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So, I thought I'd amuse myself and get one these lip glosses from Coastal Scents.com.
To be honest, I wasn't really wowed by the product but yeah, I was curious. Coastal Scents' Smacks lip glosses come in a variety of shades and it was almost impossible to choose one as the pictures didn't really show the true colours.
*image from coastalscents.com*
Let's start with the positives first. I liked the brush applicator any day. It applies the gloss better and more evenly onto my lips. No clumps, no mess, pretty easy, pretty smooth.
I liked the colour! Mega Mauve was almost an exact match to my natural lip colour. It even made my lips looked better, even though it is not a pigmented gloss!
Buuuuut! Overall, I am not impressed at all with this lip gloss.
The size is tiny! Granted I probably won't use up the stuff anytime soon, but this looked like a sample than the real thing.
I didn't quite like the formula of the gloss either. Too runny, a little too sheer, not sticky enough enough for me so the gloss lasted for about half an hour on my lips before just leaving a dull sheen. I like my glosses a little stickier, like MAC's Lipsglass or Lancome Juicy Tubes, as the shine is better and they last longer. This, I hate to say, is your typical cheapo gloss. Heck, I've even tried cheaper glosses perform better than this!! 
I think this would be good to throw in your handbag, as it it is small in size, and can be used for touch-up and such, but if you prefer glosses that go the extra mile without having to re-apply every 10 minutes, you may be disappointed with this.
Me, I'm just glad I didn't go nuts and buy a whole lot of shades. Thank Gawd I was sensible enough to just get one for a try-out.
Coastal Scents Smacks lip glosses retail for $2.95 on Coastalscents.com. xoxo,puss.inheels@yahoo.com
I don't do FOTDs or EOTDs, but I thought I'd pick one look from the week that I liked and list down the products I used in Makeup of the Week.
I received Cover Girl Eye shadow quad in Drama Eyes a few weeks ago, with a quarter of the white shadow chipped off. There was white powder everywhere and although I could clean up the damage, there was still traces of the broken shadow bits all over the palette. Yet again, a testament of how crappy the packing skills of drugstore.com (where I bought the quad from).
Bad packing aside, I have grown to really love Cover Girl. I haven't tried many stuff from them, but I enjoy using their shadows (singles and palettes) and absolutely adore their Cheekers Blush.
I bought Drama Eyes for that Burgundy colour. 
I wanted a typical smokey eye palette but use it for daytime wear - not so smokey, not intense, and not boring. That burgundy shade made it possible! This palette has great colour pay-off! Cover Girl, over the years, has up their game and improved the formulation of their products. Their eye shadows at least, are a joy to use!
I also found great use for the too-dark ELF Hydro-tint foundation (Tone 3). I mixed it with my lighter foundations and it changed the colour, but not the coverage, which is perfect!
Face
Foundation: ELF Hydro-Tint SPF 15 in Tone 3 (too dark)
+ Mary Kay Medium Coverage Foundation in Beige 304 (too light!)
= PERFECT SHADE!Concealer: Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer (old packaging)
in Dark.Powder: NYC Loose Face Powder in Translucent to set; Milani Glimmer Stripes in Berry Glimmer lightly all over face to finish.Cheeks
Blush: Milani Powder Bronzer in Light to contour; Revlon Cream Blush in First Blush on apples (love!!).
Eyes
Eye primer: Too Faced Shadow Insurance.
Eyes: Revlon Illuminance Creme Shadow in Coastal Blues as base; CG quad in Drama Eyes - light silver (2nd from right)
all over lids, black outer-v, Burgundy wash in crease, white as added highlight; CG Single in Golden Sunrise as highlight; Femme Couture liquid liner in Black to line.Mascara: CG Lash Blast in Very Black.
Brows: Wet n' Wild Brow pencil in Taupe.Lips
Lips: Wet n Wild Lip liner in 666 Brandy Wine; ELF Plumping Lip Glaze in Oasis.
