Quantcast
Channel: Brightest Bulb In the Box: Beauty for Critical Minds
Viewing all 298 articles
Browse latest View live
↧

Sephora's February/March 2014 Blushes by Price Per Ounce

February 27, 2014, 9:17 pm
$
0
0
It can be tricky to determine what constitutes a "good deal" on any particular product. Although absurdly expensive and delightfully cheap products are easy to pick out, all the crap in the middle easily muddles together. Last month, I went through all of Sephora's eyeshadow palettes by price per ounce. This month, I'm doing blush.

(I probably shouldn't keep doing these fuckers at the end of the month, since a beginning-of-the-month post would allow me to eliminate an entire word and punctuation mark from my title.)

Because I received a little bit of criticism last month for mooshing together cream and powder eyeshadows, I separated this month into two lists: powder and liquid/cream. As a note, the powder blushes with an asterisk are loose powders, which I tend to find run a little bit pricer than their pressed compatriots. I didn't make a separate list because there weren't very many of them.

I only included single blushes. Sets or products that included highlighters, bronzers, or other products along with the blush were excluded.

Source: http://www.sephora.com/blush-face-makeup

Here they all are:

Powder Blushes

1. Benefit Cosmetics Dallas Blush: $28 for 0.32 oz, $87.50 per ounce

2. Benefit Cosmetics Bella Bamba: $28 for 0.28 oz, $100 per ounce

3. Benefit Cosmetics CORALista Blush: $28 for 0.28 oz, $100 per ounce

4. Benefit Cosmetics Hervana Blush: $28 for 0.28 oz, $100 per ounce

5. Benefit Cosmetics Sugarbomb Blush: $28 for 0.28 oz, $100 per ounce

6. Clinique Blushing Bride Blush: $21 for 0.21 oz, $100 per ounce

7. Clinique Soft-Pressed Powder Blush: $21 for 0.21 oz, $100 per ounce

8. Kat Von D Everlasting Blush: $25 for 0.25 oz, $100 per ounce

9. Smashbox Fusion Soft Lights: $30 for 0.3 oz, $100 per ounce

10. BareMinerals READY Blush: $22 for 0.21 oz, $104.76 per ounce

11. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Nectar: $42 for 0.4 oz, $105 per ounce

12. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Pink Quartz: $42 for 0.4 oz, $105 per ounce

13. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Rose: $42 for 0.4 oz, $105 per ounce

14. Benefit Cosmetics Dandelion Blush: $28 for 0.25 oz, $112 per ounce

15. Stila Custom Color Blush: $20 for 0.17 oz, $117.65 per ounce

16. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush: $26 for 0.2 oz, $130 per ounce

17. Shiseido Luminizing Satin Face Color: $30 for 0.22 oz, $136.36 per ounce

18. Sephora Collection Colorful Blush: $15 for 0.11 oz, $136.36 per ounce

19. Buxom True Hue Blush: $24 for 0.17 oz, $141.18 per ounce

20. Sephora Collection Microsmooth Baked Blush Duo: $17 for 0.12 oz, $141.67 per ounce

21. Illamasqua Velvet Blusher: $26 for 0.18 oz, $144.44 per ounce

22. Make Up For Ever Blush: $25 for 0.17 oz, $147.06 per ounce

23. Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush: $30 for 0.19 oz, $157.89

24. BECCA Mineral Blush: $32 for 0.2 oz, $160 per ounce

25. Benefit Cosmetics Rockateur Blush: $28 for 0.17 oz, $164.71 per ounce

26. Lancome Blush Subtil: $30 for 0.18 oz, $166.67 per ounce

27. Lancome Blush Subtil Sheer: $30 for 0.18 oz, $166.67 per ounce

28. Lancome Blush Subtil Shimmer: $30 for 0.18 oz, $166.67 per ounce

29. Dior Rosy Glow Healthy Glow Awakening Blush: $44 for 0.26 oz, $169.23 per ounce

30. Clinique Cheek Pop: $21 for 0.12 oz, $175 per ounce

31. Dior DiorBlush Vibrant Colour Powder Blush: $42 for 0.24 oz, $175 per ounce

32. *Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Pure Cosmetic Pigment: $14 for 0.08 oz, $175 per ounce

33. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Blush: $25 for 0.14 oz, $178.57 per ounce

34. Givenchy Le Prisme Blush Powder: $44 for 0.24 oz, $183.33 per ounce

35. Smashbox Blush Rush: $24 for 0.13 oz, $184.62 per ounce

36. Illamasqua Powder Blusher: $26 for 0.14 oz, $185.71 per ounce

37. NARS Blush: $30 for 0.16 oz, $187.50 per ounce

38. Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc: $40 for 0.21 oz, $190.48 per ounce

39. Bobbi Brown Blush: $25 for 0.13 oz, $192.31 per ounce

40. Laura Mercier Second Skin Cheek Color: $26 for 0.13 oz, $200 per ounce

41. Marc Jacobs Beauty Shameless Bold Blush: $30 for 0.15 oz, $200 per ounce

42. Edward Bess Blush Extraordinaire: $43 for 0.21 oz, $204.76 per ounce

43. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush: $35 for 0.15 oz, $233.33 per ounce

44. Guerlain Rose Aux Joues: $52 for 0.21 oz, $247.62 per ounce

45. Make Up For Ever Powder Blush: $21 for 0.08 oz, $262.50 per ounce

46. Dolce & Gabbana The Blush Luminous Cheek Colour: $45 for 0.17 oz, $264.71 per ounce

47. Make Up For Ever HD Blush: $26 for 0.09 oz, $288.89 per ounce

48. Sunday Riley Blush: $30 for 0.1oz, $300 per ounce

49. Yves Saint Laurent Blush Radiance Radiant Blush: $45 for 0.14 oz, $321.43 per ounce

50. *Smashbox Halo Long Wear Blush: $24 for 0.07 oz, $342.86 per ounce

51. Edward Bess Blush Imperiale: $42 for 0.12 oz, $350 per ounce

52. *BareMinerals Blush: $19 for 0.03 oz, $633.33 per ounce

Mean: $179.70 per ounce
Median: $166.67 per ounce
Standard Deviation: $92.32
Quartiles: Q1-$105; Q2-$166.67; Q3-$192.31

Cream/Liquid Blushes

1. Tarte Maracuja Blush and Glow: $32 for 1 oz, $32 per ounce

2. Givenchy Blush Gelee Jelly Blush: $32 for 1 oz, $34 per ounce

3. Ellis Faas Blush: $32 for 0.8 oz, $40 per ounce

4. Josie Maran Argan Color Stick: $22 for 0.55 oz, $40 per ounce

5. Smashbox O-GLOW Intuitive Cheek Color: $28 for 0.5 oz, $56 per ounce

6. Tarte Cheek Stain: $30 for 0.5 oz, $60 per ounce

7. Benefit Benetint: $30 for 0.42 oz, $71.43 per ounce

8. Benefit ChaCha Tint: $30 for 0.42 oz, $71.43 per ounce

9. Benefit Lollitint: $30 for 0.42 oz, $71.43 per ounce

10. Benefit Posietint: $30 for 0.42 oz, $71.43 per ounce

11. NARS The Multiple: $39 for 0.5 oz, $78 per ounce

12. PERFEKT Cheek Perfection Gel: $28 for 0.33 oz, $84.85 per ounce

13. Clinique Blushwear Cream Stick: $21 for 0.21 oz, $100 per ounce

14. BECCA Beach Tint: $25 for 0.24 oz, $104.17 per ounce

15. Benefit Cosmetics Fine One One: $30 for 0.28 oz, $107.14 per ounce

16. Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelee: $22 for 0.18 oz, $122.22 per ounce

17. NARS Matte Multiple: $39 for 0.26 oz, $150 per ounce

18. Stila Convertible Color: $25 for 0.15 oz, $166.67 per ounce

19. Givenchy Hydra Sparkling Magic Lip and Cheek Balm: $31 for 0.17 oz, $182.35 per ounce

21. Illamasqua Cream Blusher: $26 for 0.14 oz, $185.71 per ounce

22. Yves Saint Laurent Creme de Blush: $38 for 0.19 oz, $200 per ounce

23. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Creme Colour Concentrate: $20 for 0.08 oz, $250 per ounce

24. Stila Lip and Cheek Stain: $24 for 0.08 oz, $300 per ounce

25. Edward Bess Compact Rouge for Lips and Cheeks: $38 for 0.05 oz, $760 per ounce

26. Josie Maran Magic Marker Lip and Cheek Stain: $19 for 0.016 oz, $1187.50 per ounce


Mean: $180.93
Median: $100
Standard Deviation: $255.95
Quartiles: Q1-$65.72; Q2-$100; Q3-$182.35

Combining the two data sets into a histogram gives you a relatively normal-looking distribution:


They do look a bit different, though, when you separate them out. The powder blushes peak around $100-$150 per ounce...


...whereas the cream and liquid products are peaking at $50-$100 per ounce. The cream and liquid products, though, also have a couple more teeny weeny but pricy products on the ludicrously-expensive side of the chart. In fact, the two data sets have near-identical means, but the standard deviation is much higher for the cream and liquid products, and the mean is much lower.


Overall, many of the blushes were really strangely priced, which kind of screws with analysis. The second-least expensive product in this data set is from Givenchy, for fuck's sake. I don't even know how that fucking happened. There have been a lot of price-per-ounce changes recently for cream blushes (the most notable being Tarte's Cheek Stains being halved in size and NARS's Matte Multiples being half the size of the regular Multiple) and I think this really shows why those adjustments are being made: companies are having a really difficult time pricing their cream blushes because everyone's pricing is so damn wacky!

For powder blushes, though, most things make a medium amount of sense, at least. The higher end brands tend to start around $200 per ounce, although there was no clear delineation between mid-range and high-end brands, as there was in the eyeshadow data set. Given the median of $166.67 per ounce, I'd say anything less than $150 per ounce seems to be pretty moderately-to-well priced for Sephora brands.
↧
Search

Review: Tarte Colored Clay CC Primer in Fair

March 1, 2014, 12:26 pm
$
0
0
Tarte recently came out with a new "CC primer", a stick-complexion product that, in theory, can be used as a primer or to add just a little bit of coverage for people whose skin, unlike mine, is not covered in post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, acne, redness, and a myriad of other shit.

I'm going to go ahead and start this review with the bottom line. You do NOT want this product if:

  • You have fair skin.
  • You have dark skin. 
  • You have dry skin.
  • You have cool-toned skin.
  • You want this product to actually work as a primer.
  • You have significant complexion imperfections.
I'm going to go ahead and guess that most of you probably fit into at least one of those categories. So, really, y'all can probably just close this review now and go on your merry way, content in your decision not to buy this product. 



This product is a twist-up tube that looks like a classed-up version of a push-pop. In a loading-screen-esque wheel, it contains two chunks of "color correcting" product, a green and a purple.

So, green and purple do actually color-correct. Unfortunately, as anyone who has ever fingerpainted should be aware, green + purple = brown. So, if you blend this product, it won't color correct. You could, hypothetically, use this product to color correct if you selectively put the green half on any redness you have and selectively put the purple anywhere that leans yellow. However, Tarte has made no indication that this is their intention, and I've seen no reviews or tutorials that have mentioned anything on that topic. I think Tarte just kind of went, "If one color-correcting product is good, two must be better!" without giving the way that color correction actually works any thought.


The two larger wedges of product in the wheel are orange. This is the "fair", the lightest shade. The lightest that this product goes is "carrot".

The thing about this that is so disappointing is that I know that Tarte knows that fair ladies exist. They make relatively fair foundation shades. If MAC made this product, I could just shrug my shoulders, content in the knowledge that people who make MAC foundations have never seen anyone with light skin. But, Tarte knows better.

The darkest shade, called "Deep", sadly, is also in the "tan person" range. If you have dark skin, then, this is also not for you. On the bright side, if you are a medium-ly tan person with warm-toned skin, you can probably find a "good enough" match.


When I try to use the product on its own, it looks terrible because it is the complete wrong color. I end up with an orange face, but all my yucky skin stuff still pokes through. All it really does is make it so that my face does not match my body. In that way, it's like the opposite of color-correction. (I have seen a lot of reviews do really weird mental gymnastics to forgive this problem. E.g. "Oh, it's nice that it makes it look like I have a little bit of a tan!")

What's worse, the texture is really unpleasant and dry. I have oily skin and it was dry and patchy on me. If you have dry skin, I can only imagine the train-wreck it would be. It created additional unevenness on my skin by really emphasizing the parts of my face that were drier. There are lots of products that also give a matte finish and look ten million times better.

That problem carries over if you try to use it as a primer, as well. Perfectly nice foundation can look patchy because the "primer" below it is patchy.

I also did a quick test to see if it actually extended the life of my foundation. I used Tarte's Amazonian Clay Foundation in Ivory, which is one of my favorite foundations when I have a little bit of a tan (it's too dark at the moment!). Here's how the two foundation swatches looked at the start of the day:

No primer, primer
You can see that the primer did darken my foundation by virtue of being beneath it.

Here's how they looked at the end of the day:


In other words, exactly the fucking same. The primer didn't do shit.

In summary, I hate everything about this product. (Well, except the fact that the packaging is matte. That looks kind of nice.) On me, it does nothing it promised and, indeed, makes everything worse. Tarte is a good brand that makes lots of good stuff. That's why I know that they can make something a million times more awesome than this dry, orange stick.

The Tarte Colored Clay CC Primer retails for $34 for 0.51oz, or $66.67 per ounce.
↧
↧

Science Says You Should Throw Away Your Crusty, Old Mascara

March 3, 2014, 7:38 pm
$
0
0
I've had a couple of questions asking about product expiration. To talk about the issue, I'm going to frame my response largely around a Brazilian 2013 study by Giacomei, Dartora, Dienfethaeler, and Haas. The study, sexily* entitled, "Investigation on the use of expired make-up and microbiological contamination of mascaras", analyzed the habits of young women between the ages of 18 and 28 and determined that, seriously, you should probably throw away that nasty mascara you have been hoarding for half a year.

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hippie/2450906227/in/photolist-4Jzx2V-9NZ3Qo-4g9vSL-9DrkGy-6GAERA-5QYvQr-aieRBX-akGdzo-6dvQmL-5Lf1PB-8fef45-5QjQV9-4Kqndo-6AT6rf-cadkCj-65RWnH-7DRmCp-kh1Z3-4JztYa-bqdbRX-hiT5b-8p6D84-5R6soV-afcGUp-ba4msg-3a1wF6-2Atnvy-3pUazp-8D2Zyj-9UBBPT-bqc4Da-4JDGsL-5PpzQy-fJyrW-8kTPYM-9KERWX-7arsCE-8dmFUK-8AMPhz-bBmd4y-bxDJtC-zKj9j-8pAS48-4Qa3BE-4LdYDN-Uh5rH-7NAmZG-5LBNj7-afeLdw-7pXJSk-dLCDF/
Why Do We Care?

The authors state that they chose to focus on mascara for a couple of reasons:

  • It goes near your eyes, one of the places you reeeeeally don't want to fuck up.
  • It's one of the most popular and frequently used cosmetics products.
  • It's aqueous, increasing the risk of bacterial contamination. 
  • People bonk their mascara wands all over the place. (You're less likely to scrape your eyeshadow palette against the bathroom counter, in other words.)
The mascara unibrow picture you didn't know you needed.
Although preservatives such as parabens can substantially decrease the likelihood of bacterial contamination, both improper storage of makeup and even-more-improper not-throwing-it-the-fuck-away of makeup can turn the most belovedly vicious of preservatives into something inefficient. The results can be potentially irritating or, in rarer cases, dangerous. 

The authors explain, "Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus proliferate in contaminated mascaras. The most common infections caused by these microorganisms occur especially when the surface of the eyeball is damaged, in other words, traumatized. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the main agent of eye infections like conjunctivitis, keratitis and ophthalmitis, which may threaten the integrity of the eye, destroying tissues and damaging visual acuity. Infections by P. aeruginosa have been reported to occur due to contaminated mascara, trauma to the eye or bad hygiene. Fungi can also be found in contaminated mascaras, although less frequently than bacteria, being related to immune-compromised people or those who wear contact lenses."

S. epidermidis
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Staphylococcus_epidermidis_01.png
Brazilian standards for bacterial contamination dictate the cosmetics should have no detectible presence of P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, or coliform bacteria. Coliform bacteria usually do not cause illness themselves (with the scarier E. coli strains as an exception), but they are used as in indicator of contaminated food, water, or products, because they are easy to both detect and culture, and because their presence usually indicates fecal contamination. Other bacteria can be present in low concentrations-- less than one unit forming colony per gram. 

What Did They Do?

The authors recruited participants from a cohort of female students enrolled in a college-level pharmacy class. They conducted a questionnaire on use of expired makeup, collected makeup samples (recording the condition and percentage of products that were expired), and then stole their mascara to test to for P. aeruginosa and S. aureus, compared to a 'brand new' control. 

S. aureus
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Staphylococcus_aureus_VISA_2.jpg
P. aeruginosa
Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Pseudomonas_aeruginosa_SEM.jpg
The authors found that 97.7% of their sample admitted to using expired makeup. Mascara, eyeliners, lip products, and eyeshadow (in that order) were most likely to be expired, with 86.3% of students using an expired mascara. The researchers also found that 79% of the expired mascaras contained S. aureus and 13% contained P. aeruginosa. None of the brand spanking new mascaras were contaminated (duh. I wish they'd used non-expired-but-still-used mascara as a control, personally). 

What Does It Mean?

In the United States, manufacturers are not required to print specific expiration dates on cosmetic products. So, how long should you keep your mascara? The FDA recommends tossing your eyelash goop after two to four months, or any time your mascara has gotten dried up and crusty. Additionally, a 2008 study by Pack, Wickham, Enloe, and Hill found that three months of mascara use was sufficient to contaminate 36.4% of a mascara tubes with various Staphylococcus species, as well as some miscellaneous fungi. Based on this, they conclude that three months should be the absolute maximum length of time that anyone uses a tube of mascara. 

You should also go ahead and toss any products that change in consistency, smell, texture, or appearance, since this can be a sign that they are way over the hill. 

Additionally, the European Union does mandate that products display a "period after opening" symbol shaped like an open jar for goods that last less then 30 months, which gives an approximate expiration date. Thus, if you have cosmetics that are sold in the EU (or, you know, if you happen to live there or something), you can always use that. 

This mouthwash has a PAO symbol indicating that you should toss it after 12 months.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:5_PAO_12M_2007-07-12.jpg

(Unfortunately, not-putting-contaminated-goop-in-your-immediate-eye-area doesn't seem to be the norm. Not only did the participants in this study overwhelmingly use expired mascara, the authors cited previous research which showed that about 92% of women keep their mascara for longer than six months.)


Besides throwing out any yucky, expired crap you have sitting around in your makeup bags, the FDA has a page on their site detailing the best ways to ensure eye product safety (link here). Among their suggestions are washing your hands before applying any cosmetics, keeping your products to yourself (makeup is one of the places where not sharing is caring!), avoiding eye makeup if you have an eye infection, and  keeping your makeup-y things out of damp or warm areas (which means no storing makeup in the bathroom, guys). The FDA notes, "Consumers should be aware that expiration dates are simply 'rules of thumb,' and that a product's safety may expire long before the expiration date if the product has not been properly stored."

*Maybe just sexy to me.
↧

Review: Revlon Vintage Super Lustrous Legacy Lipstick Collection

March 4, 2014, 10:09 pm
$
0
0
For spring (Spring? Too many icicles right now for spring...), Revlon made an excellent choice. They decided to re-release five discontinued Super Lustrous lipsticks in a collection called the "Legacy Collection". In order to promote the collection, Revlon drew specific attention to the years the colors were originally released. The release years span from 1946 to 1999.

I think this was a really smart marketing decision for a few reasons:

  • Firstly, it draws attention to the fact that Revlon is a company with some pretty decent history. This collection makes me want to give Revlon a pat on the back and say, "You were founded in the middle of the Great fucking Depression. Good job on still existing." 
  • Secondly, it cultivates a vintage appeal. "This isn't just a regular peach", a customer might say. "This is a peach from the 19-fucking-50s. Look at my face and tell me that this isn't glamour." 
  • Thirdly, although the original release dates on these lip products are pretty old, a lot of them were discontinued more recently. That means that many Revlon-lovers may actually remember owning these products. That means, for many, they have a nostalgia appeal, as well.
  • Finally, the Super Lustrous lipsticks are, in general, really well formulated products. People drawn in on the well-designed gimmick are going to think, "Damn, Revlon makes a pretty decent lipstick!"

I bought all five of these suckers. So, of course, I'm here with a review.


It's worth noting that the drugstore display is bizarrely tiny-- allowing for only two lipsticks per shade. (I didn't snap a shot of it, but Nouveau Cheap has a photo here.) To me, this is kind of a baffling choice, since they will almost certainly end up with unstocked lipsticks at some point, and any impulse buyers will end up impulse-buying something that's actually on display.

(I did manage to get my hands on all five of the re-releases, though, so maybe I just don't know what I'm talking about.)

Revlon's Announcement
Source: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WR4quZUoMgM/Ukn0zCZGHNI/AAAAAAAA48Y/
qp3HHPgaYjM/s1600/1378871_10151886556307748_868131367_n.png

I have had really good luck with all of the Revlon Super Lustrous lipsticks I have tried in the past (and, indeed, I have a few others that were released 'way back when', including Cherries in the Snow, which came out in 1953 and Fire & Ice, which came out in 1952). Usually, my complaint is that the packaging on Revlon lipsticks looks really dated. Here, though, I feel like it doesn't matter. If you're marketing a product as "vintage", you can get away with old-fashioned packaging.


The collection contains Icy Violet (released 1946), Snow Peach (released 1956), Fifth Ave Red (released 1958), Jungle Peach (released 1963), and Sandstorm (released 1999).


All of them swatch nicely, although Icy Violet and Sandstorm are more sheer and shimmery than the other three, which are creams.

From left to right: Icy Violet, Snow Peach, Fifth Ave Red, Jungle Peach, Sandstorm. 
Here's a snapshot of each of them, in chronological order--

Color: Icy Violet
Introduced: 1946 (Under the name Ultraviolet)
Also That Year: Truman's Proclamation 2714 formally ends WWII; Juan Perón is elected president of Argentina; Ho Chi Minh leads the Viet Minh against the French occupiers in the First Indochina war; ENIAC, the first general-purpose computer, is released; Trials against Japanese WWII war criminals (including those responsible for both the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Rape of Nanking, as well as the Japanese ambassador to Nazi Germany),  begin in Tokyo; The Nuremberg trials occur; An unsuccessful prison break led to the Battle of Alcatraz; Louis Réard and Jacques Heim introduce the bikini in Paris; Quebec allows women's suffrage; George W. Bush is born.
Original Ads:

Source: http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/beauty/news-features/TMG9711449/80-Years-of-Revlon-the-exhibition.html
Source: http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/write_light/11965346/909158/909158_original.jpg
My thoughts: I was hoping that this product was going to be more of an in-your-face purple than it actually was. Ultimately, it's so sheer that it gives your lips a fairy-like, frosty and ethereal gleam with just the tiniest hint of mauve-y lavender. I like it, it's just not what I was expecting. It's perhaps unfair to be grumpy that a product that came out in the 1940s is insufficiently fashion-forward, especially given that I will probably wear this lipstick more than I would have worn my hypothetical, imagined version.

Revlon Icy Violet Lip Swatch

Color: Snow Peach
Introduced: 1956
Also That Year: The country of Sudan gains  independence from the UK and from Egypt, and Morocco gains independence from France; 'Heartbreak Hotel' by Elvis Presley tops the billboard the charts, putting Elvis on the proverbial map; Norma Jean Mortenson legally changes her name to Marilyn Monroe; Videotape is first used; England opens the first commercial nuclear power plant; The Suez crisis occurs in Sinai.
Original Ads:



Source: http://i.imgur.com/qoFhsxn.jpg
My thoughts: Naming aside, this color is super non-peach-y. To me, it's more of a pink-leaning vibrant coral. Although I love this color, I did think that it was the most difficult to work with out of the five lipsticks. Try to put it on without a lip scrub first and you will be doomed to patchy lips covered in clingy coral goop. Still, I think the color is awesome enough that I can forgive it (especially given that it is actually workable if apply with caution). 1956 release-date aside, this feels modern as fuck to me.

Revlon Snow Peach Lip Swatch

Color: Fifth Avenue Red
Introduced: 1958
Also That Year: The United Arab Republic is formed; The word "aerospace is coined; The "peace" symbol is designed; Pizza Hut is founded; The Alaska Statehood Act is signed (Although Alaska wouldn't become an official state until January 1959); The Beatles (known at this time as the Quarrymen) record their first album; NASA is created; Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov is released in the Americas; Female genital cutting becomes illegal in the United States; Instant noodles are sold for the first time.
Original Ad:

Source: http://i.imgur.com/oj596aL.jpg
My thoughts: This is a neutral red with nice, full coverage. My swatch below is making it a lot more orange-y than it is in real life. (For a color-accurate lip swatch, you can scroll down to the very bottom of this post and check out the pictures on my "four hours and a meal" test.) I do really like this lipstick, but I'd call it the least "special" out of the bunch.

