Eyeliner Wars - Kryolan, Maybelline and Eyeko

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Today I come to you with three eyeliners, all in different colours. Kryolan HD Cream Liner in Ebony Black - ultimate classic, Maybelline NY Eyestudio Lasting Drama in 10 Ultra Violet and Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner in Navy. As summer has drifted away this week (however the weather proves otherwise), we should get ready for the Autumn armed with a team of good eyeliners to go ahead with this season's trends - eyes are the focus for autumn/winter 2014. Metallic, glitter eye-shadows in silver and gold are the way to go and will compliment feline eyeliner which is back again, this time teamed with plumped up glowy skin, bold brows and sheer nude lip colour.
Just because it's autumn we don't have to fear the coloured eyeliner, far from it, it can be a great statement in your daily make-up, and in my case I will definitely experiment with this look.

Swatches from the top - Eyeko, Maybelline and bottom Kryolan.

Here we go then...

Lets start with the only Pen Eyeliner I have here which is:

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner Black 2ml - Price - £12.00

As on the above pictures producer promises:

• Sodium Hyaluronate creates a glossy finish.
• Highly pigmented glossy colour.
• No smudging or fading.
• Long lasting.
• Easy application
• The fibre precision nib allows you to draw thick or thin lines depending on your desired look for instantly defined lines; Skinny Liquid Eyeliner dries to a long-lasting, glossy finish which won’t smudge, flake or fade.

After opening it just looks like a usual pen eyeliner and in general I think it just is a usual, medium quality one.

In fact it is very easy to use, no need for brush and no dipping in product is required, which is handy and quick indeed as application takes just seconds, it also allows to draw both very thin and thicker lines.

"Highly pigmented glossy colour" they say, in my opinion the colour is quite dark but you can tell it's navy, more close to black than to royal blue, therefore If you are looking for a cheeky and energetic colour I think this will not be your pick. Glossy? Not really, more matte and quite boring.

"No smudging or fading"? Well it does not smudge, because it dries to this "long lastingness" so quickly that we are unable to work with it after each stroke! It's not easily build-able. It does not glide on smoothly and is quite stiff but the worst thing is that after the first long stroke, the tip is completely dry, does not draw onto skin even when pressure is applied, so  in the matter of fact this pen is essentially unusable during the first application as it is unable to create precise lines :/ I mean with a lot of effort we can do one eye but cannot finish the other one straight away. For me it's unacceptable! 

After a few hours of wearing it, it does leave a mark on the eyelid in the crease area.

In general, sorry Eyeko but for me it's a No No, will not be tempted to try this product again.

Next please... 

Kryolan HD Cream Liner - gel 6g - Price £12.00

Product description:

Cream Liner is a especially color intensive eye liner for fashionable, flawless eyelining. Cream Liner does not drip. It is comfortable to apply and is water-resistant. Its durability makes it ideally suited in a very special way, also for professional applications.

Smudged Eyeliner with no mascara

With mascara

For this look I wanted to keep eyeliner quite delicate and with Kryolan's product we can do just anything from thin and light to very bold, thick lines, this product it soooo creamy and easy to work with, we can easily build up the intensity of colour as well as smudge it to perfection.

Just amazing! It does not flake, smudge, stain or lose it's intensity. Pictures after all day of wearing it  with my make-up below...

For me at the moment number 1!! 

Comparing it to other product on the marked in this price range well it's just unrivaled.

Thank you again Kryolan for great quality, professional product.

And last but not least - Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel liner + brush - Price £7.99

Brush that comes with this set

I applied this product with the above brush which is really good I think, I know that a lot of you might say " Ok, but it's not an angled brush so how can you possibly apply eyeliner with this". Well to be honest it's individual what brush we prefer for eyeliner application, it depends on the technique and experience. I think I will keep this one but use it for eyebrows instead.

Official description:

• Oil-free formula holds highly concentrated pigments in a clear gel base

• Smudge-proof and waterproof for 24 hours

• Most intense line for lasting drama

• Safe for sensitive eyes and ophthalmologist-tested

• Contact lens safe

I do like this formula, it's light and smooth, easy to apply and build up, although I don't agree that it's

highly pigmented. It's very soft and what you can see above is an effect after applying three layers. 

But that is not a major issue, it just means that we can create this Drama by working with this product, and for a more subtle look, just a straight forward single line will be perfect.

In general it's a very good product for a very small price, and brush is a big + :) And I looove this colour!

Summing up this Eyeliner battle:

1. Kryolan HD Cream Liner

2. Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama

3. Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner

Till next time XxX

Clarins BB Skin Perfecting Cream SPF 25 - Test

Hi again!

Just a quick picture review of Clarins BB Cream tester sample.

Official product description:

BB Skin Perfecting Cream evens skin tone, revitalises and protects - resulting in beautiful skin with a perfect complexion in one simple step. Efficient skin care and beauty expertise have been combined by the Clarins Laboratories in this 3-in-1 product.

A quick and easy to use product for immediate beauty results.
Applied with the fingers, this smooth 3-in-1 complexion cream is naturally absorbed to produce a perfect result without appearing made up. Imperfections disappear and dull, tired skin is revitalised, while also providing sunscreen protection for the face.

Winner of Best Evening BB Cream
Woman Beauty Awards 2014.

Unfortunately this sample only contains 3 shades: 01 light, 02 medium, 03 dark, in general sale there also is shade 00 - fair, which for my light complexion would be most suitable. 

