Review: Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes Collection/Liner

Ah, Makeup Forever liners! Now who hasn't heard of these or have seen other makeup gurus using them? They are one of the most popular pencil liners next to Urban Decay's 24/7 liners and of course there is good reason for that. I, myself, have been wanting to try these liners for a long time but I never really got around to it. However, I finally was determined that I need to see what the rave was all about, and if they would work for my stubborn eyes. Now, I apologize that I didn't review this sooner as I do not think the set is available anymore, but hopefully this will help with your decision on purchasing them individually.

Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes Eyeliner

Retail Price: $35.00 (set), $17 (per full size pencil)
Availability: Sephora
Shades: Mat Black 0L, Dark Grey 21L, Blue With Green Highlights 12L, Shimmering Plum 4L, Champagne 23L

Pros

• Soft and creamy
• No tugging when applying
  
• Good pigmentation
• Good lasting power
• Great for the waterline
• Waterproof so they take a little bit of effort to remove.

Cons

• If you buy the set, the eyeliners are quite small. They are only about 3in (7.5cm) measured with the cap on.
  
• Not all colors come out as vibrant as they look in the stick.
  
• Not 100% smudge proof on the waterline.
  

If you buy the set then your liners will come in this cute tin case. Personally, I just yanked all of them out because it takes up less space but you can reuse the tin to put random things like Q-tips, tweezers, business cards, etc.

As I listed above in the description, you get five liners in Mat Black 0L, Champagne 23L, Blue With Green Highlights 12L, Shimmering Plum 4L, and Dark Grey 21L. All of these colors are also available in the full size version so if fall in love with a specific color and run out, you can most definitely pick it up anytime of the year at your local Sephora.

These are swatches of all 5 shades with one swipe. Of course you can build the color up with a few more swipes, however. My personal favorites are the Mat Black 0L, Champagne 23L, and Blue With Green Highlights 12L as I feel that they are most true to color and easy to work with.

I like to use the black one on my waterline, and I find that it feels very comfortable there. I've tried a lot of pencil liners on my water line and most of the time, I can feel this waxy feeling after I put it on. As for the Champagne color, this is an awesome shade to use to highlight the inner tear duct. It's quick and easy, and stays put for a long time. The blue shade is a lovely color and before I bought these liners, I sort of had an idea of how I would like each shade to look like and this color definitely delivers. It's vibrant, but not too vibrant so it's a very wearable color.

As for the gray, it is a decent color. I wasn't wowed by it but nor was I disappointed. However, the purple was a disappointment. I was looking forward to the purple, but when I got it, it turned out to be a very dull color as you can see in the swatch. It has no sheen and overall, I thought it was just blah if that even justifies it. I think this color could have done a lot better, but sadly it did not.

On my eyes, these liners performed pretty good. My main reason for purchasing these was for my waterline and lower lash line. I like adding a pop of color there, and these are really great for that purpose. On my waterline, they don't last all day, but they last longer than any other liner I have tried on there so I definitely like it for that.

Overall, these are great liners and if you are really looking a new liner, why not give these a try?

Rating: (4/5)

Bought and Loved Products of 2009

2009 is coming to a quick end (or already has ended for most of you) and I have definitely expanded my collection of makeup and skincare items in the past year. I have found some pretty great products that I think I will continue to use for years and some not so great items. However, it's the New Year so let's just focus on the good and not the bad.

1. Laneige Multi Cleanser - A product that I have switched to using after I finished up my Pore Trouble Cleanser. It's a double duty product that makes your face squeaky clean and removes all the makeup on your face as it's also a makeup remover. I love the smell of this product and after washing my face with this daily, I can go to bed with confidence that my face is free of any dirt and residue.
2. Laneige Strawberry Yogurt Peel - Oh the smell of the product is just delicious but sadly it's not edible! However, it is a nice gentle exfoliator for your face. Instead of using harsh beads to scrub off the dead skin, using this will provide a light exfoliating experience. Because it is so gentle, I can use this more than once a week without fear of over-exfoliating.
3. Kevin Beautymaker Aquamarine Eye Serum - I am currently on my second bottle of this product and I love it! It depuffs my eyes instantly (especially on mornings where I wake up with puffy eyes because I cried my eyes out the night before while watching a korean drama XD) and it's light layer of moisture for my eye area.
4. Egyptian Magic Cream - This stuff does wonders for my acne scars or any scars for that matter and makes my face really smooth in the morning when I wake up. I only use it during the night because it's a bit too oily for me during the day, but I don't know what I will do without this.
5. My Beauty Diary Sheet Masks - Known for being cheap and effective, there's a mask for everything. I haven't tried them all yet, but hopefully I will. They fit my face really nicely and it's just a great buy overall.
6. The Face Shop Aloe Vera Mask - I love the Face Shop masks just as much as I love my Beauty Diary masks. Some flavors I like even more. This is my go to mask when my skin is acting up and needs quick soothing. I slap this on before I go to bed and the next morning my skin feels nice and happy :)
7. NARIS UP Eggshell & Charcoal Mask - I use this for my nose area to get rid of blackheads. I use to use pore strips but they just weren't doing the job as well as I liked, especially in the corners of my nose where it really mattered. This stuff gets into all the crevices and leaves your pores feeling clean.

