New for Fall/Winter 2015, essence has released their easy 2 use jumbo eyeliner pen – a black felt tipped liquid liner. With a suggested retail price of $3.49 CAD, this is a pretty inexpensive liner… but how does it perform?
essence easy 2 use jumbo eyeliner pen
I’m always a little bit skeptical about felt tip eyeliners as I’ve never had amazing results with them. And I’m even more skeptical about huge, chubby felt tipped eyeliners because I feel like they’re really unwieldy. Oddly though, while I found the felt tip to be on the shorter size of things (I’d prefer it longer and sleeker), the chubbiness of the pen didn’t bother me much when I was lining my eyes.
essence easy 2 use jumbo eyeliner pen – swatches
The easy 2 use jumbo eyeliner pen swatches a dark, opaque black, but you will notice a little bit of skipping around the edges. It’s not super obvious, but since I’m used to brush tip liners, I did notice I had to make a couple passes to fill in the skips. The eyeliner isn’t totally matte as it has a slight sheen.
essence easy 2 use jumbo eyeliner pen – winged liner
As you can see in the shot above, it’s VERY pigmented. It goes on the eye smoothly and stays put. I didn’t notice any fading throughout the day, although I did notice the liner got a little bit shinier as the hours progressed (probably oil build up from my eye).
essence easy 2 use jumbo eyeliner pen – winged liner
You can see a I got a fairly clean edge all the way out to the corner. Since the felt tip is slightly thicker than my usual eyeliners, I did find I had a bit of a tougher time getting a super sharp point at the end, but that may just be because I’m accustomed to slimmer tips.
essence easy 2 use jumbo eyeliner pen – full face
Overall, I’m quite pleased with how this liquid liner performed. The felt tip has enough flex to get into the crevices of my eyelid, and the pen delivers product all the way to the tip (huge bonus!). The price point ($4 CAD) is also highly attractive and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with the product.
essence is sold exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada and at Ulta and Fred Meyer in the US.
This post features press samples sent for consideration.
The liquid lipstick obsession that has taken us over shows no signs of letting up any time soon! ColourPop (relatively) recently threw their brand into the mix, offering up their Ultra Matte Lips. I’m already a huge fan of matte lips, so I was excited to try these out and see how they compared to stuff I already owned. It was rough choosing colours, but I managed to talk myself into only getting five. (And that was down from 11!)
ColourPop Ultra Matte Lip ($6 USD each)
The Ultra Matte Lips come in a clear acrylic tube with a silver top. They have a doefoot applicator that picks up a decent amount of product. I found I needed three dips into the tube to get a fully covered lip.
ColourPop Ultra Mattes in Trap, Donut, Bumble, Tulle and Mars (swatches)
The colours go on fully opaque in one swipe, but they are not forgiving in the least. If you make a mistake while tracing your lip line, you will need to completely wipe off your lip product and start again. (Which I had to do three times in the Mars swatch below.)
ColourPop Ultra Matte Lip swatches to show texture
Once these dry, they set completely and are transfer proof. You can see in the shot above just how much it sinks into my skin – it definitely emphasizes your skin’s texture. Because these are totally transfer proof, these suckers are the very definition of a dry formula in my opinion. Your lips will feel a little bit constrained and you may find the inner rim of your lip starts to feel a little crispy/rough where the line between your lip colour and your inner lip starts.
Lip Swatches
ColourPop – Trap
I picked up Trap because it’s unlike anything I own. To me it looks like a mauvey-grey, and it’s oddly wearable!
ColourPop – Donut
Donut is a warm pink with a brightness to it. I think a lot of people would have an easy time wearing this one.
ColourPop – Bumble
Bumble is… man, how do I describe this? It’s like an orangey-red brick colour with… something else to it. Another totally unique colour to my collection.
ColourPop – Tulle
Tulle is a darker version of Bumble but I would never call them the colour since the tonalities are a bit different. Fantastic shade for fall.
ColourPop – Mars
Mars is the shade that feels the most “me” when I saw it in swatches. It’s odd though – the shot above is such a red-pink, but I think it looks more fuchsia in person.
Final Thoughts
The ColourPopUltra Matte Lips retail for $6 USD each and I think the price point is incredible for what you get. These lip products are budge proof and have incredible longevity (they’ll stay put for hours on end so long as you aren’t eating anything overly greasy). The colours are incredibly imaginative and I experienced intense colour without any patchy-ness.
