Review: Hard Candy Kal-eye-descope Baked Eyeshadow Duo in Rock n Roll

 The generous people at Hard Candy sent this little baby to me for consideration, and I am eager to share my thoughts with you. Frankly, I am on the fence about this item, as there seems to be just as many pros as there are cons.

Here is what Hard Candy says about their baked eyeshadow duos on their website:

Perfect palettes of highly pigmented, wet-dry shadows that instantly bring color & eyes to life! The formula has been baked (not pressed) on a terracotta disk, offering wet-dry benefits in a rich, colorful, long-lasting application that's never chalky. Apply "wet" for more dramatic, intense color, or "dry" for softer, more shimmery effect. When "wet" try the deeper tones as an eyeliner. 

Packaging

For an affordable cosmetics brand, I am impressed by the sturdy packaging. The domed baked shadow is nestled in a white plastic base with a thick clear plastic lid that snaps close. The top has a clear window so you can see the colors, which I love. The silver reflective top and vine design is eye catching. This is not sophisticated and sleek packaging, but it is not supposed to be. Here we are talkin' about a purely flashy and edgy look. The product itself  is a pleasure to stare at. The pan promises shimmery, complex, and complimentary shadows that just tempt me to swipe my fingers across them!

Performance

 As much as I adore nice packaging, it doesn't amount to much if the product itself performs poorly. This is where I am still a bit torn about this duo. On one hand, I wanted more from these shadows and found I had to work with them more than I should have to get the look that I wanted. On the other hand, despite all the extra effort this duo required, I feel like it does something a bit magical for my eyes! 

Rock n Roll is made up of two shades: an iridescent pink that leans lilac, and a metallic royal purple with a touch of pewter. Since Hard Candy insists these two shadows will be phenomenal both wet and dry, I tested them both ways. All swatches are without primer, but I did use primer before applying to the lid.

Dry

A dry swatch of these got me really excited! While initially a bit dry to the touch, these shadows turned out to be really pigmented, shimmery, and fairly soft.

When applied to my lids, the iridescent sheen of the pink shadow was sadly lost for the most part as you can see in the closeups below. It is still lovely, but I just couldn't get it to look on my eyes like it did in my swatch no matter how much I packed on. The dark pewter purple, however, made for a perfect versatile crease, outer v, and lash line shade.

Wet

 

 Since the iridescent sheen of the pink shade didn't fully translate from swatch to lid, I was eager to see if applying it wet would intensify the color and shimmer. A wet swatch, pictured above, gave me exactly what I wanted! However, within a few moments, the shadows dried down and left me with this...

The gorgeous metallic shine disappears once the wet shadows dry, and I was left with a powdery, cakey swatch.

 Sadly, the same thing happened when I applied the shadows wet to my lid: at first they were gorgeous and metallic, and then quickly returned to powder. They lost their shine, and I even had a fair amount of powdery fall out once they dried. Although pretty, my wet application look basically ended up looking just the same as when I applied the shadows dry.

Price

These duos, which come in a myriad of shades, will cost you around $6 each and can be found at your local Walmart. 

Final Verdict 

Ultimately, I found that I had to work harder with these shadows then I typically like to. Additionally, wet application was a bit of a let down. Even though I couldn't get these shadows to perform the way I wanted them to, I feel like the two shades really do make for a flattering eye look that makes my green(ish) peepers pop! And for that reason, I can't totally write off this duo. While I wish I could get these shadows to apply to my lids like they do in swatches, I can't deny that they do get my eyes looking bright and green.

This product was sent to me for consideration by PR. My review, as always, represents my experience alone with the product and is 100% honest.

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Posted in Hard Candy

My Lipstick Bar

While browsing the knick-knacks at our local second-hand shop, my partner found this little gem for less than a buck. The original owners of this lipstick bar must have come upon it in a gift shop in Luray Caverns, VA- it is an odd souvenir to remember the caves by but it is charming nonetheless! 

