$20.00 for 0.038 oz.
NEW; Limited Edition
Arabesque collection (spring 2013)

$32.00 for 5 mini pencils
Limited Edition, Sephora Exclusive

The most amazing thing about these pencils is their smooth, creamy texture. They're quite soft and blend nicely. These mini kohl pencils also perform fabulously on the waterline--they apply well, and stay nicely too! I didn't have any issues with smudging or transferring, which impressed me a lot. (Usually soft eye pencils get a little messy looking by the end of the day, but not these!) 

The richly pigmented and multi-faceted shades are very wearable, no matter what the occasion. Dress them up with some shimmery shadow for going out, or pair them with neutral shadow for work. They're just shimmery enough to be interesting, but not glittery. 

Each pencil is about the size of your standard deluxe eyeliner pencil sample. 

I love mid-and high-end makeup. I love the makeup counters, the testers, the packaging... and of course, the quality. But sometimes I need some makeup in a pinch (forgot something while traveling), or want to try a trend without breaking the bank.

I was shopping at Forever 21, buying some skinny jeans, and saw that their makeup collection has really expanded. I’d heard some good things and thought I’d see for myself.

love & beauty blush in Pink
$1.80 for 0.16 oz
Made in Taiwan, cruelty free. The color is a classic, cool-toned medium pink. The texture is very smooth and fairly pigmented. The plastic compact is decent. There is a bit of fallout, and it does fade a little by the end of the workday.

love & beauty gel eyeliner in Black
$1.50 for 0.07 oz/2.00 g
Made in China, cruelty free. I was all set to be disappointed by this, since cheap eyeliners of any formula tend to be craptastic. But this stuff really impressed me. It comes in a sturdy frosted glass container with a plastic lid. It's small, but per ounce it's still a good value. The texture of this gel liner was smooth and creamy and incredibly pigmented. Good length of wear, no smudging, no flaking, no irritation. The swatch did stain my arm a bit, even after I wiped it off with a makeup wipe.

love & beauty eyeshadow in Dark Olive
$1.80 for 0.10 oz/2.83 g
Made in China, cruelty free. It's a cool toned dark olive shade that leans a bit brownish, with gold microglitter. Even with the glitter, the texture is smooth and fairly pigmented even without primer. There is a bit of fallout, both of the shadow and the glitter, but not enough to be a real issue. It had all day wear when used over primer. The plastic compact is cheap feeling, but it's still a decent product overall, and there's a pretty good amount of product. This has talc, petrolatum and mineral oil in it, which isn't a concern for me, but may be for some.

[click on a picture to enlarge it]

Does it compare with a high end brand, like MAC? Not really. But are they still good products, and would I be willing to try more products? Heck yes! They’re less expensive than most drugstore products, and they have a decent product selection and range of colors. The fact that they're made in China is a drawback, but I haven't had any issues with them. I’m happy with what I bought, and don’t feel like I wasted money on any of them. If you’re on a tight budget, or are looking to try out a new trend without committing a lot of $$$, Forever 21's makeup is a good bet.

Lipgloss+Spandex rating:

The Inspiration:
For the holiday season, Laura was inspired by the decorative architecture, style and mood of the Art Deco period in Paris in the mid-1920’s, most notably the beautiful paintings of the artist Tamara de Lempicka.

The Look:
Laura created rich makeup shades of gilded golds, glamorous reds and striking blacks to beautifully contrast each other to achieve a beautifully ornamental look. Play up eyes with Illuminating Eye Colour in Gilded Moonlight, as seen on Marchesa’s Fall/Winter 2012 runway;  Makeup artist Talia Shobrook used this eye colour to create glamorous gold-rimmed eyes. Golds and bronzes are paired with high-shine reds and deep blacks. Eyes are sharply designed and defined – lined in black, with gilded shimmer eye colours as a beautiful golden background. Lips wear super-shiny red lacquer.

LUSH Emotional Brilliance Liquid Eyeliner in Quietly Motivated
$22.95 for 0.2 oz

Described as a "warm chocolate brown," but I'd say it kind of leans toward a bronzey taupe, actually. The price tag does seem a bit high, but the color was mesmerizing. And LUSH's liquid eyeliner does technically come with more product inside than your typical eyeliner, though I seriously wonder how long it'll be useable or how much of the product you'll actually be able to get out of the bottle. The brush applicator is attached to the lid, which isn't very convenient. It easily frays and its difficult to get the right amount of product. This particular color applied fairly well--not as streaky or as sheer as some of the other liquid eyeliners from LUSH. However, I ended up returning this product to LUSH because it made my eyelids sting for awhiel when I applied it (even after it had dried completely). It's very rare that I have any sort of reaction to skincare or makeup products, and LUSH's salespeople had told me how soothing the ingredients were when I bought it--I don't know what's in this that was making my eyelids burn. The uncomfortable weird feeling did eventually stop, and I did try it a few more times with similar problems.

The salespeople said a few other customers had reported similar side effects. I'm going to steer clear of LUSH eye products. Stila and Urban Decay both make fabulous liquid liners that come in a rainbow of colors, with better pigmentation, and NO irritation. 

Lipgloss+Spandex rating:

MAC Fluidline in Local Wares (Limited Edition)
$15.00 for 0.1 oz

Another great alternative to the usual black, brown or charcoal eyeliners. This subtle but gorgeous blackened olive has tons of teensy multi-colored microglitter (mostly gold). It's beautiful and would probably look good on all skin tones, and can easily go with simple workplace makeup, or a smoky eye. I love how this looks smudged out on my lower lashline. After Dark Diversion, I'd probably say it's one of my favorite eyeliner colors of all time. As with all Fluidlines, I find the formula to be excellent--very smooth. It wears all day long without smudging or flaking. I can wear it to the gym or during a marathon without hesitation, and can even wear it in my waterline without any irritation. The substantial glass jar keeps it from drying out (I've had some shades for a really long time, but they're still good!) The price is also quite reasonable. Definitely go check this out before it's gone!

Lipgloss+Spandex rating:

MAC Cluidline in Dark Diversion (Limited Edition)
$15.00 for 0.1 oz

Dark Diversion Fluidline is one of my favorite products of all time, and I'm very sad it's limited edition. I actually got this liner when it came out in an earlier collection, and am thrilled to see it repromoted. I would describe it as a warm brown-toned plum shade with the teensiest bit of shimmer. It's not 100% opaque on the first swipe, but I kind of like that it can be worn more sheerly an also be layered on for more intense color. The color is subtle enough for everyday wear--even to a conservative workplace--but bold and complex enough to be interesting. Its a great alternative to your regular black, brown and charcoal eyeliners. As with all Fluidlines, I find the formula to be very smooth. It wears all day long without smudging or flaking. I can even wear it to the gym or during a marathon without hesitation, and I can wear it in my waterline without irritation. The substantial glass jar keeps it from drying out (I've had some shades for a really long time, but they're still good!) The price is also quite reasonable. If you don't have this product already, BUY IT NOW!!! I'm probably going to buy a backup jar.


Lipgloss+Spandex rating: