A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

This week feels like it’s dragging… and it’s only Tuesday!!  Let’s have a quick Eye of the Day for a few minutes distraction…

Eyes:

Inner Corner: B Never Too Busy… – B Delight
Lid: BarryM – #88 Winter Berry
Crease: E.L.F Mineral Eyeshadow – Royal
Outer V: NYX Ultra Pearl Mania – Charcoal
Mascara: Rimmel Sexy Curves – Black
Eyeliner (1st Layer): MAC Fluidline – Silverstroke
Eyeliner (2nd Layer): eBay Infinity Liner – Black

Don’t know if it’s the ‘right’ thing to do, but I love layering my eyeliner like this.  I’m a total eyeliner fiend and have so many, it’s surely the only way I’ll ever get through them all!

Seriously, it’s a great way to wear a pop of bright colour along the lashline, without commiting yourself to making a statement with it.  I often wear gold and blue eyeliners in this way.

Ok, that distraction worked for about 40seconds… hurry up Hump Day!

Apologies my lovelies, this post is about 2 weeks late.  I’ll explain why…

After exclaiming my new found love for these el-cheapo gel liners and promising a full review, I wore one of the colour ones and experienced a fair amount of transfer to my upper lid.  Enough to make me rethink whether I should be shouting about them from my virtual rooftop.

I umm’ed and ahh’ed about if for a few days, then promptly forgot they even existed until the weekend whilst playing with rearranging my stash.

I gave two of them another chance and they didn’t move an inch!  Now, the odd thing is this… I wasn’t wearing any primer at the weekend, but I was when they smudged to my upper lid.  However, it may be completely unrelated and I just had particularly oily lids that day or someting bizarro like that.

I’ve already talked about the black… let’s have a little look at the coloured ones I got…

L – R: Shimmer Sky Line, Shimmer Sexy Pink

L-R: Deep Purple, Indigo Blue

Stunning no?

I’ve included the black (from my initial order) in this swatch

Now, I don’t know why they transferred.  Once set on my skin I can run my finger over the top quite firmly and nothing smudges… not even a tiny bit.

Infact, when I tried to wipe them off with one of Leila’s wet wipes, they resisted quite heavily.

Look how hard I had to scrub to remove the pigmentation…

Yes, that is my skin gone all blotchy from the vigourous rubbing and no, they still hadn’t completely faded.  A little bit of makeup remover did the trick.  Infinity Liner indeed.

Swatched on the eye… Clockwise from top-left: Deep Purple, Shimmer Sky Line, Shimmer Sexy Pink, Indigo Blue.

These Infinity Liners are hugely pigmented, soft, creamy and easy to apply.  They take about 30 secs – 1 minute to set and once they do they’re not budging on me despite my best efforts to get them to transfer again.

Infact, as I write this… a thought has occured.  I wonder if *perhaps* there was a slight film of grease or something across the top layer and now that I’ve used them a couple of times and dispersed the grease they’re no longer transferring?  Pure speculation, but I can’t think of any other reasons.  Anddd that doesn’t explain the fact why the black one *does* transfer if I don’t powder it.

My favourite is the Shimmer Sky Line.  It’s positively electric.

Ok, enough of the review already… where did I get them from?

I purchased these from eBay seller CeliaMakeup currently priced at £4.00 each with free delivery.  Delivery is a *little* slow @ just over 2 weeks (my Deal Extreme parcels usually arrive in around 1 week) but they arrived really well-packaged which bodes well for my future orders of those 88 palettes 🙂

I’ve also experienced good customer service from them, I ordered a double-ended eyeliner brush at the same time as my initial order and one end was splayed… they were eager to replace it for me with no problems at all.

Will you be making a purchase?  If so, what colours do you have your eye on?

I wanted to share with you a little discovery I made about a month ago on eBay.  I was checking out some of those 88 palettes from China when I came across a seller with a small range of gel eyeliners priced at around £3.80 each inc. p&p.

I bought one in black along with a long handled flat-top kabuki style brush.

Now, I’ll preface this by saying that I didn’t really hold out much hope that the liner would be any good.  This isn’t the first time I’ve bought gel eyeliners off the Bay, and they are mostly non-setting, non-pigmented greasy affairs as if someone has mixed together a splodge of vaseline and a sprinkling of coal dust.

Imagine my suprise when it turned out to be pretty darn decent!

The first photo was taken when it arrived about a month ago… the second a couple of evenings ago.  You can tell I’ve got some use out of it!

It’s a deep dark nicely pigmented black shade with no shimmer or glitter.  Consistency is thin and spreadable (much like MAC fluidline).  So far, so good!

