Inglot Brow Powder, Brow Wax, and Concealer: Quick Review

I had a really hard time getting pictures to come out right, so I am just going to post what the products look like and then give my opinions.

I ordered a round palette from Inglot, which I chose brow powders and wax, and concealers. 

Brow powders

Concealer, brow wax

I have been using these for a week or so, and I do not like them at all.  The brow powder I really dislike.  It seems like I am putting a lot of it on my brush and it doesnt last through the day.  The texture is too hard for me to work with it.  I would much rather have one of their matte eyeshadows and use that as brow powder, rather than this.  I went back to my cheapie NYX brow powder and have been happy with it. 

The brow wax is ok, I didn't really have a problem with it besides it is too dark for me, and I thought I got the lightest shade they had.  If they had a clear wax I would rather get that. 

The concealer, this is my own personal experience with it, so I am sure others might see it differently.  For me, it is way too sticky and thick.  It has the texture of a lip gloss.  I don't like it.  I had to put a lot of product onto a brush and its really so hard to blend, I wouldn't use it.  I don't like any agressive strokes on my face, I really do not, and you really have to work this concealer in for it to be effective.  Probably better applied with fingers, but I'm not going to.  That being said, it does conceal very well once you can get it blended in, but for me, it's not worth the effort because thankfully, I hardly get blemishes, I don't have any noticeable under eye problems, and I only have a couple very tiny imperfections on my face that I need to conceal. 

Overall, I am very pleased with Inglot eyeshadows but these products are not fine with me and I would not repurchase.  However, they do have an excellent colour range of these products which would be very appealing.  

Look Alike Alert!

Oh my, what a funny post!  I didn't have anywhere else to put a picture!  This is a model for an airbrushed makeup and I think she is a look alike of a beautiful MUG who shall remain nameless for the sake of my own safety lol! 

Oh the picture is so bad because I accidentally took a video of it instead of a regular picture- bloody new phone!!!

Sleek Paraguaya Eyeshadow Palette Review

The Paraguaya palette is a limited edition part of Sleek's Avoir la Peche collection.  It is simply gorgeous and definitely one of their best palettes!

 

Here are the swatches, top row I wasnt paying attention so it's four, then the last two:

Bottom Row:

I really like this palette a lot.  The shades are gorgeous.  Good mix of mattes and shimmers.  I don't remember ever doing a peach eye so I am loving that.  Unique is very good for me!  My favourites are Peach Gold and Persimmon.  I also love that they put grey/taupe shades instead of black, it really does go well with the peaches; black would have been too harsh in my opinion.  

I also really love that they wrote the name on the front.  I have a lot of black Sleek palettes they all look the same; this way it's a tad easier to find without turning it over.

I also experienced little to no fall out with the shimmers, which has not been the case in other palettes, so I was very pleased about that.  All of the shades have excellent pay out, but I was really impressed with the mattes. 

I would definitely recommend this palette! 

Sleek Avoir la Peche Pan Tao Blush: The Perfect Peach Blush!! Review

I have never, ever been so completely amazed by any blush.  This blush is the most beautiful, most flattering blush I have ever owned.  I just love it!

It is bright orange in the pan, it really is!

But wait!  Don't run- here is the swatch:

It it just the peachiest peach!  I really love it.  Sleek blushes are very pigmented, and this one was no exception.  The blush is supposed to be so pigmented so it will last longer.  I had to do a little blending to get it just right.  Even so, I was worried it wouldn't look all that great on my skin... but it totally did in my opinion:

Get this blush now!  It is a limited edition, only available until April 12th, so don't miss out!  Get the Paraguaya palette too!  Order with your friends!  Seriously this line is awesome and I am very, very pleased.  

EcoTools Bamboo Finishing Kabuki Brush Review

I received some EcoTools brushes as a gift in the past, and I do admit, I am not a fan of their eye brushes at all.  I do, however, LOVE the bronzer brush.  I had to have this brush the minute I saw it online, and it took me totally by surprise when I finally spotted it at Walgreens.  It is so cute!

The bottom is flat, so it can stand up alone too: 

It is small, about 2 1/2 inches high, and the bristles are a little over 1 1/2 inches high.  All of the bristles on EcoTools brushes are cruelty-free synthetic.  These are the bristles:

This is a really great brush!  I love the shape of the bamboo handle, it is really easy to grip, and it feels smooth too.  The bristles retain their shape well and I haven't had any shedding with this brush.  MAC used to make a brush shaped like this but with flat bristles, but I am sure it has been discontinued.

This brush works very well on loose powders and provides an even distribution.  It is really easy to adjust the level of coverage too, because you don't get too much with the first dip. 

I did not use it with any liquid, but the bristles are very similar to MAC's 187- though wider, although my 187 has been used and I mean USED! - so if you use liquid with the 187, this one would probably work for that as well. 

