Category Archives: Reviews

Review: Makeup Geek Foiled Shadows (Full Collection)

January 30, 2015Makeup, Reviews, SwatchesMakeup GeekChelle

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One of the more interesting makeup releases at the end of 2014 were the Makeup GeekFoiled Eyeshadows. Highly touted by Marlena (founder and CEO of Makeup Geek), these foiled shadows complement her regular line of shadows. They feature a soft, smooshy texture that’s supposed to give an effect similar to foiling your own eyeshadow onto your eyes.

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Each shadow comes in a pan (no palette or pots for these babies yet) and retail for $9.99 USD, which is $3 more per pan than her regular line. The higher price tag is attributed to the ingredients needed to produce this new formula. If you’re interested in picking up all the shades, you can get an $11 discount since they’re bundled together with a price tag of $89.00 on the Makeup Geek site.

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At first I put off getting them – I wasn’t really into shiny eyeshadows much anymore and had gravitated towards bright mattes instead. However, over the holidays, I was putting in an order with MUG to get more of her regular shadows and thought I’d throw inFlamethrower just because it was “such a me” colour. As soon as I stuck my finger in it, I was hooked. This shade was like molten lava on my finger in all it’s foiled goodness.

Yep, now I was screwed… now I had to have them all!

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So I placed another MUG order at the start of January and finally… THEY ARE ALL MINE. MWHAHAHAHA!

The internet was right! The texture on these shadows is unlike anything I’ve ever felt. While some of the colours are fairly typical, others are just pure insanity on the lids. They weren’t kidding when they said one layer was all you needed.

One downside though… I do find these crease on me after several hours even with using multiple primers. It’s a bit disappointing, but it hasn’t deterred me from using them. It’s not *completel* and utter creasing, but it’s a little bit. (As a note, I have quite hooded eyelids so my eyelids have a crease 100% of the time… unless I blink.)

Anyway, you’re here for swatches aren’t you? 😉

Makeup Geek Foiled Eyeshadow Swatches

This is what I meant by a more “typical” shade. Magic Act is a lovely pale gold, and while quite pretty, I think it one of the more dupe-able shades.

In The Spotlight is a peach shade if ever I saw one. Gorgeous pigmentation. Since it can lead quite pink, I’ll probably try to pair it with reds and oranges to make it look more peachy-orange than peachy-pink.

I’m not even sure what to call this shade really. Grandstand is like a bronze that has some red in it. It’s not a shade I would gravitate towards, so I’ll have to find some way to use it with something vibrant.

The taupe colour of the bunch. I’m sure there are loads of you out there salivating over Mesmerized! On me, this is the kind of shade I’ll place all over the lid and then darken up the outer corner and crease with a dark, matte brown.

Looking at this one now, I see a lot of the Marsala bajankle that everyone’s going on about lately. Showtime was less compacted in the pan than the others which makes me think it’s part of the original launch of colours. (Marlena has said that they’ve had a few of the eyeshadows break in transit, which they promptly replaced of course, but she said they were going to start asking her lab to press them harder to prevent that. My order arrived without issue however.)

Okay. THIS ONE. Flamethrower. FLAMETHROWER. This thing is FIRE. Absolute hands down my favourite out of the whole bunch. This is what I wish MAC‘s Coppering was – absolute pure molten copper. I recommend this one the most out of the entire collection.

Very similar to MAC’s Golden Olive pigment, Jester one goes on like a dream. Green with gold reflects.

I struggled a bit with the pigmentation of Houdini, but it’s a very interesting tealy/turquoisy shade. Try using a black base to make this one pop more.

I always thought this one was blue, till I wore it, then it looked purple. Center Stage is what I wish MAC‘s Contrast looked like.

Caitlin Rose has received a lot of disapproval on the internet due to its pigmentation. While my swatch isn’t entirely in focus, I will say that because this shade doesn’t seem to have a black base (like Houdini or Center Stage seem to) it just doesn’t have the same colour punch as those. Not that that’s a bad thing really – the colour payoff is what I would expect looking at the pan.

I pulled together a few looks while I was testing these shades out so have a gander:

Wearing Flamethrower on the inner half of the lid (Bitten on the outer half)

Have you picked up any of the Makeup Geek Foiled Shadow? What did you think of them? Did you run into any creasing like I did? And my god, what did you think of the pigmentation?!

