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Beauty

My Egyptian Makeup Kit: Eyes

Let’s go back to roots: I want to have a chat about makeup, starting with a series of posts about makeup I took with me to Egypt. I was packing for three weeks, you know. So the photo in this post features all the eye makeup I took with me.

Except that unfortunate eyeliner that didn’t make it into any photos, but it’s nothing to write home about. Just a black dip liquid eyeliner with a marker tip. Very inexpensive, effective. Seen better, seen worse. If you’re in a pinch but jonesin’ for some liquid eyeliner, grab that Golden Rose one.

Let’s get down to business then, shall we.

Pink and gold tubes are black and blue mascaras. The black one is by Oriflame, and I still think that Oriflame has some of the best mascaras on the market out there, and for reasonable prices too. The formulas and brushes are diverse. I’ve been getting angrier and angrier with Oriflame recently for its business and ethics, but the product is solid.

The gold tube is a blue version of the Russian market cult favourite – Vivienne Sabo Cabaret mascara. It’s a blue that actually shows up on your lashes and also does something besides just giving them colour. I like it. Got it in a BOGO-free situation when buying a present for somebody, so didn’t even spend a dime on it, technically.

The black tube is a brow gel from L’Oreal x Isabel Marant collection. It’s a transparent gel that gives a good (I should even say great) hold without glueing your brow hairs together. The spoolie is tiny, kinda triangle-shaped, and excellent for this type of product. I think once I’m done with the gel, I’ll keep the spoolie around. It has no colour, and leaves no white cast – at first it looks like it might, but it dries down completely transparent. Doesn’t give any weird gloss either. I wish L’Oreal weren’t so asinine in their ethics, because I’d LOVE to repurchase this. However, L’Oreal has been on my radar for various forms of BS for quite a while now. I will have to shop around for something else once this gel runs out.

Artdeco Eyebrow Powder in 2 is more of a shadow, not a powder. I’ve been using it for years now. This is my second, the first one I dropped and broke beyond my then repressing skills. Artdeco Eyebrow Powder in this medium grey tone is ideal for my needs. It was good on me when I still had dark brown hair, and it’s perfect with black. I think as long as I’m using powdered products for my brows and keep my hair a cooler shade of dark, I’ll be using this one.

Avon True Glimmerstick in Cobalt Cool. My first impression was disappointment, because the liner wasn’t half as pigmented as I was expecting, and also dry. But then the tip broke off… It’s still not as intense as, say, Inglot gel pot liners, but for the price point it’s quite decent, and lets me achieve a look that I want – namely a neutral shadow with vibrant liner and matching mascara.

Now, the palettes. I wrote about them in detail before, but I feel like I want to update my impressions in full, with good photos and a new set of swatches. Besides, I made those old posts private. Hmm.

Maybe later. Would you like some aged perspective on some old releases?

Speaking of age. They’re about the same, and I must say that INGLOT outperforms MAC in the department of ageing by quite a degree. MAC is now much drier, much crumblier, and the staying power has gone down by at least two hours. The same thing cannot be said about INGLOT – it’s like the damn thing hasn’t aged a day. And the INGLOT pans are as big as they’re deep. I’m getting drunk off my arse if I ever hit pan in an INGLOT shadow, mark my words.

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Beauty

Manicure Monday: Oriflame, Inglot

oriflame-night-orchid-nail-polish

Oriflame The One in Night Orchid 30527

I’ve mentioned before that one of my superficial ‘goals in life’ is to own every single polish from Oriflame’s The One line. I just love them, and am really sad that I’ve missed several LE colours here and there.

This colour is in the Oriflame’s permanent line of nail colours. It’s a really cool-toned really deep fuchsia, a bit on the dark side to be truly considered one. The photograph is brightened, so it doesn’t give a true representation of the shade.

I have two coats on, but could have got away with just one. Dried quickly and well. The application is OK, but the formula is rather thick and the brush is wide, so you will need to clean the cuticle up a bit. No streaks. The longevity is not as formidable as they promise – about two-three days.

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INGLOT Nail Polish in 718

A pretty perfect pale pink (what’s with all the p’s) that I quite enjoyed looking at. The colour is just so… girly. It dries semi-matte, with a bit of a sheen still left to it. The formula is a bit streaky – but hey, for a polish that’s both light and matte, I say it fared very well. Needed three coats, dried pretty quickly. The longevity is so-so. On my right hand it chipped on the first day, and on the second I had to remove it. Left hand remained unchanged by then.

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Beauty

INGLOT Sleeks cream 89 – Review and Dupe

I’ve had this post in my head for so long, I keep thinking I’ve actually drafted the copy – but no.

INGLOT Sleeks cream in 89 might just be one of my favourite lip products ever. It’s a non-sticky gloss that’s not too sheer, not too opaque, smells amazing (though there’s at least one person who disagrees with me :D), and – I am convinced – looks good on everyone. It’s a universal light peach shade that is effortless to wear year round.

It’s also moisturising.

And has amazing test-tube packaging.

And costs about three times the amount I am willing to extract from my wallet for a lip gloss.

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Meet Delia Glamour Liquid Color in shade 22.

Delia is a Polish brand (much like INGLOT) that I’ve only recently discovered. Their products keep popping up at random shops here and there, and I think they have a full stand in Organic Shop here in Kishinev.

