Annabelle Eyeshadow Trio - Grafix

Some time ago I promised a look using the Annabelle eyeshadow trio in Grafix. Since the weather has turned cold in Toronto, I thought posting this would be appropriate today :)






Lip colour - Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Ming
Blush - most likely Everyday Minerals blush in Apple
Foundation - most likely Lunasol Water Cream Foundation





Brows - MAC Brun eyeshadow
Eyeshadow base - Urban Decay Primer Potion
Eyeshadows - Annabelle Eyeshadow Trio in Grafix
Eyeliner - Kate pen liner
Mascara - Marcelle Volume Precision Mascara, Shiseido Lash Base

Tarte giveaway winner!

The winner of the Tarte multiplEYE™ mascara as determined by the random number generator is:



comment #12, ginnn7!

Congratulations! Please email me within 48 hours with your shipping address to claim your prize :)

Thanks to all those that entered!

Vacation purchases, Part 2

I picked up two Japanese mooks (magazine books) from Kinokuniya as well. Blame it on Rouge Deluxe, who always posts her latest haul of mooks.

The Liberty for London mook:



Comes with a bag in one of their prints, "Emilia's Flowers". The material is cotton with a lining on the inside.







Something from the mook that caught my eye:




The second mook I purchased was the Agnes B one, apparently their first mook to be published.



I really like the gift with this one - the bag is large, and the material feels thick and sturdy! Not to mention the cute heart charm:







More charms, from the magazine pages:



I think these two were worth the price of the mook, especially the Agnes B one! Am hoping to pick up more before I leave :)

Thanks to those who have entered my Tarte mascara giveaway! It ends at midnight EST so hurry if you haven't entered yet :) It is open to US residents.

I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date!

I've been on a no-buy for jewelry for a while now, but decided it was time to break it when I spotted the White Rabbit necklace from Mayaari at Cady Nation!

Several emails later the item was on its way to me and popped into my mailbox before I left :D As you can see Mayaari really made me feel appreciated as a customer :D

A lovely package of sheet masks & candy with my order, what more could a girl ask for?



Here is the necklace I got stretched full length (it was a 16" chain, just right for me).





I had her customize it a bit so it matches what I normally wear the most often :) I thought that a iridescent crystal would suit me most since I wear neutral / black most of the time.



You can see the rest of Mayaari's Wonderland collection here. I'm actually lemming that Un-birthday bracelet but I already have wayyy to many bracelets. She was awesome to deal with, extremely patient and responsive with my questions. Definitely check out her works of art!

Lights, Camera, Lashes! A Tarte Giveaway (US only)

Tarte is a company probably best known for their Cheek Stains, but did you know they also make other products such as their under eye corrector, and their multiplEYE™ mascara?

In fact, I've been contacted by them to organize a Tarte giveaway for US readers! (Sorry to non-US readers, but there will be other giveaways I promise...)

The prize will be Tarte's best seller multiplEYE™ mascara, "a natural lash enhancing mascara, clinically-proven to increase lash volume by 638%."



Sounds good right? Here's how to enter:

Please leave a comment below (1 comment only per person please!) telling me why you need this product. Again, US residents only!

It would be nice but not necessary to be a follower of my blog (although I am only a few more away from my 500 followers giveaway...*hint* :P)

Contest closes 1 week from now, April 22nd Eastern Standard Time. The winner will be picked randomly via Random.org. I will announce the winner here who will need to contact me with her mailing address within 48 hours.

If you would like to learn more about Tarte products feel free to check out the official Tarte makeup review blog here.

Good luck with the giveaway!

4/23/10: Contest closed! Winner to be announced soon :)

Vacation purchases, Part 1

Sasa

Picked up a Silk Whitia mask to try, some compressed mask sheets for face and eyes, empty travel pump bottle and Canmake cream blush.



The Canmake cream blush reminds me of the MAC Joie de Vivre blush - I really should compare both when I go home.



The Face Shop

Eco Vert toner



The toner smells heavenly, and I like how most the ingredients are natural. It is also alcohol free!

Various masks



Reviews will be coming up... :)

L'oreal Lash Boost Serum

The applicator is basically a curved stick, without any bristles (unlike the Ardell version)


Ingredients:


According to the info I received with the product, it should be worn twice a day, with results expected after 40 days. It can be worn under mascara as well, in fact L'oreal has a specific lash boosting mascara to go with this serum.

Likes:
- Applicator was easy to use
- Product seems to last longer (Ardell's would start going bad after a month)
- Results after 40 days (though the changes are subtle)

Dislikes:
- Contains alcohol - stings if you get any into your eye but it is unlikely
- Applicator sometimes leaves clumps that need to be wiped off
- If clumps are not wiped off will dry off to a white colour - making it look like your lashes have white dust on them.
- Product cannot stand on its end unlike mascaras (base is not flat)

Here's the proof - but be warned, there are some scary naked eye pictures ahead! :P

Before:




After:


Lashes look slightly longer and thicker:


Side view shows the very slight increase in length:


Overall the results are quite subtle, but noticeable if you do a before and after picture comparison. The improvement wasn't that dramatic, so I think that's why the product isn't openly advertised as being able to lengthen lashes, but just as a 'boost'.



What do you think of the results? Would you try this?

MAC Liberty of London

This post has been delayed for ages! I took the product pictures last month but didn't get to do proper swatches until now.

Liberty of London was the only collection I felt like buying in 2010 so far. The reason should be a no brainer for long-time readers - because of the pretty packaging! :P Of course I don't usually *just* buy it for the packaging but also if the product is good as well.





The eyeshadows I got were Birds & Berries, and Dame's Desire.






I also picked up the Prim & Proper blush:





It seems like everyone picked up the Shell Pearl Beauty Powder but since I had gotten it last year with the Look in the Box sets I skipped it despite the much better packaging. It is a lovely highlighter though a touch too frosty for my taste.

As for lipsticks I got Peachstock and Ever Hip.





I really like the design of the lipsticks, they have the best design I've seen since I started collecting MAC in mid-2007. No cheap stickers, silly leopard prints, or neon orange packaging :P



Even the boxes for the products are quite well done. They have flower prints inside the box, and the outside has Liberty of London for MAC in gold lettering.



Swatches:

Top to bottom:
Birds & Berries - blue-grey pearl
Dame's Desire - warm violet
Prim & Proper - warm peach, reminds me of the Hello Kitty Fun & Games blush


Top to bottom:
Prim & Proper again
Peachstock - light tan with a matte finish
Ever Hip - semi-sheer coral with a creamy finish


I haven't really worn these products much but here is a simple one with the eyeshadows:

- UDPP to prime
- Birds & Berries on outer corner
- Electra on middle of lid
- ELF Pink Ice to highlight brow and on inner corner
- Dame's Desire to line outer lower lash line
- The usual liner and mascara





Did you get anything from this collection? Why or why not?

Oh and it looks like I'm almost at 500 followers! Will do a giveaway once I hit that number :D