BROWdrama

I am not blessed with bold and well shaped brows. My brows are so messy and sparse so I always have to shape it and draw my brows in the morning. 

I used to always go to Benefit Brow bar once in a month but I stopped going there once I found a cold wax strip from Rossmann which is amazing and cheap in comparison to Benefit Brow bar. My brow routine in the morning consists of defining the line with eye brow pencil, fill it in with matte eye shadow and set it with brow gel / mascara. 

While I was browsing my usual drugstore alley, I found the display of the new Maybelline Browdrama eye brow mascara , and since I was running out of my Alverde Brow Gel, I decided to give the Maybelline one a try.

The wand has pretty unique shape. It reminds me of the cleanser that you can use to clean bottles. But I think the wand makes the application a bit easier in comparison to the normal brow gel wand. 

For some people with bold brows, maybe they can get away with only setting their brows with this mascara, but for people with sparse brows like mine, this mascara alone is unfortunately not enough. But as setting purpose, it does its job incredibly well. Man it stays the whole day, gives a natural finish and doesn't make my brows crisp and dry. 

So here is how my brows look like, only with this mascara :

And how it looks like with my complete routine : eye brow pencil, eye shadow, and brow mascara :

waaaay better, isn't it?

Overall, I think this brow mascara does its job pretty well for its price. It retails for 5,65€ and you get 7,6ml of product. I love the fact that it is tinted so it doesn't only set my brows but gives a bit of color as well.

Do you use brow gel / mascara? What is your favorite?

Love,

Pam

Blush

I only have 1 Burberry lipstick but it is enough to convince me. The formula is one of the best I have ever encountered. Blush is a shade I have been wanting to get for a long time. But it was always out of stock at Burberry counter in Berlin and I didn't want to order it from Burberry website as the shipping cost alone is €15!

Finally after a long wait, this shade is back on stock so I picked it up right away.

Blush is a very warm medium rose pink. It is a very neutral shade that will compliment any kind of look.  I love the fact that the color is not too pale against my complexion. It actually gives a very nice 'just bitten' effect on the lips, very natural and flattering. 

The finish is creamy and the formula is incredible. It is creamy and pigmented but light weight at the same time. It feels comfortable and not heavy on the lips ( unlike the Giorgio Armani CC lipstick ). It glides on smoothly and it doesn't bleed or feather. I love the fact that it is not drying and actually quite moisturizing.

The staying power is okay for a light colored lipstick. I got 4 hours wear with minor drinking and eating. 

The lipstick is heavily scented though, if you've tried Burberry make up you'd be familiar with the floral scent. 

I don't mind the smell but I can understand that some people might find it overwhelming.  

The lipstick retails at €26 , not a cheap price but definitely worth every penny. 

Have you tried any Burberry make up? How do you like it?

Love,

Pam

NAKED 3

After the long wait, my Naked 3 order is finally arrived. I first ordered mine in December from HQhair.com but my order went missing which is so annoying since it was meant to be my christmas present from myself to myself. lol. But HQHair refunded my money in form of store credit which means that I have to wait until the NAKED 3 was back in stock on their website ( the palette was constantly sold out ). So I finally managed to place an order on time when it was back on stock and paid €2,80 more for tracking shipping. My 2nd order arrived within 4 days.  

flashed camera

daylight

I will not write much about the palette in terms of quality as most of you are surely familiar with the Urban Decay eye shadows.  All shades are pigmented, buttery smooth and minimal fall out with the exception of Dust which is a bit too glittery and flakey. 

I also have the Naked 2 palette and I must say that I already prefer this Naked 3 in comparison to the 2nd one. Mainly because the shades in Naked 3 are rose tinted and warmer and more flattering against my complexion. The Naked 2 can be a bit too shimmery and cool toned and tbh I don't really reach for it that often recently. 

The Naked 3 also has 3 matte shades which make the palette a better alternative than the second one. The tin case is well made and sturdy with a huge built in mirror. The dual ended synthetic brush is impeccable and performs very well. 

To make the review less boring, I created some FOTDs using this palette, be prepared to see a lot of me me me :p

Buzz + Burnout + Nooner

Strength +Mugshot + Darkside + Factory

Strength + Limit + Nooner

Dust + Trick + Factory

I like how I can create a lot of looks using this palette, from matte to shimmery to smokey look. It is perfect for traveling where you want to be able to create a lot of looks. It is rare for me to love literally every single shade in a palette, but I just can't choose which shade is my favorite. I've been loving this palette  and I've been playing with it every day this past week. 

What do you think of this Naked 3? Are you also tempted to get it? 

Which look do you like the best?

Love,

Pam 

Petunia

Asos was having 25% off site wide last few weeks so I took the chance to order some items, mostly I ordered clothes, but I managed to put this blush into my shopping cart as well.

The lovely Sleepandwater described this cream blush as one of her favorite so I was curious to try. 

The convertible color comes in a plastic case which reminds me of Tarte Amazonian Clay blushes. The color of the case represents the shade of the blush inside. The case is compact and light, but doesn't feel cheap or flimsy. It also comes with built in mirror so it is perfect for on the go touch up.