1. L'egere White Multi BB Cream - This is my absolutely favorite foundation. It doesn't break me out and the coverage is amazing for what it is. Sometimes I feel that my skin looks even better on days that I wear it. I've tried using traditional foundation but nothing performs as good as this.
2. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural - I use this in conjunction with my L'egere BB Cream because it helps set it. Sometimes I even use this alone when my skin doesn't need much coverage. It's fast and quick and also does not break me out.
3. Kevin Beautymaker Aqua Eye Concealer - I've tried many many concealers for my under eyes in liquid and cream form, but nothing has covered as well as this. It's super creamy and blends like a dream.
4. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick - Can't believe I waited so long to get this. I love using this to highlight my face. I usually lightly sweep this over the highest part of my cheek bones and it just gives my face such a beautiful glow.

1. Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in 'Chocolate Shimmer Ink' - This is my HG eyeliner and it's the perfect shade for my eyes. I love that it has subtle shimmer because I'm a girl that loves sparkle. It's the creamiest eyeliner I have ever tried and it stays all day long.
2. Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes Eyeliner - These pencil liners are creamy and stays very well on my eyes. I love using the Black and Champagne color, and I use it daily. I use the black on my waterline and to tight line. It smudges little to none and it never irritates me eyes.
3. MAC Eyeshadow in 'Shroom' - My favorite highlighter to use on my brow bone. The only MAC eyeshadow that I have made a dent in!
4. KATE Diamond Cut Eyeshadow Palette - These are amazing eyeshadow palettes and the pigmentation is great. There are various colors to choose from, and they each come with glitter that you can dab on to your eyeshadow for that extra sparkle. When I want to feel extra glamorous I whip one of these out.
5. DiorShow Iconic - I usually do not like forking over more than $10 for a mascara, but I got this on sale and I am so glad I did. The brush is not super huge which is great when I want to get the corners of my eyes. I get no clumps from this and it really makes me lashes super long.
6. Stila Smudge Pot in 'Little Black Dress' - This is such a gorgeous black/deep purple eyeliner that has a lot of pink sparkle packed into it. I always choose to wear this when I'm going for that really sparkly eye.
7. NYX Jumbo Pencil in 'Cottage Cheese' - While I dislike using this as an eyeshadow base because it creases on my eyes like crazy, I love using this on my tear duct as a highlighter. Glides on effortlessly.

1. Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in 'Pink Please' - This is probably my most favorite lipstick at the moment in my whole entire collection. It is my go to lipstick that I can just throw on and I know it will look good. It's a true baby pink color, and ever since I bought it I've neglected much of my other lipsticks because it's just so gorgeous.
2. MAC Lipstick in 'Cute-ster' - This color is a pinky beige that is pretty sheer. It's one of those lipsticks I like to throw on when I want to wear something, but I don't want to look like I did.
3. MAC Dazzleglass - Since I'm a glitter and sparkle loving girl, of course I have to love the dazzleglasses. I love to wear these for special events because when the light hits it, my lips just look SO good! I definitely want to get more of these.
4. Dior Ultra Gloss Reflect in 'Clutch Pink' - The perfect baby pink gloss. Something about it just makes me love it. It's smooth and non-sticky.
5. Dior Addict High Shine Lipstick in 'Couture Pink' - I like pairing this with my Clutch Pink lipgloss because it gives me that baby pink glassy looking lips that I love. It was the also the same pairing used on one of the actresses in Boys Over Flowers and it indeed will make your lips so pretty.

Some of the products that I have mentioned have not been talked about on my blog before, but perhaps I will in the future. Leave me a comment if you would sincerely like to know more about it. I'd love to go more in-depth for my readers because I love you all!

Once again, have a great New Years and thank you for all the support. Hopefully, 2010 will be a good and joyous year for all.