Shopping My Stash for Marsala

January 12, 2015Makeup, Reviews, SwatchesColour of the Year, L'Oreal, MAC, Makeup Geek, NYX, PantoneChelle

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I don’t know who decided they were in officially in charge, but every year Pantone picks a colour of the year. Sometimes it seems to follow trends, and sometimes it seems totally offbase. (Where the hell did Radiant Orchid (2014) come from anyway? I mean really.) This year we got blessed (lol) with Marsala.

Introducing MARSALA Pantone 18-1438. A naturally robust and earthy wine red, Marsala enriches our minds, bodies and souls.

Now, I don’t know about you, but that’s not the colour of any red wine I drink. This is more of a lazy brick colour. Too much of the brown, not enough of the red. I guess we have Kylie Jenner to thank for this colour.

Leaving out my opinions regarding the Kardashians seemingly influencing this colour of the year, I have to say it’s not bad. It’s an unexciting shade, but it’s very, very workable. I know none of us truly care about the colour of the year, as it certainly won’t be impacting anyone’s makeup or clothes after the month of January, but I wanted to see what the hell I had in my stash that would come close to this colour.

MAC Mystical lipstick and NYX Spongecake gloss

First up are the lip products. MAC‘s Mystical was from this past year’s summer collection and it was about the only lipstick shade I had that fit into the Marsala zone. More of a pink tinge on this one, but it makes it infinitely more wearable on my skin.

NYX‘s Spongecake surprised me. I’d never think of this guy as even remotely brick-coloured, but when I compare it to the Marsala swatch above, it comes out surprisingly close. More orange-toned, for sure, but still in the “zone”.

Unfortunately Mystical was a limited edition item but Spongecake is a year ’round drugstore item for those who have NYX available to them.

This blush is such an odd one to me. MAC‘s Sea Me, Hear Me (yet again, limited edition) looks pinky-er in the pan, orangey-er on my skin and yet somehow still appears “more Marsala” than anything else I owned.

Makeup Geek Bitten and L’Oreal Golden Mahogany

My favourites of the bunch are the eyeshadows. I’m really hoping that people learn to experiment with eyeshadow more and embrace reds, or even just brick reds, on their lids. Red eyeshadow, or any shadow in that family, has a very special place in my heart: It can be a flattering colour or an incredibly loud one depending on how you pair it.

l-r: Makeup Geek Bitten and L’Oreal Golden Mal-r: Makeup Geek Bitten and L’Oreal Golden Mahoganyhogany — l-r: Makeup Geek Bitten and L’Oreal Golden Mahogany

Makeup Geek‘s Bitten is a longstanding favourite of mine and a must-have shade from the brand. I think it fits best with the Marsala theme out of anything I own, so at least I can feel trendy while wearing it.

L’Oreal‘s Infallible in Golden Mahogany is slightly more electrifying however. It definitely adds far more red into the mix, and coupled with that shine, it’s a stunner.

So while I’m not jumping for joy about a colour of the year, I am interested to play around with the colour and see what combinations work out best for me. I hadn’t done it intentionally, but when I look at the blue of the Alluring Aquatics collection mixed with the colour of marsala, I’m thinking I could really work with those together.

How about you? Is this something that interests you? Have you got products that fit into the colour of the year theme?

Use Up 2014: Conclusion

January 7, 2015Makeup, ReviewsCoverGirl, Jack Black, MAC, Physicians Formula, RevlonChelle

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In 2014 I decided I’d try to finish up 14 products I liked, but didn’t love (and had no intentions of repurchasing). The “project” was just a way to move items out of my collection that were good, but not stellar.

So…. I *had* two foundations: The MUA Matte foundation in Shade 1 Soft Sand and theCoverGirl Tone Rehab 2-in-1 (CC Cream) in 110 Classic Ivory. But then, without thinking, I threw out the MUA foundation in disgust because it was turning my face into a greasepit. No thanks. No need for that amount of oil on my face thanks.

CoverGirl Tone Rehab 2-in-1 (CC Cream) in 110 Classic Ivory – FINISHED!

