Review: Josie Maran Coconut Watercolour eyeshadow

I have seen this product raved about so much, that naturally, I wanted to try it out. I got the shade Rainforest Green, which is a beautiful emerald green shade, which is metallic looking and ever so slightly shimmery.

The package is quite unique, in a glass bottle that looks like a dropper. It's got a doe foot applicator and thinking about it now, it's very similar like those YSL and Giorgio Armani cream to powder eyeshadow that have been coming out recently, except this is with Coconut water.

First Impression/ use: 
I don't know what it is, but *spoiler alert* it is a hot mess of a product. Is it me? Is it the product? I really have no idea. Let's talk about it a little to see what the deal is.

I followed the instructions, so I know it's not that. I shook it to disperse the product around, as instructed, yet the bulk of the product stayed at the bottom of the bottle. I shook it harder, Nothing. I then took the applicator and tried to jimmy/ swish the product from the bottom to get it moving around. Nothing. So I'm basically left with this watery, slightly coloured, liquid. It applied like crap (because it's just "water" is a guess....).

Second point: It didn't dry. Whatever colour payoff I did get, was then also let down by the fact that it took forever to dry and I couldn't even open my eyes fully as the colour transferred to my upper lid/ crease area. So this is definitely not a product for those with hooded eyes.

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Second use: (swatched)
I wrote the start of this blog a while back and just hated this, however, just to make sure my opinion was the same, I just shook it up and swatched it on my hand and it's now "working". It swatched perfectly and mostly dried down, but it did take a good couple of minutes to do so. It wasn't wet to touch, but it was easily smeared when touched, so it never 100% fully dried.

L-R: Swatched with about 5 layers; blended out
(photo in natural sunny light)

Second use: (eyes)
As I went to use this properly, I shook it but when I gently scraped the applicator on the sides to remove excess product, it broke off! Really not having a good time with this product. I still wanted to continue testing this out, but it was uber tricky after the applicator broke on me, however, I persevered and just used a concealer brush on my eye. First layer on both eyes (one primed with a paintpot and nude eyeshadow; one completely bare) and it creased and was ultra sheer. Second layer I blended out with my finger, and it is very easy to blend. I think it applied pretty much the same on both eyes (primed and not primed).

The broken applicator :(

After 6 hours wear, it still looks the same as when first applied, so the product hasn't moved, but the lid looks extremely sheer and creased as noted when first applied. So it didn't get any worse, except for the lids. 

This is not ideal for those who like good coverage, have oily lids or are time limited. I would not recommend this to anyone who is a novice at makeup either. I feel like I have a very good handle on makeup, and just couldn't make it work. 

The 1 pro I can see out of this product. It washes off so easy. Like, just add water easy. Also could be a con though, if your eyes water or you cry easily or at photos of kittens and puppies, you're going to look like a hot mess.

It's seriously such a shame that this failed so hard for me, when opaque (swatched), it is the most prettiest emerald shade that sparkles perfectly. The only way I can see this working is if you have a lot of time up your sleeve and you love the grungy look. 


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Would I repurchase?: 
I'm so tempted to get the rose gold shade, Rio De Rose Gold, but, no. I will not be buying any more of these after the experience I had. 

Available: Mecca Maxima, Kit Cosmetics and mecca.com.au

RRP: $25

PS. if you know how you're actually supposed to use this product, please let me know. 

Fashion Edit: Gunmetal

Gunmetal! I LOVE it! It's smokey, it's rock, it's perfection!

Why do I love gunmetal? It's the perfect "inbetween" shade. It's not as harsh as black but it's not a "typical" metal like silver or gold. It's this winters "it" metal and it's easy to see why. It's the perfect accompaniment to burgundy, blue, grey and black. It stands out in an edgy way without being over the top, and one of the biggest reasons I love it, it's different. You never really see this shade around too often. 

Without further ado, here are my gunmetal must haves for this winter... 

