Eyeko Pretty London: More Than Just Cute Packaging

For those of you who don't know, Eyeko is a lovely cosmetics brand from the UK. I first heard about them when their nail polishes were all over the Beauty Blogosphere and immediately loved their super cute packaging.

But, does the product inside the packaging just as fab? Well, let's find out...

Eyeko Fat Balm in Minty

From Eyeko: Slicks of juicy colour, infused with light reflecting particles, moisturising Jojoba oil and added SPF15 make for fuller, softer, sexier lips. Add a hint of colour and shine as you protect and hydrate your kisser! Dab on to cheeks for a touch of blush. Mineral oil and lanolin FREE!

The Bad: The colour does absolutely nothing for me! I couldn't even photograph a swatch because you couldn't see it. I haven't tried using it on my cheeks yet but I think that with the shimmer, it would look pretty for some subtle highlight action. As for the lips, I don't like how it pales my lips out too much which doesn't look flattering on me. 

So, what don't I like? The colour. Is that a big deal? Heck no! Why? Because there's 5 other colours to choose from, all of which look way more pigmented than Minty. 

The Good: It's definitely hydrating! I once went to work and forgot all my lip products but this baby had somehow fallen into my purse so I used it throughout the day. I love that I don't have to constantly reapply the product, it has the exact consistency I like in my lip products. I also love that it doesn't leave that disgusting white line on the inside of your lips. The shimmer is also quite pretty and the mint scent is refreshing. It's also subtle enough that a person like me, who normally doesn't like minty scents, isn't put off by it.

Eyeko Liptastik Glossy Lip Pen in Lip Lover

From Eyeko: Following fashion's trend for bold lips is easy with Eyeko Liptastik Glossy Lip Pen. Just line and fill in one easy sweep for liner, colour and gloss in one! Available in 2 must-have shades featuring a fresh, fruity fragrance and added gloss for luxe lips.

The Bad: The "fresh, fruity fragrance" is actually a bit cloying for me that I find myself experiencing a headache after a few minutes of wearing it. That said, I do have quite a sensitive sense of smell and scent is so objective, pretty much everybody's going to have a different opinion. Another thing that's not so great about this product is that it settles into the bigger lines on my lips. It's not actually noticeable until you stretch your lips out into a smile and even then, it's not that noticeable. 

The Good: LOOK. AT. THAT. COLOUR! Isn't it gorgeous? I've been obsessed with bold colours lately and what better time to wear them than in the summer? But this colour can easily translate into Fall and Winter, as all beautiful reds do. It glides on so easily and is so pigmented that you don't need to wear a lot. Also, there's a... Excuse my technical jargon here, there's a "twisty thingy" at the bottom of the pen that pushes up the product. That means no sharpening, which is always a plus in my book. 

Eyeko Graffiti Eyeliner Pen in Jet Black

From Eyeko: Emphasize your eyes in one quick stroke! Create this season's dramatic eye looks with Eyeko Graffiti Eyeliner Pen. The precision brush nib is super easy to control to draw on thick or thin lines. Eyeko Graffiti Eyeliner Pen is smudge-proof, fade-proof and long lasting!

The Bad: NOTHING. No, really... I can't think of anything bad to say about this product.

The Good: 1) I'm usually not a fan of felt tips because they tend to feel too harsh on my eyes but the tip on this Graffiti Eyeliner Pen feels soft and smooth on my eyelids. Also, it makes creating a flick so easy. I always had trouble with making the edge very pointed because of my lack of skills and using the wrong brushes/liners. But now that I've been using the Graffiti Eyeliner Pen, I only have trouble because of my lack of skills :p. 

2) When Eyeko says Jet Black, they mean Jet Black. 

4) It doesn't get goopy when you layer it, which is something I find long-wearing liners tend to do. So when I find my line isn't straight (which is often >.<), I can easily add a bit more product at the top and it never looks like I've got gunk on my eyes (*ahem* l'oréaltelescopicliner *ahem*)

5) This stuff DOES. NOT. MOVE. Even without a primer, this baby stays put on my eyelid even on my longest days (15-16 hours). 

