drugstore discovery: Rimmel Scandal Eyes Shadow Paint

One of my favorite things to do is scope out new products at the drugstore- if you haven't noticed yet! However, lately all my drugstore have been displaying holiday gift bags and boxes so I didn't really notice any new displays. Then I went to Harmon (my local beauty store) and woah baby! I found a couple new products, but I wanted to focus on the Rimmel Scandal Eyes Shadow Paint first.

This product claims to be a long wear liquid eye shadow that lasts all day, and I got it in the shade Chestnut Taupe. This is a taupe shade that leans more towards purple (it is more purple than the swatch shows). On the left you can see the "paint" a little more sheered out and the right is a full on swatch.

This has a pretty thin consistency and does blend easily. It takes a minute to set and after that won't budge. This can definitely be layered to create a deeper or more subtle effect. As you can somewhat see in the swatch, this product is super metallic and shines.

There are quite a few shades in this line, but I was attracted to this one the most. I did see some highlight-like colors but I don't really like to put these types of products in my inner rim, as they tend to make that area a bit itchy. I would definitely check these out if they are displayed at your drugstore! I kind of see these as the more liquid version of the Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoos- both great additions to any collection!

So this was just my head's up to you about a new product I found. Look for more of these coming soon because I have noticed a lot of new collections coming out recently. Let me know if you have tried any of the other shades in this line and which are your favorites!

Always stay happy and healthy! :) Tschüss, Katharina

the 5: a quick smokey eye

One thing I love doing is challenging myself, especially in the realm of makeup. I have gone from never wearing eyeshadow to switching up my eye look every day, and it's so fun! Something I really wanted to tackle is how to create a smokey eye including eyebrows using only five products...and I have triumphed and lived to talk about it! So without further ado, let me get started on what you need for this look!

First, I would suggest some kind primer and in this case I chose the Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze (swatched top, left). This product, specifically, will not only keep your shadows from creasing but also provide you with a bit of color on the lid. The next product, which also happens to be the star of this tutorial, is the Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow Quad in Natural Smokes (swatched in the order they will be used). This is a great, very universal quad with two shimmery and two matte shades that is practically necessary in anyone's makeup collection. You will also need a blending brush, and mine happens to be the Coastal Scents Classic Blender Natural- so very affordable! You will also need a brow pencil or powder to fill in your brows and the one I use is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Perfect Brow Pencil in Medium Brown. And finally, you will need a mascara, of course! I use the L'Oreal Double Extend Carbon Black Mascara because it includes both the primer and black mascara to give you beautiful, thick lashes. Okay, so now that we have gone through what we need, let's get on with the pictorial!

Start off with a clean eye and apply the Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze all over the lid and also the lower lash line. You do not want to take this past your crease. Then use the taupe shade (top left) from the Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow Quad in Natural Smokes and apply that all over the lid using the applicator provided in the palette.

Using that same applicator, take the bronze shade (below the taupe shade) from the quad and pat that into the outer corner taking it a bit into the crease and also on the lower lash line. Now it's time to blend, so using the Coastal Scents Classic Blender Natural I blended the crease out and also the lower lash line a bit. Now use your fingers to get a concentrated application of the cream shade from the quad and place that in the inner corner and under the brow bone.

Again using the tip of the applicator provided in the quad, take the deep matte brown and apply it as a liner. Obviously you can use a liquid or gel liner if you prefer, but I think lining the lash line with shadow makes it more wearable during the day. I then filled in my brows using the Anastasia Beverly Hills Perfect Brow Pencil in Medium Brown and finished off the look by applying the L'Oreal Double Extend Carbon Black Mascara.

This look is affordable and with some practice can become quite easy and not very time consuming! It's also very versatile, as it can be worn during the day or deepened a little for a night out! I hope you enjoyed this look and I wish you success in recreating it.

Also, I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and got everything you wished for! And if you don't celebrate, well then I hope you had a great day :D

Always stay happy and healthy! :) Tschüss, Katharina

Glam bag update: part 3

It is time to update you on the final batch of Glam bags, which includes the months of October, November and December. Like in the other ones (check out part 1 and part 2) I will only mention the products I really enjoyed, unless I didn't really have any favorites. I do plan on doing a "top Glam bag products" and "Glam bag fails"- possibly by different names- so look out for that soon! Now let's get started with October.

