Featuring Setu and Maybelline Lasting Drama Swirl Gel Liner

Hello my Beauties,

can you see the weekend coming slowly around the corner? Yes, it’s already thursday. 🙂

Today i want to introduce you to the lovely Setu Rohini from Mumbai, India – from The nailart and Beauty diaries.
She is your girl next door, who is crazy about nail art, makeup and Do It Yourself beauty.
Setu was one of the first, who was really interested in writing a guest post for Beauty expression by Luchessa. And i was happy to accept, as i love beauty blogger from all over the globe.
She wrote a great review on a daily use product, the Maybelline Lasting Drama Swirl Gel Liner – Black & Silver, which she is totally in love with these days.
So if you are intrigued by the product and want to meet a new blogger, keep reading.

Maybelline Lasting Drama Swirl Gel Liner Black & Silver Review

Hello lovely ladies! This is my first guest post for ‘Beauty expression by Luchessa’ so the barometer of my excitement level is very high. It’s like joining another happening kitty party :P.

Now, coming back to the beautiful Maybelline gel liner review.
Since ages, Woman (especially Indians) has been fascinated by kohls and liners. First came the kohl (kajal), then came the liquid liners and now there is a generation of gel liners; which is more like a hybrid of kohl and liquid liner. I simply love (love is an underestimation, actually I am obsessed with: P) kohls and my tryst with them can be read in my article 
Finding the perfect one!
I have been using the amazing piece of Maybelline Lasting Drama Blackest Black for a couple of months now. I am impressed by its performance so decided to grab the other variant (black & grey) too without even finishing one fourth of my previous one :P.

Product Claims: (From Maybelline’s Website)

• Only our oil-free formula can hold highly concentrated pigments in a clear gel base.
• So color is more intense and lines resist wear for hours.
• Smudge-proof and Water-proof.
• The most intense line for lasting drama.

Usage Instruction: (From Maybelline’s Website) Use gel liner and begin at the inner eye. Extend along lash line, continuing up towards the brow.
What it contains: Not mentioned anywhere
Price: Rs 425 ( around 9.99 USD )
Quantity: 2.8 grams

My Experience with PRODUCT: I was very curious when I bought the gel liner for the first time. I read piles of beauty blogs and reviews but none helped me answer the question if it is good to be used as kohl on lower eyelid. I only got the answer once I started using it. First I bought the black one and then the silver-black followed. I had been looking forward to add some bling in my daily kohl application. But considering my wheatish complexion I just cannot pick up any jazzy liner as they give a washed out look to face. There are plenty of glitter liners floating around in the market but there are two thumb rules when you want to pick one.

–First, know your complexion and its limitation. No product review or beauty expert can guide you here. You are the best judge. What looked marvelous on her may look a dud on me.
–Second, decide on the amount of glitter or bling you want. Is it too dull for a jeweled look or too loud for a decent look? It will depend on the occasion and will.

Having warned about the moderation of shimmer, I must admit that this product has just got the right amount of it. The color and pigmentation is perfect and doesn’t make you out of place wherever you go.
It is decent enough for office when you use the black/grey and striking enough for a party when you use the silver. The swirl of black and silver is not just at the top but it stretches down to bottom which means you have both silver and black till the end.

But let me tell you after few uses you would have all grey around unless you want to dig deep to find the silver. I have not been careful about not mixing the black and silver per say throughout its usage.  I separately own a black gel liner and a silver liquid liner so I didn’t bother much. But with care things may be will be better.

It comes in cute tab packing which will amaze you as soon as you open the magic box.
Beautiful swirls of silver and black along with a close to perfect brush. The length and make of the brush is such that it gives you good control allowing you to be creative. The brush comes with a cap to keep the bristles safe.

Really, since the time I shook my hands with the gel family of liners the journey has been more creative and fun.
The pigmentation is lovely and the staying power complements to the perfectness of the product. Like the black cousin gel liner, it stays for 5-6 hours almost fresh.
It fades away little bit from water line after this but doesn’t give a raccoon look. It won’t smudge or spread or bleed through corner of your eye. Clean exit, I must say. The consistency is like a pressed gel or like a lip balm (not the flowy kinds).

