L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion Mascara

I was mesmerised with a girlfriend's eyelashes. They looked so long and full, especially for an Asian girl. She had dolly-lashes! The secret was apparently L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion Mascara so I could'nt wait to try it for myself.

This mascara does a great job of separating lashes but only after a month of use. This is because it's dried up a little or the excess product has been used up. The first times I used it, the wand carried too much product and made my lashes clump like crazy.

But as you can see, it certainly volumises and makes lashes noticeably fuller. My lashes looked bushier but not much longer. I'm guessing my girlfriend's just blessed with really long lashes. The downside is that it flakes after a few hours and because the ball is so small, it takes alot longer to apply. More hassle when you're in a rush, but the payoff is that you can easily get to the ends of your lashline for a fanned effect.

I've found the best way to apply it is up and down. (ie, holding the wand vertically.)

The brush is very similar to Givenchy Phenonmen’Eyes Mascara if you're looking for a dupe.

Wet n Wild H20 Proof Liquid Eyeliner

I bought this eyeliner two years ago and it's my first liquid eyeliner. Back then, I was unpracticed and gave up after too many mistakes. I found this eyeliner again and now I love it!

It has a fine felt tip which I found easy to use. One slight problem is that it coats my outer lashes which I find annoying when applying mascara afterwards. I only wear this when I'm wearing glasses so I skip mascara.

As long as I line thinly, it will not to smear when I blink. This liner has amazing staying power. Want proof? See the picture-its actually taken AFTER I've washed my face. (The proof is that my eye looks tired and no doubt concealer-less.) It's extremely waterproof and hard to budge.

It only melts off with an oil cleanser. So unless you have very oily eyelids, you probably won't get smudges. The black liner is very black, darker than MAC Blacktrack Fluidline.

I'm so impressed with this dirt cheap product. I think I paid only £3 for it. I can't remember where I bought it from but you can get it online. Will be buying this again when it runs dry!

Early Sleek Eyeshadow Palette & Blue Heaven Kajal Eyeliner Review

I was in Hackney this weekend and look what I found at an ethnic hair supply shop.


On the left, is a rare Sleek mini eyeshadow palette. I thought it was cute and a steal compared to the latest drugstore versions. It was only £1.99. It has 18 colours and a sponge applicator.


There were heaps of kajal eyeliners on offer and after my poor review of the Sleek version, I thought I'd give kajal another chance. I choose the Blue Heaven brand because of there was English on the packaging. It says it's lead free which is a go-ahead for me. There were a few other far fetched qualities of the product, like it soothes and cool eyes. I'm not convinced of the effectiveness since it's only eyeliner but I like the idea how it's mega-compact and only 99p!


So a preliminary review on the Sleek eyeshadows. I've only used two neutral colours so far and the colour payoff is very good. It has a smooth and creamy consistency but lasting power is not a good as the latest versions. I still like it and the best part is the price so I could'nt ask for more!


As for the Blue Heaven kajal, I like the minimalist packaging and how there's less chance of me accidently blunting the point by closing the lid on it. The pigmentation is excellent, much like the Sleek version. It applies easily and it's very soft. The downside is that it smudges like crazy, despite what it says on the packaging. 


Smudging is a good thing but after few blinks, I have raccon eyes. I'll try waterlining (which I think is weird and unnatural) and see if it travels less. 


When a product is that soft and creamy, it will smudge easily. There seems to be no exception around this law of physics.

Bullet shaped packaging with holographic sticker for authenticity.

The kajal is "self sharpening". Therefore it must be applied it on a slant.

The traditional Indian way of applying kajal is to hold it on your waterline, close your eye gently and swipe it outwards. That way, both your top and bottom lids are lined and you keep the tip sharp. This explains the conical shape of kajal. 

I want to love this product as it ticks all the other boxes. I will persevere!

17 Vintage Love Eyeshadow Palette - Perfect Pastels

I had a personal promise that I won't buy another eyeshadow again but how freaking cute is this palette?

There are a few reviews and swatches online and that's how I got hooked. You can still buy it from boots.com but be quick. The other palette, Metallic Nude is already sold out and you can't find them in stores anymore. They're limited edition and are priced at only £5.49 with free delivery to any Boots store.

Not only is the compact pretty, the quality of the eyeshadows are outstanding. They're well pigmented and silky. Even better than Sleek with almost no fallout. The staying power is excellent. Still looking good at the end of the day with minimal creasing.

The colours are girly and soft. I think frosty pastels make eyes look more open and youthful. This is a definitely a keeper!

NYX Root Beer Eyeshadow

Found: NYX products in Charcoal (DFO Homebush) at 50% off!

