Easter Eyes with Stila!

 

Happy Easter if you celebrate! And just happy Spring in general! Today I did a fun eye look for brunch with my family that I wanted to share. I recently picked up two Stila Smudge Sticks at the Ulta 21 Days of Beauty event but they retail for $20 a piece regularly. I have one already in Mint Julep and I just love the formula. They are smooth and creamy but still last all day on my lids.

The shades I picked up are Gilded (a gold/bronze shimmer) and Violet, which is a true pink-toned purple. 

Violet is matte and it is creamy enough that any patchiness is easily fixed with a second layer. To me though, it glides on with full color in one swipe and wore all day (8 hours) on primed lids.

Gilded is a metallic liner and is really beautiful on. I can see myself reaching for this all the time come summer and this also wore well for 8 hours.

I am wearing Violet as a double line on my lid and Gilded on my lower lash line. I have not tested these on my waterline because I choose not to wear eyeliner there except on rare occasions, but these are waterproof, so I assume that means they should last at least a few hours on the waterline. 

I am also wearing NYX liquid black liner, Benefit Roller Lash mascara, and Colourpop eyeshadow in Tea Party. 

I hope you guys have had a good weekend! What is your favorite Easter candy? Mine is robin's eggs (the malt kind).

Ipsy March 2014 Glam Bag: Destination Beauty

It is the middle of the month and that means it is  'Ipsy Glam Bag Review Time'!

March's theme is 'Destination Beauty' and the bag came with 4 deluxe and full-sized products for $10, as always. Some people were hardcore complaining that we only got 4 products instead of 5, but this was one of the best bags yet! No complaints here! What I got: Deluxe sample of bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie lipstick in the shade Get Ready ($8): Pretty rose color, lovely vanilla smell, feels great on lips. Full-sized NYX 'Love in Rio' eyeshadow trio in 'Bikini Bottom' ($6): A neutral trio, light color pay-off but very wearable colors. Deluxe sample of Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer ($9): A new product from Pixi. Glowy and has Vitamins A, E, & C. Full-sized Chella eyeliner pen in Indigo Blue ($24): Water-proof and paraben free stunning blue felt tip liner! Total value: $47!!
And lets not forget the gorgeous bag! The print was done by artist Klari Reis!

Above are some swatches. 'Get Ready' is gorgeous and pigmented, and the Indigo Blue liner is so precise! The Flawless Beauty Primer has a hint of color, but it is negligible on the skin and face and just creates a dewy look. 'Bikini Bottom' makes me smile, just because of the name (calling my fellow Spongebob fans!) but the pink and beige give little payoff. They are great blending colors though!

Here is a pan shot of Love in Rio 'Bikini Bottom'. Excuse the cuticle line on my mani...its being going strong for over a week (Color is A-England 'Jane Eyre' if you were curious).

And here are the tips of the blue liner and the lipstick. Overall I am so happy with this month's Ipsy bag. A great value and items I will use!

And so...because the second I received the bag and saw the shade of the moxie lipstick was 'Get Ready'...I haven't been able to get this song out of my head...

The Temptations 'Get Ready' covered by one of my favorite bands, Molotov Jukebox. Enjoy! I can already feel summer...its 90 degrees here!
And if you are looking to join Ipsy....click here!

Spring Forward with Stila Smudge Stick in Mint Julep

I was aghast when I realized this Sunday is 'Spring Forward'...where we all lose a precious hour of sleep!
I don't think I can handle this.
However, my new Stila Smudge Stick in Mint Julep is bound to make me look bright-eyed and bushy -tailed come Sunday morning brunch. Some of you may have seen me wearing it today on my Instagram, and I have to say, I am in love with this mint liner!

Stila has been a brand that I have neither shunned nor really gravitated to. However, I am really impressed with their Spring 2014 launches of new Smudge Stick colors and other more out of the box shades and offerings to their line. They have really impressed me, especially with this liner.

Mint Julep ($20) is a true mint liner that is creamy, glides on so smoothly, is paraben free, and is not animal tested. Vitamin E and C give it creaminess and act as slight anti-aging agents on your delicate eye-lid area.

