Wet n Wild Idol Eyes Creme Shadow swatches and review

It seems like every brand has a cream eye shadow stick these days- from cult favorite NYX to Urban Decay.  But at just $1.99 Wet n Wild's just might be the cheapest. First I'll show you some swatches and then get to the meat of the review.

Wet n Wild Idol Eyes Creme Shadows

From top to bottom- Pixie, Envy, Techno, and Distress

From left- Pixie, Envy, Techno, and Distress (Techno blended out at the very end)

The swatches look decent don't they? The only one I had issues swatching is Techno, which is a bit sheer.

From the beginning I knew that these weren't going to be a miracle non-creasing product to rival the high end brands.  This is what they claim, "Soft-blending, creamy eyeshadow at the convenience of a pencil. Silky-smooth formula glides on easily for high-impact, light-infused color that lasts for hours." (Quote from wnwbeauty.com)

I'm going to ago over each claim and let you know how it stacks up. The following is probably going to come off a bit snarky. I love Wet n Wild as a brand, though, I really do. But you can expect every brand to have a few duds.

Soft-blending-  I'm not sure what "soft" blending is but yes, these blend pretty well.  But, they sheer out really quickly so you are losing that intense color.

Creamy- Yes, these are very creamy.  Too creamy actually.  They never really set on their own (without powder on top).

Silky-smooth formula- Yes, I will give them that.  They aren't clumpy or lumpy.  But once again it is that creamy smoothness that gives us the problems.

High-impact- If you don't blend these a few of the shades are what I would consider high-impact (the blue and the green). The purple is quite sheer and the beige is neutral.

Light-infused- Well, they aren't matte.  I guess being shimmers makes them "light-infused".

Lasts for hours- Aaaand here is the kicker.  They don't.  Not by themselves anyway.  On a bare eyelid with no primer the don't last more than 5 minutes.  Well I suppose they last if you consider bunching together and having a little party in your eyelid creases lasting.  And that is applied straight from the pencil and blended (sheered) out.

The best way to back up any claim. Proof. And here is mine. (Be warned- scary, gross, creased eye makeup ahead!)

After 10 minutes- Applied thickly with no primer

I wasn't expecting this test to go so well. And it didn't. Applied like this they actually creased immediately. You can tell by looking at my lid how "wet" looking it is. And sorry, I forgot to wear mascara in all these pics, haha.

After 10 minutes- Applied sheerly with no primer

My next test was to apply as thin a layer as possible to see if it would crease. As you can tell, it did.

After 10 minutes- Applied a medium amount over primer

This time I used a primer, Too Faced Shadow Insurance. After 10 minutes the creasing isn't as horrific as the first picture, but it's still pretty damn bad. Unwearably bad.

After 10 minutes- Worn with primer and set with powder eyeshadow

This time I used the pencils as a base for powder eyeshadow. I used similar colors as the pencils (sorry, I don't remember which ones!). After 10 minutes I did not have any creasing and I like the way it looks better than just the powder shadows alone.

After 3 hours- Worn with primer and set with powder eyeshadow

So after 3 hours I still didn't have any creasing. Sorry for the crappy pic, but it was getting really late and I was so tired of messing with these things. At least I found a way to wear them that works for me!


Really, the only way these can be worn for me is as a base for other eye shadows. I have normal eyelids that rarely get oily, so I'm not sure how these would fare for those of you that do get oily. For $1.99 they are worth a try if you see a color you like. Plus, you can always take it back to the drugstore if it didn't work and you have your receipt.

To be honest, I don't really use these that often because they add another step to my makeup routine and that extra step is an extra 2 minutes I could have spent sleeping, haha. These do not live up the claims at all, but you might get them to work with a little work.

Oh, another thing. I hate the packaging. The plastic cap has a tendency to crack really easily making it loose. On all the pencils I have this happened and the cap mushes down on the top of the pencil, ruining it. I would either depot these and be very very careful with them.

