Product Review- Urban Decay Supercurl Mascara

Urban Decay Supercurl Mascara Review

 

Urban Decay Supercurl Mascara Review 

 

From the Brand:    Curl makes a lady. Sculpt your lashes with perfectly sexy curves to feel instantly prettier-than-pretty. Our formula boosts curl, separates lashes, and literally crafts each one into an expertly-shaped, battable set. Part of the secret lies in our molded and curved new technology wand that shapes lashes AND holds curl effectively throughout the day. Even more impressive are the incredible conditioning ingredients in our formula – packed with glycoprotein for lash thickening, moringa seeds to help with curl definition, and Meadowfoam seed oil and Shea Butter for conditioning and smoothing. Take that. We’d probably love this mascara no matter what the tube looked like…. But in the spirit of looking pretty we put it in a stunning mirrored gunmetal tube, embellished with swirling black scrolls. Go on with your pretty self.

Fill Weight: 9 ml e 0.3 US fl oz

Retails for:   $20.00

Where to Buy:   Urbandecay.com, Ulta stores and ulta.com, Sephora stores and Sephora.com

My Thoughts:   I got the travel size in a kit, because I wasn't in the mood to spend $20 on a mascara I wasn't sure I was going to like, especially when I've been trying every mascara under the sun lately for these reviews.  And boy and I glad I went with that decision. I was not a fan of this mascara at all.

The wand is rubber, which was strike number one against it.  Add to that the fact that the bristles were thick and spaced too far apart to get a nice separation combined with a stiff inflexible wand, and I really disliked it all around.  Strike number two Urban Decay.  The formula isn't too thick or two thin, so that was nice.  And the curved mascara wand head helped me coat my lashes nice and evenly without much trouble or messiness on the rest of my lids.  I'll give them that.

The biggest let down for me, especially when the reason I was interested in it to begin with, was that it did absolutely nothing for me as far as curling.  Even when I used a lash curler before (and I tested it with pre-curled and naturally straight lashes) I saw no visible difference in the amount of curl or how long the curl lasted (as with the pre-curled lashes).  Strike number three.  You're out of my makeup bag!

Kuddos for making it super long wearing though with no smudging.  Not waterproof mascara long-wearing, but a great wear for everyday mascara.  I was really impressed by that, even though I was so disappointed with how uncurled and clumped together my lashes looked that I was anticipating when I could wash it off.  Oh, and the packaging of course was adorbs!  Just like everything else they do, they do with total style.

Final Verdict:  I love, love, love every single thing I've ever tried from Urban Decay, so this was a major disappointment for me. I went into it with such high hopes that I'd found a mascara that could give me both volume and curl, but alas, it was just not meant to be.

 

 

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Product Review- Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil

 

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil

From the Brand:  Creamy, forever-lasting, award-winning and waterproof, 24/7 pencils delight you with lush tropical hues, deep metallics, and unusually vibrant neutrals.

 

The best Eye Pencil ever, ever, ever! Never before has a pencil this creamy and brilliant been waterproof, too. Velvety-soft, this never-before-seen formula stays soft and creamy for blending (about 30 seconds), then dries down to a long-lasting finish that WILL NOT budge. Line eyes with a hint of color or go for the full artistic, multi-hued effect with the wide selection of lush tropical hues, deep metallics and unusually vibrant neutrals. Incredible with Urban Decay Eyeshadows!


Created with 50% moisturizing ingredients suspended in a sophisticated waterproof formula, 24/7 Eye Pencils offer long-lasting color and a dreamy, creamy feel when applied. With Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E and Cottonseed Oil.


When your 24/7 Eye Pencils start to get dull, use the small barrel of our Grindhouse Double Barrel Sharpener to grind them back to a perfect point.


Fill Weight: 1.2g e 0.04 US oz.

