Monday, September 19, 2011

Cut-Throat Beauty is having an awesome giveaway!

Check out the details of my newest blog read, Cut Throat Beauty's, giveaway! It ends soon, so get your buns over and enter! :D

http://cut-throatbeauty.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-first-giveaway.html

<3<3

Okay Urban Decay, you win.

I ordered from Urban Decay during their recent sale. My item was oversold, so they promised me a full refund and also gave me a code for $20 and free shipping. I did have to follow up on my refund to actually receive it, but they did come through. I'm not a huge UD fan. I now own 2 UD products - The product to be reviewed in this post (Eyelash Primer Potion) and Eyeshadow Primer Potion, both of which I recommend. UD does make a quality product, it's just most UD things are a little rich for my blood ($17 for one shadow, $50-ish for a palette of 15 shadows in which I only really like 3 of the colors...) Now, I would buy a shadow for $17 if the color just CALLED to me and I had nothing like it in my collection, but so far I haven't found one from UD that I feel that way about. Anyways, back to the point. I had a free $20 to spend at UD. I spent exactly $20, so with free shipping, I didn't spend a dime. This is what I "purchased":












Urban Decay does have some pretty packaging, no argument there.






(And mascara on top of the primer, of course)

My findings: I like this product. It's hard to see with my clearly pro photo skillz, so I will describe my findings. The primer did increase the length of my lashes by maybe a millimeter or 2, but you can really notice it in person. It made my mascara go on blacker and made my lashes fuller and shinier. There was definitely a difference using the primer than not. Will I use it? To the last drop. Will I re-purchase? I don't know. Maybe. I definitely want to use it more to decide. My lashes are already pretty damn long with the mascara I use, and I also like the way my lashes look without the primer. It's more of a soft look without the primer.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

I got some absolutely "Darling" mail recently...

Hiiiii world! It feels like foreverz since I have done a blog post D: I have really been feeling pretty lethargic and with a lack of interest in everything lately and I guess I need to get back with the program, because my blog is getting dusty.

I purchased some stuff from Darling Girl Cosmetics on 8/28, got a shipping notification on 9/12, and received my package shortly thereafter.




DGC was not particularly high on my "to-order" list when I ordered. I never really looked too much at the website or the product and wasn't chomping at the bit to get an order in. I happened upon a review of their Glitter Glue rivaling Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy, and became curious. Then they had a sale, and I though, well why not buy a tube to review. While I was on the site I saw they had lip scrubs. Well, I have always wanted to try a lip scrub, so in the cart that went. Then I saw the blogger sample set which was only $0.75 for 4 eyeshadow samples and 1 lip product. All for less than a buck. HEY WHY NOT? I browsed some more and saw that they make amazing looking liquid liners, which I hardly EVER see from indie makeup companies, and I just HAD to try one. So, that was what I ordered.

Before my order shipped, I got devastating news...The liner formulas had been lost in a computer-related incident :*( I was quickly refunded for that portion of my order. I received the rest of my order along with 3 additional eyeshadow samples, and the lip product I assumed would be a sample appears to be a full tube. Not sure if that was a "sorry for the liner mishap" or how they come, but I think it's the former.

I was very pleased with the adorable packaging and the extras I received - I definitely felt I got more than my money's worth even before I tried anything, and that's always an awesome feeling. I swatched the eyeshadows using the Glitter Glue, and here they are:


Top L-R: Peacemaker, Lap Dance, Pique
Mid L-R: Thriller, Uprising, Texas Tea
Bottom L: Bijou

The shadows are fantastic, especially considering I didn't even plan on buying any at first. I usually can choose a favorite or 2 from each company I review, but I really can't here. I love them all equally, and I love them a lot. Next, I tried my lip product:


This is Kiss You Off: Color Rich Lip Balm in Poisoned Plum. I totally didn't realize this was a balm until it was on my lips, probably mostly because I don't pay attention. Anyways, it's really gorgeous. I was super surprised when I took it off that my lips felt moisturized, smooth, and considerably better than when I put it on, which is a refreshing change to lip products I normally use. My only bitch with this product is the label is really hard to read, at least for me. The lettering is SUPER tiny and the label is sort of a frosty-clear color...I don't know what it is, but it's really hard for me to read. Not a huge deal for me, I was just curious what was making my lips feel so amazing. It does have shea butter, almond oil, and coconut butter in it. That might be what makes my lips feel so awesome afterwards. I don't know, I'm not a doctor. Just a shot in the dark there. This color is part of the upcoming Halloween collection, as are some of the eyeshadows I was sent, so not everything is available for purchase yet.

After I took off the lip color, I tried my Sweet Lips Sugar Scrub in Polynesian Paradise. Upon opening the smell was freakin' HEAVEN in a jar. In fact, I just opened it again to sniff, as I'm writing this post. It's so ridiculously yummy. I want to bathe in it. It's funny, I only ordered it because for some reason it's slightly cheaper than the rest of the scrubs and I didn't expect to love the smell that much. I used it per the instructions found in the product description on the website. I guess you are supposed to wipe it off and not wash it off. I tried and met resistance trying to get all the sugar off. I think I mostly licked it off. (It is delicious). I guess I need to practice :-/ It did leave my lips feeling soft and took off the dead skin that I suffer with on my lips, so that is excellent :D

Now for the reason I originally decided to order! I wanted to put the Glitter Glue to the test against my Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy:


Pixie Epoxy on the left, Glitter Glue on the right. Both applied over UDPP. Both products felt the same while applying. Glitter Glue does look white in the tube, compared to PE being clear, but both apply clear. The shadows went on pretty much identical over each. Then, I wore it out for probably 8+ hours:


My camera and I suck at photos. There were some beginning signs of creasing on the Glitter Glue side, but really a miniscule amount. I then slept in my makeup, and the creasing did not progress by morning. I wasn't trying to further prove my point, I'm just lazy. My outlook overall is quite good for Glitter Glue. I can't really say which product I will purchase next when I run out of these 2 products, and it will be a long time until I run out since I have a full tube of each and you need so little for it to work. I will definitely be using my Glitter Glue AND my PE. If Fyrinnae is open when I run out, I'll probably stick with it. If not, or if I'm already placing an order with DGC, I'll most likely get the Glitter Glue. The product size is 10 mL for both. Glitter Glue is $6.25, whereas PE is $7.00. PE comes in a tube with a doe foot applicator, Glitter Glue comes in a squeezie tube thingie. Just some things to consider if you plan on purchasing either-or.

My experience with Darling Girl Cosmetics was a very positive one. The shadows are gorgeous and good quality. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fact that they are sold in 3 sizes - sample, petit, and full size. The samples are under a buck so you can try them out without breaking the bank, and they have a decent amount of product in them, definitely enough for a few uses. I am very excited to try more of the lip products. I really am not a big lippie person and I generally stick to eye products, but I really did fall in love with the lip product I was sent and it would probably be a sin to not try more.

You can find Darling Girl Cosmetics at their web store, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Blogger.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

And the winners are...


Congratulations to Je'Diva (Eyes by Je') and gunnmetal27! I have sent an e-mail to both of you lucky ladies. Thank you all for entering and reading my little blog :]