Staying power is actually a little bit TOO good.  This was after several swipes with a wet wipe… I had to resort to cleansing oil in the end.

My only caveat with this gel liner is that whilst it doesn’t budge on the back of my hand… if I apply a thick liner line on my eyelid, I do get a little transfer to the top lid.  However, this is remedied easily with a bit of translucent powder or black eyeshadow.

It’s a rubbish FOTD, but you can clearly see how nicely pigmented this liner is.  Note my hooded eyelid on my left (your right) – that’s where I would experience a bit of transfer if I didn’t set it.  However, that’s quite a thick application of liner for me.  I’ve also used this on the lower lashline and not experienced any smudging whatsoever.

Anyway…. The seller has had a shipment of new colours and I have been assured that they’re the same formula as the black so I have ordered a few different colours which should arrive this week!

After having a little play, I shall let you know how I get on… if it’s favourable, I’ll let you know the name of the seller (if, of course… anyone’s interested).

By the way, the flat top Kabuki was pretty impressive too (very soft, no horrible smell, shed when I washed it – but not too much since)

Love eBay… oh and I still haven’t got an 88 palette… thinking I might get one of the smaller neutral ones instead.  Or maybe I’ll just procrastinate on it forever!

No laughing… this has to be the boldest ‘look’ I’ve ever done.  And no, I didn’t leave the house.

This Shu Uemura Painting Liner in Citrine (Part of the Primtribe Fall Collection) is B.E.A.U.TIFUL, but how the hell do I create a toned down look with something so bright?

Is it destined to sit gathering dust?  I love you, beautiful liner… but there aren’t enough Mardi Gras’ in the world for me to wear this look to.

Suggestions most gratefully received!!

Eyes:
BeautyUK Eyeshadow Palette (2)
Boots 17 Solo Eyeshadow (Punky Purple)
Shu Uemura Painting Liner (Citrine)
Rimmel Volume Flash Mousse Mascara
Sleek Ink Pot Eyeliner Gel (Purple Rain)

Face:
Everyday Minerals Foundation (Cool-Fair/Medium)
Cory Cosmetics Mineral Blush (Lava)

Lips:
MAC Lustre Lipstick (Lustering)

…of liquid eye liners?

I have a real problem with most liquid liners.  I either love the tip, but find the product too thin and unpigmented (yano where the blacks come out as a watery grey) or, I love the product but daren’t put the tip within 2 feet of my eye without risk of blinding myself.

I’ve finally found one that applies like a dream and is also a gorgeously pigmented black.

Ruby & Millie’s I-Writer is an odd looking contraption.  A few of their products utilise this futuristic x-ray type design.  It’s novel, interesting and pretty functional.

As you can see, the tip is VERY fine.  It’s also flexible and soft fibred, which means that it’s not gonna drag on your eyelid.  The brush has a wide enough base to offer some support to the tip which gives it just enough stiffness.  It tapers into a lovely sharp point for precision lining and the product disperses itself fairly evenly along the fibres when you give the other end of the pen a little twist.

I love the brush so much that when I run out of product, I’m gonna can use it with my gel liners.

The I-Writer retails at Boots for £10.50 and is available in a few different colours (I also have this in green, but don’t recommend it.  the formula is a bit too sheer for an eyeliner).

Next time I use this in a FOTD, I shall make a note of it in the products used so you can see it in action!

[starreview tpl=14]

So I mentioned this cake eyeliner a few days ago.  I bought mine on eBay for £1.95, I’m sure I’ve seen some Stargazer products in Superdrug, but I’m not sure if they stock the cake eyeliners.

Stargazer seems to be a bit of a Raver/Goth/Emo alternative cosmetics brand, with neons and bold colours featuring heavily in their range.

The eyeliner comes in an unassuming little pot, which although plastic, feels quite solid and sturdy.

‘Cos I’m so boring, I bought the brown shade.  You can choose from: Blue, Silver, Violet, Gold, Black, Red, Pink, Grey, Green and White.

Once you wet your eyeliner brush (either in water or a mixing medium of your choice) – swipe it across the pan to pick up some colour and get painting!

It’s really well pigmented – and once dry, simply doesn’t budge off my eyelids.  This wouldn’t be any good for waterlines though as it doesn’t take too much water to make it disappear into thin air.  But for the upper eyelid this is a fab bargain find!

It glides on super smoothly (it’s like painting with a watercolour).  Out of all my solid liners (gel types) this one allows me to get the most precise line thanks to it’s fluidity.  It dries very quickly and I usually go over a couple more times to build up the pigmentation a touch before the brush dries.  It can be a little tricky to ensure that the second coat doesn’t ‘dilute’ the first colour-wise.  However, I’ve found that as long as I work fairly quickly and don’t keep re-wetting my brush then I can get VERY strong pigmentation, but it’s a case of trial and error.

I’ve got my sights set on the other colours now.  Staying power is really great, I thought that seeing as it’s just a powder/water combination that it may crack and flake by the end of the day – which is a regular problem I have with cheaper liquid liners – not so here!  I’ve only ever mixed water with the liner and haven’t experienced any flaking so far.

For the price, I’m not sure these can really be beaten.  Grab them all!

P.S. I’ve got Blinc Mascara on in these shots.

[starreview tpl=14]

I was looking for an automatic eyeliner, as I’m fed up of coming across blunt ones when I’m running late and need to have left the house 5 minutes ago!

I should simply stick them all in the fridge every couple of weeks for half an hour and sharpen them in one go… but, well… I’ve got a life.

I came across Maybelline Line Stylist a couple of weeks ago and grabbed one in ‘Black Sparkle’ which is described as black with a hint of glitter.

The pencil is nice and thin and the push up mechanism is smooth and effortless.  Pigmentation is pretty good and a proper black as opposed to wussy grey… but jeez this thing drags.  I only ever use pencil eyeliners on my lower waterline and this stuff is so hard and unforgiving that I find myself lining closer to my lashes rather than the waterline itself.  Having said that, this stuff doesn’t go anywhere once it’s on.  It simply won’t budge without my cleansing oil – which is fab for a waterline eyeliner.  It’s just a shame I can’t apply it closer to the waterline without fear of causing serious and irreversible eye damage.

I’m gonna try leaving it on the window sill in the hope that it might help to soften it a little in the sunshine.  Oh, and I don’t notice any ‘sparkle’ in the black either.

[starreview]

So this is the liner referenced in this post, my super bargain from Deal Extreme priced at $3.75 with free worldwide shipping.

Texture is really creamy, slightly greasy – but this makes for a very smooth application.  I don’t own any MAC or Bobbi Brown gel liners ‘cos I’m a complete pauper so I can’t compare to the high end brands – but I have a fair few gel liners I’ve picked up on the cheap including Sleek, Smashbox, Go Cosmetics and Elizabeth Arden.

As I’ve said, the application is a dream, thanks in part to the slight greasiness that the liner imparts.  Pigmentation is really rather good, especially with a 2nd or 3rd sweep of the eyelid.  Thanks to spidery lashes, I usually really struggle getting a nice line with liners that can sometimes be a little clumpy or thick (especially the cheap ones that I keep insisting on trying!).  No such problems here as I was able to make single fluid sweeps across the eyelid without my lashes bunching up or getting in the way and transferring the product to the rest of my eyelid.

This was after 3 sweeps with the liner.

It’s a lovely shimmery colour with no chunks of glitter – I’d still say it was more gold than copper though.

That’s where the praise ends I’m afraid…  Thanks again (I’m sure) to the slightly greasy texture – it didn’t set solid and after a few blinks, I had a matching line just above my eyelid crease.  Super disappointing but really rather predictable from a $3.75 liner.

Not to be beaten, I grabbed a soft pencil brush and a neutral brown eyeshadow and gently traced the eyeliner almost patting it hoping that the powder may go some way to setting it.  Amazingly, my ingenious little plan worked, and not only that – but it also improved the colour, making it more wearable for during the day.  Hurrah!

Still going strong with no smearing or transfer!

I’m definitely stashing this, and going back for the other colour available on Deal Extreme: ‘Aquamarine’ which looks like a regular Jade-y green to me.

I should also mention that I haven’t noticed any irritation from this product at all, but if you’re particularly sensitive, please be cautious!

[starreview]

Always on the hunt for a bargain, I came across this eyeliner whilst making one of my regular orders of crap from Deal Extreme, I couldn’t really turn it down at $3.75 with free shipping could I?   It may well blister my eyelids but it’s a chance I’ll take in the search of cheap but fabulous beauty products.

I’d say that it’s more of a burnished gold than copper colour as described on Deal Extreme.  Consistency is nice and soft – haven’t tried it out yet, but shall report back on colour, ease of application, longevity and whether or not it transforms me into Quasimodo’s uglier sister in less than 30 seconds.  It comes in a pretty little mirrored cardboard box, but I ripped it into a million pieces in my excitement to check out the contents – patience is a virtue and all that…

Regardless of this product, if you haven’t checked out Deal Extreme yet, I urge you to.  You can get all manner of utter crap at ridiculously good prices – the most fun you can have with your Paypal Account!  Shipping is free and generally takes around 8 working days from ordering to reach the UK.