The nail polishes were $10, reduced to $7 and now they're $3.50. Other items were priced accordingly, close to online from the US.

Cake powder, lip glosses, eyeshadow trios, eye and lip liners, lipsticks, nail polishes and blushes were available. There's a limited colour range but it's worth a look if you want a NYX haul.

A few eyeshadows were broken and amongst some lurid colours, I found one I liked for $4. I got Root Beer, a slightly shimmery dark brown. Perfect as an everyday eyeshadow. Root Beer is easy to blend and the pigmentation is buildable. When applied it's not shimmery as it appears in the pan. It has a matt finish.

I also bought a nail polish called Sweetie. An appropriate name for the colour. Will post swatches on it soon!

NYX Eyeshadow Trio 01 - White Grey Black

Got to use the matt eyeshadow trio from my first NYX haul and I love it!

I needed a compact black eyeshadow since the Sleek Storm Palette is'nt handbag friendly. Sleek has the blackest of all the black eyeshadows I've tried and NYX is just as pigmented.

The grey and the white is poorly pigmented but it's forgivable because I use them sparingly for highlighting and contouring. All shadows have good staying power and there's a mirror in the compact for convenience.

In the photo I've used the black to line the outer corners of my eyes and blended with grey on the lids. White was applied to the brow bone and inner corners.

This compact trio is a high quality product for the price. Make sure to add this to your shopping list when buying NYX online!

Sleek Kajal Eyeliner - Nocturnal

This is the new eyeliner from Sleek. Since I love their Storm eyeshadow palette and Face Contour Kit, I thought I'd give it a go.

Superdrug currently have a 2 for £7 offer. They are normally £3.99 each. I bought two in black (called Nocturnal) but there is also a metallic purple colour available.

The Kajal eyeliner is similar to a lipstick except it's pointed like a crayon. There's a cute black ribbon attached it. You're supposed to use the eyeliner on it's sides to maintain the point. (I accidently put the lid on mine and that's why it's blunt!)

My Indian friend uses the traditional version of Kajal. Her eyeliner is intensely black and her eyes look amazing.

The Sleek Kajal eyeliner consistency is creamy and easy to blend for smokey eyes. It's very black and if you apply it heavily, it's wet/waxy in appearance. You can apply Kajal on your waterline but I find it too uncomfortable.

While it looks OK in the picture below, within 10 mins the eyeliner had smudged everywhere. I blink and it transfers under my eyes. Within half an hour, I look like a racoon! To make do, I only apply it along my lower lash line but I still need to wipe away smudges.

So I'm really disappointed with this product. It's messy and despite what the box says, it's not long lasting. I returned the second Kajal eyeliner. Sorry Sleek, this is not your best product!

Smokey Eye and Contouring with Sleek Palette Storm

I'm yet another fan of the Sleek eyeshadow palette Storm. It has a versatile range of shadows with satin and matt finishes. The quality of the palette is impressive for £5!

One flaw with Sleek compared to Beautyuk's pallete is that the satin shadows are coarser. There is a thin dusting of fall out in my Sleek palette. But the pigmentation is incredible!

This is my smoky eye look. It's not OTT as you can see that the black eyeshadow doesn't go beyond the socket.

Here's how I achieved the look with the Sleek palette:

1) Highlight the brow bone with the palest shimmery shadow. (Second from the top row.)

2) Apply a base with the matt nude shadow (third from the top row) over the entire lid.

3) I used MAC's Knight Divine on the lower eyelid. But you can use the shimmery charcoal (second from the bottom row) instead.

4) Contour the socket with the matt black shadow. (Last on the bottom row.)

5) Blend, blend, blend so there are no harsh lines.

6) Using a socket brush, line close to the bottom lash line with the matt black shadow. Stop 3/4 of the way from the outside corner.

I lined my eyes with NYX black pencil liner and used white in the inner corners.

If you don't have a contouring kit, you can improvise with the two matt shadows marked below. Experiment to get the right shade and apply with a light hand. You don't want to look you have a five o'clock shadow!

You can use the palest shimmery shadow to highlight. Sweep this under your eyes, down the bridge of your nose and chin with a blush brush.

I learnt this trick from makeup school. We did'nt have contouring kits because eyeshadows and pressed powder foundations are EXACTLY the same products. If you have a wide collection of eyeshadows, chances are you already have the right colours. Remember, use matt for shading and shimmery for highlights.

Primark and H&M Hello Kitty Mini Haul

Shopping at Bond St is insane on the weekends. For me it's therapy looking for cute and shiny things. I'm a sucker for cheap thrills!

