Product Review: L'Oreal The One Sweep Eyeshadow

I'm sure most of you have seen this product around and have wondered if the gimmick really works. It sounds so simple. You take the applicator sponge, sweep it across the 3 color gradient provided and then sweep it on to your eye. You do this twice and you should achieve a flawless eyeshadow look. This sounds like it is particularly useful for makeup novices who are unsure of which color to place where, or for those of us who are a little bit timid when trying to create a smokey eye look.

I found this on sale at my local CVS and decided to give it a go and give my wonderful readers an honest opinion of this product!

The product itself looks like it could be used with a regular brush as well so if the applicator didn't work out, I figured I could still use this as regular eyeshadow. There's a wide array of colors but I chose 908 Smokey for All Eyes because it's out-of-the-box from what I normally wear and I wanted to try it out.

The quality of the shadows is good, they are smooth and blendable, I'm actually quite impressed by them, just as I was by the Revlon Colorstay Quads. Drugstore eyeshadows have vastly improved in recent years and they are almost just as good as the higher end brands.

First, I tried this product with nothing else added and no blending to show you what it looked like and then I worked with it to achieve more of a look that I am comfortable with.

L'Oreal The One Sweep Eyeshadow

All things considered, this product performed well, I really didn't feel like I had to apply more than one sweep to achieve the desired amount of color. I didn't particularly like the delineation between shades since you can see clearly where each color ends and the other one begins, but this was an easy fix with a shadow blender brush. 

Is this a product you must purchase? No, this is something that is more for those who are in a rush or those who don't like to change up their look as much, there's a neutral brown combination which I think suits all skin tones and occasions. 

I give this product a solid 3.75/5 - the color payoff is really good and the colors blend together very smoothly, the applicator works but you do have to go and blend it out to make it a little bit more of a wearable look (specifically with a stark color combination such as the Smokey look I chose).

Eyes of the Day - Revlon Colorstay Quad (Goddess)

I recently picked up the Revlon Colorstay Quad in Goddess and I was so excited to try it out that I promptly created an eye look around it.

If you don't know what the consistency of the Revlon Quads is, I have to gush and tell you that they are absolutely smooth, buttery and a dream to blend. The only color I had a slightly harder time with was the deepest taupe grey in the bottom right-hand corner of the quad. I suspect this color moved a little more than the rest during application because it has larger shimmer particles. All in all, this quad was definitely worth the $4.50 I paid for it (originally the price is $8.99, still a good price point).

Here's how I achieved this look:

• Applied bottom-left shade all over my lid on a white base
• Used highlight color underneath my brow and in the inner corner
• Darkened up the outer "V" with bottom right color and blended
• Used the peachy pink shade on top of the crease color to warm it up

Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow Quad - Goddess

For an added pop of color, since I like my looks to be a little more unique, I chose to go with the the L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Glistening Garnet. I used this color as an accent under my eye and close to my waterline

Image credit to Temptalia.com

I hope you guys enjoyed this look! I love playing with new products and I'm always so excited when I get something new to try it out ASAP!

IPSY Glam Bag Unboxing - May 2014

 My IPSY Glam bag for this month arrived and I've got a quick run-down of the products and my impressions of them. I've actually had a chance to use the eyeshadows and test them out (as well as show you how they look).

Bag - the recycled spring "Fresh Picks" bag for May 2014 is actually the cutest one I've received thus far from Ipsy. This is one with a pleasant smell and texture (that may sound like strange criteria but some of their previous ones have been very chemically scented and vinyl textured, which isn't my favorite). I have actually started using this bag in my purse to carry touch-up lip products and concealer on the go.

Eva NYC Therapy Session Hair Mask - This has a pleasant Salon-esque smell to it, it leaves my hair feeling softer, more refreshed and I can always use a deep conditioner/mask because I dye my hair frequently and this helps ameliorate some of that damage. Sample value: $4.80

Calvin Klein - Endless Euphoria Perfume - let me just say that perfumes are always the lamest item I can get in my subscription boxes, specifically when the samples are tiny vials in cards. The redeeming quality of this is that it is a rollerball and the scent is quite pleasant, albeit slightly too harsh (and old?) for my taste. I guess this will go in my travel stash for the times I don't care to carry a larger size around. Sample value: $2.23

