Made in France pencils have a round bottom and flat, wider, and opaque cap. Made in Germany pencils have a flat bottom with a concave, translucent cap.

Eyeliner in Teal

Made in: France and Germany
Where to buy: CVS, Rite Aid, Walmart, Target, etc.
Price: $3.99 MSRP, $3.50 at Walmart!
Rating:
Purchase again?: Yes!

I am so excited to be sharing these liners with you guys! Now, at less than $4 a pencil, there really REALLY is NO excuse to have to resort to sticking your pencils under your armpits or using a lighter anymore! I found out about them while I was searching for products for the $20 makeup challenge (You’re not going to struggle with these liners as I did with the WetnWild in that video! ha). At the time, I was looking for a black liner, found these pencils from NYC, but no black so I passed. I told myself I’d like to check them out once I find a black. I finally found a store that had them in stock and also found a pencil which someone had already opened so I tested it and wow! They glide on so smoothly just like the Urban Decay 24/7 pencils, Makeup Forever eyeliners, Milani liquify liners, Sephora flashy liners, L’Oreal HIP chrome liners, and the L’Oreal liquid eyeliner pencil liners!

Now what makes the NYC liners more special from the rest is that it’s a lot cheaper!! Being that they are so inexpensive yet aren’t made in a developing country is fantastic in my book! And you know what all these pencils have in common? They are all made in Germany which leads me to believe that given their similarities in product quality, they are made in the same manufacturing facility. Same thing with the liquid eyeliner pens with brush tips, I found them all to be made in Japan regardless whether it’s Kat Von D, Physician’s Formula, or Dior and baked makeup made in Italy. However, do note that having the same facility does not necessarily mean that all products from them will be the exactly the same because I think that ultimately, the client (Urban Decay, Milani, NYC, etc.) has a say in what shades they want, how much of x ingredients they want in there, etc.

The thing is though, not all the NYC liners are made in Germany. The ones I found before were made in Germany but the ones in the store that I found were mostly made in France, and I only found one shade made in Germany. I think that the older pencils are made in Germany while the newer ones are made in France. The new change in production facility could explain why it was hard for me to find stores that had these pencils in stock. This is just my theory though, it could be the other way around where they used to be made in France but are now made in Germany.

Moody Blue, Dark Brown, Mink (has slight silver glitters), Black, Smokey Plum, Teal (my fave, has golden glitters)

Vigorous wipe test. Some slight smudging, but about all the other similar liners aren’t 100% budge proof either. Interestingly, the only Germany made pencil I have is the Moody Blue, and it happens to be the one that smudged and faded the least. I wonder if that has to do with the specific shade formula or manufacturing company in Germany… Something that could use some further looking into. For now, I’d recommend choosing the made in Germany pencils since the other brands, which perform well, are made in Germany.

Wearing Teal with Maybelline’s Black Drama Falsies mascara

005 Sugar Frosting, 060 Gumdrop

005 Sugar Frosting, 060 Gumdrop

005 Sugar Frosting

060 Gumdrop

Made in: USA
Where to buy: CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Walmart, Target, etc.
Price: ~$6-$8 depending on where you get it
Rating:
Purchase again?: Yes

I wanted to give these a try after all the hype and it was so difficult to find these at first! I blame Youtube for that, you guys wiped these out! I finally got a hold of these while they were on sale along with an extra Walgreens coupon I don’t really find them unique though because they remind me of MAC slimshines. The shade selection was pretty impressive especially when it comes to drugstore products. They are easy to apply, like a balm, so I like to use these when I need some quick colour on my lips.

Experience COVERGIRL’s first ever volume + length mascara! The fiberstretch formula and oversized brush make every little lash bigger, fuller, longer-looking, and more dramatic.

• Super volumizing + buildable fiber-strength lengthening
• Thickens and extends the look of your natural lashes
• Signature blast brush

Made in: USA
Where to buy: CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Walmart, Target, etc.
Price: ~$10 depending on where you get it
Rating:
Purchase again?: No

I really did not think that I would dislike this mascara this much. I mean, I even bought two! I was expecting the results to be something like the MAX Factor 2000 Calorie X-treme mascara times 10, since it was supposed to lengthen AND volumize, but it was more like that divided by 10… Not much volume, and worst of all, it did not hold my curl despite the mascara being waterproof!

Brush

Curled lashes

droop…

FALSE LASH GLAM GOES EXTRA MATTE, extremely black
300% MORE VISIBLE LASHES corner-to-corner, no gaps

The most dramatic false lash fab volume!
• Patented Spoon brush reaches lashes from corner-to-corner, while Black Drama formula fills in every gap.
• Matte black lashes from corner-to-corner.
• No gaps from any angle.
• Contact lens safe and Ophthalmologist tested.
• Washable; also available in waterproof formula.

