Target Up & Up Eye Makeup Remover Liquid Oil-Free Makeup Magician - Review

 

 

I think I mentioned to you guys that I went away 4 weeks ago to the States on a little shopping trip. Well lo and behold I forgot something. I always do. I forgot to pack eye makeup remover. While I was in Target, I picked this out. It's one of those eye makeup removers that has two types of liquid in it which you have to shake up to activate. It's like oil and vinegar only this is supposedly oil-free.

 

It's not bad. I am just not crazy about it. It reminds me of the Lancôme Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover which is a much pricier item. If you love the Lancôme Eye Makeup Remover you may love the price of this.

 

I don't love the Lancôme Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover by the way. I find both of these products greasy. I guess that is why you are supposed to wash it off afterwards....It just reminds me of taking my makeup off with baby oil and I hate doing that.

 

Does it work? Yes, but you have to do a few applications to get stubborn mascara off. It makes fairly quick work of eye shadow. This is not a miracle product or "magician" by any means. It's your standard, greasy, eye makeup remover. I don't remember what I paid for this, but it was only a few dollars. If "greasy" doesn't bother you, this isn't a bad choice, it's just not for me. The ingredients are so-so.    

 

Packaging: 9/10

Easy to Work With: 7/10

Removal Magic: 7/10

Texture: 2/10

Price: 10/10

Ingredients: 6/10

Would I buy this again? Only If I Was in a Jam    

Overall Rating: 7/10



Schwarzkopf got2b Guardian Angel Heat Protection - Review

I've had this product in my cupboard for nearly 3 years. When I say this product, I mean this actual bottle. I don't use it much. That is not to say that it is bad, because it isn't, it's just not something I reach for. As I have mentioned in a previous post, I quite like my Silk Elements heat protection product and I use that mostly.

This product is supposed to shine, protect and b divine. Ha ha. It is suitable for flat irons and blow drying. I assume it is also good for curling irons. I would say that this protects hair well but I can't say that I notice the shine factor. This product has a slight smell, nothing off putting which is good in my book. What this product lacks for me is that this product is only a heat protector, it doesn't aid you in styling your hair like my Silk Elements does. This product doesn't make my hair soft and silky. Maybe I ask too much but hey I am spoilt with the Silk Elements.

If you are just looking for a heat protector, this is a very good option. I think I paid between $5 to $8 for this bottle at the drug store so it's inexpensive too.

Packaging: 10/10 

Easy to Work With: 9/10
Hair Texture Created: 4/10
Double as a Styling Aid: 5/10
Protects Hair: 9/10
Price: 10/10
Ingredients: 7/10
Would I buy this again? Maybe
Overall Rating: 7/10 (wish it made my hair smooth and soft)

Makeup Geek MUG Eyeshadows in Drama Queen and Brown Sugar - Review and Swatches

I finally got around to trying out some more of those Makeup Geek eyeshadows that I bought a few months ago. Today I will be reviewing Drama Queen on the left and Brown Sugar which is on the right above.

I like both of these colours quite a bit. They aren't my favourite MUG eyeshadows, but these are of couple of the better ones. I have no complaints about either. Both are very pigmented, apply easily, are long lasting, blend well and are nice and smooth. Drama Queen reminds me a little of MAC's Young Punk but is not as sparkly. It's a dark, shimmery purple.

Brown Sugar looks like well...brown sugar. It's a medium to dark brown shimmer and it has some copper undertones. If you like brown eyeshadow, you'll like this one. I have done a gazillion posts on the Makeup Geek eyeshadows on this blog so feel free to check out my other reviews. I swear I will have a best of MUG eyeshadows list ready one of these days to post.

Here are the swatches. Drama Queen on the left and Brown Sugar on the right.

Rating Below Applies to Both Shades

Packaging: 9/10 (small and convenient providing you have a Z palette)

Pigmentation: 9/10

Easy to Work With: 10/10

Longevity: 10/10

Texture: 8/10

Price: 10/10

Ingredients: 9/10 (parabens are now on the may contain part of the ingredients - kinda odd)  

Travel Worthy: 9/10 (small and convenient providing you have a small Z palette)

Attractiveness of Product: 10/10

Would I buy this again? Yeah   

Overall Rating: 9/10

eos Hand Lotion in Berry Blossom - Review

Okay, please don't laugh at my peeling label above! I have now ripped it off! Today I am going to talk about the eos hand lotion. I feel weird spelling eos all lowercase but there it is. I have loved eos products for a couple of years now - namely their lip balms and shave creams. Fantastic stuff. I was planning to move on to purchasing the hand lotion, but I before I got to that, I was sent this product for consideration.

