Color Club/Art Club review

Where have you been all my life, Color Club/Art Club?!

The holidays are coming up and I am going to be featuring some awesome brands and products to give to any fellow beauty junkie!

Rave #1: Color Club Lip Glosses (from L to R: Red Dress, Pink Power, Juicy Jolt, Party Girl)

-Red Dress: Ohhh my, goodness. If any lip product could give the appearance of Dorothy's ruby slippers, THIS is the one! It looks best over a red lipstick, or a red lipliner if you're not a fan of lipstick. However, I am a HUGE fan of lip stick so I have every intention of wearing this to holiday parties. As soon as I swiped it on my lips, I felt so much more festive and cheery, that says a lot coming from somebody who has been somewhat of a Scrooge this year! I think this gloss cured my "Bah humbug!" blues...
-Pink Power: This is an electrifying bright pink. Perfect for me, it goes with any bright pink lipstick. My lipstick arsenal contains mostly reds, corals, and bright pinks so this adds a perfect touch to the days I feel like rocking a super bright pink. I noticed this stuff is quite pigmented yet the color is still very build-able if you're nervous about rocking such a hot color.
-Juicy Jolt: What an awesome fruity color! The color reminds me of fresh melons/cantaloupes! This shade, like Pink Power, is quite pigmented yet build able if you don't want a bright orange mouth. You can blot it down as a stain if the light stained effect is more your forte. Or you can wear it in all it's bright glory (like I prefer too!)
-Party Girl: This is beyond gorgeous. It's definitely not a one dimensional color, it shows hues of dark berry, red, and a deep rosy pink. When I wore it in the natural sun, it looked like a gorgeous deep berry red with tints of pink. However, when I checked it in my bathroom mirror, it looked more of a red pink. I love colors that change with lighting, it's like getting to wear a few different looks all at once! This color is just so dang pretty, you can apply it opaquely or blot it down for a gorgeous stain.

*However, with all of Color Club glosses, I recommend wearing them in their full glory...the colors are too gorgeous to not show them off!*

The verdict: You NEED to check out Color Club lip glosses! The colors I featured are pretty bold, but that's my preference. This review only represents four glosses out of many shades that are so worth checking out! I love the formula as well! Why don't you see for yourself which shades catch your eye?

Rave #2: Art Club Nail Color

The mini-holiday kit is PERFECT for the holidays! This kit comes with three very festive and sparkly colors: green, red and silver! Also, a clear topper to seal in the color. The green and red are somewhat see-through but you can layer coats to make the color more opaque or you can use a color base in red or green and then top it with the glitter to really a pack a colorful punch! However, I have been wearing these beautiful colors for 3 days now and I haven't had a problem with chipping...and I didn't even use the top clear coat! However, it's always recommended because everybody is different and what works for some, may not work for others.

The awesome thing about Art Club is the various collections you can choose from, there is one kit that includes metallic shades (gold, bronze, and silver!) with funky crystals and jewels to add to top off your design or if you're really crafty, you could use the little jewels in makeup application. For example, I was trying out a "Teardrops On My Guitar" inspired look, and I glued the mini stars from the "Pretty Shiny Things" on my face with false eyelash adhesive.

Note:However, if you're going to take that route, always be careful and keep eye safety in mind during application!

Check out all the awesome nail colors for yourself, the possibilities for creating your own designs are endless!


A VERY special thanks to Color Club/Art Club for being the awesome brand you are and for letting me feature you on my blog for my readers and for reviewing these products!

Read more...

Just a quick update!

I just got home to our new place after 4 days at a hotel while our floors were getting re-done, and I came home to some great stuff that I will be featuring on here very soon! I have some catching up to do!

Expect a HUGEEEEE rave about Color Club/Art Club probably tomorrow or so!

I hope you all had an amazing weekend!

-Ash

Read more...

Graftobian review (part 2!)

Graftobian has been around for decades serving artists who specialize in all areas of makeup artistry (beauty makeup, stage/theatrical makeup, movies/television to name a few!). In my opinion, Graftobian should be every makeup artist's go-to store for all makeup-related needs! However, you don't have to be a professional to enjoy Graftobian's many different products. Everything you need (for professional and just-for-fun use) can be found at Graftobian. Here is my first post on Graftobian for reference: Graftobian review- part one!I think it's awesome that Graftobian products are made *in* America, so this is truly an American-made company! Here is a list of some amazing Graftobian products. Just click the
links to find out more information about each product listed!

Lipstick
I have "Hot Pink", and recently purchased from a costume shop around Halloween "Red" and "Red Glitter". All I have to say is the color is opaque and beautiful. It can definitely be sheered down if applied with a lip brush. However, if you're like me and you love opaque lip colors, this is perfect for you. No dryness observed, no bothersome taste/smell. You don't even have to purchase a full stick of color, you
can also choose a cup (lipstick in dish form). You can also purchase palettes of cool and warm shades, speciality shades, and even a lip gloss palette! There is a "Super Lip Palette" available, this palette comes with 18 shades that can be mixed to create your own custom shades. In fact, a few of the shades have been inspired by M.A.C shades! The colors are saturated and beautiful and have very impressive staying power!