Retails for:  $19.00

Where to Buy: Urbandecay.com, Ulta stores and online, Sephora stores and online

 

My Thoughts: When I went to Hawaii on vacation a few years ago, one of the first things I packed in my makeup bag was my Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Bourbon.  I knew that no matter how hot and humid it got, or how long I spent at the beach, my eyeliner was going to stay in place.  I have three main eyeliner brands in my bridal makeup kit that I know are going to be truly waterproof, and this is one of them.  It was actually the very first waterproof eyeliner I ever bought, and I've been loving it for years.  The fact that it comes in so many gorgeous colors, (52 by my last count online!) makes this one of the best liners for whatever your style.  If you like browns, they have a ton of browns.  If you like blues, they have a ton of blues to choose from.  They also have purples, greys, greens, even pinks!  There are multiple variations on the basic black, and then there are metallics like gold and bronze and silver, even nude and white for opening up your waterline!  My favorite shades are Bourbon, Underground, Zero, Electric, and Binge.

Final Verdict:  I wouldn't be caught doing a bride's makeup without this in my professional kit!

 

 

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products.  All the opinions expressed in this article are my own.  These items were purchased with my own money.

Makeup Tip #6: Whiten your eyes!

Copyright Urban Decay Cosmetics

If you've been sick recently, or have liver issues, or just think the whites of your eyes could look a little brighter, you can use this makeup trick to brighten them up without eye drops!

Just like I talked about in Makeup Tip #4, using blue colors will neutralize the look of yellowish whites, whether it's on your teeth or your eyes.  So to brighten up the whites of your eyes, use a deep navy eyeliner.  Dot it between your upper lashes and watch how much whiter your eyes will appear!

Voila!  It's really just as easy as that.  A deep matte navy will look more natural, but feel free to change it up a bit and go with a shimmery blue color, too.  My favorite blue liners are:

1. Smashbox Limitless Eyeliner in Deep Navy  (Matte Navy)

Limitless Eye Liner Limitless Eye Liner by Smashbox is waterproof long-wearing liner that provides bold definition that won't smudge or budge for up to 8 hours.

2. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Binge (Shimmery Dark Blue)

24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil A waterproof eye pencil formulated with moisturizing Vitamin E and natural oils.

What are your favorite blue eyeliners?

**This post contains affiliate links.  Thank you for your support of this blog.

Makeup Trend- Turqouise Liner

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner in Turquoise. Copyright Stila Cosmetics

It seems like everywhere you look, the makeup companies are adding some pop of teal or turquoise to their spring and summer makeup collections.  You'd think that turquoise was the Pantone "Color of the Year" instead of emerald!

Not that I can complain much though.  I'm a huge fan of the color turquoise, and it typically makes its way into my summer makeup routine every year anyway.  I'm excited to see all the new products to try this year.  Here are my top picks for ways to add this pop of summery blue color to your makeup in the steamy months ahead.

Powder:

Eyeshadows aren't limited to use on the eyelid for color.  You can dampen your brush in some water or for longer wear into some Graftobian Magic Set, load up the brush with the powder shadow, and use it to create a liquid liner look.  Or, you can pat it over pencil eyeliner for a more subtle wash of color.  One of my favorite multi-dimensional tricks is to line the eyes with black or deep matte brown eyeliner pencil then take an angled liner brush and press a bright eyeshadow color over top.  It adds color and depth to the lashline and looks amazing.  You can also start with a turquoise eyeliner and set it for longer wear with a matching turquoise eyeshadow shade.

Graftobian Magic Set. Copyright Graftobian Cosmetics.

I'm totally loving the new Limited Edition Resort Palette by Sigma.  The color Neela is the perfect turquoise eyeshadow for summer.  I've seen videos of it all over YouTube, and I really want to get my hands on it.  The eyeshadow is available now for individual purchase, or you can get the set which also includes a turquoise eyeliner pencil!  I wish I could show you a photo of it, but I don't have it yet and can't pull a photo from the website.  I suggest you check it out for yourself. :)

Liquid:

Back at IBS last month, I got a couple of new eyeliners from Stila, and one of them was this gorgeous turquoise liquid eyeliner- Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Turquoise.  I wore it the other day for an outing with the family, and I got a ton of compliments.  It lasted perfectly all day long and didn't smudge once.  At the end of the night when I went to take it off, it had actually stained my eyelid just a bit, and I had to use some extra eye makeup remover to take it all off.