However, I’ve never had anything so drying on my lips before. I actually really enjoy dry mattes (i.e., MAC’s Retro Matte formula), but this formula has absolutely no give to it. For me, I was never able to forget that I was wearing these when I had them on, as I was always hyper aware of just how dry my lips felt. (And you definitely cannot just wipe these off when you want to remove them – you need an oil based makeup remover to get them off.) But maybe that’s a toss up! You have great staying power and longevity without having to worry about it, but you have to give up the comfort on your lips. I do appreciate that I never had to worry about the product while wearing them though. They won’t feather or bleed and I’m EXCEPTIONALLY prone to that.
At the end of the day though, I think I’ve got the colours I want and I won’t be picking up any others. It’s hard for me to get past the absolute dryness of the product not matter how much I love the colours.
Have you tried these before? What are your thoughts?
A few weeks ago I got an e-mail out of nowhere saying that H&M was revamping their Beauty Department and they were re-launching with 700 products at the Toronto Eaton Centre that very week!
H&M has launched their Beauty Department!
700 products is no freaking joke either. They’ve got all the bases covered too. There are eyeshadow palettes ($12.99 CAD), single eyeshadows in every single colour of the rainbow ($7.99 CAD), lipsticks, lip primers, liquid lipsticks, foundation, eye liners, liquid liners, concealer… The list goes on and on.
Eyeshadows in every single colour of the rainbow!
I mean just look at that colour range!
There’s a LOT of variety!
Nail polishes as far as the eye can see! Lipsticks out the wazoo!
I have a few of the products to review, so here’s a look at what I’ve been applying to my face lately.
H&M Eye Colour Palette in Smoky Nudes
H&M has a few nine pan palettes to choose from, although they are more in the “safe” zone for colours. (Green was the wildest shade in any of the palettes.) The palettes are priced at $12.99 CAD which is fairly amazing given that most drugstores are now selling palettes in the $20 range.
H&M Eye Colour Palette in Smoky Nudes
The Smoky Nudes palettes is a neutral lover’s paradise. It has your typical brown transition shades, your lighter highlight shades, a few midtone shimmery shades (although that middle shade is a total glitter bomb) and a darker colours to deepen everything up. They swatch well and so far wear well, but they can be a bit powdery at first touch, so be sure to tap off that brush!
H&M Pure Radiance Powder Blusher in Apricot
You’ll notice right off the bat that the packaging on these products is pretty freaking sleek. Given how luxurious they look, you may be taken aback by just how light they are. Keep in mind that although they’re gorgeous to look at, the products are priced in the drugstore range, so you won’t get the added weight that comes with a high end product. (This is neither here nor there, but it’s worth mentioning because when I picked up my first product I was taken aback how light it felt!)
H&M Pure Radiance Powder Blusher in Apricot
The Pure Radiance Powder Blusher in Apricot is a very, VERY pale peach. On my skin tone it just doesn’t show up enough. However, I did swatch some of the other blushes while at H&M and they are definitely pigmented, this just wasn’t the right shade for me as it’s too close to my own skin colour.
H&M True Matte Finishing Powder in Warm BeigeH&M True Matte Finishing Powder in Warm Beige
The True Matte Finishing Powder is very, VERY mattifying. I wouldn’t recommend it too much for dry skin, but oily folks – you’ll love this one.
H&M True Matte Finishing Powder in Warm Beige and Pure Radiance Powder Blusher in Apricot (swatches)
As you can see, the Warm Beige True Matte Finishing Powder blends right into my skintone (good match!) and the Apricot blush almost does as well. Both look rather chalky in the swatch, but I don’t feel they applied that way on my face.
H&M lipstick and lip primerH&M Lip Fixation Primer and lipstick in Candy Apple
I’m running low on my MAC Prep + Prime for lips, so I wanted to give H&M‘s Lip Fixation Primer a try. This isn’t as slippy as the MAC version – it definitely has a lot more grip. AND THE SMELL IS INCREDIBLE. It’s vanilla, but even moreso than the way MAC lip products smell. Loving the primer so far!
The lipstick I have is Candy Apple. It’s a creamy, easy to apply red shade that wears well with the primer. It has some slip to it so it won’t wear as long as a matte, but I had no issues when I wore this for several hours at work. The lipstick far less scented compared to the primer – almost nothing at all really.