First of all, I love the packaging. Very ergonomic. Easily fits most purses. Convenient snap opening. This product is very moisturizing but I noticed something I wasn't used to immediately. This product isn't greasy which might be a bonus for a lot of people.

The scent I have is Berry Blossom. Since I have a sensitive nose, I find the scent of this one a little strong for me - I think I would do better with one of the other scents such as Cucumber or Petals. That being said I can and will easily use up this container as the smell is not a deal breaker. I have seen the price of these fluctuate between $3.99-$6.99 which I have to say is a high price point considering how small this is. It is 1.5 fl. oz. or 44ml. Easily fits into the palm of my hand. It is, however, paraben-free which is a big plus for me.

Packaging: 9/10 (cute - outside of the box) 

Longevity: 8/10
Texture: 7.5/10
Price: 5/10
Ingredients: 7.5/10
Travel Worthy: 9/10 (little concerned about it opening in my purse if it gets knocked around)
Attractiveness of Product: 10/10
Would I buy this again? Sure
Overall Rating: 8/10

Urban Decay Naked Basics Eyeshadow Palette - Review and Swatches

I apologize for the lack of posts recently. I have just been feeling a little uninspired lately for a few reasons. One, I have been doing a lot of overtime lately at work so I have been pooped. Second, my allergies have been bad for the last few weeks so I have been wearing little to no eye makeup. My eyes have been so itchy! Third, all of the products that I have been trying lately have been so middle of the road, it isn't funny. What I mean by that is that I have neither loved them nor hated them. The UD Naked Basics palette is one of them.

From left to right the colours are Venus, Foxy, W.O.S., Naked 2, Faint and Crave. Here are two pictures in two different lights for you.

A lot of bloggers have suggested that this palette is an excellent compliment to the Naked palette and the Naked 2 palette. I see their point and I would have to agree. This palette is basically matte and the Naked and Naked 2 palettes are mostly frosts and shimmers. I am not a boring blah brown eye makeup gal most of the time. Needless to say, I can therefore not get too excited about this palette. This retails in Sephora for $27 U.S. and $32 Canadian.

First of all, I really like the packaging. It is small and compact. The case is sturdy and the outside plastic has a cool texture. The inside looks bit cheap though. The mirror is a good size. This would be perfect for travelling or throwing into your purse. That being said, there are only so many looks you can get out of this palette. I quickly got bored with this.

Venus is a great highlight colour and has decent pigmentation. I am not so keen on Foxy as it is kind of yellow and that is not my thing. W.O.S. is a nice nude shade with a pink undertone but it, like Foxy, does not have the best pigmentation. I find myself repeatedly applying both to get it to show up on my eyelid. Naked 2 is a very nice cool beige - it reminds me of a mix of MAC's Malt and Wedge. I just wish it was more pigmented but it is buildable which is good. Faint is really nice. It is a good basic medium brown but it is a bit warmer than I would like. I think most people will like this colour. Finally, Crave is the best of them all. An awesome smoky black. Crave has great pigmentation and is easy to work with.

The swatches are as follows: Venus, Foxy, W.O.S., Naked 2, Faint and Crave

 

 

I will use this palette. I don't think I will reach for it all that often, but I will use it as all of the colours are useful. I think I am likely to pull it out and pack it when I go away overnight for work. That being said, I have a million dupes for each colour in here. Many of my dupes are better than the colours in this palette! Because I love the Naked palettes so much, I had to buy this and try it. I got sucked in the way most people did. I did resist for awhile as I knew from reading other bloggers posts on this that all of these colours are easily duped and let's face it, the colours are nothing to get excited about. It was the makeup collector in me that finally decided to make the purchase.

 

If you aren't a makeup collector like myself or if you are on a budget, don't waste your money on this. I beg of you to resist! This isn't a bad palette like I said, it is just nothing to get excited about. If you own very little makeup and you want to start building your collection I would say maybe consider buying this. You can likely do better for cheaper though with another similar palette elsewhere. I used birthday gift cards to buy this myself.

