Essence Stay All Day Long Lasting Eyeshadows - Copy Right and Glammy Goes To

Dear Essence Stay All Day Long Lasting Eyeshadows,

Always one to jump on the bandwagon at the very last second, I picked you up in Priceline when you were on sale for half price due to the fact that you are soon to be discontinued. Though I appreciated the discount at the time, I appreciate it even more now after having gotten to know you and discover that you really aren't anything at all like your cousin Eye Souffle in Pas Des Copper (the most beautiful cream shadow in the world). In fact, initially I was devastated that you were going to be discontinued  but this was prior to having worn you on my eyelids you see, and I have since changed my mind and consider it to be a blessing to us all.

Do you really think you can rightfully call yourself cream shadows? Really? I don't know if all your siblings are like yourself, but from what you have shown me you are not at all like a cream but rather a solid block of shiny rock. Maybe you are just old and past your use by date, but honestly, I struggled to even get a swatch out of you let alone actually wear you on my eyelids. Not impressed, not impressed.

When I did carve a somewhat dangerous looking lump out and furiously slap it across my eyelids I found that unless I dragged you painfully back and forth, you did not transfer what could be a beautiful pigmented but rather rolled up in a ball and refused to cooperate. I didn't let you win, of course, and forced you to work, but you were resistant and in the end you won, flaking all over the place and dispersing colour unevenly across my eyelids, making me look ridiculous.

I will, however, grant you one thing - you did last all day, in fact after kicking and screaming during application, you finally settled down and rested on my eyelids, only to hang on tight and refuse to come off when required. I must say, I wasn't at all impressed with your inability to cooperate and I certainly shall not be working with you anytime in the near future.

I don't want to sound too bitter, after all you do look quite presentable in your packaging. I like the fact that you come in a lovely little tub with a raised dome shaped lid. I even like the design you display on top and the way in which you change colour according to the shade that you are. Your shade names are alright, nothing special but not too hopeless.

I know that you call yourselves residents of the great land Essence, but I really don't see it. In my experience Essence products, whilst affordable like yourselves, are of a high quality in beautiful shades and textures. You really do not belong and you are a disappointment.

I am willing to grant you the benefit of the doubt and suggest that perhaps you were just the runt of the litter - that your fellow Stay all day long lasting eyeshadows were of a better quality than you and that you are just old and over it, but you really were hopeless.

I give you 3/10.

Yours sincerely,

Critical Beauty Blogger
YouReview

Sale - FOA Glitterati polishes for 75c

Thanks to Amy from over at Bubbly Babblings I found out that Kmart is having a sale where the whole Face of Australia range is $4 off...which means that their Glitterati and Pastels polishes are reduced to 75c! It's times like these that I LOVE being a part of the blogging community!

I made my way over to Kmart with the intention of only purchasing the Glitterati polish in Studio 54. When I got to the stand there were 6 left over polishes. Somehow I ended up buying every single one of them. I didn't really want the yellow one but I could hardly leave just one on the shelf! For 75c I am sure I will use it one day!

Unfortunately Studio 54 wasn't there but I intend on going back later this week before the sale finishes on May 12th to pick it up, as well as Looking for some Hot Stuff from the Glitterati range.

The shades I did pick up are:
FOA Glitterati polish in Funky town
FOA Glitterati polish in Heart of Glass
FOA Glitterati polish in Dancing Queen
FOA Pastels polish in Easy peasy lemon squeezy
FOA Pastels polish in I'll take you to the candy shop
FOA Pastels polish in Castle on a cloud

In short, I was able to pick up 6 polishes for less than the RRP for one!

Behind the Blog - Born to Buy

Today's Behind the Blog features Sophie from over at Born to Buy.

Sophie's blog is an assortment of hauls, reviews, collections, swatches, empties and project pans!

I asked Sophie a little bit about everything and she spoke of Delta Goodrem, Nikki Webster and being the girl who talked a lot!

