided to give us beauty lovers six new bright and fantastic MegaLast Lip Colors for the spring.  I was only able to find four of the six but I am very pleased with the four that I do have.  The colors I have are Dollhouse Pink, Purty Persimmon, Don't Blink Pink, & Cherry Picking.  The other two that I don't have are 24 Carrot Gold and Pinkerbell.  At a reasonable price of $1.99 each at your local drugstore I do think that these are a bargain especially since they mimic the colors that even the high end beauty products are offering this season.  Enough of the talk, let's take a look. ; )

From L to R: Dollhouse Pink, Purty Persimmon, Don't Blink Pink, & Cherry Picking

From L to R: Dollhouse Pink, Purty Persimmon, Don't Blink Pink, & Cherry Picking

From my past experience with these lipsticks they have been long lasting, deliver a semi matte finish, and depending on the color can leave a stain.  I haven't tried these on long enough to offer a full review but I will be sure to come back with the deets.  From what I can tell these babies are just like their predecessors in regards to longevity.  Oh and I can't forget the awesome surprise that's on the bottom of these tubes, Wet N Wild listened to their consumers and now has the name of the shades on the bottom.  Before the names were listed on the plastic band that you had to rip in order to open the tube. *insert sad face here*

The only gripe that I have with these as well as other MegaLast Lip Colors is the packaging, I always have to make sure that I don't scrape the lipstick when putting the cap on and off, but for $1.99 I won't complain. And finally, here are swatches of these sweet babies.

From L to R: Dollhouse Pink, Purty Persimmon, Don't Blink Pink, & Cherry Picking

What do you think?  Have you purchased any of the new Wet N Wild products lately?