Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place High Cover Concealer 2W Light/Medium (Warm) SPF 35 - Mini Review and Swatch

 

I am calling this a mini review because I have only used this concealer for one purpose and it has been a fail. That is, I have only used it as an under eye concealer. The colour I have, 2W Light/Medium (Warm) is too dark for the rest of my face so I can't really road test it as an overall face concealer. I specifically purchased this shade to cover my dark circles which is why it is so yellow and darker than my regular shade. Why do I keep looking for an all in one holy grail product??? I know I really need a corrector and a concealer, but alas I keep hoping for a quick, on the go, miracle product.  

 

 

 

This concealer does an ok job of concealing, however, I can still see my dark circles after I use this. My main beef with the product is that when it sets it looks all dry and cakey. Awful really. It even settles into fine lines. This Double Wear Stay-in-Place High Cover Concealer really is not suitable for under the eyes. It is a bit too dry for this type of use. It is nice and thick, but too thick I am afraid. It doesn't even matter if you moisturize the heck out of your under eye area. Same result. This particular shade, 2W Light/Medium Warm is super yellow so unless you have strong yellow undertones to your skin, this one will stand out for you big time on the rest of your face. Here is the swatch:

 

The product is $24 U.S. and contains 0.1 oz or 3g of product.

 

Packaging: 10/10  (sturdy, compact)

Pigmentation: 6.5/10 

Easy to Work With: 7/10 (applies a tad stiff)

Longevity: 2/10 (stays on all day but looks like crap)

Texture: 7/10 

Price: 3/10 for what it is

Ingredients: 8/10 

Travel Worthy: 10/10 

Attractiveness of Product: 2/10

Would I buy this again? NO

Overall Rating: 3/10 for under eye coverage only

 

Anastasia of Beverly Hills Self-Made Eye Shadow Palette - Review, Swatches and Close Dupes

I feel like a bit of a jerk doing a review of this Anastasia of Beverly Hills (ABH) Self-Made Eye Shadow palette now since it has been out for a few months and it is hard to come by at this point. This palette retails for $35 U.S. or $46 Canadian. I am happy to say that I snagged mine during the Sephora VIB sale so I got an extra 20% off. You may still be able to get these in stores (Ulta, Sephora etc.) but I think they are sold out online at those stores. Some of these shades can be purchased as singles through ABH though. I am so thrilled with this purchase and will say that in my opinion, this is the best ABH palette that they have ever put out. The palette contains 0.65g or 0.023 oz. of product. These 14 eyeshadows are phenomenal in terms of quality and the price point is excellent in my opinion.



My first impression of the palette was that the colour selection was odd but I felt I could make it work. I was going to pass on picking it up, but the reviews were just so darn good, for the price, I thought, "what the heck?" In general, I find ABH palettes to be quite colourful and mismatched sometimes. This palette is actually one of the most neutral they have ever put out! As mentioned there are 14 eyeshadows in this palette and they are from left to right and top to bottom as follows:

Pink Champagne, Metallic Plum, Self-Made, Witchy, Blush, Blossom, Buttery, Deep Purple, Treasure, Hot & Cold, Sherbert, Isla, Spirit Rock and Hot Chocolate.  

The best colours in this palette as far as I am concerned are Pink Champagne, Metallic Plum, Witchy, Blush, Deep Purple, Treasure, Sherbert, Spirit Rock and Hot Chocolate. My favourite by far is hands down Treasure. It's a less peachy version of Stila's Kitten. The only dud in here would be Buttery in my opinion. It's dry, super yellow and doesn't look like much on the eye. It's a bit sheer too.

Pink Champagne, Witchy and Blush were pleasant surprises to me. Pink Champagne looks like a straight up glitter bomb. The consistency is not chunky nor rough at all in actual fact. It applies so easily and looks like a million bucks. I wear it alone with black liner and you are ready to go party. Witchy such a cool colour it's hard to explain. It's kind of olive yet grey, gold and smoky. It doesn't look as dark on as it does in the pan and it's just gorgeous. I have done a few great looks with it. Blush is an opal shade with some green and pink in it. I have no idea why they called it Blush. It reminds me of a darker version of Makeup Geek's Rockstar.  