Beauty:

* Makeup Store glitter eyeliner in "Showstopper"

$26
Makeup Store and beautybay.com

* Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in "Uzi" 
$30 (mecca), $33 (beautybay) 
Mecca Maxima, mecca.com.au and beautybay.com

* Stila Smudgestick eyeliner in "Triggerfish"
$26
Mecca Cosmetica, mecca.com.au and beautybay.com

* Australis Metallix cream eyeshadow in "Lana Del Grey"
$8.95
Priceline

* Makeup Geek eyeshadow in "Graphite" and "Stealth"
$5.99USD each
makeupgeek.com

Graphite

Stealth

* MAC Extra Dimension eyeshadow in "Legendary Lure" (due for release June/July)

MAC counters, stores and maccosmetics.com.au

* OPI nail polish in "Lucerne-tainly Look Marvellous" (Swiss collection)
$19.99

David Jones, Myer, Price Attack, selected pharmacies and nail salons

* Makeup Store Strass in "Silver Rain"
$28
Makeup Store

What do you think of gunmetal? How do you wear it?

Ardency Inn

Ardency Inn. I heard about this French cosmetics brand a long time ago. After seeing swatches on Temptalia's site I really wanted to try this brand out. Alas, here in Australia we miss out on the majority of really cool stuff but Mecca, (the gods that they are) are now stocking it! It's an online exclusive at mecca.com.au and Mecca have it exclusively in Australia. How exciting!!!

Ardency Inn's brand "theme" is about the Modster and Punk look. They boast a full range from foundation to lipsticks but it's apparent that eyeliners are definitely their "thing", which obviously works in with the punk theme they've got going on.

 It's very reasonable priced and along the prices of other popular brands like MAC and Urban Decay ($30 an eyeshadow, $28 for eyeliners etc). The only thing that I've seen that I think is WAYYY overpriced is the cute little Punker crystal studs at $57. I really wanted to grab them but definitely not at that price. 

Here's what I bought from Mecca: 
Modster Manuka Honey enriched pigment eyeshadow in Punch ($30):

Modster Smooth Ride Supercharged eyeliner in Lemon ($28):
Modster Smooth Ride Supercharged eyeliner in Turquoise ($28):

Modster Long Play Lip Vinyl in Original Mix ($34):

Swatches: Original Mix, Punch, Lemon and Turquoise

Available: online exclusively at Mecca.com.au
RRP: from $28 to $57

A random collection of comparison swatches

I'm someone who really seems to struggle with finding comparison swatches, or even swatches in general. I can never find 2 swatches of products in the one swatch when I want, so I thought I'd post a collection here of all the swatches that I've personally struggled to find. I'm sure I'm not the only one!

I hope you find this useful, and I'll keep adding to this as we go along.
All swatched on MAC NW20 skin with lightbox lighting. Click on pics for better resolution.


MAC Toldeo Chlorofill pearl glide vs MAC Sourpuss technakohl vs By Terry Green Fizz Aqua Print eyeshadow:

MAC Lady Danger lipstick vs MAC Neon Orange lipstick vs MAC Morange lipstick vs MAC Good to Go prolongwear lipstick:

Too Faced Melted Sugar vs Too Faced Melted Nude lipstick:

Things that I'm REALLY REALLY excited about! (summer preview)

As much as I love makeup and pretty things, there's actually been very little that I've been super duper excited about, for quite a while now. Well Ladies and Kittens, here I am with a couple of things to show you that I'm REALLY REALLY excited about. Not like "it's my birthday party tomorrow and I know there's gonna be cake excited" but "OMG I'M GOING TO TOUCH, FEED AND PLAY WITH BABY TIGERS AND LEMURS" EXCITED! I am literally a ball of energy when I think about these things and I cannot contain myself juhdiuehfiuseknldshguiejkcnslkdikhf is the only way is the only way I can put it haha. 

GET EXCITED WITH ME...

Credit: @Evachen212 instagram

NARS Dual Intensity blush duo:
Slated for release in the US Spring (so Autumn for us Southern Hemispherians). 
These are a blush duo with the recent new-ish formula of "dual intensity". A product that can be used wet or dry, depending on what kind of intensity you're after. 

Credit: @invictusxv instagram

Credit: @invictusxv instagram

MAC "Wet and Dry" collection: 
This is the (US) summer collection that is renowned for amazing packaging. This year it is no exception and it is STUNNING! This should be released in late May/ early June. Guess what I'm treating myself to for my birthday? 
If I own only one thing from this collection (granted there's not a lot we've seen yet), it is definitely that highlight trio! But let's be realistic, I'll probably buy everything. 