Next was the CoverGirl Tone Rehab 2-in-1 (CC Cream) in 110 Classic Ivory. This was an interesting one. I used it often but never fell in love with it. It was perfectly adequate: it evened out my skin and it always seemed to match me during transition seasons. It was easy to use, but it would occasionally make my face itch. Now, that may just be a by-product of me not enjoying foundation at all, but who knows.

In summary, it’s an inoffensive foundation that did its job but that I wouldn’t repurchase.

And yep, I finished it! This was an eleventh hour product – I got my last squirt out of this bottle on December 30th! I’m happy to pitch a foundation from my collection as they always seem interminable and take up an awful lot of space.

Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm in Natural Mint

Jack Black‘s Intense Therapy Lip Balm in Natural Mint has been a longtime love ofTemptalia, a blog I have read daily for what feels like an eternity. There was an uproar in 2012 when it was discovered that Jack Black hadn’t been publishing all their active ingredients on their products and many people felt they had been mislead by the brand. While I was never truly bothered about the ingredients in my products, I didn’t like the shadiness that Jack Black seemed to exude with their products ingredients. (That link above is an interesting read if you’re curious about the situation.)

ANYWAY. I got a tube, and found it rather bland. It’s not any different than flavoured vaseline and for me it just didn’t do a whole lot. Great for windburn outside during the winter, sure, but anything else? Meh. I finished it up in the first half of 2014 and was happy to see it go!

MAC Strawberry Malt lipglass – 70% finished

MAC‘s Strawberry Malt lipglass was a “had to have” for me when the Archie’s Girls collection came out. However it didn’t work out that great for me: The colour would bleed outside my lip lines and it disappeared faster than most lipglasses I had ever had from MAC. I also found myself going off lipglosses completely in 2014 so it was just time to get rid of this one.

In the end, I didn’t finish it. I used it fairly often, but it wasn’t enough to use up the tube. In the last month or so, the scent of the product has gone off a bit so I’m just going to call it quits and Back 2 MAC the product.

I’ve already re-purposed one of the pans, but here are the remanents. I was happy to use up four MAC singles, and I’m soooo happy to put Swish to rest. No one needs a frosty pink eyeshadow in their early thirties…

Physicians Formula Bronzer Booster – DEFINITELY NOT FINISHED! /raaaage

Ughhhh this thing. Physicians Formula Bronze Booster in Light/Medium was supposed to be an easy product to finish. In years gone by, I’ve been able to use up a bronze in about 6-9 months with daily use. This thing went NOWHERE. I used it for probably two months straight at the start of the year and I got so frustrated with seeing so little movement downwards on the pan that I just gave up and switched to something else. I don’t know what the hell this thing is made out of, but good GOD.

And there it is in all its unused glory. You can see the slightest of indentations in the middle of the product, but you never would’ve known I used it for two months without fail. I’m actually so irritated with it, that I don’t reach for it at all anymore. 😐

Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm in Twilight

As Revlon‘s Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm is an opaque product, I really have no progress pictures to show you. I used it consistently throughout 2014 and it eventually dried up/got used up around November. Twilight was a beautiful colour, but I’m kind of over this one.

Revlon Sunset Peach – 90% done – calling it quits

Another lipgloss to move on out of my collection. Revlon‘s Sunset Peach gloss was easy to use in the summer because it seemed to go with everything. The formula is nice, the colour is nice, but I’m just not a lipgloss person anymore. (Plus, I think these are now discontinued.)

It’s mostly done, really. I’m scrapping the sides at this point and I’m over it. That’s been my theme for 2014: So Over Lipgloss.

Revlon Lip Butters – 2 out of 3 finished!

Cherry Tarte was the first one to get finished early on in the year and it was definitely my favourite out of the three of them. I often wore Creamsicle over top of Red Velvet, but in the end I finished up Creamsicle but not Red Velvet. I’m still kicking Red Velvet to the curb though because it’s too slippery for a lip colour for my tastes. (Actually, what I really did was take a Kleenex and smash up the Red Velvet bullet – man was that ever fun!)

And that was it for Use Up 2014. The only thing I’m keeping out of the remaining products that didn’t get finished is the bronzer, all the rest of them have been happily dumped into the garbage! I’m glad I gave these products another year to prove their worth, but a lot of them I just felt like “meh, over it” by the end of the year.

