micro brow pencil Archives

NYX | My Hits & Misses

June 14, 2019

Hi Everyone!
Today, I’m talking about products I’ve tried from NYX: the good, the bad and the in between.
Check out my other Hits & Misses posts!

MAKEUP || Primers | Foundations | Powders | Concealers | Brows | Mascara

SKINCARE || Eye Creams

BRANDS || Bobbi Brown | Burt’s Bees | L’Oréal | Maybelline | Nude by Nature | TULA | Volition Beauty

Before you read this post, please remember that we all have difference preferences and skin types. These are MY hits, misses and likes. You might love something I don’t like or dislike something I love.

HITS

Micro Brow Pencil – This was one of the first brow pencils I tried and it’s a great drugstore brow pencil for those who just want to fill in the gaps.

Fill & Fluff Eyebrow Pomade Pencil in Ash Brown – I’ve tried samples of pomades that come in pots, but I’ve never tried a pomade pencil. I liked this the best out of all the brow pomade products I’ve tried, but I still prefer a pencil with a more precise tip.

Makeup Setting Spray – This is a good drugstore spray that doesn’t have a scent to it.

California Beamin’ Face & Body Bronzer in Free Spirit – This is a huge pan for a bronzer. It’s a really pretty bronzer that has a sheen to it (even more of a sheen than Physician’s Formula Butter Bronzer- so if you like a matte finish, this isn’t the bronzer for you). It’s also really beautiful as an effortless summer eyeshadow to give you that bronze look.

Bare With Me Hydrating Cheek Tint in Do Me Right – This is a really pretty berry cheek tint. Perfect for the summer time and blends out nicely.
LIKES

Bare With Me Tinted Skin Veil – While I do like this Tinted Skin Veil, it doesn’t quite cover up redness around my nose and chin. On clearer skin days, this will be great for me. This is great if you already have flawless skin, but just want to even it out a bit.

HD Concealer Wand (Colour Correctors) – I tried the green and yellow shades and I didn’t love the smell of these. Also, I found that if I tried to conceal the redness on a blemish that was a bit dry, the concealer would accentuate the dry, peeling skin.

MISSES

A Bit Jelly Gel Illuminator – I find jelly highlighters to be a bit gimmick-y. While they’re cool for festival/Halloween looks, they’re not the best for an everyday look. Jelly illuminators are a bit too chunky for me – not the jelly itself, but the glitter in them.

High Definition Foundation – I bought this so I could darken another foundation I had. This broke me out and I also remember it smelling like chemicals.

Bare With Me Prime. Set. Refresh. Multitasking Spray – While this does have Alcohol Denat in the ingredients, so do other higher end sprays. This has a nice scent and the mist is very fine. If it didn’t have salicylic acid in it, I would love this spray. Unfortunately, it caused me to break out because the salicylic acid brought up my underground blemishes.
Love,

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January 2019 Product Empties

January 29, 2019

Hi Everyone!
Here are this month’s empties! Can’t believe it’s already the end of the month. I probably say that each month, but January really went by so quickly!
Tula Pro-Glycolic 10% pH Resurfacing Gel – I really liked this toner, it didn’t cause any irritation or additional redness to the areas of my face (nose and chin) that are already red.

Repurchase? Yes! I want to use up my Pixi Glow Tonic before I repurchase this though.

Tula Illuminating Face Serum – LOOOVE THIS! It was light and it helped lighten some dark spots on my face!

Repurchase? Already did!

Tula Hydrating Day & Night Cream – Although this is fairly light in texture, it’s a bit too heavy for my personal liking. Also, I prefer a tube or bottle instead of a pot for hygienic reasons. I’m going to try the gel products from Tula to see if I prefer those.

Repurchase? Maybe. If I find a gel product I like better, I would prefer to buy that instead.

Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil – I don’t know why, but the smell of this oil reminded me of a fruit roll up? I have no idea why. I decided not to use this on my face because I love the Tarte Maracuja Oil so much and it’s been working. I didn’t really want to try a new product and possibly have a reaction. I used it on my hands and feet since they’re so dry from the winter air.

