Avon Glimmersticks Eye Liner

Eye liner is essential for any makeup lover's kit and there are so many options to choose from. I prefer to keep a variety of eye liners in my makeup case, to pair with whatever look I am aiming for. I keep a few key colors but black is usually my weapon of choice.

Today I am reviewing two newest additions to my eye liner collection, both Avon Glimmersticks, but two different types. One is Glimmersticks Diamonds Eye Liner in Black Ice and the other is Glimmersticks Liqui-Glide Eye Liner in Black Plum. Here are swatches of both, the first without flash and the second with. Black Plum is on top.

The Liqui-Glide is supposed to give the intense look of a liquid liner, while providing the ease and precision of a pencil. It is self sharpening and smudge resistant. I ordered the black plum because I wear a lot of purple eye shadow and I thought it would make for a beautiful contrast. As you can see from the swatches, the black plum is very dark and it is almost black. I wore it on top of a plum eyeshadow and could barely tell that it was plum. Nonetheless it is a beautiful color. This eye liner goes on the lid very smoothly and does look like a liquid eye liner on. It was very easy to do a winged eye look and easy to fix if I made an error. I love this eye liner as a substitute for liquid eye liner which I always have trouble keeping my line perfectly straight with. It also stays put. While my shadow lightened, this color did not fade. The only downside is that it doesn't come in many colors. Avon sells four colors, black, brown, graphite and black plum. It retails for $7. Here is the picture from the Avon site:

I also really like the Diamonds eye liner in Black Ice. This product is a top seller at Avon and it is clear why. It is a self-sharpening liner that adds a touch of sparkle to to your eyes. This liner went on pretty smooth but I did have a little trouble with the winged look because it was not as smooth an application as the liqui-glide. It is also very unforgiving if you make a mistake (which I did, several times, oops). I really had to scrub to get it off. With that being said once it was on and I had the look I was going for, it stayed put! It has a smudgy formula which makes it great for creating a smokey eye. I love that it comes in 8 great colors, including silver, gold, plum and emerald. I will have to add more colors to my collection for sure. This retails for $7 but they are on sale for $3.49 right now. That's right 50% off so stock up!!

For more info please visit: http://shop.avon.com

Avon Clearskin Blackhead Eliminating Daily Cleanser

One of my biggest skin concerns are blackheads. I can never seem to truly get rid of these little buggers. I tried so many products and could never find one that really did the trick. The only time I seemed to be rid of them and only for a short while was after a facial, but facials aren't all that cheap.

I was placing a Avon order and came across their Clearskin blackhead eliminating line. There was a sale, so for the price I figured I would give it a go. I ordered the daily cleanser and the mask. Today's review will only be on the cleanser since I must admit I only tried the mask once and my husband laughed at me. ;) I did look pretty funny with all that gook dried on my face. The cleanser retails for $5.49 for 4.2 fl oz. It is very affordable and since Avon often has sales, you can probably get it cheaper.

We know it's affordable, but the real question is: Does it work? I have mixed feelings about this. The product description states" helps eliminate most blackheads and prevent new ones from forming", however I don't feel the performance of the product was consistent with the description. My biggest problem areas with blackheads are my nose, my chin and my the cheek area closest to my nose. I did see a reduction, though nothing drastic, on my nose. However, I did not see a reduction at all on my cheeks or on my chin. I also noticed that the product seemed to really dry my face, especially on my nose. I would see flaking skin, which is quite a nuisance. I also noticed that after using the product I had quite a few minor breakouts with those obnoxious large white heads, mostly on my lower jawline.

I am disappointed in this product. There were 19 reviews on the website, and the majority were positive yielding an average of 4.4 out of 5. The negative reviews seemed to be in line with my experience with of the product. I will use the product for a little while longer and try it in conjunction with the deep treatment mask, but overall, I would not suggest buying the product. It makes me sad to say that,considering my mother was an Avon lady for so long, but I need to be honest.

http://shop.avon.com

Lime Crime- My first order

I am not sure how many of you have heard of Lime Crime Make Up, but if you haven't, it's time you start listening...err reading. :)

I heard of Lime Crime for the first time a few months ago. I never actually took the time to check the site out until recently however. The first thing that caught my eye was Model Mosh wearing their gorgeous red lipstick. As a Pin Up gal, I love Mosh and I LOVE red lipstick and the many shades red lipstick can come in. I was fortunate enough to check out Lime Crime during their Cyber Monday sale which meant I could buy their lipstick and eye dust at a discounted price. Did you say sale? SOLD!!

