Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Eyeshadow to Make Your Eyes Standout


I was so excited to try this TETRIS X IPSY BLOCK PARTY EYESHADOW out. I am a huge fan of eyeshadow and never leave the house without some color on my eyelids, whether it’s a fun smoky eye for going out, or just a light shimmer for my everyday look. I’ve never ventured out into bold colors, though, so this was the perfect opportunity to see how I liked it. I experimented one night by putting a little bit in the corner of the eye for a pop, and I really liked the look. The blue made my blue eyes really stand out! Another night I applied it more on my eyelid, but it felt too heavy when I tried to make it my main color. Overall, I really loved the color of this eyeshadow and felt that it stayed on well (though I had an eyelid primer on which probably helped).

 

It was a little smudgy putting it on and I had to use a Q-tip to clean it up, so that makes me want to give it 4 kisses instead of 5. Big fan, though!

-Carolyne


 

Got it from an IPSY package

Liquid Eyeliner Lasts For Hours But Not for Eyeliner Beginners


As a blonde with blue eyes, I’m always hesitant about wearing makeup that looks too dark or heavy on my complexion. I’ve tended to stay away from eyeliner in the past, except for special occasions when I want to really do myself up, like a date night or nice event. Also, to be honest, I’m really quite bad at putting on eyeliner and it takes me forever to apply, which also makes me not wear it as often because I never give myself enough time to try it.

 

I decided to give the CHELLA EYELINER PEN a try before going out to a birthday dinner, to see if my friends would notice that I tried eyeliner again. I gave myself plenty of time (assuming there would be lots of errors), and even then, it wasn’t enough. Let me tell you, as someone who has never used liquid eyeliner before, this was a difficult product to start with. I’m sure that it’s fine tip of precision is exactly what people want, but as an eyeliner amateur, it was difficult to stay in a straight line. I did love the brown color, though, and it dried very quickly and didn’t smudge. However, since I had botched it and was out of time, I had to take it off. It came off with a good makeup remover and a took a little to rub off, which proved that it would have lasted for hours. I’m keen to try this product again after watching a few YouTube videos. Stay tuned for my next liquid eyeliner testing!

 

I’m going to give it 3 kisses because it’s not for beginners and has little room for error but has a good color and would stay on long!

-Carolyne

 

Get it for $21.00 at Chella

Non-Sticky Lip Gloss to Always Have in Your Purse


I’m not a huge fan of lip makeup, and have never tried lipsticks, lip pencils or any products like that before. Mainly, it’s because I don’t love the feeling of having color on my lips or something that could get messed up, and also don’t love the feeling of stickiness on my drink. I think it looks great on other people, but I prefer a nude lip-gloss just for a little shine throughout the night. I was excited to try this PIXI BY PETRA LIFT LIP MAX lip-gloss because I’m always on the hunt for non-sticky, long-lasting glosses to invest in (because I lose them so often), but was a little hesitant about the darker shade of this one. I liked this lip-gloss because it smelled like peppermint and wasn’t too sticky. However, the shade was too dark for me, and I don’t think it’s an everyday-wear sort of lip-gloss that I look for.

 

I give this 3 kisses!

-Carolyne

 

Get it for $14.00 at Pixi Beauty

This BellaPierre Setting Powder Lasts All Night


If you haven’t caught on yet, I have very oily skin and am constantly looking for products that help with my shine and help my makeup last, without looking cakey. I have been using the Urban Decay De-Slick Mattifying powder for the past 6 months but unfortunately, I dropped the compact recently and the rest of the product was destroyed. To cope with my sadness of losing my favorite powder, I decided to start trying out new products that would have the same effect to see if there’s any that hold up to my old love. I tried this BELLAPIERRE COSMETICS BANANA SETTING POWDER one night when I knew that I would be out for hours and wanted to see if it would last without having to retouch it more than once. Here’s what I loved about this product: 

  • It kept my face oil-free for the night (until I started dancing, but that one’s on me)
  • The yellowish color helped cover the last bit of redness on my face and made my skin look even and smooth

I thought the product was a little difficult to get out of the container and because it’s such fine powder, it got everywhere but I’m also used to using a pressed powder so I may just have to get used to a fine powder.

 

I really loved this product and give it 5 kisses!

-Carolyne


Get it for $35.00 at Belle Pierre

Clearer and Brighter Skin from Canadian Pore Mask


If a product has the words “pore cleanser” on it, I’m immediately all in. I have pretty oily skin and workout a lot, so I always have a nice concoction of sweat and dirt in my pores. When I got this sample of NEOGEN DERMALOGY CANADIAN CLAY PORE CLEANSER there weren’t any instructions on it, so I went with the traditional face mask attempt and applied it evenly all over my face and let it sit for a few minutes. It was easy to apply and did not make a mess, which I appreciated. 


