Aug 27, 2012

Smoke And Mirrors


Sometimes, no matter how good things might seem to be, there are times when in reality, they really aren't all that.

I was excited to find the new Smoked collection by Urban Decay at my local shop. The colors looked amazing, and couldn't wait to bring it home and begin playing. 

I am a huge fan of Urban Decay, and started using their eye shadows as far back as when the brand was thought "scandalous" for their raunchy names. I love Flipside, Mildew, and Toasted to name a few. 

So, I have to say, I was a bit dismayed when after swatching these shades, I found the colors to be a little lack luster. Urban Decay is known for its unusual shades, super shimmer, and wear-ability. These really were nothing that I couldn't have gotten for much cheaper with another brand. 


They looked fabulous in the palette, and some of the hues are indeed pretty, but for $49, I thought that they were too sheer, and didn’t really provide the "smoke" look that I was hoping for. Shown here are Kinky,(light beige) Barlust,(soft brown) Rockstar,(purple)  Mushroom, (beige) Evidence,(dark blue) and Loaded (green) with Asphalt,(deep gray) at the very top.


Three of my picks from this set are Barlust, a soft, golden brown; Loaded, a shimmer green; and Rockstar, a deep purple. When applied at the outer edges of eyes they seem to work better and actually show up, but when applied as a lid color they seem to smear a bit and the color payoff leaves a bit to be desired. 






This is a fun kit if you want a special look for a night out, but I wouldn't reach for it on an everyday basis. The colors are not that wearable, and again, nothing I haven’t seen before.


Overall, I would give this a "B" rating. The kit does come with a fairly generous size of eye shadow primer potion, and a full size 24/7 liner in perversion.  


Until next time~

Hugs and Hearts
BellevueGrl


Photo Credits:

All photos are property of the blog owner, and may not be used without permission.
BellevueGrl Productions, 2011.



Aug 13, 2012

Proud As A Peacock



I have never been disappointed in Kiss Products. Everything from their French Nail Tips to their wonderful Nail Dress kits have always been superior.


I recently tried Sally Hansen and was not impressed with the quality of their nail strips and went back to using Kiss, and Broadway nail products. 



These are simply gorgeous! There are 28 in a set, which gives you enough for 2 uses, and can be used for toes as well as nails. I find that the sizes included in this set are much more flexible than the other brands, and I love the price! 



This fashionable peacock design was only $6.99 compared to the usual $9.99 or $10.00 for the other nail strips out there. 




What's even better is that these will allow for a top coat, which seals them to your nails a bit longer, and prevents lifting. I can usually get about 5 days of wear from these, if not longer.



If you haven't tried them, you'll be pleasantly surprised. 



Flaunt it! 




Until next time~

Hearts and Hugs
BellevueGrl 



Photo Credits:

All photos are property of the blog owner, and may not be used without permission. 
BellevueGrl Productions, 2011.