Pencil:

I've been a huge fan of Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil for years (although my favorite colors of all time still remain Bourbon and Underground), and their shade Deep End is so gorgeous I can't stand it!  I think it will be my next purchase from the cult brand, as everything they make is insanely pigmented and super long wearing.  (Side note: Did you know that they have released their previously limited edition colors for purchase all the time now?!  They now have 40 different shades to make your heart race.  Ahhh... can  you tell how much I love love love these liners?!)

Try pairing turquoise eyeliner with a nude or neutral colored eye to start before building up to a more intense look if you're a newbie.  I like a soft pale gold on my lids with some bronze in the crease and a sharp crisp turquoise liner like the one in my look below.  When I want more drama, I do bronze on the lid (the color Amber Lights by MAC is amaze-balls!), a chocolate matte color in the crease, and pack on the turquoise eyeshadow in the outer V.  I use a pencil to draw it in, then pat powder eyeshadow over the top.  Then, it's dark bronzey brown eyeliner on the top line (Try Bourbon by Urban Decay or Lionfish by Stila) and the turquoise eyeliner on the bottom lashline to pull it all together.  I keep it a matte bone/flesh color above my crease so that it's not too overwhelming for day wear.

I'm wearing the Stila liquid liner here.

What do you think of the turquoise eyeliner trend for the spring/summer?  Will you be sporting it this year?  What are your favorite turquoise eyeliners?

Product Review- Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation

It's day two of The Makeup Show in NYC, and I should be boarding a bus to come home from there, but at the last minute last night I decided that I wasn't going to attend.  Almost all of the brands exhibiting this year are brands I already get my professional discount through, and the extra 5-10% off that they're offering for show attendees over that doesn't compensate for the cost of me having to travel from Virginia to New York City.  It's days like this that I really wish I lived closer to the city.  But then again I think about how much I'd probably be spending at the show on things that I don't "need" right now, and I'm pretty sure that if my checkbook had arms it would hug me.

So instead I've got a makeup review for you on the Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup rather than a ton of Instagram photos of makeup I'm either buying or wishing I could buy.

From the brand:

Coverage without compromise. Our weightless formula blurs imperfections for a flawless finish that feels invisible, but looks professionally retouched.

Whoever said 'you can't have the best of both worlds' never tried Naked Skin. Not only does our new light-as-air foundation give you the buildable coverage you desire – it also looks and feels like you're wearing absolutely nothing. Naked Skin uses light-diffusing spheres to 'blur' imperfections for a luminous, demi-matte finish that feels invisible but looks professionally retouched. Naked Skin is oil-free, paraben-free, fragrance-free, and loaded with nourishing ingredients.

My take:

I think I'm in love.  Like serious heart-palpitating love.  Several months ago I was introduced to this foundation through a colleague of mine.  She'd purchased the Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation and the coordinating foundation brush, and every time I saw her her skin looked amazing and she'd rave about how great the foundation was.  It took me a long while, but I finally purchased some of the Naked Skin foundation in March during my Ulta haul.  I didn't get the brush, but I found that using the Real Techniques Buffing Brush gives me a really beautiful flawless coverage.  The brushes look really similar, and unless someone from Urban Decay happens to read my little ol' blog and sends me one to do a side by side comparison, I'll probably be sticking with the Real Techniques brush.  I'd rather spend my dollars right now on products rather than brushes when I can find those from wholesale outlets for pros.

Obviously with my epically pale skin and a flash this close, it's pretty much white out city, but you can still see the edge of the makeup just a bit.

No flash, natural sunlight.  You can see how perfectly it blends with my actual skin.

 

This is the first foundation I can honestly say matches my skin exactly perfectly in EVERY light.  I took some photos in front of the window the other day of a swatch on the back of my hand with both natural sunlight as well as with the flash from the camera.  The foundation blends so well with my skin that there's no difference!  I was really amazed.  I mean, I knew how great it looked on my skin and how great it made my skin look, but seeing the evidence in the side by side photos on my computer, I was really able to see up close just how great it is.

