Beauty Products

Eyeshadows

Maybelline – Color Tattoo Metal 24 hour cream gel eye shadow* – Bad to the Bronze (25). Use on the eyelid. It’s good for an everyday look.

Maybelline – Color Tattoo Metal 24 hour cream gel eye shadow* – Chocolate Suede (95) – DISCONTINUED. This works well as a liner, either alone or mixed with Revlon ColorStay Grey (755). Use on the eyelid for evening or a more dramatic look.

Maybelline – Color Tattoo Metal 24 hour cream gel eye shadow* – Inked in Pink (55) – DISCONTINUED. Use for highlighting at the inner corner and top of the lip.

Revlon – ColorStay™ Crème Eye Shadow, Licorice (755), Shimmering dark silver. Use as eyeliner, alone or mixed with chocolate suede. Apply with fingers, as below. Blend in sheer layers, building up as needed. It’s smoother and easier to blend that Color Tattoo.

Mac Eye Shadow Print Satin, Muted Grey with Shimmer. Great for smokey eye.

*Apply with a fingertip. Warm up the cream by rubbing in the pot. Start on the bottom of the eyelid, in the middle. Patting lightly, blend to outside then to the inside of the eye. Then move up towards the crease. It sets in seconds so work quickly. Buff with a clean blending brush. Build up as needed. It lasts all day. If it creases a bit, gently redistribute.

Mascara

Maybelline – Lash Sensational Full Fan Effect Washable Mascara, Very Black 254. It takes a bit more time to apply, but delivers good everyday results, that also work well for evening. It hardly transfers or smudges. I use water and a little patience to remove it.

L’Oreal – Voluminous Original 360 Black (360) Waterproof, up to 4X volume. It delivers a lot of length and a classy every day look. It does not transfer or flake.

CoverGirl Professional 3-in-1, Very Black 225, Waterproof. I used its non-waterproof companion, Professional Remarkable Mascara Very Black 200 for years. It came off easily with soap and water but I got tired of smudges and tear streaks so I changed to the waterproof version. Lashes are well defined with a moderate look. For lower lashes, the maneuverable wand works well when a larger wand for upper lashes is clumsy.

L’Oreal – Voluminous Lash Paradise Blackest Black (204) Waterproof. It doesn’t transfer or flake. One coat provides good length, getting spidery with a second coat. The large brush is awkward for the bottom lashes, but it’s workable. It’s good for evenings out.

Blush

Stila Covertible Color Dual Lip & Cheek Cream Peony. I usually apply a patch to my arm and use a brush to sweep it over cheeks. If I have time, I dab a bit of the lipstick I’m going wear that day.

Annabelle Blush On Pronto and Rosebud. I use Pronto for gentle contouring. Rosebud has been replaced, at least temporarily, with other products.

Highlighter

Nude by Nature Touch of Glow Highlight Stick Champagne (10). Dab on cheekbones, in a small “c” up into the browbone. Tap lightly to blend in. Dab a bit into the corner of the eyes and the cupid’s bow. Sometimes I put a bit above the outside of the brow and in the middle of my lips for a touch of shimmer.

Primers

Nude by Nature – Perfecting Eye Primer. So far, I like it better than Smashbox. A very small drop covers both eyelids. It is not pigmented. My creme eye shadow doesn’t last quite as long as with Smashbox, which is not an issue so far.

Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer Light. I apply with a brush then pat. Sometimes it’s a bit gummy or lumpy. At first, I applied moisturizer, let it dry and then applied the primer. It’s almost used up and is drying out. I now apply right on top of moisturizer and pat to thin out. I may try another one next time.

Skin Care

Paula’s Choice – Barrier Repair Moisturizer with Retinol, use after cleansing.

Makeup Removers

Garnier – Micellar Cleansing Water Garnier All-in-1 Waterproof. It removes most of the mascara in about 3 minutes. Pull apart two cotton pads. Tear one in half. Shake well. Saturate the two halves and place them under your eyes. Saturate two full circles, place on top. Put on a timer for three minutes. Gently press on the eyelashes. Turn the pads to the clean side, reapply for another 90 seconds to two minutes to remove the rest of the mascara and eye shadow. For any remaining eyeliner, saturate a cotton swab and gently remove. It’s not too oily.

Bioderma Hydrabio doesn’t remove waterproof makeup very well, takes a long time and irritates my eyes. I like the smell though. I’ll use up what’s left for removing lipstick, cleaning my makeup drawer and products.

Nivea Express Eye Make-Up Remover does a good job of removing waterproof mascara but irritates my eyes. I use it for removing makeup swatches from my arms and hands while applying makeup, or anything that’s away from my eyes.

Paula’s Choice Gentle Touch Makeup Remover worked very well, but the US$16 price tag makes it expensive, plus the minimums needed to ship to Canada.

Brushes

Art Deco Eyeshadow Blending Brush , medium sized, goat hair.

Brush Cleaner

Quo Solid Brush Cleaner – Goat-Milk Cleansing Balm. The scent may not be fore everyone but I like it. It seems to do the job fine.

Disclaimer

The items described on this page reflect my experience of using these products. Your skin is different and it’s possible these products might not work for you or could cause some kind of reaction.

This page is not sponsored and I receive no payment or considerations for the products mentioned here.