It started bubbling after about 2 minutes. I love feeling bubbles from a face mask because this proves it’s actually doing something! The bubbles don’t get big, basically the mask just changes texture on your face. I left it on for 5 minutes total because I thought maybe it was done working after the bubbling completely stopped. I rinsed my face with warm water and the product came off easily, with no parts left to scrub off. I noticed that my skin immediately looked clearer and brighter! My pores looked smaller overall, except I still had some blackheads left on my nose.

 

I would give this product 4 kisses for overall ease of use and also the immediate effects, but I wish it had done more for my blackheads that I try so hard to get rid of!

-Carolyne


 

Get it for $27.00 at Amazon

Volumize Your Lashes With High Definition Mascara


My criteria for mascara isn’t too intense: non-clumpy, full coverage and length. Sometimes I have to combine mascaras to get the full-effect, but I’ve really loved my Maybelline Clump Crusher. I’m always excited to try new mascara, though, so I put this SERAPHINE CURL IMPERIAL HIGH DEFINITION CURLING MASCARA on before a long day away from the house. It went on easy, was non-clumpy and definitely gave my lashes volume. It lacked the fullness that I find in some other mascaras, but it’s a great daytime mascara to make your eyes stand out.

 

4 kisses!

-Carolyne


 

Get it for $19.49 at Amazon

Not-so-Luminous Lip Gloss


I wasn’t sure if I would love the color of this MAKE BEAUTY CREAM LUMINOUS LIP GLOSS

(color is Nasturtium), and unfortunately, I didn’t love it. It was just too dark for me. Additionally, this didn’t really have the light coverage of a lip-gloss. It felt like a lip-gloss but looked more like the deep coverage of a lipstick once it was on. It smelled great, though, and lasted a long time!

 

3 kisses.

-Carolyne


 

Get it for $25.00 at Amazon

Butter Cream Lip Gloss Feels Like Butter on Lips


I just have to say right off the bat that I loved the NARS BUTTER GLOSS KIT. The colors were fantastic, especially for someone like myself who doesn’t love too much color on her lips. The shades (from left to right) were Crème Brulee, Fortune Cookie and Madeleine. Each gloss went on perfectly, didn’t feel too sticky, had the perfect amount of coverage, and smelled fantastic. I love finding good lip glosses and these take the cake!

 

5 kisses.

-Carolyne


 

Get each gloss for $5.00 at Ulta Beauty

Natural Beachy Waves From the Comfort of Your Home


I’m pretty plain-Jane when it comes to my hair. I usually go for straight-sleek look, and the only hair tool I’ve mastered is the flat-iron. One reason for this is that my hair doesn’t hold curl very well and I hate having stick-like hair from too much hairspray when I do try to curl it and have it last for a few hours. I love getting my hair cut because they always give me beachy waves before I leave, and I feel glamorous for a few hours, but I can never recreate the look on my own. 


I was excited to try this KERASTASE SPRAY A PORTER TEXTURIZING HAIR SPRAY because Kerastase is a great hair brand and I was hoping maybe this was the missing ingredient for my beachy-waves dream. I looked up the product online and found an instructional video for how to use it to get beachy-waves (using a flat-iron)! So, I gave it a shot. And, it WORKED! I got beachy waves in under 10-minutes. I loved the way my hair looked. The only thing I didn’t like about the product was that my hair still felt kind of straw-like after I broke up the curls with my fingers.

 

I really hate this feeling that I have hairspray in, so that makes me give it 4 kisses instead of 5. But other than that it’s a great product!

-Carolyne


 

Get it for $28.00 at Kerastase

An All-Day Moisturizer


I have mild rosacea and get red cheeks all-too-easily. I use a prescribed cream from the dermatologist to help control it, but it’s not a cure-all and I still get red, splotchy skin from time-to-time. I also have oily skin that’s prone to acne, so I have to be careful about what I use for my daily moisturizer. That being said, I loved the GOLDFADEN MD VITAL BOOST EVEN SKINTONE DAILY MOISTURIZER! It didn’t leave my face looking oily or greasy, which is very important to me. While it didn’t cure my rosacea (nothing has, unfortunately), it did make my skin look more even over-all. And it has a fantastic smell! I only wish it had some SPF in it. I probably won’t purchase the full-size of this product because it’s very important to have sun protection in my daily moisturizer.

 

I give this product 4 kisses, only because it doesn’t have SPF!

-Carolyne


 

Get it for $68.00 at Goldfaden

"Belif" The Hype About This Cream


This BELIF THE TRUE CREAM AQUA BOMB cream was sent from the heavens. It smells amazing, isn’t greasy, absorbs easily, and is small enough to fit in your purse. It’s amazing! The only thing is that it’s pricey for a college kid’s budget. However, if you have a little leftover money from Christmas or are feeling like treating yourself, this is a great product to do that with.