Repurchase? Probably not.

The Body Shop Aloe Vera Gentle Foaming Wash – This is exactly what it says in the title: gentle, foamy and aloe.

Repurchase? Yes, on sale.

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask (mini) – Love this.

Repurchase? Would definitely purchase a full-size pot.

Origins Original Skin Retexturizing Mask with Rose Clay (mini) – I liked this, but I wouldn’t say I loved it (probably because I don’t love rose-scented products). It did make my skin feel very soft after using it.

Repurchase? Probably not, but I would try other Origins masks.
Innisfree No Sebum Mineral Powder – This powder was great at mattifying the t-zone, but it did make my undereyes looks quite dry when I set my concealer.

Repurchase? No. I wasn’t a huge fan of the minty-herbal scent of it.

NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Black – On a whim, I decided to try this brow pencil and ended up loving it. This was my second time purchasing it and I will definitely pick it up again.

Repurchase? Eventually. I think I will try the second darkest shade since the Black can be a bit too dark (even on my dark brows). I want to try other brow products before circling back to it though.

Essence I Love Colour Intensifying Eyeshadow Base – I barely used this because I don’t really wear colourful eyeshadows to begin with. Although I did test this and it did make shadows more vibrant; I’m not sure about longevity though. You would probably need to use this with a primer if you wanted to extend the wear time of your shadows.

Repurchase? No. I don’t need it.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (mini) – I have no idea when I got this, so it’s good I finished it :/

Repurchase? I think so.

The Estée Edit The Edgiest Kohl ShadowStick in 03 Guilt – This was okay, it wasn’t the best shadow stick I’ve ever used. I still have an extra that I bought in the same shade.

Repurchase? Brand is no longer available in stores.

Flower Beauty On Your Mark Liquid Eye Liner in Black – I don’t know why I bought this because I don’t really wear liquid liner. I just saw Flower Beauty at Winners and got excited to try something from the line.

Repurchase? No.

Clio Kill Black Calligraphy Liner in 01 Black – Again, I made an impulse purchase at Winners because I wanted to try a brand that I’d never used before. I had also heard a few YouTubers talk about the Kill Black Liner, but this wasn’t the one. The Clio Kill Black Waterproof Pen Liner is the that people like.

Repurchase? No.

What did you finish this month?
Love,

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Dupe It Out | NYX Micro Brow Pencil vs. Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil

September 21, 2018

Hi Everyone!

Last month, I received the Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil from Topbox Circle. I thought I would compare it to my fave, the NYX Micro Brow Pencil. Keep reading to find out which one I prefer!

NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Black (brown-black)

Available in 8 shades, twist-up & retractable pencil with a spoolie on the other end.

Build full beautiful brows with our ultra-thin Micro Brow Pencil. So precise it coats even the finest hairs with color for a natural-looking finish.

In the picture, I don’t have a cap on the spoolie, but it does come with a cap.

Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil Ultra Fine Shape & Define in 6 (cool soft black)

Available in 8 shades, twist-up & retractable pencil with a spoolie on the other end (mini doesn’t come with a spoolie).

This ultra-fine eyebrow pencil draws incredibly natural-looking, hair-like strokes that last 12 budge-proof hours.* A few strokes of the rich yet blendable colour will transform brows from shapeless & undefined to filled & defined eyebrows.
Top is the NYX Micro Brow Pencil (you can tell it’s slightly more brown).

I have the darkest shade for both pencils and the NYX pencil looks darker and more brown while the Benefit pencil is more gray-black.

