Super Slim Infallible black eyeliner and comparisons

I'm one of those gals that really loves a great black eyeliner. A smooth liquid eyeliner that lasts all day, sort of like a tattoo! - I'm not that brave to jump on the tattoo bandwagon just yet, but for beauty, eh, maybe :) I'm here to discuss the L'Oreal Infallible liquid eyeliner called The Super Slim. You can find this eyeliner pen in almost any drugstore and retails for about $8.95. The sleek black pen offers a great thin line, or thick line whichever you prefer...With alot of patience and practice you can keep it as thin or thick as you like with a felt tip applicator like this one. 

Here I demonstrate how I've applied a line using the pen. I kinda like it. I'm not a huge fan of pens because I find they are not fluid enough - and I mean the flow level...but then again some pens are pretty good. Also felt tip liquid eyeliners, in my opinion, are a risk for being a dry out sooner, but not all are created equal. I took the time to compare other liquid eyeliners in my stash for simple color comparisons. 

• The Super Slim Infallible
• Maybelline Line Stiletto (one of my faves)
• Wet n Wild Mega Liner
• Essense liquid eyeliner

But before I dive into the comparisons I must explain the problem I have with The Super Slim. First of all, it's not very fluid. I don't like the way I complete half of the eye and then have to tip the pen for more fluid before I complete the 2nd half of the eye. Of course with similar pens you might encounter that situation but I think only as time goes. With this pen I saw a decrease in flow like the 3rd or 4th time using. The felt tip in my opinion is just too dry. Another problem I have is wear. My line does not last near the ends, so for example the line bleeds near the 'wing' area (outer eye) and bleeds towards the tear duct area. It's so funny because I had the same problem with the YSL Shocking faux cils...

($34) The line would look great but after an hour would melt away and bleed. It's not nice to be out and about with black smudges in the tear duct area. Same problem I had with the Super Slim. Packaging almost looks identical too.

Ok, as for the bad fluid flow and lines that smudge and bleed - Line Stiletto doesn't have this problem. Super Slim and Line Stiletto own the same type of felt tip - Super Slim just might be a tad bit skinnier than Line Stiletto. Honestly, I just really love the Line Stiletto - It's fluid, I can use it over and over again without it drying out on me, and it lasts on the eyelids very well. The last time I needed to buy a replacement was well over 4 months ago and I still have plenty left in the tube.

Essence liquid eyeliner is just one of those great, really cheap eyeliners that you can throw in your purse for on-the-go. The felt tip is fatter than regular felt tips but it is quick to apply (fool proof), fluid, and the color is pretty dark. The Mega Liner by Wet n Wild is a favorite of mine when I need a matte line. The formula cracks a bit if you apply too much (like a second coat) but I love the way the little brush is so thin and the color is dark and matte. Honestly, each liner has its advantages and disadvantages. Essence is too fluid, the felt tip is too fat, and since the handle is sort of small it's hard to handle with my already fat fingers. Mega Liner tends to be too dry and sometimes cracks when I apply a hard line with a 2nd coat - but the matte color and lasting quality is amazing. Line Stiletto's color is too shiny in my opinion, I really like semi-matte or pure matte black, I'm still looking for a way to tone down the shine on the Line Stiletto - but overall is my favorite of them all.

Swatches below are as follows: Top to Bottom - Essence, Mega Liner, Line Stiletto, and Super Slim.

Disclosure: Some items were sent to me for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Beauty tips from Celebrity Makeup Artist Claudia Betancur

Claudia Betancur gives her recommendations from the L'Oreal Paris cosmetics line! I have a review of the Lip Caress lip shine/stains, you can check it out here. Reviews of the CC Cream and Eyeliners are in progress! This summer step out of your comfort zone and try something new from L'Oreal. :)

 

For the face! "The ideal look for this time of year is to have skin looking fresh and transparent, this is why I recommend using the lightweight Visible Lift CC Cream from L'Oréal Paris because it is the perfect product for summer, as it helps to match your skin tone providing a smooth and radiant finish- while protecting you from the sun."

