A Comparison: NYX Eyebrow Gel, Makeup for ever Aqua Brow, Anastasia Dipbrow

I am not exactly sure when NYX released these new eyebrow gels, but looking around online and seeing no reviews about it yet, I am assuming that these are newly released products.

I just bought the NYX eyebrow gel earlier today and so I still haven't fully tested the product, but I thought I'd do a quick comparison between the NYX eyebrow gel, the makeup for ever aqua brow and the anastasia dipbrow. 

The NYX eyebrow gel retails for $6.99 in store at Ulta. This comes in 5 shades: Blonde, Chocolate, Brunette, Espresso, and Black. 

The Makeup For Ever aqua brow retails for $20 in Sephora. This comes in 7 shades: 10 light blonde, 15 blonde, 20 light brown, 25 ash, 30 dark brown, 35 taupe, and 40 brown black.

The Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade retails for $18 in Sephora. This comes in 5 shades: Blonde, Auburn, Dark Brown, Chocolate and Ebony.

L-R: NYX eyebrow gel in Espresso and Brunette, MUFE 25 ash

The NYX eyebrow gel and the MUFE aqua brow both comes in a squeeze tube, they are both pigmented and only a small amount of product is needed for a full application. The only thing different between the two is that the NYX eyebrow gel is so much thinner and runnier in consistency. see below 

I normally shake the tube before opening and this was a mistake, brunette spilled all over, and so I was careful on opening espresso but no mess there. *whew*

L-R: NYX in Espresso, Anastasia Dipbrow in dark brown, MUFE in 25 Ash, NYX in Brunette

without flash

with flash

 The MUFE is the quickest to dry and set, The Anastasia a bit longer that the MUFE one but still as quick, and the NYX taking the longest time to set. 

They all pretty much work the same way, and they all take time and practice to perfect. The only major difference I can think of is the price differences and the color selection. 

But I do think that the NYX might be a bit better for beginners since price-wise this is a lot cheaper than the other two and that because there is time to correct your mistakes before it fully sets. Once they set though it is completely water-proof and budge-proof. 

I will update this post more in the future as I test the product longer

Review: E.L.F. Studio Lipgloss

E.L.F.'s studio line has a bunch of lipglosses from minty, glittery, pouty, to plain gloss. I have tried the glittery and the minty ones, they were okay but I am just not a glitter nor a minty lipgloss kind of person. For 3$ each, I thought I might as well try their glossy gloss ones too.

I got 3 out of the 10 shades available.

L-R: Ballet Slippers, Sweet Salmon, Dragon Fruit

Applicator

L-R: Ballet Slippers, Sweet Salmon, Dragon Fruit

What I like:

-> $3!! Cheap but great quality (plus ELF do tend to have half off sales so you can get this for $1.50)

-> Shades available (from nudes, pinks, to reds)

-> Pigmented

-> NO GLITTER! 

-> Can be bought online and in stores (Target)

What I don't like:

-> Thick formula, very sticky.

-> Applicator

-> Hard to remove, I just end up smearing the gloss all over

So far every lipgloss brand that I have tried are always sticky and just not for me, but for those who do like using lipgloss, for $3 each these are not bad.

NOTE: E.L.F. brand is cruelty free

Review: E.L.F. Essential Lipstick

eyeslipsface.com always send out emails about promos that makes me buy more, even though I have swore not to anymore. o(╥﹏╥)o In my last order, I bought mostly lip products, the essential lippies, some studio glossy gloss and conditioning lip balm (which will be reviewed next)

In the Essential lipstick line, Out of the 12 shades available I picked up 8, 2 for me and the rest for my little sister. 

From L-R: Nostalgic, Captivating, Seductive, Flirtatious, Classy, Gypsy, Voodoo, and Fantasy.

(Don't they look so shiny?)

Read more...

From their website "Indulge your lips with long lasting color and shine. The moisture rich formula hydrates, conditions and softens on contact for silky smooth lips. Instantly beautiful, healthy-looking lips designed, formulated and tested by our professional team of makeup artists."

L=R: Nostalgic, Captivating, Seductive, Flirtatious

L-R: Classy, Gypsy, Voodoo, Fantasy

Again so shiny and just so... waxy...

L-R: Nostalgic, Captivating, Seductive, Flirtatious, Classy, Gypsy, Voodoo, Fantasy

Swatch above is with just 1 swipe of the lipstick, it is pigmented and even more so on my lips. As you can also see from the swatch above some applies smooth and creamy while the others have this rubbery... eraser looking leftover.

What I like:

-> For $1 each, these are really cheap

-> Very pigmented

-> Semi-Matte/Cream Finish (no shine or glitter here)

-> Applies easy

-> Last about 3-5 hours depending on the shade

What I don't like:

-> Formula is not consistent

-> Scented (Nostalgic smells like plastic, while the rest have a fruity scent)

-> Drying.