1) Fuchsia and gold glomesh necklace £1 (reduced from £3). Gives an eye-popping splash of colour to an outfit. Plus it's curiously slinky!

2) Hello Kitty Devil eyeshadow palette £1 (reduced from £3). There are seven jewel shades. Even if I don't use it, it's still pretty to look at.

3) Hello Kitty Garden Pink nail polish £2. At first I saw the green version which is pale and shimmery. But practicality got the best of me and I bought the pink one. Equally as lovely. I'll do a swatch on it soon.

4) Pineapple Body Butter £2. I don't normally buy this stuff because of my eczema but it smells like pineapple candy. I'll use it as a hand cream.

I was exhausted from the walking against the crowds. But what a productive day and I only spent £6!

MAC Pro Palette - Knight Devine, Sumptious Olive, Woodwinked, All That Glitters

I won this MAC eyeshadow palette from Ebay for a steal. I admit it's used but I wanted the palette to rotate my BYS eyeshadow pans. The MAC eyeshadows were a cheap bonus. Just so you know, the BYS pans fit perfectly!

This palette contains Woodwinked which I've been eyeing (pardon the pun!) for ages.

Firstly and most importantly, let's talk about make up hygiene.

1) Always use clean brushes. Wash them with anti-bacterial cleaner every week.

2) NEVER buy wet used makeup. This includes lipstick, lipgloss, anything which is creamy or liquid. Where there's moisture, bacteria will breed.

3) Dry powders will generally not go "off" or have an expiry date as long as you store it in a dry and dark place.

Used pressed powders are OK as long as you do what I was taught in my makeup course. This is how makeup artists clean their pressed powders.

Take a tissue and swipe over the pan. This is to remove the top layer so you expose a fresh surface. Then spray rubbing alcohol until it's wet to sterilise the surface. Allow to dry and you have a sanitised eyeshadow!

I've swatched the four MAC colours above. They are satiny and super pigmented. The colours on my hand are in the same order as the palette.

Knight Devine - Black steel, perfect for smoky eyes.

Sumptious Olive - Muted khaki green.

Woodwinked - Reflective, multi-toned vintage golden bronze.

All That Glitters - Soft peachy nude.

BeautyUK Eyeshadow Palette 1 - How To Do A Natural Look

On an impulse I bought this BeautyUK eyeshadow palette at Superdrug. For only £3.59, it's a freaking bargain. You can even buy these palettes online for £2 each!

BeautyUK palettes offers simple packaging, pretty colours and believe it or not, decent quality. Pigmentation and staying power is good. After six hours, the application still looks fresh.

The colours in the no 1 palette have satin finishes. They blend smoothly, even better than the much talked about Sleek palettes.

I've especially embraced the natural colours so I created a new tutorial video on Youtube. This is the quick version of how I achieved the natural look using this palette.

Here is the final look.

The products used are:

Base:

Eyeko 3 in 1 cream mixed with my moisturiser

Bare Escentuals Mineral Foundation

YSL Touche Eclat No 2

Eyes:

BeautyUK eyeshadow palette No 1

NYX black and white eyeliner pencils

PUPA Diva's Lashes mascara

Cheeks:

Scott Barnes Chic blusher palette in Brandywine

Lips:

Modelco Wonderfull lip plumper

MAC Blacktrack Fluidline Gel Liner & Woodwinked Eyeshadow

I love the look of liquid eyeliner but it takes forever to put on. And I still can't draw a thin seamless line! The brush gets in the way and my lashes clump together so they look like spider legs.

It's common for European girls to wear heavy black eyeliner as it makes their eyes pop. I want to try a more natural look so it's not OTT.

Read rave reviews for MAC Blacktrack Fluidline. While there are a number of gel liners in the market, this is the original and best. Application is easy because it's super pigmented and creamy. I can take however long I want to put it on and not worry about it drying out on my brush.

The product is packaged in a glass jar and doesn't come with a brush. Watch out for fakes on Ebay. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've read that "Fluidlines" packaged with a brush are fakes.

MAC is cheap in the UK. It gave me an excuse to buy something from my favorite department store Selfridges. Fluidline is only £12.50, compared to $32 AUD in Australia.

While I was waiting for the tills to open, I asked the makeup artist if I could try the eyeshadow in Woodwinked. This is a popular colour for blue eyes. (I have blue contact lenses.) Woodwinked is a warm antique gold. It's shimmery and pearlescent so light reflects along the contours of your lids. It looks really pretty in real life!

I think it's too warm for me so I'll stick to using NYX Pearl Mania in Walnut.

As for the MAC Fluidline, Blacktrack is a deep black. It's blackest liner I've seen. I used MAC brush 266SE (small angle brush pictured above) to apply and it was super easy!