Credit: @fifi_dazzles instagram

Anastasia Beverley Hills "Pink Champagne" eyeshadow: 
Ok, so this isn't new, but ever since I saw this, I've wanted it. It is finally being re-stocked from next week onwards. It is such a pretty, metallic baby pink shade. Perfect for day or night looks. I have absolutely nothing like it and I have a lot of pink eyeshadows. It's a must have to me. 
PS. For you liquid lipstick lovers, the Liquid Lipsticks have also been re-stocked on the website now, so go get 'em before they sell out again and you have to endure an even longer wait! My picks: Vamp, Sweet Talker and Neon Coral. 

Credit: @Sssamanthaa instagram

Saucebox and Batalash eyeshadow palette collaboration: 
Ummm. How can you NOT be excited about this? Samantha from BatALash is slowly but surely taking over the world, and I like it. She is totally my girl crush and inspires me to no end. The Batalash beauties have teamed up with Saucebox to create an eyeshadow palette with some awesome shades, which will no doubt, create some awesome looks. 


What have you got your eye on coming up?

Review: Colour Pop eyeshadows

If you have Instagram, then I'm sure you've seen this brand in just about every second post. Especially if you follow the likes of Nikkie Tutorials, Chrisspy, Desi Perkins, Lustre Lux, etc, you get the drift. Basically all the "cool girls" of Instagram (doesn't it just take you back to high school...).

ColourPop are a new brand, out of California US, with interesting products. They sell 3 different types of products for only $5 each! That is CRAZY!!

* Lippie Stix: a lipstick style "pen" in funky colours that come in neutral, bright or "out there" shades, with a mix of different textures/ finishes eg, matte, glossy, satin, pearlized and hyper glossy.
* Lippie Pencil: these are corresponding shades to the Lippie Stix.
* Super Shock shadows: you can really only understand these by owning them. They are a soft, creamy, mousse style eyeshadow. Again, these come in neutral, bright and "out there" shades. They are described by Colourpop as a long wearing Creme powder eyeshadow.

They finally launched in Australia and New Zealand in December, after longing to try these for months, I finally was able to get my hands on some of their products. They really are so intriguing, most of that intrigue is definitely from other people's explanations and descriptions. Then it's the colours. Oh my, THE COLOURS, THE COLOURS!! I bought So Quiche, Girly and Tea Party as a starting point (I also bought some other stuff but I'm reviewing just the eyeshadows today).

So Quiche is a metallic finish and also a duochrome. I would describe it as an olive with purple glitters and "duochrome-ness".
Girly is a pearlized finish and reminds me of MAC's Pink Opal, but in pressed form. It is a white pearl base with subtle pink shimmer/ glimmer. It has no big glitter sparkles as the other 2 I purchased do. It is perfect as a brow (or whatever) highlight!
Tea Party is also a metallic finish and is a very light peach shade. The glitters in this, I would also say are a peachy, silvery colour.

The biggest yay (other than price of course), is the wear! OH MY! No creasing. Yup, you saw that right, absolutely no creasing at all. On first wear, I did one eye with MAC Painterly as an eyeshadow base, and one eye without anything before application. They looked basically, exactly the same as each other and as when first applied. The only slight difference was the eye with Painterly on, looked slightly more pigmented of the colours than the other eye. I could only tell up really close to the mirror and knowing that one eye had a base and one didn't. If you don't tell anyone, no one is going to know. I also have slightly oily lids, especially after 6-7 hours or so, so the fact that these didn't crease is beyond amazing and crazy. I am actually VERY surprised. I wouldn't get this with high end products. They also wore right through until I took them off with minimal fading. 

L-R: Tea Party, So Quiche and Girly.

Unfortunately, Tea Party was the sheerest when applied. It was just glitter on me with a very subtle wash of peach. The glitter in both So Quiche and Tea Party are very fine though, no chunky glitters here at all. I definitely agree when they say with the application, to use your fingers (clean them first of course *cough hygiene cough*). It definitely helps to get them packed on. Blending is smooth and reasonably effortless. I did find that when I blended out Tea Party, there was a lot of glitter and it definitely isn't a crease shade and would definitely be better suited to lid play. In saying that though, all of the shades (well the ones I have), you do lose pigment in blending them out. When using your fingers, they are easy and smooth to apply. 