Revlon Fifth Ave Red Lip Swatch

Color:Jungle Peach
Introduced: 1963
Also That Year: The Viet Cong win their first major victory in the Vietnam War; Newly elected Alabama governor George C. Wallace declares, "Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever!"; The JFK administration makes it illegal for US citizens to travel to Cuba; Sylvia Plath commits suicide; The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan is published; The Beatles release their first album; The soap opera General Hospital debuts; Martin Luther King Jr. gives his I Have a Dream speech at the March on Washington; Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space; Five digit zip codes are introduced in the United States; The first geostationary satellite is launched; The 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing kills four young girls and wounds 22 more; Malcolm X delivers his Message to the Grass Roots speech; JFK is assassinated; The smiley face symbol is invented by artist Harvey Ball.
Original Ad:

Source: http://i.imgur.com/Al5o1DG.jpg
My thoughts: This lipstick was a lot more "nude" than I had anticipated. It's not quite a nude lip, but it has the feeling of a nude lip. It's super, super, super 1960s. I wear it and I feel like I need to be protesting the Vietnam war or something. The creamy pale peach isn't the most flattering lipstick in the collection on me, but it's quite opaque (especially for such a light color) and it doesn't apply streakily.

Revlon Jungle Peach Lip Swatch

Color: Sandstorm
Introduced: 1999
Also That Year: The euro is established as a currency; Bill Clinton is acquitted in impeachment proceedings; Bill Gates' net worth exceeds $100 billion; The Columbine massacre occurs; SpongeBob SquarePants premieres; Star Wars Episode I is released; The fraudulent "Archaeoraptor" fossil is displayed; The Cambodian Khmer Rouge is formally dissolved; People freak out about Y2K.
Original Ad:

Source: http://lippieismylife.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/13762871.jpg

My thoughts: This was the color that I was most worried about, but it totally blew me away with its awesome factor. This is another sheer-er lipstick, which means that you don't have to go all "HELLO MY NAME IS ROBYN AND I HAVE BROWN LIPS" if you don't want to. The color is more of bronze with a reddish undertone. A single swipe gives your lips a bronze glow. Heavier application adds more oomf. Don't get me wrong; This lipstick is as late-90s as hell... But I like it.

Revlon Sandstorm Lip Swatch
I didn't take "four hours and meal" pictures for every one of these lipsticks, although I have worn all of them for a full day, so I can speak to their longevity. I did take photos for my test of Fifth Avenue Red, though.

Here's Fifth Ave Red When Applied:


And here it is, four hours and a meal later:


Overall, it looks pretty good. You can see that the inside of my bottom lip started to dry out, leaving it a little cakey. None of these lipsticks are longevity-queens, though. Icy Violet and Sandstorm fade pretty evenly throughout the day, whereas the three cream lipsticks are more likely to eventually dry to a matte and get a little less cute. Nothing tragic, but definitely something to watch out for.

The Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks retail for $7.99 for 0.15 oz, putting them at $53.27 per ounce.
↧

Julep March 2014 Review

March 5, 2014, 11:32 pm
$
0
0
You guys, I have big news. I didn't upgrade my Julep box this month. I am sure you are all very proud.

The products in this month's box were kind of underwhelming (I don't need an overly expensive lip balm, guys) and, although the nail polishes were pretty, bright colors, I wasn't exactly drooling on my keyboard over them. I opted instead to pick up the Boho Glam box.


For March, Julep released new shades of their lip glosses. They sent out the last batch in November, and I was pleasantly surprised by their quality. I actually probably would have upgraded my box if they had had an option that contained all the new glosses... but they didn't, and I didn't want to individually add on every color. Happily, though, they did have some extra customization options: the boxes that contained lip glosses allowed you to choose which gloss you received.

I did get an 'extra' this month: a cotton-candy-flavored candy stick. I had kind of assumed that Julep had just stopped adding the little bonus items, since I haven't been receiving them, but it's possible that they're just not including them in the upgraded boxes, which would be an awfully strange choice.

Boho Glam contained Elisa, a cool, pastel lilac with faintest hint of shimmer, and Harriet, a medium coral cream. Both colors are opaque in about two coats.


I was really happy with the two colors. I also really like them together-- I'm a big fan of mixing cool and warm-toned colors and these go together really nicely.


I chose to get the lipgloss in the shade "Enchanted". It was exactly what I was expecting, since I've tried Julep lip glosses before. It's wearable, medium-ly sheer, and just a tiny bit sticky.


Enchanted is a watermelon-y coral color.


Here's how it looks on my lips:



Overall, I'm relatively happy. I'm rarely really disappointed in Julep because, at this point, I usually have a pretty damn good idea about what I'm going to be getting. I like it, and I'll definitely wear this stuff. I wish this box had a new product to get excited about or colors that would blow me away. It didn't. But, hey, at least it's solid.

If you suddenly decided that you need to join Julep, you're welcome to use my referral link by clicking here. Don't forget to use the code 'FREEBOX' to get, well, a free box. (Your first box is free save for shipping.)
↧
↧

Review: Ardell Accent Lashes in Black #301

March 6, 2014, 8:40 pm
$
0
0
Unless you have really low standards for eyelashes, you've probably never been blown away by mine. I have completely adequate but also completely unremarkable eyelashes.

And, much as I like so-dramatic-it's-a-little-bit-silly-are-you-sure-this-isn't-stage-makeup falsies, it's not practical for me to wear them all the time, even on mornings when I feel screaming at my mascara, "NO. GO 'OOMPH'. WHAT ABOUT THIS DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?!"


Ardell #301 are usually enough to placate my covetous lash desire in a way that still looks plausibly like a really good mascara.

The product is a half-lash design, intended to hang out on the outer corner of your eye. They lashes are thin and pretty eyelash-y, with various lengths that gradually increase in average length as you extend to the lash's outer corners. The band is clear.


For those of you who are new to this whole "falsies" thing: There are pretty difficult-to-fuck up lashes. Demi-lashes are always much easier than full-strip lashes, and most of you who have a general idea of where your eye is can probably achieve moderate success with them. The clear strip makes it so that your lines don't need to be perfectly even, and the varying lengths of the lashes means that they'll blend pretty well into your regular lashes.

I would consider myself to be in at least the top 10% of people in false eyelash-application (I know of no standardized test that measures such things, but given the vast number of people who don't use them at all, I feel very safe putting myself in the 90th percentile or higher), but I definitely do mess up probably 10% of the time ("FUCK I GOT EYELASH GLUE ALL OVER MY LASHES AGAIN!").  I have never messed up with these. (Still, if these are your first falsies ever, don't get discouraged by a little gloopiness.)

In other words: YOU CAN DO IT. I BELIEVE IN YOU, PERSONALLY, READER!


I tend to use these for relatively neutral makeup looks, especially ones with a slight cateye that's going to be enhanced by lashes that grow in progression as they reach the outer corner of my eye.

Here's how they look on me:

Ardell Accent Lashes 301 on Human Face
Ardell Accent Lashes 301 on Human Face

Ardell Accent Lashes retail for about $3.29 per pair.
↧

Acne and Stress: the Research

March 7, 2014, 11:25 pm
$
0
0
Anecdotally, you've probably heard of the cycle: "You get stressed; you break out from stress; you get more stressed because now you're breaking out." But what's the science say about the link between stress and acne?

Even before specific research examined this topic, there was reason to suspect that acne may be caused or exacerbated by stress. Firstly, stressful life events are associated with the onset of other skin disorders, such as psoriasis. Furthermore, it's been found that 50% of acne patients who seek dermatological help report that stress exacerbates their acne.

Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21484712@N00/2739337639/in/photolist-5b4PDi-jhXoU1-7V9K4L-jhVD48-jhZYpf-jhZMHA-jhZYiU-4dtg1j-jisBPJ-jisCvU-jhVMdK-dLEWKG-5zoes5-MXiJc-86pj7E-qEGQX-deeEXW-5xh7vL-6iS8us-5t7AUu-jhZEd2-67D1Xk-chr9Hh-a8CA7A-5xkGw4-5KATgZ-92Uywz-92Uxnz-92Uy1g-jhXf1Z-ea2qnU-e9VKg8-ea2qv9-e9VKke-e9VKP2-ea16SU-e9UqRp-ea2qyE-e9UqE6-e9VKn6-ea16Ub-ea2q2C-ea2q6o-ea17bw-ea16Nj-e9Ur3n-e9UqUt-ea2qwU-e9UqMv-e9VKhK-e9VKzF

In the past decade-and-change, a couple of studies have tackled this subject more head-on. A 2003 study in the Archives of Dermatology by Chiu, Chon, and Kimball tracked 22 acne-suffering college students. Any current or former students will probably be unsurprised to hear that both stress levels and acne levels substantially increased during midterms and finals. Another study, in 2007, looked at acne in high-stress (during midterms) and low-stress (during a break from school) conditions for adolescents. They found a weak positive correlation (r=0.23) between self-reported stress levels and acne severity.

The link is definitely real, but what's actually causing the problem? Unfortunately, the mechanism isn't really clear. The aforementioned 2003 study controlled for changes in sleep hours, sleep quality, diet quality, and number of meals per day, but still found that stress levels predicted pizza faces. In other words, taking care of yourself while you put up with stress isn't enough-- if stress is causing your acne, you need to de-stress, too. The authors of the 2007 study had hypothesized that increased stress caused increased sebum production, which led to zit city. However, they found that there was no difference between the participants' sebum levels in high stress conditions. Something else is at play.

"Cracking Under Stress"
Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/44124366475@N01/6273248505/in/photolist-aym3dZ-8tofTB-9BMsED-rnkhi-cEJPoW-eeJkVy-vJRJo-vJRJk-e9T2AS-egdAKf-egdAKS-8rCEY4-8rCEWV-8rCEZZ-8rFKPb-6u3YB-8rFKPY-aoZjw3-7h6PeD-es178Y-dSdeDk-6PhcBT-dFcBts-hu1WqH-ff8yW-3B7c9-9v6Xcb-ff8GC-4miyxd-4miv2o-4meskH-4mixV1-4miycY-4mev8H-4mes3p-dydhXf-b4riTB-coQ7t3-5JE8Vi-efSKUD-86AtMA-cwDpgy-p2eG2-auQjsU-auQjtm-auQjsf-9jctx9-93R2VM-afDxkr-55AMbS-sZDh8

There are a few plausible explanations. Stress increases production of a steroid hormone called cortisol. Neurological disorders associated with high cortisol, such as insomnia, are also associated with acne. Thus, it's possible that cortisol levels are part of the fundamental cause. Additionally, psychosocial stress (such as a job interview) and stress as a result of sleep deprivation can can disrupt skin barrier function. It seems plausible, then, that this skin barrier disruption might lead to colonization by some yucky strains of P. acnes, the bacteria most strongly associated with pimples. Given that the body's healing process is slowed by stress, it's also possible that acne heals more slowly when you are stressed the fuck out. Sadly, this is hypothetical as fuck. Until more research is done, the connection between stress and zits is going to remain hazy.

Luckily, the information we do have (stress-->acne) is something we can actually work with. For an estimated one third of individuals with skin disorders, we know that emotional and psychological factors need to be addressed in order to efficaciously manage the problem. According to Yadav and colleagues (2013), antidepressants such as SSRIs and anti-anxiety medications such as benzodiazepines can help resolve some skin conditions. Additionally, they report that other psychological treatments, such as cognitive behavioral therapy or placebo medication can result in tangible benefits to one's skin.

Although it's difficult to determine whether your acne in particular is exacerbated by stress (unless you take very careful records...), anyone facing significant stress (acne or no!) should consider working to reduce their psychological stress level. My totally non-ground-breaking, easier-said-than-done tips:

  • Get a good night's sleep whenever possible. 
  • Try to manage your workload to put less pressure on yourself at critical times. 
  • Try to work in moderate exercise into your week. 
  • Eat healthily. 
  • Take time to do things you love. 
  • I am just not a meditator, but if you are: meditation has been pretty effectively demonstrated to have beneficial skin effects in a variety of studies (most dealing with psoriasis, not acne). If meditation works as a de-stressor for you, it might be a good practice to include in your daily routine. 
  • If you're suffering from chronic stress, talk to your doctor about seeing a psychologist or counselor. Don't worry about just your skin; your wellbeing is important as hell! Take care of yourself!
↧

Review: Miscellanious Fyrinnae Eyeshadows

March 9, 2014, 7:43 pm
$
0
0
I'm just going to go ahead and say up-front that I am generally pro-Fyrinnae. I'm generally going to recommend that you check out the brand, if you have not already done so.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I also need to let you know that I have a shitload of caveats to my pro-Fyrinnae stance. (Well... four. Four big caveats.) These will be addressed throughout the post, as relevant.


Gotta start us off with a big caveat: the buying experience!

Caveat #1: If you're unlucky, buying from Fyrinnae can be kind of a pain. 

I bought 18 Fyrinnae mini eyeshadows because I am a mini-eyeshadow kind of indie buyer. I want to fit as many colors into my cart as I can possibly justify. I had no hitches when I purchased and, indeed, I was pretty happy at their fast-as-fuck turnaround time. They tend to give a really long turnaround time on the website (so that there is no chance that you'll get your stuff later than promised), but I've purchased from them twice and both times my order showed on my doorstep within a week.

