Peace, Love, Nails - Rescue Beauty Lounge No More War - Swatches, Photos and Review - New Twitter Name!

January 24, 2011 by Robin Park

No More War

Happy Monday everyone! Just a quick note that you can now find us @Beautyburg on Twitter vs "beenofone." If you were following me as beenofone, you will continue to follow as Beautyburg. I just wanted to add continuity to the blog and Twitter. If you don't follow us yet, follow me on Twitter! It's the fastest way to all the good Marlowe photos! :)

I wanted to start off week with on a positive note. As we are all anticipating the finalists from Ji's Rescue Beauty Lounge Fan Collection contest, read about here if you don't know about (sorry it's already closed!), let's take a look at one of my favorite RBL polishes. No More War is an olive camo green creme with exceptional coverage and wear. As much as a perfectionist as Ji is, there are differenciations between applications among the colors. No More War is utter creamy, smooth perfection when applied. Two coats and you are done. This shade of green is probably one of my favorite to wear among my wardrobe, but it would take a nail genius like Ji to think about creating it as a lacquer. On my NC35, I find it flattering and unique. To me, it's edgy but sophisticated, not hippie dippie. And the durability in wear is tough as... well, nails? I can get days without significant tippage.

No More War - $18 at Rescue Beauty Lounge

To Review:

Rescue Beauty Lounge No More War Nail Polish - $18 for 0.40oz, available at www.rescuebeauty.com

Pro: Unique shade. Long wear. Excellent application.

Con: Available only through Rescue Beauty's spa or website and at a few limited e-tailers, but they do ship internationally.

Overall Beautyburg Rating: A

Scenic Sunday - The Week in Review - Next Week Preview

January 23, 2011 by Robin Park

Marlowe in a striking pose.

Happy Sunday everyone! What a busy week it's been. We were moving all week. Building Ikea furniture isn't fun at all, but we now have a much better set up for my stash, for blogging and for making videos. While moving, I rediscovered some products that I had forgotten about. Next week, I will be doing some posts about some of these items. I'm also contemplating a stash post, but to be honest, I'm a little scared to do one of those. I feel they are just so exposing! It's like saying to everyone, "Hi, my name is Robin and I'm a makeup and nail polish addict."

Marlowe trying to build Ikea.

Here are some fun posts from this past week. I swatched China Glaze's Anchors Away Collection. Be sure to enter Bright Lights, Big Color Anchors Away giveaway, which ends on Jan. 31. Here is the link.

Ahoy!

Hey Sailor

Lighthouse

Sea Spray

Starboard

White Cap

I also found my perfect sheer weekend lip color. Here's my review of Covergirl's NatureLuxe Gloss Balm in Hibiscus.

Hibiscus on lips.

And if you missed these Jesse's Girl High Intensity Nail Color polishes over black, it's definitely worth a look.

Confetti

Glee

Also did a couple casual, yet bright, eye looks with my favorite beauty medicine, Sugarpill. See this post on Bright Colors for a Casual Look.

An EOTD featuring Dollipop from Sugarpill Cosmetics.

Also, you may have seen this on Twitter already, but it was such a cute moment from this week that I have to share. Marlowe and Noodle, my weird cat, were having a really cute nap session.

Noodle and Marlowe.

Now let's relax and wait for another week to start. Have a great weekend everyone!

Half Dose of Sugarpill - Bright Colors For A Casual Look - Sugarpill 4 Color Palette in Sweetheart

January 21, 2011 by Robin Park

A half dose of Sugarpill.

I love, love bright colors, but when I posted my Sugarpill reviews, I heard from a lot of you that you loved the colors but weren't exactly sure how you would wear them. The founder of Sugarpill, Amy Doan, aka Shrinkle, has such fun, vibrant, cute style, but not everyone who loves Sugarpill feels bold enough to wear their super saturated colors in a SHA-ZAM fashion (though I do love that).

