I honestly have no idea where July went - it seems like just yesterday I was so excited about getting to wear tropical scents and now everybody is putting out "back to school" signs and apple-scented everything. We've still got some summer left, though, and even though the weather here is more towards the "wash you away" side than the "bask in the sun" side, I'm going to enjoy what's left!
Speaking of enjoying summer things, why don't we take a look at all the things I was enjoying during the month of July? You may want a snack and a comfy seat, 'cause there were a lot of them!
Favs:
Fav Potentially Problematic Mascara:
IT Cosmetics Tightline Full Lash Length Black Mascara Primer
That's quite a long name for quite an awesome product! This mascara primer has a little tiny wand that is just the perfect size to use on my lower lashes. It says it's a primer, but I find that it works perfectly on it's own and doesn't really need anything on top. The bad news about this product? L'Oreal just bought the company. (IT cosmetics was cruelty-free, L'Oreal is not.) It remains to be seen if IT Cosmetics retains it's cruelty-free status (Urban Decay did, after all), but I am only cautiously optimistic.
Fav Shine Killa:
Paula's Choice Shine Stopper Instant Matte Finish with MICROSPONGE Technology
Another hugely long name for another holy grail product. I have some seriously oily skin and it tends to be rather humid in the building where I work so I'm usually a mess by the time I get home. Once I started using this on top of my foundation? I found that not only did my foundation stay put all day, I actually stayed matte enough that I could add some highlighter without feeling like my face was already one big highlight. No other "mattefying" product I have ever tried has even come close to working this well. I sound like I'm being paid to promote this but I swear I'm not!
Fav "Flop to Fav" Turnaround:
Physicians Formula Eyeliner
What? I know, right? It wasn't even two months ago that I was dissing this product and bemoaning its lack of pigment. Well, lemme 'splain. First off, I found out that there are two kinds of "black" in the Physician's Formula Eyeliners - "black" and "ultra black". The one I had was "black" which, it's true, lacks oomph. So I picked up the "ultra black" instead and oh, man, pigment for days! Strangely, however, I've also found the "black" liner useful for days where I want a softer look. So yeah, with the stay-put formula and precision brush tip, I think this one may beat out my Kat Von D Tattoo liner after all!
Fav One from the Vault:
Fyrinnae Pressed Shadow in Steampunk
So Fyrinnae recently started re-releasing their pressed shadow line (they usually deal only in loose powders) and man, I wish there was any kind of photography method that could do justice to the gorgeousness that is "Steampunk". This is one of their "Arcane Magic" shades that shift with the light - this one sometimes looking copper with bronze flecks and shifting to gold and green.
Fav YouTube Nerd Ambassador:
ohJaeChaos
Listen, guys, I'm getting you in on the ground floor of this one. ohJaeChaos may not have many subscribers right now, but such an insanely talented makeup artist won't stay small for long! With killer looks, boundless creativity, and a goofy, fun personality, I'm expecting her channel to blow up any day now.
Fav "Why is this so good" Palette:
BH Cosmetics Foiled Eyes
I actually picked this palette up after Temptalia reviewed it, giving it a surprising "A" grade. It's official price is $19.00, but if you've been around BH Cosmetics for very long, you know that you never have to actually pay full price for one of their products. You just have to wait for a sale event and you'll usually get 50% or more off. In actuality, I ended up paying $8.00 for the whole thing. And wow, what a deal! The colors in this palette are incredibly pigmented, smooth, and buttery, with some really cool, interesting shades you don't tend to see very often, like that bright yellow! Some of the shades don't perform quite as well (but still not all that badly) and honestly? For $8.00 I can handle a few semi-duds.
Fav It's-about-time TV Show:
Elena of Avalor
I know this show isn't exactly aimed at my age bracket, but that's not gonna stop me from loving it. It really hits a lot of right notes: It's based on Latin culture, which has kind of been a gaping hole in Disneyana up until now, it's got a lead princess who is both incredibly strong on her own but also willing to learn from her mistakes and the people around her, another princess who's an engineer (!) in the making, strong family bonds, lots of great songs, some beautiful animation and gorgeous set design, and did I mention flying jaguars? Though honestly I think I enjoy this show the most because it actually addresses one of my biggest frustrations with Disney Princesses - the fact that actually ruling the kingdom and taking care of the people who live there is supposed to be royalty's real job, not just swanning about at balls in pretty dresses. But that is a topic for another day.
There are only two real flaws I can gripe about: First, Esteban, who is kind of a quasi-villain who is supposed to be advising Elena and always steers her wrong. I mean, I would think that after the first couple times they would wise up and not listen to him anymore? It's also unclear if he's trying purposely to lead Elena astray to steal power for himself, or if he's just a moron. Second is Elena's backstory, which was described in a five minute spiel in the first episode which ended up making me feel more like I had missed out on an entire season than like I was up to speed. Luckily, supposedly a special is currently in development that will flesh everything out. I am looking forward to it!
Flops:
Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara
I really wanted to love this mascara. I mean, look at that packaging! It's such a cool color, with the fake "water" droplets all over it. Unfortunately, it was just kind of a mess from start to finish. The brush made application difficult, with more mascara ending up on my lids than my lashes, and the formula just never seemed to dry on me, leaving smudges under my eyes all day long. Not what I want from a waterproof mascara.
Kat Von D Serpentina Palette
Another product I wanted to love so badly! I adored the Egyptian theming and I had heard that this palette's formula was supposed to be just like the Kat Von D Metal Crush eyeshadows, so I thought it would be a less expensive way for me to acquire a range of colors over buying the singles. Well, I should have just shelled out the cash for the singles and drawn an ankh on top. Not only are the colors for the most part uninspiring, and prone to a LOT of fallout, the two matte shades in the palette are both hot messes, patchy and lacking in pigment, even over primer. What a disappointment. Even the packaging, though pretty, severely misses in the practicality department, There is a lip on the inside of the box that catches all that loose powder left over when you use the shadows, making it difficult to keep clean.
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| They actually photograph a lot better than they look in person, strangely. |
The launch was kind of a nightmare, too with extremely limited amounts being released at first and selling out so quickly that it would disappear out of the cart as you were checking out. I don't know if this was a mistake or an attempt to create false scarcity (as if a limited edition palette wasn't going to do that already) but either way it did not endear me to the brand one bit. If I hadn't thrown the box away, this one would have been returned.
And that's it for this month's favs and flops! Did you have any great or not-so-great products you found this month? Let me know in the comments!
And until next time, thanks for hanging out!
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