Review: Stila Smudge Pot in 'Little Black Dress'

Yes, I just love my gel eyeliners and once again I am doing a review on another one. This time it's on Stila's infamous Smudge Pots. I will, however, be reviewing a limited edition color from the Barbe ♥ Stila collection that came out a few months ago. I know, this has been out for awhile and you can't even get it at most Sephoras or the Stila website anymore, but you can surely still find this on eBay. That is where I got mine and it was a couple bucks cheaper than the retail price so why not?

Stila Smudge Pot 'Little Black Dress'

Retail Price: $20.00 USD
Availability: Sephora, eBay
Shade: Little Black Dress

Pros

• Good pigmentation
• Very wearable even though there's glitter.
  
• Glitter shows up on the eyes.
  
• Good lasting power

Cons

• Quite thick and not as creamy as I would like. I need to dip my brush more often into the pot because the color doesn't pick up on the brush as easily.
• Glitter might travel if you have a crease that will rub against the eyeliner
  
• Smudged a bit on my eyes if I am not wearing eyeshadow.
  

On the website, the color is described as a black with pink glitter. At first glance it looked more like a purple glitter but it's really actually pink, and you can especially tell when you are removing it.

It was really hard to capture how pretty this shade actually was but as you can see the glitter is more prominent once it's actually applied.

And on the eye, I think it looks gorgeous. I did a look with it yesterday (I know, I know. It's so rare I put pictures of eyeshadow looks I do. I just don't wear eyeshadow on a regular basis because I am too lazy! Still trying to find the best way to put on e/s for my eye shape)

On my stubborn eyes, this smudged a bit to my lower lash line when I wasn't wearing any eyeshadow with it (darn my oily lids), but it wasn't too bad to the point where you look like you got beat in the eye. There's rarely an eyeliner that doesn't smudge on me at all because my crease folds over my eyelid so there's a lot of friction going on constantly.I still give it props for the lasting power. The color looked exactly the same 8 hours after I applied it.

Personally, I still prefer my HG Bobbi Brown gel liner over this, but this shade was just too gorgeous to pass up. If Stila Smudge Pots are your HG eyeliner then you should definitely look into this shade as I haven't come across an eyeliner that sparkles like this one before. Most eyeliners have very fine glitter and other people can't really tell when they look at your eyes, but this one will surely attract some attention.

Last but not least, the packaging for this particular LE shade is different from your normal smudge pots. There's a holographic Barbie eye on the lid that blinks open and close when you move it. I think it's kind of freaky sometimes, but I can get pass that as long as the product is good :) I just wanted to share that.

Rating: (3.5/5)

Bobbi Brown Haul

Bobbi Brown recently had a Friends&Family sale last month, and I had to order! I've been waiting for the sale since the summer so I could stock up on my favorites. They had free gift wrapping too, and although it was a purchase for myself, I got it anyways because I love pretty packaging. Isn't the box just gorgeous? I'm not sure what to do with the box yet but I'm sure it will come in handy for storage in the future.

For those of you guys that have been following me for awhile, you guys will know that I absolutely love Bobbi Brown's Long-wear Gel Eyeliners because they don't smudge on me and I've tried a handful of liners. I use to use MAC's but it's been left in the dust since I purchased my first pot of Bobbi Brown at the IMATS this past June. So I got two more to add to my collection, but wait! They had a promo code for a free full size 'Indigo' eyeliner with a purchase of $65. Therefore, I got 3 pots of my favorite eyeliner for the price of two! I was a happy camper :)

Originally, I wanted to get a pot of the plain black, but having used my 'Chocolate Shimmer Ink' for so long every single day, I realized I much prefer to have some subtle shimmer in my eyeliner. I think 'Graphite Shimmer Ink' is a much better alternative to the boring old black. :) As for the 'Violet Ink', I did some research before I purchased and found out that even though it didn't have "shimmer" in the name, it indeed had some shimmer in it. I've been wanting a purple shimmery liner and it is perfect match! 'Indigo' is a just matte dark blue that almost shows up black when applied. Although, I like my shimmer, it wasn't a bad color at all. I actually quite like it. It's a great option for me when I want a bit of a darker liner but not a true black.

In addition to my eyeliners, I finally decided to splurge and get myself a shimmer brick! I've wanted once ever since I got into makeup 2 years ago, but I just never picked one up. I think it's because Bobbi Brown isn't sold at Sephora so I never see it enough for me to really just pick it up. The one I got is in 'Pink' and I am in love with it. I think I will be doing a separate post reviewing it soon so I can tell you guys the beauty of it in detail.