Why do you enjoy blogging?

I love blogging for a couple of reasons. Whenever I'm not having the best of days I can just sit down to write a review or respond to some comments and go into my own little world. I've also made some great friends along the way which is amazing and something I never thought would happen. But really, I just love sharing my knowledge and experience of products with others! Another thing is I really like to write so, for me, it's a nice to have the opportunity to.

Which celebrity do you think always gets it right when it comes to beauty? 

It's no secret that I am completely obsessed with Delta Goodrem. I love everything about her, including her goddess like hair and flawless make up. Swoon. 

What is your dream career/job? 

I studied Youth Work and Community Services so I'd love to work with young people. My dream job would be able to combine my love of all things beauty related with my desire to work with young people. I've got make up artist work a few different events hosted by youth centres and absolutely loved that so who knows! 

What is the best thing you have ever won? 

I don't win much so I can't really remember the best thing I won. When I was about 8 I won a signed copy of Nikki Webster's CD (I still have it somewhere) which I was super stoked about. The last thing I won was a LUSH pack from my local LUSH store.

If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go? 

New York. I'd love to go to New York, especially around the time of IMATS. I'd also love to go to New Zealand. My Mum's brother, Aunty and two cousins moved there about 5 years ago and I'd love to go visit!

What were you like at high school? 

I was the girl that talked in class. A lot. Not loud, granted, but too much. I did my work though so it's all okay, right?

As always, thank you everyone for your support! Hopefully you got to know Sophie a little more. Thanks Sophie!

If you would like to nominate a blogger to be featured, please don't hesitate to let me know by emailing me at candiceyoureview@yahoo.com

Monthly Favourites - April

Sometimes it can be difficult writing favourites posts because I often use the same products for months on end with little variation, however this month I changed up my routine completely and wore products that I would never have picked as my first choice usually.

Face: I love my blushes, and in April my most used blush would easily have been the Essence The Twilight Saga breaking Dawn Part 2 Blush in Renesmee Red, though I still have a huge problem with the name of the product! I have used it so frequently that the latch won't close properly anymore which is a huge pain, but I guess I can't really complain because Essence products are so cheap. This is a blush where you need time and patience to apply it well, and I have been on holidays so it has been wonderful.

Lips: Sticking with the red theme, this month I wore the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic non stop. I picked it up after liking my Revlon Stain in Smitten but finding it a little unwearable for everyday. Never was I a huge fan of red lips, but I am now!

Eyes: I am fairly loyal when it comes to mascaras and like to stick to my Covergirl Lash Blast Length mascara, or sometimes my Avon Daring Curves mascara, but the Max Factor Lash Extension Effect mascara that I won in Sophie's giveaway was calling my name. I have heard whispers that Covergirl and MaxFactor are the same brand with essentially the same formulas for all their products. I can certainly believe that, as this Lash Extention mascara is identical to the Covergirl Lash Blast Length one (except in brown instead of black). I love it.

Nails: As always I have decided not to go with a nails category this month because I haven't been wearing any new polishes. I chose my mini DKNY perfume in Be Delicious Fresh Blossom. I don't like it as much as the DKNY Be Delicious perfume (the green one) but it is still lovely. The only thing I can't stand about this mini size is that it hasn't got a pump and so it is impossibly fiddly to apply.

Other: Last favourite of April is my leaf and stone ring. No explanation is needed about why I love it! I am so glad I picked it up for only $2!

Arbonne Blush - Berry

Along with lip products, blushes are my favourite makeup products to shop for and play around with. Who can resist the gorgeous pink, peachy and berry shades in powder or cream form? When I was sent this blush from Arbonne is Berry, I just about died. Can you see how stunning it is?

As is the case with my eyeshadow preferences, I am a bit pathetic when it comes to experimentation and creative makeup looks - neutrals all the way! If I am really honest with you, the prospect of wearing this blush terrified me! It's stunning, unlike anything I have ever seen before, but crazy. Crazy. 

