Makeup
March 2017 FavoritesWorth it? Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner
Cinema Secrets Makeup Brush Cleaner, $24 for 8oz
This was a legacy post that I gave a facelift because I seriously cannot tell enough people about this product. If you’re an artist? Lifesaver. If you aren’t, it means you can avoid buying thirty seven thousand brushes, because you can use the same one over and over in a look.
I’d seen this brush cleaner in blog posts and on YouTube. I was curious but…really, how good can it be? It’s a brush cleaner. I had come close to buying it a few times for myself but always talked myself out of it. My current system is good; why invest in another product – especially with that price tag? Fortunately, a wise friend sent this wee little spray-bottle of it to me.
I tested it that night, but was not prepared to record or demonstrate my findings. Spoiler alert: I was blown away and wondered how the ever loving hell I haven’t had this product in my life before.
Let me just show you.
Before
Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick Review
Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso
This is a post from the Beauty Skeptic archives that has been given a facelift, but content and opinions are the same. Favorites are being rescheduled and will appear by next Wednesday.
I don’t always bother with liquid lipstick, but when I do, it’s Stila Beso. I wrote about receiving a compliment on some bold red lipstick that made my morning. In turn, that inspired me to compliment someone else, and an awesome chain reaction resulted. Time to talk about the lipstick itself.
Reeeally Red
My skin is pretty agreeable to reds – so I didn’t have to go on a crazy hunting spree for, “the one,” because my options are plenty. Friday was National Wear Red Day; I opted for a red lipstick, specifically Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in the shade Beso. Stila and Sephora describe this shade as a, “true red,” meaning it has no blue, pink, or orange undertones, and is not particularly warm OR cool.
When I first got this lipstick, I swatched it on my lips not having looked up swatches online or having any idea of how pigmented it was; I exclaimed when I saw it. A little goes a very, very long way. Given how pigmented it is and how quickly the color takes, the doefoot applicator wand can be a liiiiiittle bit difficult to work with. Doefoot applicators are awesome for speed and ease of use, but a bold red lip requires careful application. If you have a lip brush, I recommend keeping it handy to help ensure clean edges.
The Bold Claim
Luminoso
Milani Luminoso, $8
This is a legacy post that I’ve given a facelift. I still love this under $10 drugstore blush – and even though I have a fancy NARS blush and I own highlighters now, this still holds its own in my collection.
There are so many stunningly beautiful prestige and luxury blushes out there.
- The Stila Convertible Colors (especially the palettes!) are killing me
- Hourglass’ Ambient Lighting Blushes are breathtaking
- Everyone knows of NARS cheekily-named-but-lovely shades.
That said, don’t let yourself get caught up and sneer at drugstore blush because some of them are wonderful. My favorite so far, to my surprise, is a $3 e.l.f. Studio offering. Modest price, modest (but functional, sturdy, and sleek) packaging – but pretty color that is perfect for every day and/or work. But this article isn’t about that, it’s about Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso.
It’s April. My No-Buy is over. Another blush finally joined the ranks.
Using Gimme Brow (Or Why I’m an Idiot)
Benefit Gimme Brow, $24
My brows hadn’t been touched in months; literally nary a pluck. I’ve been attempting to grow them in so that eventually a semblance of shape could be cultivated from them. Fortunately, I had a voucher for a free brow wax at the Benefit Brow Bar and redeemed it this weekend. In minutes, my brows were whipped into glorious shape. Sweet success!
After mapping, waxing, plucking strays, and cleaning up, my Arch Expert deftly swiped Gimme Brow, my current go-to brow product, through my brows.
Boy, am I an idiot.
Z Palette Scandal
I own a Z Palette that I won in a contest a few years ago. Since then, I’ve made a few posts mentioning it, and some of their other products. No more. The recent Z Palette scandal resulting from their disgraceful PR-nightmare is too much for many former customers, myself included. Z-Palettes will not be mentioned or featured on this blog henceforth.
I can empathize with the frustration that one would experience on the receiving end of criticism for a new product launch. After receiving some skeptical and critical responses on an Instagram post – not even on their OWN Instagram, mind you, but on TrendMood’s, ZPalette lashed out. The results were jaw-dropping.
The Unbelievable Z Palette Scandal
This is a screenshot of just SOME of the responses they sent to Instagram users on TrendMood’s post about their new Z Potter (overpriced induction) device. Instagram users had expressed a ton of thoughts ranging from excitement to uncertainty and skepticism to criticism. The job of a social media manager, however, is not to strike back with acidic replies:
These are fairly tame. The list of things they felt it appropriate to respond with included calling young ladies cheap dates, insulting people’s financials, or suggesting that they are somehow less evolved. Here’s some examples of the classy replies from the brilliant soul manning the Z Palette Social Media desk:
- “You look like a cheap date, but we’re not messing with you?”
- “Listen to some Jim Rohn — it’s not that it’s expensive, it’s that you can’t afford it.”
- “If that’s a stove to you, I wonder how big your kitchen is.”
but wait, there’s more: