Review of Maybelline Master Graphic

On to my eyeliner number two of the three liners I purchased: Maybelline Master Graphic:

“Liquid marker eyeliner for a bold graphic look”

 

Application: I bought this liquid liner because of the unique marker pen-like tip. The tip is hard enough to make it easy to apply a line which also makes it more difficult to make a wing. When I was finished, it looked quite ok.

 

Pigmentation: When it comes to pigmentation, unfortunately, this thing is a disappointment for me. I had to go over this line several times to build up a solid line:

 

Longevity: It doesn’t claim to be waterproof or anything, and my eyes do water a lot. By the end of the day, my liners were gone 😦 At least, it didn’t smear or smudge. It just kind of disappeared. This might be good enough for those of you that can “keep a liner” on the eyes. This is me by the end of the day:

Removing the liner: As I didn’t have much left on my lids, I barely removed any of it. But I can imagine that it is very easy to remove.

Final verdict: Definitely not a liner that can last on my lids, and the pigmentation is just not good enough. I wouldn’t repurchase it. However, if you’re a beginner, this might actually be a good liquid liner to start off with even it looks a bit chunky and scary.

See my previous post on Maybelline Maybelline Master Ink Matte here.

The next liner I will review will be Maybelline Master Duo.

Until next time!

Maria xoxo

Review of Maybelline master ink matte

When the abstinence calls, it’s hard to hold back. I picked up a few Maybelline eye products as they were all 40% off. One of them was Maybelline master ink matte in 10 charcoal black as I thought it would be interesting to try out a matte liner.

Luckily I tried this at home. Because Anthony asked me out of the blue whether I have cried, and I was like “what?” and then I looked in the mirror and was shocked. My eyes didn’t really water since I put it on and it’s only a few hours at home.

 

To make it short: If your lids are just a little watery or oily, don’t risk getting this. The application was like a dream. It was easy to put on and I got beautiful lines with this product. It is not a waterproof eyeliner, but it still says “intense longwear eyeliner” on the bottle which I don’t think lives up to the claim.

Maria xoxo

Makeup for Christmas dinner

I went to a Christmas dinner with my colleagues 2 weekends ago. It was really fun to put on makeup on myself because I haven’t done that kind of makeup for a while, and also because I was putting on makeup for a few colleagues.

For my own look, I went for golden eyes and red lips. I used my Maybelline Color Tattoo in 75-24K Gold as base, and topped it off with “Strike” from the Urban Decay Vice2 palette. The lippie is Revlon Super Lustrous in 004 Retro Red.

Here are some close-ups. No filter.

     

So these are my beautiful colleagues that allowed me to put makeup on them. We did the makup in the bathroom which made it a little hard to capture the colours. Kristina (first row) got a dark green eye look, Marie (middle row) got a bordeux eye look, and Tine (3rd row) got a purple eye look (although it’s a little hard to tell from the pictures). I used some nyx singles, Maybelline Color Tattoos (Promegranate Punk and Painted Purple) as bases for Kristina and Tine, and the MUA makeup palette in Undressed.

 

Okay, one more selfie:

I need more occasions to do this kind of festive looks!!

Maria xoxo

When to chuck out your mascaras

Time flies by. I haven’t been blogging for months. An update post will hopefully be coming up soon! I have been burning up with topics and products I want to share with you but simply haven’t had the time.

Today, we are going to talk about mascaras. I have never believed in buying expensive mascaras, as I find the cheap ones are working just fine. I especially love Maybelline’s mascaras. My favourite is The Falsies, and I have been using The Rocket Volum Express every day lately. I mean, they have been lasting me for a long while – too long maybe. I keep using them, thinking that they will dry out soon, but nope, they are still good to use – or are they?

The rule of thumb with mascaras is: You have to chuck them out after 3 months! I don’t remember where I read it, but after 3 months, small crawlies will begin to grow, and it’s really not nice to put that not-so-clean mascara wand so close to your eyes. That’s also why it’s not a good idea to have too many mascaras in use at the same time.

I just opened my Maybelline the Hyper Curl Volum Express. It looks really natural, but still gives my lashes some volume. I get a kind of flaring effect opposed to the more clumpy Rocket – though I really get some serious volume with it. I’m not too sure about the staying power of Hyper Curl yet (I use the waterproof one). I might do a review of it later.

It’s heartbreaking, but I’m letting go. Goodbye, my beloved Falsies, Rocket, and Urban Decay Cannonball…

How long do you hold on to your mascaras?

Maria xoxo

100 Happy days: Day 1

I am very excited to announce that I will be doing the 100 Happy Days challenge! The idea is simple – post 1 picture every day where you capture something or someone that makes you happy. And just do it for 100 days!

Here is my Day 1 capture:

The sun is shining. The sky is blue. I’m not wearing a jacket. Happy Day 1 of 100 happy days. #100happydays #nofilter

I have seen this tag going wild for a while, but I didn’t really think about doing it myself. Lately, I have been thinking a lot about what makes me happy. I have to learn to appreciate and be happy for what I have – as a quote I saw the other day says: “Happiness is not getting what you want, but appreciating what you have”.

I will be uploading the pictures on my Instagram. So if you want to follow my 100 happy days, follow @maria_nhieu

That’s it for now. Will see if I can find some time to blog about something more beauty related.

Have a great weekend.

Maria xoxo

 

L’Oreal True Match Foundation review

I used the L’Oreal’s True match foundation like 10 odd years ago, and I’ve recently purchased it. I remember that I stopped using it because in the end of the day, I never had any foundation left on my face. But that’s defo not the case any more with the new formula.

Texture and finish

After all those years, of course, they have changed the formula…. to the better… Oh my…. When I applied it for the first time, I was overwhelmed by how soft and blendable it is. I only need one pump to cover my whole face (and a little left for the areas that need a little extra), and I just use my fingers to apply. Usually, I always powder my face, but I haven’t done it with this one. The True Match leaves a semi-matte finish meaning that it would be good for oily/oily-combination skin. So be careful if you have dry skin!

Wearing the L’Oreal True Match foundation in shade N6 on the right side of my face. Excuse me for the horrible brows!

Coverage

I would say that it’s gives a medium coverage. It looks very light on my face because I applied a very thin layer. Why cover everything up now that my acne scars are fading? You can easily build it up. I dab on more around my nose, under my eyes, and the cheek area where I have many blemishes. It works really well, especially when you don’t have a whole lot of time in the morning to fumble around with concealers and all that.

Shades

As you probably know, the True Match line has a myriad of shades! But bare in mind that as soon as you’re outside of the States, there are usually only a few to choose from. I ended up with the N6. I’d wish I could have chosen the W6 though. “N” stands for neutral and “W” for warm. I have yellow-toned skin, so I usually go for the “W”‘s.

It sounds funny, but when I apply the N6 to my face, it doesn’t look quite yellow enough. But when I put it on my hand, it seems very yellow.

I haven’t been at the MAC counter to check my shade for a long time, but I think I’m down to an NC 35 or 37 – just for comparison.

Summary

I love it! It feels super nice and light on the skin. I only spend a few secs to apply it with my fingers, and the coverage is really good. I want to try out the W6 to see whether that one would be too yellow for me though.

As for the price, I bought it on sale for around 11€. I would say that this foundation is super affordable, and totally worth the price!

Have you tried this foundation before? Which shade do you use and what MAC shade are you?

Maria xoxo

 

Eco Friendly Living eye makeup remover

I always use waterproof mascara, so a good eye makeup remover is very important for me. I swear by the L’Oreal Gentle Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover – I have been using it for more than 10 years! However, sometimes I get curious to try out other eye makeup removers and see how they work out. I have tried an Elizabeth Arden one, and currently bought the one from Nivea, but today I’m reviewing the Eco Friendly Living eye makeup remover.

What attracted me to this product was that the ingredients are all-natural and organic. It’s just a mixture of oils – and I thought oil is what I need to remove waterproof makeup anyway. I bought it on etsy! Unfortunately this thing hasn’t worked very well for me. It’s just very… oily… and I’m not used to the consistency – I get oil everywhere, and it gets on my contacts so that’s defo not good. Besides, it is not removing my waterproof eye makeup as effectively as the L’Oreal one… I usually pour my remover on a cotton pad, put it on my eye for a few seconds, and then start pat the makeup off.

The Eco Friendly Living remover is just not working well for me, so instead of keeping it in the drawer or chuck it out – I use it for when I wash my brushes. It is very effective to wash brushes with an oil as it will get rid of the stubborn makeup (especially foundation) in the brushes. I let the brushes soak in a mixture of this remover, some water and a little bit of shampoo. And then I wash them again with shampoo to get rid of all the oil. You can use this tip for any other makeup removing products that you regret buying..

What is your favourite eye makeup remover?

Maria xoxo

Nailtiques formula 2

I realised it’s been more than 2 weeks ago I have blogged. I have been super busy, and my living situation is not ideal right now, so all my stuff is shuffed into small makeup bags, so I haven’t been playing around with different products lately.

My nails have always been soft, peeled and chipped. I have tried out many different products and I keep moisturising my cuticles but nothing has worked as well as my newly discovered wonder product! Yes, with Nailtiques formula 2, I can now have a few millimetres of nails that are looking pretty and non-chipped!

I was quite sceptical in the beginning. People rave about OPI Envy, but that one actually made my nails worse. So after that episode, I haven’t really been very keen on trying this kind of nail strengthener. My Nailtiques formula 2 arrived 3 weeks ago, and I have been following the instructions religiously; you’re supposed to apply a layer every day, and remove it once a week with a remover with acetone.

The smell is very strong, and you should avoid touching the cuticles. The brush is really nice and application is very easy. They say that it’s packed with hydrolized keratin, gelatin and calcium – all ingredients that strengthen nails. But how can I just put on a layer of stuff and my nails just turn hard and stop chipping and splitting? I’m thinking that it must contain some strong chemicals, but what the heck… it’s working and how can it hurt me???

I have never had nails looking this fine, and I’m so excited that I can finally put nail polishes on my long nails. Well… not that long – I just like to have a few millimetres as you see on the picture.

It has been 3 weeks for me now (you can see on the above picture how much I’ve used), and I will decrease the use and see how that goes. They say that Nailtiques formula 2 can be worn under nail polishes.

My Nailtiques formula 2 was bought on beautybay.com. Usually I don’t like to buy things on their page because the prices are quite steep as you don’t have to pay shipping fee. I couldn’t really figure out where else to get it, so I just bought it for 18€. Very expensive, but in my opinion worth it. I give this bottle full points. I love it and will continue using it!

You can view their official website here.

Have you tried it? Do you have a nail wonder product?

Maria xoxo

Addition – warning:

I did some extra research after I wrote this post. On Makeupalley, it has got 4,5 lipsticks (out of 5) of 195 reviews, and on amazon 4,5 stars (out of 5) of 89 reviews. I just want to point out that one should be careful with the Nailtiques formula 2 regardless. Some people have experienced scary conditions such as pain and nails starting to loosen from the nail beds. And just when I removed it today, my fingers are throbbing a little, and the nail bed of my left middle finger is a little bit loose. I though it was because I banged it into something while I was doing the dishes. So I went on the internet and did some extra research and found out that some people have had some bad side effects. It is no doubt some strong chemicals I’m putting on my nails, and will be much more careful with it. I’m thinking of using it once a week from now on – that should be okay.

Raising money for breast cancer #nomakeupselfie

I browsed by Steph’s blog with a post on raising money for breast cancer with a selfie tagged #nomakeupselfie. I thought it was a fun way to spread the word for supporting breast cancer funds. I have been donating to the breast cancer fund for years, and have been participating their events also. So I thought that I might as well do this fun tag and post a picture of me and my bare face.

I have shortly googled the #nomakeupselfie trend that suddenly got viral. More specifically, I read an article by ctvnews here. The trend started when the author Laura Lippman tweeted a picture of herself with no makeup and tagged it #nomakeupselfie. This was an act to support the 81-year old Novak that was criticised for her appearance during the Oscars Academy Awards.

The author pointed out that this trend had been criticised because the campaign was comparing no-makeup with cancer. The #nomakeupselfie thing has also been linked to a brave act – which I am a little sceptical about (is posting a picture of yourself, yes, even without makeup, supposed to be brave?). A third point of view was seeing it as an act to expose one’s vulnerability – “the same way that we’re all vulnerable to cancer”. You can read all the sources on their page.

As I am from Denmark, I have been donating to http://stoetbrysterne.dk/

Img source: http://stoetbrysterne.dk/nyhed/tak-en-fantastisk-lyser%C3%B8d-l%C3%B8rdag-2013

Have you donated yet?

Maria xoxo

Micellar waters

Hey girls….

Today, I’m going to talk about micellar waters… For those of you that don’t know what it is, I’ll shortly explain first; It is a makeup remover. It is in a liquid form. Just pour it on a cotton pad, and wipe your makeup off. Micellar waters are especially popular among makeup artists as they can quickly remove makeup between looks.

There is just one thing I want to point out: many people use this as a remover and cleanser in one. I always go for a DOUBLE-CLEANSE! So I use the micellar water to remove the first layer of the makeup, and then I wash my face with a face cleanser. In my opinion, this hype has gone a little wild. Whilst those brands claim that their micellar waters have a 3 in 1 function (remove makeup, cleanse and add moisture), I do not believe in such a wonder product – that this one bottle can replace remover, cleanser, toner, and moisturiser.

Img source: http://www.bioderma.com/en/the-products/what-s-new/product/action/24.html

Micellar waters have become very popular the last few years, and still more brands come out with their version of it. The first one that got the big breakthrough is the Bioderma ones. They have a few versions for sensitive (clear bottle with pink lid) / combination or oily (blue bottle with green lid) skin. The blue bottle is the only one I have tried. I have become extremely fond of the idea of a micellar water, and I will definitely keep using one. However, I seek for cheaper alternatives. So I did a quick google, and want to share my thoughts with you guys.

• For the drugstore alternatives, I know that Nivea, Garnier and L’Oreal all have a micellar water.
• For the classical French pharma brands; Vichy, La Roche Posay and Avène make them.
• Vogue also recommends other high end ones such as TAAJ, Decléor, Dior, Darphin, REN etc.. See their top 10 here.

Img source: http://www.superdrug.com/loreal/loreal-skin-perfection-3-in-1-micellar-solution-200ml/invt/639956

Img source: http://www.superdrug.com/save-13-on-selected-garnier/garnier-cleansing-micellar-lotion-400ml/invt/809257

As my evening routine doesn’t 100% rely on this one product, I am more liable to go for a cheaper alternative. I am running low, hence this post about my considerations for a new one. Right now, the Nivea one appeals to me as it is free of parabens and parfume. The other drugstore micellar waters have also received good reviews.

Img source: http://www.nivea.dk/Products/Face-Care/sensitive/miscellar-water

What do you use to remove your makeup and clean your face with in the evening?

Have a wonderful weekend.

Maria xoxo