I decided to showcase some more toned down, casual eye looks using Sugarpill's 4 Color Palette in Sweetheart. I "cut" the intensity of the colors by using Urban Decay Naked palette (I am using the first edition one with the double sided pencil) for base lid colors and highlights. I will specify which shades under each image. Bright colors, even for those who love them, can be intimidating. So dip your toes in first. Sugarpill's pressed eyeshadows are so pigmented and blendable that you can easily smooth them with a softer shade to draw back on the intensity but still add pop. They are easily buildable, so you can go as intense or subtle as you would like.

In this look below, I used Dollipop, a bright matte hot Barbie pink, to cover 2/3 of the lid, and Tako, a super matte white, to highlight the inner corners of the eyes. I used Urban Decay's Hustle for the crease and Sin to highlight the brown bone. I used Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Whiskey to line the eyes. For mascara, I'm wearing L'Oreal Double Extend Eye Illuminator in Black Quartz for Brown Eyes, which I will be reviewing soon.

Dollipop and Tako

Afterparty and Midori

Here is a look with Afterparty, a bright shimmering Smurf blue, and Midori, a sweet melon green with a pearly sheen. I used Virgin from Urban Decay mixed with Sugarpill's Tako to create a soft shimmering color to highlight from the crease to brown bone. Zero 24/7 liner was used to line the waterline and outer third of the lower lashline. I smudged Afterparty with Zero near the lower lash line. Mascara here is Make Up For Ever is Aqua Smoky Lash in Extra Black.

I think I pushed this look just a little. You could even take this to an even softer level by just lining your eyes with one color. But the idea of this look was bright yet soft and casual.

Sugarpill's 4 Color Palette in Sweetheart from the Addicted to Pretty Collection.

Sweetheart is available for $34 at Sugarpill's site www.sugarpillshop.com.

Dollipop, Afterparty, Midori and Tako are also available individually for $12.

China Glaze Anchors Away Collection - Part 2 - Swatches and Photos

January 20, 2011 by Robin Park

Ahoy!

All aboard! Here is the second round of swatches from China Glaze Anchors Away collection ! This collection is putting in the mood for tropical cocktails with umbrellas on a sunset cruise. One of my favorite cruise/makeover movies is Now, Voyager starring Bette Davis. I could see her wearing a few of these colors.

If you missed Part 1, click here. There are 12 new shades in total, ranging from shimmering white to navy blue. Below are the berry, red, pink toned colors from the collection.

Ahoy!

A bright jelly magenta with hot pink micro glitter suspended. This is hawt! One of my favorites from the collection.

Hey Sailor

An attention getting bright coral red creme. I don't own Rescue Beauty Lounge's Bangin', which I believe is more of a jelly, but I think from photos they look similar. Unfortunately, I don't have a bottle for a comp. I love this on nails and think it would really brighten up my toes (which need to come out of hibernation).

Life Preserver

Such a pretty, spring color! A persimmon creme. It's a cross between orange, red and coral.

Sunset Sail

A soft peaches and cream shade with subtle pearly shimmer. Uber girly.

Knotty

Knotty
A soft sandy shimmering champagne golden beige. More nice than naughty.

Below Deck

A deep greyed mauve creme. A muted dark lilac shade. Really pretty and sophisticated. Less kitschy than the rest of the collection. This is obviously for the black tie dinner on the cruise.

China Glaze Anchors Away is available at Ulta, Sally Beauty and salons nationwide.

Which ones do you like from this collection? Have you ever been on a cruise?

China Glaze Anchors Away Collection - Part 1 - Swatches and Photos

January 20, 2011 by Robin Park

Starboard

Sail away, sail away, sail away! I am ready to set sail for spring with China Glaze Anchors Away Collection. This 12 piece collection hosts cruise inspired colors. So let's get ready to get our resort on.

If you want to see the other six colors from the collection, see our Part 2 here.

Starboard

A mid-toned grass green creme. This was actually one of my favorites from the collection. Worlds apart from Four Leaf Clover from Up and Away collection. This is a Happy St. Patty's green.

Firstmate

A middle of the line classic navy blue. Perfect for the seas! A straight creme.

Sea Spray

A soft periwinkle blue with very subtle shimmer. This says spring to me, though in a whisper.

