Hebridean Sprite Beauty

a-England Saint George~ Swatch and Review

2012-02-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

Finally, I've got a bit of time to post St. George from a-England's The Legend collection! A bunch of pictures for this one as I was trying to capture the glory of this shade.

Saint George is named for the knight who slayed the dragon and saved the princess.

A-England describes this shade as: Bearer of a valiant and courageous heart, this fathomless teal reveals the strength of the brave knight's convictions with his gleaming, fiery core.

I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU ALL MY LIFE! Okay, maybe not that long but this is the most beautiful forest green nail polish! It doesn't look teal very often but instead a lovely rich blue-based green. Most of the time it looks like it has slightly lighter green shimmer throughout it which is really the holographic particles. In the sunlight the holographic bits come to life revealing mainly green blue and purple shimmers. The holographic effect is very subtle (unlike how some of the other blogger's swatch shots have been showing where it's holo-crazy) but I do love it.

The formula of this was good, not too thick or too thin. It wasn't too difficult to work with at all. You do need two coats of colour, possibly a third if you had some bald spots.

St. George wore really well too with limited tip wear and hardly any chipping.
Saint George can be purchased from the a-England website (Free international shipping), and from Illarowe online. It's 9 GBP (pounds) or $12 USD.

Holo action!

Overall, I am in love with this polish. It's two of my favourites in one, dark blue-based green and holographic goodness. Add in that it shipped lightning quick, Adina the owner of a-England was a blessing to work with and the free international shipping and I'm blown away. Way above average wear time, a good formula and Big Three free as well as a cruelty-free company and this baby has it all. I've got nothing bad to say about this polish!

Sprite Rating: 10/10

Would I Buy it again? In a heart beat. I've spent so much on green polishes that have never been exactly the deep blue-base that I've longed for. This incredible shade is priced right too. Now I just need to find a guy who fits Saint George's description...

Let me know what you think! What would you like to see Dragon (green with copper flash and holographic) or Ascalon (silver with purple flash and holographic) next?

a-England The Legend~ Release and Sneak Peek

2012-02-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

a-England is a polish brand out of England itself that is quickly becoming known for it's fantastic formula and amazing colours. I've yet to try my bottles from the new The Legend collection, but today it was finally introduced to the website to go along with a-England's first collection The Mythicals. Both collections have a theme from English history tales the first being centred around Camelot and now The Legend being about St. George and the Dragon.

St. George and the Dragon is a story close to my heart as my grandmother (who passed away about a year and a half ago sadly) was the one who originally told me about the story, as she had a beautiful figurine that depicted it. I've pictured it above. For those of you who don't know the basis of the story is that St. George slayed a dragon saving a princess and the surrounding towns from its hunger. When my grandmother died I received the statue as I've always loved it so needless to say this collection really caught my eye!

The three polishes I received from my pre-order are Dragon, Ascalon (the name of St. George's sword) and Saint George. All three are amazing holographics with rich colour and two (Dragon and Ascalon) are also duochromes on top of that! So excited! Heres some more pictures of the bottles. So upcoming in the next couple of weeks, I'll be having some posts that review and feature these little gems.

L-R: St. George, Ascalon, Dragon

Ascalon close-up

Saint George close-up

Dragon close-up

Is anyone else as psyched to see swatches as I am? :D

P.S. I'd also like to mention how fabulous Adina the owner and creator of these polishes is. She was so sweet and helpful, plus they shipped crazy fast (only ONE week to get across the ocean to me!). 5 stars for customer service.

Some Valentine's Sales

2012-02-04T06:41:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone just a quick update with some sales going on from companies I've purchased from in the past and reviewed or are in upcoming reviews! Here we are!

Scaredy Cat Cosmetics: 20% off everything, CODE: CUPID01

Mosha Katani: 20% off everything, CODE: IHEARTU2012

Venomous Cosmetics: 20% off the Love Stinks collection, refunded after purchase.

Those are all the sales that I know of at the moment! Also the Mac Cook Cook Cook Shop Shop Shop is either in stores now OR will be soon if you are interested in the collection! Have a great weekend! (Mine will mostly studying for an exam and doing a major project- oh joy...)

One Hand Washes the Other- Black Magic Soap~ Review

2012-01-27T15:46:00.000-08:00

Having heard good things about One Hand Washes the Other (OHWTO) and it's famous acne fighting soap- as well as always on the lookout for another way to reduce my skin issues, I made an order not too long ago for a sample bar. Black Magic soap is a hand made soap containing a bunch of clarifying and cleansing ingredients, and many of the reviews I had read in the past have been highly positive.

Here is a picture of the little soap close up. The sample bar was very inexpensive, only $1.25 USD and there is more than enough to it for around 20 face washes. You can see a better idea of the size here:

My hand holding Black Magic Soap- for reference my hands are on the small side of average

The soap itself is black in colour with a slight green tinge. It's not dyed or coloured to look this way on purpose, instead it contains naturally dark activated charcoal (an ingredient that pulls impurities towards itself) giving it it's black appearance. You don't have to worry though, it didn't stain my facecloths, completely rinsing clean. I rubbed the bar wet on a cotton round below so you can see that the soap isn't that dark when you're using it.

Black Magic does have a distinct and strong smell. It's very herbal with a peppermint undertone that dominates where ever you store the soap. It wasn't unpleasant just kind of overwhelming the first time I whiffed it. It didn't fade all that quickly either.

Unfortunately, this is where the good aspects end. My skin didn't like this soap at all. It worked well for cleaning but it left my skin feeling tight. Then my skin broke out into an uncomfortable rash. It was sore and dry and bumpy for about a week. So I only used it twice (once at night and once the next morning). It seemed to be okay on my forehead and upper cheeks but my lower cheeks and chin were scaly red ickyness. You can see my skin's reaction in the photos below.

So, needless to say this doesn't work for me. I'm thrilled it works so well for others out there, but I personally just can't recommend it to anyone based on my reaction. I am glad that OHWTO offered the bars in sample sizes at very reasonable prices so that you didn't have to buy a full size unsure how your skin is going to react. The idea behind the soap is great but it just didn't work for me.

Black Magic Soap Ingredients

I do have a couple other items I purchased from OHWTO that I'm very pleased with so be on the lookout for a more happy-ending of a review soon.

Overall, Black Magic soap just wasn't a good fit for my skin. It was too strong smelling, too drying and caused a rash.

Sprite Rating: 2/10- It got points for looking nice, and having a sample size at a good price. Everything else though...

Would I buy it again? No, I had to throw the sample out after two uses, unfortunately.

