Changes a'comin...

So after talking with a few other bloggers I admire, and a few friends who read this nonsense and weighed in, and my husband, I have decided to try to take this thing more seriously, and actually make this blog more than reviews, and more "lifestyle oriented". I am also going to do a full on new look, and make it look less "I picked a theme that didn't make me barf from what Blogger offered" and more "I actually designed this myself".   I know a few people probably just gagged and rolled their eyes and said "enough of THAT drama, there's a milllllllion of those already!" But I like to think I have decent taste, despite looking how I look, sounding how I sound, and acting how I act...and I'd like to make this thing a little more "cool stuff I found, I tried, I ate, I saw...etc". Than just product features.

I do plan to keep my reviews up, Ill probably just make them a subsection.  I also intend to keep doing them. But I don't want to keep this just beauty, because I am into more than just beauty. I am a designer by trade, and I love to see and buy well designed and well packaged items. I love a gorgeously designed space (especially offices, probably because mine looks like a bomb went off...let's be real though, my whole house does!)

So...if you think this idea sucks, or is great, or have ANY input, I'd like to hear from you. Leave a comment below. I really wanna know.  Even if its to tell me you think I cuss too much. Ill probably ignore that last part ;)

PRODUCT REVIEW: Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Powder Foundation

So I saw this pop up on QVC a while back, and saw a few reviews around the web, I think Musings of a Muse did one most recently. It looked very interesting, and I am a sucker for a powder foundation since I don't really want to pile liquid on all over my face.

This one included a brush, and I was shocked at how TEENY this thing is! It's seriously the length of my pinky. The bristles are barely like a half-3/4 inch out of the ferrule, the length of my entire nail (I'd distinguish a finger but they're all the same length!) . Around my eyes it's a little rough, but Im hoping that it softens with some washing.

I really like the jar, it's a wooden lid with a built in stopper, and the jar has a built in sifter. I don't know how this will work as you run low on product but ...we'll see if I like it that much to keep going.

The formula itself is nice. Very soft. On the skin it's not shimmery but not super matte and flat.  It lasted a pretty good while, not quite as long as the Bare Minerals. Coverage was a little sheerer than I hoped for. The BareMinerals is significantly more full coverage by comparison.

For color, I ordered FAIR, based on the reviews saying it runs dark. I wear Golden Fair in Bare Minerals, and that's not quite olive enough for me but it's pale enough. I usually get the pressed, and it's still the right lightness--I didn't go darker in pressed bec the next shade in pressed is still too dark. I thought for sure when I pulled that little sticker off the sifter this stuff was going to be way pink, but on the brush and my face it really was yellow enough.

Side by side on a qtip, Bare Minerals is the one kinda on the top-right and the Tarte the bottom-left:

It DID oxidize a bit during the day though and gained a little redness and depth though, so that might be a dealbreaker for me. I wouldn't say like sunburned redness but I looked overall more flushed than otherwise.

Here's a side by side on my hand, Tarte is on the left:

And on my face. I have half my face in my usual Bare Minerals (right in the pic) and half in the Tarte (left in the pic)

I am mixed on it right now. I am going to give it a few more days before I decide if it's a keeper or not.

I got it QVC. I think Ulta may eventually have it, but this might be a QVC Exclusive for a while.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Kevyn Aucoin 'The Sensual Skin' Tinted Balm

On a whim, I decided I needed to try some kind of "balm" product. I don't really know what I was going for. Maybe some kind of in between product? Either way, I ordered this stuff one day, and after waiting a unusually long period of time to receive it, seriously like 2 weeks or something from when I ordered, I started in on it.

Nice packaging, a nice skinny tube, very "swanky" metallic red, like the rest of his stuff. It seems like there is a significant amount of product in there.

I ordered SB02, after  finding swatches on the Beauty Professor Blog that gave me a feel for colors, and I will say, her swatching was bang on. PERFECT color for me. Just yellow/olive enough and pale enough for me. But it's SO SHEER, it's almost not worth putting on...because while it's great on my hand, it just ....doesn't show up on my face at all as in, doesn't do much for me. There is like zero coverage, so it didn't really even anything out, cut down on redness or reduce the amount of spackle I needed around the eyes, unfortunately. Which I guess is what I thought maybe I would get out of this....