Pros:

• Work as a base for powder eyeshadows
• Inexpensive

Cons:

• Crease instantly, even with primer unless used as a base for powder shadows
• Would like a broader color range. A white would be nice.
• Techno is pretty sheer
• The packaging is terrible and tends to ruin the pencils

Available:

• These retail for $1.99 and are sold at drugstores and where ever you can find Wet n Wild

Thank you for reading and have a great day/night/whatever!

Physician's Formula Eyeliner Swatches

I have an essay to write and 2 exams to study for. Yikes! And of course I stayed up until 4 am reading (on my new Kindle, yay!). I have only been awake for an hour but I'm pretty sure I need a nap, haha. The days are too short and I have too much to do! Well, at least I'm not bored.

Today I have a few quick swatches of some Physician's Formula eye liners. Swatch all the liners! ;-)

From right to left:

• Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Gel CreamLiner for Green Eyes
• Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Gel CreamLiner, Glam Collection for Green Eyes
• Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Eyeliner Trio for Hazel Eyes 

I love these eyeliners. Both the cream liners and the pencils last all day on me, even without eye primer. The black liners apply the best, but I don't have major issues with any of them, although the two light shades in the middle are a bit sheer. I don't use the brush that came with the cream liners as I could never get it to work for me. And actually that stupid brush was the reason I never would use them. But I got an eyeliner brush I love (Sonia Kashuk's bent eyeliner brush) and I us them all the time now.

I'll talk in detail about each trio under their individual pictures.

Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Gel CreamLiner for Green Eyes

These are all very pigmented. I've had this set for about 3 years and haven't had any problems with the liners drying out. The only annoying thing about the packaging is that the caps never go on straight. To get them as tight as they need to be, the caps won't line up with the rest of the pot. It makes them really annoying to store.

The purple is one of my favorite eyeliner colors ever. The black is extremely pigmented and applies smoothly. It has a smattering of green sparkles, but they aren't super obvious on the eye. I like the green too, it's completely unlike anything else in my collection.

Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Gel CreamLiner, Glam Collection for Green Eyes

I don't like this set as much as the one above, but I still use it. I rarely use the metallic lavender pink and silver as eyeliner on the upper lashes, but they actually work really well as cream shadows. It is hard to tell in the picture, but the silver has little gold flakes in it that are really pretty. The black, like the black from the set above, is very pigmented and smooth. Instead of the green sparkles, this one has silver

I also don't have the issue with the lids not lining up with the pots like I do with the first trio.

Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Eyeliner Trio for Hazel Eyes

I rarely buy the twist-up pencil types of eyeliners, but I'm not sure why. Maybe because they only ever seem to come in boring colors? I don't know. I really like this trio, though. The first shade is a gorgeous darkened taupe and I wear it all the time. I don't own anything else like, everything else is either too brown, too dark, too warm toned, or too gold. The middle color is supposed to be pink. Yeah, it looks purple to me. I'm not a huge fan of this color (the opacity and wear time are good), maybe just because what I really want was an actual pink eyeliner. I still don't have one! The black is a soft black. It's hard to tell but this one is black with pink shimmer, which makes it not as deep. It's really pretty and unique and I wear when I don't need a harsh black.

 

Available:

·         All of the eyeliner trios retail for $10.95 and are available at drugstores and wherever Physician's Formula is sold. $10.95 may seem like a lot for drugstore makeup, but you get three eyeliners in the set, so that works out to less than $4 each.

 

Thank you for reading and have a great day/night/whatever!

Tarte's 8th World Wonder 2nd Shipment Swatches

Sorry, guys, as of right now you can't buy any of the things I'm showing you in this post except maybe on eBay.  I ordered the first 8th World Wonder set from QVC several months ago (click here to see the post about it!) and accidentally signed up for auto-delivery.  Which means that they automatically send you (and charge you!) every three months or so for a new set with different colors.  This doesn't last indefinitely; I think there are three different sets total you will get if you signed up for auto-delivery.  Hopefully Tarte will start selling these products individually at some point because they are all really great.

