Wednesday, February 26, 2014


Out Of The Closet

The following is a Q&A session I was able to have with Mercedes Porredon of MakeupbyMER and GlaMER Lips via email. With all her accomplishments she still remains humble and sincere. So it seemed only appropriate to finish out this month of love with her since I fell in love with her products. Go and check out www.makeupbymer.com for all her info and awesome products!

 


pic from www.makeupbymer.com
Hi Susie! Oh please except my deepest apology for taking so long. I have been beyond busy, but not complaining. I feel extremely grateful & blessed. I wanted to finally get back with you and complete your Q & A...

1.What inspirations did you draw from to create such a great range of flavors for your lip scrubs? I know for myself personally, when I shop and I absolutely LOVE something, I always want more then one and it always helps if there's a variety to choose from. I also get excited and like when a line offers "Limited Edition" products, so I thought it be fun to do so with Holiday flavors like, pumpkin for Thanksgiving, Eggnog for Christmas & Champagne for New Years...just to name a few.

2.What are your 3 personal favorites from your line? I chew a lot of cinnamon gum and use cinnamon Altoids, so I guess I'm partial to that flavor. Plus it tingles and gives a little instant plump to my lips. Next, would have to be brown sugar and honey, cause it reminds me of cookies my mom use to make. I also love the lemon, because it reminds me of my grandma's favorite lemon cake.

3.Every post I see is just one more example of another happy customer.How pleased are you that your amazing products are making their rounds across IGers lips? Pleased is an understatement. I am beyond grateful and humbled by the post and comments that I am continuously getting for customers and others in the industry.It is absolutely surreal how fast social media can make a product grow and give it such great exposure. I feel so blessed.

4.Any chances we might see see you with products in tow at a future Imats or The makeup show in Orlando one november? I am a HUGE IMATS fan. I try to go every year to NYC and make a well needed mini vacation out of it. So, being a part of IMATS would absolutely be something I can see myself participating of in the very near future.

5.We love that you have conquered the fight on dry cracked lips , what are the chances of future products? The chances are good. I am getting a lot of feedback that the "men" are stealing all the balms and it's been a guilty pleasure of theirs to use the scrubs. There might be a little something for the boys soon. So stay tuned...

Again thanks for everything and keep up the great work.

Monday, February 24, 2014


On The Shelf

Overview:

NYX Candy Glitter Liner

Purchase Price $4.50 ea +

Retailer  Multiple Online I received as a Gift

Check out www.cherryculture.com and www.amazon.com  for product info.

Product Review:

***NYX has currently replaced this product with their Liquid Crystal Liner. You can still find these online and at some physical retail/discount retailers.***

I may just have to legally change my name to Rainbow Sparkles if the time ever becomes appropriate. But for now I will gladly except all that glitters in the form of makeup. When I tore into this gift, this past Christmas my friend did an awesome job grabbing these up as a present, excitement was all over my face after seeing the range of colors and the size of these liners.

The only other liquid glitter eye liner I use is Urban Decay’s Heavy Metal, so my expectations were set somewhat high. Plus all of the other NYX products that are constantly “on the shelf” reviewing these liners that much tougher.

First off, NYX didn’t disappoint! The spectrum of colors makes it easy to grab at least one to try. Sticking to the NYX standards these little guys are set at a stellar price enabling everyone to take a chance without the guilt of not liking it. Next, the application wand is slightly thicker than I was used to but completely manageable without feeling awkward. Actually the thickness of the applicator tip glided smoothly and placed a generous amount of liner from first application, a problem I have had with other brands. The glitters are vibrant and plentiful on the brush making it a one stroke job for some easy eye candy.

Consistency is wetter than I would have liked but it is still applicable without any drops. Once dried in a few minutes, and I do mean minutes and not seconds, it stays on and wear beautifully all day. My only major issue was slight irritation that it caused me upon initial application under my eyes. It did cause me to tear up but thankfully not enough to ruin the liner. It did after a few seconds become subdued and in my opinion was bearable discomfort for the end result. No one ever said “Beauty is painless.”

In the end the pros of this heavily outweigh the one slight con, but in defense of the NYX liners I am more sensitive than your average person. Having found this affordable alternative to the only other liquid glitter liner I use is not only great for my makeup habit but my wallet as well!

Monday, February 17, 2014

On The Shelf

Overview:

Evolution Of Smooth (EOS) Sweet Mint Smooth Sphere Lip Balm

Purchase Price $3.29 + tax

Retailer  Multiple (Walmart, Rite Aid, etc.) I received as a Gift

Check out www.evolutionofsmooth.com for more product info.

Product Review:

After hearing the hype and seeing this little egg shaped ball of goodness springing forth from many purses this winter I was thrilled when my Aunt sent me one with my Christmas gifts.

With such an assortment of flavors and colors, if you are like me, makes it easy to coordinate with your hand or makeup bag. Being paraben and gluten free along with making their products from more organic materials is keeping EOS right on trend with the latest lip balm solutions. Now, the Sweet Mint taste does come through most likely because the stevia and peppermint oil combination. You also get that slight tingle when you apply this to your lips since the peppermint oil is so prominent.