H&M lipstick in Candy Apple
Very, very vibrant and exceptionally good colour payoff with very little pressure.
H&M Colour Essence Eye Pencil – Into the Blue
A bit of a random grab – this is the Colour Essence Eye Pencil in Into The Blue. I wanted to grab an eyeliner for variety, but I haven’t tried this one out yet. I can tell you that this swatched easily without tugging on my skin though. Two thumbs up for that!
H&M nail polish in December Dawn
Their nail polish selection is nothing to scoff at either. At first glance, they’ve got about 50-60 shades! The one pictured about is December Dawn (LOVE THE NAME) and it’s an iridescent white pearl with pink/gold reflects. Gorgeous.
H&M High Impact Eye Colour – In The RedH&M High Impact Eye Colour – In The Red
And finally, the piece de resistance: a red eyeshadow. H&M‘s lineup of single shadows is immense. We’re talking every single colour of the rainbow! And it’s not like it’s an easy thing to find a red eyeshadow (a personal favourite eyeshadow colour of mine, if you’re unaware), especially at a reasonable price and NOT limited edition.
H&M High Impact Eye Colour – In The Red (swatch)
HNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGG. Just look at that! Solid, stunning, matte RED!
Using a few of the products from their recent launch, here’s what I came up with:
Wearing the new H&M Beauty Department productsRed eyeshadow AND red lips? Hell yes!
On this day I didn’t apply any foundation, but I have the Apricot blush on my cheeks (really not that visible against my skin).
Wearing In The Red shadow and several colours from the Smoky Nudes palette.
For the eyes, I used the In The Red single shadow as my lid colour, and then built up the outer corner and crease with dark and medium browns from the Smoky Nudes palette.
Wearing In The Red shadow and several colours from the Smoky Nudes palette.
Final Thoughts
The one thing I really want to point out with the H&M Beauty Department is that while there are certainly “wearable, natural, neutral” looks to be created amongst their products, there are also a ton of products in fun, exciting, colourful shades. Their single shadows impressed me and if you’re looking for a particular shade to try out, their range might be the best way to do it. The single shadows are reasonably priced at $7.99 CAD and the variety in colour is unheard of. The eyeshadow quality is also top notch as I experience little to no fading throughout the day on my eyelids.
Overall, I’m impressed that H&M launched with such an immense range of products and colours. I think there’s something for everyone in this line and what I’ve experienced of the quality so far is quite good.
Let me know if you’ve tried any of the new stuff? Or even the old stuff? How does it compare?
This post features press samples sent for consideration.
For the last few months, Bite Beauty has been releasing limited edition 250 point perks at Sephora. September’s shade was Mimosa and I snagged it in one of my recent Sephora orders.
Bite Beauty 250 point perk from Sephora
The 250 point perk come with a mini lipstick, a mini lip gloss and a pocket sized mirror. Each package is themed around a single colour, so you end up getting a corresponding lipstick, gloss and mirror.
Bite Beauty Mimosa lipstick
The Mimosa lipstick is all kinds of amazingess. It’s a orangey-red and has the typical “Wild Berry” scent that Bite‘s lipsticks have. Mimosa has a luminous creme finish and glides onto the lips easily. The colour is absolutely incredible, plus… you can’t go wrong with a name like Mimosa!
Bite Beauty Mimosa lip gloss
Having never tried a Bite lip gloss before, I was intrigued to find that their gloss has a citrus scent. The Mimosa gloss mimics the colour in the lipstick and holy smokes is it ever pigmented! I couldn’t believe just how much colour is packed into that gloss.
Bite Beauty Mimosa swatches
Aren’t those swatches incredible? There’s so much colour in both the lipstick and the gloss!
Bite Beauty mirror
The tiny pocket mirror has turned out to be handy too. I didn’t actually have a small mirror I could carry around with me that looked decent enough to take outside my apartment so I’m pretty happy to have this cute little one.
Wearing Mimosa lipstick
Mimosa is the kind of shade of red that I absolutely love wearing. I feel like it’s similar to Revlon‘s Fire and Ice (another favourite) although I’ve not compared them side by side. It’s an easy red to wear – not only because it looks gorgeous, but also because it sits on the lips really, really nicely. Unfortunately, Mimosa is a limited edition shade, so if you want it, be sure to snatch it up! I think I’ll be picking up the full size because I’m completely enamoured with the colour.