Inspirational Photo

2012-01-27T08:47:00.000-08:00

Google Images

Yes, that is a real bee, it is a species of Orchid Bee a type of tropical bee that are jewel-toned in colouration. Fantastical isn't it? If this doesn't make you want to use purples, blues and greens I don't know what will! Have a great day!

New Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes for Spring & Swatches!

2012-01-26T18:26:00.000-08:00

Clockwise from top left: Buff, Frisky, Glisten, Adored

If you haven't heard Tarte has released more shades of their award winning Amazonian Clay blushes for spring! In the past I reviewed one of the older shades (Blissful, you can read my review here!), and it is a fabulous blush- longer lasting than any of my other powder blushes that I own. I know a bunch of you are interested so when I was in my Sephora and saw the new 4 shades I knew I needed to swatch them for you!

Here they are all waiting to be purchased!

The four shades are Frisky a bright watermelon coral with gold shimmer, Buff a tan with silver shimmer, Glisten (a Nars Orgasm look-a-like) a soft peach-pink with lovely super-fine gold shimmer, and Adored a blue-based pink with silver shimmer. All four shades are pretty wearable in my opinion though Glisten was the prettiest to me with Frisky a close second.

T-B: Frisky, Buff, Glisten, Adored

What do you all think? Excited for some more shades in the line? I'm glad they added such a bright shade as Frisky as now they've got shades in the line for literally every skintone out there!

Cult Nails Get Nekkid Collection (Pre-Sale!)

2012-01-24T19:33:00.000-08:00

Cult Nails is releasing it's first collection of 2012 and it is yet another wonderful array of shades from Maria. Based off of skin tones each shade is named after Nude Beaches along with a stunning limited edition green shade called Toxic Seaweed (the extraterrestrial skin-shade :P). The set of 5 goes on pre-sale tomorrow for $40 for all five (that's like getting one of the polishes for free as they go for $10 each).

I know I'm excited, especially as these nude shades really do represent all the skintones out there- there really is something for everyone! You can see Maria's swatches and the story behind the collection HERE! Most certainly worth the read.

Is anyone else wanting to Get Nekkid?

Sugarpill Chromalusts in Lumi and Goldilux~ Review

2012-01-21T13:47:00.000-08:00

L: Lumi, R: Goldilux

I've heard a lot about Sugarpill in the past, but I only ever found Lumi to be something that caught my eye. Though I had heard only positive reviews about them, super bright colours aren't usually my thing and they are kinda expensive. However, Lumi kept catching my eye, the size of the containers were fairly large looking and on black friday they were having their largest sale of the year. Plus my birthday was coming up so I figured they would make a nice gift to myself so I finally splurged on two of them.

Lumi

Goldilux

This is what I received with my order: my two chromalusts, a sample of Magentric chromalust, a big Sugarpill sticker and a advertisement card. The models are kinda neat in an eccentric way, and I like their random use of animals in the photos. I ended up giving my sister the Magentric sample so there isn't a swatch here of it but I did swatch the two vials of pigment.

the other side of the advertisement card

Magentric

Goldilux, Lumi

Goldilux is as fantastic as the reviews say it is. A super intense realistic gold shade with a metallic and sparkle finish. This really does need a base like Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy beneath it to bring out the true loveliness of it though. All of my photos are done over Too Faced Glitter Glue here but any tacky/sticky base would work.

Lumi reminds me of winter snow in that it is almost translucent/white with an amazing light blue luminescence to it which I love. It is a great colour for highlighting and a fabulous colour to brighten the inner eye.

These are nice shadows, both are quite unique (though I'm fairly sure there are dupes out there they certainly aren't common colours). I'm impressed with the effect of both of them on the eye as they give quite a bit of depth to when on. I wish Lumi had a bit more pigmentation to it but over a base like Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy it looks better. In fact both look their best when over a sticky base.

I did however notice that these tend to fade a bit on me over time, especially if there isn't a base beneath them. Just something to keep in mind.

The packaging is actually quite nice. The pigment pots are deep so you don't have to worry about spilling eyeshadow everywhere when you use them and for just the smallest amount of colour you can easily get some off the inside of the cap. They're sturdy enough that I don't need to worry about powder flying everywhere when I tap excess off my brush against the side of the vial too which is a bonus.

Overall, I do like these Chromalusts. They are beautiful and you get a lot of product. They are a bit expensive though so I recommend getting them on sale if you can but if you're just starting with loose eyeshadow these are nice ones to get because the packaging is nice and sturdy so you don't have to worry as much about spillage. Not as long lasting as I'd like but beautiful colours.

Sprite Rating: 7.5/10 Lovely colours and packaging but a bit expensive and they do fade over time.

Would I Buy Again? Yes, I think I would but only for unique colours. I like the two I've got (and I doubt I'll make it through the entire jar) and I'll enjoy using them but some of the other shades in the line just don't grab my attention as much.

Too Faced Glitter Glue~ Review

2012-01-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

A little while ago I was desperately missing my Pixie Epoxy and had left it at school so I stopped by my local Sephora and picked up a sample of Too Faced's Glitter Glue.

Here's my sample!

As you can see the 'glue' is a peach coloured cream substance that is really tacky in texture. You don't need much and to use you simply spread it all over another base to reduce creasing such as Too Faced Shadow Insurance (my personal favourite).

The whole point of Glitter Glue, like others such as Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy is to hold glitters or pigments with no binders or adhesive properties to your eyes and prevent fall-out over the course of your day/wear time.

Too Faced Glitter Glue does do it's job in that it holds glitters and pigments in place but I don't like it nearly as much as Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy. It is too sticky in that it takes more than PE to spread over the eye. It also requires more eyeshadow/glitter to apply as it doesn't allow blending or movement really at all of the brush bristles. It is very very difficult to spread across it. It also tends to feel kind of heavy in comparison to PE, and leaves a shiny sort of layer where you don't apply pigment in comparison to the Fyrinnae option. So it works but it doesn't really compare, especially when it costs over double what the Fyrinnae PE does.

Here are some swatches over Too Faced Glitter Glue

Darling Girl Cosmetics Comet and Blitzen over Too Faced Glitter Glue

As you can see the nuances of the shades are apparent with the Too Faced GG (the slight green shift in Comet and the pink iridescence in Blitzen) like you do with Pixie Epoxy.

Overall, If you absolutely cannot get ahold of the Fyrinnae version Too Faced Glitter Glue does work, it just doesn't work as nicely or cooperatively as Pixie Epoxy does.

Sprite Rating: 6/10- because it's too sticky, requires more product, costs more and doesn't feel as nice on BUT does intensify your shadows/pigments.