6) It doesn't take too much effort to take off. In fact, it comes off easily with both moisturizing & oil-free eye makeup remover. Of course, you'll need a few swipes, but it's doesn't require any vigorous rubbing at all.

BOTTOM LINE

Multitasking products are always awesome to have in your collection. The Fat Balm is definitely a great multitasker, but I wouldn't recommend this particular shade that I have (Minty).

The Liptastik Gossy Lip Pen is a gorgeous 3-in-1 product! However, if you have scent sensitivity, I would suggest getting a whiff first if your local UK drugstores stock it. For everyone else, well... I really do have a pretty sensitive nose so it probably won't even bother you.

As for the Graffiti Eyeliner Pen... Finish reading this post (:p) and then go buy this baby! Seriously, it's so amazing! 

If you're not in the UK, Eyeko is available online and you can get free shipping with order over $55.

Are you a fan of the Eyeko brand?

*Disclaimer: These products were PR samples sent for review consideration.

My IMATS Haul!

If you saw my last post about IMATS, you would've noticed something completely lacking... What would that be? Why, my IMATS haul, of course!

I spent more than I intended to; but really, who can help themselves at IMATS? Certainly not me...

Large Z Palettes in Zebra & Fabulous Pink

Royal & Langnickel Kabuki & Baby Dome Brushes

Ben Nye Powder Rouge Refills in Golden Amber & Natural Blush

NYX Eyeshadows in Dune, Tropical, Root Beer (which I managed to completely MANGLE 
while de-potting last night. FML) & Jazzy Pink

NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Natural

NYX 10 Color Eyeshadow Palette in Velvet Rope

NYX Matte Nail Polish in Orange

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk

NYX Auto Eyebrow Pencil in Black

NYX High Definition Eyeshadow Base

NYX Studio Liquid Liner in Extreme Plum Purple

NYX Matte Lipstick in Angel

So there you have it, my very first IMATS Haul! I saw some pretty awesome train cases as well & was sorely tempted to buy one but then I remembered, I'm not a makeup artist. At least not yet! I actually plan on going to school for make up in January (unless other things come up). I mean, as my father says, "you might as well put your obsession with makeup to good use!" Haha! 

I've actually wanted to become a makeup artist for some time now and family members were even telling me that I should study to become one way before I considered it as an option. So hopefully, that'll be my career while I continue to pursue my dream of performing =).

Anyway, I can't wait to dig into these babies! But alas, I must wait til I can photograph them individually before I can even think about touching them. Ahh, the life of a beauty blogger...

Have you been to an IMATS yet?

IMATS Vancouver: My Very First IMATS Experience! (Warning: Photo Heavy)

So when I first heard about IMATS, it had already passed. I vowed then and there to make the next one... And I almost didn't. You see, I was supposed to go with my best friend but she had forgotten and booked a vacation (I asked her months in advance :p) so she was unable to go. I decided I wasn't going to go then, seeing as I really need to save up for a future trip to London. However, the day before I decided I wanted to go after all and was scrambling around looking for someone to come with. I wasn't able to find an IMATS buddy, so I decided to go alone and am I glad I did!

All in all, I had such a blast! I was there pretty early so I was able to miss part of the rush, which I'm so glad for because it was pretty packed by around 10:30. There were demo's going on everywhere and it was so awesome seeing professional makeup artists transform beautiful women into hot pink aliens or floral-skeletal-things.

For any make-up artist/junkie, IMATS was pretty much heaven. Glorious row upon glorious row of makeup products, all at discounted prices. I think the only thing that would've made my experience better was if:
1. The line to Make Up For Ever wasn't so damn long the whole time I was there! Same goes to Eve Pearl's booth.
2. CoverFX had more products on sale.
3. The Ben Nye booth actually sold their products. There were so many uh-may-zing eyeshadows that I would've loved to purchase!
4. In general, there were more brands present. Toronto has Embryolisse, FACE Atelier, M.A.C., Nars, OCC, & Stila. The Los Angeles exhibitor list is probably 3 times as long as the Vancouver one. I mean, I totally get that Vancouver isn't exactly a huge metropolitan hub, but we aren't called Hollywood North for nothing! Give us some more brands, IMATS! *hopeful face*

Anyway, lots of fun was had. And can I just say how awesome NYX's set up was at IMATS? It had four sides, with pretty much the same product present on opposite sides. They had 2 SA's manning each side with multiple SA's in the middle stocking the display or helping with cash. Speaking of cash, they had 2 registers and 2 lines going so the line moved quicker than you expected. Everybody at the NYX booth was super friendly, too! If there was any brand that thoroughly impressed me at IMATS, it was NYX.