What I really love about this product is that is lasts ALL day. When I posted a picture of my eye look on Instagram, I had already been wearing it for over a full work day. After, I have since gone out to dinner and worn it the rest of the night, around 14 hours, and it looked like I had just put it on. I have oily lids, and yes I did prime, but this was still incredible. I also really dig how fresh the color is, and that you can create some mod looks with it.

To create this look, I lined my eye with a very thin line of NYX liquid black liner, and then followed the shape with Stila Smudge Stick in Mint Julep, continuing to the little 'wing' of my black liner. I kept the rest of my eye simple with a wash of nude shadow and some mascara. This would also look create on the waterline, as a thicker line, or worn all by itself.

This is a great liner for the upcoming Spring and Summer months because it is unexpected and waterproof! Yes! Can't wait to tuck this into my beach bag!

Happy Springing Forward Pandas!

L'OREAL Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner in Grey

Hey Pandas!! I have never tried out the kajal eyeliner trend, but I finally found a product that might make me want to!

 

The L'ORÉAL Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner in Grey is a kajal style liner in a thick pencil form. It retails for about $8 and comes with a sharpener so you do not have to go rooting around for one that fits this pencil. It can be used on the upper or lower lashline and waterline. It is supposed to give a smokey effect (smoldering) but I do not understand what the voluminous claim is all about.

 

 

This may seem a little intimidating. I mean, it almost looks like a weapon right? Do not fear, you can either swatch it on the back of your hand a bit or warm it up with your fingers and it is nice and smooth on the eye. It blends out really nicely to give that smokey eye effect and is one of the longest lasting products I have found on my waterline. I still prefer gel liners on my upper lash line, though.

 

 

The grey color is really cool because it has more depth than black, and is a softer alternative to brown...so you can still look a little punk without crazy harshness. The grey is very wearable!

 

 

Overall, I like this liner and is easier to wear than I thought. It is small enough to carry in a purse for touch ups and the packaging is sturdy. I also love the grey color because not many liners come in grey. I think this is a good starter product for those getting into kajal liners and for those who want a liner that isn't too harsh.

 

Price: 8/10

Performance: 9/10

Color/Wearability: 10/10

Packaging: 10/10

Overall Quality: 9/10

Total: 46/50 = A- = Happy Panda

 

Have you tried this product or have a different favorite smokey, kajal liner? I would love to hear about it! What do you think of grey liner?

 

 



 

L'OREAL Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner in Grey

Hey Pandas!! I have never tried out the kajal eyeliner trend, but I finally found a product that might make me want to!

 

The L'ORÉAL Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner in Grey is a kajal style liner in a thick pencil form. It retails for about $8 and comes with a sharpener so you do not have to go rooting around for one that fits this pencil. It can be used on the upper or lower lashline and waterline. It is supposed to give a smokey effect (smoldering) but I do not understand what the voluminous claim is all about.

 

 

This may seem a little intimidating. I mean, it almost looks like a weapon right? Do not fear, you can either swatch it on the back of your hand a bit or warm it up with your fingers and it is nice and smooth on the eye. It blends out really nicely to give that smokey eye effect and is one of the longest lasting products I have found on my waterline. I still prefer gel liners on my upper lash line, though.

 

 

The grey color is really cool because it has more depth than black, and is a softer alternative to brown...so you can still look a little punk without crazy harshness. The grey is very wearable!

 

 

Overall, I like this liner and is easier to wear than I thought. It is small enough to carry in a purse for touch ups and the packaging is sturdy. I also love the grey color because not many liners come in grey. I think this is a good starter product for those getting into kajal liners and for those who want a liner that isn't too harsh.

 

Price: 8/10

Performance: 9/10

Color/Wearability: 10/10

Packaging: 10/10

Overall Quality: 9/10

Total: 46/50 = A- = Happy Panda

 

Have you tried this product or have a different favorite smokey, kajal liner? I would love to hear about it! What do you think of grey liner?

 

 



 

Maybelline Master Duo Liquid Liner in Bronzed Shimmer: Swatches and Review

Innovations in eyeliner are always interesting! A girl can never have enough eyeliner!

 

 

 

Maybelline Master Duo eyeliner by EyeStudio in Bronzed Shimmer #525 is one of those new innovations. It has a unique tip that is shaped like a little circle so it can make a thick line, or a thin line if turned on it's side. It has a glossy finish and retails for $8.