I prefer the pigmentation and the finish of these lipsticks than the studio ones, and personally I think these last longer. The only thing I don't like is how drying they can be, especially if you dont use a lipbalm.

Review: Etude House BB Magic Cream

My first BB cream is the Etude House BB Magic Cream (Moisture), I've had this for years now and there is still plenty left. (Only because I don't wear makeup everyday)

[I think they have a newer packaging version?]

Pea size is enough to cover my entire face

Compared to the other BB creams I have tried, this is so far the thickest in consistency, and has the most medical-ish/minty/I dont know how to explain scent.

What I Like:

-> Small amount is enough to cover entire face

-> Evens skintone

-> Brightens my skin

-> Skin looks dewy and healthy after

-> Hygienic pump

-> Light-Medium coverage

What I don't like:

-> Has a slightly minty floral scent

-> Shade match (it is dark on me during winter)

-> Depending on the amount of product used it can get cakey

-> does get oily throughout the day

With this BB cream, you do have to be careful on the amount of product you use since the more product you use the more cakey and heavier it would feel on.
 Everytime I use this, I can always feel and tell that I have makeup on. I'm feeling 50-50 about this product. Yay because it has the best coverage among all the bb creams I have tried, I can use it even when my skin is dry, and my face doesn't itch afterwards. Nay because I can always feel that I have this thick mask on my face.

Review: Missha M Perfect B.B. Deep Cleansing Oil

Along with the BB creams in the Missha BB sampler is the Missha M Deep Cleansing Oil. This is my first cleansing oil and I'm in love ♡＾▽＾♡ .... this had made my cleansing routine faster and less scrubby.

About the Product: (Taken from the website)

-> Made specifically to deep clean skin while removing BB cream, oils, and other pore clogging residue.

-> Water soluble oil dissolves dirt, excess oil and makeup as it rinses off completely with water.

-> removes the toughest waterproof makeup as it makes skin feel fresh and clean.

Direction:

-> Dispense 2-3 pumps of cleansing oil into palm of dry hands

-> Massage oil gently and into circular motion onto dry face. Sprinkle hands lightly with water and massage onto face again to emulsify oil

-> Rinse face with lukewarm water. After washing off cleansing oil, use cleansing foam for best results.

Waterproof liners, Blush, Primed Eyeshadow, Mascara swatches

A couple of drops....

Rub, Rub, Rub

Only traces of the waterproof gel liner is left

follow with cleansing wash...

Kose Cleanser (Foam form)

Rub Rub Rub

Squeaky Clean

What I like:

-> effectively removes makeup, even most waterproof mu

-> does not dry skin

-> moisturizing

-> 2-3 drops is enough for the entire face

-> Oil removes easy with water

What I don't like:

-> has a weird hard to describe scent

-> availability

-> can blur vision if you use too much in the eye area

-> feels a little bit greasy afterwards so using a cleansing wash is a must

 Since I've been using this I can skip the eye makeup remover, the makeup remover cloths, and lessen my facial cleansing to 1x from 3x. (I like making sure my face is squeaky clean) This has lessen the scrubbing and tugging my skin usually suffers. Why have I not discovered cleansing oils before!?

*On a regular day, my makeup consist of foundation/bb cream, lipstick, blush, eyeliner, and mascara. 

Note: Missha is cruelty free

Missha Brand BB Cream Swatches

--- continued

Along with my order of the full size BB from Missha, I also got the BB Deluxe Sampler which contains travel sizes of Perfect cover in shades #21, and #31, The Signature BB cream in #21, BB Boomer, and a BB Cleansing Oil (review coming up)

L-R: #13, #23, #31

 M Perfect Cover BB Cream Review

L-R: M Signature BB Cream #21, M BB Boomer

M Signature Real Complete BB Cream: Product Detail here

Overview:

-> blended better than the Perfect cover

-> Shade Matched better even after oxidizing

-> coverage is medium

-> feels lighter than the Perfect cover but still too heavy for me 

-> no skin reactions!

M BB Boomer: Product Detail here

Overview: this is a primer

-> applies clear

-> skin looks brighter

-> bb cream application becomes smoother

-> makes skin look very shiny!

L-R: M Perfect Cover #13, #23, #31, M Signature #21, and M BB Bloomer

Review: Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream

Probably one of the most popular BB creams in the market today is the Missha M Perfect Cover. Luckily, Missha has a website available to those in the US. yay!

Product Info taken from the website: "Blemish Balm, also called BB Cream, is known to have been formulated as an after-treatment cream to help patients who have gone through laser skin surgery to soothe and regenerate the skin.