I picked up the shade Petunia. It is a bright peachy coral shade. I'd say it is the cream glossy version of Tarte Amazonian clay blush in Tipsy. It doesn't have any shimmer and it is such a flattering shade against my complexion.

The texture of the blush is very creamy and glossy. It reminds me of NYX cream blushes ( which I am not a fan of ). I was skeptical at the beginning because of the creamy-glossy formula. But it applies so beautifully on the cheeks. It sinks right in to the skin and blends effortlessly. The pigmentation is great but it blends easily so you don't have to worry about overblush. The staying power is impressive. I got 7-8 hours of it when it is worn alone, and it stays on even longer when layered with powder blush. However, I prefer to wear it alone so it can show its true dewy-creamy-but not greasy finish.

Stila claims it as lip and cheek color but it doesn't work for my lips. It is too slippery but drying and accentuates my lip lines like crazy. But I am happy enough to use it only for my cheeks.

Stila convertible color retails for €22 / 4,5 gr. It is not cheap but I think it is worth the money.

What is your favorite cream blush?

Love,

Pam

The Battle of Eyeliners

I wear black eye liner every single day. I just can't do without eye liner, it feels like my eyes are so naked without eye liner. But finding the perfect eye liner is not easy especially because I have watery eyes and oily lids. That being said, I have collected quite a few eye liners during my make up journey. I'm going to break down all the liquid eye liner I have on my stash on this post. 

Essence liquid eyeliner - catrice - Heroine - Rimmel - Essence eyeliner pen - Kiko

Essence Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner - It used to be my favorite eye liner, because it is so waterproof and it stays all day long. The applicator is also easy to use.. But after awhile, my eyes started to badly react to this liner. My eyes always water so bad every time I have this on so now I stop using this eye liner. 

Catrice Liquid Eye Liner - My recent eye liner purchase. The applicator is so thin and easy to apply. It stays on the whole day and doesn't smudge which is a huge plus point. But the applicator doesn't really pick up a lot of product so I have to layer it to get the opacity I want. But other than that, I enjoy using this eye liner very much.

Kiss Me Heroine Pen Eye Liner - I got this pen eye liner on my swap with Sharlynn from the blackmentosbeautybox and I looooove love this eye liner. The pen form makes it very easy to use and handy to carry inside my make up bag. It is also perfect for touch up. It stays the whole day but it takes awhile to completely set so I have to be a little careful not to blink in first 15-20 seconds.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Pen Eye Liner - Since I am a huge fan of the pencil version of this scandalous eye liner range, I decided to give the sister a try. Man it is a huge disappointment. It is very dry and barely pigmented. The tip is a hard so it tugs on my lids and applying it, is a bit pain. It smudges like 30 minutes  after application so a big no no.

Essence Eye Liner Pen - I actually like this one, only it smudges very easily and not waterproof at all though it claims to be waterproof. The packaging and the applicator are good though and it is good pigmented. 

Kiko Long Lasting Eye Liner Pen - One of my favorite pen eye liner. It doesn't claim to be waterproof but it is very long lasting. The tip applicator is good and not too stiff/hard. The pigmentation is good and it sets very fast. 

Do you wear liquid / pen eyeliner on daily basis ? what is your HG liquid / pen eye liner?

Love,

Pam

Bronzed Taupe

During my 2 years+ blogging, I have met a lot of amazing  and lovely people from the blogging community. Some of them I have met in person and most of them are now my friends even though we have not met each other in person yet. The lovely Lena from Lenallure knows that I am a fan of the L'oreal Infallible eye shadow, unfortunately the shades available in Germany are very limited and Bronzed Taupe is one shade that is not available here. So she very kindly sent me this particular shade all the way from the US . Thank you Lena!!

Bronzed taupe is a dirty bronze shade. It has more 'grey' undertone like the name ; Bronzed taupe advised. It is not as gold as the fellow infallible sahara treasure or Maybelline color tattoo bad to the bronze. I love how bronzed taupe is such an easy shade to put on. It has shimmery finish with very fine glitter particles. It performs very good solo and perfect for low key days when we don't really have a lot of time, one swipe of Bronzed Taupe, eyeliner and mascara and I'm ready to go! The pigmentation is great and the texture is very pleasant. I like the creamy version from Maybelline color tattoo but because I have quite oily lids, I prefer the 'dry' texture from the L'oreal Infallible. 

 

Quality wise, it is no different than other L'oreal Infallible eye shadows I have owned. Bronzed Taupe is no exception a gem in the drugstore and I am very happy to be able to have it in my collection. Thanks again Lena! <3

Do you like L'oreal Infallible Eye shadow? Which one is your favorite?

Love,

Pam

Dermatologica Daily Microfoliant

When I first received this deluxe sample of Dermatologica Daily Microfoliant, I thought it was deodorant.. then after some observation, I thought it was dry shampoo.. Until I googled it and found out it was a daily microfoliant ( I know I know it is WRITTEN there on the box but that's it. There is no description etc written on the box, only ingredients which I knew nothing about ).