Thanks for dropping by, and Ramadhan Mubarrak to those who observe!
xoxo,puss.inheels@yahoo.com
Don't knock the cheap stuff because chances are they're the ones that will knock your socks off. I learned that a long time ago, when I used to scoff at folks buying up Wet n' Wild and/or other cheap brands. I remember Wet n'Wild from way back in college where I would buy up their 99 cents eyeliner pencils in multiple colours. They were hard and of poor quality, but hell, they were cheap. Plus I was a college student in a far-away land, I had to save up for a jar of Creme de LaMer from Saks 5th Avenue, which didn't leave me with much! Those were the days ...
Today, Wet n' Wild is still cheap, but have survived amongst a sea of other cheapo brands. They've stepped up their game, still sellin' them for dirt cheap through ugly-@s$ packaging, but the stuff inside will make you go "Hoooooooooooo m'Gaaaaaaaaawd!!"
I don't have a ton of Wet n' Wild stuff, but the ones I do have, have yet to disappoint me. I enjoy using them, and enjoy it more that I don't have to sell my left arm for a product that delivers. These babies are cheap, but they work expensive, ya know?! I was so reluctant to get their 8-colour palette Ultimate Expression Eyes. Not because they're not good, but there are 8 colours in one palette. Anything more than 5 colours in a palette will confuse the heck out of me, so how am I going to use 8 colours???
For $4.99 a piece, you get 8 highly pigmented colours. So let me get to the usual questions asked when it's cheap:
No they're not chalky at all.
No they're not hard, in fact they're darn silky.
No you don't get fall outs.
No they're not hard to blend.
No they do not smell.No they don't fade after an hour, but like any shadow, drugstore or high end, you can make them last even longer when you use a good eye primer underneath.
No they do not make your lids go dark because they're cheap. *excuse me while I roll my eyes*. Use a good remover to take off eye make up, then your lids won't darken overtime!
No you won't get cooties because they are cheap. *lemme roll my eyes again*
Yes they come in the ugliest packaging, but so what! They are freakin' awesome!!I started out getting this plum/purple-ish pallete called Paradise Cove.
Wet n' Wild Ultimate Expressions in Paradise Cove.
Third's time a charm with this palette!
Wet n' Wild Ultimate Expressions in Sand Castle.
Both times, my order shattered in the mail, and no thanks to drugstore.com's atrocious packing skills, I nearly gave up on the idea of owning this palette. I consoled myself saying it's a bronze/gold/natural palette, and I am not a fan of natural colours. This is called Sand Castle and it has a little more shimmery fillers than the other palettes. The colours can be quite frosty but super-pigmented. I didn't get "true" natural colours, thank Gawd! This palette is far from boring.But yes, this palette is just as gorgeous, and as silky, although I suspect, softer and more fragile as it shattered on me twice before! I finally lucked out with Nonpareilboutique.com which started carrying Wet n' Wild products and they are much better at packing their stuff! My Sand Castle finally came to me in one beautiful piece!
Cute feature with these palettes, the mirror slides out at the bottom!
I initially though this was one cheap gimmick, but the mirror proved to be quite useful when I am applying my eye shadow!
These come in 3 colours - I have 2 as you can see. The other one is a more of a green/blue palette, not so shimmery, but the colours are still very pretty.
They retail for $4.99, if your buying online, you can find these at drugstore.com (bad packing!) and nonpareilboutique.com. *Don't get these confuse with the cream shadow palette - they look similar, but I hear the cream palettes suck big time!*
Have a great day!xoxo,puss.inheels@yahoo.com
I was going to wait a little more before I review this because I didn't want to write about another ELF product, but ever since my last post where I featured the ELF Mineral Eye shadow Primer in the last Makeup of the Week, I've been getting a number of questions regarding this new product. 
Here's another item that's always out of stock on the ELF website. The ELF Mineral Eye shadow Primer is newly added under their Mineral line. I managed to get hold of one and couldn't wait to take it for a test drive.
