They Did It Again!

Anyone who frequently reads beauty blogs knows that Urban Decay's Primer Potion is a highly coveted product among those in the know. Primer Potion is the ultimate eyeshadow primer, an "ultra sheer, totally nude eye base" that provides for a longer lasting, smoother shadow application. I first read about Primer Potion on the Beauty Addict's blog, and I have been using it ever since! As I've stated before, I have pretty oily skin - even my eyelids get oily! So, it used to be impossible for me to wear eyeshadow without it creasing and then completely disappearing within a few hours of application. Ughh. But now with Primer Potion, my eye makeup does not budge until I wash my face. You can even fall asleep with your eye makeup on and wake up the next morning and it still looks flawless (with the exception of the mascara!).

Now, Urban Decay has done it again with their new Eyeshadow Transforming Potion. This nifty little product contains a double-ended wand - one side has a thin, fine, liquid liner style brush while the other side has a wider, thicker brush, similar in size to the brushes you'd find in a watercolor paint set. Each brush is housed in its own vial of Eyeshadow Tansforming Potion. The potion transforms any loose or compressed eyeshadow into liquid liner or liquid shadow, depending on which brush is used.

Like the Primer Potion, the Eyeshadow Transforming Potion has remarkable staying power. The fine-line brush is excellent for creating a liquid liner look without the hassle of an actual liquid liner. The Eyeshadow Transforming Potion is also great for long events (weddings, parties, travel, all day shopping excursions!) when you need to look your best!

$17 at Sephora.com

Lash Injection - Just What the Glam Doctor Ordered

Way back in April I wrote a little post about my love of false eyelashes. In the posting, I included a picture of myself dressed as Rainbow Brite for Halloween. I was, of course, wearing false eyelashes in the picture, and I believe I said that I wished for a mascara that would make it seem as though I were wearing false eyelashes. Well, I think I've found something pretty close! I've always been a huge Benefit BadGal Lash and DiorShow fan. They've been my favorite mascaras for the past few years. Sometimes I stray and try something new, but in the end, I always return to BadGal or DiorShow because nothing else compares to the volume they create in my wimpy, pale lashes. However, in June, beauty.com was having a 20% off (of everything) sale, so I decided I would try a few new things that I'd been eyeing for a while. One of my selections was the Too Faced Lash Injection Mascara. I was hoping this big tube would live up to all the big hype. I was particularly interested to see if the mascara was really, truly smudge proof, since I tend to get "racoon eyes" by mid-day due to the mascara on my bottom lashes rubbing off on my oily skin. Yuck.

The giant brush looks indentical to the brushes found on the BADGal and DiorShow wands, but as I applied my first coat, I could see that the Lash Injection was very different. It creates little "tubes" around your lashes that only come off with a wash cloth and water (and a little eye makeup remover), so it truly is smudge proof, so long as you're not really rubbing your eyes. The volume it provides is great, especially when used with the Shu Uemura eyelash curler!

Lash Injection is great on its own for daily use, but when I really want to go all out, I first apply a regular lengthening mascara (any will do) and then I apply a few coats of Lash Injection, followed with the Shu Uemura curler, a lash comb to get rid of any clumps (since the mascara forms those little tubes, it does clump easily, but I don't care...it's worth the extra time!), and one coat of Lancome Fatale on the tips and outer cornets of the lashes. Thick, dramatic lashes without having to worry that your falsies might fall out!

Too Faced Lash Injection is $19.50 for a full-sized tube and $8.50 for a handy mini/travel sized tube (also great for sampling if you're unsure about spending the money for the full sized product!) Available at Sephora.com.

Stains That Don't Need to be Removed

I've never been a huge fan of lipstick. If I use lipstick, I only use the ones that have a sheer formula. For whatever reason, I feel like I have the dreaded "Joker face" when I wear a fully made-up lip. Glosses are great, but they disappear quickly (no matter how "long lasting" they claim to be) and you have to keep reapplying throughout the day. Usually this isn't a problem; however, there are instances when it may not be appropriate to whip out your makeup bag and touch up your gloss. Case in point: I was a bridesmaid in my friend's wedding over the weekend and I needed a lip color to last throughout the ceremony and the looong picture taking process. So, I turned to lip stains! Stains are a great option for when you want a touch of long lasting color without the need to reapply for at least an hour or two. The color provided by lip stains is also fairly buildable, ranging from just a sheer wash of color to a bolder, more dramatic lip depending on how much you apply. The only downfall about lip stains is that they can be a bit on the dry side, but that can be remedied by a swipe of chapstick or clear gloss. Two of my favorites are Stila's Lip Rouge in Beam, a soft but vibrant fuschia (trust me, it sounds scarier than it is!) and Bourjois' Lip Stain Pen in Rose Prefere 1, a discreet light pink. An added bonus is that the pen shape of these lip stains makes it a breeze to precisely line and define lips! Though I'll always love Benetint, the orignal lip (and cheek) stain, these stains are gorgeous and ready for on-the-go use! Both available at Sephora stores for $20 and $15, respectively.