I am glad they called this a finishing brush.  The synthetic bristles are less dense than the other ones, and I think it is excellent for that purpose. 

Overall, I would definitely recommend this brush!

Inglot Eyeshadow Swatches: Neutrals

I have decided it is my new goal to own every Inglot eyeshadow! 

My last order was a little overwhelming, so I don't have any looks to post, but I have swatches!  These are browns/neutrals.  My review of these is simple: awesome!  I have been using eyeshadow for more years than I care to admit and these are absolutely the best. 

From L to R:  43 AMC, 12 AMC, 402 Pearl, 409 Pearl

(WITH FLASH)

Beautiful!  I really like all of these.  Recently I've started using neutrals much more often, and I am sure these will be used a lot.  

Dior Nail Polish Rock Coat and Nirvana Review

First, I would like to say that I am very bad at nail reviews- I just am not that coordinated, nor do I have the proper camera or lighting.  Not that I don't buy nail polish, becauese I love it!  Nail polish would be my second biggest thing after eyeshadow.  In fact, I always, always wear polish.  Even when I had to rehab my nails (bad acrylics!  bad!)  I still wore nude polish, rather than nude nails.  So I am going to try my best here, I just thought these were unique enough that I wanted to post about them. 

Dior Rock Coat is a top coat that is applied to give a smoky effect to nail polish. 

For those of you unfamiliar with Dior polishes, I wanted to mention that the square cap does come off like other square caps- Chanel, Butter London, etc. (please take a hint here, NARS!!!), and the brush was recently redesigned.  I personally could almost care less about the brush, as I have used all sorts of nail polish, from 99 cents to 27 dollars, so I can make just about anything work. 

The bottle:

The brush:

The brush is wide and thick, and tapered on the ends.  It is very nice, and easy to get a streak-free application.  It is very similar to the Sally Hansen Pro brush, but just a tad wider.  I have shown here the OPI brush for a comparison:

Now, on to the polish!  I think Dior puts out really strong creme polishes- that is one of their formulas I really like.  I will probably never find better cremes than some of Chanel's, but Dior's are very good. 

The Rock Coat is supposed to be the next big trend, but I really was not that impressed.  Kind of dulls it, and I don't really know who would go for that kind of thing.  I have a lot of dark polishes- blacks, eggplants, browns, and anything in between, but they were made that way. 

It seems like a lot of these trends, I jump on at the first sighting and then my excitement quicky fades when I realise, this is just not my thing.  I think I prefer just plain polish- glitter would be as exciting as I can go.  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love nail art and the like, and I truly admire the talent and creativity of the artists, but I just prefer the plain. 

That being said, the Rock Coat is pretty cool.  The Nirvana goes from teal to a hunter green type of teal- supposed to be a blackened teal, but on my natural nails I am wearing this now, and it is a hunter green with the Rock Coat. But I really like the polish alone as well.

L: Nirvana,  R: Nirvana with Rock Coat

(L: Graphic Berry, R: Graphic Berry with Rock Coat)

Nirvana was just released, as part of the same collection with Rock Coat, and Graphic Berry has been out for some time.  I think Graphic Berry looks cooler with the Rock Coat than Nirvana though- it goes from a berry pink to a black cherry/burgundy shade. 

I tried the Rock Coat over a glitter polish and it darkened it, but it also lost the glitter effect completely- don't care for that at all.  Three thumbs down on that. 

Overall, Rock Coat is a nice formula and it is 'something different'.  

OPINION: Mens Fashion!

I admit, I do not follow mens fashion.  Mostly because it doesn't change as much as womens!!  So I want to know, what is your opinion on mens fashion?  Specifically, what clothes do you think are flattering or make a man more noticeable/attractive?  What clothes are the worst?  I know some things are a matter of personal preference, but there are some fashions I think every man can pull off. 

My picks: 1.  Well cut dress pants and shirt.  With a belt and nice shoes. He could add a jacket, but not necessary.  Also loooove the V-neck sweater.  Square toed shoes are my fave. 

How could anyone resist??

Pick #2.  For casual wear, I would pick jeans, but not sloppy, dirty, outdated jeans.  Worn in jeans = good.  Worn out jeans = bad.  Any man can find a nice pair of jeans that are flattering on them.  I do not want to see a 60 year old retiree in whiskered jeans!  The shirt: whatever, but a little loose and untucked.  I do not like shirts tucked in jeans- rather wear a tight fitting shirt than tuck it.  Still like the square toed shoes with jeans. 

