Swap Haul! Nars, MAC and Bobbi Brown.

Hey Everyone,

If you didn't know by now, I'm a complete swap-a-holic. I love swapping and browsing blog sales for great deals and hard to find items. It's a great way to try new products when you're on a budget. If you don't know what swapping is, click here to view Makeupalley's Swap FAQ page.

(Sorry, MAC Hottest Pink Glitter Vial is hiding behind the Nars Multiple)

NARS South Beach Multiple (Mini)

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bolero

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Eyeshadow in Stone

MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2 Lipstick

MAC Black Tied Eyeshadow

MAC Hangin' Loose Nail Lacquer

MAC Hottest Pink Glitter Vial

MAC Jardin Aires Pigment Vial

READ MORE FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS! 

MAC Hangin' Loose Nail Lacquer

Hangin' Loose is warm, peach/pink nude nail polish from MAC's recent Surf Baby Collection (it's actually still available on the MAC website). I haven't had the chance to swatch it yet, but it looks exactly like the type of shade I've been looking for. I'm really excited to try it out.

MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2 Lipstick

Viva Glam Gaga 2 is a creamy and opaque, light neutral beige. I wasn't really excited about either of the Viva Glam Gaga shades - the first one was too cool toned for my skin tone and the second looked too pale for my skin tone. Although I am all-for nude lips, the whole nude lip doesn't suit me that well. I mainly got it because I came across a recent FOTD (can't remember which blogger) who was wearing Viva Glam Gaga 2, and it looked amazing on her. I haven't tried it yet, but hopefully I can make it work.

MAC Black Tied Eyeshadow

Black Tied is a black eyeshadow with silver shimmer. Surprised I didn't own this? After my recent MAC Carbon incident, I doomed MAC Carbon to hell (harsh, huh?). I believe it was my fourth Carbon I owned that shattered before I even formed a dip or hit pan. I have a ruined carpet and ruined purses to show for it. So, I decided to try my luck with Black Tied. 

Left: MAC Jardin Aires Pigment Vial, Right: MAC Hottest Pink Glitter Vial

Jardin Aires is a peachy tan/champagne shimmer. Most pigments irritate my eyes, so I'm really hoping this one won't. I think it's a really pretty all over lid color or highlight shade. If it does in fact irritate my eyes, it's a pretty versitile color that I can use on my cheeks or mixed in with lotions and self tanners for an extra glow.

Hottest Pink Glitter is a fine neon pink glitter with purple reflects. Need I say more? Besides it being pretty to look at, I thought it would be awesome mixed in with some of my lip glosses.

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bolero

Bolero is a muted, vibrant pinked cantaloupe with a matte finish. I've been lusting this pencil after seeing Temptalia's review (HERE) in April (despite her lips being dry in her photos, the shade is gorgeous). It reminds me a lot of what I'd get from mixing OCC Lip Tars in Divine and Cha Cha together.

NARS South Beach Multiple (Mini)

South Beach is a shimmery bronze apricot cream multi-purpose cream stick. I've never tried any of the multiples despite the rave reviews, so I can't wait to try this one out and see if it lives up to the hype.

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Eyeshadow in Stone

Stone is a dusty brown cream eye shadow. I've been recently exploring the world of cream shadows, and this color was really appealing to me. If it works out well, I think it'd be a great neutral shade for a soft, daytime look.

I'll be posting individual reviews with swatches for these products soon. Have you tried any of these products? What are your thoughts?

Hope you're having a good weekend!

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Liner in Black Ink + Photos & Swatches! PLUS BB Cream Shadows!

I thought I would give a little update on how my Bobbi Brown Gel Liner has been working out for me lately. (Refer to older post for Graphite Shimmer Ink)


I am still in love with it! My opinions about the product remains the same. It doesn't smudge on me, doesn't flake off, lasts all day and is very pigmented!


I received Black Ink in a swap recently.. maybe around two weeks ago and I've been using it just about every day. Other days I use Graphite Shimmer just to switch off. The colors are somewhat similar, but Graphite Shimmer is a little more of a charcoal black with a touch of shimmer and Black Ink is a flat, intense black. It is by far the blackest liner I own. (Hooray! I'm always on a conquest for the blackest blacks) I am still rating this product a 5 out of 5! ♥


And a side note, I came across some full size BB gel liners at my CCO (Cosmetic Company Outlet). Unfortunately, none were sold separately. They were all a part of various BB makeup sets. They did have some Cream Shadows (which I thought were liners at first because of the same packaging) I like the consistency of them. They are buttery soft and apply very smooth. They also had several palettes that have a mixture of gel liners and cream shadows. (I actually got a brand new one in a swap.. pics at the end of my post!) I have heard from many others that they have found BB gel liners at their CCO's sold individually, so if you're interested in purchasing one, check your local CCO first! :)











And, this is the palette I received in a swap. What i love about the palette is, it's soo sturdy and each liner has a tight lid so the colors won't dry out. Thank you, Bobbi Brown for using your brains with this! :) haha.