 

5 kisses!

-Carolyne


 

Get it for $38.00 at Sephora

Double-Sided Mascara is a Game Changer


Have y’all ever heard of double-sided mascara? I hadn’t until trying this PINK PEWTER DOUBLE-SIDED MASCARA, but I have two words: Game. Changer. This mascara is amazing! No clumps and it makes my lashes look amazing. I love how the little tip gets the corners of my eyes. It’s a pretty large mascara so it may be hard to fit in your purse for on-the-go, but definitely a great purchase.

 

5 kisses!!

-Carolyne


 

Get it for $19.99 at Pink Pewter

Best Nail Polish I've Used at Home


First of all, if you’ve ever been to the Color Club website, you know how awesome this company is. They have hundreds of beautiful nail polish colors, and I want all of them. The most recent COLOR CLUB NAIL LACQUER I tried is “Rocky Mountain High.” It’s a deep red, perfect for winter. Now, I stink at doing my own nails, so I had to have a friend paint this on for me. But from what I could tell, it went on super easy and it didn’t clump! Lasted for weeks. I love this nail polish brand and this fun color!

 

5 kisses.

-Carolyne


 

Get it for $8.50 at Color Club

Deadsea Body Lotion Makes Skin Smooth


You guys. This AHAVA DEADSEA WATER MINERAL BODY LOTION is my favorite product I’ve tried in a long time. It smells incredible and leaves my skin feeling like a baby’s bottom. There’s really not much else to say. It’s especially great for the winter when my skin gets dry as a desert!

 

This lotion gets 5 kisses without a doubt.

-Carolyne


 

Get it for $52.00 (17 oz.) at Ulta Beauty

This Clay Mask Cleared my Face


I love all things face masks, especially clay masks. This CALL ME SOMETHING LEMON VERBENA CLAY MASK aims to deep clean pores by removing dead skin cells. Nothing sounds better to me than a night in with a clay mask and a glass of red wine, so I was really excited to try this product.

 

To my excitement, it was awesome! It went on super easy, smelled great, wasn’t messy and was easy to take off. My skin felt smooth and exfoliated after. My cheeks were a little red, but I have sensitive skin, so I feel like most products make me look a little flush.

 

This mask is totally my new go-to, so I give it 5 kisses.

-Carolyne


 

This was part of an IPSY package!

Amazonian Clay Makes for the Best Powdered Blush


I think tarte has changed the pigment of their blushes. Before this product, I was always a little nervous to use their blush because even the tiniest bit could look much more intense than what you thought it would be. When using this TARTE AMAZONIAN CLAY POWDERED BLUSH, though, it’s safe to say it’s going to look like what you think. But I still say always use caution with Tarte because you never know!

 

I’d give it 5 kisses.

-Carol

 

Get it for $29.00 at tarte Cosmetics

Treat Your Skin With Seraphim Skincare


Another Atlantan I want to spotlight for making her own products is Lil Dyer Cobbs. She owns Seraphim skincare. She makes two products I really love and wanted to tell y’all about.

 

The first product I tried is the PEEL AND BLEACH CREAM for the Face & Body. If you’ve got sun damage and are wanting to get rid of it, this should be your go-to cream. I’ve used it for years and love it. When you begin using it, you will go through a stage of your skin peeling, but that’s exactly what you want it to do. If you’re consistent with using this product, you will begin to see a change in the texture of your skin, especially if you’re someone over 40. It’s not a cheap product (prices are listed below), but you only have to use a tiny bit each time, so it goes a long way.

 

The other product I love that she makes is called INDULGENCE SILK CREAM for the face and body. It’s made of all-natural ingredients and is awesome. I only use it at night. When you first put it on, it’s thick and greasy, but give it 20 minutes and your skin will soak it up. I love the way it makes my face feel, and it works great for my skin with the peel and bleach cream. I also use it on my hands at night in the winter!

 

I give both of these products 5 kisses!

-Carol


 

Get the Peel and Bleach Cream for $75-$325 from Seraphim Skincare

Get the Indulgence Silk Cream for $65.00 at Seraphim Skincare

hello, Where Has This Product Been All My Life


A quick backstory to this product: I’ve decided to quit using toothpaste with fluoride, but that’s a whole other story that I will get to later.

 

I came across this HELLO® ANTIPLAQUE + WHITENING FLUORIDE FREE TOOTHPASTE

from the brand “hello.” It’s natural peppermint with tea tree and coconut oil. I love this toothpaste! Time will tell if it makes a difference using a toothpaste without fluoride, but from everything I have read, adults really don’t need fluoride after a certain age.