Setting Spray
I can't wait to rave about this one, it is the perfect setting to creme/liquid makeup! I held the bottle about 9 inches from my face and closed my eyes and sprayed once. Let it dry for about 30 seconds, sprayed once again, and that was all I needed to keep my makeup fresh! You can spray a few more layers if you would like to (after allowing adequate time to dry, of course) to create an extra strong "barrier" to withstand from humidity and any other possible factor that might get in the way of keeping your makeup perfect for hours! I find that it works best applied like so: first use a regular makeup base, apply your creme/liquid makeup, hold the bottle quite a few inches from your face, close your eyes, spray, let dry, spray another layer, let dry, and that should hold your makeup for hours and hours and hours! I keep this in my makeup bag at all times but in my experience, I have never had to use it more than the initial application because it has never let me down. I highly recommend this!

Luster Cremes/Powder
This stuff is super gorgeous. There are 24 possible shades to choose from. The colors are so beautiful and the creme leaves a slight sheen that is absolutely gorgeous on your lids. After intial application, you can top the creme with the coordinated luster powder and it intensifies the color in the most perfect and flattering way you could possibly think of. You can choose from neutral browns and bronzes, or if you're more daring, you could try bright blues and yellows and pinks and purples! It has very impressive staying power without an eyeshadow primer, but for extra long staying power or if your eyeshadow typically creases after a short time of wear, I would strongly recommend using your regular eyeshadow primer.

Pressed Powder - Blush
Wow, this stuff is PIGMENTED! There are 16 possible shades, I truly believe there is a shade for any and every skin tone! I used my E.L.F Powder Brush (similar to MAC #187) and swirled the brush on top of the blush like I normally would, and even one swirl picked up way too much product so a little bit goes a long way. That is one of the best things about Grafotbian products; only a bit goes a long way. That means tons of saved product, and that's always a plus in these tough economic times! I tried "Sunset Peach" and it brought my very fair neutral complexion to life! I don't think any other blush has ever made my skin look so fresh and radiant using such a small amount of product!

Hi-Def Glamour Creme foundation
I love the fact that Graftobian lists other brands equivalent to make it easier to find your perfect shade! This foundation looks gorgeous in pictures! I have a thyroid condition so I usually have to use a separate concealer on my cheeks to conceal redness associated with a thyroid condition, but words cannot describe how cool (and time-saving) it was for me to actually skip the extra concealer step. This covers wonderfully, and I love the buildable coverage! I highly recommend this creme foundation for anybody who needs light to heavy coverage, I think it's very very buildable!

Hi-Def Glamour Creme Super Palettes
These palettes are wonderful. These are staples for ANY aspiring/established makeup artist, and even for the girl who might need a custom foundation shade! I mixed my "neutral" and "warm" palette in the lightest shade available for a flawlessly perfect match. My sister used my "Warm" palette that held up for hours while she was at a No Doubt concert, and my mom has been regularly using my "Warm" palette as a foundation and using another shade as a concealer. Also, there is a pro-pack available! For $259.56, you can get one each of the available four HD creme palettes! This special deal also comes with a corrector palette! If you are an aspiring/established makeup artist or even somebody who would like to have every foundation shade available from Graftobian's Hi-Def creme foundation line, I highly suggest this special offer!

Cake Eyeliner
Although there are two shades to choose from (brown and black), the number of uses is quite impressive! I imagine that the cake eyeliner would also be a wonderful eye brow filler for brunettes or if used with a light hand (in the brown shade), medium to dark blondes! I like to apply this cake eyeliner wet with an angled brush, allow it time to dry, and then go over the line with a dry angled brush. It keeps the eyeliner in place and you can smudge it a bit with any eye brush with a spongey smudge tip for a natural or slightly smokey look that is always attractive: any place, any time. Also, you can use it to deepen the crease of a smokey brown or grey/black eye. See? I told you it had many uses! :)

Glitter Glam Liquid Sparkle
These are so much fun!!! For some reason, these remind me of the glam rock era and the old once famous club setting of Studio 54 in NYC circa the 1980's. I applied "Blue Blast" over one of my brightest pink lipsticks and added a clear gloss on top and I could not stop staring at my lips! The blue sparkle was beyond mesmerizing. Try it out for yourself, you probably won't be able to stop staring at yourself! I had an idea for a way to wear this, but I have yet to try it out... You could use (or make) your own stencil of a small design (a heart, for example), and then brush the liquid sparkle over the stencil. Hold it there for about 2 minutes, and lift the stencil and make your own awesome glitter temporary "tattoo". I think that sounds pretty cool and I can't wait to try it, maybe it's just the girl in me who loves everything and anything sparkly!