For both pencils, they are available in 8 shades. No need for a sharpener, you twist it up and you can retract if you need to. They both come with spoolies on the other end (although the Benefit mini size doesn’t have a spoolie).
WINNER: Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil
It was a very close competition, but I have to give the win to Benefit. They are known for their brow products and they just came out with more shades for each of them!
My brows are black (and my hair has grown out since I last dyed it), so when I use a brow product that has brown, it looks like I’ve obviously filled them in with a pencil. The Precisely, My Brow looks more gray and looks more natural on me. My brow pencils last a long time because I’m fairly low maintenance when it comes to brows. I only fill in the gaps and nowhere else and then I’ll go in with a brow gel to keep them in place. So, for me, I’m okay with spending a bit more on brow products because they last so long.
If you don’t want to spend $30 on a brow product, then NYX is a great alternative, but I personally think the Benefit pencil works better for my brows because it’s not as harsh-looking. I think the NYX pencils cater more to blondes and brunettes whereas the Benefit ones just came out with more shades and they have the different undertones (warm, neutral and cool). I haven’t tried the Anastasia Brow Wiz, but I’m interested to see if it’s better than or performs the same as the Precisely, My Brow. Once I finish some of my current brow products, I will probably pick up a Brow Wiz pencil to compare (especially since it’s cheaper and you get a little more product).
I have a new review up! I compared the Benefit Precisely, My Brow with the Lancôme Brow Shaping Powdery Pencil (click here)!
What’s your fave brow product?
Love,

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Project Pan 2018 | Update

September 12, 2018

Originally posted on February 25, 2018

Hi Everyone!

In February, I selected 10 makeup products to finish before the end of the year and here’s an update! I chose products that I’ve had for a while and I wanted to use them before they went bad or dried out. I tried to pick at least one product from each category: Face (Foundation, Concealer, Bronzer, Blush), Eyes/Brows, Lips.

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Deauville – This shade is way too light for me. Of course, it looked fine in the store under the bright lights, but I look like a ghost when I wear it. I mix it with my Maybelline Fit Me Foundation to darken it.

STATUS: Finished!

Bella Pierre Mineral Blush in Autumn Glow – This was the first non-drugstore blush I bought. It was kind of a pinky-brown shade that looked really nice when blended out.

STATUS: Decluttered

Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer in Park Ave Princess – This is a pretty bronzer, but since it was Made in China, I wouldn’t repurchase (read my post: Where Were Your Beauty Products Made?). If I’m spending that much money on a bronzer, I want it to be made elsewhere.

STATUS: Finished!

Revlon Colorstay Concealer in Light/Medium – I won’t be repurchasing this concealer. I don’t like the smell of it and I prefer the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer anyway.

STATUS: Finished!

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Light – One of my fave concealers.

STATUS: Finished!

NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Black – I really like this brow pencil, it fills in the gaps and it’s not too dark.

STATUS: Finished!

Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara – I liked this mascara. The brush was good and it gave me very natural looking lashes.

STATUS: Finished!

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara – I liked this mascara. I kept the wand.

STATUS: Finished! (I must’ve forgotten to include this in a Product Empties post)

Too Faced Mini Chocolate Bar – This was redeemed from Sephora Rewards. I love this mini palette, the champagne truffle shade is beautiful.

STATUS: Decluttered (the shadows and bronzer were starting to smell off)

L’Oreal Colour Riche Collection Exclusive Nude Lipcolor in 370 Jennifer’s Nude – I think this is my favourite lipstick. I bought it when it first came out and fell in love with it. The makeup artist who did our makeup also used it on my sister and me for my sister’s wedding reception in Toronto. This is my go-to and that’s why I sort of want to use it up so that my other lipsticks have a chance of being used.

STATUS: Finished!

What’s on your list of products you want to finish before the end of 2018?

Love,

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July 2018 Product Empties

August 1, 2018

Hi Everyone!

There were quite a few products this month that I finished that I will not be repurchasing. I decluttered a bit of makeup while doing my mid-year makeup inventory (read the first post of my makeup inventory). Keep reading to find out which ones!

Live Clean Apple Cider Clarifying Shampoo – I won this in a giveaway and I got 5 shampoos and 5 conditioners. I tried all 10 by using about 1/3 of each shampoo before switching to see which one I liked the best. This one made my hair feel clean and look shiny, but it was my least favourite scent of the 5 shampoos. Since it’s apple cider, it smelled like apple juice to me.

Repurchase? Not this particular shampoo, but I would purchase others from Live Clean.