Would I Buy it? No. I mean it's not a bad product but it doesn't live up to similar products' standards.

Indie Style NOT so Stylish

2012-01-18T11:28:00.000-08:00

About a month ago I was excited to tell you of a blogger who was starting a business to make an 'indie' box much like birchbox, etc. It seemed completely legitimate and people were getting there orders. Suddenly her blog disappears, the facebook group isn't updated and the main page seems to pause. Turns out Grey or Le Gothique (known by many other names too) faked her own death, and some people didn't receive the package they paid for.
I feel awful for supporting them by informing you about Indie Style on my blog, and I sincerely hope you either didn't order or received your box if you did.
The blogging community has been very quiet about this and I may be stepping on toes here but as someone who buys a bunch of indie cosmetics I feel that others out there who trust in bloggers etc. should be notified when something like this happens so that things like this don't happen again. By knowing about the people who do things such as this we can hopefully be more cautious in the future.
I would like to also state that the companies that were so willing to be involved with the formation of an innovative indie cosmetics pack were also taken by surprise. I know quite a few had already committed to the Valentine's box and are also dealing with the fall out. I know Geek Chic is asking people that didn't receive there box to contact them for the coupon code that they gave out as a part of their contribution.
Basically what I'm saying is there will always be people out there for whatever reason are doing not so ethical business actions, but that there are a bunch of good small businesses out there too.

For more information, please check out this Twit Longer Link that tells a bit more about what has happened.

Thank-you for your time! (And just as an aside companies that I have had very good success with are listed through the tab at the top of the page. I know many people are wary about who to trust and who not to trust and these are the (ever growing) companies that I personally have purchased from.)

Marcelle Hydra C Ultra Thin Matifying Fluid~ Review

2012-01-15T13:26:00.000-08:00

Recently I picked up Marcelle Hydra-C Ultra Light Matifying Fluid as I had read some good reviews for it and I've heard positive things about Marcelle skincare in general. This is a primer/treatment/moisturizer product that is hypo-allergenic, non-comedogenic and supposed to brighten skin with the anti-oxidants of Vitamin C and other natural things.

I have very oily skin- so oily that I feel icky not even an hour after I apply my foundation on my T-zone- sooner if I don't use a finishing powder. So I've been on the look-out for over a year for a mattifying product that actually works. Add onto that that I have crazy sensitive acne-prone skin (which cancels out anything that has silicone as a main ingredient) I've not had many options to try, let alone found anything even worth a mention. This is very much worth more than a mention.

The packaging is great- sturdy clear plastic with a metal pump and base. The pump is excellent as it allows half-pumps too. It also has an air-tight seal of the product itself. There is a level at the bottom that goes up with each pump ensuring that there is no wasted product near the end of the bottle. I love that- smart packaging for the benefit of the customer!

This Hydra-C Matifying Fluid is a peach coloured gel that sinks in really easily. It's light weight and you don't need much, I use two pumps for my entire face and neck. It contains vitamins C, E and B5 as well as silica to absorb oil and hyaluronic acid which is supposed to help reduce sebum production. The Marcelle people on Twitter were very helpful- when I checked with them about the cyclo- silicone ingredients which I know worsen my acne, and they informed me that they only make up less than 4% of the formula making it alright on my skin. Their help in that way was exceptional, I've never had another company look that type of thing up for me before. I've asked other companies and either haven't heard back at all or they just directed me to the ingredients list again.

I've been using it for about a month now and it works wonderfully. It goes on clear and sinks in and dries quickly. Sometimes it can have a very light short-lived stinging sensation but nothing over-powering. I believe it's just the active ingredients reacting to the skin. It keeps me matter throughout the day and I like the feel of it. I also find that as a primer it does reduce the appearance of my pores. Although the matte effect is not everlasting, (it does become sort-of saturated after awhile) this does really reduce the oily feeling on my face. In addition to this it moisturizes my skin enough that I don't need an additional moisturizer most of the time and I think it is even improving my acne. My face is looking clearer than it did before, which is an unexpected benefit I totally didn't expect.

On, it can look kind of shiny by itself but foundation easily goes over it and the shine isn't noticeable. I don't recommend using more than a layer or two on the face though as I had a little pilling between my jaw and ear where I forgot to smooth fully once. Other than that I've had no issues and it has really made a big difference throughout the day and hiking to class.

Even when the silica spheres in the formula have absorbed oil they don't look or feel oily, if your touch your face it will just feel slightly damp-powdery. Strange feeling but way better than shine-city and it isn't unpleasant.

I don't think using this has reduced my sebum production any but I truly wasn't expecting that from this anyway.

You can purchase this online on the Marcelle website or at most Canadian Drugstores. It averages around $23.95 in price but regularly goes on sale- I got mine for around $17 CND.

Overall, I love this. it does multiple things for me at once as a moisturizer, primer and mattifier. It seems to help my skin and keeps me matte longer than any other product I've tried. Absolutely brilliant and not super expensive either!

Sprite Rating: 10/10. Despite some little things this blows competing products (i.e. Murad Mattifying lotion, etc.) out of the water. I love what this does for me and I can see it being a staple item for me from now on.

Would I buy it again? Yes. Holy Grail material, I mean sure I'd like to be perfectly matte from when I put my make-up on till when I take it off 13 hours later but that is a pipe-dream with my oily skin- this does a wonderful job and I'm really pleased with it.

Green Dryad Look

2012-01-14T14:43:00.000-08:00

This came to me as I was trying to sleep last night so I decided to do up a look. In case you don't know, a Dryad is a forest sprite. I kind of went crazy with my greens here but I love the overall effect.

For the lips I used:

Morgana Cryptoria in Absthine (most amazing dark green lipstick ever!) with

Venomous Cosmetics Venom lip gloss on top (clear with light green shimmers).

For the eyes I used

Mac Jealousy Wakes eyeshadow all over the lid

Mac Dark Envy fluidline gel liner along the upper lash line

Wet n' Wild Snow Sprite eyeshadow palette darkest green in the outer corner of the eye and lightest green for the inner corner of the eye

Urban Decay Homegrown eyeshadow along the lower lash line

Mac Vex to highlight

For my face I used:

Darling Girl Cosmetics New Grass along my cheek bone/ as a highlight

TheBalm TimeBalm concealer in lighter than light (undereye circles)

Make Up Forever Full Cover concealer

Laura Mercier Oil-free Tinted Moisturizer in Porcelain

Marcelle Hydra C Ultra Thin Matifying Fluid (as primer)

Lost in Makeupland Oily skin finishing powder

And one last photo :P

Have you done anything creative with your make-up lately? Have a favourite colour (that decided to take over your cosmetics bag) you like to use too? Have a great weekend.

