Hair: The Long and Short of it.

Okay, okay, I know this is a beauty blog, but hey, I'm allowed to bend the rules. So. I've gone through many different hairstyles over the years. From age 0-3ish it was very curly. Then 4-9 it was poker straight. When I was 6 my mom actually said I could get it permed. But when the hairdresser told me I might go blind if the stuff got in my eyes, I quickly decided that straight hair wasn't so bad. When I was 10 all my friends had short hair, so I chopped mine to my earlobes. So for the past 4 years I've been trying to grow out my hair. It's down to a little past my shoulders. Oh, and when it grew back in, it grew curly!!! So now I am blessed (burdened) with naturally curly hair. I'm trying to find good hair care routine, so I'd love comments/suggestions on creams, conditioners, and gels. Right now I'm looking more like Ms. Frizzle than anything else.
Essi

Can't Wait for the new Mark. Pretty Wild Collection

Hey girls,

I'm so exited about the Mark. Pretty Wild Collection. (didn't I already say that!?) this will be the first time that I'm hauling from a limited edition collection! So I should be posting on thursday!
Stay tuned!
Essi

Revlon Cream Blush Review

Ok. I don't have much experience with cream blushes, but for me this one is pretty sweet. It's a perfect color for me, and it's easily blended. The product is easy to pick up (I use my God-given tools for that.) *fingers!* And easy to apply. As for wear/lasting ability, I sealed it with translucent powder and had no problems. I really like the packaging on this blush!
So you pop open the top, nothing special, but on the lower right-hand corner is a button that says: PUSH, so, duh, I pushed it. Out from the right of the blush comes a mirror! So cool! As for the blush, you get .12 oz/3.4 grams.
Closed
See? There is the little button and the mirror :)
Swatch
Makeup love,
Essi

Upcoming:

Hey gals, (you like that better then "guys" don't ya?)
I might not be posting as much in the upcoming weeks, because I'm getting pretty booked up as to babysitting for the next month or so, but I will be reviewing the rest of the products from my Revlon haul, and I'm gonna be hauling some Avon/Mark. products. (such as the Mark. Pretty Wild Color Collection!!!) So stay tuned and I'm not dead :) So a list of upcoming posts:
Revlon Cream Blush Review
Revlon Kohl Eyeliner Review
Avon/Mark. Haul
Avon Smooth Minerals Collection Review
Maybe some FOTDs?
Check back soon!
makeup love, Essi

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss Review

Ok gals, my next review is on Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipgloss. I bought it in two shades: Barely Blossom and Sunset Nude. Out of the two Barely Blossom is the most pigmented, but both are lovely glosses. Their texture is smooth, when you rub your lips together, it's not sticky. And unlike the skinlights gloss, this gloss has a mild smell. You get 2 fl oz/5.9 mls of product. I can't really think of anything else. It's not a horrible gloss, but it's nothing to rave about. It's just your average gloss.
Sunset Nude

Barely Blossom

Doe Foot Applicator

Swatches (top to bottom)Sunset Nude, Barely Blossom

have a good day!
Essi

Revlon Skinlights Lipgloss Review

Ok, I'm sure you gals have read my revlon haul post :) So I'm starting to review all the products I purchased. I'm also going to try to do some tuts. (not on video, but step by step pics) I'm not a guru (yet!) but I love makeup and I've come up with some decent looks. I'm kinda wary about posting my face on the Internet cause I have awful teenage skin. But we'll see what happens. On to the review!

It is a squeeze tube gloss. That's not bad, but I hate the applicator! It's not slant-tipped but one of those round tip with a hole in the middle. But it was $0.50 (.5 fl oz/15 ml) so I can deal. I know everyone has a holy grail color that just makes you feel awesome. My color (at least my for my lips) is pinky-gold. I always gravitate to anything that represents a shimmery pinky-gold. So when I saw this color (Rose Quartz) in the "bargain bin" I knew it was to be mine. Ok, I ran to the car (I can't drive yet, so I was with a friend) and tried on the color. I was disappointed. It was VERY sheer. But I read the back of the gloss and here is what they say:
"Light up your smile with Skinlight's exclusive light capturing crystal complex. Light and smooth, to wear alone or over lipstick"

Ok, I don't read anything about being sheer, but the whole "light capturing crystal complex" is no joke!!! The gloss has small pink shimmery flakes in it. But it's not gritty, it's very "light and smooth" So now I have lightly shimmery lips. Like! But I did take their suggestion and layered it over a lipstick. Perfect! So, in all it's ok, but there are probably better lip glosses out there. Then again, it's very nice to wear over lipstick for shine and moisturization. (and it was 50 cents!)
One more thing, this stuff STINKS! It smells really bad, but the smell wears off after a few minutes.
Pics!


can you see the crystals?
The oh so annoying applicator!
Swatch
in a hurry, makeup love, Essi

Score!! (AKA haul!!!) pic heavy!