Live Clean Exotic Nectar Argan Oil Restorative Conditioner – After trying each of the shampoos with their matching conditioners, I would switch back and forth between using the Apple Cider Ultra Light conditioner and this one. Since the Apple Cider one is very light, it didn’t make my hair as soft as this conditioner.

Repurchase? Not this particular conditioner, but I would purchase others from Live Clean.

Bioderma Hydrabio Gel-Cream – This cream was okay. Nothing special for me.

Repurchase? No.

Purlisse Blue Lotus 4-in-1 Eye Adore Serum – Sorry, Purlisse, I did not ADORE this serum. My under eye area always felt tacky.

Repurchase? No.

The Face Shop Smart Peeling Mild Papaya – I liked this when I first got it, but now there are so many other peeling gels out there. Since this one is goopy, I’d rather pick up the Soo’Ae peeling gel (read my review).

Repurchase? No.

Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser – I like this cleanser and it removes makeup too!

Repurchase? Yes.

Tarte Deep Dive Cleansing Gel Rainforest of the Sea – It cleansed okay, but it’s a bit pricey for the size.

Repurchase? No.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Targeted Gel Blemish Stick (read my review) – As you may know, I love the tea tree oil line from The Body Shop. This is a good spot treatment, but since you’re treating blemishes, I feel like it’s a bit unsanitary to stick it back in after applying to my pimple. I want to try something else for a spot treatment; maybe I’ll try the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion (I’ve tried the Kate Somerville EradiKate and one that’s similar from the Face Shop).

Repurchase? If it’s on sale, maybe. I prefer other products from the Tea Tree Oil line even though this one does work pretty well.

Garnier SkinActive Micellar All-in-One Cleansing Water – Surprisingly, this took a long time to finish. It’s probably because I started using makeup wipes. I should probably start using micellar water more because it’s gentler.

Repurchase? Absolutely! I love Micellar Water for removing makeup.

Simple Eye Make-Up Remover Pads – My mom picked these up at Walmart because they were on sale. They removed makeup well, they were basically cotton rounds soaked in makeup remover.

Repurchase? No. I don’t feel like they did any better at removing my makeup than regular makeup wipes.

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara – This was a good mascara, but not my fave. It did darken my lashes though.

Repurchase? Probably not.

NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Black – I love this brow pencil. It gives me natural, but not too harsh brows (even with the black shade).

Repurchase? Already have!

NYX Makeup Setting Spray (Matte) – This setting spray is okay; sometimes it made my face feel tight and occasionally, I would (accidentally) get it into my eye and my eyes would water. I plan to pick up the Mac Fix + in its place.

Repurchase? Probably not.

Here are the products I decluttered:

Coastal Scents Lipstick in 2 – The shade I got was a bright purpley-pink which I didn’t love. It sunk into the lines in my lips.

Repurchase? No. Unfortunately, living in Canada, I get charged for duties when ordering from Coastal Scents, so I’d rather get a $10 lipstick instead of a $4 USD lipstick where I’ll get charged for duties.

Tarte Tarteist Creamy Matte Lip Paint in Birthday Suit – I got this in the Sephora Birthday gift last year. I didn’t start using it til a few months after my birthday, but I think it’s time to retire it because it’s drying out. I really liked this. The formula wasn’t too drying and it looked pretty with a lip gloss on top too.

Repurchase? I would consider buying a full-sized lip paint, but I know there are a lot of liquid lipsticks from the drugstore that are cult favourites. I would prefer to pay more for a bullet lipstick since those have a longer shelf life.

MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Créme Cup – I love MAC lipsticks and this is a beautiful lipstick shade, but it was too light for me. I prefer the more nude/mauve/brown shades instead of the pink ones on my skin tone.

Repurchase? Not in this shade.

MAC Fluidline Pen in Retro Black – I bought this at the MAC Warehouse Sale (check out my haul) because I’ve only used drugstore liquid liners, so I thought I’d give it a try since it was on sale. I am terrible at doing wings and I don’t line my lids with liquid liner that often. I prefer using kohl liner and smoking it out. I think I will stick to drugstore brands. I know Kat Von D’s Tattoo liner is a cult fave, but I don’t use it enough to want to splurge on it.