My picks for the worst:  I don't really know, besides sweatpants!  No sweatpants in public, please.  I'm not talking about gym pants, I mean actual sweatpants.  If they don't care, why should we?  That's my opinion.  Not a fan of sneakers either unless there is some sporting activity involved- I mean the basketball/running type.  The Vans and slim tennies are fine.  A lot of mens fashion really defines the man's personality, too- like skinny pants/jeans.  Or baggy.  I don't like those, but men who wear them usually look good in them. 

Boots no7 Sheer Temptation Lipstick Review

I was on a red lipstick craze, and picked out this lipstick in Smoulder.  I did not even know it was sheer until after I got it home.  It is a really nice product!

In the tube, it is really red!

But it is a sheer lip product.  The formula is so nice and rich, very much like lip balm.  It has no taste.  It has the same texture as a really nice moisturizing lip balm.  I really liked it.  It feels so buttery smooth on, not drying at all.  It is so conditioning, it's like lotion for your lips.  It's not creamy, but not greasy either.  I kept pressing my lips together just to feel the smoothness- I really liked it.  I liked it so much, that I picked up another one- this time I got Entice.  I really loved that one too; it has a little shimmer in the tube but does not apply shimmery at all.  What is funny, is that it has the same exact colour and texture as a lipstick I got many moons ago in Germany, I dont even remember what it was. 

Here are the swatches of both, Smoulder on the left, Entice on the right:

Although they are sheer, they still deposit some colour- Smoulder more noticeably so. 

Here is how Smoulder applied on my lips:

And here is my latest attempt at lip swatch photos:

ENTICE

Overall, I really enjoyed this product and I would recommend it, but it isn't a typical lipstick.  Rather, I would classify it as a tinted lip sheen.  The texture alone makes it worth trying, but if you're going for colour, I would recommend one of the darker shades.  

MAKE UP FOR EVER Lab Shine Lip Gloss Review

I love lip gloss, I really do.  Not too long ago, it was rare to see me wearing lipstick, though I would always have a lip gloss nearby.  I got this lip gloss in S26, a rosy pink.  The S stands for Star Collection, with a pearl finish, and it is a medium coverage lip gloss. 

Brush applicator:

The swatch:

The Lab Shine glosses come in Diamond, Star, and Metal versions.  Previously, I purchased ont of the Diamond glosses, and did not care for it at all.  This one does have a slight synthetic taste but that quickly fades after the first few minutes.  It is quite smooth, not sticky, and just slightly pigmented.  It also had a nice texture, which was a little thick but not too much.  It was also not drying at all, and my lips felt smooth while wearing it.  It lasted about 2 hours on me. 

It is not quite sheer, but this particular shade may appear on the sheerer side depending on the natural shade of your lips.  Here is how it turned out on mine:

Overall, this is a nice gloss and I like it.  It's just not spectacular.  I might purchase one from the Metal collection though.  

My Makeup Brush/Storage Organization System (BEFORE)

EDIT: I actually wrote this post a few months ago, but never published it for some reason.  I changed it up a little bit, so I am posting an "After" as well, but I thought it would be neat to share anyway!

SECOND EDIT: I am moving in a few weeks, and I can't fit all my stuff into any amount of suitcases.  Must reduce!!

I converted a mini desk into a makeup table, and I have on it only a mirror and brushes. 

I have several containers for the brushes.  Clear plastic for face, eyes, and one larger metal one in the back for larger face brushes as well.  The little glass cup is for used brushes, so I know which ones I have to wash.  I wash my eye brushes every day.  I usually clean my face ones with spray after each use and wash those every week. 

I love the clear plastic containers because they are a good height and, they are kitchen canisters but the lids that went on them sealed from the inside, so they dont have that 'lip' that most plastic containers have to fit the lid; these are smooth.  They are a heavy acrylic type.  Best of all they fit my brushes so I dont have to have a dozen cups sitting around. 

The metal container is a kitchen utensil organizer from the Michael Graves collection at Target.  I still had to put the colorfill beads in the bottom of it because of the height, but it works well for the larger brushes that take up a lot of space.

The desk also has a little pull out drawer:

This is super convenient so the top doesn't get all cluttered.  I have nail scissors, tweezers, and other stuff I use throughout the day like brow powder, eyeliner, and lip balm.  Some mini brushes are in there too, not because I use them but just because they're too small to fit anywhere else.  And surely my favourite products in rotation that week- paint pot, blush and lipstick. 

What?  No makeup?  Ha!  Yes, I have makeup!  There is just so much of it that it's hard to keep it in one place.  I have these nice drawers I really like them a lot, but unfortunately I have some overflow that sits in boxes too. 

Here are the drawers:

In the corner I have a little glass shelf too:

Inside the drawers I have organizers too:

Ha! I wish they still looked like that!  The photo was taken when I first started transferring my stuff into the drawers, but now the drawers are overfilled too and the organizers are actually two high now but I am going to clean up soon and get rid of what I don't use, which seems like a neverending task.