Question for the Makeup Knowledgeable!

I purchased some red lipstick over the summer and wore it a bit then, but I want to start wearing it more now (like to class and such), but I don't want to have to worry about reapplying it every hour.  Any tips to help with this?  I know red is a high maintenance color, but I want it a low maintenance as possible!

The Battle of the Black Eyeliner: Milani Infinite Liquid Eye Liner

The Epic Battle:
It's probably no surprise that I love black eyeliner.  What "alternative" girl doesn't?  So I have started on a quest to find the best black eyeliner for the price.  I want something long lasting, inexpensive, and easy to find in the local store (as much as I support independent makeup companies, I like to be able to easily pick up the basics when I run out).

The Contestant:
Milani Infinite Liquid Eye Liner in Everlast (black)

Yep, my hand.  

The Review:
A few months back I bought and reviewed this same eyeliner in blue and was incredibly impressed with the length of wear.  I finally managed to track down the same eyeliner in black, hoping for similar results.

Is it long lasting?

Please ignore how gross I look! 

YES.  I cannot express how impressed I am with this eyeliner.  I don't know if anyone who reads my blog lives in a hot and humid climate, but I certainly do.  Usually I have to either reapply my makeup multiple times a day (which I feel like my makeup should never make me do), or just wipe off the smudges and end up with no makeup.  Well I had been wearing my Maybelline Gel Eyeliner, because that was the best eyeliner I had.  But after a long day having to walk some distance between my classes on campus the eyeliner was incredibly smudged, to the point it appeared I had a black eye.  I've never had my makeup do something like that before.  So anyway, I saw some of the Milani eyeliner in black, so I picked it up and tried it out the very next day.  It didn't budge one bit.  That picture of myself was taken after 7 hours on campus and sweating while I walked between my various classes.  I never touched up my eyeliner.

How does it feel?
It is thicker than other liquid eyeliners I have used, but it is still very much a liquid.  It is sort of sticky before it dries, and but once it does I forget it is even there.  The only downfall is that it has a tendency to get into my eyelashes (the brush is really unwieldy) and make them all clumpy, but putting on mascara fixes that easily.

How about the price and where to buy?
I've only seen Milani makeup products at the local grocery store, but I'm sure you can find them elsewhere.  I know the nail polish is also sold at various chain drug stores, but I haven't seen the makeup there yet.  As far as price goes, I paid around $4 US for the tube.  Much less expensive than other eyeliners!

Would you buy again?
YES.  I have never had makeup that I could actually forget about before, but this eyeliner changes that!

So does this mean the battle is won?
You know, it just might.  I don't really know what other eyeliner could top this one.  The durability and length of wear are phenomenal, and the price is very reasonable for a college student like myself.  So unless there is an eyeliner out there for a lower price, I think the battle is won!

The Battle of the Black Eyeliner: E.L.F. Eyeliner

The Epic Battle:
It's probably no surprise that I love black eyeliner.  What "alternative" girl doesn't?  So I have started on a quest to find the best black eyeliner for the price.  I want something long lasting, inexpensive, and easy to find in the local store (as much as I support independent makeup companies, I like to be able to easily pick up the basics when I run out).

The Contestant:
E.L.F. Liquid Eyeliner

The Review:
So you all know how much I like this brand’s eyeshadow, especially for the price.  So I decided I had to try the eyeliner to see how it stands up against the other black eyeliners I have reviewed in the epic battle.

Is it long lasting?
Not really.  I was rather disappointed in its wearablity.  However, I did realize, after looking on their website, that they make a regular liquid eyeliner and a waterproof liquid eyeliner.  I bought the regular one, but the waterproof one might be better.  The ironic part is that when I used my makeup remover to take it off, it smudged around my eyes and wouldn't come off.  It got all in my pores and wouldn’t come out even after I washed my face.  Finally after a shower I got it all off (I hope!)  I’ve never had eyeliner do something like this before.

How does it feel?
This is where the eyeliner really falls short.  I put it on, and while it goes on nicely, it feels sticky for a long time.  Today it rained and the humidity alone made the eyeliner sticky again.  Have you ever felt your eyelids stick to themselves when you blink?  That is how the eyeliner felt in the humidity.

How about the price and where to buy?
Well, I picked this eyeliner up at the local Target, but I’ve also seen the brand at the local outlet store, and of course online.  It was only a dollar, but I would rather spend more money on an eyeliner that doesn’t make my eyelids feel like I poured sticky candy on them.

Would you buy again?
Definitely not.  I don’t even think I want to try the waterproof eyeliner that the company makes.  I’ll just stick to their eyeshadow.

Makeup for the Lazy Girl or Guy: E.L.F. 100 Piece Eyeshadow Palate (mini review) and Playing with Makeup

The Contestant and Mini Review:
E.L.F 100 Piece Eyeshadow Palette

So I recently purchased the E.L.F. 100 color eyeshadow palette after falling in love with their $1 eyeshadow I reviewed over here.  The feel of the eyeshadow in this palette is exactly like the $1 eyeshadow I bought from them, so if you are interested in that, check out the full review!  I've been watching a lot of eyeshadow tutorials in the past week and so tonight, after spending a lazy day making crafts, I decided to play with my new palette.  I'm pretty happy with it, although I wish it had more bright colors (most are toned down colors or browns and tans), but all in all it was worth the $10.  I have a lot to chose from for future playing around in any case.  The palette includes a small mirror (in the lid), and two cheap makeup sponge-thingies.  I really hate my makeup brushes though, so I ended up using the sponges.

Play Time!

I used my awesome new palette to play around a bit this evening.  I'm not very creative, especially when it comes to makeup (read: same black wingtip eyeliner every day), so I chose a basic watery color scheme and just messed around.  I used what I thought was a bright greenish tone all over the lid (I'm a bit colorblind, so it might not have been!), and then used a bright teal along the crease and up along the wingtip portion of the eyeliner.  I blended this towards my brows.  Then I took the boldest blue and smudged it into the very outer edges of the crease.  A small bit of a light pinkish white was smudged on my inner eye to help make everything pop!

It's a bit bolder and larger than my usual everyday makeup, but I could see myself doing something like it again!  I also had some light pink lipstick that I picked up at the same time as the palette that I tried on earlier today for an endurance test.  I don't think it fits the eye makeup, but whatever!

I'm so snazzy, taking bathroom mirror shots!

Makeup for the Lazy Girl or Guy: E.L.F. Eyeshadow and Today's Makeup

Sorry for the nonpost yesterday, I was building a fort and playing N64 in my living room with my roommates!


The Contestant:
E.L.F. Brightening Eye Color in punk funk (white, blue, purple, pink)

The Review:

How vibrant are the colors?

I was a bit surprised, these colors turn out really bright when you first put them on.  I haven't used the white color yet, and I probably won't, but I mainly bought this for the pink anyway.   They all have glitter in them, which is a lot of fun, and another surprise (I guess I don't look close enough before I buy!).  The glitter does get a bit annoying and sometimes I feel like it is a bit too childish, but most of the time I put in on and say "I sparkle!!" in an excited voice.  In all honesty, the glitter doesn't seem to be too noticeable when you look at it, but sometimes the glitter gets in my eyelashes and that's all I see.  The picture of my face at the bottom shows the eyeshadow in natural morning light.

Is it long lasting?

I have a difficult time getting any eyeshadow to last in the humid weather we have here.  I don't think this eyeshadow lasts any longer or any shorter than any other eyeshadow I own. It certainly doesn't stand out from the rest as far as being long lasting.  

How does it feel?

Besides the glitter getting into my eyelashes upon occasion, I really like this eyeshadow.  It's soft and easy to apply to get that vivid color I so like.  Once again though, it doesn't really stand out as feeling amazing or terrible on my skin.  I tend to just forget about it when I'm wearing it, which I guess is the point of good makeup!

How about the price and wear to buy?