 

 

 

See the cute tiny little circle? Place that flat on your eyelid to draw a thick, mod, line. Then, twist your wrist and flick out your cat-eye with the thin side!

 

 

If you don't want to shell out money for two different eyeliners, this is the product for you. I like the bronze color idea, but in reality it is more of a chocolate and the shimmer translates as more of a wet look. This isn't very highly pigmented either, but it doesn't flake and lasts well on the lashline once dried.

 

 

 

The dual felt tip applicator is cool but not revolutionary or totally necessary. However, it will save time on busy mornings. I would suggest trying a different color if you choose to purchase, as the brown doesn't have a lot of drama to it.

 

Price: 9/10

Performance: 10/10

Color/Wearability: 6/10

Packaging: 10/10

Overall Quality: 8/10

Total: 43/50 = B = Meh Panda

 

Do you think this is cool or gimmicky?

 

Maybelline Master Duo Liquid Liner in Bronzed Shimmer: Swatches and Review

Innovations in eyeliner are always interesting! A girl can never have enough eyeliner!

 

 

 

Maybelline Master Duo eyeliner by EyeStudio in Bronzed Shimmer #525 is one of those new innovations. It has a unique tip that is shaped like a little circle so it can make a thick line, or a thin line if turned on it's side. It has a glossy finish and retails for $8.

 

 

 

See the cute tiny little circle? Place that flat on your eyelid to draw a thick, mod, line. Then, twist your wrist and flick out your cat-eye with the thin side!

 

 

If you don't want to shell out money for two different eyeliners, this is the product for you. I like the bronze color idea, but in reality it is more of a chocolate and the shimmer translates as more of a wet look. This isn't very highly pigmented either, but it doesn't flake and lasts well on the lashline once dried.

 

 

 

The dual felt tip applicator is cool but not revolutionary or totally necessary. However, it will save time on busy mornings. I would suggest trying a different color if you choose to purchase, as the brown doesn't have a lot of drama to it.

 

Price: 9/10

Performance: 10/10

Color/Wearability: 6/10

Packaging: 10/10

Overall Quality: 8/10

Total: 43/50 = B = Meh Panda

 

Do you think this is cool or gimmicky?

 

NYX Aqua Shimmer Eye Pencil

Hey!

Summer is all about ocean tones. I love wearing them on nails and eyes for a pop of color that doesn't look too 80's or over-done if you stick to something darker and not frosty!

NYX eye pencil in 'Aqua Shimmer' fits the bill! It is a medium toned ocean blue with lots of silver sparkle.

You can see all the pretty glitter in the tip of the pencil. For $5, this is something that can be in your make-up wardrobe throughout the year.

The color is nice and opaque with one pass and the glitter gets caught up in the pigment and sandwiched in there to prevent fall out and it turns a pretty light blue shade. Nifty!

NYX products are always reliable, of good quality, and are cheap enough to try out a fun color like this without breaking the bank.

Final Thoughts: Add some splash to your summer make-up routine with this fun pencil!

Price: 10/10
Staying Power: 9/10
Packaging: 8/10
Color/Wearability: 10/10
Quality/Branding: 10/10

Total: 47/50 = A = Pandamonium!

Have another favorite blue eye pencil? Share!

xo PrettyPanda

NYX Aqua Shimmer Eye Pencil

Hey!

Summer is all about ocean tones. I love wearing them on nails and eyes for a pop of color that doesn't look too 80's or over-done if you stick to something darker and not frosty!

NYX eye pencil in 'Aqua Shimmer' fits the bill! It is a medium toned ocean blue with lots of silver sparkle.

You can see all the pretty glitter in the tip of the pencil. For $5, this is something that can be in your make-up wardrobe throughout the year.

The color is nice and opaque with one pass and the glitter gets caught up in the pigment and sandwiched in there to prevent fall out and it turns a pretty light blue shade. Nifty!

NYX products are always reliable, of good quality, and are cheap enough to try out a fun color like this without breaking the bank.

Final Thoughts: Add some splash to your summer make-up routine with this fun pencil!

Price: 10/10
Staying Power: 9/10
Packaging: 8/10
Color/Wearability: 10/10
Quality/Branding: 10/10

Total: 47/50 = A = Pandamonium!

Have another favorite blue eye pencil? Share!

xo PrettyPanda