Ultraflesh Panthera Mascara Review

Ultraflesh Panthera Mascara just makes me giggle. It's a special mascara, it's made of bits of real panther and stings the nostrils, in a good way. They've done studies you know, 60% of the time it works every time. Wait that makes no sense.




Quick take: Ultraflesh Panthera mascara is AWESOME! It's totally deserving of a holy grail status- A+ indeed! It does it says it will and only took two coats to make my lashes look fake. I think I might like this more than Diorshow Iconic just based on it being much easier to remove.

Ultraflesh was recently introduced to Sephora as an exclusive brand. Only making one product, Panthera Mascara is a pretty strong entry into the makeup market.



What the product claims:
This volumizing, super-defining, and long-wearing Ultraflesh mascara gives the term "cat eye" new meaning. Formulated with a blend of natural waxes, it maintains the lashes' soft, pliable feel while keeping lashes conditioned and promoting healthy growth. The dual-purpose Panthera brush combines a full brush experience with a comb on the other side to create definition and length without clumping or smudging.

The good:
Does exactly what it says it will. This mascara leaves my lashes full, long and super jet black without flaking or fading throughout the day. My lashes looked the same at the end of the day as when I first applied it. I had no problems with smudging either. My lashes were left soft and the mascara was easy to remove.

The not so good:
The ears of the panther are kind of pointy so watch out! Some might not like the price.

Pointy ears!


The brush has a comb on one side to define your lashes.


One coat of mascara.


Two coats of mascara.



Available at Sephora, $26. Just look for this at the end of the aisles in the mascara display that houses Sephora's favorite mascaras.

Disclosure: I bought this myself :)

Hourglass Cosmetics Femme Rouge Velvet Creme Lipstick - Mini Review

I was recently sent a tube of Hourglass Cosmetic's new Femme Rouge Velvet Creme Lipstick to try out in the color Ballet. I'd describe Ballet as a medium blue pink with a soft shine. It reminds me a lot of MAC's Lovelorn but a bit deeper and brighter. Ballet is definitely a change from the soft nudes that I'm used to (throw a gloss over this and I be clubbin!) I bet Ballet would look amazing as an everyday lipstick on medium/darker skin chicas.

I love the Hourglass emblem carved into the lippie.

Femme Rouge Velvet Creme Lipstick
A silky, richly pigmented formula that defines and shapes the lips as it moisturizes. This light as air formula immediately hydrates and softens lips for a luxurious feel and subtle shine.

•Unique blend provides excellent skin-smoothing, moisture-enhancing, and reparative properties
•Custom-designed bullet features an embossed Hourglass icon
•Vitamin E conditions and treat with protective super antioxidants
•Water-resistant, long-lasting, and paraben-free
•Refillable

Ballet (flash) Ballet (natural light)
Ballet swatched on NW20 skin
As a lipstick, Femme Rouge Velvet Creme is very buttery, moisturizing, and light on the lips. Long after it wore off, my lips felt soft and conditioned. It withstood 3 hours of wear before I felt a need to reapply. Also, the lippie smells very nice, kind of a faint vanilla smell but nothing overwhelming. The packaging is pretty cool, sturdy with the brand engraved onto the side. The description says that tube is refillable but I don't see anywhere on the website where they sell the refills yet.

I'm happy to report these new lippies definitely have a quality of luxury brand lipstick. If you're looking for a new line of lipsticks to try this Fall, I'd definitely recommend Hourglass's new Femme Rouge line.

Femme Rouge Velvet Creme recently launched on HourglassCosmetics.com and will be available in the coming weeks at Barneys, Sephora, Sephora.com and Zuneta.com.

Disclosure: I was provided a sample of the product by PR.

NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil Quick Review & Swatches

You may have noticed that whenever I do a FOTD I usually list a NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow pencil of some color in my products used section. The reason I use these is I love how vibrant they make my eyeshadow. I always pair this over Urban Decay Primer Potion because without it they crease a bit. They're super cheap but I love it when Ulta is having a buy one get one 50% off. Why do you think I have so many colors I clearly don't need.
To use these as a base, apply the jumbo pencil directly to the lid then use your ring finger to gently blend it out. Apply eyeshadow as usual.

