Makeup

Unpopular Opinion: Liquid Lipstick

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This legacy post has been given a facelift. Opinions remain the same but content has been edited for flow and clarity.

I can’t quite pinpoint where the madness took hold. Liquid lipstick isn’t really a new product or idea; nay, Stila has offered their Stay All Day Liquid Lipsticks for several dozen moons. At some point within the last two years, though, liquid lipstick exploded. Most companies offer them now, and those that already had them expanded their lines, and companies who weren’t really on the lip game (like Anastasia), got involved.

And ultimately, I don’t get the obsession.

Needy

Let’s face it – although the point is that they shouldn’t be high maintenance, they are.

  • They require meticulous lip prep; scrubbing to exfoliate is not ever optional when you’re rocking these.
  • You need to moisturize before application…but not too much, or the product won’t properly adhere to your lips!
  • To put the icing on the cake, they tend to be drying as all hell to the lips…and then settle awkwardly in your lip-lines.
  • It’ll last a looong time, but if you ever feel like you need to reapply? More often than not, you’re better off removing it entirely and starting from square one.

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Lorac Pro 2 Review

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This legacy post has been given a facelift! Content was edited for clarity and ease-of-reading with 2018 updates marked in-line.

On Sunday, June 15 (2014), the Lorac PRO 2 came available for sale. Because I own (and dearly love) the Lorac Pro, I had to get a look as soon as I could. I placed an order and anxiously awaited their arrival. Because Ulta and UPS must have shipping wizards in their ranks, I received it on Wednesday. I was so excited to check out these shades and anxious to confirm that they are the same awesome formula as the Lorac Pro. You’re anxious too, so let’s tear ‘er open!

Packaging

The outer retail packaging is very similar to that of the Lorac Pro Palette (Original). Like the original, it comes with a small tube of their Behind the Scenes Primer, which you can see in the window on the right.

Lorac Pro 2 Retail Packaging - Front

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Worth it? Covergirl Clump Crusher

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Covergirl Clump CrusherCovergirl Clump Crusher, $8

A while back, I managed to hit the coupon/sale/rebate lottery and get a pair of Covergirl mascaras for free (actually, I ended up making a tiny bit after the rebate). One of the two was a tube of cult-favorite Covergirl Clump Crusher. When this mascara launched several years ago, the response was passionate and rabid all at once. Who could blame people for being excited about a (purportedly) well-performing drugstore mascara?

But I never tried it until now. Back then, I was still trying to hold onto my love of bareMinerals Flawless Definition. Then, I found that L’Oreal Telescopic Carbon Black is a reasonable facsimile and aside from trying deluxe samples here and there, I never really looked back.

Packaging

Although I like Clump Crusher overall, it isn’t free from criticisms. I find the packaging bulky and unnecessary; why is the tube such thick plastic? It reminds me of the oversized crayons they give todders who have yet to develop fine motor skills and dexterity. Aside from the ergonomics of it, it really takes up a LOT of room in a makeup bag. I’d really love this formula to come in a narrower tube.

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Esqido Lashes – A Lash Named Desire

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First things first: I received a free pair of lashes courtesy of Esqido for the purpose of a review and a before-and-after photo. Otherwise, I did not receive any compensation or incentive to write this content, and as always, all opinions are my own.

I’ve only worn false lashes once, ever. This time-ish last year, in fact. That’s right – I didn’t even bother for my wedding. I don’t have anything against lashes; they just don’t fit into my day-to-day, and my life isn’t rife with special occasions, either. As a result, I haven’t tried many – so when Esqido reached out, I figured, “What the hell, let’s do it!”

I had the opportunity to select my pair of lashes. I decided to go with a medium volume pair and ultimately landed on Lash Named Desire:

Esqido Lashes - A Lash Named DesireEsqido Lashes – Lash Named Desire, $29

Along with it, they sent a tube of their lash glue:

Esqido Lashes - Lash GlueEsqido Companion Lash Glue, $10

First Impressions

Esqido Lashes come in a pretty damn nice magnetic-closure box. I popped that open and gingerly retrieved the lashes to see how they compare to my actual eye. Given my limited experience, I had never worked with mink lashes before and was surprised how soft they were. I’ve seen a thousand-and-one YouTubers gush about their luxurious, fluffy mink lashes (from Esqido and other brands), but I assumed they were just putting one on. So, no – they’re surprisingly plush.

Giving ‘Em a Go

“Whoa, this band is huge,” was my first thought upon removing them from their packaging. I’m not sure whose eyes these are made for, but they were drastically longer than my upper lashline. I started by trimming off the innermost section on each lash, then retested; nope. I then trimmed the outer-most section – viola, a passable length.

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Worth it? Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade

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This is a legacy post that has been given a facelift. Content is the same but may have been edited for clarity and readability. Any additional commentary is noted in line.

Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade hasn’t been new in a while, but I didn’t bite when it first came out. Although I love the idea of creme and gel products for eyeliner, I wanted to observe the market and opinions for taking the plunge. Despite not being the first product of its kind, it quickly achieved cult favorite status.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade pot and boxAnastasia Dipbrow Pomade

I eventually decided I would go for it, but hadn’t gotten around to buying it. Then, I won a contest in a community I am a member of – and won Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade in Taupe. Taupe is the, “safe,” shade that, if you aren’t sure or can’t go get color-matched, you should pick (it will work on the widest variety of brows). That was six months ago (from the original 4/24/2015 posting).

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Bi-Weekly WTF :: Vol 10 – KISS Brow Stamp

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While there is a ton of nonsense on Twitter, it isn’t usually where I run into ridiculous products. Yet, a few weeks ago, I stumbled across a ridiculous product on that very site.

Behold,

KISS Brow StampKISS Brow Stamp


stamp on eyebrows.

Like any elementary school student, I am unreasonably entertained by ink stamps. I’m intrigued by what appears to be the promise of a single, swift, single-step brow. But what good is a quick, easy-to-use product if the product doesn’t perform? I took to Ulta’s site to investigate since brow stuff has been on my mind a lot as of late.

KISS’ Claims:

Benefits:

  • Never struggle with brows again! Just press the brow shaped sponge onto powder & stamp the color onto your brow!
  • Cover sparse areas or just create perfect, natural looking brows

The KISS Brow Stamp product is powder, rather than ink-based. You pat the brow-shaped sponge applicator into the product, then press onto your face.

Caveats

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