A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

So I’m getting a little braver – go me!  Still nowhere near as accomplished or imaginative as some of you lovely ladies, but – baby steps!

As you can see, with this FOTD – the focus is on the eyes.  There’s a slick of sheer lipgloss there but it’s barely pigmented and again, I’m crap at making my blushes show up.  I either go too subtle or all out Bozo the clown stylee – grrr, it’s something I really need to get the hang of!

I can’t bring myself to apply above the crease either… I always end up attacking it with a q-tip.  It just doesn’t suit me – I look in the mirror and shout “Eurgh, garish – gerrit off!” – and yet it looks so lovely on other ladies.  Maybe my eyes are too deep set to carry it off?  Maybe I’m just a big pussy who doesn’t deserve to own any makeup if she can’t wear it proudly and unashamedly – I’m on the fence with that judgement.

Products used (Eyes):

Sleek – I-Divine Palette (Original) – Colours used shown below:

Sleek Ink Pot Gel Liner – Purple Rain
Barry M Glitter Dust – Black Purple (outer V and under eye)
Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara – I love it!

I was on the lookout for a replacement for my beloved DHC Deep Cleansing Oil (which at £16 a bottle is a touch rich for my blood whilst currently hemorrhaging money in preperation for my new arrival)… when I came across Smashbox Cleansing Oil on eBay for £5 a bottle.

I’ve been trying it for 3 weeks now and thought I’d give my verdict on how it compares to DHC.

It’s a huge bottle in comparison to most branded Cleansing Oils weighing in at 345ml and is definitely thinner and lighter so a little really goes a long way!  It doesn’t cause me any sensitivity – even practically rubbing it into my eyes (and I often react to the mildest of products).  It removes all that DHC does and removes everything perfectly – so far top marks…

I’m not a huge fan of the smell, it’s slight cucumber-ey in a cheap rather than refreshing way, but it’s not terribly noticeable.  The real problem though…

…It just doesn’t emulsify well at all (which DHC does brilliantly), this stuff sticks to my face-cloth and skin like tar no matter how many times I rinse in hot water.  Which means that even after the next step of washing my face with my favourite cleanser/mild soap I can still feel the oil on my skin thanks to it transferring back from my face-cloth. 

I also have to scrub the sink everytime I wash my face as it leaves a ring of make up on the sink – not really a problem (infact it’s quite satisfying looking at all that makeup grime in a gruesome sunburn-peeling kinda way) but worth mentioning.

This ‘problem’ as I see it might not bother you if you’re used to traditional OCM, but if you’re prone to breakouts – you need to be extra vigilant to ensure your skin is free from the product after cleansing.

I bought my Smashbox Cleansing Oil from this seller, it’s available from other sellers and also some of the discount cosmetic websites have it in stock at a good price as it’s now a discontinued Smashbox skincare item.

However, I won’t be buying it again – I just don’t have the patience last thing at night to meticulously go over my skin a 100x to ensure all the oil is removed.  Such a shame, ‘cos everything else about it is truly spot-on.

I can’t bring myself to bin it either seeing as it does work so well in all other aspects.  I shall have to invest in some more face cloths and ensure I only use one for the oil and refill the sink a couple of times inbetween cleansing… makes it all a bit high maintenance though!

Oh, I hate to give it such a low score – but that singular problem is a BIG deal for me.

[starreview tpl=14]

Welcome to my world of boring but wearable neutrals.  I love colour, but I’m not sure it loves me – I’m still experimenting though so hopefully my FOTDs will get a little more adventurous over time!

Face:
Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer
Grimas Concealer – Shade G0
Bourjois Lilas D’or Blush – (I was a bit too light handed)
Lavshuca Blush/Highlighter Duo – PK1
SK-II Airbrush Foundation Shade OP1 – (my first test with it! ‘citing!)

Eyes:
Revlon Brow Fill in Powder
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Sleek i-Divine Eyeshadow Palette – Storm
Stargazer Cake Eyeliner – Brown (Upper) – still loving it!
Some random Boots No7 Brown Kohl (Lower)
Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara

Lips:
Art Deco Waterproof Lip Liner #17 – used as base and liner
Elizabeth Arden High Shine Lip Gloss – #10 Pink Champagne

…look what I’ve got in my grubby little hands!

Hello lover, please don’t disappoint me.  Anyone got one of these little beauties, any tips?

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]