Pelican Grey

A creamy soft foggy grey with extremely subtle shimmer. This isn't as blue as Sea Spray.

White Cap

A sheer white with yellow gold mini-micro glitter (or really large shimmer, you decide). This is 3 coats. I would like to try this over 1 coat of pure white and see how that comes out.

Lighthouse

A sheer bright yellow, illuminated with strong gold shimmer. The above is 3 coats. This was a surprise favorite of the collection for me. I never know how yellow is going to play out, but I am loving this.

China Glaze is available at Ulta, Sally Beauty and salons nationwide.

UPDATED: Part 2 is up. Click here.

Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Color Grey Area - Photos and Swatches

January 19, 2011 by Robin Park

Grey Area = purple + dark grey creme.

Here is a new limited edition color from Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Color. Grey Area is a dark grey purple. I would love to use this as base for Konading. Xtreme Wear is such a pigmented formula that it also works well as the stamping color. And if you just wanted to paint it on your nails, you can do that too. The application was so smooth. With two coats I had total coverage. I love Xtreme Wear Nail Colors for the formula, the colors and most importantly the price (usually under $3 a piece!).

Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Color in Grey Area is $2.99 and at drugstores nationwide.

Covergirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm SPF 15 in Hibiscus 215 - Easy Everyday Lips - Photos and Swatches

January 18, 2011 by Robin Park

NatureLuxe Gloss Balm in Hibiscus.

Does anyone remember Covergirl Lipslicks Lipgloss? They still make them, but I never liked them much. They smelled incredibly waxy, and they felt exactly how they smelled. Just not a pleasurable lipgloss/lip balm/lippie experience.

Now comes Covergirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm SPF 15, a new lip balm with sheer color. This is a huge improvement over Lipslicks. No waxy scent. No waxy feel. This formula is infused with shea and mango butter and feels super moisturizing. There is a little more than a hint of color, not completely sheer, and just a touch of shine. This is my new go-to for quick, casual YLBB (your lips but better). I think I need more shades.

Nice clear top to view the color. No guess work from a plastic swatch.

Hibiscus 215, a sheer blue pink.

Swatched. Shine but not super slippery.

Hibiscus on lips.

Covergirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm SPF 15 in Hibiscus 215 $6 for 0.07oz is available at drugstores nationwide. Available in 16 shades.

What's your favorite YLBB product?

Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil - I Should Have Listened!

January 18, 2011 by Robin Park

Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil

Barbara Stone, a makeup artist and long-time employee of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics (pre-EL days!), convinced me many years ago to try Bobbi Brown skincare. I don't know why I didn't listen to her advice immediately. She's a groovy chic that doesn't BS and knows Bobbi's line inside out. I was probably just feeling inundated with the overwhelming number of products in my bathroom cabinet and just couldn't deal with one more thing to try. Well, I should have listened earlier. I don't know why I find this surprising, but Bobbi Brown Cosmetics skincare is actually *really* good. Not sure why I find it shocking since their makeup is phenomenal. But with the minimal packaging and also all the hype around the makeup, I just overlooked the skincare. Sorry. Shrug.

So far I have tried a few products from the line, and overall as a system, I am really impressed. Considering the quality and that Bobbi Brown is a high-end brand, I find the skincare reasonably affordable. I have a review of the Oil Control Lotion SPF 15 coming soon. Spoiler: it's good. But now to the product on hand. The Cleansing Oil is a rich blend of olive and jojoba oils that melts off all makeup and washes off cleanly. I have a dry skin with blackheads and get shiny during the day, so I usually follow the Cleansing Oil with another foaming cleanser. But this product takes off makeup like nothing else. After I learned that Shu Uemura was removing itself from US distribution, I knew I had to find a substitute for my precious Shu Oil. Well, I found it, and I think I like this one better. There isn't a strong fragrance, and my face feels clean, even without the additional cleanser step. Also it's cheaper! $39 for 6.7oz 200ml. Please don't say I told you so. I know I should have listened.

You can find Barbara at the Bobbi Brown counter at Bergdorf Goodman. And you can find Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil at www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com and at fine department stores.