I’m curious to see what colour Bite Beauty will release next month! Last month was Bellini, a gorgeous neon pink shade, so I kind of feel like they’re sticking with the drink names. Maybe Sangria is next? Hmmm….
I like lip balms. I like a LOT of lip balms. In fact, I keep a freaking container full of them on my nightstand for easy access when I’m going to bed. Like seriously, look at that jar on the left above – that’s all lip balm!
As someone who wears a lot of matte lipsticks, I’ve found that keeping my lips moisturized is the best way to ensure that I don’t have any flaky patches of skin on my mouth and that my lips can recuperate from being dried out all the time. I tend to wear most of my lip balms overnight so that they can sink in to my lips and not get wiped off by eating or drinking.
So here’s a roundup of all the balms I’m loving right now.
Nivea lip butter in Vanilla & Macadamia, Lobello lip butter in Coconut
So little did I know, but apparently Nivea and Labello are the same company. I picked up the Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla & Macadamia while I was on vacation in Galway, Ireland (and as a result, the scent of it always reminds me of Galway which really just makes it incredibly special to me!) and I grabbed the Coconut scent in Vienna, Austria last year. Both of them have the same very thick, slippery consistency and smell absolutely delicious. I tend to prefer using these overnight because they leave quite a bit of a white-cast on your lips which isn’t so flattering during the day. I love these so much that I’m almost done the Vanilla & Macadamia and I’ve previously finished a Caramel Kiss one!
Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm
Now this is a luxurious lip balm! Nuxe‘s Reve de Miel lip balm was such a surprise when I opened it – I was expecting it to smell honey but instead it has a very lemon-y scent. I love lemons though, so that works out of me! With a name like “Dream of Honey” though… the last thing I was expecting was lemon! This balm is wonderful and perfect for the cooler, drier months (if we ever get there that is. Toronto’s been rocking the 30Cs lately. Ugh.) to keep your lips hydrated. It’s thick enough that you’ll actually feel like you’ve got a physical barrier on your lips to keep them from getting wind-burned, but it doesn’t look like you’ve got cakey balm all over your lips. Love, love, love.
eos lip spheres in Coconut Milk and Sweet Mint
Ah yes, the eos spheres. Who isn’t familiar with this insanely adorable round balls? I’ve actually had mixed feelings about these balms for quite some time: I bought and returned Summer Fruit because I could not stand the smell of it. I’ve asked multiple people and most people smell the fruit scent, but all I get off that one is a very plastic, synthetic scent. I swore off them thinking they were all like that… until I was recently sent these two: Coconut Milk and Sweet Mint, and neither of them has that offensive smell that I got off Summer Fruit.
The eos balms are thinner in consistency than the balms I mentioned above, which makes them easier to use on the go. For me, I think “airplane balm” when I use these since they’re convenient to toss in a bag and take with you. Bonus points for not needing to dip your fingers into a pot when you’re travelling! Sweet Mint is my favourite out of the two; it has a refreshing peppermint taste that definitely tingles a little bit. Coconut Milk smells like it’s name implies and it’s just as pleasant on the lips as well.
Softlips CUBE in Vanilla Bean
The CUBES by Softlips are definitely their answer to eos‘ lip balm spheres, but I’m not complaining because they’re just as adorable. Made to look like ice cubes, these balms have the same thin consistency as the eos spheres and like I said with the eos balms, these are definitely travel friendly. Vanilla Bean is my favourite scent, but they also have Berry Bliss for you fruit lovers out there.
Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask in Maple
And finally, the mother of all lip balms: Bite Beauty‘s Agave Lip Mask in Maple. This is a very recent addition to my balm collection so I’ve only used it a few times. I’m mostly excited to use this during the winter because it has a very, VERY thick consistency (so much so that it’s kind of hard to get it out of the tube). I picked this up because I had wanted to try out the Lip Mask before, but somehow couldn’t justify the price point ($30 CAd *gulp*)… that is… until they came out with the Canadian-exclusive maple flavour! There is a hint of translucent brown colour to the balm so it will add some colour to your lips while wearing it. If nothing else, the scent is divine.
Not that I need ANYMORE lip balm, but what’s your favourites? What did you hate? Tell me!
The eos spheres and Softlips CUBE were sent to me for consideration.
