Guest Review: Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Liner

With celebrities like Rihanna and Katy Perry sporting them on the red carpet, colored liners have become very popular. I currently started to wear them on my lower lids when I don't have time for a full eye look.

Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Liner in Teal ($22 USD): This innovative gel-based waterproof liner stays blendable for 60 seconds then dries to a smudge-proof, budge-proof finish that lasts all day. Jet Set is perfect for lining the inner rim of the eye or as a stay-put traditional liner.

The pros about this liner:

This liner is honestly smudge-proof & budge-proof! It doesn't move which is good if you have oily lids. Also the waterproof factor is amazing! Living in Canada, we will be dealing with a lot of rain and snow soon, so the waterproof aspect will be a god sent!

Liner in Teal applied with the MAC 209

Water has been applied

The liner rubbed five times with my fingers

The con about this liner:

The only bad thing I can say about this liner is it's way too small!! The box it comes in is a pretty good size, so I thought it would be larger.

Overall I like this liner because I don't have check my liner throughout the day to make sure it's not running! I would give it 4/5 because of the size.

www.smashbox.com

About Jenn

Jenn is Director (future beauty director), certified makeup artist and a lover of all things fashion, beauty and media! She is also the founder of her popular beauty blog, Spiced Beauty. I met Jenn at a beauty bloggers brunch back in February - she was warm, always flashing her beautiful smile, and her camera was always on hand! Thanks Jenn for your guest review! Do check out her blog - must reads are her daily fashion finds and product reviews!

www.spicedbeauty.com

Guest Review: Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup

I was very excited to find out about the new Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup from Clinique. A foundation that does the acne control job at the same time sounds like a perfect solution to my acne-prone skin.

What it is: A oil-free liquid foundation with 0.5% Salicylic Acid to help treating and preventing breakouts on dry combination to oily skin, retails $24.50/ CAD30 for 1oz/ 30ml.

What it offers:

- Texture: Light weight and dries quickly.

- Coverage: Medium.

- Colours: 8 shades available, a good selection for different skin tones.

How it performs: I received "02 Fresh Ivory" which is a bit lighter than my match shade, but for testing purpose, I did use it on my face without mixing it with any darker foundation.

The goods:

- The formula is light and oil-free, a big plus, especially during the summer months. The foundation is semi matte when dries. It did not break me out.

- The wear is pretty good, as it lasts until I come home at the end of the day to wash it off.

- It can also be used on the affected areas only as a cover-up/ treatment liquid during the day.

The not-so-goods:

- It is not a full coverage foundation, i.e. I still have to use concealer on top of it. I expect a foundation with acne treatment property would provide more coverage, as often enough, we have acne scars and old spots to cover.

- The liquid is hard to blend at times as it dies quickly. I would suggest to get a bit of product at a time and blend it out completely before getting more product.

- It does oxidize a bit, which works on my benefit in this case as the shade is a bit light on me (Later in the day, it looks like a better match for me). Keep this in mind.

- The low dose of salicylic acid is good to treat rarely occasional breakouts but not for skin with more serious acne problem or higher frequency of breakouts.

The bads:

- The foundation flakes - around my nose and mouth, and on my cheeks. It is not pretty.

Note that I always use a moisturizer and a primer before any foundation, and do not notice any dryness on my face prior to application. Dabbing more moisturizer on top did not help, I tried.

Summary: This foundation works great as a convenient fix for those with light acne problem on normal skin but is not a good solution for combination/ dry skin as it intensifies the dryness.

www.clinique.ca 

Have you tried this foundation? Love it? Hate it? Want it?

About Anh

If you a loyal follower of Anh's blog, Sparkled Beauty, then you'll know she has a love for anything with sparkles! Like most of my encounters with fellow beauty bloggers, I "met" Anh on Twitter. When we finally met in person at the Girls Night In at LIFT in April, it was like meeting an old friend. Be sure to check out Anh's blog for her awesome makeup hauls and product reviews! Thanks Anh!

Guest Review: Urban Decay Star Dust Shadows

Urban Decay Star Dust Shadows ($20 USD): I was really excited to have the chance to test out Urban Decay's Stardust Shadows. To my surprise these shadows weren't pigmented at all, but UD does describe these shadows as "sheer wash of colour topped with teeny bits of sparkle...". While the packaging with its squeeze to open concept was uber cool and innovative, I was just not impressed with how sheer the colour was. I found these shadows not only lacked pigment but also had too much glitter and created fall out all over my cheeks - a definite pet peeve.

On a scale of 1 (being the least color) to 5 (being the most color) the pigmentation of Space Cowboy a simple beige color was about 2, Moon Spoon a silver shade was a 3, Diamond dog a grey/brown was the least pigmented so it was a 1 and Void a dark pewter was the most pigmented at a 4.

What I liked:
- The super cool and unique packaging.

What I disliked:
- The lack of pigment
- The glitter
- The amount of fallout

Overall, these shadows were a disappointment for me and did not live up to UD's top notch quality. I don't see myself reaching for these shadows at all even though I tried hard to love them. Sorry Urban Decay, you fell short with me on these Stardust shadows!