Jersey Shore Sun - Sans Tan - Mineral Sunscreen - This is not a product I'm excited about but sunscreen is a necessity in my life since I have uber fair skin. This is something I will easily keep in my purse for emergencies where I forget to apply sunscreen and I'm outside this summer. Sample value: $7.50

Avene - Thermal Spring Water - This product is literally water you can spritz out of a can, nothing else added. This is really only good for making your makeup look less cakey if you've applied too much powder, or on a scalding hot day to cool off your skin. Sample value: $9.00

Pacifica - Mineral Eyeshadow Duo #2 (Unicorn and Moonbeam) - I had never tried Pacifica's eyeshadows before (although I am a fan of their scented creams, candles, etc) and I was excited to try these out. Unfortunately, the pigmentation left much to be desired, you really have to rub your brush in there to pick up as much product as you can to pack it on to your eyelid or even to get a swatch. Sample value: $4.00

I really found that the pigmentation was so poor I had to use a black eyeshadow base underneath (I used the black color tattoo but you can also use a creamy eyeliner pencil or cream shadow). The Moonbeam shade (white gold toned) had so much fall out because of the large glitter chunks and it was very powdery, I had to be careful not to lift it off after I had applied it by blending. 

All in all this was a pretty disappointing IPSY bag for me, hopefully next month's is much better. The total value was $27.53 but the selection of products wasn't stellar. It was definitely worth the $10 I paid but I would have rather received more makeup and less skincare and haircare products.

Glossybox April 2014 Unboxing & Review

Hi everyone,

I'm sorry to report that my April Glossybox just arrived today, May 9th, so I was unable to review it for your pleasure during the month it should have arrived. Lately, Glossybox has been having worse and worse shipping delays, so I cannot easily recommend this company anymore. If you're happy enough waiting 1-1.5 months for your box, then go ahead and take the $21/month splurge, but I have opted out of next month's box after dealing with it, especially since your money leaves your bank account promptly at the beginning of the month (NOT when the box has shipped, which is really what should be happening instead).

I'll take you through my opinions and thoughts on the products I received this month - this month was unique in that everyone received the same products, there was no variation except for the color of the Ciate paint pot and the scent of the Caldrea body wash.

Ciate Paint Pot - Color: Skinny Dip (Bottled Sunshine Collection) - Retail: $15 (Full Size)

I'm happy I received this color! I really didn't want a nude or white, I have plenty of those and this will be a fun color for the summer. It's an orange with shimmery gold flecks, it's quite a stunning shade and the packaging is absolutely adorable.

Bellapierre Cosmetics Super Lipgloss - Color: Vanilla Pink - Retail: $24

The lip gloss is a beautiful shimmery peachy pink color and it is not sparkly when applied or sticky, this is definitely a wearable shade for many different skin tones. I definitely don't think it's worth the insane $24 price tag, you could use a Maybelline Color Elixir drugstore dupe for much cheaper!

Aqua Spa Relax Body Creme - 2 oz Retail Value $1.75

This is a fairly large sized body cream, it'll definitely last me awhile, considering I like to apply it on my arms, hands and neck. This is a good travel size, even if you're doing a full body application. The scent is a pleasant lavender but nothing I would repurchase.

Caldrea Body Wash in Tea Olive Lime - 1 oz Retail Value $1.50

I love receiving body wash in my boxes because that just means I don't have to spend money outside of them to purchase for myself! The scent of this body wash is actually more of a lemon verbena scent rather than anything olive-related, in my opinion. This is a very clean, refreshing smell and I look forward to using it!

LA Splash Splashproof Eyeshadow Sealer/Base - Retail Value: $9

I can never have too many eyeshadow bases, this will be put to good use. It's a little bit gooey and sticky but I can make it work. It's not ideal for a beginner as I do think it's harder to work with than a good, thick concealer substitute or a silicone-based eyeshadow primer. The packaging is a little clunky, weird and large (it kind of resembles a strange mascara shape) but has a doe foot applicator. It's also important to note that it has glitter and is NOT paraben-free.

Glossybox Blush in Glossy Rosewood (exclusive product by Kryolan) - eBay Value: $15

It's hard to say what  the value of this blush is because it is an exclusive product and it was provided for free with the bonus code "PINK" with a new GB subscription. I do really love the creamy powder consistency, it reminds me of Essence blushes and the color is a flattering color for almost any skin tone. If you don't own this, I would definitely try to pick it up off eBay or anywhere you see it. Absolutely stunning for every day wear.