HOWEVER it's kind of a crapshoot whether or not purchasing from them will be an easy experience. The Fyrinnae website tends to close at random times without warning or explanation. Sometimes it's open, but it will only have a certain types of products listed. This isn't a new company (Fyrinnae opened in 2003. 2003 was a long time ago.) so it's strange that they haven't gotten their act together a little better. As I write this, Fyrinnae is closed. If you get your order in, though, they're reliable and will get you your stuff.

Note: There's also been some recent hullabaloo about some unprofessional tweets by one of Fyrinnae's formulators, Teir Connell, which you can read about here, if you're interested. Personally, I'm not upset about it. My guess is that the owners of Fyrinnae have been working really hard for a long time for not as much money as they might have hoped, hence the occasional grumpy tweets and random website shut-downs.

On to the eyeshadow! I have a mix of the regular shadows and the Arcane Magic shadows, which are the company's duochromes.

I also should probably explicitly point out, since I am showing you my open eyeshadow containers, that these are not new eyeshadows that I just bought two weeks ago. I bought these in August of 2013 and I have used them, like... a lot. So if you are looking at any of the shadows and thinking, "Wow, that looks really empty...", that's actually just because I love the eyeshadow and I use it a shitload. Every single eyeshadow in my pictures is heavily used, but some are more loved than others. I wanted to show the shadows open, though, so you can see the colors more easily.

As is my habit, I swatched my shadows on bare skin with no primer. However, I also swatched them over Fryinnae's Pixie Epoxy which I've previously written about here. This is because:

Caveat #2: Fyrinnae shadows really need a sticky base to shine (figuratively and literally). 

If you do not buy Pixie epoxy and you do not already own an acceptable Pixie Epoxy substitute, you're probably going to be disappointed with your Fyrinnae order. Without a sticky base, the they are, as a whole, quite sheer and the glitter gets lost.

Okay, but seriously. Eyeshadow pictures. It is time.

Round 1

From left to right: Electric Stardust, Chrome, Aye Captain, and Bitey Tyrannosaur

Electric Stardust (Arcane Magic) is a sparkly, cool-toned mint with a frosty finish. I'm not sure that I understand why this falls into the "Arcane Magic" range, since there isn't anything fancy going on, but I'm never one to turn down a nice mint-colored eyeshadow.

Chrome is a super metallic silver.

Aye, Captain is a shimmery chartreuse that kind of reminds me of what happened to the lawn when we left the slip-n-slide out for too long as a child.

Bitey Tyrannosaur is the color of a green apple-flavored candy with yellow and golden shimmer.

Swatches from left to right: Electric Stardust, Chrome, Aye Captain, and Bitey Tyrannosaur
Round 2

From left to right: Pyromantic Erotica, Cupcake Frosting, Conjuror, Sultry Samhain
Pyromantic Erotica (Arcane Magic) is bright, shimmery tangerine. Another one that doesn't really fit in the "Arcane Magic" category. The "obvious chartreuse highlight" that Fyrinnae describes sure as fuck ain't obvious to me.

Cupcake Frosting is a glittery pastel pink.

Conjuror (Arcane Magic) is a rusty red duochrome with teal shift.

Sultry Samhain (Arcane Magic) is bright burgundy with lighter, warm sparkles.

Swatches from  left to right: Pyromantic Erotica, Cupcake Frosting, Conjuror, Sultry Samhaim
Round 3

From left to right: Mystical Hedgehog, Parental Advisory, Polyester Witch, Alchemist's Curse, Glitterboi

Mystical Hedgehog (Arcane Magic) is a smokey, grayish purple. It's a duochrome with a moderate turquoise shift.

Parental Advisory is definitely my favorite out of all of these because it's such an in-your-face-royal blue-ish purple. If anyone wants to know my favorite color, Fyrinnae's Parental Advisory is my favorite color!

Polyester Witch is the color of my grandma's irises. It's a lilac color with lots of silver sparkle and a little bit of green sparkle.

Alchemist's Curse (Arcane Magic) is a black eyeshadow with pink glitter.

Glitterboi (Arcane Magic) is a black eyeshadow with purple, pink, and blue glitter.

Swatches from left to right: Mystical Hedgehog, Parental Advisory, Polyester Witch, Alchemist's Curse, Glitterboi
Round 4

From left to right: Are You My Mummy?, Pteranodon, Dark Fantasy, Mermaid Masquerade, Faerie Glamour

Are You My Mummy? (Arcane Magic) is a frosty forest green with teal sparkle. If you are very lucky, it can look a little lavender in the right light.

Pteranodon is a bright turquoise with hunks of silver glitter.

Dark Fantasy (Arcane Magic) is a black shadow with tons of grass-green shimmer. (Again, Fyrinnae is claiming a coral shift that I simply cannot find.)

Mermaid Masquerade (Arcane Magic) is a vibrant ocean blue.

Faerie Glamour (Arcane Magic) is a violet base with blue sparkle.

Swatches from left to right: Are You My Mummy?, Pteranodon, Dark Fantasy, Mermaid Masquerade, Faerie Glamour

After my Arcane Magic swatches, in particular, you may have noticed...

Caveat # 3: You seriously need to keep your expectations reasonable.

Fyrinnae sells itself as the most special eyeshadow out there. The eyeshadows are indisputably beautiful. But. But. BUT. Many of the alleged "shifts" in the Arcane Magic shadows are either impossible for me to find, or difficult for me to find and you have to get lucky with your light. Remember that Fyrinnae cannot actually give you magical eyeshadow, so be sure to adjust your expectations with that in mind. Some of the duochrome effects are much more obvious than others.

With that said, they are still all gorgeous as fuck.

Here are a few looks I've done recently with Fyrinnae eyeshadows:










Finally, we need to talk about cost.

Caveat #4: Fyrinnae's sizing is inconsistant.

The mini Arcane Magics cost $2.25 for 1/4 tsp and the mini regular shadows are $2.25 for 1/3 tsp.
The website is super vague about the size of the minis, stating that "the 1/3tsp mini size (does not fill jar) is about .4 to .7 gram in weight." That's a huge variation. 0.4g (0.014oz) would work out to be $160.71 per ounce, which is really, really expensive, even by non-indie standards. (For example, Paul and Joe's La Belle Epoque is comparable at $169.71 per ounce.) On the other hand, 0.7g/0.025oz would be only $90 per ounce: a million times more reasonable!

I weighed a few of the minis that I purchased and the Arcane Magics hovered around about 0.5g/0.018oz. If the owners were consistent, the mini regular eyeshadows would weigh 0.67g/0.023oz. However, the mean of my regular minis was less than this; closer to 0.6g/0.021oz.

If we use experimental rather than theoretical values, the minis will run you $125 per ounce for the Arcane Magic and $107.14 per ounce for the regular eyeshadows. This is a bit pricer, ounce per ounce, than the $100 per ounce ($3.50 for 0.035 oz) of the Shiro minis.

The website puts the full size shadows at "approximately" 3g (0.11oz). At $6.80 for the full size, that comes out to $61.82 per ounce. That's actually less expensive than Shiro's full size shadows, which are $71.43 per ounce. However, I wouldn't necessarily count on getting a better deal on these, since the owners of Fyrinnae are simply not as meticulous about weighing their shadows as the owner of Shiro, who is very consistent.

If you've read my caveats and aren't scared away, it's time to start refreshing the Fyrinnae webpage until they open their fucking store again. (Seriously. Scroll up and look at Parental Advisory again. Don't lie to yourself. You need that color.)
↧
Search

How Many Eyeshadow Applications Are In a Palette?

March 10, 2014, 10:13 pm
$
0
0
I have had a couple of requests for a "How Many Eyeshadow Applications Are In a Palette?" post! My handy dandy scale is happy to oblige. As always, I figured it out by weighing out my eyeshadow before and after application and then mathing it the fuck up.

Of course, there are a gazillion caveats to my findings. It's only me, blah blah, I only used one eyeshadow palette, blah, maybe you use a different amount of eyeshadow than I do, blah blah blah.

There are a couple of things that I want to draw specific attention to, however. I used my Coastal Scents Thrill Ride eyeshadow sample (because it is small and fits on my scale). This little quad actually has really nice pigmentation. I also used my beloved MAC 239, 219, and 217 as brushes. They are damn good brushes. It would not surprise me at all if using lower quality brushes and shadows resulted in using more eyeshadow per application. I don't have the data right now (perhaps it is something I will investigate in the future), but I would strongly caution you against generalizing my results to that terrible ELF palette you bought on sale for a dollar.

Another thing that needs to be considered: you aren't going to use an entire palette. Let's be real. You're going to hit pan on your three favorite shades and you're gonna be done. Or, maybe you are a super frugal lady and you'll do better. Still, at some point, you're only going to have two colors left and they're not going to go together because of course. It's the Murphy's Law of makeup. This is interesting as a thought experiment, but I wouldn't count on wanting every last billow of eyeshadow dust that your palette contains, especially when the majority of the colors are long gone.

I always do measuring stuff at night, so you guys always get dark, sinister-looking pictures of my scale!
Here are the masses of my eyeshadow application (with brushes cleaned between each use):

0.016g
0.021g
0.023g
0.019g
0.024g
Mean: 0.020g per application (equivalent to 0.000705oz).

This teeny weeny palette is 0.07oz, so, at this rate, it would be used up in a surprisingly high 99 uses.

What about some more standard size palettes?

One of Urban Decay's Naked Palettes contains 0.71oz.
This is approximately 1007 applications.
At $52 for the palette, each application uses about $0.05 worth of eyeshadow.

One of the Stila In the - Palettes contains 0.49oz.
This is approximately 695 applications.
At $39 for the palette, each application uses about $0.06 worth of eyeshadow.

One of the Kat Von D True Romance Palettes contains 0.4oz.
This is approximately 567 applications.
At $36 for the palette, each application uses about $0.06 worth of eyeshadow.

The LORAC Pro Palette contains 0.32oz.
This is approximately 453 applications.
At $42 for the palette, each application uses about $0.09 worth of eyeshadow.

One of the BareMinerals READY 4.0 palettes contains 0.17oz.
This is approximately 241 applications.
At $30 for the palette, each application uses about $0.12 worth of eyeshadow.
↧
↧

Review: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light

March 12, 2014, 8:50 pm
$
0
0
Some of y'all already know about my frustration about choosing an Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder. The Ambient Lighting Powders are much-hyped finishing powders that allegedly mimic different types of lighting. Because they are all super different, it can be really difficult to decide which one is actually going to make you look like a glowing, lit-from-within goddess.

I did actually manage to make my way into a Sephora (which is a serious accomplishment when you live in the middle of nowhere, like I do), so I did get to see all six shades in person. In general, I would say that medium-skinned ladies can probably get away with any of these colors. Dark skinned ladies might find that a few of the lighter colors will work as highlighters, but not all over the face. (Shades like Radiant Light, though, will probably be gorgeous.) As a fair-skinned motherfucker, the only two to which I responded, "Uh... well, that's obviously not gonna work" were Mood Light and Radiant Light, although several of the others would still have to be applied with a very light hand.

As you can see from the title of this post, I did end up buying Ethereal Light. (Note: I also bought Luminous Light, which I haven't used enough to form concrete opinions about. I'll be reviewing that at a later date.)


I want to go ahead and note that some people have been using these powders as highlighters. Based on my experience, those people must like their makeup to be as subtle as fuck. Even as all-over face powders, these have a pretty understated effect. I'm certainly not Kim Kardashian or anything, but any highlight worth its salt is not something in which I want to coat my face. (Although it would probably work in lieu of wearing reflective clothing at night...)


The packaging is solid and modern. I adore Hourglass packaging save for their terrible font. (It's not Comic Sans or Papyrus, but it's in their league.)


Ethereal Light is touted to "[mimic] a moonlit glow—even in broad daylight." The powder is a soft, cool white, with just a hint of luminosity. The finish is somewhere in between a pearl and a matte.

Ethereal Light heavily swatched (left) and blended (right).
It's hard to capture the effect of these powders on camera. In general, I feel that it adds a small amount of dimension to my face (something that can be lost when you cake on a truckload of foundation, like I do) without altering the color or lightening my foundation. I also find the effect on blemishes, scars, and other imperfections to be flattering.

Here's how it looks on my face in the lighting I usually use:


And here's how it looks in a closeup on my cheekbone in direct sunlight, in case that has always been your secret desire:


Overall, I like Ethereal Light. It's not magic, but it's definitely flattering.

The Hourglass Ambient Light Powers retail for $45 for 0.35oz ($128.57 per ounce).
↧

Birchbox March 2014 Review

March 14, 2014, 9:52 pm
$
0
0
Birchbox. Stuff. It came. Hooray!

It's rainy, so I can only assume that the weather has decided to be Spring, now. Birchbox is thematically appropriate with their "Spring Forward" box, though their featured products never seem to have anything to do with the theme.

Here's what I got:



Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream (1 fl oz), approximate retail value $1.60


First came BB creams for your face. Next came BB creams for your hair. I suppose that BB creams for your body are the logical next step, no? The Jergens BB Body cream is this month's "Birchbox Find"-- a drugstore product that Birchbox pretends to get excited about because Jergens paid them to (let's not pretend otherwise).

The product itself is essentially translucent-- it doesn't initially appear to do much of anything. However, people online have been reporting that the product is having a self-tanning effect. Uh oh.


I decided to peruse the ingredients and see what was going on. We see water, shea butter, fatty alcohols that give an emollient quality to the product, glycerin to improve smoothness, petroleum jelly, dimethicone (everyone's favorite source of "that silicone-y feel"), ethylhexyl isononanoate for a skin conditioning agent...  a shitload more stuff that is really just there to make the product feel nice (to be fair, it does feel pretty nice)...

And then we get to dihydroxyacetone (DHA), the classic self-tanning ingredient. Move a little farther down the list and you'll hit erythrulose, another common self-tanning ingredient.

This is a self-tanning product.
Source: http://www.drugstore.com/jergens-bb-body-skin-perfecting-cream-all-light-skin-tones/qxp510116?catid=182924
I suppose there is nothing inherently atrocious about having artificial tanning ingredients in a product. Furthermore, Jergens is apparently well-known for their fake tan products. As someone who doesn't fake bake, though, that's not necessarily on my radar. And although the product may not be inherently awful, the advertising says nothing about fake tanning.

The summary of alleged benefits looks like this:

Source: http://www.jergens.com/products/daily-moisturizers/bb-body-perfecting-skin-cream.aspx#

Notice that it says jack shit about tanning.

I really do not approve of products that try to change my skin color... but I really, really, really, really disapprove of products that try to change my skin color and don't fucking warn me about it. This whole situation makes me grumpy because I feel like the company isn't being honest about what the product is actually doing. It's "evening" your skin by making you tanner. It's "correcting" your skin by making you motherfucking tanner.

Leave my skin color alone, Jergens.

Keims Haircare Cleanshine Energizing Shampoo in Peppermint and Macadamia (1.69 fl oz), approximate retail value $1.90


This is another generously-sized sample, which is handy for me since I have absurd amounts of hair. Tiny shampoo samples just don't cut the mustard. The shampoo is relatively thin, in a sheer, amber color. It kinda looks like something you might find in a hotel... The soft, minty scent smells awesome, though, and it is more-than-the-average amount of foamy.

Supergoop City Sunscreen Serum (0.34 fl oz), approximate retail value $8.93 


I will never turn down extra sunscreen, so I was happy to get this in my box. I also tend to like Supergoop sunscreens (I got a few tubes free last year, so I did use it quite a bit)... but damn are those fuckers overpriced. This is $42 for 1.6 ounces. If you're putting on the 0.04oz needed to get full SPF protection on your face, you're only getting 40 applications out of this sucker. You're spending over a dollar on every single sunscreen application. No thank you.

It's a nice sunscreen. It goes on well under makeup. It's not greasy. But unless it's the fountain of eternal youth with a 100% no cancer guarantee, I'm buying a cheaper sunscreen.

Grand Central Beauty SMART Skin Perfecting Serum + Primer (0.27 fl oz), approximate retail value $10.80


I honestly just don't have a lot to say about this product. It's really expensive and does not appear to do anything. I am not really sure what the point of this is.

Inika Certified Organic Eye Liner in 10 Green Lagoon (full size at 0.04 oz), retail value $20.00


Last but not least: EYELINER. This is a full-sized product that does come with a sharpener on the cap.


The color I got was Green Lagoon, a mermaid-y metallic teal.

Unfortunately, the pencil is as hard as a rock. I feel that unyielding eyeliners are really difficult to use, because you just end up poking yourself in the eyelid.


Because the product is so solid, I had a hard time getting a lot of opacity out of the product because it simply was not comfortable to use...


...although you can see it a little better close up.


Total Box Value: $40.23

This was a high retail value box and several of my samples were rather large. Still, I didn't get any products that I'm really excited about. Although I'll definitely use everything except the Jergens, for me, the ideal Birchbox month is a month where I discover something that I really love and want to incorporate into my everyday routine. That didn't happen here. I'm honestly feeling a little 'meh' about the box as a whole. (Luckily, Birchbox points are the best and they more than make up for a few lacklaster products. Gotta love free things.)

If you are filled with an urge to subscribe to Birchbox, you are, as always, welcome to use my referral link by clicking here.
↧

Review: NYX Eyebrow Marker in Medium

March 15, 2014, 2:45 pm
$
0
0
I had a vision that the NYX Eyebrow Marker was going to be perfect. An eyebrow MARKER? How could an eyebrow marker not result in the most impeccable brows imaginable? There's something to be said for natural brows, but I was hoping that this product would let me define the ends of my brows in a Barbie-perfect flick of color.


Sadly, the first time I used the product, my expectations crashed into a fiery heap. "It... doesn't... draw..." I whined. In order to prevent freaking people out with an artificial, drawn-on effect, NYX made this marker sheer as fuck.

The problems with this are twofold:

1. I bought this product in the hopes of creating unnaturally perfect brows. NYX's "let's not make it too scary" philosophy negated my reason for buying the product at all. This is obviously not going to be a problem for everyone, but...

2. ...because the product is so, so sheer, when I draw over my brows, nothing happens.


I was so grumpy about this product's performance that I thew it under my desk for a few weeks so that it would be properly punished for wronging me.

I eventually rescued it from having its proverbial liver pecked out and gave it another a chance. I definitely hated it less the second time.


The good news is that the color works really well for me. It's a warm-toned medium brown. This may not be perfect for those of you with cool-toned hair, but the slight reddish undertone is great on me.


The other good news is that I figured out a way to make it work. The thin marker tip may be useless over my brows, but I can kinda shove it backwards through the hair to fill them in. This is a little more effort than I might ideally want to put in, but the ultimate product is really natural and appealing. There's no way to create harsh brows with this but most of you probably don't want harsh brows, anyways.

I didn't have any problem with the product bleeding or running once it had been applied.

Here's how I look with no brow product whatsoever:


And here's how I look with my brows filled in using the NYX Eyebrow Marker in Medium:


It's not what I thought it would be and it's a little challenging to use, but I think it looks nice. At the end of the day, I don't feel very strongly about this product one way or the other.

The NYX Eyebrow Marker retails for $9.75 for 0.037 fl oz, or $263.51 per fl oz. For comparison, MAC also makes an eyebrow marker that rings in at $19.50 for 0.03 fl oz, or $650 per fl oz.
↧

Ulta Points: Spend or Save? A Mathmatical Analysis

March 15, 2014, 6:07 pm
$
0
0
This guest post by SexyScientistGirl was reposted with permission.

Ulta has a new rewards program, and it's a little complicated.

Generally, you get 1 point per dollar spent. Sometimes you can get double or triple points, like during your birthday month. Also, if you are 'platinum' you get 1.25 points per dollar spent. Platinum member status kicks in when you spend $400 at Ulta during one calendar year.

Your points expire one year after when they were earned unless you are a platinum member, in which case your points never expire.

You can redeem your points as dollars off of your purchase either in-store or online. According to Ulta, "Most products are eligible for point redemption." The discount per point is also not super straightforward. This is from Ulta's website:

  • 100 points = $3.00 off
  • 250 points = $8.00 off
  • 500 points = $17.50 off
  • 750 points = $30.00 off
  • 1000 points = $50.00 off
  • 2000 points = $125.00 off 

Points can only be redeemed in combinations of these point increments. If you want to redeem 600 points, then you can redeem 500 points and 100 points and receive $17.50 + $3.00 off for a total of $20.50 off the transaction.

It's important to note that the dollars off per point is not linear. If the dollars off per point were linear, then 2000 points would be worth (2000*$3/100) = $60 off, instead of $125 off. So, it looks like, in general, it's better to save up points and spend them all at once. Let's look at this this information visually, in a plot:



In this plot, the points redeemed are on the horizontal axis. The dollars off of merchandise is on the vertical axis. The blue points represent the Ulta Rewards program. I fitted these points with a polynomial. The slope on this line is positive and increasing. This means that, no matter how many points you currently have, you should keep saving your points.

The red points on this plot represent what the points system would look like if the rewards program were linear. This is also the rewards that you would get if you spent your points as you collected them, 100 points at a time. You can see that below 500 points there isn't much of a difference between the two lines. (E.g. You would get $17.50 off from 500 points in you saved, and $15 off if you spent your points every time you hit 100 points.) Put simply, if you are going to earn less than 500 points before your points expire, you might as well spend them as you earn them.

After 500 points, the differences become more noteworthy. 750 points gives you $30 off, rather than the $22.50 a linear model would suggest. 1000 points is $50 off, not the $30 of a linear system. And, finally, 2000 points gives you a whopping $125 off, rather than a mere $60.

In conclusion, if you spend less than $400 (and thus are not a Platinum member) or collect less than 500 points at Ulta in a year, then it doesn't matter very much how you spend your points. Just be sure to spend them before they expire! However, if you spend more than $400 a year at Ulta or collect more than 500 points in a calendar year, then you probably want to wait until you collect as many points as possible to spend them.
↧
↧

Review: BareMinerals The Wild Thing READY Eyeshadow Quad

March 16, 2014, 4:56 pm
$
0
0
Do you love hearing about gorgeous, amazing things that you totally can't have?

Well, I hope so, since I'm a year fucking late on this shit... but it is awesome.

(If lusting over things you can't have doesn't appeal to you, I suggest scrolling to the next post really quickly!)


After completely dismissing the brand for years, I recently discovered the wonderfulness that is BareMinerals Ready Eyeshadow. Although it was released for Spring 2013, the Wild Thing quad, at the time, was in the Sephora sale section. Of course, I immediately realized that I needed to have it.

AND THANK FUCK I ORDERED IT IMMEDIATELY, SINCE THIS IS THE PERFECT MOTHERFUCKING PALETTE. (And now it's gone...)

Reasons why this palette is flawless:

1. The compact is aqua. AQUA. It's so beautiful, it is as if it taunts the other makeup in my collection.


2. The palette is polite. When you first open it up, it greets you with a friendly 'Hello'.


3. Seriously, just look at this shit. I bet you feel terrible that you didn't buy this when it was available.


4. The color combination is brilliant and completely unexpected.


5. The colors swatch like butter.

Sensational is an iridescent sea foam that almost appears as if it is glowing. It is gorgeous. If you do not love it, it may be time to schedule an appointment to test for color-blindness.

Icon is a yellow-y, dead-grass chartreuse with a tiny bit of shimmer. I would say that it's a little bit rougher in texture than the other shades in the palette, but the color payoff is still excellent.

Elitist is a satin-finished medium brown with some green hues hidden in there.

Controversy is a frosty denim blue.

Every single color is approximately perfect in terms of pigmentation and texture.


6. The colors are unbelievably easy to blend.

A couple looks I have done with the Wild Thing Quad:



Overall, I like just about everything about these shadows. The only minor quibble I have is the price: BareMinerals Eyeshadow Quads retail for $30 for 0.17oz, putting them at a slightly-pricy $176.47 per ounce.

Sadly, since this palette is now sold out, you're going to have to buy some other BareMinerals eyeshadow to fill that enormous 'Wild Thing'-shaped hole that I am sure I have created in your heart.
↧

Ipsy March 2014 Review

March 19, 2014, 12:23 am
$
0
0
It's not quite Spring, but it sure looks like Spring on my Ipsy bag.

My supervisor confessed to me today that she was browsing my blog and couldn't figure out the whole subscription box thing, so maybe I should explain it a little better on the off chance that some of you are encountering this for the first time. It costs $10 a month. You get a monthly bag of makeup-y stuff. That's pretty much all there is to know!


The bag design this month was a little controversial. Personally, I like it. It brings me back to playing with modeling clay as a child. The only thing that made me raise an eyebrow is that a national service is calling the artist "local". She may be local to Ipsy's headquarters in San Francisco, but nothing in San Francisco is local for me! Very minor quibble; I just thought it was odd.

Here was my loot:


In order from my least favorite to my favorite item:

Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer (0.4 fl oz), approximate retail value $8.80


The back of this product assures me that it "adds a youthful glow". I found this a little bit intriguing, as it is the opposite of the "matte vampire" look I usually go with. Unfortunately, it didn't work out well for me.


Despite assurances that the "...flattering golden peach pigment suits all skin tones", the especially pasty crowd are not included there. It's very dark and kinda looks like I coated my face in a really serious layer of bronzer. It's also really shiny. Like, "I just applied half a tube of sunscreen" shiny. If you have a medium skintone and love the dewey look, though, this might be up your alley.

NYX Love in Rio Meet Me At the Copa (full size at 0.105oz), retail value $6.00


This isn't the worst eyeshadow I have ever used... but that is not very high praise. I guess that's what happens when you choose a relatively unexciting Frank Sinatra song as your inspiration. (I was going to say that "Fly Me to the Moon" would have to be an amazing eyeshadow palette... but the internet tells me that that eyeshadow palette already happened, and it wasn't very good. Bummer.)