Although I've been using other shadow primers lately, I have been super happy with Loreal De-crease. I also kinda like the ELF Studio Eye Primer which comes in a chubby stick-form, although it doesn't perform like my beloved Loreal De-crease. I was anxious to find out if this new ELF Mineral Primer delivers just as good or better.
The ELF Mineral Eye shadow Primer comes in a lipgloss-type packaging, with a doe-foot applicator. 
The colour is similar to Loreal De-crease - natural, but comes out sheer. The texture is a little more watery than De-crease and Too Face Shadow Insurance, but dries a little faster than De-crease. I was happy that this didn't dry my lids out like Urban Decay Primer Potion!
My eye shadow stayed on and on for the whole entire day ('till night time, woot!), with no creasing, no fading, and it kept the colours somewhat fresh. I didn't have to re-apply at all, which was great news! But then again, I don't have oily lids. My lids are quite dry, but they tend to get a little oily by mid-day. This is when my ELF Studio eye Primer fails miserably, which is why I only use that for days when I am out and about for just 2-3 hours. The ELF Mineral Eye shadow Primer seems to hold up way better than that!!
On the packaging, it says: No Preservatives. No Parabens and no chemical dyes. Great! But here's the clincher: take a whiff of the stuff and it'll make you gag. See, I am not a stickler when it comes to packaging or scent, I know some people are. If you are particular with how your product smells, this might turn you off. This stuff smells like feet!
No, hang on... *sniff*
It smells like dead fish!
Wait! *sniff*
Smells like monsoon drain!In short, it SMELLS FUNKY!!
I don't know what it is, maybe I got me a lemon? It has not given me any kind of bad reaction and the smell does go away when you apply. Just don't make it a habit to sniff the wand when you want to use it - you might just change your mind!
I really think ELF has stepped up it game these days - it's been churning out quality products we all can get excited about. And they won't break your bank too! Yay!
If you're looking for something cheaper to replace your UDPP or TFSI, and you find Loreal De-crease doesn't hold up as well on your super-oily lids, this is a good buy. But don't expect it to perform like its more expensive cousins. There will be creasing at some point of the day or night if you have super oily lids. I've not been using my TFSI much as I tend to gravitate towards the more cheap stuff, but I think I might alternate ELF Mineral Primer more with my De-crease.
For the way it performs, you can't beat the price!! Happy to add this to my growing collection of eye primers!! Overall, I really really like this product (funky smell aside). It's another surprising winner from ELF!
The ELF Mineral Eye shadow Primer retails for $3 at eyeslipsface.com. xoxo,puss.inheels@yahoo.com
I don't do FOTDs or EOTDs, but I thought I'd pick one look from the week that I liked and list down the products I used in Makeup of the Week.
I received quite a number of new ELF stuff this week, so for the most part, I was testing and playing with my new toys. My favourite look this week was using just one colour. Out of the blue, I remembered my love for MAC Cocomotion pigment. It's such a beautiful brown-bronze colour that is unique on it's own. I don't quite enjoy using loose pigments, as I am a klutz and a half (though I love their intensity), but I just couldn't resist taking out my Cocomotion to give it the attention it deserved.
Looks like dirt but super gorgeous even on it's own: MAC Pigment in Cocomotion.
The look came out far from complicated - it was stunning yet simple, no-fuss and down-right gorgeous. You can go night or day with this. MAC Cocomotion ... Wow! This is one look I shall be wearing over and over.Face
Foundation: ELF Hydro-Tint SPF15 in Tone 3 (Arrk! Too dark!!).
Concealer: ELF Studio Under eye Concealer & Highlighter in Medium, ELF Studio Complexion Perfection mixing yellow and pink to set under eye concealer.
Powder: ELF Studio Complexion Perfection to set.
Cheeks
Bronzer: ELF Studio Warm Bronzer lightly all over face.
Blush: ELF Natural Radiance Blusher in Bronzed to contour, Flushed on apples (pretty!).