The overall value of my Glossybox this month was $66.25, which is a lower value for the average Glossybox and I did use a bonus coupon code to bump that up by $15.

Colorful / Festival Eye Look of the Day

This look I decided to re-create was inspired by Julia Graf's Arab Inspired Eye tutorial from YouTube. If you'd like watch it, I have linked it below.

My rendition of this look differs in several ways. First of all, I did not use full length false lashes, I was debating not using any at all and I used Too Faced's Fiber Lash Mascara, but then I did decide to throw on some Demi Wispies (just a pair I bought in a 10-pack off eBay, really anything comfortable works). I pulled my eyeliner out a little further, I tried using gel or cream but it didn't look as black as I wanted so I finished off the liner with Kat Von D's eyeliner in Trooper. I also mostly used colors from the Urban Decay Electric palette and some of my MAC single shadows. I also didn't use a white base, I used my MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC15, because I actually have to go pick up NYX's Milk pencil.

I'll basically list for you the colors that I used for pinks, purples, etc. to achieve this look. Now while it's not exactly like Julia's, it's definitely quite similar!

Yellow: MAC "Chrome Yellow"
Orange: Urban Decay "Slowburn" from Electric Palette
Chartreuse Green: Urban Decay "Thrash" from Electric Palette
Aqua: MAC's "Aquadisiac"
Pink: Urban Decay "Savage" from Electric Palette and Too Faced "Bright Eyes" from Be Bright Holiday Set
Purple: Urban Decay "Urban" from Electric Palette
White: MAC's "Nylon"
Black Eyeliner: Kat Von D "Trooper" and Clinique Black Kohl Eyeliner for waterline

Hope you guys enjoy this look and definitely head on over to Julia's website for some awesome tutorials!

Allure Beauty Box Spring/Summer 2014 (Product Photos Inside!)

It's that time again! The Allure Beauty Box will go on sale April 29th at 12:01 PM EST (that's in exactly 1 week).  This is a quarterly box that is curated by Allure and sells out in minutes. I will post an update when the link is live, or you can keep checking the website.

It will have a $350+ value and will cost $44.95 + Shipping (typically the shipping is around $10)

I have an extensive and thorough list of all of the products that you can pick up in this box if you are one of the lucky people that manages to order it! I got the products from the Allure Access website. It seems that the theme this time around is hair products, there's definitely a large abundance of them rather than anything else. This box is very light on makeup - which is a bummer for me!

Here is the complete list of products:

1. ALOXXI Flexible Hairspray - Value $17
2. BIG SEXY HAIR Get Layered Flash Dry Thickening Hairspray - Value $20
3. BURT’S BEES Even-Tone Moisturizing Cream - Value $20
4. CARGO COSMETICS Essential Lip Gloss - Value $16
5. CETAPHIL Gentle Skin Cleansing Cloths - Value $7.50
6. DEVELOPLUS Anti-Aging Hair Treatment System - Value $20
7. DOVE Purely Pampering Body Wash - Value $9.50
8. FLOWER Nail’d It Nail Lacquer - Value $5
9. GK HAIR ThermalStyleHer - Value $20
10. IT COSMETICS Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF 50+ - Value $38
11. NEUTROGENA MoistureSmooth Color Stick - Value $11
12. NEUTROGENA Ultra Sheer Face + Body Stick Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 70 - Value $11
13. NOT YOUR MOTHER’S Intensive Hair Unit Renewal Treatment – Value $8
14. ONE ’N ONLY Argan Oil Cream-to-Serum Styler – Value $10
15. OSCAR BLANDI Pronto Dry Heat Protect Spray - Value $24
16. PUREOLOGY Fresh Approach Dry Conditioner - Value $22
17. REDKEN Mess Around 10 Disrupting Cream-Paste – Value $15
18. REMBRANDT Deeply White Toothpaste - Value $10
19. RIMMEL LONDON Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara - Value $7
20. RUSK Freezing Spray – Value $18
21. SALLY HANSEN Triple Shine Nail Color - Value $5
22. SALLY HANSEN Triple Shine Top Coat - Value $5
23. Softsoap Sea Kissed Exfoliating Body Wash - Value $5.50
24. TANTOWEL Classic Self-Tan Towelettes - Value $20
25. TARTE lights, camera, lashes 4-in-1 mascara – Value $19

The exact calculated total value seems to be closer to $363.50!!!

And here are the products along with a description of each!