Category: Review

Of Life and Lacquer > Review

Why I Love MUFE Aqua Creams

Posted on by Cynthia

Make Up For Ever is a brand that I think is very consistent when it comes to quality. I have yet to use one of their products that I don’t like which is pretty rare. Aqua creams are very pigmented waterproof creams for the eyes, lips and cheeks. I don’t have any of the formulas that are specifically formulate for the lips and cheeks–I stuck with those that can be used as eye shadows. In my experience, the best way to work with them is to apply them with your fingers. I find that the warmth of your fingers will soften up the consistency and will allow you to blend them beautifully. I have also used a synthetic brush to apply them, but I still much prefer my fingers.

As someone with allergies, eye make up seems to disappear once the watery eyes begin. I always forget that I’m wearing eye make up and rub my eyes. Not good. Much to my surprise, Aqua Creams do not budge. I wore some of these on a trip to Cancun where you could almost cut through the humidity and they wore immaculately…no smudging or wear the whole day.

I mostly tend to use these on their own as a wash of color on my lids, but they also work perfectly as a base for other eye shadows. The trick is that you have to apply the eye shadow while the Aqua Cream is still wet in order for it to lock in the color. Once they are dry, they don’t budge yet they come off easily with any kind of make up remover.

Now, onto the swatches!

 

1 Anthracite – silvery charcoal shimmer

2 Steel – silver gray shimmer

3 Silver – true silver shimmer

4 Snow – white pearl shimmer

 

11 Gold – yellow gold shimmer

12 Golden Copper – soft copper shimmer

13 Warm Beige – champagne shimmer

14 Satin Brown – warm brown shimmer

 

15 Taupe – taupe brown shimmer

16 Pink Beige – pinky beige shimmer

17 Plum – burgundy plum shimmer

18 Purple – light lilac shimmer

 

20 Intense Blue – bright blue sheen

21 Turquoise – vibrant turquoise shimmer

22 Emerald Green – golden green sheen

 

Make Up Forever Aqua Creams can be purchased at many retailers  for $23.00 each. I have had some of these over a year and they have not dried out which is always a big concern with cream products.

Have you tried any MUFE Aqua Creams? Do you have a favorite?

Wen Week 1

Posted on by Cynthia

After one week of using Wen, I don’t think I’ve ever been more comfortable with the condition of my hair and scalp. First of all, I would like to say that I have hair that is thin, fine, wavy, curly and prone to frizz. Despite all this, I still like my hair because it can be styled so many different ways. For the last 8 months, I have been cutting my hair very short because long hair just annoys me. Is it weird that it creeps me out to feel hair touch my neck and shoulders? Anyway, one of the things that I do hate is how oily my scalp gets. I cannot go a day without washing my hair, and I had gotten into the habit of washing my hair twice a day. When I read how the Wen cleansing conditioner works, I was skeptical about how it could possibly clean my hair AND my scalp if it didn’t lather and was basically a conditioner. I imagined my scalp being a disgusting oil slick.

I was shocked how soft and manageable my hair felt after just one use. My hair felt clean and my scalp was not oily at all. I washed my hair twice a day the first 2 days until I decided to cut back to once a day not knowing what I would find the next morning. Well, my scalp and hair still felt clean! I had a normal amount of natural oils…nothing like before. The best part is that I don’t even have to use any styling products. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! Yes, my hair is just soft and manageable without having to use balms, gels or hairspray.

Yes, it just the first week but boy am I impressed! More to come…

 

NARS Lipstick Review

Posted on by Cynthia

NARS was the first higher-end make-up brand that I fell in love with. Once I tried their Orgasm blush, I was hooked. Their lipsticks do not disappoint. They have a wide range of colors and come in three finishes: sheer, satin and semi-matte. I personally don’t notice much of a taste or scent to these lipsticks but I have heard some people say that they have a waxy scent and taste. The only finish that has a decent wear time is semi-matte. The sheer and satin finishes wear off almost immediately.

Many will find the NARS packaging very classy and expensive looking. Indeed it is both those things but it also collects dust, make-up or anything else like crazy so it is very hard to keep them looking clean. I love the rubberized finish of their packaging but after a while, as all longtime NARS owners will attest to, the packaging seems to start breaking down. The finish starts to peel off at the edges and then it just looks gross. I am NOT happy with that considering their prices.