 

For the eyes! "Be bold and fearless and use vibrant eye colors.  I’m loving the new Colour Riche Eyeliners from L'Oréal Paris which comes in bold colors such as emerald green, cobalt, violet and the regular brown and black. Don’t be afraid to create a thick line over your eye with your favorite color. To add the final touch to your eyes, always apply a good mascara like the new L'Oréal Paris Voluminous Million Lashes Excess Mascara, ideally apply it from root to tip, and wriggle it in the middle to extend and separate the lashes."

 

For the lips! "Your  lips should always look fresh and cheerful, with lots of shine.  Use L'Oréal Paris Colour Caresse Shine Stain in Pink Resistance."

 

 

 

 

 

This article contains safe links. Products in this article provided for review purposes, all opinions are my own.

 

 

 

 

L'Oreal Revitalift Miracle Blur: My thoughts

 

L'Oreal's brand Revitalift recently launched a new product that instantly targets lines, wrinkles and pore size as part of the Opti-Blur technology and over time can minimize lines, wrinkles and pore size (use for 4 weeks) as well as improve skin texture. They have created 2 types of formula, Miracle Blur with SPF and Miracle Blur without SPF that is Oil-free. Besides it working just like a foundation primer I love the ease of application as well as the seamless look it gives. Out of the 2 I would say my favorite would be with SPF, it just works better for me, not too sure why, nevertheless the Oil-free sans SPF one does a great job of blurring as well.

 

 

 

Nice packaging and an easy squeeze tube.

 

Details:

Buy at any drugstore, prices range from $19.97 to $24.99. CVS (24.99 USD), Walgreens (19.99 USD), Target (unknown), Walmart (19.97 USD)

Contains 1.18 fl. oz. each

Contains Opti-Blur technology

Broad Spectrum SPF 30

Packaging reads: "Innovative skin transforming texture blends in seamlessly to create a perfectly smooth surface. Opti-Blur technology diffuses light on skin for a soft focus blurring effect. In an instant visibly erases lines, wrinkles, and reduces pore size, and in 4 weeks wrinkles, lines, and pore size appear minimized. Skin texture appears smoother."

 

 

 

Miracle Blur swatched on the hand. You can see where it is applied and how the wrinkles on my hand are less noticeable on the Miracle Blur part.

 

Above are swatches of the product, Left side is Miracle Blur with SPF and the right side is Miracle Blur Oil-free.

 

 

Just to see the difference I took 2 photos using the SPF Miracle Blur. Pic above is freshly cleaned skin, bare and the pic below is after I've applied SPF Miracle Blur.

 

I know my skin is totally not in condition to be photographing right now but I really wanted to show the comparisons on the Miracle Blur. You can't really see a difference other than in the second pic my skin looks less glowy and dewy. The foundation that I applied afterwards blended pretty well and the pigmentation of my foundation was pretty strong. In my opinion the face looks more matte and less dewy, that natural glow your face has after washing is taken away Miracle Blur. Not a bad thing at all just FYI.

 

In a nutshell, if you like skin primers before foundation I would give this a try. If you have subtle lines and wrinkles or pores that you would like to diminish for a period of time then I would absolutely give this a try. In my book it does its job and is a creative and innovative product.

 

 

 

 

Products in this article provided to me for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

 

 

Favorite Sunscreen - L'Oreal Sublime Sun

Yes, my favorite! Each and every one of these bottles does it's job. Separate from all the others, unique in it's own way. Quick story, I actually had grabbed a bottle of the Liquid Silk sunshield for the face last year on an impromptu trip to the Texas coast, I did purchase the Sublime Sun specifically for the face and I knew I wanted a very high SPF (this one has 50). I was amazed by the quality, turned out to be a fabulous find. What I love about this sunscreen is that is truly does work, I was able to avoid tanning for the remainder of my beach trip.

