Color Icon Eyeshadow Palette Floral Values by Wet n Wild

Wet N Wild (393A) Floral Values

Not impressed.

It's not typical that Wet n Wild create a bad eyeshadow palette, at least out of the past few years. All the other palettes I currently own are tremendous in quality and value (all under $5 each) and have all been put out in recent years. Gorgeous pigmentation and beautiful colors which this one seems to fall extremely short of. 

I have the Naked Truth quint which happens to be a beautiful neutral palette

...not sure why Floral Values came up short as far as pigmentation and performance.

After several attempts at Floral Values I gave up. The shadow is chalky, the colors are not strong, the colors fade, it's hard to blend and it has lots of fall out.

Rather disappointing big time, especially since the colors are pretty and the very pale/almost white pink near the top is pretty good and so is the darkest color, a rich dark eggplant purple with tiny glints of pink shimmer - actually the only 'good' shadows in the whole quint.

Here are the other quints available besides Floral Values

Art in the Streets 

I'm his Breezey 

The Naked Truth 

Tunnel Vision

In the collage below I demonstrate how chalky and unruly the pigmentation is. Left side I used eyeshadow primer and right side with a moisturizing eye primer. This was after numerous 'packing on' of the actual shadow which didn't make much difference since the color looked like it was disappearing within seconds. After a while the shadow was barely noticeable, like it just vanished into thin air.

Thank you Wet n Wild for making great affordable eyeshadow palettes but I think you should take this one back to the drawing board! :)

Red Lipsticks calling my name!

 

Let's start with ELF! ELF's Matte lip color in Rich Red offers the very best of a red color for the lips. It's bright, it's rich in red color and it lasts on the lips. I just love the formula as well as the color payoff. The ELF Matte lip color collection is just a mere $3 (US) and is affordable for anyone looking for a perfect matte red. I came across the ELF line while shopping at my local grocery store and thought I'd give it a try. The lip color comes in a matte black retractable pen, you twist the holder near the product and it slides up. A coordinating color is also found on the bottom of the pen as well as the sticker with the color name.

 

 

 

 

I'm not fond of the taste of this lipstick, although the color is very pretty I don't really like the taste of saccharin which is what I'm tasting here. BUT, I love the way I can throw this lipstick in my purse and the ease of applying is phenomenal... A lipstick pen, c'mon it's perfect...my picture above looks like I've applied lip liner too.

 

I give this lipstick 4 stars out of 5... And I just hope ELF can make more colors just to see them hold up as well as this one.

 

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Another affordable lip color I've been wanting to try were the Wet N Wild Silk Finish lipsticks. These are the ones that cost under a dollar, so yes the packaging is lacking but is not important as far as quality is concerned. I've owned one of the original Silk Finish lipsticks ages ago but have since forgotten what the quality was like back then. These two colors caught my eye the most, #514A Cherry Frost and #509A Cinnamon. Cherry Frost is a true blood red with shimmer with a frost that is not that noticeable but is pretty. Cinnamon I would describe as a deep true blood red with no frost or shimmer and is moisturizing/shiny. My favorite of the two has to be Cinnamon...which does not give any hint of cinnamon-brownish undertone or anything close to it, I'm glad!

 

Lip Swatch of Cinnamon (no lip liner, no top gloss)

 

Lip Swatch of Cherry Frost (no lip liner, no top gloss)

 

While Wet n Wild makes nice MegaLast lipsticks in pretty colors, with the Silk Finish, not so much. Don't get me wrong there are some pretty colors in the Silk Finish though most of them are frosty or hideous...But rest assured I can choose about a handful of those colors that are worth trying out...like for example Nouveau Pink or Taj Mauve Hal, pretty!!

 

These little gems get 4 out of 5 stars as well.

 

 

Just a little pic of all my favorite reds :)

 

 

 

 

Fergie Collection for Wet n Wild

The Fergie collection by Wet N Wild hit my store as early as December 26th. What I love about the collection is that there is a little something for everyone...lipsticks, eyeshadow palettes, eyeliner, shimmering face powders, and nail polishes. The packaging is cute, polished, and hip....but it's Fergie so of course it is!

There are plenty of colors! I would list them except no info is available on Wet n Wild's website as of today. The eyeshadow palettes seem promising but I was not ready to buy just yet so my eye wandered to the lipsticks. I happen to fancy light pinks or raspberry colors, so for starts I got V.I.Pink and Penthouse Sweet.