Bobbi Brown Honey Glaze Long-Wear Eye Palette



CLICK IMAGES TO VIEW THE FULL SIZE








For whatever reason, it was impossible to get a good picture of this palette. I didn't swatch any of the colors yet because.. well, It's so pretty I don't want to ruin it. LOL But, if anyone wants swatches, I'll gladly do that for you. This palette was available at my CCO (In Aurora, IL) and I caught a glimpse of it on http://www.allcosmeticswholesale.com here. OR you can purchase it directly from Bobbi Brown here. I'll post a review once I use it!


Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Bobbi Brown. The opinions expressed in this post are formed from my personal experience with the product/s. I was not paid to write this post.

Review: Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Liner in Graphite Shimmer + Photos & Swatches!

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner








Product Description (Directly from bobbibrowncosmetics.com)
This award-winning liner offers the precision of a liquid liner and the ease of a gel-based formula. Awarded: "Elle" Magazines's ‘Top 5’ (Nov. 2009), "In Style" 'Best Beauty Buy' (2008), and "Allure" ‘Reader's Choice Award’ (2008).


To apply: Dip tip of Ultra Fine Eyeliner Brush into gel formula (coat both sides of brush head). Wipe off excess on tissue before applying to eye. Work quickly as product becomes transfer-resistant once dry.





My opinion: This is a product I've been wanting to try for EVER! I picked Graphite Shimmer Ink. On the website, it says that it is a dark gray. I would maybe call it a deep charcoal gray with silver flecks. Once applied, it looks much darker. It basically looks black. Its very creamy and spreads very well. For me, it doesn't fade throughout the day. And, at the end of the night, I don't have trouble removing it. I usually will powder my lids so my liner won't smudge or budge, then apply it to my lash line with an angled liner brush. I've been using Sigma's angled brush. I prefer BB now, over MAC Blacktrack Fluidline, Stila Smudgepot & WetnWild Creme Liner.


Here are a few descriptions of what I like and don't like about the following liners..

• MAC Blacktrack Fluidline - I love this, but the texture always gets dry for me halfway throughout the pot. I LOVE when I first purchase it, but it doesn't ever stay creamy. I can tell its a bit thicker than the other creme liners mentioned. Also, this sometimes crumbles on me. What I do like about it is, it is extremely black and the lasting power is pretty good. I have repurchased this several times.
• Stila Black Smudgepot - I love the consistency of this product. The consistency is somewhat similar to BB. It is very creamy and light. It applies very nicely & black. For me though, it fades throughout the day and I'll have to reapply. I'm not sure If I would repurchase this.
• WetnWild Creme Liner - Again, good creamy consistency. It doesn't crumble for me, but just like the Stila Smudgepot, this fades throughout the day. Great deal though and will probably repurchase b/c of the price and it works well.

Here are some swatches, courtesy of kmbirkel. Indigo Ink & Ivy Ink look gorgeous! They look like they would go well with any of the NARS eye shadows I posted in my previous post! I think Black Ink will be my next purchase.



(Click for the full size)


Do you have a favorite gel/cream liner? What is your preference or HG liner?

Review: Bobbi Brown Corrector (Peach & Light Peach Swatches)

Bobbi Brown Corrector


(Image Source: Oprah.com)

What is it? "For very dark circles and extra coverage, Bobbi's secret is her Correctors. Use daily or just when you need extra coverage. Designed to be layered under your yellow-based Creamy Concealer shade, Correctors come in a range of twelve Bisque and Peach shades." - bobbibrown.com

The current rating on Makeupalley.com is 4.3/5 with an 85% re-purchase rate, based on 300+ reviews. Click here to read the reviews.






I originally purchased the shade Peach, which pretty much matched my skin perfectly. My only concern though was, I like my concealer to be lighter than my face so my under-eyes look brighter. Peach was like the same color depth as my face. I would compare it to MAC NW30 Studio Finish Concealer (in depth only). Also, we all know that I self tan daily, SO, it matches me when I'm tan. But, If my face isn't tan, then I'll be applying a concealer under my eyes that is darker than my skin tone. Luckily, I bought a defective one and the pan kept falling out. So the following day I exchanged it for Light Peach.

my dark circles are completely covered. :)

This is a really good shade for me. I would compare it to MAC NW25 (which is the shade I use for MAC concealers).. it could be slightly lighter. VERY slightly. I apply a little with my MAC 224 and buff it in my under eyes, or apply it with my fingers and blend. The texture is extremely soft, creamy and non greasy. (Which was actually a surprise to me, because I thought it was going to be heavy and thick feeling) Once applied to the skin, it doesn't look heavy. It looks like a light liquid concealer on the skin. I find that the less you apply, the better. Considering this is only your corrector, you only need the tiniest bit to correct the color under your eyes, and leave it all to your concealer to do the work of concealing. I've been using this with my MAC Select Cover Up in NW25. At first, I was applying too much and it was caking, then I realized that I didn't need much. It really does add extra coverage to my concealer. If you have very minor dark circles, this may possibly cover them completely, along with your foundation.

Have you tried this? Whats your MAC coloring and what shade do you use in the corrector? 

I'm also very interested in trying Bobbi Brown Concealers. Do you recommend any??