In a nutshell the L'Oreal Paris Sublime Sun sunscreen offers a variety of suncare needs. Some for the face, some for the body, some for the family. Each is designed with its own benefits...

Sublime Sun Sheer Lotion - With Anti-Oxidants and water resistant
Sublime Sun Liquid Silk/face - Ultra water resistant, doesn't clog pores and it just for the face
Sublime Sun Sheer Protect Oil - Skin Nourishing, Water resistant

 

This pretty awesome Sheer Protect Oil is also holy-grail material. I love the scent it gives, the protection, the way my skin glistens, it's just awesome. Complete with sunscreen and 4 different nourishing oils/butter for the skin, Argan, Grape seed, Sunflower, and Shea. I just can't get over the scent! I can't describe it, it really is not a creamy scent nor is it fruity, I guess it is a floral scent but isn't overpowering or annoying, it just smells delightful and somewhat expensive :) On a regular day I wouldn't apply the Sunscreen Oil as it is a little too oily for running errands in 100 degree weather, instead I'd spend a little time spreading on the Sheer Lotion which is fast absorbing. Whenever I am swimming I tend to reach for the Sheer Oil.

 

Sheer lightweight Lotion 3.0 fl. oz.

Sheer Protect Oil 5.0 fl. oz.

Liquid Silk for the face 1.7 fl. oz.

 

The Sheer lightweight lotion and the Liquid silk sunshield for the face in comparison. Lotion is on the left and is thick and creamy.

 

 

L'Oreal Nail Color - Perfect for Summertime

 

Time to break out the cute and bright colored nail polishes this summer! I am quilty of putting bright colors away to save until it is 3 digit temps outside but for the past 2 yrs or so I've just been wearing what-evs. Well, getting around to actually doing my nails is a big accomplishment for me, with 2 boys and 2 babies running around in my house! These beaute's are from L'Oreal of the Colour Riche line and I got to tell ya, the formula is amazing and the color selection is pretty nifty.

 

I have 3 bright colors and a golden color, I love golden colors, or bronzey types with lots of shimmer

 

Left to Right:

Orange you Jealous

Royalty Reinvented

Not a Cloud in the Sky

Because you're Worth it

 

All colors are crèmes with the exception of Because you're Worth it which has a beautiful frost and shimmer. Orange you Jealous I would describe as a beautiful melon color with mostly hints of pink, it is not overly orange nor neon, it has the perfect amount of melon and pink. Royalty Reinvented is the perfect medium lavender, it's definitely not too pastel nor too grape. Not a Cloud in the Sky is a pretty light turquoise somewhat similar to China Glaze's For Audrey but is more on the greenish side. Because you're Worth it is a nice smooth gold with shimmer and a bit of frost. It is not chunky or rough. 

 

The color selection is absolutely the best, one of the best I've ever seen drugstore wise. I have yet to find a drugstore that offers very little colors, you can mostly find regular colors and the newest colors or limited colors out on the 'new arrivals' shelves.

 

You get 0.39 fl. oz. and depending where you buy you can spend in between $4 to $7 per bottle.

 

All the reasons why I love them:

 

Non-streaky

Long-lasting

Great color selection

Great formula

Color saturated

Affordable  

 

Swatches left to right:

 

Not a Cloud in the Sky, Royalty Reinvented, Orange you Jealous, Because you're Worth it

 

Which colors do you have?

 

 

 

 

Some products were provided by PR. All opinions are my own.

 

Battle of the Butterbalms

When it comes to tinted lip balms, choosing can be tricky. There's the softness factor, longevity, SPF, quality, packaging (it must be easy to carry), and anything else you might consider while at the drugstore. I was getting a few questions pertaining to the infamous lip butters and balms...."which were your faves?" and  "Which ones were good in pigmentation?" So I decided to put these balms in a battle.