The feel is incredible, despite the enormous amount of silicone in it. I didn't get a horrible rash either, which I am thankful for, again, despite the enormous amount of silicone in it.  I think if you love tinted moisturizers or beauty balms and don't have a ton to cover up, this would be great for you. Like I said, I have no real idea what I was after when I got it, so I don't see myself actually using it a lot, and for nearly $50, I think Ill probably return it if it's just going to sit there.

Here are a few pics of it on my hand.

First--bare left hand:

Blended on my right:

Closeup:

 I got mine at Nordstrom.com for $48.

Because I am a glutton for punishment...another attempt at IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye.

For some reason, probably stupidity, or general awake-ness, I decided that I would give this stuff another go. And I got two colors this time, as if last time wasn't enough with one.

This time around it was only slightly better but still not anywhere near decent enough to keep. This stuff doesn't even cover me on a good day. Or a great day. Or on a DAYUM GIRL YOU LOOK FINE! day.

Coverage was still crappy at best--nonexistent really, and the texture was still gross and sticky, though it did seem to dry down a little more, still not enough to not require mixing again.  The biggest changes--color and packaging differences. The tubes actually felt full this time. That was good. You don't have to squeeze as hard and don't feel like you're just expelling air.

But the colors were different this time. Neutral Medium was all I got last time. This time I got Neutral Medium and Light.  From the first time to this time Neutral Medium has DEFINITELY changed. It's definitely darker. Enough so that if I had waited til now to order, I would've misordered. But light on it's own is too light. Mixed, the color is great. And if this stuff had any coverage, fantastic.  But there's no way I'd keep this stuff to mix it. And I'd sure as hell not mix it every damn day either.

Here is a side by side. On my hand I thought for sure Light was going to be ok. But on my face it was WICKED PALE. And for me to think something is too light...that's sayin' something!

And mixed on my hands.

On my face, one eye has neutral medium and the other light....this is 4 thin coats OVER Lancome's Maquicomplet waterproof concealer bec this stuff on it's own has no coverage, and won't stay put. The eye on the left in the pic has Neutral Medium, eye on the right in the pic with that lovely underground monster zit growing above my brow there, that one has the Light.

And another layer of the mix over that.

It just has like...no coverage. I don't get what all the raving is about in the blog world. What is in the tubes these other women are reviewing? It sure as shit is not in the tubes I am paying full price for!

If you are on a generally awake or stupid kick and want to waste your money and time, QVC sells it, as does the It Cosmetics site.  I wish this stuff was good. Their brushes and their blush are all fantastic. I want so much for this to not suck so tremendously.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Lancome Tient Idole Ultra 24 Hour Foundation

This is another one I have been using for a while and finally think I have the hang of....It's not an everyday item, but I have been incorporating it a lot more lately, simply bec it's helped with coverage around my eyes.

I was not really sure about this shade, 100N, which I think is the lightest one they offer, when they matched it to me, but it seems to be working pretty well, despite being WAY pinker than I would otherwise go with. The girl at the counter applied it under my one eye and around that area and some woman that was at the Jo Malone counter was watching along while she sniffed candles waiting for her daughter to pay for something, and she walked over and said "oh my god, that is just...incredible. It almost erased your circles!"  She could've been a drone, a robot, a shill (she wasn't) but I was SOLD at that point. Because it REALLY makes a noted impact to me. Since I focus it around my eyes, and less around my face, I am ok with the color being a little pinker than I'd wear otherwise.  I had a perfect color match with the Estee Lauder Double Wear but it would not stay on my face and didn't play nice with concealers.

I also have to say that I had a hell of a time paying $45 for a LANCOME foundation. Maybe it's the cheap bastard in me, but for some reason I always equated their stuff with like...cheaper pricepoints. It's probably bec it's available in every damn mall, and was in all the crappy department stores in all the crappy malls we have here, and I guess I just lowered the quotient that way? I will pay absurd amounts for Armani, or Cle de Peau or whatever, but for some reason Lancome ...that got me!