The formula is really thin, almost runny.  I was worried that the coverage wouldn't be that great, being marketed as a "naked skin" kind of finish and being so thin in consistency.  But the foundation itself is really pigmented, and it does provide a very natural looking buildable coverage.  I watched the video on their YouTube channel demonstrating how to apply it, and it was really informative.  I also love how their coloring system works.  It's pretty much idiot-proof.  Colors ending in a 0 are neautral/warm and colors ending in a 5 are cool.  Since I'm so darn fair, I got the level 1.0, and it's perfect.

Overall, I'd highly recommend purchasing the Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup!  

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products.  All the opinions expressed in this article are my own.  These items were purchased with my own money. 

 

Makeup Tips #1!

Copyright Urban Decay Cosmetics

I'm starting a new series here on the blog- Makeup Tips!  Quick little posts with some of my favorite tips for making your makeup look amazing.

Tip #1:  Use an eye primer before putting on your eye color

Using an eye primer will allow your eyeshadow to cling to the eyelid better and last all day.  I hear from women all the time that they get frustrated when their eyeshadow fades or settles into the creases of their eyelids.  Yet when I ask them if they use an eye primer first, they look at me like I have two heads.

Not only will it help your eye color last longer through the day (especially important if you have oily lids or lots of fine lines), it will also keep the color truer.  Ever put an eye shadow on your lid only to  have it look completely different from how it did in the pan?  Eye primers counteract this problem!

And if that wasn't enough, many eye primers now come with a multitude of skincare benefits, from hydrating to firming.  How awesome is that?!

Do you have a favorite eye primer?  Here are mine:

1. Tarte 360 degree Creaseless Eye Primer.  It's silky smooth and very hydrating.  And I love that Tarte doesn't test on animals and uses natural ingredients in a lot of their products.
2. Benefit Stay Don't Stray.  This is best for fair skinned women, as it's got a built in concealer that completely blocks out discoloration on the lid.  Perfect for those days when you don't really want to wear shadow, but you want your lids to look fresh.  Goes under your undereye concealer as well to keep it in place!
3. Too Faced Shadow Insurance.  Available in a variety of shades to give your eyes exactly what they need.  Comes in clear, lemony yellow, candlelight (shimmery golden), champagne, and glitter glue- perfect if you wear glittery shadows or loose pigments!
4. Urban Decay Primer Potion.  Also available in a variety of colors.  Eden (a nude), Original (clear), Sin (shimmering champagne- gorgeous on its own!), and Greed (shimmering golden).

Huge Ulta Haul- March 2013

I haven't ordered from Ulta in a long time, and let's just say that this time I went a little buck wild.  I had a coupon for 20% off, they had BOGO 1/2 off on L'Oreal and NYX products, freebies from a lot of my favorite prestige brands, and on top of that for using my link through ShopAtHome.com, I got 8% cash back on me entire purchase. Overall I'd say I came close to saving at least $100, including the rebate, coupon, freebies, sales, and free shipping.

My Freebies

It was the perfect opportunity for me to purchase some things that I've been wanting to try, like the Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation.  A girlfriend of mine, and fellow makeup artist, has been using this for a few months and raves about it to everyone that she sees.  I tried it for the first time yesterday, and I can see why. It truly lives up to its name.  It looked like I wasn't wearing anything at all, and it evened out my skintone really nicely.  I won't go into a full review now.  I'll save that for a future post, but I'm really impressed with it after my first test run of it.

Other notable greats were the Benefit Hello Flawless pressed powder.  I've been using the foundation for a few weeks now, and it made my list of March Favorites, so I really wanted to try the powder.  I love it when I can get matching foundation and powder from the same line.  Plus, Ulta was giving away a free 10 day sample of the foundation, so I've got an awesome travel size to take with me.  Yay!  I also got the Fakeup Concealer stick, and I'm still undecided about this one.  It will require further experimentation before I'll make a ruling on it. (I feel like a lawyer here!  I need to lay off the crime dramas on tv I guess. lol.)