The price is certainly reasonable; I picked up this eyeshadow for only a dollar at the local drug store.  I wasn't going to buy any makeup that day, but being a terrible impulse shopper, I couldn't say no to a dollar for possibly amazing eyeshadow.  I've seen the E.L.F. brand all over the place, as far as where to buy.  I don't think I can go to a store and not find this makeup.  A store might not have all of the colors, especially Punk Funk since it seems to be their only really bright color, but the other colors don't seem too dull that I would pass over them.

Would you buy again?

Most definitely!  There are a couple of other colors I want to try out, and for the inexpensive price, I can't really talk myself out of it.  Although I am wary about the company's other products (I have a really awful jar of nail polish remover pads from them), the eyeshadow is worth checking out.  

Today's (Sunday's) Makeup:

still gotta learn how to take the perfect makeup pic!

Today's makeup inspired me to write up this review because it was only the second time I use the E.L.F. eyeshadow. I decided to "tone down" the pink with purple at the edges.  I think it made the pink a but more mature for the morning at church.  And I had my standard flippy eyeliner wings, but you can't really tell in the picture.  I'm wearing:

E.L.F. Eyeshadow in punk funk 

Maybelline Eyestudio Eyeliner in blackest black

Maybelline XXL Mascara in black(?)  (bought really cheap from Bealls Outlet!)

Makeup for the Lazy Girl or Guy: The Battle of the Black Eyeliner: Maybelline

The Epic Battle:
It's probably no surprise that I love black eyeliner.  What "alternative" girl doesn't?  So I have started on a quest to find the best black eyeliner for the price.  I want something long lasting, inexpensive, and easy to find in the local store (as much as I support independent makeup companies, I like to be able to easily pick up the basics when I run out).


The Contestants:
So I'm a bit biased and always head to the Maybelline section to buy eyeliner for some reason.  I really have no idea why, but I do.  I think my first eyeliner pencil was Maybelline and it's just a force of habit?  I'm trying to break myself of that compulsion in any case.  Anyway, I'm going to compare these two Maybelline eyeliners:  (I was going to compare three, but apparently they stopped making the liquid eyeliner that I have from them)

Contestant Number One:
Maybelline Define-A-Line in soft black

from their website
because mine is so used the label has worn off

Contestant Number Two:
Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Eyeliner in blackest black

to show size

The Review:

How do you like contestant number one?

First off, the define-a-line pencil.  It's advertised as "an eyeliner that stays put all day" on the Maybelline website.  I'm not sure I agree with those sentiments.  It's certainly a soft eyeliner, and very easy to put on and get heavy lines with for that reason, but it also smudges just as easily.  I usually end up with dark smudges under my eyes by the end of the day if I don't go to the bathroom to wipe them off.  If you like the smudgy look, then I guess this eyeliner is pretty good, but I think it just starts to look messy in non-intentional way.  Actually I think the bad dark smudges under my eyes in the picture in the last review were from using this eyeliner, if I remember correctly.  

How about contestant number two?

So I recently picked up this eyeliner because a) I thought I lost my other black eyeliner and b) I wanted to try out the "gel" eyeliner that seems to be the new hip thing.  Maybelline advertises this eyeliner concoction as their "most intense line for lasting drama."  I will admit that this eyeliner holds up to their advertisements better than the define-a-line.  The brush-type applicator takes a bit to get used to if you don't come from a makeup-intense background (I was flubbing up my line all over the place until I got the hang of it), but I guess if you are used to using fancy brushes with your makeup, you won't have any trouble.  I was initially a little disappointed with the amount of product in the little pot, but I've been using it nearly every day since I bought it and it seems to not disappear as quickly as I thought.  The container could have been made a lot smaller to save on packaging (pretty much remove the entire glass section below the lid), but I know most makeup companies want it to look like there is more product than there actually is.  Anyway, amount of product aside, the gel itself feels like they just melted the define-a-line eyeliner down to fit into this new form.  It goes on just as easily, but it doesn't come off like the other does.  I can get a much more controlled line with the brush and it ends up looking like I have liquid liner on because of how perfect I can get my line.  As I said before, I'm not a huge fan of the smudged look, but I guess you could smudge it to get that effect.  I don't think you would have to worry about it smudging even more throughout the day either. 

flippy winged eyeliner is the best!
Also, I have no idea what my camera did to make this so orangey

How do the prices compare?

Well, I don't remember how much I paid for either eyeliner, but a quick search on the internet tells me that I paid a lot more than I normally would for the gel eyeliner.  The define-a-line will probably only put you out $5, but the eyestudio gel can run around $8 or $9.  Is the extra expense worth it?  I think so.  The define-a-line is the right price for me, but I don't want an eyeliner I have to take care of throughout the day, so I'll drop the few extra dollars on something I don't have to worry about.  

So who's the winner?

Definitely the eyestudio gel liner.  I haven't had any problems with its staying power to date, which is my biggest concern.  It does lose some points because of the price, but I think it's worth it.  I won't be buying the define-a-line anytime soon in any case.  

Expect more on the Battle of the Black Eyeliner as I try to find the longest lasting black eyeliner for the best price!  Any suggestions are appreciated ^.^

Makeup for the Lazy Girl or Guy: Intro and Milani Eyeliner

First off, let me explain to you, dear reader, how this kind of review will work and why I am doing it.  I love makeup, but I am a lazy girl when it comes to applying makeup.  I don't want to spend a long time on my makeup and I don't want to wear too much caked on my face.  I don't want to have to reapply my makeup throughout the day.  I want makeup that stands up to the test of my day in class and in the Florida heat.  I don't want to spend money out the butt for my makeup either, so expect drug store quality at best.  So now on to the review!

The Contestant:
Milani Infinite Liquite Eyeliner in infinite (blue)

Photo from Milani's website

The Review:
Is it long lasting?
Oh man, is this stuff long lasting.  They advertise it as "up to 24 hour wear," but I say it lasts much longer and through rough conditions.  I put this on in the morning and in the evening it hasn't even so much as smudged in the humid, sweat-creating Florida summer weather.  Now, I am good about taking off my eye makeup before bed (most nights XD), but this eyeliner fights to be removed.  Even with my makeup remover, this eyeliner wants to stay in place.  I have to literally scrub to get most of it off. In the morning there are always flecks still clinging to my eyelashes.  If you don't like it that long lasting, then this eyeliner isn't for you.  But if you're like me and would rather go into battle knowing your eyeliner isn't going to run with your sweat, then I highly recommend this eyeliner.

How does it feel?
This eyeliner is a bit thicker than most eyeliners I've used, but that must have something to do with its staying power.  It feels rather goopy when you first apply it, but it dries nicely and I forget that I am even wearing it unless I catch a glimpse of shiny blue out of the corner of my eye.  When I apply it (although I'm not the best makeup arteest) it can be a bit messy and always seems to end up in my eyelashes.  The applicator brush is a bit long and flimsy-feeling, not necessarily cheap, but it definitely requires a soft touch when applying so you don't get a huge messy line.  I've gotten used to it now, but I would rather it have a more sturdy tip like my other liquid eyeliners.

How about the price and where to buy?

The whole reason I tried this eyeliner to begin with was because of the price. (Although I will admit, I really like Milani's nail polish which swayed my purchase, but this was the first makeup I've tried from them)  I can't remember how much I payed for this eyeliner since it was a few weeks ago, but it was no more than $5, if even that.  I tend to buy my makeup from the local grocery store (Publix if you live in Florida) because makeup is a horrible (amazing) impulse buy for me, so I don't know where else you can get it.  When I bought this eyeliner, it was the first time I saw Milani's other products besides their nail polish (which I see everywhere).  They seem to make a niche for themselves with the bright, inexpensive products that I like, so expect to see more reviews of them soon.

Would you buy again?

YES.  I am planning on buying the rest of the colors they offer, because I need them in my life.