Afro hair + Beauty + Fashion + Fitness

Showing posts with label Eye products. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eye products. Show all posts

Sep 6, 2014

Realash Eye Lash Enhancer, Update Number 1. Amazing Results & Longer Lashes

Realash Eye Lash Enhancer- Update Number One
Hi Guys, if you follow my Instagram (www.instagram.com/Yolandaas) you might have seen my very first update of using the Realash eyelash enhancer, showing some results just after one weeks use. After that I also did a giveaway with Realash! Now I am back with my first official update of my results. I have known about eyelash serums/enhancer for a few years, they were really popular among Swedish bloggers and seemed to give amazing results- that was the reason I decided to do this review and try them out.

However, I must say I was sceptical as to how a serum can actually make your lashes grow, especially from just applying it daily above your lashes. Because I wanted to ensure accurate before and after pics and fair results, I did try it a few times sporadically but not consistently enough. So 29th July is when I officially started using it daily as the instructions say you should.

Realash Eyelash Enhancer Serum Before and after long lashes


Realash Eyelash Enhancer Serum Before and after long lashes

There isn't much to say because the pictures speak for themselves I am sure. It is the first time I look at the before and afters because my lashes have grown so much that I notice it daily without looking at before pics. Some lashes seem to have grown more than others, but I am soo pleased with the results. In all these pics I am wearing Maybelline Great Lash Mascara which is a very cheap (£5) and basic mascara, and I am of course not wearing some sort of lash extensions. I hope the pictures are clear enough for everyone to see that they are completely genuine! So do eyelash enhancing serums work? Definitely!

My results look very similar to the before and after pics which are on Realash website. Fuller and a lot longer lashes!

Realash Eyelash Enhancer Serum Before and after long lashes

I will be back with a final update after a couple more months which will also contain some more information. In addition I will do a application/tutorial video on my Youtube channel so you can see the results up close, on video and also How and where exactly you apply the product.

|| Relash website || Realash UK Facebook page || Realash UK Instagram page || Realash Youtube page ||

Have you tried an eyelash enhancer/serum?
What do you think about my results?

xx


Instagram || Twitter  || Google+ || Baobella || Bloglovin || Facebook || Pinterest

(*) This product was gifted to me to review
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May 3, 2014

Eye öf hörus/Eye Of Horus Lazuli Blu Goddess Pencil

Eye öf hörus/Eye Of Horus Lazuli Blu Goddess Pencil

Today I am reviewing the Eye öf hörus/Eye Of Horus Lazuli blu Goddess Pencil which is a really pigmented and creamy eyeliner. Here is what Eye of Horus say about it on their website: 

"Gorgeous aquamarine  / Lazuli Blu is perfect for day wear to illuminate eyes or get that eye popping effect for evening wear Goddess Eye Liner pencils are uniquely formulated with beautiful waxes in a creamy rich formula ideal to draw, smudge, smoke, and define the eye blending, or combining with our Goddess Eye shadows. Smudger on tip allows to define or smoulder as much as you like. Safe to apply to waterline, It literally glides onto the lid so smoothly with no pull, and once it sets its truly waterproof and has lasting power that stays all day and night."


I put together this super quick and easy smokey eye just for the sake of the review, and to show you how you can wear this eyeliner to add a bit of colour to your usual eye makeup look. You could also use it as a base for your eyeshadow, so if you are wearing blue shadow, apply the eyeliner all over the lid, and then your blue eyeshadow on top for a more intense colour. 


So on one end you've got the eyeliner itself and on the other side a smudger which is very useful for a softer or more smokey look. When you swatch it, it's really really shimmery, but not too pigmented unless you build the colour up. However, despite being a creamy eyeliner the staying power is very good! It sort of dries once applied and after that it doesn't even smudge.

What do you think of this look,
and this eyeliner?

xx




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Apr 28, 2013

♥ DHC Mascara Perfect Pro Double Protection Review

DHC Mascara Perfect Pro Double Protection Review

DHC Mascara Perfect Pro Double Protection Review
Also see my review on the DHC Moisture Care Lipstick Shade PK04 Sweetpea.-a super pretty neutral light pink lipstick.

