Giorgio Armani Smooth Silk Waterproof Eye Pencil

One of my must have make up products that I always have on hand has to be eyeliner.  There are many days, especially during the summer time, where I choose to go with the whole no makeup route.  However, I never skip a bit of eyeliner.  A lot of people feel that way about their mascara, because it really helps bring out your eyes even with a bare face.  However, I am not a huge fan of mascara and try to really limit my usage of it (don't want to ruin my lashes by over curling them), so I choose to shape and bring out my eyes with a bit of eyeliner instead.

There are so many types of eyeliners on the market now.  But I tend to enjoy the old fashion eye pencil.  It gives a more natural look, making it appropriate for the day time.  However, finding the perfect eye pencil is quite difficult, especially when your lids are as oily as mine.  There are many eye pencils that market themselves as being waterproof and smudge-proof, however I find that many of them still don't hold up as well on my eyes.  There's nothing as unattractive as having raccoon-like under eyes and pencil smudged all over your lids.

But all of that has changed now, every since I've tried out the Giorgio Armani Smooth Silk Waterproof Eye Pencil.  This khol like liner is the silkiest of liners that I have ever encountered with an ulta rich color.  You honestly have to use the very slightest touch during application because it provides the intensity of a liquid liner in pencil form.

The formula is incredibly rich, and the application smooth.  add the slightest of color onto your lash line and quickly smooth out with a brush or provided smudger for the desired look.  Work quickly though, because once you give it 10 seconds to set, it's not going anywhere.  You can skip setting the liner because it won't budge from it's spot until you use a make up remover.

My problem with many out eye pencils is that I find that the product tends to migrate down to my under eyes or smudge on my lids after a few hours (especially in the heat).  However, after taking a nap on a plane and spending hours on the beach with the Giorgio Armani Smooth Silk Waterproof Eye Pencil on my lids and smoked out on my bottom lash line, my eye makeup looked as flawless as ever by the end of the day.

I have never been so impressed with an eye pencil.  And although the price for the Giorgio Armani Smooth Silk Waterproof Eye Pencil is quite hefty for a pencil liner ($29 USD), every penny is worth it seeing how very little product you need per use. I've had this liner for about two month now and I haven't even gotten halfway through the pencil yet.  This has definitely turned into one of my cult products that I will always return to.

xoxo,

Eve

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24HR Foundation

I've been so committed to my Chanel foundations for the past year that it's been a while since I've convinced myself to branch out a bit and try something different.  Hence, it's been a while since I've done a full foundation review.  Lancome's Teint Idole Ultra 24HR Foundation has definitely been on my radar to try out, and because of it's amazing reviews in the beauty community I decided to finally give it a go.

The Teint Idole Ultra 24HR is marketed as a divine foundation with lasting perfection, providing you with a flawless base all day long.  It's light texture blends incredibly smoothly onto the skin, leaving you with a natural, velvety finish.  While being light weight and water resistant, it's medium coverage evens out any discoloration and balances the texture of your skin.

I have to say, the Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24HR Foundation has to be one of the best I've tried out thus far, especially during the warmer months. I've tested it out for a little over 2 months now and it definitely lives up to it's claims for being long lasting.

I found the best application method, like most of my other foundations, are with my clean fingers.  I am able to blend in the foundation more evenly, and smoothly onto my skin.  And it also gives my face a more natural finish, just adding the right amount of coverage.

I put the Teint Idole Ultra 24HR foundation through two tests.  The first, a 4 hour flight from Chicago to Miami.  I have never really found a foundation that sat comfortably on my skin throughout an entire flight, until now.  I usually break out if I decide to wear makeup on flights longer than 1 hour.  However, with the Teint Idole Ultra 24HR, my skin was as normal as ever at the end of the flight and my makeup looked as fresh as upon first application.  It's nice walking off a plane look refreshed and not having to rush to the nearest bathroom to touch up or wash up.

The second test was definitely the time I spent in South Beach Miami.  How long wearing is the Teint Idole Ultra 24HR going to be exactly? Well nothing's a better test than the humid, almost scorching sun down in Miami, Florida.  I almost opted out of wearing foundation altogether.  Let's be honest, having your makeup melt away in the heat throughout the day is not an attractive look.  However, after reading up about the Teint Idole Ultra 24HR I thought it might be able to withstand any weather.  After a long day shopping in the sun and laying out by the ocean, I looked in the mirror about 10 hours later and found my foundation still going strong (with only very little blotting necessary because of the sweat from the heat).  There was not caking or patchiness, and my skin still looked as even as ever (with no powder necessary).  

The Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24HR has definitely left a great impression for me and will remain one of my top 3 foundations for everyday (and special occasion) uses.  So if you're looking for a great foundation to work with for this summer, definitely give it a try.  You won't be disappointed.

xoxo,

Eve

China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy

The past weekend definitely gave everyone int he city a glimpse of what Summer is going to be like around here.  It had to be the best weather we've had this year, thus far, and I definitely took advantage of every minute.  Because of the amazing sunshine, I decided to go for a bright and fun polish to kick off the warm season.

Because I have been enjoying China Glaze polishes for the entire month of May, I decided to pick up on of the most talked about colors in there collection, Flip Flop Fantasy.  I believe it was released last summer, and really became a hit in the beauty blogger world.  Because of it's bright and bold color, it's a really popular shade for the season.

Bright pinks are really popular for the summer, and Flip Flop Fantasy is definitely a bolder pink.  The shade is true to color on your nails, and definitely makes a statement.  It's a nice, opaque shade of polish.  But I did notice that the brighter, bolder polishes in the China Glaze line dry a bit matte (not entirely matte but they definitely don't have that glossy finish).  So because of that, I definitely would recommend a top coat over it to give it that nice, glossy finish.  But because of the formula, it dries very quickly after application.

I did enjoy this shade because it was fun to wear, and it did get a lot of attention.  However, I do think it'll be more appropriate for my toes than my fingers.  I tend to get a bit distracted when I wear colors as bold as Flip Flop Fantasy on my fingers (especially while I am driving).

Definitely a great pick for the Summer!

xoxo,

Eve

Nails Inc. Giveaway!!! (CLOSED)

Alright readers, it's been quite a while since I've done one of these but here's another one for all of you! I decided to pick up one of these fantastically sparkly nail polish sets to give away to one of my amazing followers.  This set was released during the Holiday season at Sephora, and when I saw that they had a few left I wanted to share it with one of you.

These glittery top coats are a great addition to any polish lovers collection.  They add that bit of bling to your nails that are perfect for that touch of glamour.  Make your nails a part of your accessories when styling any look.

Along with the Nails Inc. polish set, I wanted to throw in these nail art stickers (which are very similar to the Sally Hansen and Essie stickers) as an extra treat!

With that being said, here are the rules to enter.

RULES:

1. Must be a follower of mine here on Blogspot (you can follow me by clicking on the follow button on the top left hand side).

2. Must leave ONE comment on THIS POST.  You can comment/ask anything you'd like.

3. Must re-post this on either your blog, luuux, tumblr, etc. (LEAVE THE LINK TO YOUR RE-POST IN THE COMMENTS ALONG WITH YOUR COMMENT).

4. Must be 18 or older (or have your parents permission to provide me your mailing address).

This giveaway is open to BOTH International and U.S./Canada residents and will last one month (ENDING ON SATURDAY, JUNE 15th). 

Good Luck!!!

FTC: This is not a sponsored giveaway.  I am not getting paid or receiving anything for hosting this giveaway, and everything was purchased with my own money.

xoxo,

Eve

China Glaze Sea Spray

After re-organizing my nail polish stash, I decided that I don't give my China Glaze polishes enough love.  So I decided to dedicate most of the month of May to my China Glaze polishes.  After a week of showing off For Audrey on my fingers, I decided to tone it down a bit and go for a polish that is a bit more neutral and wearable.  So when I came across China Glaze Sea Spray, I thought that it would be a perfect choice for the past weekend.

Because the past few days have been incredibly cloudy and just not summer like, Sea Spray is the perfect blue/gray polish to depict that.  Because it has a toned down look, it really goes well for any occasion and really looks good against most any skin tone.  More of a laid back, easy to wear polish without attracting much attention while while still being beautiful.

Again, the formula of the China Glaze polishes are great, with this shade being incredibly creamy and applies very evenly in just one coat.  The only thing I would have to pick at when it comes to Sea Spray is that it does chip quicker than any of my other favorite polishes.  I think after 3 days of wearing the polish, I noticed it chipping on both hands.  I think adding one more coat the next time I decide to wear the shade would make it more durable.

xoxo,

Eve

China Glaze For Audrey

The most well known polish from the China Glaze line that I know of has to be For Audrey.  I remember when it was first released everyone wanted to get their pretty little fingers on the polish because of it's strong resemblance to the Tiffany & Co. blue shade.  I actually held off on getting the polish for a few months because I didn't think blue polishes looked so great against my skin tone.  So it wasn't until some time around Summer of last year that I picked up For Audrey.

