Triple S: Essence Eye Pencil and Lipgloss Reviews + Swatches

It's finally here! The review(s) that I promised. Sorry it took so long.... Anyway, let's jump right into it!

Essence Kajal (Kohl) Pencil in 01 Black 
Retail: AUD$1.95 for 1g

Packaging: 5 out of 5

Review:  We may not have affordable cosmetic brands, such as ELF or Milani, like they do in the USA but we certainly have Essence here in Australia to make up for it. Apart from being affordable, this eye pencil is of relatively good quality. It is very pigmented and its creamy texture glides on smoothly. You don't need to press down hard to lay on the product; it transfers onto skin quite easily. This product smudges but that can be used to our advantage. It is perfect for making a simple black smokey eye. Line your upper lids thickly with this pencil and smudge upwards with a blending brush and voila!

These days when I am too lazy to line my eyes with liquid or gel eyeliner, I just swipe some of this product on and I'm good to go. In terms of lasting power, it is pretty decent but it does run under my eyes after a couple of hours. But I have to admit that this happens to me with most (if not all) eye pencils. If you experience the same problem, just make sure you pack on some pressed powder under your eyes after you're down with your eye makeup. The reason I gave this product a 5 out of 5 for packaging rating is because I can't find any fault with it. 

Here's a swatch of the kajal pencil. You might be wondering what the swipe of pink next to it is. It's a swatch of an Essence lipgloss. Please read on for the review.

Essence XXXL Nudes Lipgloss in 03 Nude Kiss  
Retail: AUD$3.50 for 5mL

Packaging: 5 out of 5

Review: This is a pretty pink lipgloss with a slight mauvey tone in it. It contains a bit of shimmer, which helps reflect light, adding to its glossiness. I really like this lipgloss because it is not sticky at all. Like most lipglosses it's not long-lasting from being wiped off or consumed during talking and eating. The applicator is long, slender and soft, which makes it fast and easy to cover your lips with product. All it takes is (approximately) two swipes and you're done. Because of it's clever design, I never scrape my lip by accident with the hard angled plastic in the applicators of some lipglosses. The only thing I am not fond of is the scent. It reminds me of some kind of food that I've tried before when I was younger (its name eludes me).

In case you are wondering, this is not a plumping lipgloss. Just putting it out there in case anyone thought it had a plumping effect because of its name "XXXL". The reason I gave this product a 5 out of 5 for packaging rating is because I can't find any fault with it. Plus, I think the packaging is quite appealing and looks of high quality.

 

The lipgloss is sheer like most other lipglosses but it is pigmented enough to give my lips a bit of colour. See photos below. 

Bare lips

With the lipgloss on

 I like these two products so much so they've become my go-to products.

 Have you tried any of Essence's products? Do you like them? Please share in the comments below! 

Wicked Wednesday: Lipgloss Disaster!

This is by far the dumbest mistake I've ever made, makeup-wise. My mum gave me this beautiful set of Estee Lauder lipglosses at the end of 2010 as a Christmas present. I know I should have thrown them out by now because they've past their use by date but I couldn't and still can't bring myself to do it. They are/were beautiful and I'm not even halfway through each tube. After all, there was a study that proved five-year-old lipsticks and eyeshadows to be still safe for use.

A few months ago I noticed my lipglosses have hardened up, I couldn't get the product out to apply on my lips. I googled for solutions to fix my "dried up" lipglosses but the closest I've found was Michelle Phan's lipgloss saver video. I tried it out and it didn't melt the product back down much. For a while, the lipglosses were left sitting in my drawer, untouched.

The other day, I had this stupid idea (at that time I thought it was brilliant). I thought that since warm water wouldn't make the lipgloss budge, hot water would. I cling-wrapped each tube and stood them in a mug. After the water boiled, I poured it straight into the mug. I didn't check back on my lipglosses until (at least) 15 minutes later. By then, it was too late. I think the moment I poured the hot water in, it was too late. I had ruined my lipglosses.

As you can see, the hot water "reshaped" my lipgloss tubes. It softened the product literally. It goes to show how "weak" the plastic used for these lipgloss tubes are. They were once rectangluar; now they are oblong. I really want to kick myself for doing it. At first, I was too shocked to be upset. Later, as reality sunk in, I felt morose and regretful. My boyfriend had to do the job of consoling me and reassuring me that there are better lipglosses out there waiting for me. I scoured the internet for websites that sell these lipglosses. I believe they have been discontinued and I was not able to find all of the shades.

So remember ladies, DO NOT soak your lipglosses in hot water. Warm water is okay. The water must not be hot to the touch. I hope this post can serve as a warning. Hopefully, no one will make the same mistake.

What kind of makeup mishaps have you experienced? Do share.

Triple S: Travel Makeup Bag

As promised, this is a post on my "travel makeup bag". I was away for the last weeks, because with a winter course in a different campus (one in a different town). So the makeup that I brought with me, was technically travelling.

Here's what I took with me:
1. My trusty Bobbi Brown Day to Night Cool Eye Palette
2. Natio Extreme Volume Smudge Proof Mascara
3. A compact mirror
4. Eyelash curler
5. Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss in 10 Grapefruit
6. Mini nail clippers
7. A pair of tweezers
8. A nail file

The Bobbi Brown palette is perfect for travelling. From left to right is Ivory (matte), Flint (matte), Charcoal (matte), Petal (Shimmer wash), Rockstar (Metallic) and Gunmetal (Shimmer wash). You can easily create a day time look with Ivory, Flint and Petal. Rockstar and Gunmental are great for a smokey grey eye look, perfect for night outs. Most importantly, I use Charcoal religiously as my eyeliner. I simply wet the eyeliner end of the brush provided and dip it into Charcoal. So I simply could not have gone on this trip without this palette.

So far I'm not impressed with the Natio mascara. I'm still trying it out. The only perk to this mascara (that I can say for now) is that it doesn't smudge and leave me with panda eyes. I really like my Clinique lipgloss. It doesn't dry out my lips and it gives a touch of colour. I clip my nails once a week because I can't stand them long. So they are a staple in my makeup bag. Tweezers and a nail file were also staples for me. I had to keep my brow hairs in check and blunt my freshly cut nails down.

What do you have in your travel makeup bag?