This incredible mix of bold red with highly visible golden shimmer running through it is certainly unique. I am unfamiliar with higher end brands like Nars and Illamasqua, but it is something that I imagine they would have a dupe for. For someone like myself who has never tried anything like this, it was a lot of fun though somewhat frightening!

First of all, when applying this use the lightest hand you possibly can. Dab it on your brush, tap it off, blow off some more power and then brush it across the back of your hand a couple of times before you slap it onto your face. There is a fair chance that after all of that, it will still be too pigmented. Yes I like my blush to be fairly sheer in general, but when you are playing around with a bright red/gold blush, pigmentation is fairly important to keep under control.  

This blush has a gorgeous silky texture and applies easily to the skin. I expected it to be a little gritty with all the shimmer in it, but that was not a problem in the slightest. 

The lasting power of this blush is pretty impressive. I found that it was still visible (though just barely) by the end of a busy 10 hour day. For me personally, I really couldn't care less about my makeup after a crazy day so this works just fine for me. 

Like with the Arbonne eyeshadow in Smoke, the packaging is just perfect with its sturdy black case and clear plastic top. I love that the latch opens without having to dig your nails under the seal, thus chipping polish in the process. 

The Arbonne blushes come in 8 shades at a fairly hefty price of $40. They are free of parabens, phthalates, and talc with their key ingredients being polypeptides, cucumber extract, mallow extract and vitamins A, C and E. 

Though this blush is of the highest quality, I'm not sure I will get a whole load of wear out of it, simply because I am a bit pathetic and find the combination of the shocking (but gorgeous) red and golden glitter to be a little too much. For blush fanatics who want a unique addition to their collection, I expect this is the blush for you. 

I give this blush 7/10.

A light swatch...

MUA Intense Kisses High Intensity Gloss - Lips are sealed

MUA is a brand that I have never really explored due to the fact that it isn't highly accessible in Australia. I have read countless posts about their eyeshadow palettes and their lipsticks but not much about any of their other products. You can imagine how excited I was when I was given the opportunity to try out some of their lipglosses when I won Dawn's Giveaway from over at See it, Love it, Swatch it. 

My first impressions of the lipgloss were quite mixed. The packaging from the back looks quite classy, but then at the front appears to be a little cheap. I think if they removed the glittery sticker of the lips and changed the print to black it would look a lot nicer.

Still, the packaging is very effective and contains a doe foot applicator sponge, my favourite. I think it is so important for this product that it isn't a squeezy tube because this gloss is so thick and pigmented.

This gloss is literally like a liquid lipstick. I was so surprised when I went to apply it, because it is 100% opaque in one swipe and has the colour payoff like a really high quality lipstick. It feels like a gorgeous velvety gloss and is not in the slightest bit sticky or gritty. The texture is not too thin and not too thick, it's just perfect.

The only difficulty that arises with a product like this is that because it is still a gloss form, it is rather difficult to control any bleeding or colour slipping outside of the lipline. Usually this isn't too much of a problem with a semi-sheer gloss but when it is an opaque hot pink, it does look a little silly.

The shade 'Lips are sealed' is the most stunning berry pink kind of colour. When swatched it is a hot pink, rather bright kind of shade but once applied on my pigmented lips it appears to be significantly darker. In the tube you can see the slightest hint of tiny golden shimmer, but I am actually convinced that it has to be part of the packaging because it is not at all detectable on the lips.

When applied it is a glossy, satin type finish and then as time goes on and it wears off a little it leaves a beautiful stain. I felt as though my lips belonged on an advertisment with the rich colour and the incredible finish. The only complaint I could really come up with is that it made my teeth look a little yellow.

The silky smooth nature of this product and the incredibly pigmented colour makes for a very impressive product. Glosses are not at all my favourite kind of product but this is the exception. This lasts a reasonable amount of time, extended by the fact that it does stain the lips.

