May 3, 2013

Ellis Faas Creamy Eyes in Teal, Khaki Green, Peachy Skin - pics, swatches, review

Hello, Beautiful!

Ellis Faas Creamy Eyes has new shades - 14 new shades to be exact! Back in November I reviewed the shade Taupe, which is a really pretty brown that anyone could wear, but in this post I'll show you three of their newer shades: Teal, Khaki Green, and Peachy Skin. Out of those three shades my favorite is Teal; just really pretty! What shade do you like best? Read my full review and all the info after the pics!

Ellis Faas Creamy Eyes
Shades: E124 Teal, E125 Khaki Green, E129 Peachy Skin
Continue scrolling down to see more pics of each individual shade.












Ellis Faas Creamy Eyes
Shade: E124 Teal






Ellis Faas Creamy Eyes
Shade: E125 Khaki Green






Ellis Faas Creamy Eyes
Shade: E129 Peachy Skin




Ellis Faas Creamy Eyes Info & Review:
Cost/Availability: $36.00 (0.085 oz full size). Available on the Ellis Faas website, at Sephora (although at the time I wrote this post the new shades were not available), and everywhere else Ellis Faas cosmetics are sold.
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Kisses!

Opaque, semi-matte liquid eyeshadow with a velvety texture. With its quick-drying properties and special blend of flower and coffee extracts, Ellis Faas Creamy Eyes provides coverage without heaviness.

Ellis has tested hundreds of eye shadows over the course of her career, and the moment she tried the formula of what has become her Creamy Eyes she fell in love with its velvety texture.

These shadows have really great pigmentation; you can build the intensity if you want buy you will likely find you only need one layer to get all the color payoff you need. Comes in a click-pen applicator. You'll need to prime the product (meaning to get it started for the first time) by clicking it about 10 to 12 times, then you just need to click it once or twice for each use to get plenty of color out.

This product does dry down very quickly, you have maybe 30 seconds tops of playtime before it sets. I suggest working one lid at at time, blending right away (as you need to do with most cream shadows).

I think these shadows are easy to use, easy to apply, and the shades are really pretty. Now that they've expanded their shade selection there are so many pretty colors to choose from in addition to their great core set of colors.

Out of the three shades I shared with you in this post, my favorite is Teal. They're all really pretty in their own way though, and if you're a green shadow person than you'll go crazy for Khaki Green; it's the perfect olive army green shade!

Overall, I still really like these shadows and the whole Ellis Faas line. Definitely would recommend giving these a try!

Now let me know what you think...
What do you think of these shadows? Have you tried them or are they now on your wish list? What shade do you like best? Discuss in the comments below.

May 2, 2013

Rimmel ScandalEyes Show Off Mascara in Extreme Black - before & after, pics, swatches, review

Hello, Beautiful!

I recently tested the Rimmel ScandalEyes Show Off Mascara in the shade Extreme Black. This mascara is a fiber formula, meant to lengthen lashes and this particular mascara also says it gives you lots of volume. Length and volume; sounds like my kind of mascara! What did I think? Check out my full review below and all the info after the pics!

Rimmel ScandalEyes Show Off Mascara
Shade: 003 Extreme Black

 






Rimmel ScandalEyes Show Off Mascara Info & Review:
Cost/Availability: $6 to $7 depending where you shop (0.41 fl oz full size). Available at Walmart, Target, CVS, and other drugstores, as well as Ulta. Check out the Rimmel London website for more info and they have a Try It On tool.
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Kisses

Rimmel ScandalEyes Show Off Mascara is a fiber formula that lengthens lashes with a breakthrough brush. The flat side build for va-va-voom volume, while the ball tip lifts and curls lashes. Flake-proof, smudge-proof formula that lasts morning to night!

Available in two shades: Black and Extreme Black. I have this in Extreme Black, because well why not? If you're going to go black, go extreme, haha. But seriously, I like rich, deep, intense black mascaras so of course I'm going to pick the one that is the richest black they have!

This mascara is a drier formula, which I know some people prefer - but don't think it's dried out when you get it. Some mascaras are just drier formulas, that's all. It goes on nicely with no real clumps - although there were some micro clumps, but not really detectable and something you could easily take care of with a mascara comb (I left any micro clumps in for the before & after pics).

It does a nice job at lengthening, but I don't find it to really add volume. For a fiber formula, I find this goes on nicely. Some fiber formulas can be a bit messy, and even really wet, but this one really wasn't messy or wet. The fiber formula I think is the reason for the nice lengthening effect it gives your lashes, but I wouldn't consider this a volume mascara at all.

One thing I really liked about it is it separates your lashes really nicely. I think this is a mascara that would layer nicely with other mascaras.... use this one for lengthening after you use your favorite volumizing mascara. That's what I plan to do with this until it's used up/past it's good use. I don't think this is a bad mascara by any means, but I don't think it's amazing either. For me, this is a natural-look mascara when used alone.

I'd recommend this if you're looking for a lengthening mascara that separates your lashes nicely and looks natural but still makes your lashes pretty.

Now let me know what you think...
What do you think of this mascara? Have you tried this or is this on your wish list? Discuss in the comments below.

May 1, 2013

Eyeko Lash Curler - Limited Edition Blue Velvet - pics, review

Hello, Beautiful!