Do you use cleansing oils? What do you do to wash off your makeup?

Borghese Tempesta Black - Rapido Collection - Swatches and Photos

January 17, 2011 by Robin Park

Tempesta Black

As part of the Rapido collection, though not a Rapido formula (those have a white bottle neck), is Tempesta Black from Borghese. This shade is a sparkling black creme infused with gray shimmer. A pretty shade, and a nice twist on the regular black creme, though not extremely unique. The formula was very smooth and applied swimmingly. Two coats and the nail was fully covered. The collection display was slightly odd. There were Rapido formulations mixed with regular formulas in new shades. The colors that were most interesting to me were in traditional formula, so I didn't pick up the Rapido, fast-drying, formula. Maybe next time. However, the price of this brand, $8 a bottle, is a little steep.

Tempest Black is $8 at drugstores.

Wish You Had Jesse's Girl High Intensity Nail Color - Glee and Confetti - Photos and Swatches

January 17, 2011 by Robin Park

Jesse's Girl High Intensity Nail Color in Glee.

Wish you could find a polish like that?! Sorry to song bomb! This was my first experience with Jesse's Girl Cosmetics. The display had a lot of brightly colored bottles, but the two that came home with me were Glee and Confetti. Glee is a turquoise with a blue, green duochrome shimmer that applied to full opacity after two coats. My favorite way to wear this, and also Confetti, was 1 coat over a black creme.

Confetti is a sheer soft lilac with violet and pink duochrome shimmer. This color was much more sheer than Glee. Even with three coats, I could still see my nail. But that wasn't so much of a disappointment. I liked this polish much more as an effect over black. The violet, blue, pink all comes out over black. I was overall mesmerized by the effect, and this my preferred method of wear.

Glee.

Glee over Wet n' Wild Black Creme.

Glee 2 coats and Glee over black on the thumb.

Confetti over Wet n' Wild Black Creme.

This is three coats.

Formaldehyde Resin in the formula. Only be concerned if you have an allergy and keep away from flame.

If you want to read more about formaldehyde resin and the Big 3 in nail polish formula, read this post from All Lacquered Up. It serves as a good reference. Does anyone else know of one that is more recent? Please post a link in the comments!

Jesse's Girl High Intensity Nail Color are $2.99 and available at Rite Aid stores.

Lazy Sunday - Some Recent Posts From This Week - New Zodiac - Golden Globes Anyone?

January 16, 2011 by Robin Park

Hi All! Sunday already?! Such a busy week this week. We hit a big milestone on the blog (thank you guys so much), started a YouTube channel and also found out our zodiac changed! We are also busy moving and reorganizing our stash. While moving, we are plan on catching some NFL play-off games (I know! My guilty pleasure.) and seeing the Golden Globes. I'm excited to see the outfits and the looks (at the Golden Globes, obviously, not at the Bears game). Navy was so big at the Emmys. I wonder if there will be pronounced trend at this award show?

So here are some posts from this week that you may have missed. One big highlight for Beautyburg is our new YouTube channel. We only have 1 tutorial so far, but after our move, I plan on trying to add to the channel regularly. Leave a comment if you have a suggestion on what you would like to see. Here is our first video. It's a tutorial/how to on Sally Hansen Salon Effects.

I also swatched some L'Oreal HiP Shadow Duos that I recently scored from the CVS clearance sale here.

HiP Studio Secrets Professional Concentrated Shadow Duo in Cheeky (508).

And we sniffed and swatched some scent nail polishes from Revlon.

Not So Blueberry Scented Nail Enamel.

Have a great rest of the weekend everyone! We'll see you on Twitter when the Golden Globes are on. I'm sure there will be some zomg! moments. :)

Do you have any predictions for the winners? Did your zodiac change too? How has your week been?!

Thank You, Love Beautyburg! 700+ Followers, 500+ Facebook Fans! We Love You Guys!

January 15, 2011 by Robin Park

Marlowe wants to give you a kiss!!

Thanks from Beautyburg!