V.I.Pink (below) A light pink with a hint of sheen

 

Penthouse Sweet (below) A darkened hot pink - the color is saturated, it's gorgeous

Swatches of the 2 on my hand - V.I.Pink and Penthouse Sweet

 

 

Honestly, these lipsticks are creamier than the very popular Mega Last lip color lipsticks. I own 12 of the Mega Last lip colors, and while they don't disappoint I really love the texture and feel of the Fergie lipsticks. There is a small size difference, Mega Last size is .11oz or 3.3 grams while Fergie lipsticks are .10oz or 2.5 grams....and depending where you buy them, Fergie lipsticks cost more than the Mega Last, but ever so slightly.

Fergie pic credit: Wet n Wild beauty

 

 

Wet n Wild Megalast Liquid lip color

 

 

Wet n Wild has really proven to us that they can make great products at great (and I do mean awesome) prices...but the new Megalast liquid lip colors are some that I wished WnW would have taken a little bit more time to perfect. If I may say not all of WnW lip products are gems, taking into consideration that they are lower in price than Covergirl and even Milani, so I'm not too surprised that these didn't work out all too well. BUT, its ok, they were worth the try, and I'm keeping these just to see how else I can work with them because the colors are indeed cute!

 

Colors I have:

Pocketful of Roses - Muted rosy pink

Click on my Hyperpink - Bright Barbie doll pink, almost neon (think Nicki Minaj)

Back to the Fuchsia - Medium Raspberry hot pink

 

0.23 fl oz. Retail $2 and up

 

I have seen the entire collection, while I only have 3 the collection offers almost everything from nudes to dark reds.

 

First impressions:

These were dry to the touch - after drying. When you first apply them they apply wet (smooth and creamy), then after about 60 seconds they dry to a matte finish, almost as if they were acrylic paint. Lips are dry and rough to the touch, with or without lipbalm applied previously. My second time applying I had to keep my mouth open to avoid lips touching so it would dry evenly. I had to apply lower lip first then upper lip without rubbing them together.

 

The lip color has almost no scent to it, but you can smell a faint plastic scent, but it is not bothersome to me.

 

 Pocketful of Roses on the lips after drying

 

 

Pocketful of Roses with gloss on top



 

When trying on Click on my Hyperpink, I ran into a few problems. Color would not apply evenly so a second coat was necessary for it to look opague without spots. This bottom pic is after I finally got it to look even. This took a while to achieve.

 

 

Lip color will peel off a bit if you rub lips together after drying, which looks like the bottom pic. I also experienced the wet lip color transferring to my teeth during application :)

 

 

Using Megalast Liquid lipcolor was not any different when used with balm, clear lipgloss or lip protectant. Trying out Back to the Fuchsia proved just that. I applied Carmex before applying. Color applied a little more evenly but after color dried lips felt dry and rough. I applied Sephora Glossy Gloss over top of it. Putting on gloss over something really dry is a little odd. It felt like I was applying lipgloss over texture paper.

 

When I wore all colors my lips felt slightly dry but not sticky or tacky. When wearing the lipcolor with the gloss, my lips felt heavy. Probably the color that gave me least problems was Back to the Fuchsia....It applies evenly and dries up but to avoid it flaking off I applied the clear gloss, it was wearable but a little uncomfortable.

 

Back to the Fuchsia after drying  

 

Back to the Fuchsia after drying with Sephora clear Glossy gloss on top

 

WnW Megalast liquid lip color in Pocketful of Roses is pretty good at not transferring, on the bottom pic I kissed my hand after a few minutes of wear. The only ones that transferred a little bit were Click on my hyperpink and Back to the Fuchsia, keep in mind I had gloss on with both. Transferring was little to none when wearing without the gloss

 

 

Here are swatches on the hand, first pic taken while lip colors are wet and bottom pic is after drying

 

 

My honest opinion? Lasting quality of the lip color was good. In the 8 hours of wear, my lips felt dry....I ate and drank water wearing only Pocketful of Roses, color had a bit of wear and unevenness but was still visible.  

 

 

 

Halloween Costume Idea: Black Swan

A good friend of mine recently said she considered being Black Swan for halloween this year, and of course I was the first to say "I'll do your makeup!!!" Strangely, I haven't even seen the movie, haha, but I did want to attempt the look....Studied Natalie Portman's pic for a little while, but overall I love the way it came out!

To prepare, I burst out the blackest eyeliner pencil I had, Urban Decay in Zero, and a small angled eye brush to smooth out the liner. To draw a sharp line on the nose, use a black liquid liner, it helps to have a picture to map out where you need to draw and to create the shape. Fill in the shape with the black pencil. Next I used NYX jumbo eye pencil in Milk to draw on the lines, it's a little difficult to draw on and keep the  color intense so I took color off the pencil with a small shader brush and applied it that way. Next, I topped the white areas with a silver shadow, here I used WnW Spoiled Brat. Make sure to line white near the inner corner point and on the upper lashline. Line the lower lashline with black eyeliner and line the lower waterline with a white eye pencil. Apply mascara. Use a flat foundation brush to smooth out edges of the shape.  

    

Because of time constraints I could not order identical eye lenses like the original for this look, so instead I put on stark light blue lenses.

I hope you enjoy your halloween! If you are dressing up this year, what will you be? I still need ideas!

A quick pic of me and my newborn :) I hope you are all doing well!

Halloween Costume Ideas/Tutorials

For the longest time I've wanted to create the 'Chola' look but never had the time until now. I am a believer that certain makeup techniques may have originated from this interesting look. Although I'm not a big fan of this type of makeup look, (outdated lips, over-emphasized eyes and brows) I do appreciate the drama in the eyes and the confidence in these women that wear the look today.

'Chola with the Dark Lips'

First look is sharp eyeshadow with dark lips! Put on your foundation, here I used Neutrogena's healthy skin makeup. Create a high arch in the brows, if your brows don't have a high arch that's ok, just darken them to the max! Mainly any black eyeshadow will do for the eyes, drawn on with a pencil brush, prime with NYX Milk or any white cream eyeshadow....

What I used: eyeliner on the lower lashline is Urban Decay in Zero and upper lashline is Maybelline Line Stiletto. Blush is Aziza in Desert. Lips lined with Urban Decay in Whiskey, lipstick is MAC Diva.

To complete the look you could add on large falsies (fake eyelashes) or instead of dark red lips use all black.

Another idea for Chola eyebrows, pencil thin this time!

'The Natural Looking Chola'

For this look I just mainly swept a deep purple eyeshadow on the lid and on the outer crease. I used NYX Milk to line my upper lashline. Blended out the purple using the beige color in the WnW (Wet n Wild) I love Matte palette. I did my brows normal here. I wanted to create a sharp contour so I used MAC eyeshadow in Antiqued.

What I used: Foundation is Neutrogena's healthy skin compact makeup, Urban Decay eyeliner 24/7 in Zero, WnW I love Matte palette for purple, beige, and white as highlight, Aziza blush, lips lined with Urban Decay eyeliner 24/7 in Whiskey, MAC lipstick in Creme d Nude, mascara Covergirl lash perfection

Have a great and safe Halloween!

WnW, Physicians Formula, Garnier Haul 2012

I've been hauling as much as I can! With a couple of new products out on the market, I just can't help it. I bought a couple of 'first time' items such as the new Revlon Colorburst lip butter and some C.O. Bigelow lip shines from BBW. Overall I'm pretty excited about most of my stash! I've been using quite a number of these items on a regular and never get tired of them.

CHI's Ceramic Nail Lacquer ($1.99) was a low-price find that seemed to be well worth it. Nano Silver, ceramic, and silk, are added to the formula that resists chipping. I got 5 colors...names are cute with an OPI-ish style. Left to Right is Purple Nights at the Mexican Riviera, Meet me in the copy room, Overnight Celebrity, Montego Bay Orange, and Snow Angels in Central Park. They are good for resisting chipping but show signs of wear just after 3 days.

I came across the newest MegaLast lip colors ($2.99). I assume these colors were so popular I have yet to find them again. MegaLast by Wet n Wild offers these long-wear lip colors with a nice color selection...These new colors are divine, 2 being actually wearable with my skintone while the other 2 are a bit too bright and shocking, but nevertheless are cute to add to my collection...Left to Right is Pinkerbell (968), Dollhouse Pink (967), 24 Carrot Gold (969), and Don't Blink Pink (966).