So to sum this entry up, Graftobian is wonderful and highly recommended to ANYBODY who has an interest or career in makeup. It's affordable, and the quality of the products is top-notch!

Check out the online catalog of products to purchase, or find the nearest retailer!

-Ashley

Read more...

Special holiday offer from Armour Beauty!

Right now, Armour Beauty is offering a "2 for 1" deal on their lip gloss! That's right, TWO lip glosses for the price of one ($19)! I will be posting a review of their lip glosses very soon! You can choose from opaque or shimmer shades/finishes and the colors are gorgeous and the names are really cute!

All you have to do to get this amazing deal is to type in: HOLIDAY09 at check out!

Check out the collection at ArmourBeauty.com

Read more...

Eyeko mascara review

This mascara is a part of the limited edition Eyeko Couture line so if I were you, I would get my hands on this baby before it's gone for good!

First of all, I love the packaging. Purple is one of my favorite colors and I love the little silver design on the tube. It's so pretty and very nice to look at and it looks beautiful in my train case. Now I'll describe the actual beauty of the product result, rather than just the container...

I love the design of how the wand comes out of the tube, usually I find myself having to wipe off the wand with a tissue because most mascaras tend to deposit way too much product on the wand! But then when I wipe it, all that extra product gets wasted! However, when I pull the brush out, it kind of does that part for me but there's no product waste! It gives you exactly what you need and you can add more, but there won't really be any waste at the time of application. That factor alone made this mascara stand out amongst the others I have tried.

This mascara passed my 'side view' test. Before I continue, I should probably explain that little test I conduct of mascaras. After I apply mascara, I hold a mirror to the side of my head and I look at my eyelashes from a side view. "Magic Mascara" passes the 'side view' test. You should try it out for yourself the next time you apply mascara, it really does help. Sometimes when I don't have a mirror handy but want to see how my mascara is holding up, I snap a picture with my camera phone of my eyelashes from a "bird's eye" view. Eyeko's "Magic Mascara" did very well with that test as well. I highly recommend this.

Check out Eyeko's website here!

Until next time,
Ashley

Read more...

Sp3ctrum review

I love when a brand not only delivers high quality products but also gives back to a cause. A childhood friend of mine had an autistic brother, so I really think it's awesome that 30% of proceeds from purchased items marked as "ɐ spectrum" go to Autism Research & Education! Way to go, sp3ctrum! Okay, now I'll get onto the review:

Oh snap, I think M.A.C pigments have some serious competition! I was convinced no other brand would tear me from my beloved M.A.C but I think Spe3ctrum might be my 'pigment' mistress...These pigments feel so light on your skin and can be used as a highlight, used with a damp brush for an eyeliner, an all-over wash of color on your lid, or even in your crease to add depth and dimension! I love the fact that even people with the most sensitive of skin can wear these gorgeous pigments, I know so many girls who have chronic skin problems and they want to wear makeup but most makeup irritates their skin. Of course, I was far from shy from spreading the word to them...and now let me spread the word to YOU!

You can browse by color family, and/or by your eye color!
Check out the full list here!

From L to R: Caution, Midas, Go!, Glacierz, Mocha Mojo


Seriously, how gorgeous are these colors?! Caution is a perfect stand alone yellow color, I love to use it for inner corner with my green eyeshadows. Midas tops Caution beautifully adding the most gorgeous golden sheen imaginable. Go! is a stunning frosty turquoise. Have you seen (discontinued) fan favorite M.A.C eyeshadow in Parrot? Okay, take that color and add about 100x watts of beautiful light sheen and there's your color! Glacierz is a gorgeous light blue that reminds me of Cinderella's light blue gown after a visit from her apparently stylish Fairy Godmother! It makes a gorgeous wash of color on my lid and pulls out the golden flecks in my light brown eyes! Mocha Mojo is a stunning color. When I first swatched it on my hand, I was in LOVE. I mix a pinch of it with my mineral bronzer and the effect it gives to the apples of my cheeks is out of this world, like intergalactic chicness!

I tried taking swatches of these gems with my cell phone camera because my digital camera broke, but that does NOT give it justice. If you would like to see some swatches, check out Niki's awesome review.

Check out Sp3ctrum ASAP! Put checking out this brand at the top of your "beauty to-do" list!

-ashley

Read more...

Whoa, sorry it's been such a long time! I've been having lots of health problems lately and been practically living at hospitals and doctors office and physical therapy for the past several weeks but I'm going to catch up! I promise!

My URL is no longer http://www.lipstickncandy.com, it's http://www.lipstickncandy.blogspot.com

As well as a new URL, I also have a new email address!

You can email me at my new email address: lipstickncandycigarettes@gmail.com

Read more...