Belle de Jour

Dolce Vita

Fast Ride

Fire Down Below

Funny Face

Hot Voodoo

Little Darling

Petit Monstre

Pigalle

Señorita

Tanganyka

I don’t like all of these colors. Some of them look kinda hideous on me. Yes, I’m looking at you Belle de Jour. No matter how much I wear this one, I am never going to be Catherine Deneuve. That is a good example of a lipstick that I would mix with another lipstick, lip gloss or lip pencil. Funny Face is my favorite bold color of the bunch. Unfortunately, I recently read that Funny Face landed on a list of lipsticks with high levels of lead! Dolce Vita was the first NARS lipstick I ever bought and I still say it is the most versatile lipstick that I own. It’s just gorgeous and looks so natural on anyone. There is also a Dolce Vita lip gloss and blush…but more on those another time. These lipsticks retails for $24 each and can be purchased at many places so you won’t have any problem finding them if you’re interested. I purchase mine at Sephora and Narscosmetics.com

So which color do you like best? Do you own any NARS lipsticks?

Wen – Starting Out

Posted on by Cynthia

Dear Wen,

I really hope that you live up to all your promises. Every time I see Chaz Dean’s freaky funky face during my late night insomnia infomercial sessions, I keep wondering if you’re really worth the price. Granted I have spent a small fortune trying to figure out what shampoo will work best for my hair but you are kinda pricey so if you don’t work, I’ll be super pissed off.

Thanks,

Crazy Hair Girl

So, I got my first shipment of Wen today which I wasn’t expecting. I had really been interested in getting it but I always found it too pricey. Well, when I saw an ad for it on Swagbucks, I decided to go ahead and do it. In case you’ve never heard of Swagbucks, it is this awesome online search engine where you can earn Swagbucks that you can then redeem for various prizes. I always end up redeeming my points for Amazon Gift Cards or Paypal. It really is a lot more than just a search engine and you can earn points by taking polls, filling out surveys, watching videos and so much more. I’ve actually earned a few hundred dollars in gift cards since I started using it. There really is no catch! If you’d like to check it out and join, you can use my link: http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/ArtemisAgrotera

So the main reason I decided to order it was because Swagbucks was offering 1,200 Swagbucks for trying out Wen. (1,200sb is almost enough for $15 in amazon gift cards.)  The kit came with the cleansing conditioner, their deep treatment, a wide-toothed comb and two free gifts for $29.99 + free shipping. Pretty cool! This is what came today:

I wanted to use it immediately so I jumped in the shower. I have very short hair (I’ve been sporting a sort of pixie cut for the last 8 months) but it’s very fine, thin and oily. I tend to wash my hair every day…sometimes more than once. Whenever I hear people wash their hair every other day or every two days, I gag. I’m glad they can get away with that but if I tried it, my head would be a grease ball.

I also have a lot of issues with scents so I was worried if it would end up giving me a headache. The scent was not overpowering but it did smell medicinal. Gross. I followed the directions and then proceeded to rinse out my hair thoroughly. I was surprised that my hair actually felt squeaky clean and that the scent went away. Now that my hair is dry, it feels incredibly soft, and it is super manageable which never happens with my hair.

This really isn’t a review yet since I just tried it today. I will be sure to post more info at the first week mark. I really hope this works for my hair!

Too Faced Lip Of Luxury Review

Posted on by Cynthia

Too Faced is one of those brands that I feel goes all out for the packaging and sometimes doesn’t deliver on the actual product.  Having said that, I think that their line of lipsticks comes in adorable packaging and the quality is very good. Too Faced claims that their Lip of Luxury line is ” luxurious, long-wearing, come in 18 shimmering, sparkling and classic matte shades with serious staying power. Drenched in shea butter, rich color, and diamond shine, our exclusive silky smooth formula smoothes out fine lines and creases while it pampers your lips with a flavorful moisture surge of pure champagne essences. ”

I have personally heard people complain about the taste of these lipsticks but I actually like it. The one thing I don’t like in these–or any lipsticks–is how gritty the shimmery shades feel. I hate rubbing my lips together and feeling like there is a brillo pad between my lips. The color pay-off on the shades I have is great and they last maybe 4-5 hours on me–less if I am eating and drinking.

Totally Nude

Cougar

Living In Sin

Drop Dead Red

Too Faced’s Lip of Luxury line can be found at Toofaced.com, Sephora, Sephora.com, Ulta and Ulta.com. These lipsticks retail for $20 each but you can sometimes get a discount on the Too Faced website since they tend to run promotions once in a while. Are these lipsticks worth $20? Well, you could probably find dupes from a more economical brand, but as usual with high-end make up brands, you are paying a lot more for the name and the packaging. Will I purchase more shades? Probably not unless they come out with a shade that I find unique.

What do you think of the Lip of Luxury line?