So after I was done at IMATS, I decided to enjoy the beautiful Vancouver view since it was quite a beautiful day. Here's some photos from around the Convention Centre...

Have you been to an IMATS before?

MAC Semi-Precious Collection Mini Haul

I haven't really been paying attention to MAC collections much. Simply because there seems to be one every week and the brain just gets overwhelmed by all the makeup goodness. Or at least mine does! A week or two ago, I stepped into my nearest MAC location and the lovely SA showed me some of the eyeshadows and MSF's prior to its release. I thought the products she showed me where all there was in the collection, so although I was impressed with what I saw, I wasn't really that interested.

Nevertheless, I went back in after the collection was released and came upon these three gorgeous products...

Cremesheen Glass - Geo Pink

Geo Pink is described as a "strawberry pink" but you and I both know it's not. I, for one, definitely think it belongs in the coral family. This is my first Cremesheen Glass so I was quite excited! It applies smoothly and although it's tacky, it doesn't feel too sticky. Don't get me wrong, your hair will still stick to your lips on a windy day (or during a rather fierce hair flip) but somehow it feels lighter on the lips. I find it's easy enough to forget I'm wearing it. It's the kind of lipgloss I can wear the whole day without feeling any sort of discomfort (unlike MAC's Plushglass, which makes the skin around my lips itchy the longer I wear it). 

The colour is lovely, too. I have 2 coral-y lipsticks, but this is my first coral lipgloss and so I expect to wear it quite often this summer. I suspect this would look absolutely lovely with just bronzer on...

Mineralize Blushes - Feeling Flush

Mineralize Blush - Warmth of Coral

Left: Feeling Flush, Right: Warmth of Coral

Wearing Feeling Flush on the left & Warmth of Coral on the right

Like I mentioned, I wasn't aware that there were blushes in the Semi Precious collection so when I saw these, it was a bit like Christmas in July! These Mineralize Blushes were love at first swatch for me so I just had to have them. 

Feeling Flush is the more pigmented of the two and it also has more staying power. It has been with me through 15-hour days and although it doesn't look as fresh as when I first applied it, it's still very much there. Something that I'm sure you lovelies who work long days can appreciate. It's a gorgeous cool-toned pink that has shades of "pink, deep blue-pink & soft brown" which swirls together to make a really lovely shade.

Warmth of Coral is definitely not as pigmented, I need at least 2 extra swipes of product per one swipe of Feeling Flush so that it will be more visible on camera. Nevertheless, this pretty coral/peach blush is so easy to blend, you can build up more colour and it won't look chalky. The only downside is, it pretty much disappears after a few hours. Well, maybe disappear is a bit of an exaggeration. However, I like my blushes pigmented because I like the dimension it gives to my rather pale (even in Summer >.<) face. But that's easily fixed by a quick re-application. I just love the shade and it goes so beautifully with Geo Pink and my other coral lipsticks (Vegas Volt & Siren). 

I'm so in love with these 3 products! If you guys get anything from the collection, I definitely recommend these. Geo Pink is a lovely lipgloss for the Summer (or anytime you're feeling Summery, really!) and the blushes are just so gorgeous (how lovely is that marbleized effect?). If you like more pigmented products, definitely go with the Feeling Flush Mineralize Blush. However, if you like more subtle shades, then Warmth of Coral is for you! 

Either way, and here's the enabler in me rearing it's ugly awesome head again, go get something from the Semi Precious collection. It's absolutely gorgeous and I'm sure there is something in there that will catch your eye!

Have you hauled from the Semi-Precious collection?