Colour-wise, these two are pretty damn similar.

Observe.

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The very top swatch on my hand are these two products applied right next to each other, with no separation – and I bet you can’t tell where one ends and the other begins.

With my camera being the sneaky thing that it is, it did pick up some difference in colour when I swatched them next to each other.

inglot-vs-della

As you can see, INGLOT Sleeks Cream in 89 (left) is brighter and has more blue in it. Delia Glamour Liquid Color in 22 is more subdued, with just a touch more yellow. However, these differences are unnoticeable in real life.

The formula of the Delia lip gloss is non-sticky, but just a bit tackier than the INGLOT one. It’s not drying at all, but I would not give it hydrating properties. The longevity is that of a typical lip gloss – do not expect staying power here. It does not separate, and it does not set into fine lines. The scent is I would say more pleasant than that of the INGLOT Sleeks Cream in 89 – it’s not as heavy and not as sweet vanilla.

And, of course, the price difference is immense. For the cost of one INGLOT Sleeks Cream you can buy nigh four Delia Glamour Liquid Colors.

Undeniably, INGLOT Sleeks Cream is a quality product that can work both as a gloss and as a lipstick (albeit one with a very weak staying power, and not in all shades of the product). You cannot quite build the colour up with Delia gloss like you potentially could with the INGLOT product. INGLOT Sleeks Creams are also moisturising – at least in this particular shade – something that I cannot say about Delia Glamour Liquid Color. It’s non-drying, but that’s about it.

The plus point of the Delia Glamour Liquid Color is that since it’s less pigmented, as the product ages, it does not appear to be separating on the lips as much. After a certain amount of use, INGLOT Sleeks Cream would start setting in smallish lines on your lips. It is, however, barely observable in dynamic, and only happens if you really go all out with the product (ergo, try to build the colour up).

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Beauty

Nail Polish: a lovely duochrome from Golden Rose Classics – and a CHANEL Peridot dupe

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This is Classics Metallic in 03.

I dug out this polish out of my huge-arse polish drawer. My original intent was to use it, and then give it up, because I just didn’t think I’d like it.

Let me count all the ways in which I was wrong.

Let’s start with the ancient and the superficial – it’s a pretty decent dupe for Chanel’s Peridot. No one cares anymore, but I’m still all about them duochromes.

So yes, the second point is, Golden Rose Classics Metallic in 03 is a duochrome. I’ve never quite got over my obsession with them – I think it’s only got stronger during the last couple of months.

In fact, Oriflame recently came out with a limited edition collection of polishes, and one of them is quite similar to this antique bronze-gold-duochrome thing that’s going on here, so I might just end up buying that one as well. We’ll see.

Applies well. The only downside is it needed three coats, which made it dry slower than I’d like. I ended up with duvet prints – but the upside is that it just looks like a special effect with this polish. Like you’ve applied some foil to your nails.

Held well. Had the tiniest chip on the index finger of my right hand come Friday evening. No top coat of any kind, mind you.

Next time I wear it, I want to try using some matte black on the tips of my nails, see how it looks.

As I kept staring at my hands during the day, I thought that this colour would make a really great eyeshadow. And then I realised that I wasn’t the first one with that idea: INGLOT delivered.

duochrome-polish-and-eyeshadow

Here’s the INGLOT single in AMC Shine 49, and they’re very similar – as similar as a nail polish and an eyeshadow could be. This INGLOT AMC Shine single shadow deserves a full post of its own. It’s easily my favourite eyeshadow out of my collection.

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For the reference: This is the sixth day of wearing this polish, no top coat. Very impressed with the longevity.

If you ever have the chance to try Golden Rose polishes – any of their lines, not just Classics – do give them a go. They are ridiculously cheap and very, very good. The only ones that don’t last 5+ days are the Matte and Matte Velvet ones – but show me a matte polish that stays beyond two days, seriously.

My least favourite line from the brand is probably Paris – I find most of them very sheer and long-drying, and the lighter shades can be very streaky.

With that said, most polishes from the other lines apply really well. The very light ones can be a hit and miss, and the yellow ones take approximately 385 hours to fully dry. Other than that, Golden Rose is my go-to brand for a nail polish fix. Amazing colour selection, a wide variety of effects (matte, metallics, quick dry, glitters, shimmers, classic lustre…), lines, and brushes (from regular to my favourite – very flat and very wide). They also come in mini-sizes.

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Beauty

INGLOT Haul! Swatches and Demo.

My friends gave me an INGLOT gift certificate for my birthday. INGLOT is a brand I’ve been following for a while, and was one happy lady when they finally set up shop here in Kishinev.

Though my initial impulse was to try a colour I’ve never used before, or maybe just go for another nail polish, I went for basics in the end. Much like with my wardrobe, my makeup stash lacks good quality basic elements. INGLOT eye shadows are high quality, so getting neutrals from them is a good idea.

I went for three AMCs and two matte shadows. They were all bought as separate singles, as I was also getting a palette. I love the no-frills black cardboard with a slight sheen. I always say that I love the no-frills black packaging, but then again, it’s true. Simple black packaging all the way.

inglot packaging

Apologies for the blurry shot. Low winter light is my enemy (rather, my poor time management skills are my enemy, but let’s not point fingers).

Let’s see what’s inside!