Shakeup Your Makeup

Summer nights can bring some absolutely beautiful sunsets, which inspired the look I created for this FOTD. The gold sparkle in the NYX Glam Golden Aqua Lux liner made this a perfect match.  For this look I mixed L'oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Gold Imperial, NYX Eyeshadow Single in Wildflower, and Bare Escentuals The Star Treatment pallet (the dark brown shade).  I really liked this combo, so I am sure I will be

Here is the whole look:

Face:

Laura Geller Spackle Primer

Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer - Light

Laura Geller Balance 'n Brighten Foundation

Mally Bronzer - contour

Flower by Drew Barrymore Cream Blush in Pure Petunia

Eyes:

Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy - all over lid

L'oreal Infallible Eyeshadow "Gold Imperial" - inner corner, along lower lashline

NYX Wildflower - center of lid, lashline

Bare Escentauls Star Treatment Ready 8.0 Pallet - Brown - crease/corner

Bare  Escentauls Star Treatment Ready 8.0 Pallet - White - Highlight

NYX Aqua Lux Eyeliner in Glam Golden

My next purchase from Ulta - another NYX eyeliner.  This time, the NYX Glam Liner Aqua Lux in Glam Golden (08). 

Glam Golden is a black translucent base with gold shimmer.  When on, it looks like a really rich black to golden olive shade.  Depending on how you pair it, the color takes on more golds or more greens.  

The applicator is a fine brush, which I prefer over a sponge or felt tip.  The liner applies smoothly, can be applied thick or thin.  Again, I picked this up at Ulta.  There are several other colors available, and the price is $5.49 each.  I actually went back and picked up purple, gold and a teal.  More swatches to come of those as well.

After about a year, I finally hit the bottom of my beloved Physicians Formula Gel Eyeliner in Black from the Hazel Eyes collection.  Of course, this was clearanced out during the CVS beauty clearance, so I haven't been able to find this one to restock, and I missed out on the beauty clearance so I didn't end up buying anything to back up my inventory!  Whoops!  I have come to love using a gel eyeliner, particularly for black, because they go on smooth and don't crack or flake off during the day, where my liquid eyeliners tend to do just that.

Well, when I was in Ulta the other day looking for some St. Tropez self tanner, I spotted a new spread of NYX products.  Well, these are new to me anyway!  Included was a section of gel liners and smudgers, so I picked up the black, called Betwitching Betty.  I'm pretty sure I paid $6.49 in the store, but online they are $7.99 at Ulta.  The size is 0.11 oz/3g, and pretty much comparable in size to the Maybelline Eye Studio gel liners that come in a pot.

The idea behind this gel liner/smudger is it is multifunctional - use it simply as a liner, or smudge it out for a dramatic effect on the eye (above).  I will say, the formula is so smooth and creamy, it can easly be smudged out without tugging or dragging on the eye.  It is also so pigmented that one swipe with your eyeliner brush and this gives a rich, black line that blends right into the lashline.  It is wet enough to be very easy to apply, but dries quick enough that your eyeshadow doesn't fall out onto the liner and stick to it.  It's official.  I am in love. 

Below is a snapshot of the NYX liner pot next to the Maybelline Eye Studio as well as one of the Physicians Formula gel eyeliner pots, just for size comparison. 

Swatched side-by-side: Physicians Formula (top) and the NYX in Bewitching Betty (bottom).  One swipe each with my tarte eyeliner brush.  If you zoom in, you can see the Physician's Formula has a slight purple shimmer, which is to enhance the hazel in eyes.  The NYX is truly a pitch black liner. 

Like I said, I am in love.  I thought the Physician's Formula liners were easy to use, but this NYX is absolutly flawless.  It glides on, dries, and lasts all day without smudging, cracking, flaking or fading.  I like it so much I went and picked up the two browns in the collection - Charolotte (light brown) and Scarlette (dark brown).  I will swatch these in an upcoming post.

Have you tried these liners/smudgers?  What color did you try?  What is your favorite brand of gel eyeliner?

I had been waiting anxiously for these limited edition Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadows to come out, and I finally found them at CVS a week or two ago.  I picked up Seashore Frosts. 

Seashore Frosts is a beautiful periwinkle blue with a gold and/or bronze duochrome effect.  Like the other Color Tattoos I have purchased, this is creamy, easlily buildable, and works well with both a dense eyeshadow brush or an eyeliner brush.  Below I swatched it using my finger, but since this I have worn as a liner on my lower lashline and am completely obsessed.