So while you can't buy these things (hey, I'm saving you money!), I just thought it showed how awesome the sets are the QVC offers.  I recently bought the Glow Your Way to Gorgeous set by Tarte from QVC and that one is amazing, too.  Unfortunately I think that one is sold out, too.  So you need to get on these deals fast because they sell out quickly!  And they are good deals.  I paid like $58 for this set.  And that include shipping and tax.  What I like about the sets is that everything feels like one cohesive collection.  I was going to cancel the auto-delivery for the third and last set, but now that I have the second I need the third too!  I'm a bit of a completionist.

Beware! This post is extremely pic heavy (26 pictures!)!  I'll also show comparisons between the items from the first set.

The bag everything came in.  I love this bag!  It's pretty roomy and it opens really wide.  I have big, mannish hands so I hate bags with tiny openings!

The blush brush.  I've really been needing a new blush brush and this one is awesome. It's soft and hasn't shed on me at all.

The eyeshadow quad.  I love this packaging.  It's solid bamboo and feels light, but durable.  There is a pretty strong magnet keeping it closed, but not so strong it makes it difficult to open.

See the color in the top right?  It's called "matte softest peach" but it isn't matte at all.  It's a satin/shimmer.  Which is nice because I actually prefer that!

The shadows are definitely on the more reserved/neutral side but they're still really pretty.  I found them in general to be soft and pigmented. The matte brown was a little patchy, but hey, it's a matte.

On the left is the palette from the second shipment and on the right is the palette from the first shipment.

Here are swatches of both palettes.

Amazonian clay 12-hour blush in Tickled.

Sorry, the flash washed to color of the blush out some.  It's actually quite a bit darker than this.

This blush is matte.  Sorry for they stray sparkles, they're left over from the eyeshadow swatches!  I like this blush, but I didn't like the formula as well as the blush in the first shipment. This one felt a little... dry for some reason.  I know it's a powder and supposed to be dry, but it wasn't as buttery and smooth as the first blush.  I do like the color though.

On the left is Tickled from the second shipment and on the right is Glisten from the second shipment.

Tarte PureOptic lipgloss in Pink Grapefruit

This is a thick, sheer, shimmery, minty gloss.  It isn't very sticky, but it's definitely on the thick side.  These glosses aren't super pigmented but the shimmer is gorgeous.

Tarte lipgloss in Golden Pink on top from the first shipment and Pink Grapefruit on the bottom from the second shipment.

Pink Grapefruit in the left and Golden Pink on the right.

Amazonian Clay Waterproof eyeliner in Rich Green.

Wow, this just may be my favorite eyeliner ever.  I don't want to use it because I'm afraid to run out! Haha!  It's so gorgeous and nuanced and pigmented.  This is probably my favorite part of the whole set.

The top is the eyeliner from the first set- Golden Plum and the bottom is Rich Green from the second set.

Here is most everything together.  The mascara on my lashes, the foundation used as concealer under my eyes, the quad on my eyelids, the eyeliner on my lash line, and the blush on my cheeks.  I didn't take a picture of my whole face because, well, I was feeling lazy and only put makeup on this half, haha.

Sorry for the millions of pictures, but this is a big set!  I'll try and let you guys know when QVC comes out with another awesome set because they really are worth getting.


Thank you for reading and have a great day//night/whatever!

I'm Really Loving These $1 Shimmer Eyeliner Pencils From elf

I have a lot of eyeliners.  And while most of my makeup is drugstore, the majority of my eyeliners are not.  About 75% of them are Urban Decay.  I love Urban Decay's eyeliners for their staying power and range of colors.  I won't claim that these $1 eyeliners from elf are just as good as Urban Decay's, but I find them pretty damn good.    A little disclaimer about me first- my skin is pretty average, not too dry or too oily so while things will crease or smudge on my eyelids, my eyes are super finicky and pretty much anything will last on my upper lash line as long as i wear a primer.  My only issue is that I have super watery eyes and this always eat up my eye makeup in the inner corners of my eyes, no matter which primer I use.