Made in: USA
Where to buy: CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Walmart, Target, etc.
Price: ~$5-$8 depending on where you get it
Rating:
Purchase again?: Yes

This mascara is part of the extensive Volum’ Express family from Maybelline. Not only that, but The Falsies also branches out to three different mascaras, The Falsies original, The Falsies Black Drama, and The Falsies Flared. I don’t really know the diference between any of them except for Falsies Flared which is supposed to give the lashes a more winged and and flared appearance. The shade names that Maybelline chose makes things even more confusing. There’s Black Drama, Very Black, and Blackest Black. Which one to choose?

Curved mascara wand. I like that its got traditional bristles instead of plastic, for some reason, I don’t prefer those plastic combs that many mascaras have these days. This mascara also has fibers, but there are very few compared to other fiber mascaras and they seem to be longer too.

Curled lashes

One coat of mascara

I was out of town for a couple days and forgot to bring my Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Plus mascara! I dropped by Walgreens to get some mascara and this is what I came out with, along with The Falsies Flared which I will review at a later time. I’ve used several Maybelline mascaras in the past and wasn’t particulary impressed with any of them so I was suprised to find out that I REALLY like this mascara! It gave me volume, held my curl all day, and didn’t flake! I honestly couldn’t stop looking at my lashes. On top of that, it’s inexpensive! I looove this mascara! I can’t wait to try the Falsies Flared once I’m done with this tube

497 Rock On Ruby

NYC New York Color Smooch Proof 16HR Lip Stain stays put, providing a sheer to intense flush of color that sticks around longer than most guys in the City. This is no on-again, off-again relationship. Color stays faithful for up to 16 hours. Looking for happily ever after for a very happy price? Let your lips do the charming!

APPLICATION TIPS
For optimum wear, make sure your lips are clean and oil free.
Apply one coat of color to your lips.
For a more intense result, apply a second coat.
Allow color to dry for about 1 minute.
To add shine, complete your look with an NYC lip-gloss.
TIP: No-Mistake Pen application makes lining and defining a snap.
BENEFITS
Color that lasts up to 16 hours
Will not transfer, rub off or smear, even when eating or drinking
Lightweight formula, bare lip feel, matte finish
Precise and even application
Allows you to build color
KEY INGREDIENTS
Water-based, lightweight formula enriched with pro vitamin B5 moisturizer

Price: $4.99
Where to buy: Rite Aid, CVS, Target
Size: 3mL 0.10 fl oz
Made in Germany

I love my red lipstick but I hate having to retouch it. Long lasting lipstick don’t feel all that great so when I heard about lipstains feeling like you barely have anything on, I wanted to try one. Lipstains are usually sheer and give a flush of colour so my choices were limited because I wanted a more bold opaque shade. I wanted to try the Josie Moran lipstain but I didn’t feel like going to the mall so I hit up the drugstore. Out of all the stains that I found, only NYC had one that was red so I grabbed it!

This applies just like a marker and smells kind of like… cherry Kool-aid? Once applied, the colour does stay and is transfer proof, however, liquid is this stain’s kryptonite. It comes right off like you had drawn your lips on with a washable marker. When I first tried this stain, I cried from watching a video about Somaly Mam and the tear that ran down my lips dragged the stain right along with it! Now I haven’t used a lipstain before so I don’t know if this is normal but I was expecting something more long lasting that wouldn’t come off with saliva and drinking. This is not something I’d buy again or recommend. 

Felt tip pen

One stroke with tip of pen, one stroke with side of pen, several layers

Several layers of stain on lips

Added water…

UPDATE// I had the opportunity to check out the Josie Maran lipstains and they behaved the same way as the NYC when I added water to it.

The packaging of all Majolica Majorca products are so cute! Very gothic lolita. It’s like Too Faced’s evil sister

Where to buy: Asian drugstores, eBay, online
Price: ~$10-$20 depending on where you get it. I think I got mine for about $17 off eBay?
Rating:
Purchase again?: Yes!

Website: http://www.majolica-majorca.com (check Singapore for English)

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Silver, Lavender, Jade, Blue, Crystal, Hot Green.

Named after the ancient Greek goddess of the night, NYX offers affordable professional cosmetics designed to make every night legendary. NYX Candy Glitter Eyeliner is perfect for drawing precise lines of glitter for a dazzling effect. Infused with moisturizing ingredients, Candy Glitter Liner sparkles AND conditions! Housed in a compact tube with a brush applicator and tassel trim.

Size: .35 oz
Price: $3.00-5.00 USD
Where to buy: Ulta, nyxcosmetics.com, cherryculture.com, etc.