I’ll be doing this again for 2015, but I’m bringing it down to 10 products since 14 felt like too much for me this past year. Anyway else taking part in #useup2015? Or some kind of Project Pan?

Check me out on Lipstick & Lullabies

December 22, 2014Makeup, ReviewsToo FacedChelle

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The lovely Rebekah of Lipstick and Lullabies is hosting me today on her site. Be sure to check out my post by following this link!

Review: Femme Fatale Mink Lashes

November 14, 2014Makeup, ReviewsFemme FataleChelle

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Mink lashes are something I have always wanted to try, so I jumped at the chance when Femme Fatale offered to send me a couple pairs to try out.

Just to clear the air surrounding what mink lashes actually are, as per their web site, Femme Fatale lashes are:

Made from the highest quality, 100% mink fur.
Completely cruelty free, handmade, sterilized/hypo-allergenic.
Can be used up to 25 times.

First off, these are expensive lashes. Since the hairs are actually cultivated from an animal (the mink) and it’s done by combing them, this obviously puts theses lashes at a higher price point. A set of lashes will run you roughly $30 for a pair (which is about average for a set of mink lashes). There is the claim that you can wear them up toe 25 times, so that does offset the more expensive cost of the lashes. I did not have the opportunity to try these out 25 times, but I can say that they feel pretty durable. The lashes themselves are incredibly soft (they are real hair after all!) and the band feels strong enough to last through more wear than my usual drugstore false lashes do. (I get about five uses out of drug store lashes.)

Plus the other upside? Free shipping in Canada and the US.

The first set I tried out were the She-Devil lashes. They’re a set of spike-grouped lashes with a layer of cross-crossed lashes on top. This pair are NO joke. They are full on, flirty lashes. If you are looking for lashes with impact, these are definitely it. They’re actually so large that when my eyes are fully open they tickle the bottom of my eyebrows!

I wore these out to an end of season soccer banquet and I think they were the right choice as they gave me absolutely enormous lashes. So much so that they’ll cover your eyeshadow up quite a bit if your eyes are open (see above). However, the upside is that your eyelashes look gargantuan! These are not subtle at all, and people will definitely notice that you’re wearing falsies, but hey, that doesn’t bother me!

I thought these were beautiful, but they’re definitely something I’ll save for big events rather than just various nights out at bars and whatnot.

The second set I received were the Catwalk ones. These are GORGEOUS. When I originally compared them side by side to the She-Devil ones I was little disappointed in my choices because I thought they looked too similar. I was totally wrong. These are actually quite subtle in an easy to wear daily use kind of thing. They’re the kind of lashes that accentuate your eyes, but don’t alert people to the fact that you’re wearing falsies.

My first time trying out the Catwalk pair I put them right to the test! I wore this set with my Gamora costume on Halloween night when it was mildly raining and absolutely freaking freezing cold out. They held up well and gave my eyes the dimension I needed since I felt like my features were getting a bit lost in all of the green face paint.

The day after Halloween I wore the Catwalk lashes out to a movie just to see how they’d fare with regular makeup. The verdict from my husband was that they looked natural and accentuated my lashes without making me look excessively fake.

Final Verdict

I love these. I seriously love these. They’re smooth and soft, and feel unlike any of the drugstore lashes I’ve tried in the past (not to knock on drug store lashes, I do love those quite a bit too!). There’s something about Femme Fatale‘s lashes that just feels luxurious.

I do find that I needed to trim mine a decent amount on the outer corner to fit my eye shape, which is good news for those who have larger eyes than my own. I did notice a bit of tickling on my inner eyelid when I blinked or closed my lashes while wearing them, but if that’s something that bothers you, you can simply trim them a bit more to make them not so full all across your lid.

Out of the two I received, Catwalk was by far my favourite but I’ll definitely be busting out She-Devil to wear to some holiday events coming up! Femme Fatale’s selection of lashes is quite large (22 pairs), so you’re bound to find one that suits your needs. From every day lashes that just add a little something extra, to enormous lashes with rhinestones on them.

Nemo’s always gotta be where the action is! Or maybe he was enticed by the “Catwalk” lashes…