My Current Beauty Faves – Cosmetics

Here is a Polyvore of all of my currently favourite products. Some of them, such as DiorBlush, Bobbi Brown Gel Liner, Dior 5-colour Iridescent Eyeshadow and Diorshow Iconic, I am fiercely in love with. Others, such as MAC single eyeshadows, will always be a classic that can offer many different outcomes.

This is no ways an exhaustive list, as there are some not in the Polyvore that I am crazy about, such as Jill Stuart Mix Blush and the rest of the Jill Stuart cosmetics line, but these are the ones that you can easily find in North America. Also, some of these products, such as Anna Sui moisturizing foundation, has the possibility of being replaced sometime in the near future as I find better products more suited for my skin.

Nevertheless, here is some of the products that I love to use:

Do any of my current faves match up with yours?

Review: Urban Decay Primer Potion vs. Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Eyeshadow primers have become a staple in the modern woman’s makeup kit. Not only do they keep your eye makeup in place for hours without bleeding, creasing or fading, but the moment the eyeshadow is layered onto the primer, the colours become more vibrant and of course, more beautiful.

When you are using eyeshadow primer, make sure to accurately and carefully control how much product you apply. Too much product will create the exact opposite of what you are looking for, vibrant, long lasting eye colour, while too little will not do much to your lids. I recommend using product that is equal about one grain of rice for both eyes. You want it to be blendable yet dries within a few seconds so you can go on to apply other eye makeup; maybe 7-8 seconds of blending and drying time per eye is a good start. Also, always wait until your primer is completely dry before apply any eye makeup, this ensures that the primer creates a base for your eye makeup, as well as a wall between your eyelids and the colours that you’ll be putting on your lids.Today, I will be reviewing two of the most talked-about eyeshadow primers, the Urban Decay Primer Potion and the Too Faced Shadow Insurance.

Urban Decay Primer Potion (aka UDPP)

Too Faced Shadow Insurance (aka TFSI)

I will be reviewing these two products using three factors: container design, ease of use, lasting power and whether it helps to make your eyeshadow look better in general, and price.

Container Design

UDPP: UDPP is contained in what the name describes it to be, a potion vial. It is dispensed through using a swab similer to the ones used to apply lipgloss. You can either apply it directly with the swab, or you can dispense some onto your finger and apply it with your fingers. Personally, I find it much easier, and hygenic, to apply with the finger because you can control how much primer is used, and then with your fingers you can blend, blend, blend, making it adhere to your lids better than if you used the plastic applicator. The problem that most people have found with the UDPP is that near the end of the bottle’s lifetime, it becomes more and more difficult to get the product out of the container. Most people combat this annoyance by cutting the bottle open, but that leaves it vulnerable to drying out or bacteria in the air. However just earlier this year, Urban Decay released a new applicator design (that can be seen in the picture above), that facilitates the dispensing of the product. Many people have found that the new applicator shape has helped a bit with getting the product out. I bought my UDPP before the applicator changed, so I can’t say anything about it personally.

TFSI: TFSI is housed in a squeeze tube with a pointed tip and a very small opening to dispense the product. I find that this is a much better design because you can better control the amount of product that comes out of the opening, which will have an overall positive effect on your makeup outcome. It is extremely convenient to use, plus you don’t have to worry about bacteria getting into the container because not as much air goes into it, compared to UDPP’s container. At the end of its lifetime, you can get more product out of it than UDPP without resorting to cutting the tube open, which is an added plus.

Ease of Use

UDPP: UDPP is a lot more watery than TFSI, but equally blendable. Personally, I think it takes a little longer to dry than TFSI and that it is harder to control the amount of product that comes out of the container due to the style of the applicator.

TFSI: TFSI’s texture is similar to a light concealer. It is a bit thicker than UDPP, but it is still very blendable. You can easily control how much product you want to dispense and apply, which I really like.

Lasting Power and Eyeshadow Enhancement

UDPP: Because it is harder to control the amount of product applied, sometimes you apply a little or too much of UDPP which can affect the final turnout of your makeup. This can also include creasing at the end of the day, or loss of vibrancy in your eyeshadow’s colours. However, if you are very careful with your application, UDPP lasts about the same as TFSI. I have not noticed a big enhancement of my eye colour after using UDPP.