Left to right: Horse Radish, French Fries, Black Bean, Lavender, Strawberry Milk, Milk

Swatched, left to right: Horse Radish, French Fries, Black Bean, Lavender, Strawberry Milk, Milk

For base color comparison, I swatched MAC's Sweet & Punchy eyeshadow, using the Jumbo Pencils as a base.

Sweet & Punchy, bottom and swatched over Jumbo Pencils Left to right: Horse Radish, French Fries, Black Bean, Lavender, Strawberry Milk, Milk

Horse Radish gives S&P a blue cast, French Fries dulls S&P into a more neutral everyday color, Black Bean deepens S&P, Lavender slightly lightens up S&P, Strawberry Milk makes S&P really ugly, Milk intensifies and lightens S&P.
My recommendations are to buy Milk and Black Bean. Milk is a great base for every day and sexytime looks. NYX offers these pencils in a zillion other colors but these are the ones I have on hand.

Do you own any NYX jumbo pencils? What colors are your favorites to use? Do you love them or have you shoved them to the bottom of your makeup collection?

Disclosure: I bought these myself because I like stuff.

L'Oreal Studio Secrets Eye Shadow Quad in Lavendar Smokes, Review and Swatches

You may remember me lemming the L’Oreal Studio Secrets Professional Color Smokes Quad Eye Shadow in Lavender Smokes in my post last week. I fell in love this quad when I saw that It was purpley colors coordinated for brown eyes. I'm happy to report that it was easy to find at Target, yay for no searching.

The colors are beautiful to look at but a pain in the butt to swatch. I had to dig to get the colors you see in these swatches. They were very easily blendable though. These were swatched without a base. I'll be posting a FOTD featuring this quad shortly but you'll see that with a NYX jumbo pencil as a base, the color from this quad pops.

I noticed immediately that there are two MAC dupes in this quad. Color number 4 is a dupe for All that Glitters and color 3 is a dupe for Retrospeck. For the $5 I paid for this quad in store, I'd say it's worth it to get the dupes especially since you can use color 4 for so many other looks.

Swatched in natural light. So much for pigmentation...

What do you think of these new quads by L'Oreal? I enjoy having premade quads so looks are easy to throw together. Speaking of drugstore makeup, has anyone bought the new ELF Beauty Book Palettes? They're only $5 and feature a slew of yummy colors that are surprisingly pigmented. Beverly from AFullBeat had me searching all over Target only to find them out of stock :( They will be mine, oh yes, they will be mine.

Disclosure- product featured was bought by yours truly.

Review: Sonia Kashuk Remove Eye Makeup Remover

I'm pretty dang picky when it comes to eye makeup remover. Many variables must go into picking my remover. It must take off waterproof mascara, it must take off everything without residue, it must not goop up my eyes, it must not sting, it must take off everything fast - no elbow grease needed, etc etc etc. I've had terrible luck in the past with removers and only use one brand but even my holy grail remover has flaws (leaves a little white residue and not available in stores). And then there's every one's favorite remover (coughlancomebifacilcough) that ruins my contacts every freakin time.

Enter Sonia Kashuk Remove. I've had pretty good luck with the Target exclusive brand in the past. Her brushes rock! So does her remover live up her reputation? Let's test that bad boy out.

The Target website describes Remove as follows:
•This fresh-as-water eye makeup remover activates when shaken to gently whisk away waterproof eye makeup while conditioning and refreshing the skin
•No stinging, it’s ideal for sensitive skin and contact lens wearers
•Eye Makeup Remover
•Perfect for All Skin Types

The good: I was very pleasantly surprised by this remover. It took off all of my eye makeup with very little effort. I'd wet a cotton pad, place it over my lashes for a couple seconds to melt my makeup and swipe it off in no time. I experienced no immediate irritation or goopy eyes in the morning. It also left no oily residue!