Hey gals, I'm pretty happy right now. I've been reading so much on The Recessionista's blog; Nouveau Cheap. (sorry, I can't get the link up, but just google Nouveau Cheap and you'll find it!) Anyways she is always talking about the awsome deals she finds, but here in Canada, I can't find stores that put things on sale!! So I was super exited when a Revlon Warehouse sale rented a building for a month to get rid of extra stock! There was stuff 50-75% off in there! But, Avon is releasing some awesome spring products so, I restrained myself to 3 lip glosses, 1 cream blush and 1 eyeliner. So, there was this huge bin with gloss-nailpolish duos in it -2 for $1!! I got the last pinky gloss, all the rest were an nude-gold, but I got one of those so to get the 2 for $1 deal. The third gloss (squeeze-tube) I got was in the "bargain bin" a small cardboard box filled with items that lost their price tags, or were the last of that color in stock. I managed to get it for $1 also.
The blush was the most exspensive thing I bought- at $6 a for a pan. But this blush is the dream blush for vampire white gals like me. It gives a just flushed look to the face. I find that I'm so pale that many blushes make me look like a clown, which is not what I'm going for! And I bought a white kohl liner (marked $3) for my waterline. *tip of the day: if you stayed up too late last night, or find your eyes need a pick-me-up, take a white eyeliner and line your waterline. This works miracles! For darker skinned gals, just try to find a liner a few shades lighter than whatever color you waterline is. But more wonders awaited me at the cash register. Everything was BOGO 50% off! So I ran to find something else. (at that piont I only had 5 items) I ended up with a super-soaker (there wasn't just makeup in the warehouse) for my 10 year old sister. My total?
Blush: $6
Eyeliner: $1.50 (this was the 50% item)
Super-soaker: $3
squeeze tube gloss: $0.50 (50% off!)
Gloss-Nail polish set #1: $0.50
Gloss-Nail polish set #2: $0.25 (50% off!)
Total: $11.75 before tax. Not too bad if I do say so myself!
Here are pictures:
Ok, the squeeze tube gloss. The official name is: Skinlights gloss for lips in "Rose Quartz"
Close up
This was in the gloss-nail polish set. Official name: Super Lustrous in "Sunrise Nude"
The other Super Lustrous gloss in "Barely Blossom"
The cream blush in "Rosy Glow"
Revlon Matte Luxurious Color Kohl Eyeliner in "Pure White"
Swatches! From top to bottom: Rose Quartz, Barely Blossom, Sunrise Nude, Rosy Glow, Pure White
I'll be posting more pictures and full reviews of all the items, so check back soon!
Makeup love, Essi

Introducing. . . Liners!!!

Hey gals,
let's break from shadow for a bit shall we? I'd like to talk about eyeliner. I looovvvveee eyeliner, just as much as I love shadow.(thats saying lots!) Anyways, I'd like to review my favorite eyeliner at this time. It is Avon's Glimmersticks! I know there are probably thousands of reviews on them, but I'm gonna add my two cents.
First off, this is a twist-up liner. So, YAY no sharpening! Second, you must be very, very careful when opening the liner. It has a tip poking out, so if you just wrench the top off, you will probably break the tip off too. Not a good thing. Anyways, after a few uses you will wear down the tip so you can twist it into the container and keep if safe. Onto the liner itself: It's CREAMY! And it glides soooo well! And unlike other creamy liners, there is absolutley no transfer onto your lid. (I have deep-set eyes, so this happens alot with the wrong liner) I also like that depending on the angle you put this liner on, you can create thick or thin lines. But you can do that with most liners. Anyways, the colors they have are:
Blackest Black (which I own)
Saturn Grey
Starry Night
Cosmic Brown
Emerald
Waterproof:
Blackest Night
Smoky Grey
Copper (which I own)
Midnight Blue
Brown Chocolate
They have a space thing going as to names. lol.
Something I forgot to mention: For waterlines, I would suggest the waterproof formula. Just because, well, waterproof liners usually stay longer on your waterline. As for application, it's smooth, creamy, and I have had no problems wearing these babies on my waterline. Pics below.
Top: Blackest Black Bottom: Copper
This is what it looks like sans top. I have been using it for 3 months so I've worn it down quite a bit :)
please don't complain about the pics, I tried for an hour to get some good ones!
Makeup love, Essi

