Review: Tarte’s SmolderEyes Amazonian Clay Waterproof Liner in Gunmetal

Eyeliners are a staple in any makeup lover’s kit. They come in different sizes, colours, finishes and textures these days. Being a liner addict, I’m always trying out different eyeliners on a week to week basis. Tarte is one of my favourite makeup brands ever. In fact, this brand was the first ever brand I had purchased my first ever makeup from. Tarte’s SmolderEyes Amazonian Clay Waterproof liners are versatile. You can use them as liners, as shadows, and/or a base. They are the jumbo size pencils that have the liner on one side and a smudger on the other side. It’s created with Amazonian clay, which works to nourish your lids and reduce any surface oil. According to Tarte, these liners are super waterproof, pigment packed and easy to use. The shade Gunmetal is a brownish grey with sheen. This liner is also vegan.

My Verdict?

This has to be one of Tarte’s greatest creations. I absolutely love this liner to pieces. Firstly, it’s so versatile. This one liner can do so much. You can use it as a normal eyeliner to line your lower and upper lash line. You can use it as a base to make other eye shadow colours pop. You can use it to create the ultimate smoky/sultry eye look by using the smudger end of the liner to soften the lines you’ve created. Secondly, the longevity of this product wear is insane! It did not budge, move or even smudge until I used makeup remover to remove it. It lasted pretty much all night long. It’s waterproof, which is the main thing I look for in an eyeliner. Thirdly, the formula and texture of this product is phenomenal. The texture is buttery smooth but still firm enough to get a good strong line on your eyes. You can soften the lines easily without it looking messy. The formula is so great that the liner just glides on your lids. The inclusion of Amazonian clay in its ingredients is a plus point. Every claim made is true. My eyelids didn’t feel dry or oily. Lastly, I love this colour. It’s the perfect brownish gunmetal colour. It looks great by itself and paired with other colours. This particular colour gives you the perfect smoldering eyes. All in all, this is a fantastic product that I think everyone should own and I can’t wait to purchase some of the other colours in this range. At $26 (CDN), it is a hefty price but think of it as an investment. You can purchase this at any Tarte retailer or online!

Happy Shopping Dolls! x

Pros:

• Waterproof, smudge proof, sweat proof
• Glides on perfectly, amazing buttery smooth texture
• Double sided, smudger on one side and liner on the other side
• Beautiful colour
• Great longevity, doesn’t come off unless you use makeup remover

Cons:

• Price can be an issue for some

Rating: 9.5/10 (One of the best jumbo liners I have ever tried and I recommend this product to everyone who’s a liner junkie!)

Review: M.A.C.’s Pearlglide Intense Eyeliner in Undercurrent

I have quite the obsession with eyeliners, especially black liners (I can’t explain to you the endless amount I own), but there are often times I love wearing coloured liners. Although, I don’t like to wear them on a daily basis, I do like wearing them for certain events. M.A.C. has a wonderful line of eyeliners and I figured why not try some of their intense coloured ones to see what everyone is raving about! This liner is from M.A.C.’s pearlglide intense line. The shade Undercurrent is described as a teal with a pearly shimmery finish. Pearlglide intense eyeliners are supposed to provide rich, luxurious colour with a touch of shimmer and sparkle. The texture of these liners are soft and creamy. The formula is smooth so that it glides on perfectly on your lids without breaking. According to its makers, this liner is long wearing and smudge proof.

My verdict?

This has to be one of the best eyeliners M.A.C. has put out and I am absolutely in love with it. Firstly, the formula is incredible! It’s buttery smooth. The liner glides perfectly on my eyelids. The formula does not feel dry at all. The texture is phenomenal given there’s shimmer in this liner. It’s not rough to touch and there’s no fall out from the shimmer. The texture is rich, luxurious and super creamy. Secondly, the pigmentation of this colour is one of the best I have ever seen. In one sweep, you will get intense colour that’s super opaque. The colour is beautiful! It’s teal but also a dark green at the same time. It’s got a pearly kind of finish. Thirdly, this is completely smudge proof. It literally does not budge until I use makeup remover to remove it. Which brings me to it’s longevity. This is one long-wearing liner. I literally danced through the night and it didn’t move at all. Lastly, this is a versatile product which can be used as a liner and as a shadow or even a base (to make certain colours pop). All in all, this is one fantastic liner. At $16 (USD), this is completely worth every penny and I can’t wait to try the rest of the colours in this range. MAC, thank you for creating an eyeliner that has the perfect amount of shimmer without any sort of fall out. I am so impressed with this product and recommend everyone to try it out. You can purchase this at any MAC store, counters or online!

