Today’s product review is on Covergirl Blast Eye Enhancers eyeshadows, the new line of shadows with a rainbow of bold, vibrant colors.  They come in matte, pearl and sparkle finishes and are divided into two shade groups: the Enhance shades and Blast shades. The Enhance shades deliver a more delicate look, while the Blast shades are made to stand out. The collection comes in singles, trios and quads and are fairly priced under $5 (give or take a few $$ depending in where you purchase them).

Ally and I spotted these colors on one of our shopping outings a few weeks ago and we both decided to try Melt-Down Mauve first, a pearly shade from the Blast group (we chose this one because both of us have green eyes and any colors in the red family will enhance and bring out the green). After trying this one out and loving it, I went out and bought more, all from the blast group. Here’s what I think:                                             

 Melt-Down Mauve: This color his one of my very favorites.  It can be worn subtly or dramatic, depending on how much you apply. The finish comes to a beautiful pearl-matte. I applied it from the lash line to just below the brow, where I used a pearl white shadow, and then blended them together where the two colors meet. On a different day I tried a light, soft beige with it and decided it looks much better with the white. It looks amazing with smudged brown liner. As mentioned above, this color is great to make green eyes pop. On a scale of 1-5, Melt-Down Mauve receives a 5. 

 

 

 

Knock-Out Pink: This is color is very pretty in the container, but comes out very light, even when applied heavily.  I think it would show up nicely on medium complexions as a subtle look, or it could be used as a Enhancer shade under a another color or on the brow bone. On a scale of 1-5: Knock-Out Pink receives a 2.

 

 

 

Purple Pop:I love, love, love Purple Pop! It’s a deep violet purple that comes to a smooth, pearl-matte finish. It is not to be worn too subtlty; it gives intense color right away. I applied it from the lash line to just below the brow, where I used a matte white, and then blended them together where they meet. I used a soft black pencil liner with it, drawing it out in a cat-eye effect. I had lots of people commenting on it all day. On a scale of 1-5, Purple Pop receives a 5. 

 

 

 

 

Golden Sunrise: This shade is a sparkle finish that goes on heavily and did not look good as an all-over lid color on my fair skin. It came out an orange-brown which made me look a bit washed out. I think it could look better if worn on darker–maybe olive–skin, applied lightly as an Enhancer shade. It could also be worn as an accent on the inner corner of the eyes. On a scale of 1-5, Golden Sunrise receives a 1.

 

 

 

 For more info on Covergirl Blast Eye Enhancers, go to Covergirl.com.

CG Outlast Double Lipshine

L’Oreal Infallible Never Fail Lip Gloss

CG Outlast All Day Lipcolor

It seems as though all the cosmetic lines have their own lipstick and gloss that boasts hours of lasting color. When I saw commercials for them, I thought it was BS and didn’t believe it at all. (Especially the part where the model wipes her mouth on a white napkin and shows us how none of her lipstick came off.)  I first tried the lipstick and bought Covergirl Outlast All Day Lipcolor and I love it because it actually does last all day likes it advertises.  Its two separate tubes, the lip color and a solid clear topcoat.  The first time I ever wore it was on a trip from Portland (Oregon) to Tennessee; I put it on in the morning and it was still on about eight hours later when I landed in Tennessee.  All I had to do was reapply the topcoat throughout the day after meals or if my lips felt dry. I think it’s definitely worth the ten or so dollars I paid for it.

Even though the CG Outlast worked like it said it would, I didn’t believe the ads about the long-wear lip glosses.  I figured there was no way a gloss could last though a couple hours of doing nothing but talking, much less eating or drinking. So I decided to put it to the test: I bought the two most popular long-wear lip glosses–Covergirl Outlast Double Lipshine and L’Oreal Infallible Never Fail Lip Gloss–to see which one worked best, if either worked at all.  Here’s what I found out…

I first tried the Infallible, which is a one-step liquid gloss. I chose a shimmery mauve color out of the sixteen shades they offer.  Its a little sticky when you first get it on so its best to avoid going out into any wind until it dries to keep from having your hair stuck to your lips.  Within an hour, the glossy shine that was there when I first applied it had basically gone away–even without having had anything touch my lips.  The color was still there some, but the gloss had faded into tiny dried glitter. I had to reapply about every hour or so to keep a glossy look. On a scale of 1-5, Infallible receives a 2 at best.

CG Outlast Double Lip shine is a two-step application with a liquid lip color at one end and a clear liquid gloss at the other. I chose a hot pink-purple color out of the twenty shades they offer.  The lip color is matte and only takes a few seconds to dry, to which you then apply the gloss. The lip color lasted all day, however the gloss fades within a couple hours, given you do not eat or drink. Once you reapply the gloss it livens up the color as though you had just put it on.  I decided that this product isn’t much different than the CG Outlast All Day Lipcolor in that they are both a two-step color that works with a gloss to freshen them up throughout the day.  The difference is the Double Lipshine has a liquid gloss instead of a solid clear top coat like the All Day Lipcolor. On a scale of 1-5, I give it a 4 since the color at least lasted all day.

Covergirl Outlast Double Lipshine makes the cut!

L'Oreal HiP Intrepid

L’Oreal HiP Intrepid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…L’Oreal HiP Shocking Shadow Pigments.  This high intensity pigment eye shadow comes in a small container with a sifter and its own professional applicator brush.  There are 12 shimmery shades to choose from and can be worn alone or mixed together to create your own hue.  My favorite shade is Intrepid (see photos), which is a mix of two sparkling powders in olive green and dark plum.  When applied, the two shades blend together creating an iridescent look on your lids; different lighting and angles will highlight each of the colors. The great thing about this shadow is that you can determine the intensity of the color by how much or little you apply. I wear Intrepid lightly to accentuate my green eyes and or I apply it heavier when I’m going for a dramatic smokey-eye look.

You can get L’Oreal HiP Shocking Shadow Pigments for $10-$12 at most department and drug stores where L’Oreal cosmetics are sold. To see other colors or get more information, please visit the L’Oreal website.

Kat Von D

Ally and I took a shopping trip to Portland recently and found our way to the Sephora cosmetics store (which is the Disney World of make-up and beauty products). As we were walking around, we noticed that all the sales ladies had Kat Von D’s signature star tattoos around their eyes.  I was a little confused until I noticed the cardboard cut-out of Kat with an advertisement for her new make-up collection Kat Von D at Sephora.  I’ve always thought Kat is beautiful, even covered in tattoos, which can be tricky when you wanna look glamorous.  She has a sophisticated and edgy rock and roll style that not many gals call pull off very easily. She also seems as though she is a pretty nice person which adds to her charm.

The collection is kind of Hollywood glamour meets biker chic: deep red lipstick, smokey eyeshadows palettes with rich colors, and a liquid eyeliner perfect for making the perfect Kat-cat eye.  She also offers a make-up brush tool kit. I wish I would have asked one of the sales ladies how they created the star tattoos around their eyes. I wouldn’t mind rocking that look on my next night out on the town. 

BTW–the collection is limited edition so get it while the gettin’s good!

		Painted Love Lipstick–$18
		Autograph Eyeliner $16
		True Romance Eyeshadow Palette–Beethoven $34
		True Romance Eyeshadow Palette–Ludwig $34
		Kat Eye Brush Set $48