This does have a slight scent though it is neither pleasant nor unpleasant.


I don't know if you can get these in Australia but on their UK website they appear to be ridiculously cheap. I imagine it wouldn't be the case for Aussies, but you never know.

I love this gloss and would purchase another shade if I ever stumbled across them in Australia. I give this 9/10.

Behind the Blog - Behind the Frames

This week's Behind the Blog blogger is Sheri from Behind the Frames (yes, I may have accidentally ripped off her blog name for my blogging series!). I found Sheri on youtube and then discovered her blog, and what a good discovery it was! 

On Behind the Frames you can find reviews, giveaways, empties posts, monthly favourites, hauls and TAGs - basically the perfect mix of everything.

I asked her a couple of questions and she spoke about blogging, knitting and the USA. 

What is the significance of your blog name?

When most people look at me, they think that I’m a serious student and would never ever think that I’m interested (more like obsessed) with cosmetics and skincare. This also has to do with my image, as I wear glasses, so I decided to call my blog “Behind The Frames” because most people don’t know the other side of me!

Why do you enjoy blogging?

I aspire to become a journalist one day and blogging is a form of practice for me, to develop my writing skills and I also love expressing my ideas. I also love taking photos for my blog and the people I’ve met in the blogging community are just so lovely and supportive, making blogging an even more enjoyable experience for me.

Which type of makeup product do you tend to find yourself collecting the most?

Definitely lip products, especially lipsticks. There are just endless shades of pink and red and so many different colours that I feel like I just have to collect a rainbow of lip products!  But this leads to a problem of mine… which is that I end up buying a lip product which I already have a similar shade to!

Any special talents?

I love to knit! I started learning 2 years ago and I’ve knitted many scarves over the years, which I’ve gifted to my friends and relatives.  Sadly though, I haven’t learnt to knit anything else.

If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?

Definitely Korea or the USA. Why? To stock up on Asian cosmetics, buy out all the American drugstores and get some cute clothing items (for really affordable prices of course)!  

What is one beauty related thing you just cannot master?

Contouring. I cannot, for my life, use bronzer and achieve that lovely sculpted face with prominent cheekbones and a sun-kissed glow. I just end up looking unnatural and like I got tanned in the wrong places. I think the main issue is that I have too much fat on my cheeks which makes it an impossible task to bring out my “cheekbones” haha.

Thank you Sheri for being part of YouReview's 'Behind the blog' series!

If you would like to nominate a blogger to be featured, please don't hesitate to let me know by emailing me at candiceyoureview@yahoo.com.

Priceline, sales and grumpy people

Among the recent excitement of 40% off sales for two days at Priceline I have discovered that a) I tend to purchase things I don't need just because they are there, b) some Priceline shops don't stock all the brands and c) some people get really grumpy for no reason.

I ventured down to the most convenient Priceline today to pick up some Sinful colours nail polishes, FOA glitter polishes, a Rimmel eyeliner and a whole heap of Essence products, only to discover that that particular store didn't stock FOA or Essence. Really? Is this a joke? Anyhow, to double check that I wasn't blind I politely asked the sales lady if they stocked FOA, to which she responded, 'I thought that would be pretty obvious.' Well that was a bit uncalled for!

Anyhow, determined to make it to the 40% off sales I then dragged my father along to a second store only to find the exact same thing. Until today I wasn't even aware that some Pricelines didn't stock FOA or Essence! I went to the Rimmel stand to pick up the eyeliner I wanted and it was out of stock.

I figured it was pretty ridiculous to drag my Dad along to a third store when, after all, it is just makeup. I had hoped that perhaps I could order it off their website, but of course it has crashed and there is no chance of getting on to it.

 I am disappointed that I couldn't pick anything up with such incredible sales going on but there you have it. It has actually made me realise that I tend to buy things even when I don't really want them or need them just because they are on sale. Oh well, at least I got some driving practise even if it was a waste of time!

