Year: 2013

Winging it out: Winged Eyeliner for Weird Fold-y Eyes

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After “Eye Month,” or this blog’s month-long special on eye makeup, I really felt like I had a good grasp of my eye shape and how to work with it. As I’ve detailed in this post, My Ocular Affliction, aside from typical Asian eyes (save for a monolid), I had a weird fold on one eye that didn’t match the other. This made for a difficult time when I want to wear my eyeliner a certain way. Since then, I’ve figured out how to create a subtle wing without making myself look like an asshole. By starting the eyeliner from the middle of the eye, I can trick people into thinking that my eyeliner is even, even though it’s not: You can add a little flick on the outer corners by angling the line upward and outward. For more definition (though this will highlight the difference in eye shape), you can also connect this upper line to a line on your lower lash line. If you were wondering, I used the TONYMOLY Backstage Gel Liner …

TONYMOLY Backstage Gel Liner in Diva Grey*

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And for my next trick—a gel liner! The Backstage Gel Liner is one of TONYMOLY’s bestselling products, and I can totally see why. It applies smoothly and opaquely, and the liner itself is creamy to the touch. Once it sets, however, it won’t budge. The color I got was #11 Diva Gray, but they have a lot of color offerings that I am keen to try once I use up a gel liner or two. #11 Diva Gray is a midtone, steely grey with a smattering of glitter. This formula is waterproof and long-wearing—definitely one of the better ones I’ve tried! It’s a pretty dark-enough color for some definition and a little fun (hello, little wing!) but it’s not as harsh or dark as a black liner would be. The packaging is a hit-or-miss for me, though I suppose it’s good for travel. While I don’t like the complicated, unbalanced shape (wide at the bottom, super narrow at the top), I do appreciate that the narrow end is a built-in applicator. It’s quite a good …

Unboxing & First Impressions: Le Métier de Beauté Beauty Vault VIP October 2013 Box

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Inside Le Métier de Beauté’s Beauty Vault VIP box for October is a skincare item: the Peau Vierge Complexion Serum & Dark Spot Corrector. I wasn’t planning on using this because I just read the “dark spot corrector” part, but thank the Lord for accompanying literature. A while back, LMdB challenged beauty lovers to use their Dark Spot Corrector for 28 days with a promise to deliver visible results. I don’t really have a problem with dark spots, but I do have some skin issues that I wanted to take care of. “Just what your skin ordered; a complexion pick-me-up created to energize your skin. It is an all over Complexion Serum, an Anti-Aging Treatment, Skin Tone and Texture Rebuilder, and Dark Spot Repair Cream.” I think that’s A LOT to promise, and when that happens, I tend to lower my expectations because there are things that can’t be that good. Aside from a “dark spot corrector,” this serum claims to improve skin complexion, be an anti-wrinkle and fine line treatment, rebuild/even out skin tone …

FairyDrops VolumeBurst Mascara (Film Type)

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Here’s a quick review of FairyDrops VolumeBurst Mascara (Film Type), which I got way back in April when I went to Japan. I only opened it fairly recently, as I was trying to finish up some mascaras before cracking open a new one. Predictably, I was super excited to use it, but I quickly found out that the formula was way too goopy for me. Dejected, I set this aside and didn’t really reach for it all that much, but determined, I wanted to see if I could make it work for me. FairyDrops is kind of like an elusive unicorn, especially for mascara-lovers in the Western side of the world. To my knowledge, very rare shops carry (or have carried) this brand, but those who have tried this favored it over other mascara formulas. I randomly picked this one up, without knowing which type it was, but the VolumeBurst mascaras don’t seem to be the most raved-about formulas from the FairyDrops range. I think these mascaras are identifiable by their weird, caterpillar wands, comprised …

Stylenanda 3CE One Color Shadow in Saturn*

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My makeup heart is always attracted to eyeshadow, even though I already have too much. I’m so pleased to have gotten one from my bntgirls beautybox. Here’s a Stylenanda 3CE One Color Shadow in Saturn. It’s a new release, part of the Shimmer range of 3CE eyeshadows. There are three other finishes: matte (natural), lustre (dimension & glow), and sparkling (dewy & youthful). Stylenanda claims that the characteristics of the shimmer eyeshadows as fine-textured eyeshadows will look great on Asians for “structured, glamorous makeup.” All of the shadows are a one-touch eyeshadow color—if I’m not mistaken, they are marketed as eyeshadows you can wear on their own. Right off the bat, the quality is pretty amazing, just judging by texture and feel. I didn’t realize just how red Saturn was until I pulled out a color I had that I thought to be similar to it: On the left is 3CE’s Saturn. On the right, we have 203 Burgundy, which is a Water Eyeshadow from Kiko Make Up Milano. Side-by-side, they look identical, but they …

Unboxing: BDJ Box October 2013*

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I know I just did an unboxing post, and I don’t normally do those because I haven’t really been buying subscription boxes or much of anything, really. However, I received the October 2013 BDJ Box and it’s a pretty awesome one, I thought I ought to share it, immediately. Like some of their most popular boxes, this month’s box is brand-centric, this time filled with products by Maybelline. I haven’t bought Maybelline products in a while, since I’m steering my makeup purchases towards a more cruelty-free direction, but I can attest to the quality of most of their products, especially their mascara and lip products. Without further ado, here’s what BDJ Box subscribers have in store this month: There’s a lot of ground to cover, so I’ll hop right to it. Named Express It: Queen of Extreme, this Maybelline exclusive box wants to bring out your regal side with full and voluminous lashes using their Volum’Express Rocket Mascara (Php 399). I’ve always wanted to try this mascara, so I’m pretty excited! Also for some definition …

Verikos Ultra Matte Velvet Primer*

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Today, I have a review on the Verikos Ultra Matte Velvet Primer*, which is something I got from my bntgirls beauty box. It claims to cover pores and control sebum (oil), like a usual primer would. Product Description: “Porous powder gives light and silky texture while absorbing excessive sebum from the skin to balance the moisture and oil of the skin. The oil-free primer tones the skin texture and corrects the skin tone without causing irritation Tocophery lacetate and Retinyl Palmitate removes harmful free radicals from the skin for healthier skin tone. Also, GLA from evening primrose oil and polyphenol from the green tea seed oil helps to protect the skin.” Pretty lofty claims, if you ask me! Let’s see how well it fares. First of all, this primer is not like the primers I’ve used in the past. It’s not very silicone-y and I was a little worried that it would feel heavy on the skin. However, if you work it into your skin well, it eventually sets to a velvety finish. There is …