{Empties} June 2011 (+ Bonus Hit Pans!)

Hi guys! Sorry it took so long to get this post out. I underestimated how many mini reviews I would have to write lol! I've decided to do empties on a monthly basis from now on. Enjoy! Click on any links for more information and more in depth reviews!



Sally Hansen Teflon Tough Top Coat
A good top coat, very shiny, and makes my nails not chip for I would say almost a week. Not as great as Seche Vite, but for the price, a good option. What I really like about it is that it dries very very quickly, within two minutes.

Aquafina Intensive Under Eye Cream
This is a very good eye cream if you're looking for a very thick, rich under eye cream. It moisturizes very very well. That being said, this is the stupidest packaging I've ever had to deal with. The cream is very thick, so it does not sink to the bottom of the container, which means the pump can't pump it up. I would use a little spatula to scoop out as much as I could into a sample container and use it that way. Good cream, but packaging makes use very annoying.

Almay Clear Complexion Concealer
I like this concealer for its coverage, but as far as treating acne, I didn't notice any difference in my skin after continued use, and I really did only use this on pimples. The formula is a bit thicker than other concealers, so if you're used to think, liquid concealers this one may not be for you. It does blend out very well though.

Essie Mini Nail Polishes in Turning Heads Reds (Bottom) and Fearless (Top)
I loved these colors so much, especially for my toes. Fearless was the color that really got me interested in bright shades for nails. I;m not keen on the mini bottles though. I got through about 2/3 of these and then the rest kinda dried out, including the applicator. I've got the same problem with the OPI minis. They're nice if you wanna try out some nice shades, but if you buy them in 4's I would say save your money and buy two full size shades instead.

Maybelline Cool Effect Shadow Liner in On The Rocks
I loved this color. It's a deep, warm brown with a bit of shimmer to it. I also loved how long it lasted. Without a primer all over the lid it lasted until I took it off with absolutely no creasing at all. I was very surprised at this level of long wear from a drugstore brand. My issue with it is that the product dries out very very quickly. I bought it and used it for two weeks daily, went to sharpen and had the entire stick fall out of the tube.


See? Nothing in there. I've never even sharpened it once! I was so disappointed because I bought this brand new at full price from Walgreens. It's not like I picked it up from Big Lots or something, this was a brand new one. I think I may try out the NYX Jumbo pencils and see how they match up.

Petites Nail Polish in Sapphire
I wore this so much in spring! I love the shade, it's a super super shimmery blue jean kinda color. Very pretty and super affordable at only $2. I think one of the Dior Fall 2011 shades looks very similar to this one too!



Jordana Clear Mascara
I like how affordable this brow gel is for me. It keeps my brows in place all day without flaking or looking white. What I hate about it is after just three weeks it starts getting really really dirty.


Gross, right? I use go through about one a month because even though there is enough left for almost 2 weeks of use, i just feel gross using it. At a dollar a month though, it doesn't really hurt much.

Revlon Creme Gloss in Strike A Rose
I loved this gloss. It's the first gloss I've finished in ages. It's a bit thicker than a traditional gloss, but it's marketed as more of a liquid lip color. I did a full review, so if this seems like your type of product, check it out!

Almay Intense i Color Volumizing Mascara
I forget which eye color this was for, but it's the purply maroon color. It is a very nice day mascara. i hated it when I first got it because it was a bit too wet and would clump, but like with many other mascaras, when it dries out a little it worked perfectly, giving very nice and feathery lashes. I kinda wish I had bought the black though. The maroon was just a little lighter than I like my lashes.

Smashbox High Definition Concealer
This is an awesome all purpose type of concealer. I swear, there is nothing it can't do. It's thin but very pigmented texture makes it ideal for covering anything from pimples to dark circles and I've even mixed it with a bit of moisturizer to create a tinted moisturizer on the go. It blends effortlessly and never looks obvious. A bit pricey, but a very good buy.

Essie Mini Top Coat
I love Essie polishes, and when it comes to finish, they beat OPI in the shine department, which makes this top coat a solid buy. It's not as great at keeping nails from chipping as Seche Vite, but it is easily just as shiny. Again, however, the mini polishes dry out way way way too quickly.



H20+ Body Oasis Intensive Hydrating Gel
I've already done a full review of this product, and unlike many other H2O+ products, this one was a disappointment. It just left this sticky film on the skin that made me feel very uncomfortable on top of the fact that it wasn't very hydrating to begin with. If you're interested, read the full review for my complete thoughts.