Even with my watery eyes I had good wear time with these liners.  They lasted all day (12 hours) until I removed them.  They are rather creamy and soft so those with oily lids may experience so smudging.  I was surprised at how pigmented these are. With other cheaper liners it usually takes a few swipes to build up the color on my lid, but not so with these.  They are a good inch shorter than Urban Decay's pencil, but claim to hold more product- 0.05 oz vs 0.04 for Urban Decay.  Good thing these liners are only $1 because it feels like you lose a lot of product when you sharpen them.  And speaking of sharpening, they have a sharpener built in the lid.  While this may seem convenient, I find it more annoying.  Also due to the sharpener there is a big open space in the cap.  I'm worried that this will cause the liners to dry out faster.  Overall I'm really glad I purchased these and now wish I had bought more.  For $1 they are worth a try.

Here you can see the big gap in the lid due to the sharpener.

From left- Precious Pink, Grassy Green, and Twinkle Teal

This is Twinkle Teal on my upper lash line and Precious Pink below my bottom lashes.

Here I used Grassy Green on my upper lash line and Precious Pink below my lower lashes.

Ingredients

Available:

• These retail for $1 and are available on elf's website.

Thank you for reading and have a great day/night/whatever!

Thin Lines Are Easy With Physician's Formula Eye Definer Felt-Tip Eye Marker

I'm a terrible klutz with eyeliner.  I'm too afraid to go outside of my normal look of just an even line above the upper lash line.  Well, a semi-even line in my case.  If I'm lucky.  I usually end up having to make the eyeliner thicker and thicker just to even it out and make it not look... bumpy.  My dream is to one day be able to do a winged liner that doesn't look like my hand slipped and I was too lazy to clean it off.  but at least I've managed to get my eyeliner to not be so thick, thanks to Physician's Formula Eye Definer Felt-Tip Eye Marker. (Side Note: WHY does Physician's Formula insist on have the longest product names ever?!)

I was skeptical of felt tip eyeliners just because it seemed like using a Crayola marker on your face.  And that seemed, well, weird.  But it works oh-so-well for me.  I'm able to get the thinnest lines I've ever achieved. The marker is only available in dark brown, warm black, and ultra black, but they're super pigmented, dry quickly and are water/sweat/pretty much anything proof (but comes off easily with makeup remover).

Physician's Formula Eye Definer Felt-Tip Eye Marker in Ultra Black

Physician's Formula Eye Definer Felt-Tip Eye Marker in Ultra Black

Physician's Formula Eye Definer Felt-Tip Eye Marker in Ultra Black

The thicker part of the marker is very stiff and does thick lines quite well.  The very tip has a tiny bit of give so it isn't poking hard into your eyelid when you apply.  It also helps to make super thin, even lines.

Physician's Formula Eye Definer Felt-Tip Eye Marker in Ultra Black

Here are lines of various thicknesses to show how versatile the marker really is.

This is an eye look I posted several days ago, but I just wanted to show you what the eye liner looked like on.  I was able to get a super thin line, which I haven't been able to achieve with any other liner.

One thing I really like about the Physician's Formula website is that they post the ingredients for every one of their products.  A lot of companies don't do that.  Here are the ingredients for the eyeliner:

WATER, ACRYLATES COPOLYMER, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, ALCOHOL, SODIUM POLYASPARTATE, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, AMINOMETHYL PROPANOL, BEHENET-30, CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA (MATRICARIA) EXTRACT, HYDROLYZED CONCHIOLIN PROTEIN, LAURETH-21, PERILLA OCYMOIDES LEAF EXTRACT, ROSMARINUS OFFICIANALIS (ROSEMARY) LEAF EXTRACT, DISODIUM EDTA, PHENOXYETHANOL, METHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, ETHYLPARABEN. MAY CONTAIN: IRON OXIDES, D&C BLACK #2, FERRIC FERROCYANIDE.

Available:

• This retails for $6.99 at drugstores and where ever Physician's Formula is sold.

Thank you for reading and have a great day/night/whatever!