New Brands Added to the Safe List

Armour Beauty

ella+mila {P}

EO {B} {P}

Harvey Prince

JUARA Skincare {P}

Le Labo {P}

Melt Cosmetics

Pour le Monde Parfums {B} {P}

Royal Apothic

Ulta Brand

Yasou Skin Care

NOTD: Sally Hansen Insta-Dry in 170 Expresso

NYC Grand Central Topcoat over

This color is a gorgeous dusty rose color in a cream finish. This is kind of surprising considering the name, but I’ll go for it. I was so impressed by this polish: its pigmentation is incredible (this is literally only one coat!) and it did dry extremely fast. Thanks to the wide, stiff brush, application was also a breeze. It isn’t the shiniest polish out there, but this doesn’t  bother me because I always use my fabulous NYC topcoat (review here) anyway. I am looking forward to trying more from this line, if they are all like this my wallet may be in trouble!

 

Review: Essence Kajal Pencil in 08 Teddy

Ulta: $0.99

Rossman: ca. 0.99 EUR

http://www.essence.eu/us/products/eyes/eyeliner-kajal/e/product/kajal-pencil-08/

http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod1910063&_requestid=254838

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Natural Light
R: Opaque, L: Blended

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flash

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This pencil honestly doesn’t claim much on the Essence site: just that it provides “cool and trendy colors” which doesn’t really tell you much. Teddy is a mid-tone brown with gold and bronze shimmer in it. Judging from swatches online, the color looks like an almost exact dupe to MAC’s Teddy eyeliner, whose formula I’m willing to bet is not much better despite the, what, $16 price tag.

 

Ingredients

Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Mica, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Glycerides, Talc, Cera Microcristallina (Microcrystalline Wax), Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Myristyl Myristate, Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax, Behenyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Cetyl Palmitate, Carnauba (Copernicia Cerifera) Wax, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sorbitan Palmitate, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Silica, Propylene Carbonate, Tocopherol, Lecithin, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Oleate, Citric Acid, Tin Oxide. May Contain: CI 19140 (Yellow 5 Lake), CI 42090 (Blue 1lake), CI 75470 (Carmine), CI 77007 (Ultramarines), CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 77510 (Ferric Ferrocyanide), CI 77742 (Manganese Violet), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide).

 

I think the color would look good on most skin tones, although on middle to dark skin it will probably only show up as a sheen (which might also be gorgeous, but in a slightly different way).

They are honestly selling themselves short on this- this product is such a staple for me. The color is just gorgeous, and works really well on its own, making it a really easy look. I can have my eye makeup done in 2 minutes- I just smudge the pencil along the upper and lower lashline and blend with my finger, then add mascara. For a more intense brown smokey eye, i might use this as a base for Urban Decay’s Smog eyeshadow. Smog is a lighter tone and more golden, but they really do look nice together- the pencil adds a depth to the shadow.

Beyond the color, the quality of the product is great as well. The pencil is creamy and blends easily, but doesn’t run all over the place when its on your eyes. It also lasts pretty decently as well- on my oily eyes the pencil will fade a bit if I don’t use primer, but this isn’t exactly horrendous, as it doesn’t crease or migrate. On less oily eyelids this would stay put for quite some time unless you rub your eyes constantly. For oily eyelids, the problem is fixed with even a less fabulous primer. Also bear in mind that this product costs LESS THAN A DOLLAR. You can’t even get a cheeseburger for less than a dollar.

Because it’s so close to Urban Decay’s Smog, I sometimes use it as a base for the shadow when I’m creating a more smokey look, and it really amps up the vibrancy and staying power of the shadow.

Overall, this is a no-brainer- it is a phenomenal eyeliner in a really gorgeous color that can make entire eye looks in two minutes. It is also one of the cheapest items in my makeup collection

Rating: A+

New Brands Added to the Safe List

Acure Organics {B} {P}

Elizabeth and James

GOSH Cosmetics {P}

Mistral

Molton Brown {B}

Rita Hazan

Sleek Makeup

UNITE {B}

 

 

 

New Brands Added to the Safe List

CLEAN Perfume (Fusion Brands)

Diptyque

Figs and Rouge

Fusion Beauty (Fusion Brands)

Motives Cosmetics

NEST Fragrances

 

 

In addition, there have been some concerns about some brands on the list selling to China. I have recontacted some of the companies in question, and have verified the following as NOT selling in China.

Aveda

Stila

Laura Mercier