Monday, May 26, 2014

On The Shelf

Overview:

Vera Mona Color Switch Duo

Purchase Price $19.99 + S/H

Retailer www.veramona.com  

Check out www.veramona.com for product info

Product Review:

A “million dollar idea”, that sums up this review.

This is a product you wished you invented and one you NEED by your side at all times.  I had seen this on Instagram a few months ago and coveted it instantly. As fate would have it Vera Mona was listed to attend the NYC IMATS so I made sure to pick up mine. When it was my turn to make my purchase at their booth the sales associate was extremely friendly and demonstrated how this magical wonder worked. Out popped a generic silver tin, off came the lid, and held inside an open cell sponge woven into what seem like a million small net-like layers.

With a simple back and forth swiping motion of any used brush it effortlessly will come clean. Of course I would not try cleaning any brushes that had liquid products on them so keep that in mind. As for any powders specifically eye shadows swapping to any color makes that task super easy!  In the center of the black sponge is a second white sponge which is the “duo’ portion. This is meant to be dampened so you can then take a dry eye shadow and make it “wet” by dipping the brush into it before any loose eye shadow or color pigment.

When it comes to switching colors this nifty tool has so far beat any wipe or cleaner with no wait time to dry. As the dirty bristles come into contact with the sponge and are agitated back and forth you can see a little cloud rising to makeup heaven, oh we will miss you colorful particles! To put this to a true test I used a navy blue shadow with shimmer and switched to a white matte shadow. All the claims made came true leaving me speechless. There was no trace of either navy or shimmer in the white matte shadow after application. Truly remarkable! Nothing could be better…well perhaps other colors and a pink tin.

 

 

Monday, May 19, 2014

On The Shelf

Overview:

Glycolic Grapefruit Cleansing Lotion

Purchase Price $26 + tax (16 oz.)

Retailer Local Ulta Store or www.mariobadescu.com  

Check out www.mariobadescu.com for product info

Product Review:

The name may be a little bit of a misnomer by being labeled a “cleansing lotion”, as it is more of a toner in the sense it is a secondary step after your initial face washing. And as far as it being a lotion in the sense you rub it on it is a liquid so it does hydrate and then evaporate off the skin so there is no layer of residue as with some traditional lotions. Having used other Mario Badescu products with great results finding a toner was next on my list. Having choices is great but with so many different products to try how do you know which one is best suited for you? Feeling overwhelmed I used this long running company’s site and found it very useful and easy to find the correct products. With a simple click and answer question system it narrowed down specific details of my skin characteristics making my choice for me. This system took a lot of the guess work as well as the trial and error out of the equation creating a result that has suited me well.

With Alpha Hydroxy Acids (Glycolic, citric acid, etc.) and soothing extracts from seaweed and aloe this toner was a great find. The A-Hydroxy acids help break down old cells and clean pores making it possible to promote new skin cell development. Skin cells will regenerate regardless but by exfoliating the dead cells off it allows for a smoother and healthy appearance to the skin. Application is made easy by way of a simple flip up nozzle which has made spilling it after knocking it over on the counter mess free. By squeezing this liquid onto a cotton ball makes it great for control of how much product you are dispensing. Since this is alcohol free and odorless you do not get that over powering medical prep smell, so hooray! The only irritation I saw was after using a once a week peel with glycolic acid in it as well. If you use a peel with similar ingredient list you may want to skip using this on that day.

The price is comparable to many other toner/astringent/cleansing lotions on the market. This product would work well for those with oily, combination, and sensitive skin however this one has not wowed me as I was hoping for. I will definitely not stray from the Mario Badescu brand and for now this will be on my shelf until I try another one out of twelve possible products.

 

Monday, May 12, 2014

On The Shelf

Overview:

NYX Color Mascara

Purchase Price $7 + tax

Retailer www.nyxcosmetics.com  

 Check out www.nyxcosmetics.com for product info

 Product Review:

Colored mascaras are always a great addition for that extra flair of fun. Over ten years ago, when I was able to finally play with makeup, it was love at first stroke of some random drug store brand mascara in a bright blue color. Now NYX has released a line of colored mascaras in blue, purple, and brown.

These mascaras have been clump free, volume adding, and smudge proof once it dried after application. So far the formula NYX used has not caused me any irritation or caused dry brittle lashes as other less and more expensive mascaras have a tendency to do. Of course the only part that seems to have been simply passed over or to keep costs down is the application wand. It is a straight forward wand so expect nothing special. The purple was great and very vibrant pulling out of the tube on the applicator but that’s where the color ended for me. While applying I noticed it seemed to blend with my dark lashes almost creating a brownish color versus coating my lashes in the wonderful purple. Even though this color didn’t work for me the way I expected it should work great for those with lighter eye lashes. Now onto the blue color. After two coats my lashes went from black to a heavenly blue that made a bold statement. Simply eye catching and perfect using with some outstanding neon color shadows out there. Opting not to buy the brown I am assuming it would be like most other browns I have tried which simply blended onto my black lashes.

These mascaras are truly a good buy at an affordable price. For this gal the blue has found its permanent place on my shelf. And I urge NYX to not discontinue this color but challenge them to come up with some more creative vibrant colors!

Monday, May 5, 2014

On The Shelf

Overview:

Beauty So Clean Cosmetic Sanitizer

Purchase Price $16 + S/H (12 oz.)


Check out www.beautysoclean.com for product info

Product Review:

My five day a week nine to five job has me surrounded by germs all the time, and I would never want to possibly contaminate my makeup. Even with proper brush cleanings, which should be done regimentally just because the buildup of bacteria and oil alone, isn’t enough to safeguard the makeup which you just applied to your face. That’s why a lot of companies recommend tossing products after a certain period of time. But let’s get serious who wants to trash any cosmetics regardless of cost?

Having what appears to be a simple solution to not only sanitizing but rejuvenating old makeup Beauty So Clean offers a complete line of Cosmetic Sanitizers related to keeping your makeup as fresh as the day you opened it. I was able to buy this easy to use amazing spray bottle at the 2013 NYC IMATS at the Beauty So Clean booth. Using this on my eye shadows, mascara wands, and my favorite pressed foundation powders has made a world of difference. With a simple light spray and being careful not to saturate the product you can keep your makeup almost indefinitely, of course at some point throwing out old products just makes sense.

One of the main ingredients in the Cosmetic Sanitizer is Ethyl Alcohol which is always an active ingredient in common hand sanitizer so this would only make sense that it kills bacteria on makeup. There is that slight smell after misting your products from the alcohol which quickly fades and does not leave an unpleasant odor on any makeup. I have found the Cosmetic Sanitizer non-irritating and again does not cause any damage or add any irritating properties to the makeup it has been applied to. Just as a trial I even used this on MAC brand lipsticks and they have not lost their luster! Having this has been great as I have applied makeup on different faces from the same palettes and never worried about any person breaking out or passing along germs or oils. Not only would this be great to keep on the shelf but all MUAs should have at least the travel size in their kit.