Price: Holy crap, $5 EACH! I DARE you to find something this good, with this price tag....

Packaging: Everything comes in nice white packaging with holographic labelling of "Colourpop". It's sleek, simple and clean. The eyeshadows can be hard to open if you've done them up tightly though, so my advice is do them up tight, but not "too tight".

Postage: It cost me roughly an additional $13USD to ship here to Australia via USPS and it took a week and a day from when posted, which you can watch its progress through the USPS website.

Would I repurchase?: Hell yes! I am kind of waiting to see what eyeshadows shades are going to be released with the Kathleen Lights collection and go from there. I definitely want to pick up some of the crazy Lippie Stix shades like Raw and Bunny, and some more of the eyeshadow shades such as Animal and Ibiza. I am actually SO excited to have more of this brand. However, I wouldn't recommend Tea Party due to its sheerness, when so many other shades perform so much better. 


Are you looking to try these? What shades most intrigue you?  

Review: Stila Magnificent Metals eyeliner

Ok. So once upon a time I was watching a Chloe Morello video (ya know, the one with the silver eyeliner and baby pink lips that I go on about quite frequently) and I LOVED it. I loved it so much, I rushed to the interwebs to buy the lipstick she was wearing.
I also thought about that eyeliner constantly, but I was confused as to what to do. You see, I had also recently seen this amazing Stila eyeliner on beautybay (the one I'm reviewing of course). So the inner me was having a mini crisis, "do I buy the Makeup Store silver glitter eyeliner because it's so amazing and it goes with the look amazingly", and "but the Stila one is also really amazing, and it's GUNMETAL. It's not 100%, but it has silver glitter and it's GUNMETAL!".
I thought about it for 2 weeks (not kidding), and decided to go with the Stila one.

I was a little hesitant to get the Stila eyeliner, as I had heard some not-so-positive reviews regarding the Stila Magnificent Metals eyeshadow. Heard that it's apparently flakey, doesn't hold, whatever. I was like "well, it's an eyeliner, so I'm only lining my eyes vs colouring my lids in". That was my justifcation. Purchase. made.

Fresh product. See what I mean by how "wet" it looks. 

It took *forever* to arrive (about 3 weeks from the UK).
It is a dark gunmetal colour with, what I would describe, silver metallic glitter flecks.
It seems very *wet* in the pot, but applies dry, if that makes sense. So once you apply, there's no "drying time" to really consider. However, it is nothing like a gel eyeliner. It's not as opaque as a gel and it is harder to work with.

It's very smooth to apply but doesn't leave a lot of the glitter behind so you do need to pack on quite a bit to the brush to get a good coating of the glittery metallicy goodness (what I meant about being hard to work with. I just use a MAC 266). The base is very pigmented though and even just lightly touching it, you get good colour payoff, but it looks like a good quality eyeshadow vs an eyeliner.
The base itself isn't metallic at all, it really is just the "glitter" that makes it what it is.
What it looks like in the pot vs how it applies is completely different. It looks super metallicy, as you can see, but applies like a grey eyeshadow with silver flecks in it.
When packing the product onto my brush and applying, I didn't notice a lot of fallout and once on, the colour stays put. If you wanna do a smokey, this is perfect. Easily blendable. The glitter doesn't move around easily, but as a whole, easily removed with a makeup remover (I use Garnier Micellar cleansing water).

As an eyeshadow, I definitely recommend priming your eyes first as I did find it to crease on me (although I do have oily lids).

L-R: 1 light layer; packed on heavily; 2 strokes. 

That same 1 light layer; that packed swatch blended out. It would
be awesome as an eyeshadow. 

If you're after something very dark or instantly metallic, this is not the product for you. This is beautiful and unique, but I feel like you would have to specifically want this product to really justify this as a purchase. In regards to what I wanted it for, I do like it but I probably would have been better off buying the Make Up Store glitter liner, but I will still definitely use this. I think those who love and regularly do a smokey eye would love this.
I would like to get the eyeshadow version to see how it compares. The Emerald one looks gorgeous!

UPDATE: I used this as an eyeshadow for my New Years look, and it looked awesome. I suggest using this as an eyeshadow rather than an eyeliner.

Purchased from: beautybay.com. Mecca also stock it.
RRP: $37

Have you tried either this or the eyeshadow version? What are your thoughts on them?