 

Packaging: 8.5/10 (cheap inside keeps it from being a 10) 

Pigmentation: 5/10 (Foxy and W.O.S are pathetic and Naked 2 is subpar)
Easy to Work With: 7/10 (Foxy and W.O.S are pathetic) 
Longevity: 9/10 (stays on and stays put) 
Colour Stays True: 9/10
Texture: 7/10
Price: 8/10
Ingredients: 8/10
Travel Worthy: 10/10
Attractiveness of Product: 6/10 (Foxy and W.O.S are pathetic)
Would I buy this again? No 
Overall Rating: 7/10



Milani Lipsticks in 26 Nude Creme and 25 Naturally Chic - Review and Swatches

So I am finally getting around to reviewing those other 2 Milani lipsticks that I talked about the other day in my Milani pink lipsticks post. One the left we have Nude Crème and on the right, Naturally Chic. These are obviously more neutral than the pinks, so if you like nude lipstick, both of these are solid choices. They will not wash you out but they are bit on the pink/orange side so they may not work with everyone's colouring. I think they will work for most people though. I like to use a pink or purple lip liner with Nude Cream to make it less "orange" looking and more low key pink nude. I also like to put a gloss over it and pair it with smoky eyes. The colour is not too "in your face" which is nice if you want a nude lip with some colour but keep it subtle. Naturally Chic is a deeper colour and is more of a dark traditional nude.

One the left above and below we have Nude Crème and on the right, Naturally Chic. As I mentioned in my last Milani lipstick post, they are all smooth, highly pigmented, very moisturizing and they last a really long time. I paid $6.99 Canadian for each and they are well worth the money. The ingredients are not too scary either. These are seriously the best drug store lipsticks I have ever tried. They all smell like watermelon though so if you don't like watermelon then maybe you won't like these. The only place in Canada where I can find them is at the Loblaws Superstore.

All are solid colours and all are well worth the money and checking out. I really can't think of any con to these.

Packaging: 8/10 (not crazy about the brass package but love the colour appropriate bottoms)

Pigmentation: 10/10 
Easy to Work With: 10/10
Longevity: 10/10
Texture: 10/10
Price: 10/10
Ingredients: 7.5/10
Travel Worthy: 10/10
Attractiveness of Product: 10/10
Would I buy this again? In a heartbeat
Overall Rating: 9/10

Too Faced La Creme Lipstick in Razzle Dazzle Rose - Review and Swatch

I feel like I haven't blogged in ages! So sorry guys! Well let's get to it. Today, I am going to do a review on the Too Faced La Crème lipstick in Razzle Dazzle Rose. I had been hearing good things about this lipstick line so I thought I would get one. I bought this lipstick a few months ago from Sephora and then I misplaced it. I just found it a couple of weeks ago. First of all, I love the packaging. Very 1970's Charlie's Angels. The tube feels solid and its heavy for what it is. It doesn't feel cheap at all. It looks and feels like an expensive lipstick and frankly, I like that!

The formula is extremely smooth and creamy. Glides on like a dream, is very pigmented and it lasts on the lips a long time. It feels great on and is very moisturizing. Too Faced claims it has strengthening properties but I think I would have to use this daily for a long time to test that theory. I really like this lipstick and the colour I have, Razzle Dazzle Rose, is perfect for summer. These lipsticks are $21 U.S. and $25 Canadian. There are 3g or 0.11 oz. I am kicking myself because I was just in the States last weekend and I didn't remember to pick any more of these up! Sob. I will definitely get at least one or two more of these over the next few months. I have tried some really good lipsticks lately as you can see from my blog, and this one is up there too. I think by the end of the year I am going to have to put together a top lipsticks of the year list. Here is the swatch:

I find this lipstick to be more pigmented on than my swatch indicates. This is some seriously good lipstick. I am impressed with this. I didn't notice any really bad stuff in the ingredients list so that is a definite plus. I just bought a new Too Faced palette also so I will try that out and get back to you on that as well.

Packaging: 10/10

Pigmentation: 9/10 
Easy to Work With: 10/10
Longevity: 10/10
Texture: 10/10
Price: 8/10
Ingredients: 8/10
Travel Worthy: 10/10
Attractiveness of Product: 10/10
Would I buy this again? In a heartbeat
Overall Rating: 9.5/10