Repurchase? They no longer sell it in Retro Black, but if they did, I don’t think I would repurchase.

Estée Lauder Sumptuous Knockout Defining Lift and Fan Mascara in Black – I didn’t like the brush; the bristles were hard and short.

Repurchase? No. If I bought high-end mascaras, this would not be on my list of mascaras I want to repurchase.

L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara in Black – I just don’t like the hourglass shape of the Lash Paradise mascara.

Repurchase? No, I prefer other drugstore mascaras.

Wet N Wild Photo Focus Foundation in Buff Bisque – This foundation had a spatula that dips into the foundation bottle instead of a pump. I didn’t like this because it’s much easier for bacteria to get in. Especially if you apply the foundation from the spatula directly onto your face. I decided to declutter this because 1) the shade I got was too orange and I don’t think mixing it with anything would help 2) I haven’t been reaching for it when I’m deciding which foundation to use 3) it smells more like chemicals than other foundations 4) I mostly bought it jut to see if the hype was worth it and since it was under $15 and Wet N Wild was disappearing from the shelves of my drugstores (for some reason), I decided to grab it.

Repurchase? No.

The Estée Edit Flash Illuminator in Spotlight – This illuminates your skin like MAC Strobe Cream, but it’s not liquidy like the strobe cream, it’s goopy. I never really gave it a good try because I didn’t like the consistency (it reminded me of silly string where it pumped out in a long string). I mixed it once or twice with my foundation which looked pretty good, but it had to be a thicker foundation formula so it wouldn’t get clumps of the cream.

Repurchase? The Estée Edit line has been discontinued, but if it were still on sale, I wouldn’t repurchase. I prefer the MAC Strobe Cream.

Love,

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10 Products to Finish in 2018

February 25, 2018

Hi Everyone!

I thought I’d do something a little different since I haven’t been trying out too much makeup recently. I’ve been refraining from putting on makeup because of a breakout and I don’t want to anger it. I hope to finish the following 10 products before the end of 2018. I chose some products that I’ve had for a while and I want to use them before they go bad or dry out. I tried to pick at least one product from each category: Face (Foundation, Concealer, Bronzer, Blush), Eyes/Brows, Lips.

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Deauville – This shade is way too light for me. Of course, it looked fine in the store under the bright lights, but I look like a ghost when I wear it. I mix it with my Maybelline Fit Me Foundation to darken it.

Bella Pierre Mineral Blush in Autumn Glow – This was the first non-drugstore blush I bought. It was kind of a pinky-brown shade that looked really nice when blended out.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Matte Waterproof Bronzer in Park Ave Princess – This is a pretty bronzer, but since it was Made in China, I wouldn’t repurchase (read my post: Where Were Your Beauty Products Made?). If I’m spending that much money on a bronzer, I want it to be made elsewhere.

Revlon Colorstay Concealer in Light/Medium – I won’t be repurchasing this concealer. I don’t like the smell of it and I prefer the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer anyway.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Light – One of my fave concealers.

NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Black – I really like this brow pencil, it fills in the gaps and it’s not too dark.

Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara in Black – I liked this mascara.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara – I liked this mascara. I kept the wand.

Too Faced Mini Chocolate Bar – This was redeemed from Sephora Rewards. I like this mini palette, but I’m not a huge fan of the chocolate smell. I don’t really like my powders having scents.

L’Oreal Colour Riche Collection Exclusive Nude Lipcolor in 370 Jennifer’s Nude – I think this is my favourite lipstick. I bought it when it first came out and fell in love with it. The makeup artist who did our makeup also used it on my sister and me for my sister’s wedding reception in Toronto. This is my go-to and that’s why I sort of want to use it up so that my other lipsticks have a chance of being used.

So, those are the 10 products I hope to finish by the end of the year. I’ll probably do an update at the end of this year to say if I did finish them.

What’s on your list of products you want to finish before the end of 2018?

Love,

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HITS

LIKES

MISSES