Since we are in the last month of 2016 [yikes!] I thought it would be a good time to do a little eval of some of the beauty/fashion “things” I’ve used this year. Let me begin with the hits:
- Urban Decay anything
- Shadows—love the consistency, color and staying power
- Vice lipstick—again, color selection, consistency and staying power
- The little miracle tube of eye primer—especially love the anti-aging option. This stuff is like glue—my eye makeup looks the same at 10pm as it did at 8am when I first applied it. This is really good as I don’t have the time or desire to reapply anything but lipstick
- Naked Skin color correcting fluid—I ran out of my YSL Touche éclat corrector [which I loved but oh, the price…]. This formulas is not quite as light as the YSL but every bit as good and less than half the price.
- The Vice Lipstick app—too.much.fun.
- Giorgio Armani foundation—I tried the lasting Silk UV formula. I am sold on this! It is the best foundation I have ever used. The formula melts into the skin and gives full and lasting coverage. A little dab is all I use. Plus, it adds a nice glow to my skin.
- Bobbi Brown powders/blush/bronzer:
- Bronzer—I used the Brightening Finishing Bronzer and it gave me a natural sunny glow, not orange…enough said.
- Brightening brick in pink—this color enhances the cream blush I’ve been using and gives my face a little extra oomph in the cooler seasons, much like the bronzer in the summer
- Maybelline–huge surprise here for me. I avoid these types of cosmetic lines since you generally get what you pay for. However, if I want to try a trendy color or something a little “out there” then this is a safe route as the money output is pretty small. Cases in point:
- eye liner pencil—I tried a royal blue and an emerald. On their own, they smudge and roam all over the eyelids. With a little help from some powder shadow and the Urban Decay eye primer, they work just fine.
- Lipstick—just for the fun of it, I picked up 2 odd colors, based solely on a magazine ad. On their own—ew… the greige tone is next to death and looks nothing like the ad. However, I have been using it as a base for my other lipsticks and they take on alternate and flattering hues! I did purchase a dark blue—wouldn’t be caught dead in this in public. It may go the way of the circular file if I cannot use it to alter some other colors in a flattering manner.
- Tom Ford lipstick—need I say more??? Just fabulous.
- Laura Mercier eye caviar stick—I have 2 of these. The rose gold is wonderful, the khaki, not so much.
As always, some things just don’t turn out to be favorites after all!
Misses:
- The aforementioned Laura Mercier eye caviar stick in khaki—maybe I just got an old piece of merchandise but the cover won’t stay put and the color just does not blend well.
- Nars Audacious lipstick—in the long run, I reapplied much more frequently than one should need to when paying 32.00 for a lipstick. Also, the consistency was a little, shall we say, bumpy? I might consider another product but probably not the lipsticks.
- Benefit brow pencil—the product is great, the case superb, but really, it only lasted me 3 months! And, no refill option. Hmmm…
- I’m really quite done with any of the alphabet products—BB, CC, or EE. They just don’t deliver.
Looking back at this list, I’ve experimented with quite a few products. You’ll notice that I left out Estee Lauder. I love the fragrances, had fun with a double sided product that includes a lipgloss and highlighter; find their eye shadows and lipsticks to be some of the best. I’m feeling a bit late to the party, however, when it comes to the in crowd that seems to be their latest customer base. Just not feeling loved or wanted as a customer.
Happy December and enjoy feathering your Friday!
So many products – makes my head spin.
Me too–it’s a little embarrassing! But I did receive some of these things as gifts from my daughter in law. It is fun to play 😊 have a good weekend!