Eyes
Eye primer: ELF Mineral Eyeshadow Primer.
Eyes: NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in French Fries as base; MAC Pigment in Cocomotion on lids; Milani single shadow in Classic Beige as highlight; Loreal SuperLiner in Black for upper lashlines; Avon Ultra Luxury Eyeliner in Black to line 1/3rd outer lower lashlines and to tightline.
Mascara: Avon Daring Curves mascara in Black.Lips
Lips: NYX Round Lipstick in B52.
I got a couple of NYX lipsticks as well in this package. I'm not a fan of lipsticks so I wasn't in a rush to test them, I think they were the last ones I tried on! I can see why NYX's B52 is always out of stock - it's a pretty creamy mauve-rose colour. But since I am not a huge fan of lippies, I wasn't totally taken in. Oh! Well!
Have an awesome weekend everyone!xoxo,puss.inheels@yahoo.com
I am all for loose powder to set my makeup. But carrying a tub of powder when you're traveling is one messy affair, and I end up carrying a powder foundation compact, which I feel doesn't quite give me that flawless coverage I like.
When a chance to spree from the ELF website opened up, I naturally jumped on. I like ELF, be it the $1, the $3 or the $5 product. Sure, they're cheap, but so what? I'd like to think I don't discriminate, you can find surprisingly good products if you give it a chance (and do your homework).
The Complexion Perfection is a new product in ELF's Studio line and has been getting very positive reviews, but I was dismayed to always find it out of stock on the ELF website. Patience is a virtue, and I finally managed to get one! Yay!
ELF's Studio Complexion Perfection is an all-over face powder to set makeup, for touch-ups and such, as a colour corrector, and a face brightener. It comes in a large square pan with 4 pastel colour blocks which you can use individually or together. It can help neutralise the redness around your nose and cheek areas and give the face an instant, but subtle glow.
When swatched, the colours come off as white. If you over-load, it can leave a powdery white-ish cast on your face, much like MAC Blot Powder. So you need to be reasonable with the amount you use. I have used a mixture of the pink and yellow together to set my under eye concealer. Honestly, I think Everyday Minerals' Abbot's Perk Me Up concealer does a better job.
Maybe the colours are too pale to use on my skin tone, who knows. The green does tone down the redness of my blemishes when I dust it on, and as an overall powder, it does give me a nice glow and finish to my face. I use the ELF Studio Complexion Brush to swirl the colours together, and they are a perfect combination. It doesn't come with a sponge like most powders do, but using this with one will make you look chalky! So best use a big fluffy brush!
The oil-control is also OK - not great, but I did notice my face oxidized a little more at the end of the day. It mattifies OK, but it certainly doesn't last.
I like the packaging, very sleek, very classy; much like Nars. I love the big mirror, except when I opened this the first time, the mirror fell off, as it was held together by one strip of double-sided tape! Cheapo! Now you know huh!! I had to glue the mirror back in!
I think as a colour-corrector product, it's quite mediocre. I like the idea of having this in my arsenal as an all-over face powder, but I wouldn't re-purchase this.I really wanted to love this. It was not meant to be :(
Thank Gawd it's only for $3!
You can purchase ELF from eyeslipsface.com.
Have a good one!xoxo,puss.inheels@yahoo.com
Some 15 years ago, the makeup artist who was "doing my face" at the time told me, "if you don't dress up your brows, you might as well don't put on any makeup!", whilst attending to the "bushes" that were my brows.
'Till today, my brows always seemed to get neglected, although they are a little more in shape now. I almost always forget to dress them up. I don't have sparse brows, but they do tend to thin out at the ends, making me look like I have short brows. As much as some of us (me!) don't think they're all that important in my makeup routine, eye brows shape your eyes and face. Groomed brows make your look complete. So it's important to keep them neat, tidy and groomed, and at the right shape for your eyes and face. I do the upkeep on my own now, have never gone for threading and the like, but I do have a fabulous facialist who would help me shape and trim my brows when she's cleaning out my pores! :D
I started using the powder brow kit from The Body Shop because I've heard so many good things about it. I didn't get the regular one, and it was soon discontinued, but later found it was re-launched with fancier packaging and a "limited edition" price tag. It IS a great kit, but later found out pulling out a brow brush to apply brow powder was waaaaaaay too tedious for everyday work! I had to also be very lighthanded with the darker powder because it was very very pigmented.
