LORAC Behind The Scenes Eye Primer Review

These past few days have been brutal but we just finished our entries and reports today. I'm not quite out of the woods just yet but perhaps I can breath a little more easily for the next few days...Yeah hopefully. I have a long list of drafted reviews that are waiting on me. I worry that the longer I stall the lazier I'll get.

I've been a long time user of the Urban Decay Primer potion and it was a nice change of scenery when I acquired this primer as free gift with purchase.

Packaging

• A fairly generous amount for a try out tube if you ask me a little less than half the size of the regular tube. 
• I found the applicator a little odd. I personally wouldn't use it to apply it on my eyes. I prefer to just squeeze a little bit out and then apply it with my finger.

Product

• The LORAC primer has a thin and smooth consistency. It appears like a light beige but becomes transparent once you apply it on the skin, which reminded me a bit of the Too Faced primer. 
• I also noticed that when I haven't used it in a while, it would separate in the tube just like the Too Faced primer also. 
• I have moderately oily lids. I like the fact that this primer did a very good job at preventing creasing and fading and also helped bring out the colors of the eyeshadows. My eye makeup last about 8-10 hours with this primer. 
• The eyeshadows also blend easily over it, which is nice. 

Final Thought

I don't know how this will hold up if you have very oily lids but for my moderately oily ones, it performed well, and prevented creasing and fading for up to 10 hours. The thin and smooth consistency is nice and makes blending easy but formula will start to separate if you don't use it for a while. 

Rating: 9/10

Price: $21.00 (for the full size product)
Availability: Ulta, LORAC

Smash Cosmetics Eyeshadows and Primer - Review and Swatches

Hello,

I hauled these eyeshadows a little while back and since I didn't use them much when I first got them my review had been slightly delayed. I purchased them from an Etsy seller. You can view her store by clicking this link http://www.etsy.com/shop/SMASHCOSMETICS

These are the eyeshadows that I got from the Blogger Review Pack, which is a pretty awesome deal, if you ask me. $4.50 for 5 eyeshadow samples, 5 lipstick samples, 2 lipgloss samples, and 1 eyeshadow primer sample. I haven't review the rest yet.

Like most eyeshadow pigments, these can be messy. Ingredients consist of titanium dioxide, mica, magnesium stearate, jojoba oil and may contain chromium oxide green, iron oxide, and tin oxide.

I'm not one of those people who always lurk my attention to the ingredient label...Shame on me I know but that is because I have no freaking clue of what some of it means. Anyways, to spare you from my lack of emaducation, I did google up what those are used for. If you already know, feel free to skip or correct me if I'm wrong.

Titanium dioxide - a mineral used in cosmetics as an opacifier and sunscreen.
Mica - a mineral used as colorant and opacifier.
Magnesium Stearate - lightweight filler to help improve adhesion and work as a thickening and binding agent.
Chromium Oxide Green - mineral pigment used as colorant, green of course.
Iron Oxide - a binary compound consisting of iron and oxygen, mostly used for base colors reds and browns.
Tin Oxide - used to coat mica and to create more vibrant color

XXX is a dark matte grey with a subtle pink shimmer. When swatched dry, it looked muddy and flat but when I used it over a primer it looks so much better. The picture on the seller's site is way different. I think mine is more accurate.

Pulchritudinous is my favorite out of the bunch and I've used this one the most since it's easier to wear to work. I find this color hard to describe. Shimmery bronze with a mauvy color shift? Has a bit of a red undertone and some specks of blue. I find that this color was easier to apply and blend.

Hurricane is a shimmery medium blue with a subtle teal sheen to it. I don't think this color is available anymore.

Majestic is a medium reddish purple with a very subtle blue, pink, and silver shimmer.

Blue Steel is a dark dusty blue with subtle light blue, pink, and silver shimmers. Looks more vibrant on the seller's site but it's really much darker in real life.

I love the colors of the eyeshadow. They require a little bit more patience and the best way to make them look nice is to pat them on and layer them to build up the color intensity. Also it's important to use a good eyeshadow base or primer to help prolong the wear and minimize fading.

