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

Skin: La Roche Pose Anthelios 60
Clarins Eye Contour SPF 30

Face:
TEMPTU 004 Sand
Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Radiant Silk
TKB Trading silica powder
Cheeks:
NARS Zen
Make Up For Ever Uplight 12
Eyes:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Sugarpill Chromalust Asylum
INGLOT eyeshadow 471
MAC eyeshadow Blanc Type
INGLOT eyeshadow 467
NARS eyeshadow Night Fever
Physician’s Formula Lash boosting eyeliner serum Ultra Black
Maybelline Black Drama Waterproof mascara
Lips:
MAC lipstick Creme d’ Nude
NARS gloss Turkish Delight

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…

I was given this flat iron from Misikko for review. My hair in the videos from when I uploaded the Juicy Couture giveaway video until the BzzAgent video was styled using the HANA flat iron. I like that the plate is 1.5 inch because I get wide curls easier versus a 1 inch plated iron.

Price: $259.99
- Made in Korea
- Includes case, pouch, and heat proof pad
- 1.5 inch plate
- 8 foot cord
- Adjustable heat 140-450 F
- 2 year warranty
- Unit light blinks when ready. No sound.

Bottom line:
While the HANA flat iron does what it’s supposed to do as a flat iron styler, I don’t notice it performing better than the other high end irons out there that are also less expensive and have dual voltage. The price is also high for a brand that isn’t very well known.

Brush made in: China
Product made and assembled in: USA
Size: 8 x 1.4g (8 x 0.05oz) Each shadow is full sized!

 Venus, Leather, Specimen, Rehab, Peggy, Bukowski, Bellbottom, Morphine (cream)

 Peggy, Bukowski, Bellbottom, Morphine (cream)
Venus, Leather, Specimen, Rehab

Peggy is an amazing shade! Love love it pieces! The cream shade, Morphine, isn’t as dry as some of the cream shades in the other palettes.

Skin: Merlot moisturizer SPF 15
Clarins Eye Contour SPF 30
Hourglass Cosmetics mineral primer

Face:
Make Up For Ever HD Foundation #120
Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat #Radiant Silk
TKB Trading silica powder
Cheeks:
NARS blush #New Order
Eyes:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Sugarpill Chromalust #Hysteric
Sugarpill eyeshadow #Poison Plum
MAC eyeshadow #Shroom
Sugarpill Chromalust #Absinthe
Sugarpill eyeshadow #Midori
Sugarpill eyeshadow #Bulletproof
Physician’s Formula Lash boosting eyeliner serum #Ultra Black
Majolica Majorca lash expander plus mascara
Lips:
MAC lipstick #Gaga

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

Face:
Make Up For Ever HD Foundation #120
Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat #Radiant Silk
TKB Trading silica powder
Cheeks:
NARS Bronzer #Laguna
Eyes:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Sephora Eyeshadow #Me Jane
NARS eyeshadow #Night Porter
MAC eyeshadow #Vapour
Too Faced eyeshadow #Erotica
NARS eyeshadow #Night Breed
Clinique Cream Eyeliner #Black
NARS Volumizing Mascara
Lips:
Victoria’s Secret lipliner #Red
MAC lipstick #Russian Red

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.