October 2013 Glam bag

Products I liked:

• Zoya Nail Polish in Mason- I love the formula of Zoya polishes and the color is beautiful, as well. It is a great metallic cranberry magenta and looks perfect for fall and winter.
• Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in Dolly- this berry mauve with golden shimmer is the perfect natural shade with a kick to it! It tingles and applies so smoothly, giving you luscious pouty lips. I have really enjoyed this gloss!

November 2013 Glam bag

Products I liked:

• Starlooks Gem Eye Pencil in Amethyst- this silvery lilac pencil liner makes an amazing glittery base. I like layering shadow over it because it tones down the shimmer a bit, but still allows it to peek through. I did do a look with it but the pictures weren't really showing the beauty of the pencil...so annoying.
• pixi Beauty Bronzer in Subtly Suntouched- I didn't speak too highly of this product at first, but I decided to use it as a contour and surprisingly it worked great. I use this on days when I want a subtle contour because it is so light, and no, the shimmer does not show.
• HSI Professional Argan Oil Leave-In Hair Treatment- this is so nice. It is a hair oil that leaves my hair feeling silky and healthy. I use this on my wet hair, but it would also be lovely to tame any flyaways and frizzies.

December 2013 Glam bag

• I wasn't super crazy about any product this month. I have yet to try the Andrea Strip Lashes in 33 but I have no doubt they will look gorgeous. The pop Beauty Bright Up Your Life Eye Shadow Trio in Smokin' Hot is nice and pretty pigmented but they aren't shades I really find myself reaching for that often. 

So that's my update on how I felt about the Glam bag products. Let me know what your favorites were for the months of October, November and December- I'd love to know! Have a lovely Christmas Eve and Day, I hope you get everything you wished for and that you can see all your favorite relatives and friends! Love you all :)

Always stay happy and healthy! :) Tschüss, Katharina

Stila kitten set

I remember trying a sample of the Stila In the Light Palette, click here for an impression on that, and really enjoying the shade Kitten. Well I appeared not to be the only one, because Stila came out with a whole range of products modeled around the Kitten shade. One of my favorite things to do on Sephora.com and Ulta.com is to look at the sale section...and what did I see? A kit that had some of the Kitten-colored products, and at $25, I thought it was a steal! So of course my inner makeup junkie coerced me to get it.

So the kit comes in this cute little tin (I took the plastic insert out and put some extra mascaras in there). You end up getting four full sized products, Eye Shadow, All Over Shimmer Duo, Silk Shimmer Luxe Gloss and Lip Glaze- all, of course, in the shade Kitten.

Starting off with the eyeshadow, this is a beautiful champagne shade with lots of shimmer. I have so many of these but none seem to be exactly like this one. It really just opens up the eye and provides the most beautiful hint of glow. The eyeshadow itself has a pretty creamy texture and is very pigmented. One of my favorite things to do with the shadow (besides highlight the inner corner and under the brow) is to tap it in the center of my lid after my eye look is completed- it really is such a lovely effect!

Next to that is the All Over Shimmer Duo which comes with a sort of watered down version of Kitten and a bit of a deeper more bronze version of Kitten. Both are shimmery and feel like the eyeshadow. These both provide such a glowing effect on the top of the cheekbones. 

The final two products are the gloss and lip glaze. The gloss is very thick and I feel is meant more to highlight the lips over another lip product. It doesn't have very much color on its own but provides a lot of shimmer, not in a tacky way though. Even though there are visible glitter particles, it really doesn't show up that way on the lips. As for the gloss, this is a bit more pigmented (even than the picture lets on). It is kind of a bronzy nude, again, with those glitter particles that do not really show up on the lips. This also has a pretty thick consistency, but I wouldn't consider either of them uncomfortable. I think they are a bit sticky, but nothing too terrible.

If you like this shade but don't feel like dishing out the $18 for the single shadow, I really encourage you to get this kit (click here). I do see myself using some of these products more often, i.e. the shadow and highlight, but in the end it is worth it to me! Let me know if you own this shadow and what's your favorite way to wear it!

Always stay happy and healthy! :) Tschüss, Katharina