Shown in that pic above is about a penny-sized dab of it, that's not quite a full pump amount. I apply that to my ENTIRE face though mostly around my eyes in two coats, then use the rest around the rest of my face. I use a damp beauty blender sponge to do the applying though, and that is part of why maybe it works so well. I tried with brushes and fingers and neither seemed to get the coverage and nice application I wanted so I went back to this and it's been the best.

I have a (particularly horrendous) pick of me with one side done, with only one coat on under my eyes. The coverage in this is pretty remarkable for just a liquid foundation.

Here's a shot of more of the whole face with a full layer and two under my eyes, pre concealer.

And here's a hilariously cheesy after with the whole face done, before my hair got curled as the curling iron was still heating up.  Man I got fatter than I realized and kinda look like a sociopath here. What is that fucking smile? I am going to blame that on it being 6am.  Wow the aging going on there...wow. Mid-30s, you are mean.

The staying power of this stuff...I have to say...It is INSANE. I really do get a full day plus out of it. I actually tested this stuff one weekend. I applied it on Friday morning at 530 as usual, and then left it on all day, I don't think I blotted or touched up powder once, and (I know) slept in my makeup to see how it was in the morning. I seriously wish I had filmed a timelapse or something bec other than my brows being a little wonk and having a little mascara fallout, my foundation and undereyes looked amazingly similar to freshly applied. So...I was pretty pleased.  Then I got in the shower and was mad I didn't take a pic bec it was seriously "new facebook profile pic worthy!"

I got mine at Nordstrom, it's available anywhere Lancome is sold which is pretty much everywhere.

PRODUCT REVIEW: VanityMark UltraBrow in Gingerella

So after discovering and confirming that Covermark changed the formula on my beloved Brow Markers, I started looking for a replacement that was not in a goofy ass purply color that makes no sense with a coppery red head of hair.  I had been using my fallback powder from BareMinerals, a mix of Redhead and Strawberry, more Strawberry than Redhead. But the looseness is a mess, so I was hoping I'd find similar in a pressed format.  I wanted the Urban Decay Brow Box, but they no longer cater to redheads, which is an annoying trend with cosmetics and hair companies.

I read about Vanitymark's UltraBrow on Phyrra's site a while back, and saw that they carry TWO redhead options, one for lighter and copperier heads, and one for auburn and darker/cooler reds. I went with Gingerella, for the coppertops.  I ordered it from Brett Friedman's site directly on a Monday and had it by Thursday. I see now that they have a nice special too, 2/25 so I might order a couple backups.

The color I knew was a win immediately. The formula took a couple days of convincing as it's sheerer than I anticipated. I've gotten used to that now, but I do tend to mix it with a fixative (Cinema Secrets liner sealer) to work it on my arch and make it more noticeable there.

Here is a side by side on my hand and in the "jar" that I mix the Bare Minerals in so you can see the difference in color. It's significantly tamer in color but in a good way. You can also see the sheerness of it vs the Bare Minerals.  On my hand, the Bare Minerals is on the left.

 

And a closeup of my eye all finished.

It's available directly through Brett Friedman's site, $16 a pan, and this will last a LONG time. Presently there is a 2/$25 offer as well.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Yaby Cosmetics Concealer and Paint Pot/Eyeshadows

I had never heard about Yaby til about a few months, it was wildly popular all the sudden on some makeup forums, especially related to bridal makeup, and it started popping up on blogs.  However a lot of folks seemed to learn of it last year, so I am quite behind the ball. It was raved about, esp the eyeshadows and pearl paints, for color payoff, blendability and longevity which I assume is why bridal artists love it so much.  The products were developed by a Canadian makeup artist who has a huge portfolio, esp in editorial work. I talked myself into trying it and all the colors were just so pretty. I will say that on their site, their swatches are PRETTY amazing. They offer great, close up shots of the pan. I ordered from Yaby's site, on a Thursday, and got it exactly 6 days later via UPS international. The company is based in Canada and shipping was 1/3 of the total price for the order! So plan for that. I went with the cheaper UPS option bec I didn't want to risk extensive damage from the postal service. I have been playing with this now for a while, probably now several months. I don't wear heavy eyeshadow or much more than the champagne usually daily so this is for rarities but I have been really enjoying it when I do use it.