These are super affordable for a liner that is jam packed with glitter. One of the differences I find between the NYX candy glitter liners versus the high end glitter liners is that the NYX takes longer to dry but I figure most people wear glitter liner for special outings anyway so the extra wait time shouldn’t be too much of a burden. I do find that the NYX candy glitter liners aren’t as long lasting as say Too Faced or Urban Decay because the “gel” isn’t as thick and sticky. The consistency of Silver seems to be inconsistent compared to the rest of the liners since the “gel” is actually pretty runny and the glitter is smaller. I’m not a fan of Silver but I love Crystal, it’s my favorite! The packaging is fine and standard except for the darn tassel that’s attached to the cap. They are so annoying and useless that I just cut them off. The tassels look tacky in my opinion and I think NYX could do without them, cut the cost of production. Overall, I think the NYX Candy glitter liners are worth the $5 although I wouldn’t pay more than that due to them not being as lost lasting.

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MAC Bare Necessity, Milani Designer Label, MAC Like Venus, Milani Starshine (Can you tell a difference?)

New soft and brilliant Glitzy formula filled with super shiny polymers and the next generation of pearls to create the illusion of 3D depth for fuller, sexier, looking lips.

Available in spectacular 7 shades.

Price: $6.99 (sometimes on sale)
Size: 0.09 Fl. Oz/ 2.7 mL
Where to buy: CVS, Walgreens, milanicosmetics.com

I have a drugstore gem to share with you all! I got these for buy one get one 50% off at CVS. These are total MAC dazzleglass dupes! I wanted the blue one, Movie Star, since I missed out on MAC’s Cosmic Blue dazzleglass but couldn’t find it. I ended up getting Starshine (Like Venus dupe) and Designer Label (Bare Necessity dupe). I also noticed that Fashion Diva was a Funtabulous dupe and In Vogue was a Love Alert dupe. LOL I think Milani intentionally copied MAC’s dazzleglasses down to the shades. I don’t think it’s merely a coincidence…

I’ve heard about several people suggesting other brands like Sally Hansen but none of them are as close to dazzleglasses like these. On my lips, I honestly can’t tell the difference between the Milani 3D glosses and the dazzleglasses. They reflect light just the same. The texture of the Milani glosses aren’t as thick and sticky as MAC dazzleglasses either. If you are looking for an inexpensive dead on dupe to MAC dazzleglasses, definitely give these a try!
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Only our oil-free formula can hold highly concentrated pigments in a clear gel base.

* So color is more intense and lines resist wear for 24 hours.
* Smudge-proof and Water-proof.
* The most intense line for lasting drama.

Where to buy: CVS, Walmart, Target, Rite Aid, etc.
Price: ~ $9.99 (often on sale for 40% off, BOGO)
Size: 3 g
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I received several of these nails from a PR company a while ago and decided to try one out now. I was sent several styles and my favorite is actually Minx, but I wanted to try another design for my first try.

I used the design Sequins and included are:
A small buffer/emery board thing
Glue
24 Artificial Nails in 12 different sizes

The thing is, I got 27 nails in my package instead of 24 which is good I guess… but there were not 12 sizes. I only had sizes 0-9, that’s 10 not 12. The smallest size they had, 9, did not fit my pinkies so I tried filing the nails smaller. You are supposed to apply the glue all over the natural nail and on the fake nail to avoid bubbles.

I tried my thumb first, glue all over my nail, then a little bit of glue on the fake nail. Apply them together, press for 5 seconds, aaaanddd… uh oh! a huge ass bubble! Okay, let’s try this again with the index finger with more glue this time. Glue all over my nail, glue all over fake nail, press together for .. ahhh! Oh shit! Two of my fingers are stuck together and there are no bubbles but there’s glue all over the nail!

So I take a break, take 20 minutes for the acetone to detach my glued fingers, then remove the two messed up nail applications. To remove these, soak the nails in acetone until they dissolve, which takes about 20 minutes.

OKAY! Let’s try this again! Since I already wasted two nails, I was missing one that fit to complete both of my hands so I filed a larger one to make it fit. I was able to apply 5 nails without getting my fingers stuck again but I still got some bubbles on some, one wasn’t applied straight, and they were just overall ugly! You apply too little glue and you get bubbles, you apply too much and you get glue all over. You mess up on a couple nails then you either wasted the entire kit or you can file down some other sizes to make them fit. These are really difficult not to mention aggravating to apply. My concern is if you don’t seal the nails and have holes and bubbles, water can get through and you can get some kind of stinky gross infection.

I had to take another 40 minutes to remove the nails because they did not look good at all. I would not recommend these nails to anyone. They are a lot more trouble than they are worth. I wasted nearly 2 hours of my time with these. I didn’t even get past the application stage to try them out to see if they lasted. I’ve read a few reviews from other people saying that some of their nails popped right off while putting on a seat belt or something like that. If you want to get your nails done I say spend the extra 20-30 dollars and get them professionally done. The Revlon nails are only supposed to last a week before you are recommended to remove them and a good nail job will last about 3 weeks so in the end you’re paying about the same price for something that actually looks better and a lot less frustrating to deal with.

Acetone is very strong and soaking your fingers in it is also very damaging to the skin and nails. Avoid it if you can!