Pros:

• Great pigmentation, dense color
• Gives choice of color (silver, grey or black) to suit every occasion
• Well balanced mix shimmer and color
• Fresh like look for 5-6 hours on waterline, will stay longer if used as eyeliner on upper lid.
• Doesn’t smudge or bleed
• Waterproof
• Doesn’t sting or irritate
• Safe for contact lenses (based on my experience)
• Very little required to get the charismatic look, so will last long
• Comfortable length and quality of brush which gives you good control
• Allows you to be creative with shapes you can give to your eyes
• Can be used as both liner and kohl J
• Can be used to give a smoky eye makeup
• Dries off in seconds unlike liquid liners
• Travel friendly
• Very cute and sturdy packaging
• Affordable

 Cons:

• Touch ups when outdoor can be difficult with this (brush in one hand and tub in another)
• You need more care and attention than a twist up kajal(kohl)
• If you apply heavy on your waterline, particles may dry and fall in your eye
• I wish it stayed more

Will I re-purchase again? I am in love with this. I may try the brown and golden variant next.

Would I recommend it to others?  Yes. It has amazing pigmentation and staying.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5 (-0.5 for micro particles falling in eye)

Availability: Beauty store, Online stores etc

Please feel free to share your experience with this product. Let me know your thoughts about my first article here   😛
Welcome to my laboratory at  The Nailart and beauty Diaries .

So there you have it, my Beauties, hope you like this guest post. Please stop by Setu’s blog and leave her your feedback.

Until next time – stay beautiful!

❄ I ♥ Drugstore Makeup TAG! ❄

Hello my Beauties!

It’s finally weekend. It was a crazy and busy week for me, so right now i’m just happy to stay in, since it’s really cold outside. 
While enjoying my cozy weekend, i’ve decided to do this fun I ♥ Drugstore Makeup TAG, that has been going around youtube so much lately. Hope you do it as well. 🙂

 I tag YOU all to do this!

THE QUESTIONS:

1. What is your favorite drugstore makeup brand?
There are two actually. The well-known Revlon & the german brand Catrice. I think the most drugstore items that i use on the daily basis are by Cartice. I love how the quality meets price here. And as i became a huge fan of the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters this year, Revlon has to be my other brand of choice.

2. What are your favorite face, cheek and lip products? 
My favorite lip products of the year 2012 are definitely the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters and the new Sheer Glam lipsticks by P2 cosmetics. Two current ones that i’m loving are the 070 Cherry Tart & 060 Fame! The sheer glam lipsticks are a great alternative to Revlon’s lip butters, as they are not being sold here in Germany (what a shame btw!)
They have a creamy buttery consistency, a little bit of color and leave my lips moisturized. I’m really happy with all the lipsticks by P2 and that’s one of the reasons, why you can win one of them in my current giveaway. Plus i find the P2 packaging super cute.
As for my favorite cheek product i would have to pick the Silky Touch Blush in 10 adorable by Essence, a very light pink with a  matte finish. I love the formula and how beautifully pigmented the blushes by Essence are. There’s no issues with blending into powder or liquid foundation at all. The packaging is very simple clear study plastic, and i have had no problems even while traveling.

My most favorite face product of the year is the Bebe young care Goodbye make-up tinted moistruizer.
(It’s by Johnson-Johnson, so you might find something similar in the States). It gives my face moisture and a light coverage, as a great alternative to heavy makeup, like thick foundations or heavy powders. I didn’t feel like my skin needs too much coverage these days, so this product has been exactly right. It smells a little bit like sunblock, which reminds me of a beach vacation every time i use this tinted moisturizer.

3. Least favorite product? For me it’s the Maybelline color sensational lipstick in golden pearl 862. I didn’t expect it to be that shimmery & pearly. You don’t get much color on your lips, way less than from Revlon’s lip butters. And i feel after drinking, eating and talking, i have that shimmer all over my face. I know i sounds a little weird, but i just don’t like it. But on top of all that i find this typical “lipstick smell” unpleasant.
So for me, it’s the biggest downside to this lipstick, along with the pretty high price (around 10 euro/13 US-Dollar).

4. What is the best makeup bargain? Seriously i will have to go with the Essence blushes again. Great product for really small money!! If you have an Essence display at your local drugstore, go ahead and try them. 

5. What is your favorite underdog product? (Something you love that often gets overlooked?) Recently i have discovered the highlighter pen by Catrice. It’s a relative new product on the market, but i feel like it didn’t get enough attention so far. It’s a creamy pearly long-lasting highlighter, that reminds me a little bit of the NYX  jumbos. It brightens really well the eyebrow area and gives a nice sparkle in the corner of my eyes. I enjoy using this highlighter pen on the daily basis.