TFSI: You can easily control how much product is applied with the TFSI, and so your end outcome is better. I find that the lasting power is about the same as the UDPP, but boy does TFSI make a difference in how my eye makeup turns out. The colours become much more vibrant if I use this underneath everything. Sometimes it is a good thing, if I am creating a brighter look, but if I am going for a muted, day look, it may not be such a good thing.

Price

UDPP: This is available at Sephora stores in Canada, or online at sephora.com, for $22 + tax.

TFSI: This is also available at Sephora, but it goes for $24 + tax.

Overall, if I had to rebuy either of these, I would go for the Too Faced Shadow Insurance. I found that it has truly made a difference in eye makeup application for me. I actually started using UDPP first, but after I found this one, I was immediately a convert. I love it, and unless I can find something way better, which I doubt, I will continue to use this one.

Look cute with makeup!

Applying makeup in different ways will achieve various different looks. One of my favourite “date” looks is “Cuteness.” Looking cute will not only make you look more feminine, it will also make you look more innocent and attractive.

With this straightforward tutorial, we will be focusing on the eyes.

First, start off with an eyeshadow primer such as Urban Decay Primer Potion or Too Faced Shadow Insurance. Then grab yourself an eyeshadow palette or shades of eyeshadows that you think will go well together.

For this look, you will need shades of pink eyeshadow, and any colours that go well with pink, such as orange, gold, or purple. One of my favourite “cuteness” palettes is the Dior 5-colour eyeshadow in Pink Idol. However because this palette is now discontinued, you can no longer buy it in store.
An alternative would be the Dior Artistry Palette in Nude Pink Design. For simplicity’s sake, I will be referring to the Pink Idol palette when describing the application.

Eyeshadow Application:

1. With your MAC 213 Eyeshadow Brush (or any other type of flat eyeshadow brush), dust a thin layer of the pink colour eyeshadow located in the centre of the palette, on your entire eyelid. Remember to only dust a very thin layer because pink eyeshadow as the tendency to make your eyes look puffy. If you have Asian eyes like mine, only colour the bottom half of your lid, ending where your browbone starts and your eye socket ends (this is to prevent puffiness).
2. With a MAC 226 Tapered Blending Brush (or any other type of tapered eyeshadow brush), dust the colour on the top left corner on the front half of your eyelid in a C shape, with the vertex of the C touching the inner corner of your eye.
3. With the same MAC 226 brush, lightly colour in your crease with the colour in the bottom right corner.
4. Using the tip of same MAC 226 brush, dip it in the colour on the bottom left corner and fill in your lower lash line, emphasizing the inner coner of your eye.

Now you have the basic eye colours. For liner application:

1. Use a black gel liner, like Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner, and fill in your top lash line. Do not fill in the bottom lash line with black gel liner.
2. With a liquid eyeliner, such as MAC Penultimate Liner in Rapidblack, draw a thin line right above your top lash line, staying very close to the lash line. Do not draw cat eyes or wings at the end.
3. With the same liquid eyeliner, draw a very very small/low/thin “hill” on your top lash line, with the top of the “hill” directly on top of your iris. This is to make your iris look bigger, thereby make your eyes look rounder.

Now curl your lashes with an eyelash curler such as the Shu Uemura eyelash curler, and apply mascara. Your mascara should be both thickening and lengthening. I recommend Diorshow Iconic. Top it off with Clarins Double Fix’ Mascara to prevent bleeding, smudging and flaking.

Last but not least, apply false lashes. Choose lashes that are longer and thicker in the middle and thinner and shorter on the side. This again will make your eyes look rounder. These Shu Uemura lashes are a good choice.

Last but not least, smile, and apply some pink blusher, such as Diorblush in 733, to the apples of your cheeks and highlight your cheekbone with some shimmer powder, such as Dior Shimmer Powder in Pop Diamond. Don’t forget to apply lipgloss to plump up your lips!