NYX felt tip liquid eyeliner review

THIS IS THE GREATEST INVENTION EVER. In the liquid eyeliner world (: I am SO satisfied and pleased with this product. On the packaging, it's called "One day tattoo" and this is no joke. The regular liquid eyeliner (the skinny brush kind) I normally use isn't the simplest to apply, smudges easily, dries slowly, and is gone by lunchtime. This one, however, really lives up to its name!

NYX Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner

Product Description: A liquid eyeliner with a specially designed felt brush that releases just the right amount of color for precise and dark lining. Long-lasting, won't flake or smudge.

Ingredients: Water, Acrylates Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Laureth-21, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Conchiorin Protein, Perilla Ocymoides Extract, Propylparaben, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Methylparaben. May contain: Neheneth-30, Alcohol, Sodium Polyaspartate, Ethylparaben, Disodium Edta, Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide, Iron Oxides, D&C Black.

Pros: SUPER easy to use thanks to the fine tip pen style, rich, dark color, doesn't smudge, lasts all day, dries quickly, inexpensive for the quality.

Cons: since it lasts so long, it's a bit hard to take off without rubbing a lot (this is why I need to find a better m/u remover!)

What I thought about it: Using this is so insanely easy. It's like drawing with a marker pen... on your face. Compared to the regular kind of liquid liner with the skinny brush, this is 100 times easier to use. It does NOT smudge at all since it dries quickly (which might not be good if you make mistakes... so practice!) and lasts all day. The color doesn't flake or fade at all. The downside to this great factor is that it's harder to take off without really rubbing it off :( Which is why I'm still on my quest for the best m/u remover EVER :P

It's relatively inexpensive; only $7 which is well worth it for the quality. It glides on smoothly without any pulling or tugging and can be used to create a precision line or a thicker line in deep, dark color. I found that for me, it doesn't really stay on the bottom lid too well (I had to fill in some eyelash spots), but nothing too unbearable since I don't normally line my waterline anyway. It comes in 3 colors; dark brown, extreme black, and jet black. I got the jet black since the extreme black swatch on NYX's website looks a little blue :/ and the dark brown looked a little light. However, I'm thinking about buying the dark brown one in the future. I did a quick job this morning (excuse the messy half-done makeup :P) just to show the dark, deep color, and precision line. No smudges!

UPDATE!
I got this in Dark Brown too. Here is a swatch! I like it a lot... it is a lot more natural and subtle than the Jet Black.

I miss ZA NY's two-way foundation :[

ZA NY's two-way foundation used to be my HG pressed powder foundation a couple years back, until I found out they stopped selling their products in Hawaii and Australia. Why? I have no idea. Currently, ZA cosmetics are currently only available in: China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Thailand, Taiwan, and Vietnam. WORST THING EVER. It was only $12 which is relatively reasonable, considering how expensive worthwhile foundations usually are. The best part about these foundations? THEY HAVE SPF 20 and PA++!!!

I also used ZA's True White two-way foundation, but I found the original one to be my favorite. The original two-way foundation has 8 shades, while the true white has only 4 shades (pinkish undertones). However, the true white really did give a nice whitening and brightening effect to my skin while retaining the same finish as the original. But I didn't like it as much because of the limited variety of shades.


On the skin tone scale (when I was using this) I used a No. 34! Wtf? Yes, I was THAT tan :P But with my current skintone, I'm probably around a No. 22 (I can range between pink-yellow undertones for some reason). The only place I could find this was from this ebay seller who was very professional about answering the questions I had about it. Unfortunately (for me and my wallet), it runs for $25.55 with $5.55 shipping from Singapore w/o tax. So a bit over $31 for only the refill, NOT the entire case with applicator sponge. Again, unfortunately for me, I threw away my case and sponge after I used all the foundation because I assumed ZA would always be around :(

Anyways, I figured I'd go over some of the points that made this foundation my all-time favorite (unforgettable!) while I ponder whether or not I should place my order :(

ZA NY TWO-WAY FOUNDATION

Product Description: A two-way powder foundation that can be applied with or without water. Achieves bright, smooth skin while simultaneously protecting the skin from UV attack. A natural finish that lasts for hours.

Pros: comes in a cute, slim compact with a squishy soft sponge applicator, reasonable price, gives a silky smooth, long lasting matte coverage, hides imperfections, redness, dark circles, evens skin tone, has spf 20 and PA++, doesn't make skin look dry, controls oil, wide variety of shades for yellow and pink undertones.

Cons: the pan is a bit small... it still lasts pretty long though.

What I thought about it: This was the BEST foundation I have ever tried from my experience! Just read the Pros :D The coverage was GREAT for concealing redness and dark spots while not looking heavy or cakey; just smooth, fresh, and clear. It was also the longest lasting wear I've ever had that controlled shine all day. I MISS IT SO MUCH! :(

ZA NY TRUE WHITE TWO-WAY FOUNDATION

Product Description: Inhibits melanin production while providing the skin with solid protection from UV rays. Thoroughly covers up even conspicuous pores and dullness while achieving a natural finish with a fabulous clarity.

Pros: brightened and whitened my skin tone and complexion after continuous use + the same pros as mentioned above.

Cons: limited variety of shades + the cons mentioned above.

What I thought about it: The coverage of this was the same as the original two-way foundation and it did have a subtle lightening effect on my skin after using it for awhile. The only downside is that there are only 4 shades available and they ran a little pinkish imo so it was slightly too light for my skintone. However, it wasn't that bad and it still gave the same flawless, smooth finish.