Shop Shop Shop Mac Colour Story

2012-01-14T09:48:00.000-08:00

Quick update for anyone interested, I've got the collection details for half of the upcoming joint collection from Mac Shop Shop Shop Cook Cook Cook. Below is the Shop half. It includes Lipsticks, Kissable Lip Colours, Eyeshadow quads, Cremeblend blushes and Fluidlines. I got all my information from the lovely girls at Specktra so thank-you! Also, finishes etc. should be coming soonish but you get the general idea here. Enjoy.
You can see my previous images/posts here---> Flaunting It Kissable Lip Colour Swatch, Photos/Quick update, and Promo Photos.

SHOP MAC

Whether it's detergent or diamonds, produce or Prada, everyone loves to shop, shop, shop! Try and Buy a delicious, delovely, delectable, divine, degorgeous, de-with-it, degroovy assortment of Eye Shadow x4 in wearable brights perfect for Spring. Treat yourself to Lipstick in heavenly hues, mouthwateringly Kissable Lipcolour and Cremeblend Blush. This Spring, shop 'til you drop with a tongue-in-cheek, collection that elevates the everyday into the extraordinary.

Lipstick

Innocence Beware - Light yellow pink (repromote)

Naughty Saute - Bright Pepto Pink

Watch Me Simmer - Bright pink orange

Quick Sizzle - Bright matte pink

Dish It Up - Berry pink

Runaway red - Rich red blue

Kissable Lipcolour

Flaunting It - Grey mauve (repromote)

Scan-delicious - Blue fuchsia (repromote)

So Vain - Muted midtone coral (repromote)

Woo Me - Light pinky nude (repromote)

Enchantee - Light blue pink (repromote)

Eye Shadow x4 Shop Drop

Hypnotizing - Greyed Mauve (Frost) (repromote)

Sugar Snack - Light pink (Matte)

Power Boosted - Violet (Veluxe Pearl)

Shop&Drop - Deep blue (Satin)

Eye Shadow x4 Call Me Bubble

Call Me Bubble - Light tan (Satin)

Fresh Daily - Orange (Frost)

Brash - Reddish copper (Veluxe Pearl) (repromote)

Full of Flavour - Coral (Matte)

Eye Shadow x4 Colour Added

Laundry Daze - Light yellow (Satin)

Colour Added - Bright yellow (Veluxe Pearl)

Self-Serve - Deep Grey (Satin)

Pre-Packaged - Muted Turquoise (Veluxe Pearl)

Cremeblend Blush

Optimistic Orange - Bright coral (repromote)

Florida - Bright fuchsia (repromote)

Restores Dazzle! - Rich plum

Fluidline

Midnight Snack - Soft black

Wholesome - Blackened brown

Added Goodness - Blackened Mauve

Products such as Tendertones, and Nail Polish may be part of this collection as well but are suspected to be part of a sister collection entitled Cook MAC
(All from the lovely Lou on Specktra)

Flaunting It Kissable Lip Color~ Swatch

2012-01-12T15:26:00.000-08:00

One of my favourite lip items that is Limited Edition is being re-released by Mac in the upcoming Shop Shop Shop Cook Cook Cook collection which includes the Kissable Lip Color line. These are lovely glossy, highly pigmented longish staying lip shades that smell wonderfully of vanilla. Flaunting it is a neat greyed-purple-mauve shade and it looks really sophisticated and pretty on in my opinion. (It does look slightly intimidating in the tube though I've been told by friends!)

A surprisingly difficult shade to get colour accurate I've got three shots of Flaunting it on my lips in slightly different lighting so you can get an idea. I think the best representation is the top picture, but it really does look different on depending on which light setting you're in.

I love this shade because it's not too dark nor too out there for everyday wear but it is still really unique. Just something to consider getting during the upcoming S3/C3 collection release. You can see my Kissable Lip Colours review (staring two other shades that aren't being re-promoted at this time) Here!
Hope this little post was helpful!

Small Shop Shop Shop Cook Cook Cook Update

2012-01-12T14:53:00.000-08:00

Image from Mac_Tiffany_J on twitter

Here is an excellent shot by one of the Mac artist's of the upcoming Mac Shop Shop Shop Cook Cook Cook collection (short form: S3/C3). In it you can see the variety of products coming out including tendertones, Kissable Lip colours, lipsticks, eyeshadow quads, fluidlines and Creamblend cream blushes. I've got a couple of the names of the shades in the photo so here goes!

The bright tangerine orange tendertone in the top left hand corner is Purring (repromote). Also released with this collection are tendertone repromotes Hot n Saucy (Sheer Hot Red-Pink), Tread Gently (Bright Yellow) and Hush Hush (warm nude shimmer, so it most likely the one that appears gold in the photo above). You can see Temptalia's swatches of these when they first came out, HERE!

The red lipstick on the end of the row of lipsticks is most likely Quick Sizzle. (If it's not that one then Quick Sizzle is the red in the middle).

Most of the Kissable Lip Colors are repromotes from the Peacocky collection. However, I loved them when they were released and they're repromoting one of my favourites- Flaunting It so I'm really quite happy! You can read my original review on the Kissable Lip Colors formula here (even though the two shades are not repromoted with the collection the wear etc. should be the same).
Flaunting It is the top tube in the above photo- it's a beautiful greyed purple that is a really wearable berry shade. In the tube it looks a bit scary but on it's really lovely!
Beneath Flaunting It is Scandelicious, a hot pink shade.
So Vain is the bright orange.
Woo Me is the nude just below So Vain.
Enchantee is the light pink on the bottom. (I'm fairly sure, it may also be Vanity Fair)
Unfortunately, thus far I've not seen any new shades added to the Kissable Lip Color line for this release. You can see some of the original peacocky swatches for these shades Here.

Image from Beauty Junkies (not in English)

Above is a picture of Tread Gently a yellow with shimmer.

Image from Beauty Junkies (not in English)

Of the 3 fluidlines the two I've got names for are Midnight Snack (Charcoal) and Added Goodness (Dark Brown)

Image from Beauty Junkies (not in English)

That's all I've managed to get so far! I want everyone to note none of these are my pictures and most of the info is from the wonderful people on the S3/C3 Specktra discussion board- thanks!
I'll post a lip swatch of flaunting it soon so you can see the shade on my lips. Hopefully that will be of some help.