My personal favorite are the LOreal Colour Riche Caresse's. Stumbling upon these after finding a coupon I picked one up and hoped for the best. It's sweet scent, pretty color, moisturizing texture and smooth application got me. Another favorite of mine are the Revlon Lip Butters, and pretty much for all the same reasons! And while this article only feature items from the drugstore doesn't mean other nice tinted balms and butters from the higher end aren't as good, it's just taking me a while to discover (or I can't find myself to spend $20 on a little tinted lip balm from Sephora) :)

When it comes to pigmentation: The Revlon Lip Butters take the prize....

...more pigmented than the LOreal Colour Caresse, the LOreal Colour Riche Balm, Maybelline color Whispers, and the Revlon Just Bitten kissable lip balm stain. I must say that both Revlon's (Lip butters and Just bitten) seem to be almost at tie, lip butters are slightly more pigmented.

When it comes to moisturization longevity: It's a sweet tie between LOreal Balm with Argan and LOreal Caresse. The Revlon Lip butters are moisturizing except a little drying after a while.

When it comes to true shine: LOreal Colour Caresse take the prize. I had a little difficulty testing this out, it seems as though the shine is amazingly the same when swatched on the hand but on the lips it tells a different story. Revlon's Lip butters almost took this prize but the Colour Caresse's were shiny as if I'd put on a dab of gloss, but it was very close! Also keep in mind that the color of the product will make a difference in the shine, I found that most of my darker colors had more shine than the nudes or light pinks.

When it comes to color longevity: Revlon Just Bitten took this prize, but I didn't think it was fair since it is a lip stain, so all in all it was the Revlon Lip butters that took this prize. There was a little resistance with the Color Whispers so was it possible for a three way tie? Just to be on the safe side, yes. I think all three of them fair the best color longevity.

When it comes to color selection: Revlon Lip Butters and Maybelline Color Whispers tie. They both have 20 colors in the collection. I kind of hoped that the Color Whispers could of had more variety of bold colors versus that many light pink and nudes that almost make half of the collection. But nevertheless the colors suit any taste. Judging from the Revlon Lip Butter pic at the top you could tell that my love for them took over in my vanity. In my opinion the nude colors are sort of absent in this area. I just love the texture of them and I'll be first in line if Revlon ever makes more colors! 2nd prize in this category goes to the Colour Caresse's with 16 shades to choose from. The bottom of this list: Just Bitten with 12 colors and LOreal Colour Riche Balm with a mere 8.

 

Swatches of the participants -Top to Bottom:

 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable in Cherish

Maybelline Color Whisper in Mad for Magenta

Revlon Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake

LOreal Colour Riche Caresse in Merino Mauve

LOreal Colour Riche Balm in Rose Elixir

 

 

 

Loreal Caresse Lip Stain Gloss

Decided to gather a few and I'm glad I did because I really like them! Not much of a fan of stains or glossy stains per se but I enjoy these. My first purchase was the Infinite Fuchsia (far left in pic) - A darkened raspberry color and my 2nd purchases were Coral Tattoo and Pink Resistance.

Not a fan of the Pink Resistance. First of all, it looks opaque in the tube but goes on like a bare gloss, yuck. The Infinite Fuchsia upon first applying is a nice raspberry color and after a few seconds gets a tad darker. I found this to be the same for Coral Tattoo. Coral Tattoo in the tube is a bright but subdued coral orange, but more on the orange side. After wearing for 10 minutes noticed that it got darker, which is fine with me since the color transforms into something gorgeous.

These apply smoothly and seem to get more opaque as you apply. They stay on extremely well and stay glossy. They are not sticky nor heavy, instead lightweight and have a smooth feel, almost like satin. They all have a pleasant floral scent, at first it could be intimidating but the scent isn't obvious while wearing.

Removing the lip color is easy but when I removed Infinite Fuchsia and Coral Tattoo I saw a bit of staining of my lips, which is fine.

You can find these at participating drugstores. I found mine in Walgreens and paid 9.99 for each.