I want to talk about Isla for a quick second. It may be straight up mint green in the pan, but it is so subtle on the lid. If you don't like green eyeshadow, you might be ok with this one because it is not overpowering on the lid at all. It blends in with whatever other colours you are using and adds just a little dimension to things. Finally, Sherbert is a great transition colour. The rest are exactly what you would expect. Oh wait, Spirit Rock is really neat! It is a kettle black with pink shimmer. I really like this one too. Looks great with Blossom. Okay swatch time! From left to right below is: Pink Champagne, Metallic Plum, Self-Made, Witchy, Blush, Blossom and Buttery.

Bottom row of eyeshadows are as follows: Deep Purple, Treasure, Hot & Cold, Sherbert, Isla, Spirit Rock and Hot Chocolate.  

I am not joking when I say this Self-Made palette is by far one of the best palettes I have purchased this year. I cannot think of one negative to say about it except I am not keen on Buttery. The packaging is nice, sturdy and compact.

Packaging: 10/10   

Pigmentation: 10/10
Easy to Work With: 10/10
Longevity: 10/10
Colour Stays True: 10/10
Texture: 10/10 (except Buttery)
Price: 10/10 
Ingredients: 8/10
Travel Worthy: 10/10
Attractiveness of Product: 10/10
Would I buy this again? HELL YES
Overall Rating: 10/10

Makeup Geek MUG Eyeshadows in Americano and Cherry Cola - Review and Swatches

Merry Christmas everyone!

Today, I am going to review Makeup Geek (MUG) eyeshadows in Americano and Cherry Cola. Americano is on the left and Cherry Cola is on the right in the picture above. Americano is described as a dark brown with subtle purple undertones and a matte finish. I would say that is accurate. The colour is really pigmented and is so easy to work with. I sometimes find dark browns can be stiff or fly everywhere when you use them, but Americano was ridiculously easy to work with. It has great longevity too. It's already in the Top 3 dark brown eyeshadows in my collection as far as I am concerned.

Cherry Cola (don't you just love that name) is a deep brown with strong red undertones and a matte finish. It's the more brown version of MUG's Bitten. I really like it and I don't have anything like it in my collection. It blends well and has good longevity. It's such a fun colour. It is darker and more burgundy than MAC's Folie. Both of these eyeshadows are great additions to my collection. These are quite neutral and could be worn daily if you so desired. Here are the swatches:

Americano is on the left and Cherry Cola is on the right.

I have two palette reviews up next! I should have one up tomorrow since I finally have a few days off with no work, studying, baking or Christmas shopping! Yeah!

Packaging: 10/10   

Pigmentation: 10/10
Easy to Work With: 10/10
Longevity: 10/10
Colour Stays True: 10/10
Texture: 8/10 (a little dry)
Price: 10/10 
Ingredients: 10/10
Travel Worthy: 10/10
Attractiveness of Product: 10/10
Would I buy this again? YES
Overall Rating: 9.5/10 Americano and Cherry Cola

Kiehl's Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash - Review

I've been busy studying for an exam for work the last month or so and my exam is day after tomorrow. Yikes! Needless to say I have been neglecting my blog for a bit. Good news is the exam will be over with soon so hopefully I will be back with a slew of reviews soon.

I ran out of face wash while I was on vacation this past summer. I purchased a small bottle of the Kiehl's Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash in a 2.5 fl. oz. or 75 ml size. Not the one pictured above. It has an interesting, slightly herby smell, but it is not unpleasant. I bought this because the words "deep cleansing" always appeal to me. Sadly, I did not find this product to be so.

On the plus side, the formula is gentle and I think anyone could use it without irritation. It foams well once you rub the product together in your hands and it is quite enjoyable to wash your face with. I noticed within a couple of days of using this that my skin seemed to be breaking out. I have used this product on and off since my vacation, and I still have the problem. I am not sure if it is this product. I have a funny feeling that I am not actually having a reaction to it, I think it is more than it is not cleaning my face properly and as a result, my pores are getting clogged.