This is a neutral trio containing three frosty shades: a light brown, a yellowish beige, and a slate gray.


The colors are very dull and sallow, so they actually swatch a little better than they are looking in pictures-- they just don't stand out well against my skin. Still, pigmentation is pretty "meh" and the texture of the shadows is relatively gritty.


Even at a $6 pricepoint, I think there's better stuff on the market.

BareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Get Ready (0.05oz), approximate retail value $7.50


I am officially a BareMinerals convert. Keep their foundation away from me, but everything else I've tried has been jolly good. Happily, this lipstick is no exception.


"Get Ready" is a saturated, pink-y rose color with a moderately glossy, satin finish.


The formula is smooth, the lipstick is pretty. I have nothing much to say except that this is great.



Chella Eyeliner Pen in Indigo Blue (full size at 0.034 fl oz), retail value $24.00


My favorite thing in the box, though, was my Chella Eyeliner Pen. Although it's labeled as an "indigo", I think it's more of a cobalt. It pokes you in the face with its incredible blue-ness.


The tip is fine, making it easy to work with.

Did I mention it is really, really blue?


The only minor complaint I have about this product is that it seemed to get clogged up by eyeshadow a little too easily.

I should also note that I got the NYX Bronze Smokey Look Kit as a "bonus" for referrals, at a retail value of $12. I haven't even opened the thing up yet, so I'll have to review it for y'all at a later time.

Total Box Value: $46.30 ($58.30 if you count my bonus item).

Here's a full face using all four of my March 2014 Ipsy products:


Overall, I'm pretty happy. Although the primer and the eyeshadow didn't happen to ring my bell, they didn't feel like junk samples that were total throwaways. I love the lipstick and the eyeliner (I would have paid full price for that eyeliner and certainly would have paid at least a few bucks for the mini lipstick.), so they more than made up for the $10 I spent on Ipsy.

If you think an Ipsy subscription would ring your bell, you are always welcome to sign up using my referral link here.
↧
Search

Review: Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation Makeup in Cool Bone

March 20, 2014, 11:32 pm
$
0
0
Estée Lauder's Double Wear (reformulation aside), is a beloved classic in full-coverage foundation. I know that many of you guys know this, since I've had a variety of comments asking me to try it and let you know what I think. As you probably have guessed by now, I took your advice.


The shade range for the Double Wear foundation is well-concieved. There are a variety of intensity levels, and each intensity level comes in at least one cool, neutral, and warm tone. Since most of y'all have seen my face, it probably doesn't surprise you that I chose the fairest, coolest color available to me: 1C1, or Cool Bone.

Sadly, there's a problem. Check out the swatch below. Does that look either cool or fair to you? I think not. This is, honestly, pretty orange.


Still, it's always better to see this shit on a face, right?

Let's go ahead and look at what it is I have to cover up. This is me sans foundation:


Aaand here is how I look all caked up in Estee Lauder Double Wear:


I'm going to point out the obvious: it's got damn good coverage! The product is pretty liquid, but it coats my face effectively and covers up all my acne and scarring without any concealer. The finish isn't quite matte, but leaves a slight luminous glow to the skin. I would love it... if not for the color.

I know what you are thinking: "Oh, it's not that orange!".

So, let's go ahead and zoom out and look at my face in the context of my neck:


AHHH I AM A CARROT. You can see that it is actually not even close. This is really frustrating because the Double Wear foundation is actually known for having a pretty good shade range. They are one of the few foundations that I use that would also effectively serve a significant portion of black beauty-lovers. It's advertised as having "30 flawless shades for every skin tone" (every skin tone, you guys) and it apparently won Allure magazine's "Best Foundation Shade Range" award. Meanwhile, I'm just sitting here with my giant tube of sunscreen and a frowny face.

I've tried a few things to remedy this glaring problem. Most frequently, I coat my face in white powder to help bring me back down to my natural ghostly hue. Unfortunately, this is a recipe for cake face, and it totally fucks with the staying power of the foundation itself. My next try will be mix the stuff in with a good layer of white foundation before applying it, although I'm sure that that will affect how the product performs.

Estée Lauder, let me love you. MORE COLORS, PLEASE.

I also want to explicitly note that the product does not have a pump. So, unless you hate having hygienic products, you are going to have to buy a pump that fits (e.g. the MAC foundation pump). For the price, I think that's a bit of bullshit.

If you match the color range, you're looking for a good full-coverage foundation, and you're willing to shell out an extra $6 (or so, depending on the pump), I think this foundation is pretty awesome. I'm just grumbly that I can't buy it in a reasonable shade for my face.

Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation retails for $37 for 1.0oz of product, putting it at an easy-to-calculate $37 per ounce.
↧

Sephora and MAC's Travel Size Products by Value; Or: When Is the Travel Size Product Secretly a Way Better Deal?

March 22, 2014, 9:51 pm
$
0
0
You've probably already noticed it. In fact, I probably even know what the products were. One day, you were looking at the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer and something clicked in your brain. "If the full size is $36 for 1 ounce and the travel size is $10 for 0.4 ounces," you might have reasoned, "why the everloving fuck would I ever buy the full size? That is a way worse deal!" (I recently heard a consumer lament, "Does Smashbox think we can't do math?") If it wasn't Smashbox, it was probably MAC's Strobe Cream, where the full size comes in at $32 for 1.7 fluid ounces, and the travel size is $10 for 1 fluid ounce.

Image source: http://www.reddit.com/r/MakeupAddiction/comments/20kzh8/does_smashbox_think_we_cant_do_math/
Although Smashbox's notorious primer and MAC's illuminator are the most commonly cited examples of the travel size version being much cheaper, ounce per ounce, than the full size, I decided to investigate a little further and see what other products have a cheaper miniature version. I went through both the Sephora and MAC sites to classify the travel size products by value.

The value is expressed in the form of a percentage. A travel size that costs the exact same, ounce per ounce, as the full size, would be labeled 100%. If it costs twice as much, it would be labeled 200%. If it costs half as much, it would be labeled 50%.


For the purposes of this post, I skipped mascara. This is because, in my opinion, mascara is "used up" in a different way than other products. Because they have such a short shelf life, I tend to toss my mascaras long before I've used every last bit of product.

Products Where the Full Size Costs Significantly Less 
(Preferable for the company, since it incentivizes the purchase of a larger product.)
Why you might choose the travel size version anyway: You are actually traveling. You aren't sure if you will get a lot of use out of the product and don't want to commit. You know you only want a few uses out of the product. You are giving gifts or something and need to keep overall cost down, but don't care if they use the shit up.

Sephora Creamy Body Wash
Full Size: $7 for 4.73 fl oz, $1.48 per fluid ounce
Travel Size (Caps): $1 for 0.26 fl oz, $3.85 per fluid ounce
260.14%

MAC Green Gel Cleanser
Full Size: $21 for 5.0 fl oz, $4.20 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $10 for 1.0 fl oz, $10 per fluid ounce
238.10%

Make Up For Ever Mist and Fix
Full Size: $29 for 4.22 fl oz, $6.87 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $12 for 0.84 fl oz, $14.29 per fluid ounce
208.01%

Alterna Bamboo Volume 48-Hour Sustainable Volume Spray
Full Size: $25 for 4.2 fl oz, $5.95 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $10 for 0.85 fl oz, $11.76 per fluid ounce
197.65%

Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil
Full Size: $38 for 3.4 fl oz, $11.18 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $18 for 0.85 fl oz, $21.18 per fluid ounce
189.45%

Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray
Full Size: $30 for 4 oz, $7.5 per ounce
Travel Size: $14 for 1 oz, $14 per ounce
186.67%

Urban Decay De-Slick Oil-Control Makeup Setting Spray
Full Size: $30 for 4 oz, $7.5 per ounce
Travel Size: $14 for 1 oz, $14 per ounce
186.67%

Living Proof Restore Conditioner
Full Size: $28 for 8 fl oz, $3.50 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $12 for 2 fl oz, $6 per fluid ounce
171.43%

Living Proof Restore Shampoo
Full Size: $28 for 8 fl oz, $3.50 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $12 for 2 fl oz, $6 per fluid ounce
171.43%

DevaCurl Light Defining Curl
Full Size: $19 for 12 fl oz, $1.58 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $8 for 3 fl oz, $2.67 per fluid ounce
168.99%

DevaCurl No-Poo
Full Size: $19 for 12 fl oz, $1.58 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $8 for 3 fl oz, $2.67 per fluid ounce
168.99%

DevaCurl One Condition
Full Size: $19 for 12 fl oz, $1.58 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $8 for 3 fl oz, $2.67 per fluid ounce
168.99%

Amazing Cosmetics Concealer
Full Size: $42 for 0.5 oz, $84 per ounce
Travel Size: $28 for 0.2 oz, $140 per ounce
166.67%

Living Proof Full Conditioner
Full Size: $24 for 8 fl oz, $3.00 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $10 for 2 fl oz, $5.00 per fluid ounce
166.67%

Living Proof Full Shampoo
Full Size: $24 for 8 fl oz, $3.00 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $10 for 2 fl oz, $5.00 per fluid ounce
166.67%

Living Proof No Frizz Conditioner
Full Size: $24 for 8 fl oz, $3.00 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $10 for 2 fl oz, $5.00 per fluid ounce
166.67%

Living Proof No Frizz Shampoo
Full Size: $24 for 8 fl oz, $3.00 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $10 for 2 fl oz, $5.00 per fluid ounce
166.67%

MAC Cleanse Off Oil
Full Size: $30 for 5 fl oz, $6 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $10 for 1 fl oz, $10 per fluid ounce
166.67%

Korres Body Butter
Full Size: $29 for 7.95 oz, $3.65 per ounce
Travel Size: $10 for 1.69 oz, $5.92 per ounce
162.19%

MAC Fix +
Full Size: $21 for 3.4 fl oz, $6.18 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $10 for 1.0 fl oz, $10 per fluid ounce
161.81%

MAC Pro Eye Makeup Remover
Full Size: $21 for 3.4 fl oz, $6.18 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $10 for 1 fl oz, $10 per fluid ounce
161.81%

Josie Maran Argan Oil Serum
Full Size: $30 for 2 fl oz, $15 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $12 for 0.5 fl oz, $24 per fluid ounce
160.00%

Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisture Conditioner
Full Size: $32 for 8.5 fl oz, $3.76 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $8 for 1.35 fl oz, $5.93 per fluid ounce
157.71%

Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisture Shampoo
Full Size: $32 for 8.5 fl oz, $3.76 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $8 for 1.35 fl oz, $5.93 per fluid ounce
157.71%

Sephora Collection Daily Brush Cleaner
Full Size: $15 for 6.75 fl oz, $2.22 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $7 for 2 oz, $3.5 per fluid ounce
157.66%

Living Proof Flex Shaping Hairspray
Full Size: $24 for 7.5 oz, $3.20 per ounce
Travel Size: $15 for 3 oz, $5.00 per ounce
156.25%

Philosophy Purity Made Simple
Full Size: $35 for 16 fl oz, 2.19 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $10 for 3 fl oz, 3.33 per fluid ounce
152.05%

Living Proof Full Thickening Mousse
Full Size: $26 for 5 oz, $5.20 per ounce
Travel Size: $15 for 1.9 fl oz, $7.89 per ounce
151.73%

Living Proof Prime Style Extender
Full Size: $20 for 5 fl oz, $4.00 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $12 for 2 fl oz, $6.00 per fluid ounce
150%

Soap and Glory The Righteous Body Butter
Full Size: $20 for 10.1 oz, $1.98 per ounce
Travel Size: $5 for 1.7 oz, $2.94 per ounce
148.48%

Philosophy Hope In a Jar
Full Size: $42 for 2.0 oz, $21 per ounce
Travel Size: $15 for 0.5 oz, $30 per ounce
142.86%

Make Up For Ever Sens'Eyes Waterproof Sensitive Eye Cleanser
Full Size: $24 for 3.38 fl oz, $7.10 per ounce
Travel Size: $10 for 1.01 fl oz, $9.90 per ounce
139.44%

Bumble and Bumble Super Rich Conditioner
Full Size: $26 for 8 fl oz, $3.25 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $9 for 2 fl oz, $4.50 per fluid ounce
138.46%

Bumble and Bumble Thickening Conditioner
Full Size: $26 for 8 fl oz, $3.25 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $9 for 2 fl oz, $4.50 per fluid ounce
138.46%

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion
Full Size: $26 for 4.2 oz, $6.19 per ounce
Travel Size: $14.50 for 1.7 oz, $8.53 per ounce
137.80%

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
Full Size: $26 for 4.2 oz, $6.19 per ounce
Travel Size: $14.50 for 1.7 oz, $8.53 per ounce
137.80%

Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel
Full Size: $25 for 1.0 fl oz, $25 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $17 for 0.5 fl oz, $34 per fluid ounce
136.00%

Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray
Full Size: $26 for 4 fl oz, $6.50 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $15 for 1.7 fl oz, $8.82 per fluid ounce
135.69%