"Our long-lasting mascara stays on until you decide to take it off. Utilising tubing technology, this professional-caliber formula encapsulates lashes in polymer tubes that wear all day and night long. This means no flaking, smearing, smudging or need for make-up removers. When you’re ready to remove your mascara, simply splash your face with warm water and gently slide the tubes right off."- from DHC website, here 

I am a person who never ever changes mascara, at least no "voluntarily". I've been using Loreal Telescopic since I was like 13-14 or whenever I started using mascara and I think it is great. Sometimes I use the Natural Collection one from Boots which is super cheap, but for some reason I don't find it that great anymore and I realised it contains cheap ingredients like mineral oil.

Now to the DHC Perfect Pro Double Protection Mascara, I got it at the DHC blogger event that I attended roughly a month ago, read about it here

Random fact: You can wash this mascara off using warm water only- it will slide off and leave no residue at all (in case you didn't read the description ;) ). It really works!
DHC Mascara Perfect Pro Double Protection Review

I definitely didn't have any particularly great expectations when I first tried this mascara simply because of what I mentioned before, I hardly ever change mascaras or like new ones. The first time I tried it was randomly, the same evening that I got back from the event I suspect. It seemed pretty basic to me. But bare in mind I tried one coat, on one I with out building it up or anything. 

Now I absolutely love it and although I had just bought a new Loreal Telescopic and tried to "save" this new found favourite, I couldn't! I have been using it daily.

Application: So you might have noticed the tiny, tiny mascara wand. However it is pretty great as it allows you to reach every single lash without being clumpy o giving you thick lashes. The formula is great for layering the mascara, which allows you to build it up, making your lashes longer and longer. And you definitely won't need a separate lower lash mascara (yeah they have those, personally I think thats ridiculous) with this tiny wand.

How long does it last? I haven't noticed this wearing off so I think it's fair to say it stays put all day. At the end off the day you can just wash it off using warm water- and you won't need to worry about black residue around your eyes. 

Ingredient check & top ingredients, read FULL ingredient list here

water/eau, ammonium acrylates copolymer, kaolin, copernicia cerifera (carnauba) wax/cire de carnauba, PEG-15 glyceryl stearate, beeswax/cire d’abeille

Mineral Oil (/)
Silicones ()
Parabens (/)
Butylene/Propylene Glycol ()
  
DHC Mascara Perfect Pro Double Protection Review

I also wanted to show a fotd picture just to show you what it looks like from a far as well. 

What do you think of the results when wearing this?
What is your favourite mascara?

xx

Also see my review on the DHC Moisture Care Lipstick Shade PK04 Sweetpea.-a super pretty neutral light pink lipstick.



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Apr 10, 2013

♥ La Colors EP42 Wildflowers Palette EOTD

La Colors EP42 Wildflowers Palette EOTD

 La Colors EP42 Wildflowers Palette EOTD
I showed this in my most recent beauty shopping post, read it here. For those who don't know LA Colors is a brand where everything is £1, and in London you can find it in Afro hair shops as well as most perfume stores in shopping centres. I got this one from the shopping centre Westfield (the real Westfield, not the Stratford one ;) )
 La Colors EP42 Wildflowers Palette EOTD

This look was so much prettier in real life, but oh well- it's so hard to take nice pictures of makeup. I love the shades in this palette and they are creamy any pigmented. If you care about good ingredients (which I do lol, but I don't care as much anymore), then you should know that this contains both Parabens & Mineral Oil.

What do you think of this look?
& if you've done a makeup look or post on LA Colors makeup, link it.

xx





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Mar 26, 2013

♥ EOTD Purple & Orange Mineral Eyeshadows

 EOTD Purple & Orange Mineral Eyeshadows, Winged Liner

Earthnicity UK Mineral Eyeshadows Purple and Orange

Here is the look I created the first time I played around with my Earthnicity mineral eyeshadows, see in this post. As I mentioned, I had been wanting a shade like this orange ones for ages and could not wait to try it out. So far I am really happy with the eyeshadows, hardly any fall out, and great pigmentation.