Wow, wow, wowowowow! I cannot believe how much this little blog has grown. I never thought that we would be at this point and so fast, and I'm so excited to see what lies ahead for us this year. Over 700 followers! Over 500 Facebook fans! Plus those of you who follow me on Twitter and sub to our new YouTube channel. I am seriously overwhelmed! Thank you so much for supporting Beautyburg. It means the world to us!

Beautyburg is here for you, so if there is ever something you want to see, something you want us to review or anything at all, let us know! I read every single comment and cherish them all. Let us know how we are doing! Tell us how Beautyburg can be a better blog for you. More videos? More makeup? More comps? More nails? More Marlowe? We want to hear from you!

Thanks again and have a beautiful weekend!!

Love,

Robin (ApplePark) & Marlowe

MAC Peacocky Kissable Lipcolour - Enchantée and Strut Your Stuff

January 14, 2011 by Robin Park

Enchantée and Strut Your Stuff.

Here's more to our MAC Catch Up Friday! So many new collections out and 2011 is just getting started. I had so much fun going into detail about Mega Metal Shadows that I completely neglected Kissable Lipcolours which also came out with the Peacocky collection.

Kissable Lipcolours are new formula that's more liquid lipstick than lipgloss. These are similar in texture to Korres Raspberry Antioxidant Liquid Lipsticks, ($22 for 0.12oz). MAC's version is cheaper ($18 for 5g, 0.17oz) and a better value. I also prefer the texture to these vs. the Korres. They feel really moisturizing on lips, maybe hence the idea of being "kissable."

I purchased only two shades, but there are 12 shades available, including one artist color (Peacocky a teal blue). These are limited edition, so if you like them, get them now. Enchantée is a soft blue-based baby milky pink. This reminds me of the Lady Gaga Viva Glam, but I didn't do a comp swatch. Very pink, very light. I purchased this online not knowling what the texture and transparency would be like. As you can see, these are rather opaque, so for my NC35 skin, it's a little too light. Strut Your Stuff is a blazen orange red. The only negative thing I would say about this shade is that considering this formula, I would expect bleeding or straying. This isn't the type of color that will just stay in place, and also the fact that it's so pigmented, you may want to start first with a lipliner to prevent bleeding.

Enchantée and Strut Your Stuff.

Enchantée en lèvres.

Strut Your Stuff on the catwalk, the street, your hallway. It's a walk-off people!

Have you tried these yet? Do you like liquid lipsticks? How do you wear baby pink lips?

MAC Stylishly Yours Dark Diversion Fluidline - Swatches

January 14, 2011 by Robin Park

Dark Diversion.

Happy Friday everyone! This is a late post. So much great stuff coming out recently, but I need to get caught up on some MAC stuff. Here is Dark Diversion, a limited edition Fluidline from the Stylishly Yours Collection. I'm glad to see so many new Fluidline colors lately! I really like MAC's formula, though my favorite is Inglot (but that's not as accessible in the US). The liner really glides on the eyelid, and once the gel dries, it's there all day. This is such a pretty shade of dark burgundy. A not too red, deep dark wine.

The pot. Notice the shimmer.

Dark Diversion swatched.

Dark Diversion is $15 for 2.5g, 0.08oz and available at MAC counters and www.maccosmetics.com.

What would you wear this with? Do you stick to black and brown liners or like color?

Your Polish Here - Rescue Beauty Lounge Makes Your Dreams Come True - Turn Nail Polish Fantasy into Reality!

January 13, 2011 by Robin Park

Your polish could be here!

Coral and Chinoise.

Today is the day y'all. Today is the day that your dreams could come true. At 9AM EST, Ji Baek, founder of Rescue Beauty Lounge, opens her doors, or rather an email address, and gives Rescue's fans a chance to create the nail polish of their dreams!

Three SUPER lucky winners will be drawn from five finalists to create their fantasy nail polish. Entrants are allowed to submit 1 paragraph and 1 photo from 9AM EST January 13th - 12PM EST January 15th, 2011 to rblfancollection@rescuebeauty.com. Five finalists will be chosen, and then the fans vote. The top three will collaborate with Ji to create something so amazing, unique and sooooo Rescue.