Bumble and Bumble Gentle Shampoo
Full Size: $24 for 8 fl oz, $3.00 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $8 for 2 fl oz, $4.00 per fluid ounce
133.33%

Bumble and Bumble Thickening Shampoo
Full Size: $24 for 8 fl oz, $3.00 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $8 for 2 fl oz, $4.00 per fluid ounce
133.33%

GLO Whitening Antioxidant Toothpaste
Full Size: $15 for 5 oz, $3 per ounce
Travel Size: $6 for 1.5 oz, $4 per ounce
133.33%

Bumble and Bumble Tonic Lotion
Full Size: $21 for 8 fl oz, $2.63 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $7 for 2 fl oz, $3.50 per fluid ounce
133.08%

Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover
Full Size: $18 for 4.2 fl oz, $4.29 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $9.50 for 1.69 fl oz, $5.62 per fluid ounce
131.00%

Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo
Full Size: $21 for 2.5 oz, $8.40 per ounce
Travel Size: $11 for 1 oz, $11 per ounce
130.95%

Eve Lom Cleanser
Full Size: $80 for 3.3 fl oz, $24.24 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $50 for 1.6 fl oz, $31.25 per fluid ounce
128.91%

Bumble and Bumble Thickening Hairspray
Full Size: $28 for 8 fl oz, $3.50 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $9 for 2 fl oz, $4.50 per fluid ounce
128.57%

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream
Full Size: $28 for 6 oz, $4.67 per ounce
Travel Size: $12 for 2 oz, $6 per ounce
128.48%

Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash
Full Size: $24 for 6.7 fl oz, $3.58 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $9 for 2 fl oz, $4.50 per fluid ounce
125.70%

Sephora Collection Tinted Self-Tanning Body Mist
Full Size: $16 for 5 oz, $3.20 per ounce
Travel Size: $6 for 1.5 oz, $4 per ounce
125.00%

Bumble and Bumble Hair (Un)Dressing Cream
Full Size: $29 for 5 fl oz, $5.8 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $14 for 2 fl oz, $7 per fluid ounce
120.69%

Bumble and Bumble Straight Blow Dry
Full Size: $29 for 5 fl oz, $5.8 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $14 for 2 fl oz, $7 per fluid ounce
120.69%

Perricone MD Photo Plasma
Full Size: $69 for 2 fl oz, $34.50 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $20 for 0.5 fl oz, $40 per fluid ounce
115.94%

Lancome Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector
Full Size: $89 for 1.0 fl oz, $89 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $69 for 0.67 fl oz, $102.99 per fluid ounce
115.72%

Living Proof No Frizz Nourishing Styling Cream
Full Size: $26 for 4 fl oz, $6.50 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $15 for 2 fl oz, $7.50 per fluid ounce
115.38%

Bumble and Bumble Prep
Full Size: $21 for 8 fl oz, $2.63 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $6 for 2 fl oz, $3 per fluid ounce
114.07%

Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Beauty Balm
Full Size: $36 for 1.5 fl oz, $24 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $18 for 0.66 fl oz, $27.27 per fluid ounce
113.63%

Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil
Full Size: $48 for 1.7 fl oz, $28.24 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $16 for 0.5 fl oz, $32 per fluid ounce
113.31%

Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil Light
Full Size: $48 for 1.7 fl oz, $28.24 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $16 for 0.5 fl oz, $32 per fluid ounce
113.31%

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
Full Size: $20 for 0.37 oz, $54.05 per ounce
Travel Size: $12 for 0.2 oz, $60.00 per ounce
111.01%


Products Where the Full Size and the Travel Size Cost About the Same
Why you might choose the full size version: You know you love the product and don't want to keep track of extra stuff. It is an inconvenience to keep re-purchasing a bunch of minis. A very small difference in price is important to you. The packaging for the travel size is less desirable.
Why you might choose the travel size version: You can have multiple versions everywhere you might need them without a high price. If you don't adore the product, you can stop using it sooner without feeling wasteful.


Bliss Lemon+Sage Body Butter Maximum Moisture Cream
Full Size: $29 for 6.7 oz, $4.33 per ounce
Travel Size: $8 for 1.7 oz, $4.71 per ounce
108.78%

Perfekt Skin Perfection Gel
Full Size: $48 for 1.0 oz, $48 per ounce
Travel Size: $13 for 0.25 oz, $52 per ounce
108.33%

L'Occitane Cleansing and Softening Shower Gel with Almond Oil
Full Size: $25 for 8.4 fl oz, $2.98 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $8 for 2.5 fl oz, $3.20 per fluid ounce
107.38%

DERMAdoctor KP Duty Moisturizing Therapy
Full Size: $38 for 4 fl oz, $9.50 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $10 for 1 fl oz, $10 per fluid ounce
105.26%

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer
Full Size: $52 for 1 oz, $52 per ounce
Travel Size: $18 for 0.33 oz, $54.54 per ounce
104.88%

Tarte Maracuja Oil
Full Size: $46 for 1.7 fl oz, $27.06 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $17 for 0.6 fl oz, $28.33 per fluid ounce
104.69%

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment
Full Size: $85 for 2 fl oz, $42.50 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $22 for 0.5 fl oz, $44 per fluid ounce
103.52%

Bumble and Bumble Straight Blow Dry
Full Size: $29 for 5 fl oz, $5.80 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $12 for 2 fl oz, $6 per fluid ounce
103.45%

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer Mineral
Full Size: $33 for 1.75 oz, $18.86 per ounce
Travel Size: $19.50 for 1 oz, $19.50 per ounce
103.39%

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer Oil Free
Full Size: $33 for 1.75 oz, $18.86 per ounce
Travel Size: $19.50 for 1 oz, $19.50 per ounce
103.39%

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer Radiance
Full Size: $33 for 1.75 oz, $18.86 per ounce
Travel Size: $19.50 for 1 oz, $19.50 per ounce
103.39%

Soap and Glory Hand Food Hand Cream
Full Size: $12 for 4.2 fl oz, $2.86 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $5 for 1.7 fl oz, $2.94 per fluid ounce
102.80%

Hourglass N28 Primer Serum
Full Size: $65 for 1 oz, $65 per ounce
Travel Size: $22 for 0.33 oz, $66.67 per ounce
102.57%

Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water
Full Size: $39 for 10.15 fl oz, $3.84 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $13 for 3.38 fl oz, $3.85 per fluid ounce
100%

Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream
Full Size: $39 for 1 oz, $39 per ounce
Travel Size: $19.50 for 0.5 oz, $39 per ounce
100%


Products Where the Travel Size Costs At Least Slightly Less
Why you might choose the full size version anyway: The product is not available in your preferred color or scent in the miniature version. It is an inconvenience to keep re-purchasing a bunch of minis. The packaging for the travel size is less desirable.


Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream+ Broad Spectrum
Full Size: $35 for 2.1 fl oz, $16.67 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $19.50 for 1.2 fl oz, $16.25 per fluid ounce
97.48%

Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm
Full Size: $34 for 1.18 fl oz, $28.81 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $14 for 0.5 fl oz, $28.00 per fluid ounce
97.19%

Make Up For Ever HD Microperfecting Primer
Full Size: $34 for 1.01 oz, $33.67 per ounce
Travel Size: $16 for 0.5 oz, $32 per ounce
95.04%

Boscia BB Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 27
Full Size: $38 for 1.75 fl oz, $21.71 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $18 for 0.875 fl oz, $20.57 per fluid ounce
94.75%

GlamGlow Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment
Full Size: $69 for 1.7 oz, $40.59 per ounce
Travel Size: $19 for 0.5 oz, $38 per ounce
93.62%

Smashbox Camera Ready CC Cream
Full Size: $42 for 1 oz, $42 per ounce
Travel Size: $19.50 for 0.5 oz, $39 per ounce
92.86%

Benefit Cosmetics Dr. Feelgood
Full Size: $31 for 0.85 oz, $36.47 per ounce
Travel Size: $9 for 0.28 oz, $32.14 per ounce
88.13%

Sephora Collection Age Defy Moisture Cream SPF15
Full Size: $30 for 1.69 oz, $17.75 per ounce
Travel Size: $15 for 1 oz, $15 per ounce
84.51%

Cover FX Mattifying Primer with Anti-Acne Treatment
Full Size: $38 for 1.0 oz, $38 per ounce
Travel Size: $16 for 0.5 oz, $32 per ounce
84.21%

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer
Full Size: $43 for 1.5 fl oz, $28.67 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $20.50 for 1 fl oz, $20.50 per fluid ounce
71.50%

Sephora Collection Contour Eye Pencil
Full Size: $10 for 0.04 oz, $250 per ounce
Travel Size: $5 for 0.028 oz, $178.57 per ounce
71.43%

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer
Full Size: $36 for 1 oz, $36 per ounce
Travel Size: $10 for 0.4 oz, $25 per ounce
69.44%

Tarte BB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer
Full Size: $34 for 1 fl oz, $34 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $10 for 0.5 fl oz, $20 per fluid ounce
58.82%

MAC Strobe Cream
Full Size: $32 for 1.7 fl oz, $18.82 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $10 for 1 fl oz, $10 per fluid ounce
53.13%

MAC Studio Moisture Cream
Full Size: $32 for 1.7 fl oz, $18.82 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $10 for 1 fl oz, $10 per fluid ounce
53.13%

MAC Oil Control Lotion
Full Size: $32 for 1.7 fl oz, $18.82 per fluid ounce
Travel Size: $10 for 1 fl oz, $10 per fluid ounce
53.13%
↧
↧

Jezebel's Article on Contouring is Bad, and They Should Feel Bad

March 24, 2014, 1:01 am
$
0
0
I should probably preface this article by saying that I used to read Jezebel, so there is a tiny part of my heart with a slightly mushy spot for them. (Hell, I was a starred commenter back when that was a thing.) However, that mushy spot immediately hardens to stone when they pull some sort of fucking bullshit, which seems to be approximately daily.

Jezebel's article on contouring, entitled "Let's Just Stop With the Contouring Already" by Tracie Morrissey is fucking bullshit and I am going to explain why, point by insipid point. (Note: I did include a link to the original article, but if you want to avoid giving Jezebel pageviews, the entire article is included within this article. All you need to do is read the bolded parts below.) Is it the most bullshit thing that has ever graced the halls of Jezebel? Definitely not. But I am grumpy about it, and I am going to grump in your general direction.

Point #1: "Sure, love is a battlefield, but makeup isn't supposed to look like war paint."

This quote presumably was supposed to be witty, but, in my opinion, things that are witty are supposed to make sense. "Love is a battlefield" does not make sense when talking about makeup. It is not relevant. You need to have some sort of bridge to the topic at hand. Makeup is not love.

Still, the thing I take umbrage at here is that Tracy presumes that there is a way that makeup is "supposed" to look. One of the awesome and amazing things about makeup is that you can do whatever the fuck you want with it. Minor quibble, but I suppose we can move on.

Point #2: Still, women are drawing stripes all over their faces and taking liberties with bronzer in an attempt to create some kind of illusion—but they simply can't escape the cold hard reality that they look like fucking idiots.

Calling women "fucking idiots" is not helpful.

Point #3: I blame Kim Kardashian for this. She's been a real champion of contouring.

Image Source: http://jezebel.com/lets-just-stop-with-the-contouring-already-1547517476

If you think that Kim Kardashian invented contouring, I can only assume that you have literally never looked at celebrity faces.

Contouring is not new.

Do you see that swipe of color under Marilyn Monroe's cheekbone? You do. Don't lie.
Image source: http://www.oassf.com/en/media/images/Marilyn-Monroe-Photo.jpg
If you try to tell me you don't see the contouring on Audrey Hepburn, you need new glasses.
Image Source: http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2013/04/audrey-hepburn-never-thought-i-was-beautiful/_jcr_content/par/cn_contentwell/par-main/cn_blogpost/cn_float_container/cn_image.size.cover-may-2013-audrey-hepburn.jpeg
Obvious contouring is obvious on Elizabeth Taylor.
Image source: http://content7.flixster.com/rtactor/42/22/42225_pro.jpg
If it's good enough for Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman...
Image Source: http://imgur.com/a/GUFMO

So, what is it about Kim Kardashian that is different from the thousands and thousands of contoured faces we have seen for our entire lives?

As far as I can tell, the only difference is that she is open about her process.

Point #4: Her influence can be seen on the mangled faces of several reality TV stars. (From left, Lilly Ghalichi, Melissa Gorga, Nene Leakes.)

Image Source: http://jezebel.com/lets-just-stop-with-the-contouring-already-1547517476
I don't know who these ladies are, since pretty much the only reality TV I watch is Top Chef and infinite re-runs of Flavor of Love, but a quick google search shows that these ladies usually look rather good. Although I understanding the reasoning behind choosing the least flattering pictures available, it really is okay to mess up with your makeup on occasion.