Giveaway: L'Oreal Voluminous False Lashes Mascara

Is it possible to love a mascara so much? Yes it is! Here is my official review and thoughts....Don't forget to enter my giveaway for this wonderful gem...Details at the end of the review :)

Price: Depends where you buy from, but I have seen them retail between $7 and $10.

Pros: Packaging is beautiful, formula is great, no smudging, no flaking, affordable, easy to use.

product: 5 stars out of 5

packaging: 5 stars out of 5

quality: 5 stars out of 5

overall : 4.9 stars out of 5

would buy again? Yes

My thoughts: 

Sent to me specifically to try out and review, I was super excited at the chance to try this mascara that as soon as I received the package I tried it on and loved it, haha. Ok so many of us have this 1 mascara in our lifetime that is a holy grail item, we go out and buy 3 at a time and have gone through so many to count.....Well....I have a feeling this mascara is going to be mine :)

Packaging - Isn't it gorgeous! I was using it in my office and a couple of people came in and asked me if it was Chanel or Gucci or something, lol....I love the gold tube, so shiny! I think the best part of the packaging is that it doesn't look cheap or gaudy instead it looks elegant and expensive.

Formula - I find this formula to be perfect. I always tend to wait a few days before using a new mascara because I can't stand to use a new one since the formula always tend to be watery. This formula was actually very nice, it wasn't too watery nor too dry. The formula doesn't create a glob on the wand, the wand holds the perfect amount needed to do the lashes. There is not a weird smell or scent in the formula, I know scent is a concern with some. When you first look at the wand you can see the small fibers in the formula, they are not large or too small, they are perfect. 

Applying - This is the easiest to apply! I like to curl my lashes then apply it. I can see both length and volume, maybe more length than volume but still they come out gorgeous! I don't see any odd fibers in place and as a matter of fact I don't see them at all as I am applying which is great since they blend very well while applying to create the false lash effect. 

Wear - There is no flaking nor smudging. The hold lasted all day, I usually put on makeup between 8 and 9am in the morning and I take it off as soon as I get home which is in between 6 and 7pm. The hold is pretty good, lasting the curl nearly all day, by 5pm the curl was still there but not as great as it was in the morning.

Notes:

The wand is comparable to the Maybelline Lash Stiletto mascara. As you can see I am merely comparing the 2 side by side as I find the wands look similar in shape and size.

The formula is available in waterproof and in black-brown color as well.

Lash Stiletto and Voluminous False side by side.

In these pics I tried to capture the fiber on the lashes, as you can see on the above picture. Of course when blended well it looks alot better. The other 2 pics are with 2 coats.

Win one Voluminous False Lashes Mascara - GIVEAWAY!

All you have to do is 'Like' Lali Amora Beauty Blog's on Facebook and you are entered to win a tube of Voluminous False Lashes Mascara! Deadline is January 31, 2012..... I have plenty to give away so make sure you enter today!

Good Luck gals!

Mascara: Loreal Double Extend - Carbon Black

For some reason Mascara Primers seem to be coming out the woodwork lately, is it just me? Because of the outbreak of lash primers I decided to try one out for myself! I recently got the Loreal Carbon Black Double Extend mascara.......

Currently Loreal has three types of mascaras with a white primer on the opposite end. Double Extend (average $9), Loreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes mascara ($10-$11) and Double Extend with Lash Boosting Serum ($10-$11) I have yet to try the Double Extend Beauty Tubes or the Lash Boosting mascara.

At first I was not too fond of the primer, I tried applying it a few times, even putting on about 5 coats before any of the 'white' primer showed up on my lashes. Afterwards I did apply the black mascara on top and the outcome was so-so. I've had better experience at creating a curl even without using a primer...

For me, this mascara was a big 'miss'....I'm eager to try out the Double Extension Beauty Tubes mascara

So this is my question to you gals...Which lash primer and mascara do you love? Leave your comments and suggestions in the comment box of this post!