The M Perfect Cover BB Cream gives an even and natural-looking coverage with the soothing, moisturising properties of a cream. It is suitable for all skin types including acne-prone skin, and can be used as a makeup base or foundation. "

Info on the front tube: "Missha M... offers a novel skincare concept with BB cream, which lightens skin tone by healing visible wrinkles and blemishes with excellent skin-cover ability, and prevents skin aging through effective whitening and anti-wrinkle properties."

There are 5 shades available: #13 Milky/Bright Beige, #21 light beige, #23 Natural Beige, #27 Honey Beige, and #31 Golden Beige. So far, this is the only BB cream that I know of that offers more than 1 shade. 

I have no idea why I didn't check this but I meant to order #23 in Natural Beige, but only after I received this that I noticed I ordered #13 Milky Beige instead. I should've checked it.. whyyyy!!!? 

RP: 29.99 for 50 ml

It looks SOOOOO pale!!

*hits my self*

*sigh*

Shade #13 has a pink undertone, and I dont know if it is because #13 is too light for me but after oxidizing it looks very highlighter-ish to me, my skin has this weird too glowy/shiny look. 

Consistency is between a liquid and cream

easy to apply (I apply my BB creams with a patting motion)

Coverage is light

Coverage is probably buildable, but one application already felt heavy, and emphasized my dry spots. BB creams have a tendency to look unnatural upon application but oxidizes to a natural finish. Unfortunately, this looked and felt unnatural even after oxidization. (Even with the other shades. I have the deluxe sampler) 

Note: I'm doing the review not just based on shade #13, but a mixture of #13 and #31 for my color match. Swatches of the others will be posted soon.

PROS:

-> SPF 42

-> Whitens

-> Skin evens out

-> Easy to apply

-> Tube container, Pump

-> Last all day

CONS:

-> Feels thick

-> Looks unnatural

-> Ascentuates dry spots

-> does not fully cover

-> After using for a week, pimples showed up around my jawline :O

Looking around online, there are plenty of people that like this product. I want to like this but no... not for me.

*I have the BB Deluxe Sampler which I will swatch and post soon*

Missha BB cream is available on the website here for $29.99, and the Deluxe set here for $39.99.

Note: 

*there is a holiday promotion now 30% off for the BB cream, and the Deluxe set for $21.99 instead of $39.99. 

*New sign ups will also receive the M perfect cover BB cream in shade #21 for free. (just pay shipping)

*Missha Brand is cruelty free.

Review: Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm

Disclaimer: The following products were sent to me as a bzzagent for feedback and review purpose.

... continuing from my last post, this post will be about the Baby Lips Lip Balm. (MSRP 3.99)

There are six varities available, and I was sent five: Peppermint, Quenched, Peach Kiss, Cherry me, and Pink Punch (not pictured above, I gave it to my Aunt) and Grape Vine (which I do not have)

L-R: Peppermint, Quenched, Peach kiss (tinted), Cherry Me (tinted)

According to Maybelline, these lip balms will visibly renew lips, provide 8 hours of hydration, and contains SPF 20.  

At first I thought that they would be strongly flavored as their name suggest it, but suprising enough there is little to no flavoring. Cherry Me had the strongest flavor and scent, Peppermint has no scent but has a slight minty flavor, while personally I think both Peach Kiss and Quenched has no scent or flavor. These do not last 8 hours for me, but they do last longer than my other lip balms.

Pros:

-> Contains SPF 20

-> Average wear last longer than most lip balms

-> The scent and flavor is subtle.

-> Packaging is colorful, playful, and cute.

-> sheer color

Cons:

-> Packaging does look cute but not in public. too cute and young

*Update* Even though the brand test on animals, I have kept using this product. This is overall a good product,and the tinted ones are a huge plus.

Note: This brand test on animals

Review: Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes

Disclaimer: The following products were sent to me as a bzzagent for feedback and review purpose.

The most recent campaign I was included in as a Bzzagent was the Maybelline Baby Lips and Lots of Lashes, In my kit I was sent 5 Great lash mascara, and 5 of the babylips lip balm. This review will focus on the Great Lash Mascara and the babylips will be reviewed after.

I know the original great lash is a top favorite, I tried but it wasn't for me. but since I received this in my kit and saw the new wand design, I had to give it a try again.

Formula wise, I think that it is the same as the original one. It seperates, and lengthens, looks nice and natural. But it takes a while to dry, smudges easily, and any water near results in horrible racoon eyes. The only thing I liked about this new one is the new wand design, it was easier to apply and reach the sides of my lashes, and was perfect for coating individual lower lashes.

What I like:

-> Lengthens

-> Seperate lashes/ no thick clumps

-> Looks Natural

-> wand is small enough to reach all of my lashes

-> easy to coat lower lashes

What I don't like :

-> It takes a while to dry

-> Smudges

-> Not water proof

As much as I love the way my lashes look using this, I need a waterproof formula since I use eyedrops frequently throughout the day. Hopefully Maybelline comes out with a

 waterproof formula with this wand in the future.