[Editor's note: To intensify the pigment use a cream shadow or use with a damp brush. This will also prevent fall-off. If using dry, use a firm shadow brush and pat onto your eyes rather than sweeping back and forth. This will help pack on more colour and will give less fall-off. If you like a glittery finish, mix with a transforming liquid for a sparkly eye liner!]

Have you tried these shadows? Love 'em? Hate 'em? Want 'em? 

www.urbandecay.com

About Farah

"Mama Far" as she is called amongst her fellow Toronto beauty bloggers, is a talented makeup artist and founder of beauty blog, Faces By Farah. She is utterly sweet, warm and has the most gorgeous long hair! Be sure to check out her blog for great product reviews, beauty tips and her Sunday posts "You Go Girl/Boy!" where she features a must-know personality in the beauty, fashion and entertainment industry! Thank you Farah for your review! Stay tuned for more reviews from her!

http://facesbyfarah.blogspot.com

Guest Review: Clinique Brandied Bronze Colour Surge Eye Shadow Palette

I’m a sucker for any palette with bright and unique colors in them. Clinique Brandied Bronze Colour Surge Eye Shadow Palette ($32.50 CDN) has gorgeous colors in it ranging from a deep bronze to soft baby pink.

Clinique Brandied Bronze Colour Surge Eye Shadow Palette:

“Clinique creates a new tradition in eye shadow for powder connoisseurs who want stay true, long lasting colour, with an emphasis on gorgeous texture. Colour Surge Eye Shadow offers six complementary multi-coloured eye shadow shades that can be mixed and matched or worn alone. Get swept away by a palette of superb shades in new Super Shimmer finishes.”

Palette under natural light

Palette with flash

The pros about this palette:
The first thing I noticed about the palette was that the shadows are very soft, no glitter & very little fall out. Also since this is a warm palette the colors went together well.Even a beginner would be able to create an effortless look complete with highlight, base & contour.

The cons about this palette:
It was very difficult to test some colors on my skin tone. The turquoise had to be swatched twice to get a color similar to the ones I did on the first swatch. One tip I know to get more color is to foil the shadows by wetting them. It probably would have done the trick but I would have risked damaging the shadows.

Natural light swatches no base

 Swatches with flash no base

The colors are very sheer. On camera these colors also show up almost non-existent. I would recommend that you wear them with a cream shadow or a matte shadow underneath. It would give the shadows something to stick too.

Personally this palette didn’t live up to my expectations. However I would recommend it for my light to medium toned girl because the colors will show up more vibrant.

Have you tried this palette? Love it? Hate it? Want it?

www.clinique.ca

About Jenn

Jenn is Director (future beauty director), certified makeup artist and a lover of all things fashion, beauty and media! She is also the founder of her popular beauty blog, Spiced Beauty. I met Jenn at a beauty bloggers brunch back in February - she was warm, always flashing her beautiful smile, and her camera was always on hand! Thanks Jenn for your guest review! Do check out her blog - must reads are her daily fashion finds and product reviews!

www.spicedbeauty.com

Guest Review: L'Oreal Paris Studio Line Indestructible Volumizing Mousse

The texture of my hair has changed dramatically over the years from pin straight to curly curls... It has settled at this point at an in between wave which I'm ok with. Every now and then I like to avoid styling tools and like to give my already damaged hair a rest by using mousse and leaving it wavy. I have probably tried over 20 different mousses over the last few years all promising me this or that in order to get the perfect wave or curl, some have lived up to my expectations and some sadly have not. This is one of those that did not.

I tested this product out for a few weeks giving it many chances because I really wanted to like it, honestly I did enjoy some aspects of this mousse but just didn't feel it gave me any volume what so ever. Maybe my hair is too long or too heavy for it to really do its job I'm not sure, however I feel like it may work well for medium to short haired ladies.

The pros would definitely be the spout that is super easy to use. I also enjoyed the smell and the fact that it didn't leave my hair feeling crunchy at all. The cons I would have to say for me the lack of volume and definition of the curls/waves.

The product claims to also have Bounce Back Technology that allows hair to return to its styled shape even after the daily stresses on hair. During the day I hate my hair in my face so I clip it back, when I removed the clip the style was ruined or altered and the bounce back I had hoped for never happened.

Overall, although I don't think I will be rushing to the store anytime soon to purchase this mousse, I think it could work wonderfully for those gals with shorter hair. I liked the barely there feeling of product on my hair but it just didn't do much for me in the way of volume or styling.

L'Oreal Studio Line Indestructible Volumizing Mousse is available in drugstores all across Canada and the United States.

What do you think of this product? Love it? Hate it? Want it?

About Farah

"Mama Far" as she is called amongst her fellow Toronto beauty bloggers, is a talented makeup artist and founder of beauty blog, Faces By Farah. She is utterly sweet, warm and has the most gorgeous long hair! Be sure to check out her blog for great product reviews, beauty tips and her Sunday posts "You Go Girl/Boy!" where she features a must-know personality in the beauty, fashion and entertainment industry! Thank you Farah for your review! Stay tuned for more reviews from her!

http://facesbyfarah.blogspot.com