I ordered two lipsticks, two different shades of red to be precise, although they have many amazing and unique colors. I ordered Glamour 101, a beautiful red wine color and Retrofuturist, a nice bright opaque red. I also ordered Mirror Mirror which is a nice shimmery silvery gray eyeshadow. Shipping was a flat $5.95. I wanted more but I figured let me start off slow.

A few days later a pretty purply pink lime crime box arrived at my door. Here's a photo of the adorable box.:

I opened the box almost immediately. The lipsticks come in these cute purple tubes with a holographic unicorn on them. The eye dust also has a purple cap with the unicorn on them. Very girly! Very cute! But how do they look on? Well, I was very excited to see!!!

The first color I had to try was Glamour 101. This is from their Lip Noir line.The color was so rich and intense that I was curious to see how it looked on. The color is amazing. The actual color is very different from the way it appears in the tube but still beautiful. It is very classy and elegant. Not the usual pin up red I wear, but I have to say it may very well be the best red I have ever worn. It has a pleasant odor and glides on smooth with great coverage. It doesn't dry out my lips like a lot of reds do. The Retrofuturist is more like the traditional pin up red I am use to. It is equally as impressive. My lips maintain the color for quite a long time and when wiped off leaves a nice stain on your lips. This is the PERFECT pin up red. I can't imagine this color not looking good on everyone. I also had to try the eye dust. I applied the eye dust over my urban decay primer. It applied well with great coverage. It was shimmery and not overly intense. I think it would look great with a smokey eye look which I will have to try next. Here is a picture of me wearing Mirror Mirror eye dust and the Glamour 101.

I have to admit. Once I ordered, I began reading reviews and watching you tube videos like a crazy person. Then I read that the Lime Crime new Carousel Glosses were available for a limited time. So, what's a girl to do but place another order which I did. I can't wait to get the glosses. I highly recommend Lime Crime. Well worth the price.

To buy these products: www.limecrimemakeup.com

Oil of Olay Regenerist Products

As I left my twenties (gasp!) I began to realize how important skin care is in preventing wrinkles and keeping skin firm. While I have always avoided the sun and have sworn by SPF 70, I was not always diligent about daily moisturizer and creams in the evening. I look at my own mother, who in her 50's barely has wrinkles and I pray to the gene gods that I will be the same way. However, we all know that hope and good genes are only small parts of the equation. So, about a month ago, I started to research different skin products that were affordable and had rave reviews so that I could feel confident in whatever products I decided to purchase. There were many options in terms of products lines that were out there including Avon Anew Rejuvenate, Clinique Repairwear, Neutrogena Anti-Wrinkle, Loreal Revitalift, and the Sephora Philosophy line.

After reading numerous reviews and articles that exist about the aforementioned products, I finally decided that I was ready to purchase two products from the Olay line. I bought the Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Cream and the Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream. I thought this was a perfect day/night combo and I was eager to begin their use after reading so many testimonials. I found both items on sale, the micro sculpting cream for $18 plus shipping on Amazon and the night cream for $18 at CVS. They both come in 1.7 ounce containers. Not too bad for a product that might potentially work.

I have been using both products for three weeks now.While I haven't seen miracle results I do have to say that my skin looks and feels significantly better. It feels firmer and looks smoother. The night recovery cream is advertised as mini-lift each morning and while I would not say that it feels that way, it certainly is more hydrated than it has been in the past. The micro-sculpting cream is supposed to target and smooth problem areas and firm areas most prone to sagging. I use it in the morning as a moisturizer and overall I am very satisfied.

I am going to purchase some additional products from this line, maybe something that targets fine lines, since I am seeing those forehead lines start to appear. Overall, I would recommend these products and for the price they are highly desirable. Olay has not disappointed. I will definitely post feedback about additional items I buy from this line. I would love to hear any feedback about anyone else who has used these or similar products.