The Plum Eyeliner

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Blog Listing Update

Dearest Fellow Bloggers (from Reddit),

I know that some of you are following me from Reddit and the beauty blog threads so I just wanted to give you all the heads up that we're switching one of the blog rolls.

http://makeupaddiction.redlaboratory.com/
(The /r/makeupaddiction Blog Listings)

Is shifting gears and becoming the Eyeliners & Lipsticks Blog Listing in order to be less Reddit oriented and a bit more comprehensive. So if you happen to have the old site linked, please update it to:

http://eyelinersandlipsticks.blogspot.com/

For the official Reddit MUA Beauty Blogs Listing, please refer to this post. If you'd like to hop on the Eyeliners & Lipsticks board and help us out, head on over there and drop us a line.

Thanks!

New Box: Kara's Way

There's an awful lot of boxes out there and it seems as though there's a new one every month. That's just the makeup boxes alone and if you don't believe me, check out the list compiled by Mandy Wiltse, which is ever growing. Anyhow, I'm pretty picky which is why although I've been thinking about it for a while, I haven't actually subscribed to any. Which is why I guess in some way, I'm kind of lucky as one of my friends is hoping to release her own box soon.

Kara's Way is an eco-friendly box, that is aiming to be just beauty samples. While I don't know what would be in the first box, I do know that that each box is supposed to have at minimum 5 all natural (or vegan) products. The waiting list has just opened up and you can go to their site to find out more information.

Here's wishing my friend a whole lot of luck with her new venture. And since she has no idea that my blog exists or that I'm writing about it, the full disclaimer is that this is not an endorsed post.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Influenster Love Box

Yesterday I got my first VoxBox from Influenster and I couldn't be more excited. I haven't had the chance to try out everything just yet but here are the pictures of the box for those of you that are interested. (Reminder: You can click on the images to enlarge them!)

Everything in the box.

A closer look at the contents.

The postcard that lists out everything inside.

Truvia Natural Sweetener Sample

Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk Creamy Devotion Bar

Kiss Nail Dress -- Fashion That Sticks

Stash Tea Herbal Tea Sampler

Gillette Venus & Olay Razor

Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary through the VoxBox product testing program.

Review: Impress Manicure

Last week in midst of a cleaning frenzy, I broke out the bleach but forgot to do two key things. One was that I neglected to use my rubber gloves and second was that I didn't dilute the bleach. Now if you've ever worked with bleach, generally speaking you work as quickly as possible. Which I did, but my nails suffered for it. Generally I grow out my nails but thanks to my error, I set them back by a week or two. Basically I weakened my nails and figured that since they were short, it's about time I tried press on nails. Especially since I assume they wouldn't be as damaging as standard manicures.

Anyhow, I tried out the Impress Manicure by Broadway because I've heard great things. Plus, they have really cute designs. When I ran over to my local drugstore knowing that I was going to pick up a pack of them, I also sprang for a cuticle pusher since I didn't have one in my collection (and I also knew that the package probably wouldn't have one). I bought a simple plastic one (pictured on the left above) for 99¢ rather than the pack of bamboo cuticle pusher or one made of metal.

As for the Impress Manicure, I bought myself the (D030) Holla! which is a glittery peach (though a demure peach) with black lace. Upon closer inspection, one can make out flowers and butterflies in the lace pattern. I'm a sucker for lace (as evidenced by when I got the Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips in Laced Up [but that is for another time]) but what I love about this one is that you can actually make out the lace and still see the underlying colours. It's a gorgeous take on the lace look -- even my boyfriend remarked that it had a steampunk look because it looked so defined.

My general feel about the nails? Well, I've been wearing them for a day so I haven't had the full experience just yet (the packaging boasts that it can last up to a week) but here's some preliminary observations.

This is best on short nails as they are pretty short themselves. Application is incredibly easy: clean your nails (no nail polish), then use the prep pad to clean off your nails, and then apply the nails.

Yep, that simple. Just peel off the backing and apply. Hold them down for a few seconds and that's it. No hassle. They were on and good to go within 15 minutes. They aren't cumbersome and for the most part the cover the nails well. On my left hand there's only one nail that wasn't fully covered (but it's not very noticeable) and on my right hand there's about four nails that don't quite fit (but also not noticeable).

The thing that does strike me as odd is that they are a bit raised so even though on my ring finger it fits perfectly it does look a bit off since it's raised. In a way, it kind of reminds me of a gel manicure and the need to get them filled in where they meet the cuticle.

Given the nature of the sticky glue, I don't imagine it being as strong as normal nail glue. And of course, I was right; when I press on something with the nail, I can feel it pushing back toward my cuticle. So I do have a sneaky suspicion that they might snap off, I still do have a few remainders so I can easily replacement. It hasn't gotten to that, but I am prepared just in case.

I should have an update about them and how long they last in about a week!
UPDATE POST: Impress Manicure

Product: Impress Manicure by Broadway in Holla!
Price: $7.99
Would Recommend? With caution.
Takeaway: Easy to apply and great if you're on the go; the only catch I can see to this is that you should have short nails as they are pretty short themselves. They do not seem as though they can last throughout a week, especially if you do household cleaning.

The End With Le Octopus

The conclusion of "A Crabbeh Kind of Day."

Updated my makeup blog.

Ate my fruits. :)

Tried to read this magazine but it doesn't have
a lot content....

So after talking to my mom, I read a real book.

Enjoyed some delicious Philz coffee (again(.

But this time with Venkat!

Grabbed takeout from this delicious vegetarian
restaurant for dinner.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Trying Out Cosmetic Wedges

Since switching from loose powder to a pressed powder foundation, one of the things I noticed right away was that the brushes weren't going to cut it anymore. I have great brushes, but they aren't able to pick up as much of the powder and evenly distribute it. With the original packaging (like all pressed powders) there was the powder puff, which I sort of ignored for a bit. I used it ever so slightly, but also remained unimpressed by the way it distributed the powder. I really had to press it into my skin in order to see the colour.

Cosmetic wedges on the left and the puff that came
with the powder on the right.

So I fished out a pack of cosmetic wedges that I had and decided that it was time to try them. I had them from Halloween, since I tend to use wedges to apply Halloween makeup so I figured it was worth a try.

For the last few weeks I've been trying out the cosmetic wedges and I've been very happy with the results. I'm still getting technique down with the blush but so far, it's been great.

A pack of the wedges are relatively cheap (about $4 for a pack of 32) and they are reusable. I don't know how many times you can attempt to reuse them, but basically you wash them (they will expand in size so that you can clean them) and then they will shrink back to normal size as they dry.

So what makes it different than the puff? It's easier to hold, which just might be the key difference here. With the puff, I found myself struggling to press the powder on. The wedges are just a bit easier to hold and really get into smaller spaces (like near my eye). This also meant that not only could I use it to apply my foundation, but also the finishing powder (they are similar in colour) and even pick up the blush without worrying about the colours mixing.

The moral of the story: If you find yourself having issues applying pressed powders, try using wedges (or even a blender). That is all. :) (Though I kind of wish I knew that before making the switch).

Oh and if you are considering reusing the wedges or even the puff, cleaning it with soap and water works out just fine. As with my brushes, I use anti-bacterial hand soap and warm water. For the puffs and wedges, I have a small basket in which they rest on cardboard tubes in order to allow them to dry evenly.