Earthnicity UK Mineral Eyeshadows Purple and Orange

What I've used for this look:

  • Earthnicity Mineral Eyeshadow, shade orange pop
  • Earthnicity Mineral Eyeshadowshade indigo gleam
  • Wet & Wild Palette, black eyeshadow
  • 2 True: Liquid eyeliner
  • NYC: White eyeliner



What do you think of this look?
If you've created a look using mineral eyeshadows, please link it :) 

xx




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Mar 22, 2013

♥ New Beauty Products from Garnier, Loreal & LA Colors

Beauty Products from Garnier, Loreal & LA Colors



Just wanted to show you guys these products I picked up at Westfield when I met up with lovely Nicole from Nicole's Beauty. It's quite funny because she is also Swedish/Nigerian like myself, except plus Finish as well :) . The scrub and mascara were things that I needed because my previous ones had finished, and the LA Colour stuff was just something I wanted to try out because they were cheap and I hadn't tried them before.



So this palette has got such nice shades! Now that I think of it, it sort of looks like a dupe from this INGLOT palette that I put in a recent makeup wish list. It was so odd because the shades of the untouched palettes looked completely different to the tester ones in some cases, which caused a lot of confusion to me, to say the least lol. In the end I skeptically settled for the explanation "the top layer of the shadows have a slightly different colour". Turns out it was true.




Oh my god, I've been wanting a purple lipstick for soo long guys. I did want a darker one, but since this was only £1 I thought it might be fun to try it out. Love the shade and pigmentation is good as well, however the formula is a bit strange. It's that kind of formula that sometimes doesn't want to "stick" to your lips, especially not in the inner/middle parts of your lips. It is still great for a pound though.

Oh yeah and speaking of LA Colors and purple lipsticks, I can't believe I won Akilah's (from http://perfectlyrandomblog.blogspot.co.uk/) giveaway!! :) (the price was a purple lippy, la colour shadows etc) 

Have you tried LA colours?
Do u know any other bargain purple lipstick?
Xx





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Feb 26, 2013

♥ Updated Everyday Eyebrow Routine & MUA Makeup Academy Eyebrow Brush E7 Review

 Updated Everyday Eyebrow Routine & MUA Makeup Academy Eyebrow Brush E7 Review

|| Check out my Eyebrow plucking chart || Check out my old Eyebrow routine  ||

A picture of Eyebrow routine using MUA Makeup Academy Eyebrow Brush E7



A picture of Eyebrow routine using MUA Makeup Academy Eyebrow Brush E7

1. Pluck excess hair and/or shape eyebrows
2. Use a brow spoolie to brush brows upwards
3. Fill in brows using a eyebrow powder/eyeshadow (I use the black Wet & Wild one)
4. Blend harsh lines out by going over the brows with the spoolie, blending the shadow out
5. Set with a eyebrow wax or gel
6. Highlight your brow (I used the shade on the far right from Wet & Wild)

I know some people actually have a whole routine for their eyebrows, using concealer, setting powder, wax, pencil and what not. Personally I don't think that's necessary if you have shaped your eyebrows properly. For a non- everyday eyebrow, I would just create harsher and more defined lines. Oh, and how my eyebrow routine has changed- I'm using a eyebrow brush, before I just used a pencil.

A close up and review of MUA Makeup Academy Eyebrow Brush E7

 Now to my thoughts on this MUA Makeup Academy Eyebrow Brush E7 (£1.50)
I've only ever used the Real Techniques eyebrow brush before, and I know a lot of people said it was too big. I can see why now. I'd say that one is best for use in the whole brow, after using a pencil or similar to define the brow. This MUA brush however, is perfect for defining your brows and creating pencil sharp lines (if wanted). The bristles are suupersoft and as with all MUA Makeup Academy makeup brushes the design is very nice and sleek. The fact that it only costs £1.50 is amazing as well!

What is your every day eyebrow routine (and/or your going out one)?
& what's your favourite eyebrow brush?

xx



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Feb 21, 2013

♥ Wet & Wild Coral Smokey Eyes: FOTD & EOTD

Wet & Wild Coral Smokey Eyes: FOTD &  EOTD


So excited to share the first look I created using my new Wet & Wild E246 Greed Gourmandise Palette, see here. I absolutely love it, the shades are so pigmented and blendable. Oh and also, I tried out my new Makeup Academy brushes. 