A Winter's Night Manicure~ Cult Nails Time Traveller Review

2012-01-06T17:27:00.000-08:00

Not too long ago I ordered two bottles of polish and a glass nail file from Cult Nails. This post features a manicure using the blue polish I ordered (Time Traveler) as well as a review on both the glass file and the Time Traveler polish. Blackout (the slate grey shade) will be featured in an upcoming post.

First I'm going to tell you a bit about the file. It's glass and comes in a velvety black case with Cult Nails on the end and a fade to black effect. Also available is a red one. The nice thing about this file is that is has extremely fine grain which is easier on your nails- especially if you have nails that are prone to breaking, splitting and peeling. It offers a smooth finish and works really well. Overall, I like the file a bunch, it worked really well for shaping my nails and due to it's size was easy to handle. I also appreciated that both sides of the file are useable for filing and that it is solid glass (instead of glass around plastic, etc.). The only thing about it is that it gets dirty/worn quite quick when you're using it and then nail dust gets all over the black case.

Here is my manicure featuring Time Traveller. Time Traveller is a deep navy blue that has a finish that is half-way between a cream and a jelly. All pictures shown are only one coat. On the tips I dipped the wet polish into Darling Girl Cosmetic's White Christmas pixie glitter to make a winter's night look. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out!

Time Traveller is a little on the thick side but still easy to work with. If I didn't have the tips covered my nails would have probably used another coat but with the glitter it's fine.
This polish has staining issues though so make sure to use a base coat. When I took it off of a previous manicure I was left with smurf fingers.

Overall, another great polish from Cult Nails! A bit thick and it stains but the colour and finish are lovely, as well as the polish having wonderful shine. It also wears well like all the Cult Nails polishes that I've tried.

Sprite Rating: 8/10 Lost points for staining and slight thickness.

Would I buy it again? Yep! I would. It's a great classic colour with a unique finish by a good company.

Mac Shop Shop Shop Cook Cook Cook promo photos

2012-01-04T12:53:00.000-08:00

Photos provided by Shontay from Specktra.net

Hey everyone! I thought I would share some of the promo pics from the upcoming Mac collection that has caught my attention Shop Shop Shop Cook Cook Cook! It's inspired by the 50s housewife look and it has repromotes of the Kissable Lip colours (formerly seen in the Peacocky collection), Mac Tendertones lip balms (loved by many for their pigmentation and their balmy qualities), and my favourite gel liners Mac Fluidlines! There are a bunch of other items too so check out the pics! I'll post again when I get more information/swatches/photos!

Quick New Years Day Look!

2012-01-02T12:49:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year's everyone! This is a look I did for a party on New Year's Day that I was quite pleased with.

I used
Face:
Marcelle Ultra Thin Mattifying Fluid
Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer in Porcelain
MUFE Full Cover concealer in shade 1
Lost in Makeupland Oily Skin Finishing Powder
Lorac Oil-free illuminizer in pearl L1
Eyes:
Lise Watier Eye and Lip primer
Too Faced Glitter Glue
Darling Girl Cosmetics Rudolph eyeshadow
Darling Girl Cosmetics Blitzen eyeshadow
Blinc Tubing Mascara in Black
Lips:
Morgana Cryptoria Gel Lipstick in Persephone

Hope everyone is having a wonderful start to 2012! :D

Haus of Gloi Yule Order

2011-12-27T10:46:00.000-08:00

This is my small but hearty Haus of Gloi Yule Haul. I bought:
Peppermint Cocoa Whipped Soap (Reverie Scent)

Sample Scents in - Winter Divinity (Reverie Scent)

- Three Treasures

- Boreal (Reverie Scent)

- Snow Wolf

- Hearth
- Eggnoggin

L-R: Eggnoggin, Three Treasures, Snow Wolf, Hearth, Winter Divinity, Boreal

Eggnoggin- This smells exactly like egg nog. So much so that you get the slight eggy smell, and the rum and the sweet milk. I doubt I'll wear it very often but it is very realistic.

Three Treasures- I'm kind of on the fence for this scent. I don't dislike it but I don't exactly like it either. It smells mostly metallic with a very slight sort of musk/sandalwoodish undertone. Personally I think a male would like it more. I can see some people really enjoying this but not to my taste really.

Snow Wolf- Whoa evergreen! This one I just couldn't like as it's very sharp tree dominated. A bit too herbal for me. Very fresh!

Boreal- Much like Snow Wolf in that it is too herbal for my tastes. You can smell the eucalyptus right away with other things beneath it I can't identify. Very fresh as well. (Reverie Scent)

Hearth- An interesting scent which I do like, but isn't my favourite. You can smell the bread and faint dried fruit. I think this one is very much something that does speak of home-baking this time of year. I think it needs to grow on me a bit still but it's very homey and cozy.

Winter Divinity- My favourite of the bunch this is a relatively simple scent. It's peppermint and vanilla. It starts out quite strong with the peppermint with a very slight sweet note. Then over time the vanilla comes out more. Together they are really lovely and I think the name really suits! I can totally see a Winter Divine Being smelling like this! (Reverie Scent)

Lastly the Whipped Soap in Peppermint Cocoa smells amazing! I keep opening the container to smell it, and I've been longing for peppermint hot chocolate because this stuff smells exactly like the real stuff. No fake chocolate or cream scents here, just pure rich magnificence. Like Godiva truffles. It's even coloured to to look like there is bits of candy cane in it. (Which are actually cranberry seeds)

The soap itself is super light. You only need a bit and it applies and feels a bit like a cross between a soap and a moisturizer. It does make my skin less dry once you're out of the shower and it helps with shaving I found. One word of warning though because it is a peppermint scent don't use it on sensitive areas. A really lovely product that I'm glad I went out on a limb for to buy.

I believe Haus of Gloi re-opens after the holidays tomorrow with re-stocks of all the Yule scents. Be sure to check them out! Anything here that really catches your attention?

Quo for Orly~ Christmas Red NOTD

2011-12-26T10:19:00.000-08:00

Full Sunlight

For my birthday this year (December 10th, so not too long ago) my sister gave me this little Quo by Orly polish along with a lovely shirt. This polish is a true red that doesn't lean blue, pink or orange. It didn't come with a name as it's a mini bottle but I believe in full size it is Red Hot. It's a perfect festive shade for the holidays, exactly the colour of Rudolph's nose or Santa's suit. All my photos are coming up a little orange but it doesn't have that cast in real life- it's a bright cherry red.

(Truest to colour)

I was actually really impressed by the formula of this little polish. It was almost completely opaque in one coat and it glided on really nicely. The brush though small was very good too, firm but flexible.