The big thing with this brand, is that it's little refills, plus big palettes you can buy prefilled. For me, I liked the idea of the refills and I could use my own Mary Kay mini palettes and not get a bunch of shades I'd never touch.  From what I had read, they were TINY little pots, but taller than most, and extremely pigmented.  I was prepared for the size with measurements, and was glad I could get as many in that compact as I did, though I need to pick up some more magnet stuff because the finger hole in the Mary Kay palette prevents me from getting a 9th in there!

I picked up one concealer pan which I guessed at the color of and was pleasantly thrilled I was bang on. I picked up 008 BUFF and it's called a neutral, it's a nice olivy yellowish shade, it's perfect on me.   The pan is tiny,  about 3/4" round, not AS tiny as the shadows and pearl paints but still small. And it NEEDS to be on a magnet or that thing goes FLYING. I almost lost it twice.  The size is about 3/4" round.

The concealer itself is like a dryish cream, generally I think those are winners in terms of pigment and I was right.  I didn't get too involved with swirling my finger in it to warm it up, but it was QUITE well pigmented. I did one fairly "heavy" coat and didn't think it was needing too much more layering.  It dried down well,. and has yet to crease several hours later, though it doesn't seem as opaque as it did at home now. So hopefully it lasts the day. It's billed as tear proof, and today being late in August, aka ragweed season, my eyes are on fire as they seem to always bee in fall, and they're watering like crazy. So far so good.  This to me might be a weekend, not-doing-anything-much-outside-of-the-house-today-but-want-good-coverage-from-very-little-makeup kind of product. For workday I like dense and hardcore bulletproof concealer.   Either way, pretty impressed, and the little dot was $4.85 and I would think would last a little while.

For eyes, they have traditional eyeshadows, and pearl paints, which are a more shimmery/metallic pigment and are billed as waterproof. I have not tested that out necessarily, but it bodes well for my devil eyes this fall. I picked up 4 from the selection eye shadows, in Baby Grizzly (a light wheat), Magic Timber (even lighter wheat), Pottery (kind of a plum/gray/brown, very pretty) and copper wire (a red copper). All of the shades I got were shimmers, since I don't like matte eyeshadows. I also got several paint pots, which is what I was really there in search of. The ones I got were in the shades Pink Diamond (light pink, was hoping this would be more champagne but not bad, not likely Ill use), Amber Rain (a really pretty light goldish amber color), Purple Iris (a lightish purple, kind of to me disappointing bec it was lighter and brighter than I wanted), Cappucino Dream (a purplish brown, midtone, purpler than I expected but very pretty), Chocolate Smoothie (a nice dark brown which was also more purple than I expected but in a good way), Tamarind (my favorite, a deep bronzey brown), Hematite (a shimmery black), First Snow (bright shimmer white) and Antique (a gold/pewter).   I put in the palette as shown:
top row l-r: First Snow, Purple Iris, Hematite (all pearl paints)
middle l-r: Magic Timber (eyeshadow), Antique, Chocolate Smoothie (both pearl paint)
bottom: Amber Rain and Tamarind (pearl paints)

 I also swatched them on my hand in that order.  And those swatches, with the exception of magic timber were me BARELY touching the top of the shadow, and I mean BARELY. And then just putting on my hand. They're that pigmented!

Today I wore a layer of my champagne cover girl staple as a base, then a light wash of Magic  Timber, with a later of Amber Rain towards the outer corner and crease, then a "wedge" of tamarind in the crease and outer corner, then some chocolate smoothie as liner top and bottom and a little in the outer corner "wing". I also did a SUPER light antique in mid-lid at the end.  So far they're just as vibrant as they were 5 hours ago, and while if I touch my eye, I can get transfer, it isn't much. No more than any other shadow, but definitely less. Hopefully it stays as nice all day!

Since I am updating this later---they lasted well into the night...I took those pics above around 7am when I got to work, an hour and a half after applying. Here is a shot from over 13 hours later obviously in better lighting. I wanted a shot before I got in the shower.

As far as texture....the eyeshadows are a drier powder than I was expecting. Pretty standard, but really in lovely shades. The pearl paints were the best shadow texture I've ever encountered. EXCELLENT color payoff.  Almost creamy. Very smooth. VERY easily blended while still not traveling all over. Very pleased. I am going to test out JUST shadows to see how they wear and deliver on color on their own.