I can't wait! Do you have your entry sitting in a draft in your email right now? If you haven't thought of an idea yet, there is still time!

Check out Ji's blog for more info. Click here.

L'Oreal HiP Studio Secrets Shadow Duos - Haul and Swatches

January 12, 2011 by Robin Park

HiP Studio Secrets Professional Bright Shadow Duo in Adventurous (114).

HiP Studio Secret Shadow Duos aren't anything new, but I don't think they get tons of love. Possibly because of the slightly high for drugstore price of about $7.99 per duo. For me, I just never really felt any motivation to try these.

A negative for me, just as a personal preference, is the packaging. I find it bulky and chunky. I never use the applicator stored under the eyeshadow pans, and something about the windows make it difficult to actually get a good sense of the color from the outside. But luckily, the product doesn't disappoint. The overall pigmentation and texture is on par with pricier brands. Some other blogs complained about fall out, but I think it really depends on the shade. The frostier more metallic colors seem to be slightly less binded vs. the bright or concentrated formulas. But all in all, I didn't think it was horrible. In fact, I am glad I got to try some of these. Drugstore makeup doesn't mean that you can't have high impact looks with bright shades. Pigmentation isn't measured by a price tag.

Some of these duos were picked up recently at CVS' beauty sale at 75% discount. So if you wanted to try some fun colors but didn't want to spend a lot cash, look out for some of these shades. Check Nouveau Cheap's site for a complete list of products that are a part of CVS' clearance.

HiP Studio Secrets Professional Bright Shadow Duo in Adventurous (114).

Not a huge fan of crazy color? Definitely get this duo. The soft champagne color is just gorgeous all over the lid. I am liking the pink shade for spring.

HiP Studio Secrets Professional Concentrated Shadow Duo in Charisma (518)

This reminds me a of NARS Mesuline from the Holiday 2011 collection. The lighter shade in the HiP is more of a soft rose with golden shimmer, where as the NARS is a silvery lilac, but the dark purple shades are very similar. Dare I say I think the pigmentation in the HiP is better than the NARS duo?!

HiP Studio Secrets Professional Concentrated Shadow Duo in Cheeky (508)

HiP Studio Secrets Professional Concentrated Shadow Duo in Cheeky (508).

This one is super pretty with Adventurous. I would love to make a quad with all these shades! I will wear this for a smoky eye on Valentine's Day.

HiP Studio Secrets Professional Metallic Shadow Duo in Gilded (806).

I love how ka-pow the gold side is. It's almost like lamé. Love it. The darker shade had some fall-out.

HiP Studio Secrets Professional Metallic Shadow Duo in Gunmetal.

This is one of the ones that had slightly more fall-out than the others. Not horrible by any means, but after reading some other reviews, I noticed that was an issue for some. As I had mentioned, I think a lot has to do with the formula. I think the Metallic formula just isn't bound as well as the other formulas, thus creating fall-out. If you can get these on sale, I still think it's a pretty good deal. These colors are so pretty for a emerald smoky eye.

HiP Studio Secrets Professional Bright Shadow Duo in Roaring (234).

The flat beige is perfect for creating a crease or adding depth to the eyelid. With base and primer, the blue side really has a bright impact on the lid. I like this duo with Sassy.

HiP Studio Secrets Professional Concentrated Shadow Duo in Sassy (208).

This is a duo that definitely is less than the sum of its parts. Each shade alone is gorgeous, but worn together, you get a really muddled look. This is one duo where it's best to pair with other shades. I would try either shade with Roaring.

Have you tried HiP duos before? Which are your favorites? Have you been to CVS to see what's on Clearance?

What's That Perfume You're Wearing? Revlon Scented Nail Enamel - Not So Blueberry and Bubble Gum

January 12, 2011 by Robin Park

Not So Blueberry

Revlon has re-released scented nail enamels. These have been out in previous years, and I was excited to pick up Not So Blueberry which I had missed earlier. These scented nail polishes are fragranced even after drying. Initially I was intrigued by the novelty of it. I wondered if it would actually smell after application and how long it would last. I also worried if the fragrance would effect the formula.