What I used for this look:

As I said in my previous "New-in" post, I am so impressed with the pigmentation of my new Wet & Wild shadows. Can't wait to try my other palette.



 What do you think of this look?

xx




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♥ New in: Wet & Wild Palettes & Glass Nail File

 New in: Wet & Wild Palettes & Glass Nail File

Again, I've done the "I've prepared the whole blog posts, edited pics, but for some reason I'm not writing and publishing" lol. Anywho, I've been a bit tired since I got back from Sweden. I did buy a few things in Sweden that I am soo excited about.


Wet & Wild Palettes  E246 Greed Gourmandise & E247 Pride Orgueil
I've been wanting to try this brand for really long, since it is (from what I've understood) a US bargain makeup brand. And oh my, I am so impressed. Just from the swatches above I could see that the mattes are incredibly pigmented ( swatched once, no primer ) and so are the shimmers in the green/blue palette. However, the shimmers in the palette greed gourmandise as you can see, are not pigmented at all. My guess is that the idea is that you pair these shadows together. And the silver shade is so cool, when swatched it turns silver/gold.


Claudia Glass Nail File
I'd seen these in Boots a few times but the one there cost something ridiculous like £19 so I didn't think more about it. Now that I was in Sweden, I saw it in a department store for £8 and I decided to get it. Because lately I've discovered that my nails have really been splitting every time I've used a regular nail file (emery boards) and there was nothing I could do about it. After trying this I LOVE IT, I'll probably never file my nails with a regular nail file again lol. This did not split my nails at all!


 DEPEND Top & Base Coat:
You might or might not remember that last time in Sweden I got a "all round" coat from this brand which was a-amazing! However, this time I couldn't find it anywhere, not sure if it was discontinued so I settled for these two.

Have you tried the brand Wet &Wild?
& Do you use a glass nail file?

xx



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Feb 17, 2013

♥ NYC Individual Eyes Review

 NYC Individual Eyes Review (£3.99)


I bought this palette hoping it would be a good travel makeup palette seeing as it has a primer, highlighter plus four eyeshadows in it. Not completely sure why I picked one contain shades that I  already have in at least 5 different palettes, but oh well.


The Primer & Highlighter

These definitely could have been better. The highlighter is a cream highlighter and slightly hard to blend/get even. It also could have been slightly less bright/white. The primer, is quite rubbish as a primer as it isn't very matt & makes your shadow crease. However, it is a great base for mixing a white shadow/highlighter for a more intense look. I used this on my lids mixed with a white eyeshadow in my recent "Galaxy Cut Crease" look.


It comes with instructions of how to apply, hence why I tried to use the exact shadows in the look above. Personally, I would use them this way and I also would use 3 shadows on my eyes rather than 4 as I have hooded eyes and quite small eyelids. But it's great as a reference.
As you can see in the swatches in the first pic, the shadows are fairly pigmented and look pretty intense when applied.





Over all I think it is a great to go palette, and I'd bring this if I am going away for a few days or so, just because it has everything in there. However, I definitely wouldn't use these shadows for a night out- at least not with that primer! :)

What do you think of these?
Have you tried any of these palettes?

xx



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Jan 22, 2013

♥ Shopping My Stash

Shopping My Stash


 Nivea Pure & Natural Moisturising Day Cream: For a brand like Nivea, with creams and face creams usually packed with mineral oil- this is a great product! The glass jar gives a less cheap feel to the product, and it contains Argan Oil. It absorbs quickly and is very light but yet  moisturises your skin. I just haven't finished it because I got way too many face moisturisers lately.

St Ives Sensitive Skin Apricot Scrub Gentle: This is another great affordable product. Even though it's gentle, it definitely has enough of exfoliating beads for a great scrub, leaving your skin soft! The beads are walnut shell powder and it doesn't contain sulfates which is a plus!

Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Cream with Vitamin E: This is a completely natural product with the top ingredients Glycerine, Olive Oil, Oat Kernel Flour & Lanolin. So as you can see it is not water based. It is not a cream, but more like a salve or pomade and works best as an over night treatment as it is very thick and sticky.