Each eyeshadow is $3.15 a refill, each pearl paint is $3.85 and the concealer was $4.85 each.  So not SUPER cheap but a decent price, esp for the payoff.  You HAVE to have a magnetic palette of some kind though regardless, or it will go FLYING out of the little plastic packing thing. You can get one of theirs that is "freestyle" and put the Yaby products AND others in there, but its too big for what I wanted. There are other brands, like zpalette that are good too. I used my mary kay mini palette for 8 shades, hopefully soon 9. Ill keep playing and see which I like the best and go down with streamlining from there!

PRODUCT REVIEW: Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer

FINALLY...So this was a hotly anticipated product, and I was REALLY excited to get my hands on it. I generally disliked Nars concealer sticks, they were just a disgusting texture for me, and they didn't stay put at all or blend well on my face.  So seeing a liquid from him, that got me going.  I planned on going the day it was released to counters...and wish I had. Because by the time I got there the next day it was sold out already.  I ended up ordering it through Nordstrom at the counter after I played with the shades in person.

So after using it for a full week and a half now, my review...It doesn't suck, but it's not a holy grail like everyone on the internet is going on about. Wayne Goss loves it. Cafe Makeup loves it. I am kinda...meh on it. It's nice. But it's not the savior.

Ill start with the color range---it's 10 shades. And it's a great range. I think it's favoring lighter skintones. Photos shown here in Cafe Makeup's review.  They all correspond to his stick concealers really well. I was surprised that I went with Vanilla, because the colors I expected I'd go with, Honey and Custard, were WAY darker on me than anticipated and looked odd. I wanted to be able to not rely on foundation to offset the color.

Coverage, to me, is at best sheer and mediocre. One coat is just not enough. Two coats, still not enough.  Three is still not enough. Four starts to make a dent but by then it's so creasy and grimey and gross on my skin that it doesn't matter anymore. I have to layer it with something more full coverage that dries down better. I gave it two solid days without anything under it before I started putting on the Lancome 24 hour foundation first, and a thin layer of their macquicomplet concealer or some Mary Kay concealer (the OLLLD stuff that works well!). Over those, it helps a lot, and looks great, then I set with a little powder so it doesn't move. But without those I might as well go without any concealer/makeup at all.

Here it is with two layers over the Lancome Tient Idole Ultra 24Hr before powdering.

Closeup before the creasing:

After powdering:

After the shimmery champagne eyeshadow I usually apply to try to reflect light that probably doesn't help...

The formula, which I knew going into this from reading ingredients written up in advance...it has WAY too much silicone for my skin. Alone it gives me a rash almost instantly. I've had to start layering it over a full coverage formula or foundation that's silicone free to prevent that and gives more coverage as I said above.  It also creases SO BADLY when layered with itself, or worn without one of the other products in the sandwich. The silicone is the death of this stuff for me.

Lasting power on its own is about 6 hours. By lunch time, Im looking pretty haggard.  When I started doing the layering thing, that upped it to at least 6pm, so a solid 12 hours with the "sandwich".

I am kinda mixed on it. I don't think Ill buy another tube of it. But I will use this one up.

I got mine at Nordstrom, it's $28 per tube. Also available at Sephora and on the Nars website.

These photos, despite the fact that it was 530am....not helping me feel so great about my aging face...

PRODUCT REVIEW: Mario Badescu Oil Free Moisturizer SPF 30

I picked up a little bottle of this (ok whatever the only size bottle it comes in) at Nordstrom a few weeks back because I had been looking for a new SPF30 face lotion that was rich enough but not irritating. So far this has been a winner. It's non-irritating AND SPF 30 which is lately hard to find. I had tried their regular Oil Free a while back and really liked it, and also really like the Buttercream moisturizer a great deal, but I had been getting scolded a bit by the dermatologist when she read the SPF level (or lack thereof) on my current rotations, and said that I needed 30 or higher, preferably 45+.

The only complaint I have so far is that you really have to shake this stuff up bec it seems that whatever "oily-ish" substance is in it separates or something and when you squeeze some out it's the first stuff out. Then I have to unscrew the cap and scrape it all back in. That seriously happens overnight. It's odd.