In the photos I'm not wearing any base or top coat so as you can see it's quite shiny. It also seems to be wearing well so that's a bonus.

Beware those that have big fingers though! This bottle is tiny! I have small hands to begin with so you can sort of get an idea from the photo above. The little bottle stands about 2 1/2 inches high. But such a cute way to try a shade don't you think?

Quo by Orly polishes are available in Canada at Shopper's Drug Marts.

Overall, I like the colour, the packaging and the formula. Plus it's tiny so it doesn't take up a lot of room. Heck I may actually be able to finish a polish this size! Classic.

Sprite Rating: 9.5/10 Not sure why I took off a 1/2 point but I guess I just don't feel it deserves a perfect score. Maybe for the super small handle of the brush.

Would I buy this again? Yes, the formula was great and the mini is adorable, especially for colours you aren't planning on wearing too often.

Merry Christmas to all! (Sales)

2011-12-25T11:44:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas (or Happy Holidays if you celebrate something else)! There are two indie companies that I know are having short sales today and Urban Decay is having a deal too.

Morgana Cryptoria- Sale ends 11 PM PST tonight. Glosses are 10% off, Full size eyeshadows, Foundations and Veils are 15% off.

Venomous Cosmetics- Sale ends mid-day on the 26th. 15% off everything. (Psst. She's got her Christmas colours up and they look lovely!)

Urban Decay- Today only! Spend over $25 and get a travel size 24/7 liner in Zero (black) and a Skyscraper Mascara. Spend over $50 and get both those items and a make-up travel bag.

Hope everyone is doing well and having a wonderful happy day. :D

Darling Girl Darling Deer Christmas~ Swatches and Review

2011-12-24T10:16:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit late on this collection but I'm enjoying it! This is the Darling Girl Cosmetics Darling Deer Christmas collection! Some of the shadows and the liner are from the main collection but I'm including them anyways as they were a part of my order :D. I'm going to start with the lippies but I've got quite a few of the shadows too!

L-R: Kiss You Off Lip Balm in Cookies for Claus, Holo Gloss in Jolly Holly

I'm ADORING the Kiss You Off Lip Balm in Cookies for Claus! Such an amazing Cranberry with gold reflect! Just amazing and festive!

The Holly Jolly Holo Gloss is also lovely. Slightly gritty due to the holographic glitter but a true red shade with gold and light green (but it looks gold on) glitter.

Midnight Train Aqua Liner

Aqua Liner in Midnight Train

Close-up of Midnight Train Aqua Liner

The colour of this liner is fantastic. Really beautiful and complex. Slate blue with magenta glitter. These aren't waterproof, but I believe Susan from Darling Girl is working to try and make them water resistant. I've not been able to try it on yet due to holiday madness but I hope to soon!

Loose Pixie Glitter in White Christmas

This glitter realllllly needs a glitter adhesive base. I tried it over two different primers and just had it ball up and fall off. It looks so pretty but as I left my Pixie Epoxy at school I'm not going to able to use it until January. If I remember I'll try to review it then.

Eyeshadow in Comet

Comet is a beautiful shade! However, I think this one would too benefit from a sticky base as just on primer it tends to go plum-red and loose the beautiful purple-green interplay. You'll be able to see what I mean in my swatch.

Dancer

My favourite from the collection is Dancer! A beautiful forest green with silver and red glitter! *Drool* So happy I got this one!

Blitzen

Blitzen is the most neutral shade I got from the collection. Gorgeous light peach-gold with a very faint pink reflect and gold shimmer. Something easily useable all year round!

T-B: Blitzen, Persuasion (GWP), Comet

Persuasion, the gift with purchase is a fantastic super shimmery light purple with gold shimmer.

Comet if you look in the left part of the swatch you can slightly see the green reflect.

Rudolph

Rudolph is another really neat shade. Deer brown with lots of silver glitter, it also has a faint red reflect (like Rudolph's nose!). I love how unique this shade is.

Rudolph

And finally the samples I recieved :D

Angel Face

Angel Face is a lovely matte purple (that looks grey in some lights) with light blue subtle shimmer.

Angel Face

Angel Face (Artificial Lighting)

Here you can see Angel Face as grey and if you click to enlarge you can see the blue shimmer.

T-B: Mustang eyeshadow, Purple Haze Blush

Mustang is a lovely neutral medium smokey brown eyeshadow. Purple Haze is a super pigmented magenta/berry blush with a slight sheen.

Did you buy anything from Darling Girl Cosmetic's Darling Deer Christmas? Anything here that really pops to you?

Note! Darling Girl Cosmetics is closed until the New Year, but the Christmas collection will still be available then!

Hope everyone has a lovely Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day!

Beauty, Skin, Body and Nail Product Winners of 2011

2011-12-23T19:40:00.000-08:00

~Hebridean Sprite 2011 Beauty Awards~

These are my favourite products from the year of 2011. These aren’t products that have necessarily been released this year, but instead are the ones I have used the most and have risen in my esteem or taken over the star spot for each category. Starred or asterisked items are ones that blow me away again and again or just really do their job well with no side effects. In comparison non-starred items are ones that are the best that I’ve tried that fits the category currently but I’m still on the look out for something better. Hope this makes sense!

If you are interested in any of the products further please type the item into the search bar at the top right hand side. Almost all of the items have reviews for them!

DC= Discontinued or No longer available in stores (Check out Amazon or Ebay)

ID= Indie cosmetic company

Cosmetics

Eyes

Pencil Liner: Mac Chomographic in NC15/NW20, Milani Liquif’eye (DC)

Best Overall Gel Liner: Mac Fluidline

Gel Liner Burgundy: Mac Fluidline in Dark Diversion* (DC)

Gel Liner Brown: Mac Fluidline in Rich Ground*

Gel Liner Navy: Mac Fluidline in Midnight Blues* (DC)

Gel Liner Green: Mac Fluidline in Envy (DC)

Gel Liner Purple: Wet n’ Wild Cream liner in Aubergine

Eyeshadow Palette: Urban Decay Box of Shadows 2

Eyeshadow Intensifier: Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy* (ID)

Eyeshadow Primer: Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Eyebrow Pencil: Le Beautique Auburn*

Mascara: Blinc Tubing Mascara*

Expensive Eyeshadow Brand: Urban Decay (Only non-glitter shades!)