Because brighter, bolder colors were such a summer trend (and still is), I thought it would be nice to give the shade a try.  And I thought it I didn't like it on my fingers, then it'll always be good on my toes.

I can understand why there was a lot of hype around the polish.  It is a beautiful blue that does remind me of the Tiffany blue, however the photo swatch does not do this polish justice.  I am absolutely in love with the formula and opacity of the polish.  Since there is very little streaking and the polish applies so evenly, you can probably get away with using one even coat.

Definitely a great Spring/Summer and vacation color to have on hand.

xoxo,

Eve

Mom's Chanel Haul

Mother's Day is just around the corner and what better way to really show your Mom some appreciation than by pampering her? Because our Chanel counter was having a nice event, we decided to gift our Mom with a few new products before Mother's Day.  She was running a little low on a few of her skincare products (which she so generously shares with me), so this was definitely a great opportunity to re-stock her stash for her.

And of course while I was there I picked up one (or two) items for myself.  I know I couldn't help it!

Blush Duo Tweed Effect 50 Tweed Sienna

Nourishing Mascara Base

Hydra Beauty Serum

Purifying Cream Mask

Extra Radiance Exfoliating Gel

Gentle Hydrating Toner

And of course because we were at the event they were so nice enough to toss in a very nice makeup bag with a few extra goodies (which are great for traveling).

She is definitely loving everything, and so am I.  Keep an eye out for reviews on some of the products, which should be coming up in the next two weeks!

xoxo,

Eve

Jo Malone Haul

Jo Malone has been greatly talked about, especially in the UK.  However, whenever I pass by their section int he mall I just get so overwhelmed by the amount of scents they have and usually don't give them a try.  I've always been safe when it comes to fragrances, sticking to the scents I know I already love and work for me.  Also, because I am kind of picky with my scents, it's quite hard to add a new love to my collection.  That is, until now.

While I was at Nordstrom, I decided to give Jo Malone a try.  Their packaging is just too hard to resist.  What made my experience 100 times better was the service that I received at their counter.  They weren't just Nordstrom sales associated trying to sell you any scent.  Instead, they were experts from the Jo Malone brand that were so helpful and patient with helping me pick out the right fragrance for me.

So what did I end up with?

Wild Bluebell Cologne

Wild Bluebell Body Creme

I absolutely love that they call their scents colognes instead of perfumes.  It makes it feel more expensive and classic.

Along with my purchases they threw in some amazing samples for me to try (always great!):

Wild Bluebell Body/Handwash

Blackberry and Bay Body Creme

Grapefruit Cologne

Nectarine and Honey Cologne

English Pear and Freesia Cologne

White Jasmine and Mint Cologne

Wild Bluebell Cologne

These little samples are going to be great to have on hand in my bag.  I definitely will be reviewing my two big purchased from Jo Malone separately, so keep an eye out for them!

xoxo,

Eve

Stuart Weitzman 'Diplille' Pumps

It's been a while since I've done a fashion post, so I thought I'd share the latest pair of shoes I was gifted with by a great friend.  I have always coveted Stuart Weitzman shoes, and who wouldn't? So when I received these Stuart Weitzman 'Diplille' Pumps in the mail I was incredibly excited.

Nothing's better than the perfect pair of nude pumps, and these Stuart Weitzman 'Diplille' Pumps are definitely a beautiful pair.  It's a gorgeous pair of patent leather pumps (softest patent leather I have ever seen), with a 5" heel.  Yes the heel is pretty high, but the 1 1/2" platform makes it incredibly comfortable to wear.  What I love about Stuart Weitzman shoes is their attention to detail, and the classic Stuart Weitzman button on the back heel of the pumps are the perfect detail for the shoes.

The sad part? These shoes are a half size too big for me.  And I did try to make them work, but for pumps to be comfortable to walk in, they need to fit well.  So what did I do instead? I passed these along to one of my best girl friends whom I know will appreciate these as much as I would.  And let me tell you, she definitely makes them look great!

xoxo,

Eve