Also, if you don't know what PA++ is, here's what I found on Yahoo!Answers:

"PA is a different indicator of protection for the skin. It's usually found after the SPF number. SPF is a sun protection factor of UVB rays. PA is used to measure the protection factor of UVA rays. I don't think they have means of measuring or studying the degree of UVA rays and how quickly they can be absorbed into the skin so they can't numerically tell you how much protection is in them exactly. There are 3 degrees of PA which are PA+, PA++, and PA+++. Of course, the higher the plus, the more protection."

You learn something new every day (;

Cruelty-free companies

If you're a Peta2 supporter like me, or just love animals and don't want to use products that are tested on animals, these lists for kind living will come in handy:

• Companies that DO NOT test on animals
• Companies that DO test on animals

ELF cosmetics review

This post was written on August 16, 2008. It's an old review on some Eyes Lips Face products I purchased. I figured I might as well post it up here, since it's worthwhile information. Put simply: YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!! (this is not a good thing) Michelle's review over at http://www.xanga.com/ricebunny also has some not-so-great info about ELF's products; be sure to check that out too.

POST/

So, I just received my order from ELF. I ordered it on 7/29/08. How's that for slow shipping? You do the math. Anyway, these are the products I ordered.

Here's how I rated them, based on their performance:

* - YUCK.

** - Bearable.

*** - What I expected.

**** - It's pretty good.

***** - The best as it gets.

As you can see, none of them received 5 stars.

CANDY SHOP LIP GLOSS TIN
RATING: *

I ordered this in Frosting Fanatic, but for whatever reason, I also received 2 OTHER candy shop lip gloss tins (Candy Fix and Mocha Maniac, incase you were wondering) in place of my free gift, which was supposed to be the Lip Gloss Cell Phone Charm Duo. I emailed them about that, we'll see if I get it free, ha :P Anyway, Idk if it was because the gloss melted during transit or what, but the casing was really sticky when I received it. I had to wipe it clean, and it is still kind of sticky D: Also, they all smell relatively the same. Like the Mocha one, which smells kind of weird anyway. I'm not sure if that's because they just absorbed that smell, but they all basically smell like that. The only difference is in color, which doesn't really matter on your lips anyway. It is VERY sticky, but the shimmer is not bad... BUT the STICKINESS kind of overwhelms it.

THERAPEUTIC CONDITIONING BALM
RATING: ***

It is really cute looking, as are the rest of the products, but once I opened the packaging, I realized the actual product is rather flimsy. It doesn't smell bad (I guess it smells like it is supposed to; strawberry creme) and it isn't sticky. It is VERY soft and smooth. I guess I would describe when applying it, it feels like what you'd expect it to feel like if you made lipgloss out of crisco and koolaid (yes, I was going to try that). So it feels kind of odd when you apply it, but other than that, it is okay. It seems to moisturize okay and provides a little shine. It is supposedly infused with Vitamin A and E and Shea butter.

ALL OVER COLOR STICK
RATING: **

Yes, it's cute and small and plastic. The color was sort of darker than I expected it (lilac petal), but then again, product pictures have better lighting. It applies okay... it's slightly sticky WHEN YOU APPLY IT, but not unbearable. I only applied it to my cheeks though. The color on skin is not bad, it comes off slightly "dark", but the shimmer and color is there, creating a dewy, glowy look. It smells nice and citrus-y.

SHIMMERING FACIAL WHIP
RATING: ***

Similar to the all over color stick, but brighter. Also lilac petal. It gives more shine and shimmer, but also feels a little more sticky AFTER IT HAS BEEN APPLIED, but feels easier to blend. It is also not unbearably sticky. I like the way the color turned out on skin, just not the texture so much. It's kind of weird to rest your face on your hand and end up with sticky fingers after :P It smells the same I guess.

SHINE ERASER
RATING: ****

This works about as well as I'd expect it to, I guess. It includes green tea extract. Idk if it was my wishful thinking, or if it really worked, but I guess it "mattefied" my skin a LITTLE. It did pick up some oil (it's hard to tell since I usually don't have that much) and reduced what little shine I had. Not bad. I liked the packaging the best.

LIP GLOSS CELL PHONE CHARM DUO

Where is it?

This was what I was supposed to get as my free gift. No doubt it is also sticky, smelly, and flimsy :P I doubt they will even send it to me, let alone reply to my email.

SO ALL IN ALL, you really do get what you pay for. You definately CANNOT beat $1 for each item. Shipping and quality control IS pretty bad. I did not get the free items I was supposed to get. So it was not a waste, rather, a learning experience I wanted to try. I'd have to say, the only products I am somewhat satisfied with is the shine eraser and conditioning balm. I know I said the stickiness of the other products is NOT unbearable, but I meant that I think other people would not consider it unbearable. I myself HATE sticky lip gloss and cosmetics. But I will still use these I suppose, since they were not HORRIBLE. Well, I need to go clean my keyboard now. It is covered in stickiness and shimmer. /ENDPOST

Anyway, I'd have to add that I haven't touched any of these products much since I wrote this. I also haven't gotten my free gift. I just can't tolerate makeup at THIS low quality for very long. I know I'm into drugstore chic, but this is just too far :P It also doesn't help that the products are made in China. Some people love this stuff, but the only good things I really can say about ELF is that they are cruelty-free and only cost $1 for each product.