Happy Shopping Dolls! x

Pros:

• Rich, Luxurious in colour and texture
• Buttery Smooth formula, glides perfectly on lids for an intense colour
• Beautiful opaque colour with shimmer, no major fall out
• Blends really well, versatile product
• Long-wearing and smudge proof

Cons:

• None at all!

Rating: 10/10 (This is an incredible product for its price. If you are on the hunt for a nice tealy/green liner, then this is the one for you! Trust me, you will not be disappointed!)

Makeup Diaries: How To Get Sonakshi Sinha’s Smoky Eyes

So if you haven’t read about my favourite makeup looks from Bollywood, you can do that here. As I said earlier, a smoky eye is the best way to glam up a look and make your eye colour pop out.

 

As you can see, Sonakshi’s smoky eyes are flawless! Here’s how you can recreate this look:

• After you’ve completed your normal skin care routine, prep the eyes with an eye shadow primer. I used Urban Decay’s Primer Potion in Original.

• Add a base colour so that the dark shadow doesn’t fade and the lighter shimmery colours (in the inner corner) are visible. I used Tarte’s smoldereyes in gunmetal. I put this all over my lids and blended the harsh lines.

• Apply a taupey-bronzey colour on your eyelids with a shadow brush. I used Toasted and a hint of Hustle from Urban Decay’s Naked Palette.

• Line your upper lashline and lower lash line with a dark black eyeliner. I used M.A.C.’s Eye kohl liner in Smolder.

• Take a liner brush and smudge the lines you just created into the outer corner of your eyes. Create a backwards “C” going into your crease line.

• With a shadow brush, take a dark black shimmery shade and apply to the outer corners of your eyelids. I used Blackheart from Urban Decay’s Naked 3 palette.

• With a crease brush, apply a dark shimmery black into the crease line, smoking out the liner and Blackheart. I used Creep from Urban Decay’s Naked Palette.

• Take a highlight colour and apply to your brow bones and the inner corners of your eyes. I used Virgin from Urban Decay’s Naked Palette.

• Take a clean crease brush and blend out in a circular motion, any harsh lines created by the shadows.

• Take the same black eye liner you used earlier and line your eyes again, staying as close to the lash line as possible (this will add more drama to your lashes).

• Curl your lashes with a curler and then apply two coats of mascara to give the effect of full lashes. I used YSL’s Faux cils mascara and Tarte’s eye lash curler.

• Take your favourite brow pencil and fill in your brows. I used Anastasia’s brow wiz pencil.

• If there is excess fall out, shimmer, or glitter around the eyes, then take a tissue and wipe it off.
• Finish your look with your normal foundation routine, a nude lip and sculpted cheeks!

Remember: You can always substitute brands and colours to fit your own look. Also, you can always play around with different colours to get your own unique take on this look! Either way have fun with it!

 Have A Great Day Dolls! x

Review: MAC Eye Shadow in Woodwinked

This has to be one of my favourite eye shadows of all time (I’m sure you are aware that this review is going to be a super positive one now!). MAC’s eye shadow in Woodwinked is described as a warm antique gold. It’s a beautiful colour that brings out brown eyes perfectly well. It’s also a perfect colour to wear on its own or with a smokey eye. This eye shadow is from their veluxe pearl range. Which means that the shadows have a pearly sheen to them and they’re a little frosty in finish (you can see the swatches). Initially a co-worker, who always raved about this, recommended this eye shadow to me. When I went into the MAC store the first time to purchase this, it was sold out and that’s when I knew this shadow is a favourite for a good reason. The texture of this eye shadow is buttery smooth. In fact, when I used my fingers to swatch it I was unsure about the staying power of this shadow but I was wrong. The longevity on this shadow is great, especially if you use it with an eye shadow primer. It didn’t budge and it stayed sheeny all night long. If you want this colour to pop even more, you can use a light coloured cream shadow base and this colour truly pops out! I love using this with a smokey eye because it gives my eyes a very sultry look. At $19(CDN), this is a phenomenal eye shadow. It’s buttery, soft, silky, smooth and gorgeous on application. One swatch gives you a good amount of opaque colour (you can also build it up with layers). The longevity is great and I’ve always found MAC eye shadows to be the cream of the crop. This colour is beautiful. It’s not your typical bright gold nor is it a dark gold. It’s almost a burnished gold that has no fallout! You can purchase this at any MAC counter/store/online!

