Sephora Favorites: Draw the Line Eyeliner Sampler Kit

Sephora often releases these 'Sephora Favorites' kits and I thought this one would be worth a try. It is the 'Draw the Line' eyeliner sample kit complete with some great brands and well known eyeliners I already know and love. I thought this kit would be a great way to try some other products out with out fully committing to them!

The kit contains 3 full size eyeliners from Tarte, Stila, and Smashbox. There are 3 sample size liners from Urband Decay, Sephora brand, and Kat Von D.
Included in the kit are:
- 0.007 oz Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in 'Trooper' (deluxe sample)
- 0.028 oz Sephora Collection Contour Eye Pencil 12hr Wear in 'Black Lace' (deluxe sample)- 0.01 oz Smashbox Cosmetics Always Sharp Waterproof Kohl Liner in 'Sumatra' (FULL SIZE)- 0.01 oz Stila Cosmetics Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in 'Stingray' (FULL SIZE)- 0.034 oz Tarte lights, camera lashes precision longwear eyeliner in 'Black' (FULL SIZE)- 0.03 oz Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in 'Vice' (deluxe sample)

One thing I really like about this kit is the varied types of eyeliners included. There are 2 liquid pen eyeliners (Kat Von D and Tarte), 2 smudge stick formulas (Stila and Smashbox), and 2 classic pencil liners (Sephora and Urban Decay).

I wish the color selection in this kit was more varied. I appreciate the bright purple and that there was a brown thrown in, but I think a deep navy or forest green would have added a lot to this kit in place of an additional black liner.

The Good:
-I love the Kat Von D pen liner in 'Trooper.' The brush tip gives a very nice and precise wing and I find it really easy to use.
-I really enjoy the Smashbox Always Sharp kohl liner in 'Sumatra.' I find the color flattering and this eyeliner is always sharp meaning its easy to use and apply.
-I like the Stila smudgestick for lining my waterlines as it is very pigmented and doesn't look too harsh since it smudges out a bit. I have to be careful around my outer corner as the color can travel a bit.
-I love Urban Decay's 24/7 eyeliners so I will definitely be getting some use out of 'Vice,' though I tend to reach for my eggplant, deeper purples over brighter ones.

The not so good:
-I was not a fan of the Tarte pen eyeliner. I loved it at first because of its ultra sharp tip and the way the pen feels in my hand, however I felt the product dried up very fast!
-The Sephora brand eyeliner was not very pigmented and so I haven't been reaching for it over my other eyeliners.


I really recommend trying kits like this out if you're interested in a brand inside! This kit was $30 for SO MUCH EYELINER. Fall Out Boy couldn't even go through this much eyeliner.

Give these Sephora kits a shot if you're on a budget and want some different brands and products to add to your stash!

xx, SJ

Sample Round-Up! Laura Mercier, Peter Thomas Roth, First Aid Beauty, Origins, and Boscia!

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer 'Radiance'
Full size: $20 / 1 oz
Sample Value: $1.40 for 0.07oz foil packet (3 uses)
This primer was a peachy nude color with some iridescence to it. I thought I would like this under my foundation as a subtle glow but I didn't actually notice its effects. I noticed this also made my foundation ball up and rub off around my hairline and temples by the end of the day. I'm passing on this in future samples and as a future purchase.

Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask
Full size: $52 / 5 oz
Sample Value: $10.40 for 1 oz tube (1 months worth)
This green gel was rather intimidating in the tube but once applied to my face it was ultra moisturizing and cooling. This week has been particularly cold in NYC so I used this face mask to cool my wind burned skin, particularly my nose and chin.  It was intensely hydrating and corrected my facial flakiness within the 10 minutes I had it on. It rinsed off easily with a splash of water. I recommend trying this product out.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream
Full size: $30 / 6 oz
Sample Value: $0.30 for 0.06 oz foil packet (4 uses)
This cream felt so wonderful on my skin.  It made my skin silky smooth and immediately corrected dry patches on my chin and nose. My skin sucked this stuff up so fast but the after effects lingered for the whole day leaving my skin moisturized and perfect looking all day! It smells wonderful too. I highly recommend this product based on this sample.