It clearly wasn't getting the love it deserves so I brought it home with me, and now it proudly displays my favorite lipsticks (and glosses!) of the moment! It is also a great way to encourage myself to use lipsticks that have fallen to the bottom of my collection and show them some affection! 

I am thinking about doing a monthly Lipstick Bar post where I feature my current favorite lipsticks and ones that I bringing back into the daylight - what do you think? Would be interested in seeing a monthly post on my Lipstick Bar?

 What's currently in my Lipstick Bar?

From L to R:

MAC Viva Glam Gaga2

MAC Musky Amethyst
Revlon Super Lustrous Primrose

Revlon Moon Drops Rose Dipped Gold

Revlon Super Lustrous Siren

Hard Candy Glossaholic Chill Out

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Posted in Hard Candy , Lipstick Bar , MAC , Revlon

Fierce Femme FOTD: Deathly Hallows

I love sleep too much to make the midnight showing, but the day after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows P. 2 premiered I hit the theater, my pals and I giddy as could be! In my "punk" younger years, the image I had of the HP phenomenon was of nerdy 8 year old kids with lightening bolts scribbled on their foreheads waiting outside of the local bookstore for an obscene number of hours for the latest book installment. Thankfully I grew out of that narrow-minded thinking because now I am totally enamored with the Harry Potter series, although I was late catching on! This post is a little late, but here is the look that I wore to the movie showing! By the way, the movie was AH-MAY-ZINNNG!

What I Used

Face

Revlon ColorStay Foundation in Medium Beige

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Heavy Duty Concealer in Light

elf HD Powder

Cheeks

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in Exposed

Lorac Perfect Lit Oil Free Luminizing Powder in Spotlight

Eyes

UDPP

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Cottage Cheese (depotted)

elf Mineral Eyeshadow in Angelic (shimmering white; inner corners)

elf Mineral Eyeshadow in Smoldering (silvery pewter; lids and lower lash line)

elf Mineral Eyeshadow in Seductive (matte black; upper lash line, outer v, lower lash line)

elf Cream Eyeliner in Black (upper lash line, tight line, and water line)

Loreeal Voluminous Carbon Black (upper lashes)

Mybelline Lash Stiletto (lower lashes)

Lips

elf Lip Liner and Lip Brush in Natural

Sephora Collection Lip Attitude in 19 Innocent Beige (depotted)

My partner and I waiting for the movie to start!

Did you see HP and the Deathly Hallows P.2? What did you think?

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Posted in E.L.F. , Fierce Femme Face of the Day , Hard Candy , Harry Potter , Lorac , Loreal , Maybelline , NYX , Revlon , Sephora , Tarte

Review: Hard Candy Glossaholic Sequin Saturated Shine Lip Gloss in Chill Out

The kind people at Hard Candy generously sent me this gloss to review, and I am so excited to show it to you! Everything about this product is BIG!

Here is how Hard Candy describes the Glossaholic Sequin Saturated Shine Lip Gloss on their site:

SUPER HUGE MEGA WATT LIPS One dip covers your lips! Ginormous applicator with gloss cup deposits gloss to your whole mouth in one swipe! These super lustrous lip glosses are infused with prisms of color that make lips appear fuller and plumper. Out of this world hyper-reflective prisms of pearl make lips sparkle like crazy! Feeling tired or wired? Two Glossaholic sparkling clear top coats are infused with mood altering elixirs to help you Chill Out or Rise & Shine! – You can wear alone or as a top coat.

 Let's tackle some of these claims, shall we ladies?:

One-swipe coverage

 Check! The applicator on this baby is flippin' huge. I mean, really huge. Check out the picture for a comparison to a standard sized applicator. With a doe foot applicator this monstrous, there is no need to dip back into the tube (which is also huge) for more product. Because the applicator is big, however, you aren't going to get the most precise application, especially in tight spots like your cupids bow and inner corners. This isn't an issue with a clear gloss like Chill Out, but it might be with the pigmented shades in the Glossaholic line.