The cream puff from Collection 2000 is a great product, you can see my review here. The Lavera cream is all natural and has got SPF 15, but due to the Zinc Oxide it's very white and leaves your face with a white film. Love the fully organic NYR eyeliner but I'm just too bad at using up an expensive product like this- don't wanna waste it.


Do you have any products you like
 but never got around to finish?

xx




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Jan 19, 2013

♥ Magnifibres Brush On False Lashes

 Magnifibres Brush On False Lashes

"Magnifibres and applied inbetween two layers of your favourite mascara. The brush- on fibres give an immediate and stunning false lash effect- achieving length and volume beyond belief."

Another product from the generous #bbloggersxmas goodie bag. I was quite excited to try this as I think it's a great concept and could be perfect for super long every day lashes without having to use falsies. Which by the way, I've never actually used.

As you can see, the packaging is pretty adorable and has all the instructions you need to know, as well as pictures of the result. What I particularly like about that is that the picture seem to actually show the real results as opposed to many other mascara before & after pics. 
< One Coat of Mascara || One Coat Plus Magni Lashes || Another Coat on Magni Lashes >


As you can see the results with one coat of mascara, then one coat of magnifibre lashes, and then lastly a finishing coat of mascara doesn't give any amazing results- but still noticeable. If you check out the post below, or click this link to view my previous FOTD you will see the results after Two coats of magnifibre lashes- you can see there that my lashes look quite long!
Another plus is that it has the design of a normal mascara which makes it easy to bring with you if you travel and perfect for daily use.  As you can see below, it really is just fibres on a mascara wand.


Summary: Overall I definitely think this does what it promises on the package. It's perfect for everyday use but does require a bit of practise to get your technique right. I am still working on this! The effect is definitely build-able which gives you the choice of using it for your every day looks or even for more dramatic evening looks. Lastly, it washes of like any normal mascara so no problems there!


See my previous FOTD where I am used these Magnifibres here.


What do you think of this product?
Have you tried any similar ones?


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Jan 9, 2013

♥ Black & Yellow, Black & Yellow..

Black & Yellow, Black & Yellow.. 


Here is a EOTD I did last night. Initially I was going to do some kind of green/yellow & black smokey eye using my Sleek Sparkle 2 palette but it didn't turn out that way.


It is a really easy look to do, by placing some cello tape at the side of your eye, your creating that sharp line where the black eyeshadow is. I applied liquid eyeliner at my top lash line as usual and then applied some in the inner corner of my eye, and some at the outer corner. The middle section I filled in using a eyeliner pencil from INIKA (organic). The white pencil eyeliner I used is super pigmented and very affordable, from NYC. See below what I used in the picture.


Here is everything I used. Do you prefer me taking pictures of what I used, or listing it, or both?

The yellow matte INGLOT shadow is really pigmented and is what I used on my lid, I topped it with some of the shimmery yellow shadow below from the Sleek Palette.



What do you think of this look?

xx



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Dec 23, 2012

♥ INIKA Natural Eyeshadow

INIKA Natural Eyeshadow


Guess if I was happy to see a full sized organic makeup item in my #bbloggersxmas goodie bag (here)? I hadn't heard of this brand before but I think the packaging and design looks very nice and pretty expensive. From looking at the website, you can get this for £14.50 from here (link).

As you can see in this swatch, it's very pigmented and pretty smooth in texture.



Not the best look, but I was sort of in a hurry when I did this. Just an example of how you can create a quick look using their eyeshadow and their black organic eyeliner (also from the goodie bag). 



To the left is the shadow non-blended and on the right is the same shadow on its own, and blended.



 This is the packaging, I'd say the ingredients are those of the standard "mineral eyeshadow", so nothing really special.



Has anyone tried this?
What's your favourite organic/natural makeup brand?

xx





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Dec 21, 2012

♥ MUA Glitterbomb. Vs Sleek Sparkle 2 Palette

MUA Glitterbomb (£4) & Sleek Sparkle 2 Palette (£8) Comparison

Before I received the Sleek Palette at the #bloggersxmas event, I hadn't even tried Sleek Palettes. There's one reason for that, being the ingredients. Anywho, as soon as I got it I couldn't help but thinking about how it's similar to my only MUA palette. Glitterbomb and Sparkle 2, they are obviously all about glitter & sparkles, both being pretty topical now that the New Years is coming up.