The not so good: The remover costs $9.99 but they do give you a generous 4.75ozs. The mouth on the bottle is hugeeeee- be careful not to knock it over. Lastly, I'm VERY sensitive in the eye department (dry eyes). After a couple days of using this, I found my eyes would feel a little stingy in the morning. A huge no no in my book.



Overall, this is a great buy if you're not super sensitive to eye products like me. I still use this when I'm out of my HG remover but I make sure not to get any in my eye.

Can you recommend any eye makeup removers that I should try?

Disclosure- product featured was bought by yours truly.

Review: Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer

I'd been looking for a new concealer but hadn't found something amazing and worth repurchasing. Drugstore concealers wear off after a couple hours and I couldn't quite find the right one from the fancy stores. I finally gave into the hype with Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer. Many bloggers have been posting that this is their holy grail concealer. I'm always hopeful when others make something their HG product, but I've been let down before. I'm happy to report, I'm not let down this time. This is my new holy grail concealer, yay!

Quick take: Buildable coverage, undetectable, lasts all day long. A+

From the Maybelline website:
Dream Mousse™ Concealer conceals with an amazing air-soft feel
-Air-whipped mousse texture feels lightweight on skin and builds opacity for settle-free coverage
-Completely covers dark circles, imperfections and redness
-Blends and smoothes away imperfections instantly
-Oil-Free, fragrance-free, non-comedogenic, dermatologist tested, safe for sensitive skin.
For Best Results
-Dot small amount of coverage onto flaw or imperfection or under eye.
-Pat with finger to blend.

Me gusta: What I like is my powder foundation doesn't cake up and look orange over it. It lasts all day long which is surprising being a drugstore concealer. It also features buildable coverage and it blends easily.

No me gusta: One thing you gotta watch out is if you dip you're finger in it you can get too much product. A little goes a long way I found out after trying to cover up something tiny and apparently getting enough product on my pinkie to cover my entire cheek.

This is one product I'll be purchasing again and again. I haven't used it as an under eye concealer, but it has great reviews for that on makeupalley.com (I like my YSL Touche Eclat for under eyes since it brightens). Some complaints I've heard is that it can accentuate dry spots but some blogger (I can't remember who, sorry!) said you can alleviate this by using a wet brush. I haven't had this problem so I can't tell ya whether this trick works.

I love when I remember to take pictures when the product is unused...


Mmm mousse-y


Chemical crap storm


Dream Mousse applied


Blended


Hope you're having an amazing Monday! I was thinking of having another giveaway soon so stay tuned :)

Disclosure- product featured was bought by yours truly.

MAC In the Groove Swatches & Quick Review

I recently picked up some items from the In the Groove collection the other day. You're probably sick of seeing everyone's swatches, but I still want to share :)

I picked up Petticoat and Stereo Rose mineralize skinfinishes (MSF). I had By Candlelight from a previous collection.
MSF's are good all over highlighters, blushes, eye shadows, or whatever you want to make them. Petticoat is a beautiful raspberry with gold/amber veining, Stereo Rose is a coral with bronze sheen, and By Candlelight is a light golden pink. My favorite is Petticoat, I just love the pinky sheen it leaves on my cheeks. Stereo Rose is gorgeous too but not quite worth the hype behind it.


By Candlelight, Petticoat, Stereo Rose MES

I also bought Happy Together mineralize blush duo. I love the tawny warm pinky brown look it gives to my cheeks. It's very neutral but the pearl from the light color side of the duo really gives it some oomph.

With flash, top: Happy Together mixed. Left to right: Happy Together light side, Happy Together dark side, Stereo Rose, Petticoat.


Sunlight, top: Happy Together mixed. Left to right: Happy Together light side, Happy Together dark side, Stereo Rose, Petticoat.

When swatching Happy Together with my MSF's, I noticed how it looked very familiar to By Candlelight MSF. It's slightly darker than the light side of HT blush.




