Posts Tagged ‘Eyeliner’

NYX Curve: Perfect No-Mess Liquid Eyeliner (Seriously!)

If there’s one look I’m always striving to perfect it’s the perfect winged eye.  Since the early days when my grandma and I would religiously watch every Audrey Hepburn movie, I’ve always wanted to mimic that  ultra-sophisticated yet fun and sexy look.

I’ve tried every form of eyeliner — from kohl pencil to liquid to cake.  And even though a few makeup remover-soaked q-tips have always been able to save me from an all-out  ”I just got back from Fight Club” look, it’s always been a messy, laborious process.  That is of course until I discovered NYX The Curve Liner ($14.99)…

This ergonomically shaped liner with a curved grip zone for precise application makes perfecting any liquid liner look as easy as putting on lip gloss.  It has a felt tip that dispenses just the right amount of color which comes out dark and pigmented, and does not bleed nor feather!  REJOICE!

To create a winged eye it only took me one swipe along my lash line and then I changed my grip (angling it upwards) and drew my wing.  Voila! I’m Audrey!  (Okay, maybe not… but at least it looked perfect and took me about 30 seconds. I’ll take it!)

3 Most Coveted Beauty Products Sent By Publicists

We all know I’m spoiled… I get tons of products sent to me by publicists for consideration.  I test them all — hating some, liking others, and coveting a select few. When I say “covet” we’re talking about products that will permanently become part of my personal regimen and be re-bought again and again. People always ask me, “What are your favorite products?” Here’s a good place to start:

1. Kate Somerville ‘Dermal Quench Liquid Lift’ Advanced Wrinkle Treatment  ($95): I’m a huge fan of in-spa oxygen facials and this treatment seems to mimic the instant smoothing effects of an oxygen facial and still manages to reduce redness and fine lines over-time.  I had two consistent dry patches on my cheeks that were softer after Day 1.  It’s also perfect for pre-event regimens since it has temporary wrinkle-relaxing PFC- carriers to relax facial muscles.  Read my original review here.

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What “No Makeup” Look? My Top Makeup Finds for Creating a Sexy Eye This Fall

Ignore what you’re seeing on the runways… Unless you have Karlie Kloss’s bone structure, the “no makeup” look takes on more of an “Oops! I got all dressed up but I forgot to put on my makeup” look. You just got all those fabulous Fall clothes out of storage and they deserve to be celebrated with some sexy eye makeup. Luckily the top makeup brands didn’t toss all their pigments when they saw the “no makeup” look gain momentum in the February shows, instead they launched their Fall Collections with gorgeous, innovative products to help create the full spectrum of “going out” looks. Leave the “no makeup look” for the model-types and get your binge on:

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Let's start with the drama! The limited-edition MAKE UP FOR EVER Black Tango Palette Black Tango Palette ($45) gives you a forbidden dance-inspired palette with rich, dark creamy colors that can create a thick cat eye or intense smoky eye with a few swipes of the double-sided brush. The flat-tipped brush is also perfect for creating an instant waterproof eyeliner line.

Colors include: Black with Red Highlights - More of a dark plum-meets-brown with subtle red glints (perfect for blue and hazel eyes); Black with Green Highlights - Shows up the blackest with fine green glitter. (Perfect for all eye colors; ideal for creating a black cat eye with a very subtle glimmer); Black with Blue Highlights - By far my favorite color with its midnight blue pigment and micro blue glitter that only shows up when it catches the light. I use this as an eyeliner and to create a dramatic smoky eye (good for all eye colors, especially blue); Ivory - Gorgeous, creamy, multi-dimensional highlighter to swipe along your brow bone and blend into the inner corners of your eyes.

Don't forget that since these are such intense, highly-pigmented colors you should always do a practice run so you don't end up looking like Bad Halloween.

I am in love with these little shadow palettes! I use Rimmel Glam' Eyes HD Quad Eyeshadow in Heart of Gold ($5.63) when I want to stay away from the bold, dark colors but still want my eye makeup to look dressy. I use the bronze on my lids, the dark brown in my crease and to go over my liner, the highlighter on my brow bone, and the gold on the inner corner of my eyes. The shadows all have a really pretty subtle shimmer and remind me of a less frosty Bobbi Brown Bronze Shimmer Brick.

The Rimmel Glam 'Eyes Eye Shadow in Royal Blue ($5.68) is perfect for creating a candy-colored smoky eye for a big night out with the ladies. I first use the midnight blue along my lash line and start blending upwards and then use the light blue to create a gradient effect, continuing to blend upwards to my crease. I further define by blending the midnight blue from the outer corner in a "v" shape to my crease and then blend like hell. I then line my lower lash line with the midnight blue and then blend some of the light blue over the top. I use the bright white highlighter on my brow bone and pressed into the inner corner of my eyes.

The Smashbox Waterproof Shadow Liner Metallic Bronze ($22) quickly made Velveteen Rabbits out of all my other brown eyeliners as soon as I glided the dark brown pigment along my lash line. The rich, bronzish brown has the tiniest flecks of glitter (hence the name "metallic bronze") without looking frosty or nightclubby. The fine glitter simply makes your eyes look brighter and sparkly, especially when you're having your photo taken. The shadow pencil's staying power blows away the competition, staying glorious for several hours, regardless of if I've applied it as an eyeliner, shadow, or both. I was so psyched to see the smudger on the other end too, something competing shadow pencils seem to lack.

Tip: To create a thin line, swipe an eyeliner brush like Chantecaille Eye Liner Brush ($28) along the side of the pencil and apply to lash line like a cream eyeliner.