Am I the only one terrified of eye lash curlers? I don't know... I just never use them because, well, they terrify me! However, I've recently gotten brave enough to try another one out, this one from a brand I trust and really like - Eyeko. It's a limited edition blue velvet lash curler. It's really pretty, which made me want to try it even more. So what did I think? Was I terrified? Did I have good results? Check out my full review & all the info below after the pics!

Eyeko Lash Curler - Blue Velvet



 









Eyeko Lash Curler Info & Review:
Cost/Availability: $16.00 (1 lash curler and includes 2 replacement pads). Available on the Eyeko website.
My Rating: 4 out of 5 Kisses

The Eyeko lash curler features enhanced design for ultimate precision and ease of use for optimum curl. The ergonomic handles with velvet soft-touch finish provide the perfect amount of pressure and control to ensure beautifully curled lashes. Use before applying mascara to lift your lashes for a wide open eye look.

Includes 2 spare silicone rubber pads, which you should change every 3 months. Also comes in a box, making it a nice giftable item.

This lash curler did a nice job at curling my lashes. I'm still a little terrified of lash curlers, which is why I mostly stay away from them, but this one didn't pinch or tug.

The blue pad had a hard time staying down on the left side. It would go down after it was closed, but then pop back up. I had to fight with it the first couple times I used this and then it eventually stayed down. That's probably the only negative thing I have to say about this lash curler.

I was worried the blue velvet handle grips would get dirty fast, but they've stayed fairly clean and they're easy to wipe down. They do feel comfortable in your hand.

If you're looking for a new lash curler maybe try this one from Eyeko before it's sold out or before they stop carrying it (since it's limited edition).

Now let me know what you think...
What do you think of this eye lash curler? Have you tried this or is this on your wish list? Discuss in the comments below.

Target Beauty Box, my FOTD Before & After, & other....

Hello, Beautiful!

Just wanted to quickly mention Target put out a new Beauty Box that is $5 (shipping & tax included) and it includes 5 premium beauty samples. I couldn't find much info about it, but it is limited to 20,000 boxes so for $5 I figured I would try one out. I just placed my order a few mins ago. Click here or copy/paste the Target Style Facebook link below to get your box before they're sold out:

https://www.facebook.com/TargetStyle?sk=app_363229193782196&app_data=main

I'm not 100% sure of what is included, so don't quote me, but from what I could find these MAY be the premium samples included....

  • La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo
  • Fekkai Glossing Cream
  • Gilette Venus and Olay Razor Pack
  • L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream
  • Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips
I figured for $5 it was worth a try to see how big these "premium samples" are. They said there may be more Target Beauty Boxes in the future if this one gets a good response.

Onto the next topic...

Yesterday on the Valentine Kisses Facebook page I posted a before & after FOTD because my acne has taken a turn for the worse again - thanks to me trying out a few new skincare items that did not react well with my skin. If you don't already, click here to follow me on Facebook.

Here is that before & after pic along with a list of what I used to get the after look...


FACE:
- Lancome Teint Idol Ultra 24hr in shade 320, applied with the It Cosmetics Dual Airbrush Foundation/Concealer brush (foundation end of brush)
- BareMinerals Concealer in Summer Bisque, applied with the It Cosmetics Dual Airbrush Foundation/Concealer brush (concealer end of brush)
- It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer (for under my eyes) applied with the It Cosmetics Dual Airbrush Foundation/Concealer brush (concealer end of brush)
- e.l.f. Studio HD Finishing Powder (which I am LOVING like crazy), applied with an e.l.f. Studio fluffy face brush (I forget the exact brush name; just a fluffy brush)

BROWS:
- Billion Dollar Brows Brow Powder in Taupe, applied with an angled liner brush (I used one I have from Iman Cosmetics -- from when it was sold at Sephora, about 10 or 11 years ago).

EYES:
- Urban Decay shadows from the Theodra Palette (Broken, Bewitch, West), and one from the Glinda Palette (South), plus I used Blackout from the Naked 2 palette.

LIPS:


And some other randomness...

I will be selecting winners for my Birthday Giveaway and for the Hairdo By HairUWear Giveaway this week! Look for an email from me, and also an announcement here on my blog and on my Facebook page (I may also Tweet about it too).

There is still time to enter my Streekers Giveaway, which ends May 8, 2013.

More giveaways coming soon!

I'm also going to add even more to my blog sale soon! I just have WAY too much and I keep going through my collection and I just am in a mood to get rid of more so I guess I should do it while I'm not in a makeup hoarding mood, haha!

The makeup dupes post is coming; I've just been extremely busy lately and haven't had time to photograph everything - which is what I really want to do so you can SEE the dupes, not just a list of them. So I do apologize for that taking so long.

Yes, I will be making and adding more videos to my YouTube channel. Again, I've just been really busy and there is a lot going on in my life right now so I do apologize for a delay in so much I've been saying I will do. I'll get my sh*t together soon!

That's all for now... stay tuned for more goodies on my blog soon!

Swatch Posts Catch Up: April 2013

Hello, Beautiful!

This is the April 2013 Swatch Posts Catch Up! If you missed anything from April, no worries; just browse through the topics below and click on a topic to check it out. The purpose of my Swatch Posts Catch Up is to provide my readers with an easy reference for all posts containing swatches and anything else interesting, so if you missed anything or just want everything in one place, this is the post for you.

Also, winners of my Birthday Giveaway and the Hairdo by HairUWear giveaway will be announced sometime in the next week. Check back on here for the announcement (I'll also announce it on Facebook).

Swatch Posts Catch Up: April 2013
* Click on a topic/product name below to view that blog post. *