By Candlelight, far left, next to Happy Together

So far, I've been loving the new mineralize eye shadow trios that came out with this collection. They're very fine, with lots of pigmentation and little fallout. The staying power on these guys is awesome. With UDPP, my eyeshadow looked the same at night as it did when I first applied it.

Togetherness features lavender, blue purple, and a silver grey. At first I thought the grey looked like Knight Divine but it swatched nearly identical to Silver Ring. I'm wearing this trio here.


Togetherness next to Silver Ring


Togetherness swatched with Knight Divine (far right) and Silver Ring (bottom)

Soften the Mood features a satin light blue, light rose, and a light brown. I bought this trio mostly for the middle color. I love the pearly rose color but it has a bit of fallout. It's gorgeous by itself all over the lid.

When I got it home, I thought I'd made a mistake because it looked so much like Naked Lunch and Cork. Swatched, this trio looks like nothing like them. Cork is darker than the light brown in the trio but definitely in the same brown family. Naked Lunch looks nothing like the light rose color.


Soften the Mood with Naked Lunch (bottom) and Cork (right)


Soften the Mood (three colors on the bottom left). Top, left to right: Naked Lunch and Cork

I swatched the pearly rose color with other possible dupes. It's definitely got a cool streak in it.


Left to right, Naked Lunch, All That Glitters, Soft the Mood (light rose), Jest.

I really want to buy more eye shadows from this collection, but I'm trying to be good since Dare to Wear is coming up and I have way to many eye shadows anyway.

What are you loving from this collection?

June Favorites

Sorry this is a little MAC heavy but I love me some MAC :) These are some of the items I couldn't get enough of during the month of June. Click on the pictures to make them larger.


Top row, Left to Right:
MAC Beach Bound lipstick and Flurry of Fun lipglass: These two came out with the To the Beach Collection in May. Since then I've been in love with wearing this combo all month. You can see me wearing it in my FOTD here.

MAC By Candlelight MSF: This MSF is being relaunched this Thursday with the In the Groove collection. To celebrate, I've been enjoying it's champagne shimmer. Applied heavy, it can look a little frosty, but lightly, it creates the perfect gleam on the cheeks.

Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer: Looooveeee this stuff! It's so light, blends well, and covers awesomely. I'll provide a full review soon but you must buy this stuff! I can't believe I just discovered it only in June. HG material!

Bottom row, left to right:
MAC Plum Dressing and Orb eyeshadows: I've been kicking up my everyday neutrals by pairing these two. I'll put Orb (soft peachy beige) all over the lid and Plum Dressing (pinky plum with metal) in the crease. When I have no time to do my makeup I'll use this combo as my standby.

MAC Dollymix blush: I love this color! It's a bright pink but looks great on just about everyone.

Plum Dressing and Orb


Swatched left to right: Plum Dressing, Orb, By Candlelight, Dollymix


What were your favorite products that you used in June? Let me know by linking me to your blog post or post your June Favs in the comments!

Review: CoverGirl LashBlast Mascara

I have many mascaras on my must try list. After reading reviews on MakeupAlley.com, CoverGirl's LashBlast Volume mascara moved right up my list.

Quick Take: Long dark fringe of black lashes and no flakes? Gets an A rating in my book.


CoverGirl promises: Get a blast of lush, volumized lashes! LashBlast's patented volume-boosting formula and patent-pending brush are designed to max-out each and every lash, leaving you with the ultimate big lash look.

What I liked: Not only did it perform like the package said it would, my lashes looked noticeably longer. I was only expecting volume, so yay CoverGirl! I also loved that the mascara gave me all day curl and very little flaking. The best past of about this mascara is how easy peasey it is to wash off! I hate how some mascaras require elbow grease to get it off. Sometimes I fall asleep with eye makeup still on because I just don't want to deal with taking off my mascara.

No likey: The tube lasted me about a month before it started drying up. I also wished the black was a little more glossier.