Price £30.00 for 45 ml

A bit expensive comparing to other good BB creams - like Garnier's BB (£6-7) or amazing All-in-One BB Cream from The Body Shop £12.

http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/whats-hot/best-sellers/all-in-one-bb-cream.aspx?gclid=Cj0KEQjw-dSgBRDb0oOl9MzxqMEBEiQAkHqy-dDaE3ZdeG3zyXxewiLlzwuV_ug1Yk_UoEkGgA7W6oEaAlqU8P8HAQ

I applied the lightest shade I got which is 01 - light, which to be honest is quite dark and warm in tone.

Below compared to Claring Everlasting Foundation in 110 Honey which I use when I'm slightly tanned, at the moment it is also too dark.

Top - Clarins Everlasting Foundation in 110 Honey
Bottom - Clarins BB Cream in 01 - Light

Very light formula as in BB creams, easy to apply, I used Miracle Complexion Sponge by Real Techniques for this application.

It gives smooth, light finish, makes complexion look even and healthy. However if you do have small blemished to cover, I would stick to a foundation as BB's light coverage might not be enough, I also wouldn't use it along with heavier concealer products.

I really recommend this type of product if you want effortless, healthy and glowing look when your skin is in tip top condition.

Next time I would definitely go for the lightest shade possible - 00 just to see how it would work for me. 

Here is how the finished BB application looked like after adding mattifying powder and bronzer ...

I like the fact that it has SPF 25 when other BBs come with SPF 15 which might not be enough. However I think this product is a little bit too expensive for what you get - 45 ml.

Till next time xxX

Skincare: Soap & Glory™ Greatest Scrub Of All & Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Daily Cleansing Gel

Hi!

My current TOP 2 facial cleansing products definitely worth your attention are:

• Soap & Glory™ Greatest Scrub Of All  

• Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Daily Cleansing Gel

 I have been using them on myself for over 4 weeks, to give you a proper review of those products and the long term effect on my skin.

Lets start with Palmers Daily Cleansing Gel for Sensitive Skin.

Description: Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Facial Daily Cleansing Gel is a light gentle gel cleanser that lathers to remove impurities, oil and make-up without drying out or irritating sensitive skin.

Whilst Cocoa Butter and Milk Proteins keep skin soft and toned, Aloe Vera and Evening Primrose extracts calm and soothe sensitive skin. Fragrance Free. Suitable for all skin types including sensitive skin. 

It comes in a 150ml bottle with useful pump which makes it so much easier for dosing, I usually use a half or one pump to wash my whole face. It's not too sticky or too runny, just a perfect gel consistency. Also it is Fragrance free and I must admit it just does not smell of anything in particular, it's not unpleasant either. I do have a soft spot for a nice fragrance, however with this product it's lack of smell did not really effect me too much. Once applied to wet skin it does not create any foam, no annoying bubbles over the mouth, also it's not creamy (I am not a very big fan of overly creamy face wash products - one of them for example is Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Cream Wash ). It removes the oiliness and dirt very quickly, does not irritate and is very delicate. My skin feels fresh, clean and nicely moisturized, I would be even able to skip a face cream some nights. It's ideal to use in the morning to give you a nice delicate start for your skin. I usually prefer citrus scented face wash in the morning to give me that additional energy boost to wake up even more, but that's again my personal fragrance preference ;) 

To sum up: After over a month of daily use I still have 2/3 of the product left - which makes it very efficient and for the price of around £6.00 - affordable.

Very nice and pure product, if you want to keep it natural definitely go for it, it will 

gently do it's job without any "special effects" that some other products may offer which can also irritate your skin. I like the natural approach to ingredients as well, it is just what Palmer's is all about.

Now time for Soap & Glory™ Greatest Scrub Of All

Description: Contains a blend of super gentle silicami partcles and salicylic acid-loaded scrub beads, so the more you scrub, the more you smooth.

Like a DIY microdermabrasion. It’s a scrub formulated to leave even the most exhausted face looking fresh.

Ingredients: 125ml: Aqua (Water), Paraffinum Liquidum, Stearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 20, Solum Diatomeae (Diatomaceous Earth), Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Salicylic Acid, Mannitol, Xanthan Gum, Parfum (Fragrance), Cellulose, Disodium EDTA, Magnesium Nitrate, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Magnesium Chloride, Methylisothiazolinone, CI 16035 (Red 40), CI 77492 (Iron Oxide), Amyl Cinnamal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional

Again this product comes in a 150 ml "squeeze" bottle, which is quite easy to hold and to open (I hate very solid caps which make me use my teeth in a face washing routine *blah*).

The smell is very pleasant, not too intense, also not "chemical" or artificial. 

The texture - I don't mind solid scrubs which can be quite rough on my skin, after all that is what the scrub is for - to exfoliate and get rid of the dead skin cells, however this one is made of super tiny, gentle beads made with acids essential to speed up skin restoration. 

A pea size splodge is just enough, applied to damp skin and massaged in circular motion it feels like you are literally polishing your skin to perfection. And it feels smooth, fresh and spotless clean.

As it is a scrub after all, I always apply my usual moisturizing cream afterwards (currently Nivea Light Moisturizing Day Cream with Vitamin E and Hydra IQ - the blue one). 

After 4 weeks of using it 4 or 5 times a week (as my skin tends to go more oily during the summer) I noticed that all small imperfections disappeared, my skin gained that healthy natural glow, is a lot smoother and re-gained it's flexibility and I am loving it!!! I still have a lot of product left, probably another two months easily :) I bought mine at Boots for around £6.95 on offer, normal price is £9.00 but sooo worth every penny! I think I will be going back to this scrub again and again!