The cream eyeshadow primer is very thick but I didn't have any issue applying and blending it over the skin. I really like how the eyeshadows look when I use this primer. It really makes them pop and look more vibrant. It binds to the pigment like glue, yet allows them to flow and blend effortlessly. The only problem I had with it is that I notice some creasing and fading after 5 hours of wear.

Ingredients: Shea Butter, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Emulsifying Wax, Mica, Magnesium Stearate, Titanium Dioxide, B5, Acrylate Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol

The seller has a very large selection of eyeshadow colors and they are reasonably priced. I did experience some delays in processing and shipping at the time I ordered so I hope that it is no longer an issue if these become of interest to you. 

Fyrinnae Eyeshadow Pigment Haul and Swatches

About a week ago I placed an order with Fyrinnae. It's been a long time since I bought anything from an Indie brand but I've been googling for their swatches for a while before I made my purchase.
I was  having some trouble with their website, which is another reason why I've put this order in the back burner. What happened is that I would put stuff in my cart while I google for swatches and when I went back in it, the stuff had in my cart disappeared. It kept going like that for a while so I sorta gave up and just made a note of the colors I was planning on getting. Once I was ready to order, I had to clear the history and cookies from my browser, and quickly add to my cart the stuff that I wanted and proceed to check out. I had to do this in less than 10 minutes because I've noticed that when I'm browsing the site too long, anything I add to my cart disappears. It's weird and inconvenient but I thought I'd mention that in case you decide to order something.
They only charged me $2.50 for shipping, which is pretty cheap to what I'm normally used to so I'm pretty happy about that. Even though they had a notice on their site that there might be delays in shipping, from the time I placed my order and the time I received it, it took about a week. That was still pretty good.

Currently, the site is down. Not sure if it is for maintenance or what not but a message said they will return on 7-16.

Anyhoo, what attracted me to the brand is the positive reviews and awesome swatches I've seen. A lot of these eyeshadow pigments have complex and interesting colors. The mini jar containers are a pretty good size to try and the price is reasonable. You get 1/3 teaspoon for $2.25 a pot. It may not seem like a lot but enough for several uses and you won't run out of it anytime soon unless you use the color every day. So these are good size samples to try, especially if you want to try several colors. If you find a color that you really like, they also sell them in larger pots.

I'm grateful to see that each individual shade is labeled properly. Along with these eyeshadows, Pixie Epoxy ($7.00 for a full size) was another reason why I placed an order. Those who tried rave about it and I had to have it. For those of you who don't know what Pixie Epoxy is, it's a clear base gel that you use over your eyeshadow primer and before applying your eyeshadow. Its purpose is to act like an adhesive and intensify the color of your loose eyeshadow. I will do a more in-depth review once I've tried it a few times but while we're at it, I've swatched below these eyeshadows with Pixie Epoxy and without it so you get an idea of the difference that it makes.

Swatches on the left were done with Pixie Epoxy and Swatches on the right were done dry and without primer.

Agenda - medium matte grey with a subtle purple sheen. This one is a very interesting color and I like the fact that it's more than just grey.

Arcane Magic Wizard's Wedding Cake - dark matte brownish purple with sparkling pink and blue shimmers.

Bite Me - matte brick red.

Bollywood Babe - shimmery pink with small gold glitters. I thought this was going to be a duochrome but I guess I was wrong.

Bonfire Spirits - sparkling shimmery burgundy and gold. This color is so beautiful and unique. It's very Christmassy. Applies smoothly.

Cuddlefish - shimmery dark blue with blue and pink shimmers.

Dressed to Kill - dark matte yellow green with gold shimmers

Etheral Eire - shimmery golden green teal with small teal glitters. I have a lot of teal eyeshadows but not as interesting as this one. It applies so smoothly.

Lucky Charmed - intense shimmery antique gold with a green undertone. Very metallic looking. I'm pretty sure I have similar color to this. It's very pretty nonetheless and seem to have a creamier consistency.

Mephisto - dark matte blurple with garnet shimmers. It's a gorgeous and unique color. I'm a bit worried about how this will look when applied because the purple and the copper don't seem to mesh together very well.