6. A drugstore product that is overpriced? This one is really easy. It’s the L’Oreal Paris Studio Secrets Smoothing Primer. Not least because of the newest addition on Catrice’s display. During the summer Catrice came out with the new Prime and Fine Smoothing Refiner, that looks a lot like the Secrets Smoothing Primer. The only difference is that the jar that it comes in, is not made of glas, but plastic. But seriously, that is the only downside for Catrice. The texture is the same, mousy and creamy. The primer by L’Oreal needs much longer to soak in. And i don’t even start with the price. L’Oreal around 16 euro vs. Catrice  4, 99 euro. So as you can see – L’Oreal Paris Studio Secrets Smoothing Primer is just way too overpriced & not competitive.

7. Show your best drugstore dupe!!  The best one that i have handy at the moment is one of my all time favorites mono eyeshadow is  Catrice 410 C’mon Chameleon as dupe to  M.A.C. Club.
Anyone who ever had a makeup obsession knows how M.A.C. Club looks like. Club is officially described as “a red brown with a green shimmer”. In my opinion it’s more complex when you look at it. A light brown, green and blue mixed toghether with little sparkles. And  it looks different depending on the way you wear it. C’mon Chameleon is a lovely duochrome forest green mixed with warm brown  color. The effect is even better i noticed, when applied on a dark base like a black NYX jumbo pencil. 

8. Drugstore product that isn’t worth the hype? In my eyes it’s Rimmel London lasting finish by Kate in 05. Yes i know Rimmel  teamed up with Kate Moss to create that line, and it was all over the media. But somehow i didn’t like the formula, nor the feel on my lips. And yes, maybe i’m not the biggest fan of bright, matte lip colors – the lipsticks are described as a satin finish, but to me, they are definitely matte. And besides, i can’t stand when a lipstick  blends into the lines of my lips. No wonder this one has been lying around after just a week of using. True story.

What are you favorite drugstore brands and products? Please do the tag and tell me more about your beauty secrets! 

New addiction: Mauvie Star

Hello Beauties!

If you’re like me (most of the times) trying to create a nice eye look, with different colors and good blending work, you want the result to stay in place for many hours, preferred all day. Often we find some of the eyeshadows not being as lasting as we would wish. And that was exact the moment, when I discovered the cream shadows.

In the world of cream eyeshadow there is big variety in color and consistency these days. Almost every brand has some creaseless longlasting cream shadows out on the market, both high-end and drugstore. So basically there is no excuse for not having tried them yet.

They all come in a  little glass pot and you can apply easily with your finger, although I’m not a big fan of dipping my finger in (even less while having long finger nails). I prefer using a small synthetic brush to apply those.

Today i would like to talk about the newest addition to my little cream eyeshadow collection and two other favorites for the fall time of the year.

My newest shadow is the Made to Stay Longlasting Eyeshadows in 070 Mauvie Star.
(5.0 g /0.17 oz) 
It’s a very intresting greyish silvery purple with multicolor shimmer.
And if you are a Chanel lover, you will also notice the similarity to Chanel Illusion D’Ombre 83 Illusoire. 

The color appears pretty sheer after just one coat, which means you can easily build it without overdo it too fast. I found it a good solution to apply more after blending the first layer and having it dry for a few seconds. The mauve color and all the shimmer stand out pretty well, so the compliments are guaranteed. Finally a really great drugstore cream shadow!

Try it, if you can find Catrice products in your area.

Beside my new addiction i have also two of my favorite autumn appropriate shadows, which are the Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Strut (4,50 g/0,16 oz) – a shimmery charcoal gray and the Maybelline Color Tattoo in 45 Bold Gold (4g/0,14oz) a medium toned golden shade with a little bit of bronze it it (which I personally love).

As you can see, Strut can also be used as a cream liner. That would explane all the lines in the pot (and the fact, that it’s my oldest cream shadow). I also tried to line my lower lid with the Mauvie Star, but it’s a little too creamy to be used as a liner.

The Maybelline one if definitelly an alternative to the Mac Paint Pots and can be used as an eyeshadow base, eyeliner or eyeshadow. Hello, versatility! It’s not fully opaque but is easily buildable, same as Mauvie Star by Catrice. 

The creaseless cream by Benefit is good as a liners and works well as a base beneath powder shadows. But if i’m honest, i wear it best just by itself, creating a nice greyish smokey eye look.

Each of them paired with a good primer, will stay put all day long without creasing or fading. That’s for sure. And those three colors are basicly my pick for the autumn looks. What are yours?

Have you worn the Creaseless Creams, Color Tattoo’s or the Made to Stay longlasting eyeshadow’s before, and do you have any must-haves ideas for me? Please share your secrets!