The formula was a pleasant surprise. Two coats for Not So Blueberry, a shimmering purple-berry foil, to a completely opaque coverage. Bubble Gum needed three coats; it had more of a slightly transparent creme finish, though not quite jelly.

I was expecting scent, but I don't think I was expecting the degree of fragrance. I love perfume, but the fragrances radiating from my nails was actually interfering with my perfume on my body. Even after 24+ hours of wear, a shower and numerous hand scrubbings, the blueberry and bubblegum scents, which kinda just smelled the same after a while, were still going strong. So, the novelty of scented nail polish wore off faster than the actual fragrance. Also, I think it looks weird to be sniff your nails constantly. :)

Not So Blueberry

Bubble Gum

Bubble Gum actually smelled more like watermelon than gum! Sniff sniff.

Do you want your nail polish scented? What fragrance would you put in your lacquer?

Revlon Scented Nail Enamel $5 at store nation wide.

Covergirl Liquiline Blast Eyeliner in Violet Voltage 440 - Swatches and Comparisons

January 11, 2011 by Robin Park

Covergirl Liquiline Blast Eyeliner in Violet Voltage.

I don't think I actually started wearing eyeliner until my early 20s. Prior to that, I couldn't deal with eyeliners. They always smudged and left me with raccoon eyes. This was the era before the great revelation of eye primers. Since then, makeup and my techniques for application has really improved. Eyeliners have made really great leaps in the technology that goes into their formula. The ones that I like now glide on and are more gel-like in formula. There is less of that hard, waxiness that can pull and tug at the eye. The biggest improvement is that they don't transfer to my undereye area. With Asian eyes and greasy eyelids to boot, this had always been a problem. Now the best formulas really stay put.

Covergirl's Liquiline Blast Eyeliner is one of these pencils that I'm talking about. The best part is that they are very similar to their high end counterparts, like Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eyeliners, but are under $10 and are highly accessible at drugstores and large chain stores nationwide. I have even seen big sets at CostCo!

Liquiline Blast comes in six shades. My favorites are Brown Blaze (not shown) and Violet Voltage. I love these two because they are simple, *flat*, matte colors that are well-pigmented with easy application. I can add shimmer, glitter on top of the liner if I desire, or just keep is simple and neutral.

Left to right: Covergirl Violet Voltage, NYX Purple Velvet, Sue Devitt Kilimanjaro, Urban Decay 24/7 1999, Chanel Long-Lasting Eyeliner Violine.

I love how Violet Voltage is a flat, no shimmer/no glitter, deep eggplant purple. Yes, there is a lot of red in this shade, which might be undesirable for some. But I find it flattering, and I like it with my brown eyes and NC35 coloring.

Top to bottom:NYX Purple Velvet, Sue Devitt Kilimanjaro, Urban Decay 24/7 1999, Chanel Long-Lasting Eyeliner Violine.

Ingredients.

Have you tried Covergirl Liquiline Blast Eyeliner? What is the eyeliner pencil that you are using at the moment?

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips - Laced Up - Tutorial - Our First YouTube Video!

January 10, 2011 by Robin Park

Sally Hansen Salon Effects in Laced Up

New Year and new stuff at Beautyburg! We created our first video on YouTube. I had to create a video for Sally Hansen Salon Effects. This is a drugstore version of nail polish strips, like Minx and Incoco. The cost is $9.99, which is similar to other brands, but the advantage is that the distribution of Sally Hansen is much more accessable.

The reason I wanted to create a video tutorial for these was mainly because I had no idea how they worked! I had never applied a dry nail polish strip before, so I thought that I couldn't be the only one. I hope it's helpful!

The box.

Sally Hansen Salon Effects come in a variety of shades and patterns. There are neon shades, glitters and printed patterns. Each box comes with 1 application and contains: a mini nail file, a cuticle stick and 16 nail polish strips.

The contents.

Prep: file and shape, then buff.

Wipe nails with nail polish remover.

The finished product.