Happy Shopping Dolls! x

Pros:

• Smooth, buttery, soft in texture
• Opaque colour in one swatch
• Beautiful colour
• Decent longevity
• Not shimmery, no glitter, no fall out
• Blends well, perfect for smokey eyes or can be worn alone
• Veluxe pearl finish (sheeny, pearly finish on eye lids)

Cons:

• None!

Rating: 10/10 (One of the best eye shadows out there for dark coloured eyes. It is also the perfect eye shadow colour to get the “sultry” eye look!)

Review: Benefit Cosmetics’ Eye Bright

 

Running late and on no sleep? Pulled an all-nighter writing reports, essays, doing work, prepping for a meeting? Are you on the hunt for a product that will make your eyes look awake even if you are running on 2 hours of sleep? Well fear not, Benefit Cosmetics has the perfect solution for you! The Benefit Cosmetics’ Eye Bright is a creamy liner stick that is an instant eye brightener. According to the creators, this is literally a nap in a stick. Once you apply this to your eyes, your eyes will instantly get a “wide-eyed-awake” look. This eye brightener is a “pink-perk-me-up” which brightens your eyes and “your spirits in a single stroke” which is perfect for all skin tones. When a product promises you this much, you know you have to give it whirl! So of course, I went ahead and had to try this out for myself to see if it really works.

What was my final verdict on this product? Did I love it or hate it?

Initially, I did not like this product at all (wait it gets better). I was using it as an eyeliner for my lower lash line and it wasn’t doing anything for me at all. It wouldn’t brighten and it just seemed like I was putting chalky pink eyeliner on. Being so disappointed and unimpressed, I put it in my makeup drawer and it stayed there for a while. Then, I came across this video from Benefit and realized that I was using this product incorrectly. After finally figuring out how to use this properly, I went back to trying it out again. Ever since then, this has been my go to product before I head off to work now (see how knowing how to use a product correctly can change the outcome of a product!). The product itself is designed like a chunky eyeliner. The consistency of the liner is creamy, which I love. When applied, you can blend perfectly without any sort of chalky residue. The pink liner is not shimmery but does have light reflectors which work to give your eyes a “wide-eyed” look. This is meant to be applied on your eye area after your whole makeup routine. So after this whole experience, I can safely say that I absolutely like this product a lot. All the claims this product makes is in fact true. I’ve noticed that my eyes do look a lot wider and awake after I apply this. In fact, other people have noticed this on me too, which is a plus. At $25 (CDN), it is a pricey ordeal but I do think this product is worth a try. If you are looking for something that will wake your eyes up and not make you look tired, then this product is a must have! I’m glad I tried it and had the experience that I had. This product was way more effective after I figured out how to use it properly! You can purchase this at any Benefit Cosmetics counter or online, I purchased mine from Sephora.

Happy Shopping Dolls! x

Pros:

• Creamy
• Blend-able
• Gives you a wide-awake look, when used properly

Cons:

• A little confusing on how to use, initially
• Price

Rating: 8/10 (Once you know how to use this properly, this is a good product! If you are looking for a quick wake me up in a stick, then this is the product for you)

 

As you can see this is where you apply Eye Bright the right way to get effective results, then blend into the skin and it will totally become translucent. 