Based on my research on the internet, this microfoliant is apparently quite famous and very expensive.. But it had to sit inside my drawer for awhile because I was afraid it would be too harsh for my skin.

Then I re-found it while I was cleaning my dressing table and decided to give it a try.

Texture wise, it feels like corn flour. You should pour small amount to your hand and mix it with few drops of water but make sure not to drop too much water otherwise it will turn out to be too liquid and not 'scrubby' enough. I prefer to wet my hands and pour it to my wet hands so it won't be too liquid. It smells like medicine ( imagine powder aspirin ) but it doesn't bother me that much. 

Dermatologica says it is a rice based enzyme powder micro foliate and is enriched with papaya enzyme and vitamin C. It also contains salisylic acid which is famous to exfoliate and remove dead skin cells . 

My skin is not very sensitive but it gets red very easy that's why I am not really a fan of exfoliator in general but this one from Dermatologica is soft enough for my skin. It doesn't irritate my skin and my skin feels smooth and squeaky clean but not drying after using this. Dermatologica recommends to use it every day but I use it only twice a week for the last 2 months. It didn't break me out and did nothing bad to my skin. I noticed that it reduced my dry patches around the cheeks but other than that, I didn't really experience anything sensational. The small bottle is going to last me for long time I guess, so the high price is kind of justified. Though I don't think I will purchase the full size once I ran out of my deluxe sample. 

I have tested it for the past 2 months and it is part of my weekly skin regime until now. But I don't think I will miss it once it's gone . It is a nice exfoliant but it does no wonder to my skin. As if it was cheaper, I would consider to purchase the full size but since it is expensive , ca. €70 for 65gr so I don't think I will fork out so much money for it.

Have you ever tried this daily microfoliant? Or do you have any favorite exfoliant?

Love,

Pam

KIKO Ultra Glossy Stylo Lipstick Set

Kiko is slowly becoming my favorite brand for the lower end price segment. I love how they package and present their products not in a cheap / drugstore way even though they are on the same price segment like the drugstore.

I recently purchased this lipstick set from Kiko store, the set was part of a limited edition and contained 5 full size lipsticks. The good thing was that it was on sale for 50% off from 17€ to 8,5€.. How could I say no?? ( yes, thank you for being so understanding... )

The lipsticks all come in full size, packaged in a limited edition box and limited edition lipstick bullets. The bullets are pearly white. I am not really a fan of the white bullets but they are sturdy and well made. 

I really like the color selection they put together on this set. From nude, peach, pink until red, you have them all in one set. 

#821 is a peach based nude color. It is a very nice nude , not too pale against my complexion.

#822 is a medium coral pink , my favorite shade out of the bunch because it is very wearable and flattering against my complexion

#823 is a chili red shade. But due to its sheer finish , it is wearable for daily basis. Perfect if you want to wear red but not wanting to be too bold.

#824 is a orangey apricot shade. I love this shade as well though it makes my complexion looking a bit 'dull'.

#825 is my least favorite shade. It is a true barbie pink with a lot of blue hint, very Jersey Shore like.

If you like Revlon Lip Butters, you are going to love these lipsticks. They are very similar in texture and finish. I am unfortunately not a fan of the revlon lip butters so my opinion on these lippies are a bit biased. I don't really like how they feel a bit flakey and glittery even though you can't really see any glitters on the finish. They are not drying even though they also don't promise to be hydrating. The staying power is good, I got 4 hours wear with minor drinking. 

But they don't feel comfortable on my lips. It feels like I have lip balm on with bread crumbs sticking all over it, the exact way I feel about the revlon lip butters. 

Overall, I don't hate them but I don't love them either. It is nice to have them on my stash but I wouldn't repurchase if I ever ran out of them. But if you like revlon lip butters, I am sure you will like these ones as well..

Love,

Pam

Lucky number 37

I love stick eye shadows in general because of the ease of application and how they usually tend to stay longer than the powder eye shadows. They perform well as base too so I like how versatile they are..

I have written a review about the eye shadow stick from Kiko here. And I just recently purchased another shade.. 

Number 37 or Burgundy is a true burgundy shade with a hint of plum. Unlike the other 2 shades I have reviewed ( #5 and #7 ) doesn't have any glitter particles. Burgundy has sheen-satin finish which I personally prefer because the glitters at #5 and #7 could be a bit chunky sometimes. Burgundy performs better as base as well. 

Despite of the name ; Burgundy, I was surprised how it looks very red on the lids. On the hand swatch, it looks more plum. I personally love the color but it takes more blending on the lids to make it more wearable. Quality wise, Burgundy applies a bit smoother than #5 and #7. I believe mainly because of the non glitter texture. It is creamy without being slippery. It sets quite fast though, so make sure you blend it right away after application.

 

The retractable form is convenient because you don't have to sharpen it. And I like the matte black packaging. Kiko products always look sleek and professional.

For €6,90 this is a lovely alternative to the high end ones. Do give it a try if you have Kiko in your near.

Do you have anything from Kiko?

Love,

Pam