The Body Shop Jolly Orange Shower Gel
As a shower gel this product performed, but the scent for me was kinda just meh. After using their Satsuma Body Butter for a few months, the scent of this spicy orange just isn't that good. I love how fresh Satsuma smells and compared to it Jolly Orange is a bit cloying. It did get me feeling very clean, though, and it's great for shaving too!



Noxema The Original Deep Cleansing Cream
I love this! Enough said. Read here and here for why lol!


Totally gone! I've already picked up another one, too!

Nivea Natural Beauty Daily Peeling
I really liked this cleanser. It's a nice lathering cleanser, but it's also a very gentle but effective exfoliate. This cleanser succeeded in joining cleansing and exfoliating where others have completely failed (see next review lol). The abrasives in this cleanser are very very fine, but densely packed in the cleanser where as other cleansers of this type have small particles that are more spread apart and therefore less effective. The only criticism I can give this product is that there is little that is natural about it. Don't be fooled by the "Natural Beauty" title. If you look at the ingredients list it is packed to the brim with very unnatural ingredients. Just because it contains one or two natural ingredients doesn't make this a better choice than other cleansers. It is very effective and that's why I do recommend this product highly. It got my skin feeling very smooth and very clean in one go.

Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash Redness Soothing Gentle Scrub
As a face wash this is a good cleanser, but to me it's not really a true scrub. The particles are these little round beads that are just too sparse to do much good as a scrub. They are suspended in a cream cleanser, which is an ideal choice for many sensitive skins. If you are looking for something that lathers really well, this isn't it. It is lightly scented and really relaxing to use. I didn't really notice any difference in redness, though.

And for some pan porn:

Hopefully some of these will show up on next months empties!

{Summer Must Haves} Lip Stain!

Cover Girl Outlast Lip Stain in 420 Sassy Mauve and Laura Mercier Lip Stain in English Rose (LE).

So instead of doing one massive summer must haves post, I thought I would break it apart by category, starting with lip stains. I'm not a huge lip person, I usually play up my eyes, but in the summer when it's soooo hot, it's a lot simpler to do a stronger lip than to do a stronger eye.

I don't own many lip stains, only three actually including my Urban Decay lip stain that's not pictured because I couldn't find it lol, but I do have to say that there's a lot to choose from. If you're on a budget, the Cover Girl Outlast Lip Stains are great. There's a wide variety of colors from light pinks to deep plums and reds. If you have a bit more money to spend and are looking for something that is not liquid, Laura Mercier's lip stains are a good option as well.


Cover Girl Outlast Lip Stain in 420 Sassy Mauve and Laura Mercier Lip Stain in English Rose (LE).

As far as applicators go, the felt tip marker on the Cover Girl certainly makes application fun and more importantly precise. I like how easy it is to get into all the little nooks and crannies to get a really full lip going. On the other hand, the tip does have a tendency to dry out. I store this marker with the felt tip pointing down and every so often I spritz the tip with some water to keep it moist.

The Laura Mercier stain isn't really a stain. It's more of a heavily pigmented longer lasting lipstick in a pot. I think by stain they meant that it's to be applied using the staining technique (use a finger to dot the product on for a stained look). I did a full review here (and posted a better swatch here), but as you can tell just by looking at the creamy product, it's not going to last all day. I still like it for the summer because the formula is waxier and does last longer.

Swatches:

CoverGirl Outlast Lip Stain in 420 Sassy Mauve and Laura Mercier Lip Stain in English Rose (LE).

I only have a couple of minor complains about the Cover Girl stain. One is that it tends to apply patchy if you have any dead/dry skin on your lips. Also, although it is long lasting, it doesn't last all day, especially if you wear the stain at it's full intensity. After eating it does sometimes leave the outer edge of my lips looking a bit darker than the inner. Other than that, it's a great stain!

The stain that I didn't picture is the Urban Decay Lip Envy Lip Stain in Envious (see it here on the Urban Decay site). I really like this stain because it's not a marker applicator which can dry out. It comes in a little container that holds the liquid stain and you apply it with a little felt tip that you dip into the product. I like this a lot better because there is no drying out. I'll post a picture when I find it.

And I know that the Laura Mercier Lip Stain was limited edition, but there are tons of stains to choose from at any budget, so you really shouldn't have much trouble finding something in a similar shade. Thanks for reading! More coming soon!