Review: Buxom’s Buxom Lash Mascara

As many of the readers of this blog are already aware, mascaras are a weakness for me. I seem to own so many of them because I’m always on the hunt to find the perfect one. Especially, for a mascara which not only gives me the right amount of volume but also separates my lashes without drying them out. I find that most times I can rarely find a mascara that does it all. So when I stumbled upon Buxom’s Buxom Lash, I wasn’t really sure on what to expect because I hadn’t heard of this line all that much. All I knew that it was an extension of the Bare Escentuals line (some of their products are divine), so I knew that it had to be decent. The Buxom lash is described as an intensely volumizing mascara for bigger, fuller lashes. It is said that this product transforms your lashes. It’s vitamin-enriched, clump resistant formula deepens, darkens, and thickens while the curvy hourglass-shaped brush evenly coats lashes from root to tip. This product is paraben and phthalates free. It also doesn’t contain any synthetic fragrances, dyes or petrochemicals.

So what was my verdict on this product? Did I love it or hate it?

I am in love with this mascara so much so that it travels with me everywhere. All the claims made by this product is 1000% correct. The moment I applied this onto my lashes I was impressed by how my lashes were separated perfectly without any sort of clumping! My lashes totally did transform into something I didn’t expect at all! My lashes didn’t feel dry, nor were there any sort of flakes (which I find to be an issue with a lot of the volumizing mascaras). One coat of this mascara defined, volumized, thickened, darkened and deepened my eye lashes! My lashes felt fantastic (if that’s even possible!). I love black mascaras because my eye lashes are black and they just enhance what I have. The one thing that distinguishes this mascara from the others is its brush wand. It’s not your typical bristles, it’s got an hour glass shape which I think is perfect for my eyelashes because it separated and coated every lash evenly. At $24 (CDN), this should be in everyone’s makeup drawer. If you are looking for a mascara to try, this is it. It’s phenomenal and it is as good as some of the higher end mascaras! You can purchase this at any Bare Essentials store, Sephora or any Buxom Kiosks.

Happy Shopping Dolls! x

Pros:

• Volumizes lashes for bigger, fuller lashes, black mascara
• Vitamin enriched, no parabens, dyes, fragrance
• Clump resistant, thickens, deepens, darkens lashes
• Amazing brush, the bristles are phenomenal

Cons:

• None!

Rating: 10/10 (If I could, then I’d rate this even higher. This is a phenomenal mascara and cannot be missed!)

 

Review: M.A.C. Eye Kohl in Teddy

This has to be one of my favourite eye liners by M.A.C. ever. I find myself always reaching for this eye liner whenever I am in doubt about what eye makeup look to rock. MAC’s eye kohl in Teddy has to be one of the most loved eye liners out there. This adorably named liner is described as an intense bronze. It’s also got a little bit of glimmer to it, which is perfect to line your lower lash line (usually how I wear this). The colour payoff is fantastic. It’s dark, bold, bronzey and there’s a hint of gold glimmer without being shimmery. This is one of MAC’s best sellers and I’m not surprised at all. This eye kohl’s formula is soft so that you can blend and smudge with ease. This can be used in multiple ways: you can use it to define your eyes like a normal eye liner, you can smudge the liner to create a basic/quick smokey eye, or you can use it as a base for other eye shadows (which works fantastically!). The texture of the eye liner is silky-smooth, which is perfect for a kohl liner. It’s a pearl finish so you don’t really get glitter but rather a shine, which is not overdone. I love this because the colour makes my brown eyes look lighter (if that’s even possible?). The sultry colour is perfect for my brown eyes and perfect to create a basic smokey eye! This didn’t irritate my eyes at all (which is why I love MAC products). At $16 (USD), this is a great eye liner that every one should own! There was no fall out and it just looked beautiful on my eyelids! To this day, I still haven’t loved an eye liner as much as I love this one. This versatile liner goes almost everywhere with me. Buy it because it’s sultry, it’s gorgeous and is probably one of the best brown liners out there! This eye liner can be used during the day and night (you really can’t go wrong with that!). You can purchase this at any MAC counters, online or any MAC stores!

Happy Shopping Dolls! x

Pros:

• Pearl finish, creamy not drying
• Blends well
• Colour Pay off is fantastic
• Size of the liner is great for the price
• Gorgeous sultry colour, not shimmery
• No fall out, smudges well and stays put (make sure to use a primer though)
• Can be used for day looks and night looks
• Versatile (liner, smokey eyes, base, etc)

Cons:

• None

Rating: 10/10 (If I was stranded on an island, I would want this eye liner with me because it’s versatile, gorgeous and I really don’t think I can live without it!)