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

Light Brown: Comparing Transition Shades

A transition shade is a color you place in and a bit above the crease of your eyelid to make blending easier and the transition between all your eyeshadows smoother. The most popular transition shade is a matte light brown color. That being said, there are SO many to choose from and so many that are proclaimed 'must-have' colors by makeup gurus and companies. With so many to choose from you'd think picking one would be easy but wading through all the choices can be a tad daunting! I thought I'd share all the matte light browns I have to give you an idea of how more popular ones compare and my thoughts on some of my faves!

Let's get started from left to right! First up are the two matte browns from the Naked 1 palette, Naked and Buck. These colors are great because they layer beautifully on top of one another, meaning you can dip your brush in both of these, buff them into your crease and effortlessly add some great dimension to your eye look. MAC's Soft Brown is the next color and is a great shade if you're looking for a warmer brown that leans peach. It is really similar to Makeup Geek's Creme Brulee and Stila's Wit (from Eyes are the Window 'Mind' palette).  I like these colors if I'm going for a warmer eye look. I think they all perform comparably to one another though I prefer MAC's Soft Brown slightly because I think it is slightly less powdery and blends with other colors a bit better because of its satiny feel.  Next I have the NARS eyeshadow duo in 'Portobello.' These colors are SO amazingly buttery and soft and yet don't kick up a bunch of product when you dip your brush in or are blending them. The color on the left is unique as it has a bit of green in it and the color on the right in the duo is so rich and adds gorgeous depth to any eye look. I highly recommend this little compact if you're looking for some unique and gorgeous colors for your collection that you can get a TON of use out of. Lastly I have the matte brown color from the Dior 5-Colour palette in Grege. Unfortunately I don't think Dior sells this palette anymore which is a shame because it is gorgeous (find my review of it HERE), but if you have it, here is how the rich matte brown in it compares with some other popular browns.

I hope this post was helpful for anyone looking for comparisons of these popular colors!

xxSJ

Stila Eyes Are the Window Shadow Palette 'Mind'

Stila is bringin' their 'A' game to the table, folks, so you best prepare yourself for what's to come.  Stila is a brand known for some of their cult favorite products such as 'kitten' eyeshadow and their all day liquid felt tip liner. Other than those few products, generally the brand has lacked a true following, particularly of the older demographic. With this in mind, Stila recently relaunched their eyeshadow palettes and have gone from cutesy and cardboard to sleek and beautiful. Presenting the packaging for their new 'Eyes Are the Window' Shadow palettes:

Gorg. I gasped when I slipped this out of it's glossy navy container.  This reflective palette is sleek and beautiful and feels so luxurious in my hands.  Though its made out of plastic, the palette definitely feels weighty and substantial when you hold it. It opens up to reveal a full size mirror on the inside:

Yaaaaaaaas. I love that this palette is all about the eyeshadows. No wasted space for a brush I'll never use or an eyeliner I'll take out leaving an empty cut out behind. 

The palette I got was the 'Mind' palette which features all matte colors.  This has mostly warm colors and I love the range of light to dark included. 

Swatched on my arm with primer underneath, I went down the vertical columns for the order of these swatches.  I at first was concerned as some of the shadows felt a bit hard and chalky and lacked pigmentation (particularly the lighter colors), but all it took was some rubbing away at the uppermost layer of shadow to get to the good stuff.  The colors were all true to what is in the pan (as I expected from matte shadows) and swatched beautifully on my skin.

If you are interested in the colors, there is a guide on the back of the palette as well as a little booklet included with the palette. The booklet also includes 3 different eye looks if this many eyeshadows is overwhelming for you to pick what colors to use at first!

The first time I used this palette, I wanted to go with a professional day time muted look so I used mostly the colors in the lower left area of the palette. I was tremendously surprised and excited by how warm the colors ended up appearing on my lids and by how easy they were to blend and use!

I think this palette is extremely versatile and unique given the range of matte colors you get in a single palette. If you like the shimmer, then this isn't for you, but for a warmer palette that will transition PERFECTLY into the Fall weather, this is THE palette to pick up!  This palette also comes in 3 other variations (Body, Spirt, and Soul) with slightly different colored packaging and different toned colors (including shimmers!).

This palette is $49 for 12, 0.51oz eyeshadows. For comparison's sake, Urban Decay's Naked palettes are $54 for 12, 0.05oz eyeshadows. You get quite a bit more product with these Stila products but the shadow formulations are quite a bit different from Urban Decay. It's all about what you prefer!

I am so pleasantly surprised and excited with my new toy! You know what else is pleasantly surprising? This:

Kitten in a pot!

xxSJ

Stila Lip Glaze Trio 'Read My Lips'

Stila is a brand I have very little experience with! Apart from their famous liquid eyeliner and 'Kitten' eyeshadow, I haven't tried any other Stila products. I saw this trio of lip glazes at the checkout line at Ulta and for only $12, I decided to give them a go!

I got the trio 'Read My Lips' which includes a bright pink called 'Pink Punch,' a light nude called 'Pina Colada,' and an apricot color called 'Creamsicle.'  The glazes come in plastic twist up packaging with brush tip applicators.  You twist the bottoms until a nice bead of product is at the top.  These lip products are glazes because they are VERY sheer. They leave a hint of color and a lot of glitter and sparkle! Here are they are swatched on my hand in the same order as they are in the picture above:

Very light wash of color, but very shiny and gelly-like in finish.  I like these because they layer on top of vibrant lipsticks with out changing the tone of the color. They simply add a layer of sparkle and shine!! They also smell and taste very sweet, like LipSmackers lip gloss!

This is "Pink Punch' layered on top of MAC Angel lipstick.  The glaze is very sticky so doesn't slide or wear off the lips easily.  Be careful with your hair, however, because it will get stuck on your lips on a windy day!!

Overall I love these glazes because they are different than any other gloss I have in my collection.  Their sheer coverage and long-wearing power make them a versatile product that I can easily reach for on any given day.  Thumbs up for Stila!! I'm excited to check out more Stila products in the future.

xxSJ

July Favorites!

These are my favorites for the month of July! These products were the things I couldn't stop grabbing over and over!

1. EOS Lip Balm: makes my lips so silky smooth and such cute packaging!
2. Mrs Smith's Rosebud Salve: I love this stuff to moisturize my lips and cuticles and it smells like roses!
3. MAC Lipglass in Nymphette: Beautiful color for the summer. A peachy pink with gold shimmer
4. Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner: Blackest black liner for a defined line that lasts ALL day
5. NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk: Perfect for my inner eye corner and only about $4
6. MAC blush in Fleur Power: beautiful peachy pink rose that brightens up my cheeks.
7. Divergent by Veronica Roth: I LOVED THIS BOOK! I whizzed through it like no other!
8. Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation: flawless finish, full coverage, light and soft. Nuff said.
9. Stila eyeshadow in Kitten: beautiful peachy gold color. Amazing pigmentation! Mine broke but it still works perfectly fine!
10. Urban Decay Eyeshadow in X: shimmery peachy color with gold and pink reflects. Mind boggling!
11. MAC lipstick in Angel: Rediscovered this baby this month. Such a beautiful pinky nude!

Those were my favorites for the month! Let me know if you would like more in depth reviews on any of the products I mentioned (because I know my descriptions were a little short!) and also make sure to let me know YOUR July favorites :)
xxSJ