The Tarte Beauty & The Box Amazonian Clay Eye Shadow Quad ($22) is ideal for all you ladies who are so over all the drama. You just want to create a pretty "going out" eye with some nice neutrals without fuss. You can use the first three colors to create a day look and then bump it up at night by blending the last color (dark brown) into your crease and along your lash line. Voila! You're like Career Barbie easily transitioning from day to night! A couple added bonuses with this one...1. The shadows are made with Amazonian Clay which helps absorb surface oils and helps the overall skin texture. 2. The palette comes with a mini-mascara, perfect for Career Barbie touch-ups!

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This blog post contains press samples sent to Beauty Binge by a public relations representative.  The Blog and its Author do not provide any guarantee of review, nor whether a review will be positive or negative. The Blog does not accept financial compensation for product reviews.

Drugstore Cowgirl Part 2: Best Drugstore Makeup & Cosmetics Buys

Welcome to Week 2 of my thriftathon where I share which beauty products you should be pilfering from the bonanza awaiting you at your local drugstore.  This week I’m focusing on the makeup aisle.  Come on, does’t it bring back memories of that first time you and your girlfriends shopped in the makeup aisle by yourselves?  I was in 6th grade and I was with my very sophisticated friends Meredith and Kim, who were both rocking Madonna floppy lace bows and electric blue eyeliner.  I wasn’t supposed to wear makeup yet but come on, like I was going to obey that rule.  Incidentally the first item Meredith and Kim introduced me to, Wet n Wild Brow & Eye Pencil, appears as #2 on my list since it is still a staple in my makeup bag.

1.  Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter ($7.49):  I am not going to beat an empty Sephora bag here…  I’ve written about these hydrating, long-lasting gems, dramatically sang their praise in a video, and basically spread the gospel to any woman who would listen that these lipsticks are the cats pajamas.  I have them in every color and wear several combinations a day. Enough said.

2. Wet n Wild Brow & Eye Pencil ($.99)  Nothing takes you from boring day makeup to sexy going-out makeup faster than a couple swipes of eyeliner, which is why these pigmented pencils have graced the bottom of every handbag I’ve carried since the days of teasing my bangs and wearing thick bubblegum-hued lip gloss.  The pencil creates a thin opaque line that can be both smudged and applied on the inner rim. And let’s face it, $.99 for 7 inches (same length as a standard #2 pencil) of good eye pencil ain’t too shabby!
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I Guess Beauty is in the Eye(liner) of the Beholder

My gorgeous friend Jen wrote in on my eyeliner post. Since the first day I met her, Jen has always had impeccable makeup (of course she is one of those girls who doesn’t even need makeup), so obviously  I trust her opinion implicitly:

“hey janna, after trying many eyeliners including the Dior my fave is by kat von d. it is her liquid eyeliner pen in trooper. it is way cheaper than the dior and better. the dior would actually cause an allergic reaction on my lid. it is usually sold out of sephora so you are better off ordering it online. love your halloween costume by the way. so sad we missed the party. xx jen”

So ladies, I have no choice but to warn you about the Dior Liquid Eyeliner. If you have sensitive eyes like Jen you may want to skip this product. It’s tough to spot-test with liquid eyeliner. Oviously it’s unsanitary to sample it in-store, and it’s tough to justify spending $33 for a product you may have to throw away.  I personally wear contacts and can get itchy eyes, but I did not have a reaction.  I love it!

Thanks for the note, Jen. I will definitely give the  Kat Von D liner a try!

Photo courtesy of ~Wytske

The Purrfect Eyeliner(s)…

After wasting hundreds of dollars and enduring red, irritated eyes over the years in search of the perfect eyeliner, I found not one, but two! Yes two!

1) SEPHORA COLLECTION Retractable Waterproof Eyeliner ($12):  Yes, I know your jaw dropped when you read SEPHORA COLLECTION.   Don’t be such a snob.  It’s actually a quality line. I heard about this eyeliner from a makeup artist when I complained that every eyeliner leaves a parenthesis on up my upper eyelid. So frustrating!  She told me that Sephora’s Waterproof Eyeliner is so “stay put” that you have to blend it quickly or else it won’t budge.  Bless her little heart, she was right.

This eyeliner is perfect for the daytime when you need it to last through a day of subway riding, dry office air, staring at a computer for hours, and still look good for after-work cocktails.  It also seems to be idiot-proof.  At 6:30 AM when I haven’t had any coffee and I’m trying to concentrate on drawing a line close to my lash line…  Let’s just say before I started using this eyeliner things tended to go poorly, as in, my lids would be red and swollen from me trying to remove the many attempts.  This pencil allows for a quick swipe followed by an effortless smudge into the lash line, and voila! Work ready!

2) Dior Liquid Eyeliner Black ($34):  Before I bought this product, it had been a while since I’d trusted myself to apply liquid eyeliner.  Even when I’d had my coffee and been awake several hours, I always made a huge mess and, again, I would end up with red swollen eyelids from rubbing off my mistakes.  I gave up years ago and started using gel for a kitten or cat eye.  The gel didn’t have that slick liquid look, but at least I didn’t look like I got beat up.  A couple months ago during a Sephora binge I saw the Dior pen and it seemed like it would be easy to use, so I thought I’d give it a try.

Meow. It’s a fine felt tip pen that draws a perfectly thin line. And bonus — it doesn’t smudge, smear or leave marks on my upper eyelids (as long as I let it dry first, obviously).  I’m telling you, even for someone like me who finds it impossible to draw a straight line, I can make myself into a demure kitty.

So to review…  SEPHORA COLLECTION Retractable Waterproof Eyeliner for daytime and Dior Liquid Eyeliner Black to create that perfect cat eye for a night out on the town.

Need help creating the perfect cat eye? Check out this instructional video created by Fashionista and MAC here!