I was super excited to see that Ulta was doing BOGO 1/2 off on L'Oreal and NYX products, so I stocked up on things I've been wanting to try.  I read a review of the Infalliable eyeshadows, and from the blogger's swatches, I picked my six favorite colors.  In person, they didn't disappoint.  I did a quick swatch of each color on my arm for you to see how richly pigmented they are.  I love the way they feel so creamy, yet finish like a powder.  I put Bronzed Taupe on my eyelid with some Eternal Sunshine above the crease and on my browbone for a quick eye look while I did some videos, and it's held up really nicely.  The lids have a bit of a glossy look from the metallic shimmer of the brown color, but it's a super quick and easy smokey eye.  I can see this being an amazing shadow base for more intricate looks.  I don't know about the whole 24 hour claim, but after wearing it for nine hours before hitting the sheets, it didn't crease up at all.  I'll definitely be buying the remaining colors the next time I see a sale on them.  I can see them being a staple in my personal makeup bag this summer when I want something quick and easy with lots of impact.

In order from left to right: Liquid Diamond, Endless Sea, Golden Emerald, Eternal Sunshine, Bronzed Taupe, Amber Rush.  Kinda looks like a rainbow, eh?  Totally unintentional! lol.

For NYX, I tried out their HD foundation primer.  I'll need to experiment with it more under other foundations, because under the Naked Skin, it wasn't shown off so to speak.  The foundation was so awesome, it didn't feel like it needs a primer at all.  I was surprised though how thick it was, like a lotion.  And it smelled strongly, almost like cheap sunscreen.  It was also a bluish white color instead of clear.

I also grabbed two of their eyebrow pencils in Auburn and Medium Brown.  Auburn was really red, and the medium brown was too light for my brows.  I'll need to pick up a few other colors to see what works best with my dyed red brows and my dyed red hair.  I may just stick to using my eyeshadow colors for now and avoid pencils.  Red brows are super tricky, and I've yet to find a pencil that I liked as much as a powder product.  Also in the eye department, I got the Faux Lashes mascara.  I'm not a fan of the brush, as it didn't volumize at all, and the formula was very thin.  I barely looked like I was wearing anything, despite the fibers in the product meant to lengthen and thicken my lashes.  I'll have to try again with multiple coats.

I rounded out my NYX haul with two blushes- Dusty Rose and Mocha.  I was shocked at how pigmented they were!  For a drugstore brand, their blushes pack a lot of punch.  I can see me getting more of these down the road.

Now on to the Smashbox purchases.  (Can you see where I'm getting the whole buck wild thing here?)  They had a nice little set with bronze colored products in it, including a bronze blush that has a gorgeous shimmer and is a wearable brown color meant to be a blush not a bronzer.  There was a bronze lipgloss, full size Be Legendary Lipstick in Honey, and a full size Full Exposure mascara (LOVE this stuff!).

There was also a "create your own kit" deal where I got two eyeshadow trios and a dual ended lipgloss for $33.  There Photo Op eyeshadows are pretty amazing and really pigmented.  I got the Fixed Focus and Macro Lens trios.  Gorgeous neutral browns.  I know they'll look amazing with the Hint of Bronze collection.

Their Be Legendary lipsticks are the bomb, and I've wanted to try out other colors (I own Honey already and now have another full size of it from the kit).  But I didn't want to use the testers in the store (I'm a germ freak when it comes to testers after having worked at cosmetics counters) and didn't want to buy the full size colors only to hate the color.  Enter the Be Legendary lipstick palette!  It's got 8 colors in a nifty little travel worthy palette complete with lip brush.  I'm already planning on buying at least one more for my personal use and using this one for my makeup kit.  I can carry 8 shades with me that I can custom mix for my clients, and when I run out I can refill it with a slice off the full size shade.  It means I won't have to carry 8 lipsticks with me on vacation!  Yay!  (Can you tell I'm soooo ready for a vacation?)

Also included in this massive haul were two nail polishes from L'Oreal (I'll be swatching those with another polish later in the month), a bronzer/highlighter duo from Lorac, the Lorac PRO mascara, and a set of 4 mini nail polishes from OPI.  Plus of course my freebies and samples.

I tried to film a haul video for YouTube yesterday, but it was so long I'm either going to have to find a creative way to edit it into three shorter videos or just try to refilm it.

Have you bought anything new lately you're loving?  Share your recent purchases below in the comments section!