I then started using the Brow Stylist from Loreal, with the build-in spoolie at the end. This cuts the routine into half and I was quite happy using this, except the colour (light brown) was kinda too light for me, and the staying power was kinda bad. The pencil was a little hard as well, it sucked, but I tolerated. I would alternate this with The Body Shop's brow kit. 
Loreal Brow Stylist in Light Brown.
Wet n' Wild Kohl Brow - Eyeliner in Taupe.
Wet n' Wild Brow pencil with Ecotools Lash & Brow Groomer.
Have an awesome day!! xoxo,puss.inheels@yahoo.com
I don't do FOTDs or EOTDs, but I thought I'd pick one look from the week that I liked and list down the products I used in Makeup of the Week.
My favourite look this week was from one of my all-time favourite palettes - MAC Novel Twist Warm Eyes. I used to have this in my makeup bag at all times. This palette has 5 wearable colours, and I had such a fun time coming up with different looks with this! Plus, it's a MAC, so I don't need to tell you how wonderful these shadows are. This week, I used all 5 colours, and I have worn this look countless of times to shows and events. On lazy days, I'd probably just use 2 or 3 colours, and I'd still look polished. This is one versatile palette, and it's still one of my go-to palettes.
MAC NovelTwist Warm Eyes:Vanilla. Unwind. Folie. Adlib. Club.
This week I also played with some new items from my drugstore.com haul, and my new Everyday Minerals haul. L.O.V.E !!
Face
Primer/Powder: Bare Minerals Mineral Veil before and after. Concealer: ELF Tone Correcting Concealer in Light; EDM Abbot's Perk Me Up concealer to set.Foundation: MAC Fix+(not in picture)
sprayed on brush; EDM Pressed Foundation in Buttered Tan.Cheeks
Bronzer: jane Oil-free Bronzer in Sunkissed lightly on temples, cheeks, nose, chin.
Blush: EDM Pressed Blush in Waffle Cone to contour; EDM Blush in Snuggle (
ver-ry pretty!).
Eyes
Primer: POP Eye Magnet Primer (sample).
Eyes: MAC NovelTwist Warm Eyes - Vanilla (1st from left)
highlight; Unwind (2nd from left)
inner half lid, Adlib (2nd from right)
outer half lid, Folie (middle)
middle of crease, Club ( 1st from right)
outer-v. Blend! Blend! Blend! MAC Kohl in Phone Number to line outer 3rd of lower lash line and tightline; Revlon ColorStay liquid eyeliner in Blackest Black to line upper lash line.
Mascara: Maybelline Great Lash in Blackest Black (sucks-dot-com!).
Brows: Wet n' Wild Kohl Brow-Eyeliner in Taupe (awesome stuff!).
Lips
Lips: Rimmel Rich Moisture Lipstick in 279 Smooch; Palladio Plump n' Shine lipgloss in Creamy Pink.My skin's still acting up as I am in the midst of changing moisturisers. *sigh* I look like a freakin' teenager! I hope my skin will calm down soon. Having pimples at this age is soooooooo not on!! 
Thanks for dropping by, and have a great weekend!xoxo,puss.inheels@yahoo.com
To be honest, I wasn't really wowed by the product but yeah, I was curious. Coastal Scents' Smacks lip glosses come in a variety of shades and it was almost impossible to choose one as the pictures didn't really show the true colours.
*image from coastalscents.com*
I think this would be good to throw in your handbag, as it it is small in size, and can be used for touch-up and such, but if you prefer glosses that go the extra mile without having to re-apply every 10 minutes, you may be disappointed with this.