This line for me so far has been kind of a winner. And it's really quite nicely priced as well. $26 for the bottle, and I got mine at Nordstrom. I THINK Ulta had it as well, or a spot for it, it just was sold out.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Goody Quickstyle WaterWicking Comb

I have walked past this thing in Walgreens like 100 times in the last month and wanted to know if it was worth looking at further (considering it was like $8 I couldn't quite talk myself into it). After reading about it in I think InStyle or Lucky a while back, and some goofy ass brush they also put out with little towel bits worked into it (seriously, that looks like a mold magnet), and finally spotting a few reviews online, like this one on Daly Beauty, I decided that I wanted to try it. And of course by that point, the damn thing is nowhere to be found.

Well earlier this week I was in Walgreens buying something I of course "needed" and happened to spot some on the spork. I grabbed one, and mosied my ass up to the register, stopping on my way to pick up four bags of Cadbury "Ornaments" (mini eggs in ball form) and plunked it down, fully realizing I was about to shell out the 8 bucks on this damn comb.

I have now used it 3 times and I think it really is gold, Jerry. I can definitely tell a difference. My hair is really fine, but I have an enormous quantity, as one of my stylists says "enough for like 5 people to have a lot of hair", and I shower at night, so some mornings it's not dry enough to do anything with, especially in winter, for some reason it takes longer in winter to dry. I don't usually blowdry, and I can't really do that in the morning, not just for time but bec of noise. Though I have debated picking this Sedu blowdrier up if I spot it somewhere other than Neimans, since it is supposedly amazing at speed drying hair without fucking it all up.

Anyway... This comb really does somehow manage to get a lot of the water out of my hair. I don't use it in the shower, I use it after I get out of the shower, to detangle this weave, then I wrap my hair up in one of those diva towel turbie towel thingies to sop up any leftovers. Then I put my potions on my face, and get dressed and all that. After about 5-10 I take my hair back down and put my leave in conditioners in as needed.   Assuming I haven't showered way too late (I seriously try to shower somewhere around 7pm at the absolute latest on a worknight so it's mostly airdried by bedtime) this thing has cut drying time by AT LEAST half if not more.

I am glad I bought it, and might pick up at least one more for backup in case I break it or lose it. This thing is worth every cent.

PRODUCT REVIEW: TARTE SmolderEYES Waterproof Clay Eye Liner & TARTE EmphasEYES Waterproof Clay Eyeliner

While at ULTA picking up something I actually was out of and did "need", I checked these out and ended up buying one of each in BRONZE. The color was nice for each though slightly different.

The SmolderEYES pencil is really smooth and the little smudger was soft and didn't  feel remotely scratchy like the Smashbox variant. It came with a sharpener, which to me was a nice touch. The color was perfect, better even than the Smashbox Waterproof Shadowliner Jar of Hollywood I love so much, and a little more opaque even. It definitely has serious fallout issues, just like the Smashbox ones did, but thankfully no glitterbombs. I will say that the same issue does still apply with the smudger tool: it does take everything back off when you use it, so if I keep the pencil (on the fence bec of that smudger tool issue) I will probably use a brush to smoke it out. It might be worth keeping for travel, since not packing a brush and jar would be nice.

The EmphasEYES jar variant is  very creamy and rich, much creamier than the Smashbox, and much more opaque, less of a buildable smoke, and also a very nice color, though is a "cooler" bronze than both the SmolderEYES and the Smashbox.  Just like the Smashbox jar, it came with a brush as well, though a smaller brush, which is more maybe detailed. I have not used this Tarte brush, and have no idea if I will. Maybe the tiny end.  But the blendability is nice, and like the SmolderEYES and Smashbox products, when they set, they SET and they are THERE. Waterproof and not going anywhere. That really is the strong suit of all of them. They're there. I am not a toucherupper so that's big for me. Even if I wear shadows I use these things as the base coat and layer matching shadows over them for more...I dunno....MORE. Like the little old lady told me last week: "You wear a lot of eye makeup honey". I have been told by a coworker that I wear an excessive amount of eye makeup too. *shrug*. I like it. If I look like a hooker, what of it.