Nene Leakes looking way better that she does in that Jezebel photo.
Source: http://shaystar.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/nene-leakes.jpg

The other day, I tried something new with my foundation and it was not a success. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror at the dentist and my foundation was melting off my face. That doesn't mean I should never wear foundation again. It just means that on that particular day, I screwed up. Since I'm not a celebrity, no one photographed me, so the only people who know about that particular error are me and my dentist (and now, all of you). When you're a celebrity, though, people see when you screw up. But that doesn't mean it's not okay to make an error or two.

Point #5: Here are two young women having a conversation on Teen Mom 2. They are classmates in makeup school. This is what your aesthetic future looks like, America.

Image Source: http://jezebel.com/lets-just-stop-with-the-contouring-already-1547517476

I literally don't even know why this would be included. Is the point that teenagers sometimes don't do their makeup well? When I was a teenager I wore bright orange foundation, had bushy caterpillar eyebrows, didn't blend my eyeshadow, and drew long, wonky cat eyes with a pencil eyeliner. I am not sure that a teenager with imperfect makeup is really newsworthy, or something that would affect the decisions I make about my own, no-longer-teenage face.

Also, why are you spending your time making fun of the way that teenagers look?

Point #6: But it's not just reality stars who're walking around looking like the cast of Zoobilee Zoo. Professional entertainers, like Nicki Minaj and Julie Chen, pay people to do this to their faces.

Image Source: http://jezebel.com/lets-just-stop-with-the-contouring-already-1547517476
I feel like this one bad contouring day from 2011 is going to follow Nicki Minaj around forever. We get it. It's not flattering. But this is neither representative of Nicki Minaj's usual contouring nor typical contouring that a home makeup-user might do.

Point #7: Here's inverse Hamburglar Adrienne Bailon, striped-nose Aubrey O'Day and reliable disaster area Lindsay Lohan.

Image Source: http://jezebel.com/lets-just-stop-with-the-contouring-already-1547517476
Why is Jezebel choosing random celebrities like Adrienne Bailon, who I haven't thought about since 3LW's self-titled album came out in the year 2000? Because bad contouring isn't an epidemic. Big-name celebrities are still contouring, they just look awesome, so it's essentially ignored.

Beyonce with excellent contouring.
Image source: http://blogdailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/BEY.jpg
(Also, slightly harsh nose contouring aside, none of these ladies look particularly bad in these photos.)

Point #8: But seriously, you don't need to reconstruct your face with a series of complicated shading and highlighting. It doesn't make you look more beautiful. It only makes you look like a second-rate drag queen. If you are unable to wash your face without recreating the Turin Shroud then you are wearing entirely too much crap on your face.

For every photo you show me with less than flattering contouring...

It's okay that this doesn't look perfect, by the way. I am pretty sure Lilo had more important things to think about that day.
Image Source: http://www.celebitchy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/lindsay_lohan_courthouse_03_wenn5742060.jpg

...I can show you a million regular, non-celebrities whose contouring looks like this:

Messy Wands in Chanel Notorious
Image source: http://www.messywands.com/2012/09/chanel-notorious-blush-worn.html
BNSquash with a blue contour
Image source: http://imgur.com/a/nlZDi

Checkmate1234 in Too Faced bronzer
Image Source: http://imgur.com/a3123hs
Just as the existence of unflattering bright eyeshadow...

Image source: http://bobbyfinstock.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/mimi.jpg
...doesn't mean we should discount the truly amazing bright eyeshadow that also exists.

By LinsdayEatsBrains
Image Source: http://instagram.com/p/kpQDlMRRCM/
Makeup is a learning process and you have to be forgiving of mistakes that people are inevitably going to make along the way. No one contours perfectly the first time. The way to deal with this isn't to say, "Never try." After all, the world won't have that perfect Beyonce contour if no one learns how to create it in the first place.
↧

Review: Maybelline Eyestudio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadow in Coral Oasis and Gutsy Green

March 25, 2014, 5:46 pm
$
0
0
If you describe something using the word "plush", I'm generally going to assume that you are talking about a stuffed bunny rabbit. In the case of the Maybelline Eyestudio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadows, though, they're just lovely, fine-milled colors. No fuzzy creatures involved.


The packaging on these shadows is a little unfortunate, in my opinion. The lids feel very fragile and cheap, and the accompanying sponge-y applicators are narrow and unpleasant-- even for generally sponge-y applicators, which seem to be awful as a rule.

With the eyeshadow pan shape, I think they were trying to be snazzy, but they just remind me of the flashing arrow board signs that tell you that you have to merge when there is road construction. Luckily for them, what's in the pans is much more appealing.

Image source: http://www.hudsonsafetlite.com/images/products/arrow_board.jpg
I have two of these palettes: Coral Oasis and Gutsy Green.

Coral Oasis is a warm palette that's neutral, but not boring. Even if you already have eight thousand brown palettes, the colors are quirky enough that they probably aren't repeats in your collection. It's definitely not the palette that I would imagine if you just told me it was called "Coral Oasis", but that can be easily forgiven.


There are four unnamed shades in each of these palettes. The highlight shade is the largest. I personally like it when companies do this because I use highlight shades a looooot.

This palette contains four shimmery shades:

1. A 'manila folder' peach-y cream.
2. A color that I would either describe as a golden chartreuse or a green-tinged gold, depending on the day.
3. A bronze-y coral.
4. A rich, coffee bean brown.

Two swipes, no primer.
As you can see, the colors are really saturated and beautiful. I was really blown away when I first swatched these because they are so smooth, so buttery, and so pigmented that they don't feel like they came from the drugstore.

Plus, they look awesome on my face:

Maybelline Coral Oasis on Human Face

My second palette is called Gutsy Green. This is another rather weirdly named palette, since none of the colors are an archetypal green. Again, though, I like the colors, so I couldn't care less what the shadows are called.


Gutsy Green contains four shimmery shades:

1. A yellow-y lime green with a little silver sheen.
2. A wintermint.
3. A kickass please-send-me-to-Hawaii teal.
4. A dusty forest green.


These also have a superb texture. They apply and blend like a dream.

Maybelline Gutsy Green on Human Face
I have heard that these little palettes are a bit hit-or-miss, but both of these are definitely hits.

Still, nothing in life is without its downside. For these, the downside is price. I mentioned earlier that these shadows don't feel like a drugstore product. Unfortunately, they're not priced like a drugstore product, either.

The Maybelline Color Plush Silk Eyeshadows retail for $9.99 for 0.09 oz. That's a full $111 per ounce. You can buy a Stila Palette for $79.79 per ounce. Urban Decay's Naked palettes come in at $86.67 per ounce. Kat Von D's palettes are usually $90 per ounce. Although Maybelline's $9.99 overall pricetag isn't too scary, the price per ounce is very firmly in the terrain of mid-range brands. I would argue that the quality is also there-- I wouldn't be poo-pooing these shadows if they can from Stila, either-- but it's important to recognize that these are not bargains. Plus, you get tacky packaging.

Drugstore makeup does go on sale much more frequently than mid-range makeup, so it might be worth it to milk their drugstore status via coupons. Still, even at "Buy one, get one half off", you're spending $14.99 on 0.18 oz, or $83.28 per ounce. That's still much more expensive than a typical drugstore shadow.
↧

PopSugar Must Have March 2014 Review

March 27, 2014, 6:43 pm
$
0
0
I have chosen not to subscribe to PopSugar Must Have up until now for a variety of reasons. First of all, it costs a whopping $39.99 a month. Second of all, I do check in about what PopSugar is sending out every so often, and sometimes I love it and sometimes I am not interested at all. It's a total mixed bag of beauty products, accessories, clothing, food, and more. That could be fine, but there's no customization for this box. That means that it is quite likely that they will send you shit you don't want. If you're really picky (and readers of this blog have probably realized that I am really picky), they could very well be sending out shit that lots of people love but that you don't enjoy. At $40 a month, I don't want to have months that I regret.

I considered PopSugar for a long time, but the nail in the coffin came in February 2013 when they sent out a Nicholas Sparks novel. I know that sounds like a trivial thing, but I just concluded that this was a service that aimed at someone other than me. Even when I had totally ruled out PopSugar Must Have, though, there was one thing that they had sent that I fantasized about. In September 2012 they sent out a Brokedown scarf that I am still in love with (the whole box actually looked fantastic-- link to the Popsugar blog about it here).

In March 2014, they sent out another Brokedown scarf and goddamn it, I just had to have that sucker. I posted a facebook status about the scarf-shaped hole in my heart, and one of you lovely readers pointed out that the box was still available, SO I BOUGHT IT. I would have happily spent $40 on just the scarf, so everything else was a bonus.

Here's what I got:


Baublebar Elephant Ring Tree, retail value $12


I have a lot of rings. It's one of those pieces of jewelry I constantly convince myself that I will wear. (By the time I load myself up on clothing and makeup, though, I'm usually wearing enough decoration without any metal accoutrements.) Consequentially, this just isn't particularly practical for me, as you can only put a few rings on this teeny weeny elephant's trunk.

The aesthetic is fine, it's not not necessarily what I would choose for myself.

Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum (0.5 fl oz), approximate retail value $27


I kind of instinctively roll my eyes at skincare products that say the word "serum". I feel like it is really common to market random-ass shit as a "serum" even when the ingredients make no sense at all. As long as something is approximately the texture of ejaculate and it is labeled "serum", people seem to buy it.

Looking at the ingredients, I really don't understand how this product is supposed to function. What stands out to me most is the laundry list of fragrances and other potential irritants. It smells nice (like roses!) and the iridescent packaging is kind of fancy. In terms of functionality, though, I would skip it.

Harvest Snaps Snapea Crisps (full size at 3.3oz), retail value $1.49


I actually already buy Snapea Crisps and I adore them. I've been buying them since I found a package in my then-boyfriend's cupboard sophomore year of high school. I opened them and ATE THE ENTIRE PACKAGE BECAUSE OH MY GOD THEY WERE SO DELICIOUS. Super recommended. They're basically the pea version of potato chips.

I would have preferred to get a food item that I had not tried, but I can't complain about getting a snack that I enjoy.

Nature's Bakery All Natural Strawberry Fig Bar (one bar at 2oz), approximate retail value $0.63.


This is basically exactly the same thing as a Fig Newton. I have purchased from this brand before and didn't have strong feelings about the products.

Dogeared Lucky Horseshoe Make A Wish Necklace, retail value $30



This is a very dainty piece of jewelry, and I am normally a chunky jewelry lady. I like this fine, but I am not jumping up and down about it. It's a little bit short as a necklace and it goes around my wrist only 2 and a half times, making it exactly the wrong size to work as a bracelet.

The concept for this necklace is that you wear it until it breaks and, when it breaks, your wish will come true. I'm not really sure how I feel about a piece of jewelry that is advertising that it is going to fall apart. I've been wearing it and have decided that I am going to wish for an indestructible necklace.


With that said, I was browsing the Dogeared website and found that they had a "wishbone" version of this necklace. (They also have it in bracelet form.) Even though the horseshoe necklace seemed a bit "meh", I think the wishbone version is adorable!

Image Source: http://www.dogeared.com/wish-wishbone-necklace-on-royal%2C-gold-dipped/MCGK15D803399.html#start=15&sz=12

ActiveForever Fusion Exercise Ball, retail value $9.95


This is an eeny weeny exercise ball. It arrived folded up, looking like either a vaginal fortune cookie or a neon pink folded napkin. You blow it up with a little straw.


Again, this ball is very small. So small, in fact, that I had no idea how one could possibly use it to exercise. I had to go to the Popsugar blog to gather even the faintest idea about how one would use it:

Image Source: http://musthave.popsugar.com/Little-Ball-Big-Results-Essential-Moves-Mini-Exercise-Ball-34292510/
Image Source: http://musthave.popsugar.com/Little-Ball-Big-Results-Essential-Moves-Mini-Exercise-Ball-34292510/

Maybe I'm just not exercise-savy enough, but I would never do shit like that. Ever. My idea of exercise is getting on my elliptical, setting up my laptop with some Netflix TV show on in front of it, and telling myself I can't stop moving until the episode ends. And I like it like that! I don't want to try to balance on your itsy bitsy ball!

Brokedown Blue Ikat Scarf, retail value $72


Grand finale! This is the reason I bought this box. Happily, it was totally worth it. It's really lightweight and soft, and the design is gorgeous.


A lot of the things on the Brokedown website seem to embody the Dolly Parton quote, "It costs a lot of money to look this cheap."(Would you pay $118 for this furry hoodie or $79 for a sparkly trucker hat emblazoned with the word 'Dream'?) Their scarves, though, are clearly perfection.

Total Box Value: $153.07

I am happy with the box. I already knew I was going to be happy with the box because scarf. Since I've unsubscribed to Wantable, I've decided that I'm going to give PopSugar Must Have a few months and just see how it goes.

If you are interested in joining PopSugar Must Have, you are, as always, welcome to use my referral link by clicking here. You can use the code REFER5 to get $5 off your first box.
↧
Viewing all 298 articles
Browse latest View live
Search