EOTD: Parisienne Chic With Laura Mercier

So I was at a conference this weekend that I had to dress business casual to, so I decided to do a smoky-ish not too over the top sophisticated look inspired by French makeup. All of the color products used are from Laura Mercier. I used my custom palette (reviewed here) so it was very compact and convenient!





Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Laura Mercier Blush in Rose Bloog (crease)
Laura Mercier Eyeshadow in Vanilla Nuts
Laura Mercier Eyeshadow in Rose
Laura Mercier Eyeshadow in Deep Night
Laura Mercier Eyeshadow in Black Plum
Lancome Difinicils Mascara in Black

Updated Swatch: Laura Mercier Lip Stain in English Rose (LE)

A loooooong time ago, I reviewed Laura Mercier's lipstain in English Rose, a limited edition lippie from one of her spring collections. The swatches, I will admit, were pretty horrid. The lighting was very yellow and very far from accurate. Here are some better swatches. The original review can be found HERE.


Top is heavy application, bottom is light. This is about as accurate as I could get. It is a teeeny bit warmer in real life, but my camera would not pick it up :( I know, it's a LE product, but it's stunning and if you can find it online, definitely pick it up!

Hit Pan! Mini Review + Swatches of My Laura Mercier Palette

So I finally hit pan in a lot of my Laura Mercier eyeshadows. I bought the palette and the pans at Sephora around Christmas last year and thought, based on the huge eyeshadows, that I'd never finish any of them. Much to my surprise, except for the blush and one eyeshadow, I've dented all of them!!! I always feel so accomplished when I hit pan just because it proves to me that I'm not just hoarding makeup. I'm actually using it, you know? I know many other makeup lovers out there feel the same way. It's like you buy, and you buy, and you buy, and one day you look up and you're like, "What the heck happened!? How did I get THIS much makeup!?" I've really been focusing lately on finishing a few products as opposed to using a little bit of everything I own, and it's working!

Ok, so back to the palette. One of the reasons I chose to buy this palette from Laura Mercier because it reminded me so much of Bobbi Brown's customizable palette. They're both dark, come in a variety of sizes, and you can fill them with whatever shades you want. In my opinion you get much more variety with the Bobbi Brown palette as you can also put in cream foundation, concealer, and lip colors (with overs so they don't get gross!) while with the LM palette you're limited to eye and cheek powders, as well as some cake liners. However, I do like LM products very much and decided to try it out. Be prepared for a ton of pics, too!!!


One downside of the packaging--shows every single print and smudge. The upside? It's a dark color (dark shimmery reddish brown black) that is very simple, sophisticated, and elegant. I wish it was black, but that's just my preference. It also comes with a really big mirror which is very convenient.

Here's the inside:

I got the one that fits six powders--there's also one that fits three. I only bought five to put in the palette, and they were crazy expensive. One of the huge downsides of these customizable palettes is that each part costs a lot. Each eyeshadow was $22, the blush was $24. I was going to get a cake liner in black for $22, but they were out. The actual palette was only $10 (the one that fits three is also $10).

Here are the shades I got:

Vanilla Nuts is just a matte beige:




Deep Night is a purple based black:



It looks like it's got shimmer, but it's just matte. I've been using this one and the next one, black plum, which is actually a dark brown, as eyeliners (by applying them with a damp brush), which is why they look kinda weird.

Black Plum, unlike the name, is actually a matte, cool brown:




Rose is a light pink with golden shimmer:



It looks really nice with Black Plum (the brown) if layered into the crease.

And finally, Rose Bloom, which is my lone blush:

It really is more orange than rosy.



Some swatches:

L to R, Vanilla Nuts, Rose, Rose Bloom, Black Plum, Deep Night.

As you can see, with the exception of the Rose eyeshadow, they are all really nice matte shades. One thing I really like about the eyeshadows especially is how pigmented by hard they are. A lot of eyeshadows, while pigmented, are really soft and tend to crumble. I've got no such problem with these. I just barely touch the powder with a brush and there's enough for wear, which is great cause they'll definitely last. While this is great for the eyeshadows, you kinda have to be a bit more careful with the blush. It is very pigmented so it's easy to apply too much. And this stuff is pretty heavy duty, so fixing a mistake like that is difficult. On the other hand, the lasting power of these blushes and eyeshadows is superb. I put them on in the morning and they are there till I take them off. Often times, when I apply an eyeshadow with a damp brush as a liner the lasting power is not so good, but with Deep Night, if I apply a winged liner in the morning, it lasts and lasts. Overall, Laura Mercier products are of great quality and I highly recommend them. There are a lot of great shades to choose from in different finishes, not just matte, so there is something for everyone. And I have to say that the fact that the product ingredients were listed right on the site was very helpful! There are also some hints for application withe just about every single product, so check them out here. Wow, I just realized this wasn't such a short review, haha!