Here is what I was hoping to pick up in the sales today:

Face of Australia Gliteratti polish in Studio 54
Rimmel Scandaleyes eyeliner in Nude
Sinful Colours nail polish in Island Coral and Bare
Essence Stay all day 16 hour long lasting concealer
Essence Nail polish in assorted shades
Essence Nail Art Express Drops
Essence Blush Brush
Essence Eyeliner pen
Essence Eyeshadow brush
Essence French Manicure Whitener

When I think about it, all I desperately want is the FOA and Sinful colours polishes and the Essence Concealer and eyeliner pen. That cuts out 6 products that I would have bought unnecessarily, so I guess it is a good thing that I wasn't able to make it to the shops!

Did you manage to pick up anything exciting?

Priceline Sales - 23 & 24th April 2013

Just thought you all might like to know that tomorrow and on Wednesday all cosmetics in Priceline are 40% off! A pretty good deal in my opinion!

This sale is being carried out both online and in stores.

Let me know what you might splash out on tomorrow!

Revlon Colourstay Ultimate Suede lipstick - Cruise Collection, Finale and Muse

I was so lucky to win these three lipsticks from Revlon in a giveaway over on Yishan's blog Beauty Swatch.

I have to say, these weren't looking too promising after I read a number of negative blog reviews, but, being the lip product loving kind of person that I am I remained hopeful. Revlon have some awesome lip products so surely these must be the same.

I LOVE the three shades that I won (thank you for picking them out Yishan!), and I have fallen in love with Cruise Collection especially. It is the only orange/coral shade that I own in lipstick form (can you believe it?!) and I love it.

The first shade, Finale, is a gorgeous bright tomato red that I found so easy to wear. Red can be a bit scary, especially bright ones like this, but I didn't have too much trouble. The second shade is Cruise Collection, a gorgeous coral orange shade as mentioned. This is my favourite and I wear it all the time, quite surprising considering that I have always been a play-it-safe-with-pinks kind of girl. Last is Muse, a sightly blue toned hot pink! When built up it can be more of a darker raspberry pink.

The packaging of these lipsticks is fairly simple but effective. It's nothing luxurious but doesn't look cheap and tacky either. I like that the packaging changes according to the lipstick shade - this makes it really easy to identify the lipstick that I want when I rifle through my collection. The clear lid also means that if you are looking at the lipsticks from the top you can still see each of the colours.

These apply like a dream, with a velvety silky kind of feel. I like that they are slimmer than other lipsticks, which allows for more precise application without having to use a lipbrush. This is handy for the shade Finale which is important to apply well as it is a bright red. Initially they feel highly moisturising and 'juicy' but as they dry they change to be almost sticky. They lose their glossy finish and become a matte lipstick, then stain the lips though only very slightly. They are highly pigmented and provide an ample amount of colour in just one swipe. They can however be built up further if you wish. They have no taste or scent, neither pleasant nor unpleasant.

These wear off in the most unusual fashion. I found that all the product on my top lip would wear off completely yet on my bottom lip it would look exactly the same as when I first applied it. Then it would wear off in patches along my bottom lip. I've never had a lip product do this before so that is a bit strange. I did find it to be quite problematic as well, because no one wants to be walking around with only their bottom lip covered in lipstick and the top completely bare!

These lipsticks retail at $25.95, much more than I would ever really pay for a 'drugstore' lipstick. Though I love Revlon lip products (the Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic and Lip butter in Berry Smoothie are my go-to lip products), $26 is a bit much considering there are so many cheaper alternatives that are just as good. Having said that, I really do like these lipsticks a lot, and I am a bit of a cheapskate. If they didn't wear off so strangely perhaps I would dish out for them...perhaps.

I give these 7 out of 10.

L-R: Finale, Cruise Collection, Muse