Origins Ginzing Refreshing Eye Cream
Full size: $30 / 0.5 oz
Sample Value: $10.20 for .17 oz tube (1 months worth)
I have tried this pearly peach eye cream before and have loved it in the past. I love this small sample just as much.  This little eye cream adds brightness to your undereye and immediately de-puffs leaving a hydrated and awake looking eye area. I really enjoy this product and would recommend snatching up a sample whenever available since this stuff is pricey!

Boscia Purifying Cleansing Gel
Full size: $28 / 5 oz
Sample Value: $5.60 for 1 oz container (1 months worth)
Though I found this cleanser to be a bit drying for my skin, it worked wonders in calming down a stress and hormone-related breakout on my chin and jaw line.  I immediately felt a difference after lathering this product on to my skin in the shower (it starts as a slippery gel but lathers up quickly to a gentle foam) and I definitely recommend trying this product out!

Total value for 5 samples: $27.90

Not bad, am I right?
4 out of the 5 samples this week were incredibly enjoyable for me to try out and 3 of them (the FAB moisturizer, the Origins eye cream, and the Boscia cleanser) were must-trys in my opinion!

Remember to try your samples out instead of forgetting about them or throwing them away! You just might find a new favorite buried within the foil packet gold mine ;)

xxSJ

Tutorial Try-It: MakeupbyTiffanyD's 'Sexy Shimmer Date Night' look!

Tiffany D is one of my favorite youtubers because she does makeup looks that seem a little more achievable than your average beauty guru. She keeps it real with the highlighting and contouring and does tutorials creating looks that are actually wearable for an everyday woman! She posted this tutorial for a 'Sexy Shimmer Date Night' look yesterday that already has 33,000+ views. I chose to recreate this look because she uses shadows exclusively from the Naked2 palette which I actually own!

The products Tiffany used for this look were:

Naked2 palette (Foxy, Bootycall, Tease, Verve, Chopper, Busted, and Blackout)

NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner in Dark Brown (I used the color Black)

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara (I used CoverGirl Clump Crusher

Ardell Whispies False Eyelashes (I didn't use fake lashes!)

The Naked2 palette! Filled with cool toned taupes and grays!

Here is the look I came up with after following Tiffany's tutorial:

 Overall I love the way this look turned out! The shimmer on the lids was definitely noticeable but it wasn't as bold as a metallic shadow pressed all over the lid. I also love her idea to mute the silver shade Verve by packing the pinky beige shade Chopper all over it. As Tiffany says in her video, it keeps you from looking like a robot!

Even with out the false eyelashes I think this look has some impact and drama. I love it for a date night and I could easily add false eyelashes to glam it up in no time. I also like that she didn't add any eyeliner to the lower lash line but instead smudged the plummy color Busted along the lower lash line for a smoked out effect.

As far as creating wearable looks that still hit the mark on drama and intensity, Tiffany nails it! Check out her video tutorial where she shows how to create this shimmery look and where my screengrabs are from! It's only 6 minutes long!!

Hope you liked this Tutorial Try-It!
Check out my other ones!
Allison Anderson's Sweater Weather look
Jaclyn Hill's Bombshell Look

xxSJ

Too-Faced Natural Eye Palette: An Unsung Hero

This Too-Face Natural Eye palette is one of the first palettes I ever owned. I find myself rotating through palettes quite frequently and every time I pick this one up after stowing it away for awhile I'm always in awe by the ease of use and quality of shadows inside! I thought I'd do a quick post highlighting why I love this thing and why it will always be an old faithful for me!

The color selection in the palette as the name suggests is very neutral. This palette includes my very favorite highlight, 'Heaven.' This matte soft white highlight is just so perfect to add some dimension to the eye. Particularly when mixed with this shimmer heavy palette, the matte highlight is the perfect touch.  I also LOVE the gray/beige crease color 'Velvet Revolver.'  It is a warm gray color that works as the perfect transition color for every one of the colors in this palette. 