I can wash my face twice with this and if I rub a cotton ball across my face afterwards, I still have a good deal of makeup and dirt coming off. My face is not dried out and feels calm after I use it, but my face just doesn't feel clean and it isn't. It feels refreshed, but dirty. For some reason I am determined to finish this bottle because it's almost gone. I use it mostly in the shower now if I am washing my face in the morning. It's useless for nighttime makeup and grime removal. Needless to say, I will not be repurchasing.

A regular 235ml bottle is $35 Canadian. I think I paid close to $20 for my small one. Ouch! I was desperate at the time though.

Packaging: 8/10

Texture: 10/10

Price: 6.5/10

Ingredients: 8/10 Sulfate and Soap Free

Easy to Work With: yes but it doesn't work well! so 1/10???  

Travel Worthy: 6/10 

Deep Cleans: 1/10

Moisturizing: 9/10

Comfortable/Softening: 9/10

Smell: 7/10

Would I buy this again? NO

Overall Rating: 2/10  (weighing doesn't deep clean or work heavily here)

November 2015 Empties!

It's that time again - empties! For November I had a mix of some regulars and a few one off items. Let's get started.

John Masters Organics Blood Orange & Vanilla Body Milk is a product I have had for over 3 1/2 years. That's embarrassing. I have had it for ages because I love the smell and it was pricey so I was trying to conserve it. While this lotion is good - moisturizing, smells awesome, nourishing etc. I really prefer the body wash. Here is the link to my review on that:

http://mymakeupissues.blogspot.ca/2012/02/john-masters-organics-blood-orange-and.html

It just got to the point where I was asking myself how much longer was I going to look at the inch of product that was left as it was taking up room on my vanity in my ensuite. I decided to finish it off. I would consider repurchasing, but really I think I get more bang for my buck with the body wash and the smell of that is even better than the body milk.

Klorane Floral Water Make-Up Remover - I have ranted and raved about how much I love this stuff so much I am not even going to bore you again. Already repurchased.

Origins Zero Oil Pore Purifying Toner - Old faithful. One of my holy grails. Have gone through countless bottles. I went off of toner for a while but I am getting back into it. Already repurchased.

Bath & Body Works Black Raspberry Vanilla Anti-Bacterial Deep Cleansing Hand Soap I have had this hand soap for so long it isn't funny. I had it in my guest bathroom and it took forever to disappear. Maybe it's me, but I think I might be sensitive to some ingredient in it. My fingers feel like they swell up after I use it. Happy to big it adieu. Not one of Bath & Body Works finest products.

Oh my goodness, I just realized that my bottle of Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair is backwards in this photo. Sheesh. Sorry about that. I can't stop using this and I have a 100 samples so I have never had to buy the full size! It does seem to make a difference most mornings when I look in the mirror versus when I don't use it. My makeup looks better the next day too after use.

Estee Lauder Revitalizing Supreme Global Anti-Aging Eye Balm. It was ok. Not my fave but it worked well enough in terms of moisturization. This was a gwp size.

Estee Lauder Revitalizing Supreme Global Anti-Aging Creme. It too was ok. Not my fave but it worked well enough in terms of day moisturization. This was a gwp size. Yeah, ditto the last product lol.

Estee Lauder Gentle Eye Makeup Remover was also a gwp. I am an Estee Lauder whore. It was gentle but a tad greasy. It would not remove all mascara on its own without help from another product. Will not repurchase. It's Klorane or bust for me. Unless of course I get a freebie of something else to try for kicks.

Last, but not least, we have Urban Decay's Lip Junkie in Naked. This product has been discontinued. I got this as a sample or something from Sephora. I really liked this product. Pity it's discontinued. I liked the colour too.  

Bits and Bites

• I am planning to get rid of some products I have had hanging around the house for too long so you may see some oldies in my next empties post.
• I have a MAC palette, some Buxom eyeshadows and ABH palettes coming up so stay tuned!
• I got the UD Gwen Stefani palette the other day. I am so excited!