The twist locking container ensures a sealed product so when it comes time to tuck this ball back in your bag you know it will not open. When it comes to size the price is very fair when comparing to other OTC brands but unfortunately that’s where my satisfaction ends. I did not feel as though this product lasted any longer than other brands or for that fact made any improvement to my dry or cracked lips. It simply felt like I had applied something to my lips that had a similar feel to other beeswax type products. I may need to try this again in a different flavor to see if perhaps it was just the Sweet Mint Sphere that I did not like. So the EOS brand will have to be revisited in the future.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014


Breakthrough Brands

GlaMER Lips
www.makeupbymer.com

Starting my 2014 off with this company seemed only appropriate since not only was I able to use these wonderful products from this company but actually won them in a give-away this past December. GlaMER Lips is the creation of Mercedes Porredon a skilled professional makeup artist of Makeup By MER. With her talent and drive she forged ahead with a fantastic idea and created a product line that is not only 100% organic but 100% user friendly! Lip scrubs are not necessarily on everyone’s minds, or lips, but with GlaMER Lips Lip Scrub they should be. And lately with the Instagram craze of posting pics of everything #GlaMER Lips are popping up frequently! So after finding the right flavor scrub be sure to add a GlaMER Lips Lip Balm to seal those kissable soft lips.  

Being an East Coast native Mercedes must have experienced her share of harsh Northeast winters having lived in NYC and along with now residing in Florida where humidity is a constant issue saw an opportunity to create something for a niche market. Lips are a complicated business and I can assure you not only do you need to find that right balance of product use, but seriously gone are the days of slathering on globs of petroleum jelly with GlaMER Lips products. The list of different oils and natural ingredients almost makes you mouth start to water reading them. And on that note, as stated in my On The Shelf Reivew, the Lip Scrub simply tastes delicious!

Having a strong background in marketing and art Mercedes definitely has an edge in the makeup/beauty world. She not only knows what she wants but she knows what is working right now. I am a true believer not only in her products but her as a strong business woman. She has been more than sincere in her correspondence with me and also took the time to do an E-mail Q & A session which I will post later this month. For now go check out this great Breakthrough Brand and end your battle with dull, flaky, and dry lips. You’ll be glad you did and soon be on your way to GlaMER-ous Lips!

Monday, February 10, 2014

On The Shelf

Overview:

MAC Satin Lipstick (Cyber)

MAC Lip Pencil (Nightmoth)

Purchase Price $16 + tax (Lipstick) $15 + tax (Lip Pencil)

Retailer  MAC Retail Store   

Check out wwwmaccosmetics.com for more product info.

Product Review:

This hauntingly dark plum is a Dark Cootie’s dream come true. Having ghostly pale skin can come in handy and this is one of those rare occasions. On the other end of the spectrum those with darker complexions will love this as well. The satin finish of this lipstick screams intense chic! As it glided over my lips thoughts of those who would want this color ranged from the espresso sipping hipster to the true gothic beauty wearing the most spectacular corset and mini top hat.

I’ve only had a few instances of stepping into the world of darker pigments for my lips and this is a great example of trusting your instincts. Having THE BEST shopping experience at MAC so far, the talented Alexa Hand applied Cyber in store and after seeing it I was instantly sold. Heck, Senior MAC Artist Amber Dreadon used this alongside Heroine to create a lip color for Grammy winner Lorde during this year’s Grammy ceremony last month!

Now using the duo of Cyber and Nightmoth works great. The burgundy lip liner also applied smoothly without any abrasive tugging of lesser quality lip pencils making lining and filling in after applying the lipstick simple. Be sure to stop by a MAC Retail Store to check these colors out in person.

Monday, February 3, 2014

On The Shelf

Overview:

Bliss Triple Oxygen +C Energizing Cream

Purchase Price $54 + tax

Retailer  Sephora (local mall)

Check out www.blissworld.com for more product info.

Product Review:

In my home this is shared in a duel use closet with my boyfriend aka “Mr. Cootie”. I primarily use this at night since this winter has been so cold and dry. After my normal cleansing routine application of this cream is immediate. The moisture feels almost instant as this glides onto my skin straight from the jar. On several mornings I noticed what appeared to be a brighter almost glowing complexion. This light orange colored and fragranced cream is truly bliss for dull skin. Perhaps it is the science behind the product which actually works by pairing oxygen enriching ingredients with vitamin C to help promote collagen synthesis.

As for Mr. Cootie his routine is slightly different as he applies this to his damp face straight out of the shower to retain, what he believes, even more moisture. He only uses this once a day since he has a normal skin type and no regular skin care routine besides the morning shower. Now mind you he will wash his face at night if needed but since using this he does not feel the need to use it a second time. Most men do not necessarily have a facial cleaning regimen but those who do know the importance of a quality moisturizer.

With two different skin types, ages, and sexes this cream moisturizer suits totally different needs. The only downside, if any, is the price tag which was $54 for a 1.7 Oz. A small amount seems to cover the face very well so this will continue to  be on the shelf.