Info:

Price (eyeshadow): $22

Price (blush): $24

Price (palette): $10

Ingredients (eyeshadow): Talc, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Zinc Stearate, Mica, Silica, Dimethicone, Isonoyl Isononanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethiconol, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate, Synthetic Beeswax, Tetrasodium EDTA. (+/-): CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 77510 (Ferric Ferrocyanide), CI 75470 (Carmine), CI 77007 (Ultramarines).

Ingredients (blush): Talc, Dimethicone, Nylon-12, Methicone, Zinc Stearate, Silica, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Lauroyl Lysine, Squalane, Phenoxyethanol, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Silk Powder (Serica), Propylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Seed Extract, Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499). (+/-): Carmine (CI 75470), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Ferric Ferrocyanide (Ci 77510), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Red 30 Lake (CI 73360), Red 6 (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140).

Disclosure: The products featured in this post were bought by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.

Review: Laura Mercier Lip Stain in English Rose

Ok, so this review is for the Laura Mercier Lip Stain in English Rose, which is a Limited Edition shade I actually acquired through a swap. I went through a lip stain phase last summer after trying Benefit's Benetint. Combine this with my addiction to mauve-y lip colors, and you've got a hit!!! Well, almost...





Here's a swatch on my hand:

As you can see, you can go really really sheer, or you can layer it on for a deeper, more done look.

Here is a very thin coat on my lips:


And here it is layered on:


Firs off, I am absolutely loving this shade. I don't know how well you can see the shade on my swatch, but there's a great one from KarlaSugar here. I'm really loving this shade! It's mauvy but not grandma-ish. Anyhow, I should start off by telling you that these aren't really lip stains. They are more moisturizing lipsticks than lipstains, as they do not stain your lips. They do, however, last longer than your average lipstick. The reason I think they do is that they are a bit thicker and more moisturizing, so you won't rub your lips as much, wearing away the color.

The actual formula is great. One of the reasons I do not wear lipstick often is that it tends to dry out my lips, leaving them looking all crumbly and peeling (ewwww!), but I do not have the same problem with these lip stains. Also, they don't have much of a smell or a taste, so if you are one of those people who hate scented/flavored lip products, you should definitely check these out! One more major pet peeve: it is packaged in a pot. Now, I do have a lip brush that I carry with me, but come on, be honest: how often are you in a hurry and just dip your finger in? Most of the time I do not have the time to stop, find a mirror, break out a lip brush and apply the product, so even if dipping my finger into the product grosses me out, I'll still do it. The size of this thing is also a plus. You get a nice looking/feeling glass jar that holds 0.21 oz of product!!!!! Usually, lipsticks are somewhere in the vicinity of 0.12 0z, so if this is a substitute for a red lipstick, for instance, it really will last you a lot longer as you get more product, and a little bit really goes a long way.

Tip: Try applying this OVER a clear gloss. I know this sounds weird (over? why not the opposite?),but it really does make a difference in the look. If you lightly apply it to you lips over a clear gloss, gently blending it in with a brush, you get a much lighter looking application than the other way around, but with the same color. One of my pet peeves is how when you wear lipstick under a gloss, it tends to look goopy, like you're wearing too much. If you apply this product (or any tubed lipstick-just use a brush) over a gloss, the look is much more flattering.

Anyhow, check out these babies if you're in the market for a long lasting lipstick. If you're looking for a real lipstain, however, beware!!!

Info:

Price: $20 (retail, o.21 oz)

Ingredients: Polybutene, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Triethylhexanoin, Glyceryl Dilaurate, Dicalcium Phosphate, PEG-7 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Candelilla Cera, Octyldodecanol, cera Microcristallina, Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate, Mica, Ethylene/Propylene Copolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylcellulose, Tocopheryl Acetate, Propylparaben, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Achillea Millefolium Extract, BHT. May Contain (+/-): (CI 77891), (CI77491), (CI 77492), (CI 77499), (CI 75470), (CI 15850), (CI 45410), (CI 19140), (CI 15985), (CI 42090), (CI 73360), (CI 45380).

Disclosure:The product featured in this post was bought by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.