3 posts tagged “makeup”
I've had a lot to review lately (always a good thing!), so here's some of what I want to talk about in the next few days:
Helen of Troy by Margaret George(I'm so excited that she put out a new book!)- Through a Glass Darkly and Dark Angels by Karleen Koen
- Sony 30GB HDD Handycam
- Adobe Premiere Elements vs. Windows Movie Maker, for web-publishing
- MAC Select Cover-up Concealer (as opposed to L'Oreal True Match)
Zelda's Cut by Philippa Gregory
I just started Helen of Troy last night, which, frankly, seeing as I love Margaret George's work to death, is orgasmic. I want to savor it, but I also want to plow through it and see how she tells the story. I've also started Through a Glass Darkly, but that was put aside when my request for Helen of Troy came in at the library.
As an aside, Margaret George has written several other excellent historical novels with such attention to historical detail that it would (and did) make a history major weep:
- The Memoirs of Cleopatra
- Mary, Called Magdalene
- Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles
- The Autobiography of Henry VII (With Notes From Will Somers, His Fool)
I highly recommend the first two - the others I haven't had a chance to thoroughly read yet. Does anyone want to buy them for me? :D
In a quest to avail myself of brand new, glittery holiday makeup, I found myself purchasing a MAC glitter eyeliner with some amount of hesitation. I've had glitterliners before, and didn't like them very much - they flaked and tugged on my lids when they dried, and were never as pretty as I'd hoped. But I like pretty much everything that I've tried from MAC, so I figured this would be a nice way to spend the gift certificate that my little brother gave me for xmas (thanks, J3ff00!).
I was very pleasantly surprised by the color and quality of this liner. First of all, it wasn't the color I wanted - I wanted Peacocky or Divine Lime (turquoise and lime green, respectively), but they were out of those. (These originally came out with the LE Idol Eyes collection, and are now out with the LE Jewelescent collection. STOP MAKING LE PRODUCTS, MAC!) But when the MA swatched it on her skin, the color was dark enough and the glitter was pretty enough that I figured, okay, what the heck. After all, I could always return it if it was horrible (by the way, that's one of the reasons I like MAC so much. You're never stuck with a lemon).
This is a neutral dark brown that I would describe as "clear" in application. I usually wear it over a regular dark brown or black liner, but the picture to the right is the liner all on its own. As you can see, it's plenty dark enough to use by itself. The glitter is fine, iridescent, and rainbow-colored. Since one of my friends got the same one at the same time and uses it everyday, I can say that, from looking at her, it is noticeable enough to be worth buying, but subtle enough that you could get away with wearing it to work. Basically, it's a fun way to add a little sparkle to your makeup without being full on Hedgwig And The Angry Inch. You'll notice that in the picture, you can just see the hint of glitter there. That's pretty much the effect you'll get with this color - unless you're in bright light or apply several layers. On the other hand, it makes my friend's eyes really stand out - you find yourself looking to see if you imagined the glitter or if it's really there, everytime she turns her head.
One word of caution: apply to your lower lids very carefully, unless you want glitter in your eyes.
So yeah, now I'm pretty much dying for Peacocky, Divine Lime, and Glamourgold (which of course is only available in a LE, sold-out set).
From Sephora.com:
Lip Injection is a clear cosmetic lip treatment designed to help plump your lips for lasting fullness.
Lip Injection's patented formula is based on medically-proven blood vessel dilating technology touted to create the sexiest, pout this side of a plastic surgeons office! A celebrity secret weapon against puny, lifeless lips!
To use: Apply a generous coat over the entire lip area. You may experience a slightly intense tingle that can last up to 5 minutes, but don't worry sweetie, it's so worth it!
Okay, I did not spend the retail price of $18.50 (!!!) on this product. I got it at TJ Maxx for $3.99, hence the impulse buy.
First of all, I already have lips that are plenty plump. But I've been intrigued by lip plumpers for quite some time, and figured some subtle plumping and color might be kind of fun for a night out. So I have tried this one, and the Patricia Wexler, MD brand from Bath and Body Works.
The color I got was "Techno Kiss," described as "pink pearl shimmer" - read, a medium neutral pink with shimmery pink particles. I have also tried "Techno Tart," which is described as "pinky-purple champagne shimmer," which is a little darker and more warm-toned. Both are pretty sheer.
So do they work? Well, yes and no. First of all, these are very pretty glosses. They're not colors I would normally pick for my skin tone, but they are sheer so it's not garish. However, this tube is TINY - see the picture to the right. Certainly not $18.50's worth of ANY product, in my frugal opinion.
More importantly, the plumping action: well, it kind of works. It kind of doesn't. The first time I put this on, there was an intense and flat-out painful burn, much unlike the Wexler brand. Subsequent applications were not so painful (in fact, they were pleasantly tingly - perhaps I am just a masochist). And the plumping? Well, I noticed that my lips got significantly darker from the blood rush, which was novel, but I didn't notice any real plumping or puffiness. However, like I said, my lips are already pretty full, so perhaps it would work better on a less-naturally-endowed girl.
My final judgment on this product is that while it is a very pretty lip gloss and might work on someone, somewhere, I would NOT spend $18.50 on it unless I was able to wipe my rear end with hundred-dollar bills in good conscience. However, four bucks at TJ Maxx? Give it a try - it might work for you! And even if it doesn't, you'll still have a pretty, four-dollar lip gloss.
Word of caution: Do not kiss your significant other while wearing this, or he will end up with welts around his lip and chin that disappear only after a few hours. Hehehehe. (Also, do not apply outside your lipline unless you want similar results.)