L'Oreal Eyeshadow Quad Review

This was the first shadow quad I ever owned. I purchased it in 220 Milla's Blues. It had a matte color that was my exact skintone, so I used it to set my concealer. (ya shocking I know :) The next color was a shimmery gold bronze. ( I say "was" because as soon as I finish this review, I'm throwing this quad in the trash) The next color was a shimmery light blue-silver, and to finish the quad a color that looks dark blue in the pan, but it's really black with flecks of blue shimmer. I was a complete novice when I got this quad and I knew zilch about makeup, application, what colors probably won't work on me, etc. So I used it. A lot. And I couldn't figure out why it was creasing. (thought I didn't know what creasing WAS back then AKA two years ago.) But I wore it anyway. I completely used up my skintone color, I also loved the gold one. The light blue got a lot of wear, but the dark one not so much. I had enough sense to know that a color that dark was probably not what I wanted to smear all over my lids. So, the color payoff for these shadows are pretty fair as pigmentation goes. The gold and dark blue are the most pigmented, followed by the skin color, and the light blue is the weakest. They are really soft and crumbly shadows, so be warned! As I said earlier, these babies CREASE! Not two hours after application, there was major creasing, in the next half hour, It looked like I lined my crease with gold shadow. I really hate to bash a product, but this just didn't work for me. Here are some pics:
Swatches! Top: My skin color, below, goldy-bronze, light blue, black blue
Quad shut (yes is IS worn out)
Quad open (see? I used up the color of my skin)
makeup love, Essi
PS have a beautiful day!

1st review is... Avon Glazewear Diamonds Eye Color

Ok, so I am always on the lookout for an afforable eyeshadow base. Sorry, but I just can't afford (or bring myself to) spend $20 or more dollars for one product. So when I saw that the glazewear diamonds was on sale for $3.99, AND being advertized as crease-proof, I thought why not? So, I bought it in pink sugar (or iced pink? the label came off. Sue me) Its a shimmery light pink color. So the day a got it, I opened my box with exitement, and went straight to the mirror to try it out. So, first, it goes easily, it's a liquid shadow and it feels very wet. Also, don't blend with your fingers, because you're just gonna wipe it off. So, use the applicator. This shadow goes on streaky and sheer. So, I let it dry, then applied my powder eyeshadow. It was a pain to blend, and the glazewear dries... well, I'll use a picture analogy. Have you seen pictures of the desert when it's all cracked and dry? that's what the shadow does. It settles into every single crack and cranny of your eyelid. Anyways, for the sake of review I wore it for a day. About 2 hours later I noticed minor creasing and by hour number 4 it was a big creasy mess. So, it sucks as an eye primer and a shadow. BUT you know what it ROCKS at? A highlighter!!! You know, the brow bone, down the nose, etc.? Because it's so sheer, it just gives the sought-after "glow." *note I am EXTREMELY pale, so this might not work for other people. So would I buy again? flat out no. But can I make the best of a bad product? YES! Pics and swatches below

this is the container, sorry about the eraser!

here it is open. the applicator is like a lipgloss

and here's a swatch. I have a terrible camera, so sorry if the pictures aren't the best. I really piled on the stuff for the swatch, but once it's blended it gives a beautiful glow.
thanks for reading!
Makeup love, Essi

Welcome (ps. makeup rox!)

Hey, thanks for stopping by! hope you will enjoy your stay (and come back soon!) I love makeup! I want to review items that have worked (and not worked) I hope to update weekly at the least. Other than makeup I love: dogs, hanging with friends (don't we all!?) being crafty and baking. Please comment! I love reading 'em!
XO Essi
PS. I'm an avon Rep, so mostly I'll be reviewing Avon products. Also Avon is pretty much the only makeup brand I can afford right now!