The shadows are all a variety of textures with the upper row being mattes, the middle row being shimmers, and the bottom row containing chunky glitters. The negative I have to say about this palette is that the darkest browns are quite similar to one another. They only differ slightly in tone.

No matter the shadow combination you choose with this palette, it will create the prettiest, brightest fool proof neutral eye. I recommend this palette for beginners over the Naked palette simply because you can't mess these shadow combos up! Other palettes can be a bit overwhelming because of all the shadow combos you can create. With this small palette, you will create a pretty eye, every time. 

I always feel so pretty when I use this little palette and I usually get compliments on my eye makeup when I wear this stuff! This palette is $36 for 9 eyeshadows and is the perfect size for traveling. Trust me when I say this is the perfect set of shadows to add to your arsenal for a standby pretty eye. You'll feel pretty. You'll feel fabulous. Everyone will notice.

xxSJ

My Costume is my Face! Black Swan Makeup

For my final installment of 'My Costume is my Face!' I decided to go with the simple and crowd-pleasing Black Swan makeup. And let me tell you... I felt it.

For this makeup look all I used was some gel eyeliner, my NYX jumbo eyeshadow pencil in Milk, and MAC Chili lipstick. Here's how I created this Black Swan look:

First I used the liner to outline the eyes. The line circles right around the bottom of the eye and extends straight outward toward the hairline. The inner line extends out toward the nose. From the nose I drew the line straight up toward the tip of my eyebrow and extended the line above my eyebrow and out toward my hairline. I also colored in all of my eyelid and eyebrows black. Then I took my Milk pencil and colored in the rest of the area.  Then I took my black gel liner again and did small strokes around my eyes all in the outward direction to make the feathery flicks Natalie Portman is sporting in the movie. Going over the white once makes a gray effect and then going over the white again creates a darker near black effect. Mix up how dark your strokes are! Keep the lowest V part mostly white and work hard to feather out the outer edge near the hairline. Then I put on my deep red lipstick and was done!

The one thing I was missing to complete this look was a beautiful crown so I went ahead and drew this one in :) The best thing about this look is that you don't even need the crown to be obvious! This makeup look is so easily identifiable that you can wear all black and put your hair up and everyone who has been awake for the past few years will know who you are. 

Happy Haunting everyone! Just know that when you wear this look...you have to be PERFECT. 

Check out my other posts from this Halloween makeup series!
Split Face
Owl
Shattered Doll
Lion

My Fave Eye Cream: Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream

I never really thought I'd be the type of person who would be into eye creams...they just seem so bourgey and meant for old people! All my naive preconceptions changed when I started using the Origins GinZing (Zing!) Refreshing eye cream a couple months back.  This little potion is meant specifically to refresh tired or puffy eyes as it is formulated with caffeine, ginseng, and natural brighteners.

My favorite thing about this eye cream is that it has a really pretty pearlescent quality to it. I think that is what helps the most with refreshing and brightening my tired looking eyes. Especially in the Summer months when I get dehydrated easily and can wake up hot and puffy, this cooling and hydrating eye cream does an amazing job at de-puffing my undereye area and livening up my skin a little bit. My boyfriend lovingly refers to this as the 'magic de-puffer' since he's used it on particularly puffy days as well!

I don't really care for the smell of this product... it just kind of smells like plants. It's also a bit expensive at $30 for 0.5oz of product, but just a tap of this product on your undereye area is enough to get the job done so this should last you!
This is the first eye cream I've ever tried and used regularly so perhaps I'm approaching this topic with out a lot of knowledge but I really like this stuff. Origins is also a great brand that focuses on using ingredients from the earth that will work with all skin types. The less chemicals I have to put on my skin, the better! I think I might try a different eye cream when I run out of this just to broaden my horizons a bit but I may very well come back to this in the future!

xxSJ