Drugstore Eyeshadow Brand: Wet n’ Wild

Powder/ Pressed Eyeshadow Shades->

Cream: Too Faced Heaven

Taupe: Fyrinnae Damn Palladins (ID)

Dark Brown: Too Faced Teddy Bear

Red Brown: Mac Spectacle of Yourself (DC)

Nude: Wet n’ Wild Color Icon Single in Brulee*

Red: Venomous Cosmetics Fire Ant (ID)

Burgundy: Nars Cheyenne Duo

Orange: Nars Cheyenne Duo

Yellow: Venomous Cosmetics Sunspot (ID)

Lime Green/Chartreuse: Nars Wicked Duo

Light Green: Fyrinnae Jade Ghost (ID)

Olive/Khaki Green: Mac Sumptuous Olive

Dark Green: Mac Jealousy Wakes* (DC)

Light Blue: Fyrinnae Faerie Glamour* (ID)

Dark Blue: Venomous Cosmetics Paranormal (ID, DC)

Purple: Too Faced Poison Orchid

Violet: Venomous Cosmetics Apocalypse* (ID, DC)

Teal: Fyrinnae Wicked* (Most amazing Teal/Dark Purple shadow ever)(ID)

White Gold: Fyrinnae Polar Bear (ID)

Gold: Sugar Pill Goldilux (ID)

Silver: Wet n’ Wild Christmas 2011 palette Night Elf silver shade (DC)

Bronze: Venomous Cosmetics Curse of the Werewolf (ID, DC)

Black: Urban Decay Perversion (DC)

Grey: Mac Vex*

Lips

Lip Balm->

Tinted/Coloured: Darling Girl Cosmetics Kiss You Off Lip Balm in Poison Plum*(ID)

Clear/Treatment: Jack Black Lemon Chamomile*

Lipstick->

Nude: Mac The Faerie Glen (DC)

Berry: Morgana Cryptoria Vegan Lipsticks in Rose Plum* (DC, ID)

Green: Morgana Cryptoria Vegan Lipstick in Absinthe* (ID)

Peach: Morgana Cryptoria Gel Lipstick in Persephone (ID)

Lipgloss/Liquid Lipstick->

Lipgloss Brand: Venomous Cosmetics Lip Poisons (ID)

Dark Purple: Venomous Cosmetics Wicked Witch (ID, DC)

Green: Venomous Cosmetics Oxygen Deprevation (ID)

Blue: Mac Kissable Lip Colour in Peacocky (DC)

Pink: Venomous Cosmetics Fairy (ID)

Coral: Venomous Cosmetics Hypnotize* (ID)

Red: Mac Kissable Lip Colour in Love Peck (DC)

Light Purple: Mac Kissable Lip Colour in Flaunting It (DC)

Peach: Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in (DC)

Nude: Venomous Cosmetics Zero Gravity (ID)

Lipstain-> Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain in Twilight (Dark red shade)

Face

Undereye Concealer: TheBalm TimeBalm in Lighter than Light*

Foundation/Tinted Moisturizer: Laura Mercier Oil Free tinted Moisturizer in Porcelain

Mascara: Blinc Tubing Mascara in Black

Pressed Powder Foundation: Physician’s Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 in Translucent Light

Setting Powder: Lost in Makeupland’s Oily Skin Finishing Powder (ID)

Concealer: Make Up For Ever Full Cover in Shade # 2 (DC)

Primer: Cargo Blu_ray Activating Face Primer

Bronzer: Smashbox Soft Fusion Intermix Bronzer

Cream Highlight: Lorac oil-free illuminator in L1 Pearl

Powder Highlight: Darling Girl Cosmetics Spectral Shift in Corpse Candle* (ID)

Blush->

Cream Blush Brand: Nars

Drug Store Cream Blush Brand: NYC (New York Color)

Cream Blush in Pink: NYC Blushable Cream Stick in Big Apple Blush*

Cream Blush in Nude: Nars Penny Lane*

Cream Blush in Red: Darling Girl Sweet Cheeks Just Bitten (ID)

Pressed Powder Blush Brand: Tarte

Coral: Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Blissful*

Red: The Body Shop Autumn Berry Blush* (DC)

Pink: Laura Mercier Rose Petal

Lilac/Violet: Mac Azalea Blossom Blush (DC)

Skincare

Face Cleanser: Murad Clarifying Cleanser

Face Moisturizer Night: Avene Clean AC Moisturizer*

Face Moisturizer Day: Marcelle Hydra-C Ultra Thin Mattifying Fluid

Acne Treatment: Murad Acne Treatment Gel

Eye Cream: The Body Shop Wise Woman

Nails

Cuticle Cream: Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream

Cuticle Remover: Revlon Cuticle Remover

Treatment: Nail Tek II*

Base Coat: Cult Nails Get It On* (ID)

Top Coat: Cult Nails Wicked Fast* (ID)

Nail File: Cult Nails Glass Nail File (ID)

Best Nail Polish Brand: Cult Nails* (ID)

Nail colour->

Taupe: Nubar Gem*

Dark Brown: SpaRitual Howl

Red: Sephora OPI Sample Sale

Berry: Cult Nails Iconic* (ID)

Burgundy: Nicole by OPI Kiss Me at Midnight (DC)

Pink: Orly Kiss the Bride

Orange: Wet n’ Wild Inferno

Yellow: Joe Fresh Butter

Light Green: Nubar Reclaim* (DC)

Olive/Khaki Green: Color Club Snakeskin

Dark Green: None! I have some but none I adore yet L

Light Blue: OPI Breathe Life* (DC)

Dark Blue: Cult Nails Time Traveller (ID)

Indigo: Eyeko Indigo Polish (DC)

Violet: Color Club Fashion Addict

Teal: Cult Nails Living Water (ID)

Gold: Sephora OPI Looks Like Rain Dear (DC)

Black: Color Club Revvvolution

Layering/Effect Coat: OPI Breathe Life* (DC)

Odds and Ends

Favourite Perfume: Haus of Gloi Depravity* (ID)

Body/Hand Scrub: Haus of Gloi Soft Bubbling Scrub (Imp Scent)* (ID)

Whipped Soap/Shaving Cream: Haus of Gloi Peppermint Cocoa Whipped Soap (ID)

Toothpaste: Tom’s Of Maine Fluoride toothpaste in Peppermint flavour*

Hand/Body Moisturizer: Haus of Gloi Pumpkin Butter (in either Imp or Depravity scents)* (ID)

Make-up Brush Brand: Ecotools

Make-up Remover: Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make-up Remover

Face Exfoliator: Clarisonic Mia

Clicking any of the following brands will bring you to their website!

Top 5 High End Brands of the Year
Nars
Murad
Laura Mercier
Mac
Too Faced*

Top 5 Drug Store Brands of the Year
Wet n' Wild*
Revlon
New York Color
EcoTools*
Color Club (No Brand Link sorry!)