The liner lasts all day and hardly smudged at all. Removing it was tricky because it's a longwearing formula. I hate scrubbing away at my eyes. Just make sure you use a good eye makeup remover!

Modelco Wonderfull Lip Plumper and BYS Eyeshadows

The weather has'nt been great for the Christmas long weekend so I found mild amusement in David Jones and Kmart.

Check out the token shiny new things I got on sale! I bought Modelco's Wonderfull lip plumper for $18.20 AUD and two BYS metallic eyeshadows for $2.25 AUD.

It turns out the Modelco lip plumper works but not fantastically well. I took before-and-after pictures and the size of my lips looked exactly the same. I felt the tingling reaction straight away and it lasts for 10 minutes. My lips were softer and plumper but no different to using normal lip gloss. The only thing I noticed was that there were less fine lines and my lips were redder than normal. Atleast it smells nice and was'nt sticky. Lipfusion gives better results without the tingling.

The BYS eyeshadows were marked down to $1.50 each and even the checkout chick was surprised when they rang up as $2.25 for the both of them. Bargain!

NYX Black & White Eyeliner Pencils

I bought these NYX eyeliner pencils from a random cheapo store for $3 AUD each. The black pencil is extra long for a eyeliner so it was take forever to use up!

They apply smoothly without tugging at the eyelids. The texture is creamy soft and blends easily. Pigmentation is good. Lasting powder is OK, staying put for several hours. I have oily lids so I figure it's normal that some will transfer under the eyes within a few hours.

The white pencil is a godsend because I use it to make my eyes look bigger and more open. Awesome for when I haven't had enough sleep! I lightly apply it close to the inner corners and instantly it brightens up my eyes.

The black pencil could be blacker. However my biggest complaint is that it smudges a bit so I'll keep looking for the perfect black eyeliner.

I've paid more for worse quality eyeliners so I recommend giving NYX pencils a try. They do an excellent job for the price!

Designer Brands Eyeshadow Quad

Following my cheap thrills post, I bought this eyeshadow palette from Designer Brands for $7 AUD. It's a New Zealand brand but made in China. They describe their products to be as good as MAC, Estee Lauder, Clinque, you name 'em.

I like the simple crystal packaging. This quad is called Mother Earth, containing a pale matt beige and three frosty browns. All four colours are perfect for everyday use.

It's silky in application and it's fairly pigmented. The eyeshadow picks up cleanly on the brush and transfers where it's are supposed to. Blending was easy.

The only downside was that the colour does'nt last. I noticed fading after three hours. By the end of the day, I could barely see any remaining on my lids! 

Errrr...I guess naturally fast removal is a plus?

So Designer Brands is not as good as any department store brand. It applies well and it's cheap but I won't repurchase again. It needs to be more pigmented and last longer to even compare with the big brands!

NYX Pearl Mania Loose Pigment - Walnut

While traveling Europe, my eyeshadows crumbled in transit. Pressed powders turned to rainbow dust so when I needed new colours, I had to try NYX pigments. The stuff comes in cute little screw top jars so no worries about spillage or breakage.

What I like:

- Highly pigmented so you don't need alot to build colour.

- Easy to blend with a silky finish.

- Lasted all day and still going strong.

- Bottle was the right size for my bullet brush to fit through.

- So cheap! Beats paying for MAC any day.

- Versatile shading colour with a super pearly finish. Walnut is a deep bronzed brown with coppery shimmer. 

- Once on, the colour does'nt budge or crease (and I have oily lids too).

- Travel friendly packaging.

What I DON'T like:

- Nothing! This product is a winner!

Rating: 5/5 A Holy Grail! It lasts all day, blends in well and is finely milled. The colour is perfect for everyday to evening wear. Best of all, it was only $1.25USD! 

My First NYX Haul

I got my NYX products within a week from Nonpareil Boutique. Here's what I ordered, in USD:

NYX Pearl Mania - Turquoise $1.25 
NYX Trio Eyeshadow - White-Grey-Black $5.25
NYX Girl Nail Polish - Baby Doll $1.50
NYX Doll Eye Mascara - Volume Extreme Black $7.00
NYX Girl Nail Polish - Amazonia $1.50
NYX Pearl Mania - Walnut $1.25
NYX Round Lipstick - Thalia $1.90
NYX Doll Eye Mascara - Long Lash Extreme Black $7.00

The colours are gorgeous and the packaging is cute. Good quality for cheap items. 

The total including shipping was $57 AUD. The shipping killed the thrift value but atleast I have all the products I want (for now).

Will do reviews on each item eventually.