Another lipstick I've been wanting to try more colors of were the Ultra Color Rich lipsticks by Avon. Here I have Instant Mocha and Poppy Love that I picked up while they were on sale for 2.99 each. While I do have Rich Ruby, I find these transfer a bit too much to my liking. Rich Ruby is described as a matte red, Instant Mocha is a satiny mauve pink, and Poppy Love a bright red-orange similar to MAC's Lady Danger.

World Balmination - Glossy tinted lip balm by Hard Candy

One of my newest faves are the Color Sensational lipsticks which to my surprise I did not like at first. At this point I'm sure it was because of the color I had tried which I found was too slippery and shiny. But Pink Me Up (not pictured) has been on my lips practically since March! What I love about these is the satin smooth feel that keeps my lips comfortable during wear. My latest lemming was for Make me Pink and Red Revolution (above).

LA Colors Trio in Orchid

Milani's Multi-tasker powder ($5.99) has become an instant favorite of mine, which came at a good time being that I was in search of a great face powder. The multi-purpose powder is suppose to offer setting, finishing, and blotting, all of which have met these expectations. The powder works great at absorbing excess oil and reduces shine on my face but not so much on my nose, which I have to blot after 4 hrs or so. My color is in Light Tan 04, which I apply using a large round face brush like the Sephora Professionnel 49. I find the powder works best on me after I apply a face lotion or tinted moisturizer.

After seeing a few swatches of Revlon's Lip butters I decided on Lollipop ($4.99) which is a medium fuchsia pink with slight blu-ish undertones. The formula is rich and decadent and this particular color is chock full of pigment. Formulated with Mango, Coconut butter, and Shea that helps to boost lip moisture, I find that it lacks in moisture when wearing for a few hrs. I have yet to see another color that I would like to try but I'll keep my eye out.

New Sinful colors in Feeling Great, Cinderella, and Morning Star

I'm usually hesitant to buy Avon mostly because color matching foundations can be difficult from swatches in a book. I had heard that Avon's Extra Lasting foundation ($10.00) was a good one so I had to try it out for myself. I ordered Soft Honey only to learn that 1. It was too dark for me and 2. It seemed to get darker (oxidizing) after applying. Overall I really like the finish which dries matte.

Another thing I like about this foundation is that it has a pump but I am not crazy about it's cheap plastic quality.

Physicians Formula Bronzer (but I use as a highlighter) in Vegas Strip

Physicians Formula introduced a new pH line which is pH makeup that adapts to skin's own PH and lighting environment.

-Flourescein Based Dye is a dye that senses your pH level on your skin and adjusts within seconds.
-Photochromic Powders have lighting adjusting pigments that adapt to your environment.

Currently the line carries bronzer, lip gloss, and powdered blush, but I only wanted to try the blush, pH Matchmaker pH Powered Blush ($8.99) which I got in 'Natural' I would describe as a bright pink with red undertones. The packaging is quite bulky but is easy to use. It features a small blush brush at its underside compartment and lights up using LED power on both sides of the mirror.

A pish-posh of a few things like Rimmel London's Volume Flash the Max, ELF gel eyeliner, Maybelline Line Stiletto eyeliner, Nicole by OPI Kim-pletely in love, Rimmel London np Black Satin, LA Colors np Fiji Purple, and my newest fave Maybelline One by One Volum Express mascara.

I've taken a huge liking to the new Garnier BB creams ($10.99) for many reasons....it provides buidable coverage and are the most moisturizing of any foundation I have tried. I say 'foundation' only because I am not a large fan of tinted moisturizers nor have I tried any popular BB creams in all my life. The formula is creamy and gives my skin a lasting moisturized effect. Not oily at all, does not clog pores, and best of all does not slide off or move around my skin. At first I bought the Light/Medium color and later bought the Medium/Deep for the fast approaching summer season and to my surprise both colors work great with my skintone. Below is the swatch to get an idea of the colors and undertones.

I tend to be more oily during hot weather but since pregnancy I have been experiencing somewhat dry skin. Garnier BB creams are perfect for my skin at this time because I need that richness in a moisturizer.

Swatches of the MegaLast lipsticks by Wet n Wild. Left to Right - Don't Blink Pink, Dollhouse Pink, 24 Carrot Gold, and Pinkerbell.