Top 5 Indie Brands of the Year
Venomous Cosmetics
Darling Girl Cosmetics
Cult Nails
Fyrinnae
Haus of Gloi

That's it! Tell me what brands or products really stood out to you this year! Anything similar to mine? Anything completely different? Let me know!

Morgana Cryptoria~ Haul, Swatches and Reviews

2011-12-22T12:14:00.000-08:00

A little while ago Morgana Cryptoria was having a sale and so I made an order wanting to try out some of her new products. Recently she's released a bunch of things including a blush, a halloween eye-themed shadow collection (for halloween, I was a bit late to the party on that one), gel lipsticks and lip glosses. I made a small selection and here are the items!

T: Creepy Peepers eyeshadow, B: Gravely Blush

First up is the blush, Gravely. Gravely is a silver/grey highlight or blush with a hint of taupe/violet to it. Very pretty, reflective and pigmented but I've yet to be able to find a way to apply this without A) getting the powder everywhere (the jar is too small to get my brush in and to tap off on) and B) looking very strange/metallic/dead. I think best it will work as a neat eyeshadow or a highlight well blended on the cheekbone as it's quite shimmery. The powder itself seems silky though so that's nice. As I've yet to really been happy with how it's looked, I can't tell you lasting power yet.

Creepy Peepers is a dark charcoal shade with a bunch of silver and dark green shimmer. Very unique and you only need the smallest amount to make a statement to your look as it is so dark! Much more shimmery in real life than in the picture.

Next are the three lipglosses I ordered.

L-R: Fallen Leaves, Mystical, Sexy Spellcaster

The three small glosses came in a little trio for $17 USD. You get to pick your scent with these and I chose chocolate. However, the chocolate scent is very artifical and fake to me, and very overpowering so I'm kinda bummed I didn't choose something else. These came in tubes with doe foot applicators however the trio deal isn't on anymore, just where you can buy pots of gloss or full size lipgloss tubes.

L-R: Fallen Leaves, Mystical, Sexy Spellcaster

The three shades I chose are Fallen Leaves: a warm brown with gold and green duochrome; Mystical: a very dark plum with amazing blue shimmer in it; and Sexy Spellcaster: a blue-based violet with light blue shimmer.

L-R: Mystique, Sexy Spellcaster

L-R: Autumn Leaves, Mystique

My favourite has to be Fallen Leaves, it is the most flattering on my skintone, well pigmented and it is really unique. The green doesn't show up too often on the lips so don't let that scare you away. It also looks quite brown in my photos but I assure you it's not that brown on either! The first swatch photo where it's more of a brick red-brown is the most accurate.

Mystical I do like but it's reallllllly dark. Like almost black-plum when you put a full coat of the gloss on. Instead I use only a tiny bit and sheer it out and you still get a hint of colour along with the awesome blue shimmer.

My biggest disappointment from this order has to be Sexy Spellcaster. The colour itself is beautiful, but my tube came partially leaked and the shade itself has the pigment separating from the oil. I've tried to mix it up and the oil just gets everywhere not mixing well at all. It's pretty much unusable and due to leaking issues I don't like putting it on the wood vanity with my other cosmetics in case it damages the wood because the leaking seems to be a reoccurring issue. :(

When I contacted Morgana Cryptoria about the separation issue she said some shades are just like that, and to mix it back up. You may want to inquire about which shades do this before you order as personally I find it a pain to even attempt this. It may be easier for glosses in the pots though.

In general, the glosses are well pigmented and last a little above average in wear time, at most around 2 & 1/2 hours on me. Once the colour fades a bit with Mystical the shimmer stands out more which I like- kind of like the gloss morphs over time but is still on. The gloss itself feels slightly oily but not overly so by any means.

I also found the doe foot applicators surprisingly difficult to twist back on for these glosses- I needed two hands and had to push down and twist quite a bit to get the threads to line up and catch so the wands wouldn't forcefully pop back up again.

Overall, I like two of the shades I got, but would be wary about ordering any more. Leaking and mixing isn't something I want to deal with when it comes to lipgloss, despite the fact that there are some fantastic colours available.

Sprite Rating: 4/10- I had to take off points for overkill scent, leaking, and gloss separation. Though the colours are lovely and I'll use the two that don't separate I just can't give them a higher score.

Would I Buy the lip glosses again?: No.

And finally I purchased one of the new gel lipsticks.

These $6 USD lipsticks come in a balm twist up tube. Morgana Cryptoria is still releasing some shades but this one is Persephone, the most neutral of the first shades released. Persephone is what I'd classify as a peach-gold. It's a peach shade in the tube but on the lips it really amps up the gold reflect in this colour and comes alive.

Persephone, heavily swatched dim light

Persephone, heavily swatched bright light

The texture of these glosses is less like a gel and more like a mousse! You need very little on your lips as it tends to clump up a bit if it's too thick (as seen above in photos). It feels somewhere between a whipped lipstick and a balm which is really cool and has good pigmentation.

I have an awful tendency of pursing my lips which upsets the long-wear setting these are supposed to do according to Morgana Cryptoria but even with doing that they last about the same as most of my say Mac lipsticks do.

This is a great shade for toning down your lips without becoming devoid of colour as it's subtle but still really pretty. Word of warning though, make sure your lips are non-flaky as this accentuates flakes like crazy.

The tube itself doesn't really work all that well though, the twisting mechanism only works going up. I think it has to do with how soft the product is. I often apply too much because of the super soft texture and need to use my finger to deal with clumping. Also you need to be careful only to wind it up a slight bit as you cannot push the product down from the top it will just squish and not go back in the tube. Plus the sticker with the ingredients didn't stick to the tube very well even when I had first got it.

Overall, I like the texture of the gel lipsticks. The feel and super duochrome are lovely though the packaging needs a bit of work.

Sprite Rating: 6.5/10- points were lost due to tube/mechanism issues and the fact you really do need to be careful in how you apply it otherwise it will clump and not look good. Great effect once it's on (and if you don't smoosh your lips!). Good lasting power for the type/texture of the product though.

Would I buy it again? If I see another shade I like the looks of I would probably purchase it. The formula is so unique that the extra work is worth it.

Julep Contest on Facebook

2011-12-22T10:44:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I don't know too much about Juelp other than they are supposed to be cruelty-free and they have a rather expensive box program. But here is a chance to win one of every bottle in their line- something like 60 shades! It is through facebook so you'll need an account but you can check it out here: http://bit.ly/tNJVQI

Good luck!