Sparkly finish

Check! But sparkle doesn't capture it. We aren't talkin' shimmer, or even glitter. This gloss is packed full of full blown flakies! Check out a close up:

The flakies, which are suspended in clear gloss, reflect a prism of orange, blue, purple, and pink though on the lips I see mostly blue reflects.  Overall, the look is glossy and when the light hits your lips the bling starts to shine.The effect on the lips is a little more subtle than I expected but still gorgeous.

Appearance of fuller, plumper lips

Check! I wouldn't say my lips look that much fuller wearing this gloss compared to any other, but the flakies do add a really eye catching, flattering dimension to my pout!

Mood alteration

 This is the most bizarre claim, but one we have heard before (I am lookin' at you, Physicians Formula Happy Booster line!). Do I feel more relaxed when I apply this gloss? No. However, the packaging is fun, the gloss is yummy, and the flakies are pretty rad so it is impossible not to get a little pick-me-up from this product.

Great alone or on top of lipstick

Alone, this gloss delivers a unique dazzling shine (see pics above). When paired with lipstick, the effect isn't as impressive. I tried layering it on top of lipstick and it gives a nice shine, but the flakies are for the most part lost in the lipstick pigment. Here is is layered over e.l.f. Mineral lipstick in Runway Pink:

Some other notes:

Flavor

Chill Out is a delicious vanilla flavor. It doesn't have the plastic-like taste some glosses from inexpensive brands possess- this is just like vanilla frosting! Yum!

Texture 

I was worried that the enormous flakies would make the texture of this gloss gritty. On the contrary, it is actually pretty smooth. I don't find this gloss overly sticky either. The feeling on my lips is pillowy, if that makes sense.

Longevity

The wear time on this gloss is pretty good, about 3 hours or so. After a while, my lips feel a little tacky as the gloss starts to wear off. Over lipstick, of course, the longevity is shorter.

The Verdict?

Overall, this is a nice gloss. Two things make this gloss stand out from the pack: the enormous applicator and the gorgeous flakies. Those with an affinity for all things sparkly will find this hard to resist! It is a welcomes addition to my collection!

The price on this puppy is around $5. You can get this gloss and other Hard Candy products from Walmart.

Have you tried this gloss? What are your thoughts?

This product was sent to me for consideration by PR. My review, as always, represents my experience alone with the product and is 100% honest.

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Posted in Hard Candy

June Favorites (no flunkies allowed!)

Here we are, fully in the throes of summer! As usual, this month came and went all too quickly. I only hauled an item or two this June (can we get a round of applause for my astounding self-restraint?), and I am elated to report that I don't have any flunkies to share with you today! I am getting a lot better at researching items and only buying those that fill a need in my collection. However, my birthday is coming up in July so expect some hauling that throws all that to the wind!

On to what has stolen my early summer heart....

All my followers! This is my third full month blogging, and I have had so much fun posting, reading other blogs, and interacting with all of you! Today I hit 80 followers! That means I need to put together a giveaway like I promised quick! I am continually surprised that people want to read my posts. You all are the fiercest of power femmes, and thank you for joining me on this adventure!

e.l.f. High Definition Powder- I bought this a few months ago when I was looking for an affordable HD powder, and somehow over time it fell to the bottom of by collection. I assumed that this product wouldn't hold up to the summer heat, but I was wrong! This is now my go to summer setting powder- whether I am wearing tinted moisturizer or full coverage foundation, this locks in my look and controls my oil and shine for a good portion of the day. And at $6, you can't beat it!

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Heavy Duty Concealer- When I reviewed this product, I initially stated that it wasn't the best to concealer under eye circles. Minor retraction! While I am still a bit disappointed with the limited shade selection, I have found a new appreciation for this concealer. I have been applying this all month with a damp Sonia Kashuk blending sponge and it has been doing a great job of concealing my under eye circles. I like this as a summer concealer because it is thin (yet crazy pigmented!) as opposed to thick and creamy so it won't cake up or slide off in the heat.

