All posts filed under: Reviews

Drugstore Finds: Maybelline Master Liner & Baby Lips ♥ Color*

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Two quick reviews on two items I received in my October BDJ Box*. I don’t really have much to say about either of them, so I thought I’d lump them together in one post. 🙂 First up, I have the Maybelline Master Liner in BK-1. It’s a standard, retractable black eyeliner that promises to be smudgeproof and creamy. I would actually argue with that assessment, because it was not creamy at all. It’s kind of hard to apply a hard pencil on delicate parts of your eye that are so close to the opening and the eyeball itself. I don’t want to have to apply too much pressure to achieve maximum pigmentation. Unfortunately, I found that to be the case here. In these swatches, the upper, darker one was achieved by a lot of pressure—too much pressure for upper/lower lid application. The lower swatch is indicative of the amount of pay-off I got when I applied the amount of pressure I would if I were to line my upper lashline. It’s not entirely bad—as you …

BECCA Eye Tint in Baroque

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Ever since trying out the BECCA Beach Tint and liking it, I’ve wanted to try out their eye counterpart—the eye tint. I haven’t gotten my hands on any of them, until now. The BECCA Eye Tint “offers adjustable levels of sheer to high pigment color when applied with a brush or finger.” Basically, it’s just a “semi-sheer créme that tints lids with a soft wash of colour.” Judging from my skin tone, I probably should have known that Baroque would be too light for me. Here’s a fairly heavy swatch that I tried really hard to make opaque. I barely blended it out, but I think you can see the color? It’s a cool-toned greige, in my eyes. Look at how much it doesn’t show up, though. I feel like I’m those evil people who sold the emperor his new clothes. Seriously, this is the pigmentation after many layers of Baroque (Baroque? More like b-roke! Boo, I’m not funny.). Barely any color. I guess a great eye product for a “no makeup makeup look,” but …

Drugstore Finds: Maybelline Cheeky Glow in Peachy Sweetie*

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I got this Maybelline Cheeky Glow (a powder blush) in the October BDJ Box. 🙂 I haven’t tried any of Maybelline’s blushes before (at least as far as I remember), so I was pretty curious as to how well it would perform. Peachy Sweetie is a light peachy coral, chock-full of very fine silver shimmer. The shimmer remains visible even when you blend out the blush. I suggest tapping off the brush before application to get rid of the excess glitter. A heavy swatch (top swatch) makes it appear more pink, whereas blended out, the peachiness becomes visible. On the face, it’s quite subdued, but the shimmers are visible up close. I think it would be a pretty everyday color, which is perfect since it’s so cheap. The blush itself is not velvety-smooth or buttery at all, but even the hard powder yields decent color when you swipe it. Packaging is not-s-flimsy, but it is quite “drugstore-looking,” with the white, light plastic as well as the clear plastic top. It’s smaller than higher end blushses …

Recently: Maybelline Volum’Express The Rocket Mascara* & Benefit’s They’re Real! Mascara

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Ah, can you hear that? That’s the sound of disappointment. Not because The Rocket is bad. I’m disappointed because this is another SUPER GOOD and SUPER AFFORDABLE drugstore mascara that I can’t repurchase because of its animal testing policy. I got The Rocket from the BDJ Box this month and I couldn’t wait to crack it open and try it on. Unfortunately, I liked how it looked. Funnily enough its wand is not something I normally like, and though it looks chunky, it actually is easier to wield than it looks. I can get to the hard-to-reach parts of my eyelashes with ease, and the formula is light and not goopy, but it is also not very dry either. I love that it’s super buildable and it doesn’t dry to a crustiness that can’t be retouched or added to, like some mascaras I’ve tried. The Rocket adds volume, holds a curl, and doesn’t clump or make your lashes stick together. It’s also a good mascara to layer with. I’ve used it over another Maybelline Mascara, …

Le Métier de Beauté Precision Liquid Eyeliner in Noir

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The Le Métier de Beauté Precision Liquid Eyeliner, which I got in the first LMdB Beauty Vault Box, costs a whopping $42. Dumbfounded? So am I. While in my book, it’s a beautiful liner that beats no other liquid liner in terms of ease of use, I’m not sure if that price tag is warranted. And so, I was pressed to find out if there is anything else that’s special about this little pen. From the Nordstrom website: Product Description: “More control than ever before in a liquid liner. This long-wearing, smudge-proof formula contains a unique, soft, quill-tipped applicator for precise control and definition. How to use: Apply light pressure for a thin line along upper lash line, or apply firm pressure for a thicker, more dramatic look.” I read through other reviews—this surprisingly got many 5-star raves—and someone said that the quill (or tip, similar to a felt-tip pen with a fine point) was made by Montblanc. That explains a lot. Don’t get me wrong—it’s pretty fantastic. But $42? I don’t know if I …

BECCA Beach Tint in Grapefruit, plus a review revisit

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Today, I’ll be talking about the BECCA Beach Tint that came in the “Best of BECCA” set I ordered a few weeks ago. If you’re new here, BECCA Beach Tints are one of BECCA’s cult products and a personal favorite of mine. Beach Tints are “water-resistant colours for cheeks and lips.” As with most multi-purpose products, I prefer this using this for one purpose, and in this case, it is a much better cheek product than a lip product. The first one I purchased is called Raspberry, and I loved it so much, I got another one, Guava. The one that came in the set is called Grapefruit, and it’s the one on the right, which is similar to Guava, but more orange than Guava’s coral pink. It’s not extremely pigmented, and I honestly wasn’t expecting much mileage or use out of this because on the hand, it looks really blah. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, I suppose, is what I’m saying. However! When I put it on my cheeks, it gives …

Quickie: Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Cream in Berry Blast

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Purchased on a whim, as part of one of my first Sephora order, I got myself this Big & Healthy Lip Cream in Berry Blast. Upon further inspection of the range—of course, after making said purchase—I realize that I would have been happier with another color. Regardless, this is a great lip gloss/cream formula, especially if you are not a terribly big fan of glosses. Product Description: “A creamy, pout-perfecting gloss for voluptuous lips. Tingle, plump, and shine your smile to super-sexy proportions. No shimmer, no glimmer—this creamy lip gloss delivers velvety-smooth color with intoxicating shine. The hyaluronic filling spheres infuse lips with moisture for creamy soft perfection and the look of a full, extra-kissable pout. Vitamins A and E help keep the skin supple, yet protected, and the fun tingling sensation reminds you the gloss is hard at work. Wear alone or over lipstick to create the look of fuller, more voluptuous lips. Formulated WITHOUT: Parabens, Sulfates, Phthalates, GMOs, Triclosan.” Berry Blast is a blindingly bright cool berry shade that swatches quite opaquely. On …