Parental Advisory - vibrant burple with pink shimmers. I love how vibrant this color is.

Purgatory - dark burgundy with red shimmers. This would be awesome for dark, mysterious, and vampy looks.

Shenanigans - shimmery golden bronze with small gorgeous rainbow glitters (blue, green, and pink). Oh the surprise on my face when I saw the rainbow colored glitters. This one also applies smoothly. So cute! I want a nail polish in this color!

Tyr - dark green with gold and green shimmers. I might have a similar color to this.

Swatches done with Pixie Epoxy

Although I have not put these eyeshadows to the test yet, I can tell you how I initially feel about them.

Agenda, Arcane Magic Wizards' Wedding Cake, and Mephisto - have very interesting mix of colors and shimmers but don't seem to mesh very well together when I swatched them.

Bite Me - felt dry so application was a bit patchy. With that said, I'm not sure how blendable it is.

Cuddlefish, Dressed to Kill, Parental Advisory, Purgatory, Tyr - the application looks fairly even for the most part. They do feel a little dry though.

Bollywood Babe, Bonfire Spirits, Etheral Eire, Lucky Charmed, and Shenanigans - have smooth and even application. They feel creamy and are shinier and more shimmery. I thought that they had the best texture and finish.

I can tell you that I much prefer pressed eyeshadows because I find loose eyeshadows challenging and messy to work with but with Pixie Epoxy at my arsenal, the process might make things a little more manageable and enjoyable. As you can see from the pictures above Pixie Epoxy brings those shimmers to life. They look lost and almost non-existent when swatched dry.

I'd love to order some more but I'll have to play with these for now.

What's your favorite Fyrinnae color? Ever tried Pixie Epoxy?

Lancome Aquatique Waterproof Eye Color Base Nude - Review & Swatches

Hello Beauties,

I picked up this Lancome Waterproof eye primer a week ago during their GWP promo at Macy's. I thought that it was interesting that this product claims to be waterproof. I felt like I needed to take it home for a few spins and see if it really delivers. I usually target makeup that have a long-wear capability because I'm one of those ladies who almost never touch up her makeup once it's done. I have more important things to worry about throughout the day than checking out my face and can you imagine my horror when I go to the bathroom and find that I've spend hours passing by or talking to people with my raccoon eyes and they act like they don't see it. I hate these people, lol. Seriously, even if I saw someone with their booger hanging down their nose, I'd tell them. Anyways, the moral of the story is not everyone is cool like me, just kidding!

What Lancome says about this primer...

"Not all eye shadow primers are created equal. But this primer makes promises it can keep—long-lasting shadow wear and vibrancy, with absolutely no creasing. The silky-smooth, waterproof formula holds pigment in place and delivers nude, barely-there color that evens out eyelids and leaves them with a natural, matte finish. Apply with fingertips under your favorite Lancôme shadow. Fragrance-free."

Packaging

• Fancy looking glass pot
• .14 oz or 4g

Product

• The primer has a similar texture to the MAC's paint pot. It may appear like a thick concealer paste yet once your rub it with your finger it feels creamier and applies quite nicely. 
• The color is light on my eyes but on the swatch it looks like a light nude with a slight peach undertone to it. I find it instantly brightens my eyes, which I find nice. 
• It did help making my eyeshadows look more vibrant upon application. However, I'm very disappointed. After 4 hours of wear, I start noticing that the colors are fading. After 8 hours, I noticed more fading and creasing. I had high hopes for this primer and it really let me down. My Urban Decay Primer Potion or Too Faced Insurance never let eyeshadows crease on me, even after 8 hours. 

Final Thought

So 2 out of 3 products are going back. I'm pretty bummed. I hate returning products but considering how pricey these are, I definitely need to exchange them with something else. The Lancome Aquatique retails for $25.50. At this point, I don't even care if it is or says to be waterproof because it sure wasn't crease-proof or fade-proof. I read mixed reviews on this product and now I see why. Those who have drier lids might have better luck with this product. 

My rating: 5/10