  
Zoya Creamy- Despite my trepidation, I took a shot at the yellow polish trend and I am so glad I did! Creamy's formula is not perfect, but I am willing to put up with it because the color is so divine. Usually I get bored with a mani after a few days, but I wore this one until it was chipping off!

 Revlon Super Lustrous in Primrose- This came out in a limited collection, but I still have seen a few of these lippies floating around my local shopping stops. Primsore is a pale, milky pink that leans lavender. It is a bit cool for me, but I can still barely pull it off. I have heard some describe this is a Victorian pink, but I think it can also be used to achieve that "Playboy Bunny" pale pink lip and smokey lip if you are feeling wild. I really adore the Super Lustrous lipsticks, and the formula on this one is no exception.

ecotools Retractable Kabuki-  This brush is oh-so-soft and convenient to throw into your purse. It is multipurpose powder brush, but my favorite use for it is to apply bronzer. It is small enough to contour my cheeks and temples and evenly distributes and buffs product.

Laura Geller Baked Blush n' Brighten in Honey Dipped- This gem came in my June Birchbox. This isn't a product that I would have picked out for myself, but I am more than happy to have it on my collection! Look at it- can you even handle it's beauty?!?! Despite the bronze color this is far too shimmer to use as a bronzer to contour with or dust all over the face. I use this like a blush, and it offers a healthy, golden glow to my skin. It is really pigmented, and the neutral shade goes with most all looks. I even use just a tiny dab of this on top of my other blushes to add a summery golden sheen to my cheeks.

Pangea Organics Italian Green Mandarin & Sweet Lime Facial Toner- This also came in my June Birchbox. Ever on the hunt for new natural skin care goodies, I think this one is a permanent keeper. This generous sample should last me a while longer, too. I mist this on my face morning and night after I cleanse, and let it dry before I put on my moisturizer. This hasn't performed miracles on my skin, but I can tell that my skin feels more balanced and hydrated since I started using it. It also feels really cooling and refreshing in the summer heat!

What are you adoring this month?

PS- I updated my Blog Sale! Prices and shipping costs have been slashed; I am also open to swaps and haggling. I move in two weeks so I am eager to find these goodies new homes!

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Posted in E.L.F. , Ecotools , Favorites and Flunkies , Hard Candy , Laura Geller , Pangea Organics , Revlon , Zoya

Lady Gaga 'Judas' Inspired Nail Art (Fail?)

By now it is no secret that I am totally enamored with Lady Gaga, and as a beauty junkie I often look to her aesthetic for inspiration. Gaga rocks some really intense nails in her 'Judas' music video: pointed green and black talons encrusted with gold chain links and gem stones. Omitting the sharpened claws, here is my interpretation of the look. I really want to love it....but I feel like I'm wearing gaudy Christmas sweaters on my nails. The edginess of Gaga's look was lost in my rendition and replaced with tacky Holiday cheer. I almost didn't post this, but I think it is important to acknowledge our successes as well as our epic failures! I can't help but laugh every time I look down at my hands!

I used Sally Hansen Black Diamond and Jumpin' Jade as the base coats, then mattified them with Hard Candy's matte top coat (which I realize now was pointless since I used Seche Vite afterwards). The using Zoya Jules, I created the gold rings with a toothpick. The gems were created using Black Diamond, Jumpin' Jade, and Zoya Faith. The mimic the 3D effect I applied some red and green bindis to random nails, and sealed it all in with coat of Seche Vite. I worked too long on these to take them off, so I am going to try to rock these for a few days.

Tell me about your nail art fails! Have you ever had a great design idea that totally crashed and burned in execution?

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Posted in Hard Candy , Lady Gaga , Nail Art , Nail Polish , Sally Hansen , Seche Vite , Zoya