I will compare:

| Packaging & Design | Ingredients | Shades | Performance |

1. Packaging

Even though I completely understand why MUA has designed their palette the way they have, I have to say that the Sleek palette is just a tad more.. sleek! The material is "matte plastic" as opposed to the MUA which is slightly plasticky. Inside of the Sleek one there is a fairly big mirror which might be handy if you are on the go, or travelling. One disadvantage to that is of course that you can't see the shades without opening the palette, like on the MUA one.

So best design? MUA | Sleek √

2. Ingredients


Now what I look for in eyeshadow ingredients are Parabens and Mineral Oil. Both very controversial And unnecessary by any means. Mineral Oil is used because it is extremely cheap, so if it was used in the MUA palette it would be understandable since it is £4- however, it is not. Mineral Oil is in the Sleek palette which is, like I said above, the reason I haven't purchased any Sleek Palettes. They both contain Parabens (said to be toxic, not in the low doses they are used in ONE product, but considering you use up to 20 different products daily, you might be using more than is healthy).

Best ingredients? MUA √ | Sleek

3. Shades


 At first glance, they shades int hese palettes are nothing like each other. But if you look closer (and see pic below), there are some identical shades, and many similar ones. However, I do feel that the shadows in the MUA palette are slightly too random and I definitely could have survived without that white shade, or the blue one. The Sleek Palette on the other hand has some really gorgeous and unique shades like the "Mulled Wine" one (see look using that here) and I think they are better watch with each other.

Best Shades? MUA | Sleek √

4. Performance/Pigmentation?


This one is a tough one, I was definitely positively surprised by the staying power of the Sleek Palette. Even though I haven't used the MUA palette recently, I know that the staying power of that is equally good. However, I must say that when swatching the "identical" shades (see above), the MUA ones are more pigmented and very creamy compared to the Sleek one.

Best performance/pigmentation? MUA √ | Sleek


It's a tie guys! However performance as in staying power and how they look on the eyes- they are both equally good. But the quality of the MUA one (especially for the price) is pretty amazing! :)


Which palette do you prefer?

xx




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Dec 14, 2012

♥ EOTD Xmas/Winter Edition Pt. 4

EOTD Xmas/Winter Edition Pt. 4

Oh my god guys, I do realise how similar this one is to my Pt. 3 look. That was not intentionally as I just "improvise" and do whatever comes to mind. Only when I was going to upload the picture, I saw the old one and realised I used the exact same colours. Funny thing is I didn't use the same products at all.  Anywho, here is pt. 4!


For this look, I used:

  • All eyeshadows- My Elf Palette
  • Liquid liner- Company Magazine
  • Mascara: Boots Natural Collection & Loreal Telescopic
  • Eyeliner: Primark



 This EOTD looks so different in the picture taken with flash, to the one taken without flash (the one just above). Personally I think the flash picture looks nicer.



See the other parts here:




Which look out of the 4 do you prefer so far?

xx





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Nov 2, 2012

♥ NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil or NYC Eye Pencil

NYX Jump Pencil or NYC Eye Pencil


I see people use the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil as an eyelid primer. Since I don't use that product (or have tried any NYX products) I am not sure if it actually is a primer or eye pencil. Anyway, I thought why not try my favourite white eye pencil as a primer. It works surprisingly well.


Below is a swatch of an INGLOT eyeshadow first swatch on my hand, and then swatched on my hand on top of the NYC white eye pencil. As you can see it really does make the colour "pop" more and it make sit stay on for longer.


How to use it:

Start to draw, or fill in the area you want primed and then blend it all out, after that it should look something like in this picture. From my experience it works better with bright, matte colours as opposed to shimmery or especially shimmer light colours.


I used this in my previous EOTD (scroll down) and it really made the eyeshadow look more pigmented and intense.


Have you tried something like this, and have you tried the NYX jumbo pencil?

xx


But it here for only £1.49 from Superdrug or here for £2.21 for shipping to America.
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