No makeup


Two Coats of LashBlast


I never thought I'd like a drugstore mascara as much as I've liked CoverGirl LashBlast! I've been liking the big fringe of lashes it gives me. It's definitely comparable to YSL Faux Cils but not as glossy. I'm definitely buying this one again!

Disclosure- product featured was bought by yours truly.

Review: Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer SPF 15

Hi everyone! Last month Hourglass Cosmetics was kind enough to send me their Veil Mineral Primer to review. I asked my friend Jennie from Spontaneous Truth to give me her guest review on the product since i'm allergic to titanium dioxide. Thanks for the great review, Jennie!



Per the description on the Sephora website: Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer is a clean, satin-finish formula that effortlessly smoothes onto skin to help keep makeup looking fresh and prevent fading. Veil Mineral Primer also absorbs excess oils and minimizes the appearance of pores by evenly distributing light to help hide and soften skin's imperfections and fine lines. Veil Mineral Primer is formulated with naturally-derived titanium dioxide and zinc oxide instead of chemical sun-blocking agents. This water-resistant primer is also 100% free of fragrance, oil, and parabens.

Jennie's review:

I’m admittedly not as much of a makeup junkie as I’d like to be. I don’t always know the hot new items on the shelves in Sephora and while I know how to wear makeup, I could probably benefit from a class in artistic application of the stuff. So consider this a girl-off-the-street review and treat this as a disclaimer that I’m no expert (now, in all things related to grammar and edible desserts I do like to pretend to have expertise…but that’s another matter entirely).
 
Slated for review today? Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer with SPF 15. Now junkie I may not be, but I’m no primer virgin. That cherry got popped years ago and I’ve long been alternating between Smashbox and Bare Minerals primers. But it was time for fresh blood…er, primer. Enter the Hourglass. It looks like sunscreen and kind of felt like it at first application, but it smoothes on nicely and the initial greasiness wore off immediately. The SPF is a nice added bonus (I’m a fair Irish gal and always need any added protection from harsh sunshine rays that I can get).
 
Now some background on my complexion. I’m a combination kind of chick and I tend to get my shine on by noon (sadly). I use pressed powder and blotting sheets throughout the day to combat the shine and keep my makeup looking fresh. But after wearing the Hourglass primer on a daily basis (at least, during the workweek) for about two weeks, I found I wasn’t whipping out my compact or blotters to freshen up nearly as often — if at all. Maybe once during the day but more often than not, I was leaving it untouched in my purse. Color me happy.
 
I found the Hourglass primer to be a good canvas for makeup application, and it held my foundation on nicely. It also worked wonders on my eyelids, as my eye makeup rarely lasts a full workday. I’ve got somewhat sensitive skin and I’m prone to break out easily when I try certain products, but this primer didn’t cause a single blemish or issue that I could find on my skin.

Bottom line: My makeup stayed on longer, stayed fresh and shininess was definitely minimized. I’d definitely add this stuff to my daily makeup regimen. Two thumbs up!


Dispensed


Blended out

Disclosure: I was provided a sample of the product by PR.

Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Palettes, my new love

I gave into the hype and bought a couple Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow palettes the other day from Rite Aid. Yes, the same brand that makes 99 cent nail polish that you loved in your teens. The first words out of my mouth when I swatched my WnW Lust palette were "Holy S*&$!" I didn't expect them to be so smooth and buttery with a high color payoff! These definitely remind me of the same quality as Dior but with cheap packaging. The colors in the WnW Lust palette are also dupes of MAC Eyeshadows such as Shadowy Lady, Yogurt, Beauty Marked, Fig 1, and Knight Divine.


Colors in the left column are matte, and the right column is shimmer. I found it to be a light shimmer, not too chunky.


Flash, swatched with no base, matte colors on top, shimmer on the bottom


Natural light, swatched with no base, matte colors on top, shimmer on the bottom

These shadows blended out very well on the eye, as well. I'll post a FOTD using these colors this week.

If you're looking for budget eyeshadows, look no further, give these a try!

Disclosure- product featured was bought by yours truly.