The price point was nice, esp since a sharpener was included with the pencil and a brush came with the jar, I believe the Pencil was $25 and the Jar was $22? Pretty fair, esp the Jar bec that thing will last like...a lifetime. Those jars from Smashbox ....they last a lifetime. I have a stockpile and I still have yet to finish the original. I have no idea why I have a stockpile now but thankfully I have one. The thing is tiny and I launch it.  The Tarte jar is a little larger and easier to hold, though holds about the same amount.

Here are a few swatches. On the left here is the pencil, the middle is the jar, and the right is the Smashbox jar.

You can get the Tarte at Ulta, QVC, and I believe also Sephora.

PRODUCT REVIEW/COMPARISON: Smashbox Waterproof Shadowliner Pencils

As you probably read in my original reviews, way back when, I am a lover of the Smashbox Waterproof Shadowliner. Well, I love the real stuff, not these new imposters in pencil form.

In this image below, See: IMPOSTER!

IMPOSTER!

The original came in a little glass jar, like the Jet Set liners do still. Unfortunately, in yet series of poor decisions by a cosmetics honcho, in this case Smashbox, they discontinued the dream product, my beloved WP Shadowliner jars and brought them back as pencils. The formula is similar, though not the same because it's drier to work in a pencil now, and the vehicle is horrible, moreso for the fact that they have no sharpener option available, and they don't really sharpen well with other brands without destroying the whole thing and wasting a ton of product. The little smudger thing really doesn't smudge well, it just removes the product right back off of the eye and takes any concealer, shadow, other liner products with it. Not to mention scratching up the delicate skin around your eye.

I picked up the LUMINOUS FIG and the METALLIC BRONZE (special edition "Image Factory") shades and both are pretty, but the Metallic Bronze is loaded with chunks of glitter, some kind of iridescent green stuff. And without it, it would be fantastic shade-wise. With it, it's a scratched cornea waiting to happen. I mean, glitter EVERYWHERE including IN your eye. The fallout alone on the pencil version of this product is absolutely ridiculous. It goes everywhere else but where you want it. And then it stays there. So at least it's waterproof and budgeproof where you don't want it!  I even tried drawing on a line and then using the original shadowliner brush to smudge it out and that worked better but the product is so dry compared to the real deal in the jar that it just does not create the same look at all.

Here's a couple swatches of the two new shades next to the original Metallic Bronze called Hollywood, and the original "Luminous Fig" called StarStruck, which came in jars, and should go back to being in jars. Oh how I miss the jars. I tried to get shots of packaging and labels so you could see what was what in order.

 Here in this pic you can see some of the glitter fallout on my hand from that Metallic Bronze pencil IMPOSTER! which has spread kind of everywhere.  The color of the fig in the two left swatches doesn't show as well so I took one with flash bec it does show the purple more. The jar shades are on the outside, the pencils on the inside. I didn't really smudge the pencil for the Fig much bec I didn't want to mess with the  color. But I did on the Bronze bec I was hoping the glitter would stay better if I did. It didnt. It was everywhere.

 More views of the same...for posterity.

The pencils retail for $22, and are available at QVC and Nordstrom and also I believe at Sephora. I also went to Ulta tonight, and they had them as well, as well as a Tarte variant which I picked up in Jar AND fat pencil form, they even had skinny pencil form, but that I didn't love as much.  I am returning these Smashbox IMPOSTER pencils as soon as the holiday drama is over, because I am so not dealing with those crowds. I tried to return some stuff at JCPenney tonight and get some pants for my husband while I was there...That was a horrific idea. I have no idea what the hell I was thinking. But since I got in there, I just stayed. And waited. For fucking ever. He better keep at least one pair of those damn pants. Hopefully the IZOD Cords that were on sale for $14 a pair. I was miffed they didn't have anything small enough for me. They were nice. And I have never gotten a nice pair of pants for $14 for my own fat ass.

As much as I wanted to believe this stuff was the same as the original beloved, it's not. So I guess when my huge stockpile of my beloved runs out, I will have to find another product from a different brand. (Maybe the Tarte?)  *cries* First world problems, I suppose. This is a big $22 fail from Smashbox.