Shakeup Your Makeup

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. 

Continuing with the Mally Beauty theme of an earlier post, I bring you another piece in the Mally 7 Pc Makeover Collection TSV I purchased a few weeks ago off of QVC. 

This is the Perfect Prep Under Eye Brightener in Lighter.  This comes in a wand-like applicator, similar to what her lip colors come in. 

Twist up, and the brightener comes through the brush so you can apply directly under the eye and dab in with your finger tip.  You'll notice the color of the product is quite yellow, as this is a brightener and is meant to counter any dark and dull concerns you have under the eye and on your skin. 

I apply this before my concealer, as this isn't a concealing product (see how translucent it is below?).  But, it does in fact do a nice job of brightening the under eye region without adding too much product prior to your concealer.