 

I loved this toothpaste and give it 5 kisses!

-Carol


 

Get it for $5.00 at hello

ANISA Beauty is the Best


First, I want to say how much I love ANISA Beauty products. Anisa is from Atlanta, GA, and owns her own brush company and manufacturing plant in China. She’s a huge animal rights advocate and therefore all of her brushes and products are cruelty-free with no animal testing.

 

I recently tried two of her products, the first of which was the QUICK DRY BRUSH CLEANER SPRAY. I love this brush cleaner! It cleans the brushes extremely well and dries practically instantly. The only thing I’m not crazy about is the smell, but that’s not going to stop me from using it because the smell doesn’t linger on my brushes. Most people don’t realize how important it is to keep your brushes clean because of the bacteria that transfers to your brushes from your face!

 

I also tried the face CLEANSING BRUSH, which I loved. The brush head itself is a combination of very soft bristles and silicone bristles. It has a great silicone handle to it that grips really well, and it does a great job cleaning your face!

 

I give the spray 4 kisses (only because I’m not crazy about the smell), but the brush is 5 kisses for sure.

-Carol


Spray

Brush


 

Get the Quick Dry Brush Cleaner Spray for $15.00 at ANISA Beauty

Get the Cleansing Brush for $32.00 at ANISA Beauty

Best Waterproof Mascara on the Market


I love the tiny little wand this MAYBELLINE LASH DISCOVERY WATERPROOF MASCARA has. Also, it doesn’t get clumpy, which is a major pro in my book. The con is that you have to do TONS of coats to get a thicker look on your lashes. But it’s a very natural looking mascara, so you’re not getting that thick fake eyelash look. The small wand works great for getting the outside corners of your eye, which most people don’t realize is what really gives your eyes a pop!

 

I’d give it 4 kisses.

-Carol


 

Get it for $8.99 at Sephora


Creamy Concealer a Little too Dry


What I love about this NARS RADIANT CREAMY CONCEALER is that it comes in a variety of colors! I use is Medium 1 Custard. For my skin, though, I found this type of concealer to be too dry. It didn’t have any moisture to it whatsoever. I just think that for someone over 40, it’s not the ideal concealer if you have dry skin.

 

I would give it 3 kisses.

-Carol


 

Get it for $30.00 at Sephora

Get Exactly What You Need With This Eyebrow Pencil



The SEPHORA COLLECTION RETRACTABLE EYEBROW PENCIL is really great. It comes in a wide variety of shades—I got #5 medium brown. The pencil itself is extremely thin, but it has a great brush on the other end.


5 kisses!

-Carol


Get it for $12.00 at Sephora



Got a Spray Tan? Gotta Get "Got Me Whipped"




Back in the middle of March, before Covid-19 was running rampant, I was going to attend a wedding in South Georgia and there was a high chance it would be warm outside. I decided to wear a sleeveless short dress and wanted to have a nice tan for it (I got my tan at Spray Studio FYI and it was amazing). The girl at the studio recommended this GOT ME WHIPPED BODY BUTTER to keep my skin moisturized to help the tan last longer. The lady who owned Spray Studio said it was all-natural, frothy and light. I ended up purchasing it and it’s really amazing—it has the best texture and really stays on! It’s a little greasy in the beginning so I wouldn’t recommend putting a silk dress or anything on soon that it could stain. I purchased the unscented version but later on put some lavender oil in it to give it a little scent and it was perfect. 


5 kisses!

-Carol



Get it for $29.00 at Shop Spray Studio

Don't Usually Use 2-in-1 Products, But This Was "Honestly" the Best


In the old days, when I would be at my health club and take a shower and see a dispenser that said “Body Wash and Shampoo” I would always cringe. However, since I’m trying to use more natural soaps and deodorants these days to get away from all the chemicals, when I saw this HONEST SHAMPOO AND BODY WASH product, I had to try it. I was initially going to use it just as body wash, but I loved the smell of it so much I decided to wash my hair with it once to see what it would be like. Lo and behold, my very fine hair was amazingly fluffy! I definitely had to use a conditioner with it to get out tangles, but if you’re someone trying to eliminate bottles out of your shower or one less step in your routine, this product is for you.

 

I loved the smell and the results, so 5 kisses from me!

-Carol


Get it for $9.95 at Honest

Truly the "Ultimate" Nail Base & Top Coat!



I loved this SALLY HANSEN ULTIMATE SHIELD POLISH! Used it on my toes--it dried really fast and gave my color a nice sheen. I’m going to be removing the “bad” Sally Hansen polish I used (see my latest post) and try a different brand of nail polish and see how this top coat works with it!


I give this 5 kisses for sure.

-Carol


Get it for $6.99 at Ulta Beauty