I personally found the process a little labor intensive. For $9.99 for 1 application, you could go to a salon and get a manicure. But I loved the funky patterns, and I received a compliment almost every where I went. Sally Hansen claims up to 10 days of wear, but I found it was closer to 5 before tippage and peeling took over. I would recommend this for a special occasion or if you want to try nail art without the hassle of Konading or attempting freehand.

Watch our video here!

Do you think Sally Hansen Salon Effects are worth the effort? Do you like patterned nail polish? Would you like to see more videos from Beautyburg?

MAC Peacocky Mega Metal Eyeshadows - Comparisons, Summary and Final Review!

January 09, 2011 by Robin Park

Hand it to MAC to come out with fifteen limited edition eyeshadows all at once. I'll keep this brief since there are a photos to get through. Mega Metal eyeshadows are a new formulation of pressed eyeshadow created by MAC for the Peacocky collection. They have great texture, color payoff, pigmentation. They are large than regular MAC eyeshadow pans (3.4g, 0.11oz vs 1.5g, 0.05oz), and they are also more expensive, $19.50 each vs. $14.50 each. However, they are a better value.

Math Breakdown (Makeup Geek Out Time)

MAC Mega Metal Shadow $19.50 each for 3.4g, 0.11oz =

$5.37 per gram, $177.27 per oz.

MAC Eye Shadow $14.50 each for 1.5g, 0.05oz =

$9.66 per gram, $290 per oz.

But if you are like me and know that you will never finish a pan. To save $, I would skip lighter, paler shades and go for the richer, more vibrant colors. In summary, get these; you will be happy.

Here are some comps for you. I apologize in advance. I don't own that many MAC perm colors. I don't think I had ever felt before that I didn't have a lot of eyeshadows before, but when trying to comp, I really felt like I was in short supply. I tried to keep these in the MAC world of eyeshadows, but many are LE or HTF (hard to find). I just put this together for those who may have some of these past LE's and may want to skip colors because they own something similar. But if you just love swatches, as I do, go ahead and knock yourself out too.

There went trying to keep things brief. I'll be quiet now. Enjoy the photos. If you missed other swatches and pictures, here are the links:

*Unless noted, all of these eyeshadows swatched are by MAC. Captions label swatches left to right. Formulation is indicated when known. If it's not there, then I wasn't sure (sorry!).

Peek-At-You, Gold Dusk (Pig.), Provence (Pig.), Femme-Fi (VP).

Prance, Shoreleve (VP), Shimmertime (Pig.), Your Ladyship (Pig.).

Dalliance, Retrospeck (L), Creme Royale (VP).

Paparazz-she, Firespot (VP), Off the Radar (Pig.), Rushmetal (Pig.).

Sexpectations, Bravado (VP), Star Violet (VP).

Tweet Me, Jardin Aires (Pig.), Melon (Pig.), YSL Eclat de Givre #2, Pink Bronze (Pig.).

Ego, Gulf Stream (F), Steel Blue (Pig.), Odalisque, Parrot (F), Teal (Pig.)

Dandizette, Silver Fog (F), Blue Flame (VP), Waft.

Noir Plum, Top Hat (SF), Satellite Dreams, Grape (Pig.).

Mating Call, Stars & Rockets, Lotusland (SF).

Top of the Posh, Apricot Pink (Pig.), Revved Up (Pig.), Pink Venus (L), Gateaux (F).

Spectacle of Yourself, Chocolate Brown (Pig.), Goldstroke (Pig.)

Centre Stage, Magnetic Fields (VP), Mauvement (Pig.)

Unflappable, Smoke + Diamonds (SF), Moth Brown (F), Sweet Sienna (Pig.).

To Review:

MAC Mega Metal Shadow $19.50 each for 3.4g, 0.11oz are limited edition at MAC counters and www.maccosmetics.com.

Pro: Pigmented, large pan, good value, great color payoff, lovely texture.

Con: (For some, the pro might be con) Large pan. Limited edition. Paler shades don't have the same level of color payoff. Pricier than regular MAC shadows (albeit larger).

Overall Beautyburg Rating: A