Hard Candy's "Hot Smudge" - Hot or Not?

The latest product I've picked up is Hard Candy's "Hot Smudge" cream eyeliner. Sounds sexy doesn't it? It's in a sleek case that's about 1" x 4". The hinge is on the short side.

I'm not sure if many of you know this, but a couple of years ago, the cosmetics part of the Hard Candy brand was sold. While the fragrance part was not sold off, the cosmetics are no longer part of the same company as Urban Decay. You can now find Hard Candy at (get ready for this) Walmart...GASP!!

The change isn't necessarily bad. Some of the packaging has remained the same. The nail polishes still come with a plastic ring. There are more products with glitter than you could imagine! Glitter eyeliners, eyeshadows, mascaras, glitter pencils, body glitter, etc. The colors are trendy and fun. The packaging on the new products is pretty nifty! The lipstick tubes have old school-style tattoo flash art on them! And the line is expanded beyond what Hard Candy had available when it was sold in department stores. See more at www.HardCandy.com.

But back to the item at hand. The duo I got is called "misfit" and is number 291. The first thing I noticed when I opened the case is the brush. It's double-ended with a sponge for smudging on one end and a PINK flat, angled, nylon liner brush on the other end. BUT what I noticed was odd...the pink end of the brush was seriously OILY. I've tried to think of a reason to justify this, but have failed to come up with one. I immediately grabbed a paper towel and cleaned that off.

The colors seemed pretty safe, one is gray and the other is an olive green. But how wrong was I!! Once I started using the brush in them and working down the top layer, the colors are quite sparkly and metallic! I only tested them on my hands today because I am not feeling so well and did not feel like doing my make-up.

The colors applied smoothly and the nylon brush did a great job creating nice sharp lines. Unfortunately, I hate to report that unlike other gel liners by Bobbi Brown, Stila, MAC, etc., this liner doesn't set to an indelible finish. I left the lines on my hand for a few minutes and when I went back to see if they would smudge or not, I was disappointed to find that they totally wiped away!!

So, my final verdict is this: I like the idea of this product. I don't think it's fully there yet. I would recommend using this as a base to apply shadow on top of...but I have a feeling it is going to crease, just because the product is so creamy. Therefore, I would say use it to accentuate your regular eyeliner. Use a black or a black/brown eyeliner and use this to smudge it out for a smoky look with a pop of color. These eyeliners are available in a wide variety of colors, the most interesting being a royal blue with a clear, glittery counterpart. I'm sure that would make for a very cool look.

More From Sleek Make-Up...

When I was in London, I wrote a blog about some fabulous deals I found. The products I was most excited by were from Sleek Make-Up. They have intense colors that are packed full of pigments and perfect for all skin tones! And their prices are out of this world!

So upon my return, I was showing my Mom my purchases and she commented on really liking the iDivine Eye Shadow Palette called Storm. I figured I would order her one and a lipstick or two for Mother's Day.

The site is pretty much the same, but with prices for the US market which are slightly higher than the British prices....even after you take the monetary conversion into consideration. While I was slightly peeved by that, the products are just SO good that they are worth the extra couple of bucks.

I ended up ordering the Storm Palette for my Mom and the Chaos palette for myself. It has a lot of bright colors, but they are all matte. This is unusual for me, because I don't usually use a lot of matte products. I also ordered 3 of Sleek's Sheer Cover lipsticks in the colors: Cashmere, Organza and Calico.

Let the review begin:

First of all, I placed the order on April 27th. It didn't get shipped until May 5th. I received it today, May 13th. Shipping was just over $13, which I consider reasonable, because I know that mailing parcels via the Royal Mail is quite pricey. I am finding more and more companies have a longer processing time. I can understand if it's a small, grass roots company. But I suppose I'm just spoiled from shopping other companies with faster turnaround times, the best being Amazon Japan who always gets me my goods in 3 days with their standard shipping. (On a sidenote, my Mother's Day presents were ordered from DuWop cosmetics the weekend before Mother's Day and while I knew they wouldn't arrive in time, I was disappointed to get an email on May 5th informing me that something was backordered. Really? It took half a week to notify me? And they still had the product listed as in stock on their site. That's just NO BUENO in my book.)

But I digress. Because I like Sleek's products so much, I am willing to overlook the extended time it took to get the product to me. This is also not totally uncommon, you can read quite a few shipping inquiries on their Facebook fan page. I just know not to order with any time constraints. I would also recommend waiting and placing a large order or going in with friends to place a large order, so that way the shipping is not as much of a sting.

So, what is so great about Sleek? Why am I willing to look past this and that? The colors are fabulous. The prices are beyond the deals I get with various industry discounts. Sleek seems to have a very loyal following worldwide. They ARE doing something right. They are staying cutting edge, winning over new fans with limited edition items. They have products that rival the great cosmetic companies out there...and in some instances exceed the rivals. For example, I picked up Sleek's tinted lip balm and I love it so much more than MAC's. I've tried to like MAC's over and over again, but the flavor is just off. Sleek's is sweet and tastes like dessert and the colors are very wearable. Win win!!

When I opened the box, I have to tell you, I was most impressed. Sleek does something that NO other make-up company I've dealt with does. They reuse the boxes product is shipped to them in. So instead of the way MAC does it, where they put the products loose in a box with lots of black tissue paper, Sleek put the 3 lipsticks I ordered into a box that they receive lipsticks in. The 2 palettes were placed in a box that usually holds 3, so they put some bubble wrap in to take up space. That's very smart. More companies should take note.

My only other gripe, which is common when ordering and NOT being able to test something before hand...the color representations of the lipsticks online is far from accurate. The site shows Calico as being darker than Cashmere. Not so. Cashmere is darker and Calico is the color of cafe au lait (see photo above of Calico). I know my Mom loves browns, so I took a chance and figured I would wear the one she thought was too light. Now the online swatch for Organza was pretty much spot on. I had not tested these when I was in London, because I didn't see them when I was out and about.

And did I mention you get a FREEBIE? Yep, you can choose a color of their teeny, tiny, mini lipgloss!

My final verdict is...ORDER from Sleek. Remember the processing time and shipping may not be as fast as some other companies, but it in the end the cool products are worth it. I cannot see how any fashionista will be disappointed with these products.

**Photos by Glamourpuss**

Congratulations!

Congratulations are in order for @ByHandGiveaways!!

Danelle, you won the Mother's Day Giveaway! Here's a screenshot of the random name picker I used (I found the cutest one that looked like a slot machine!):


Thank you so much for following my blog, my tweets and spreading the word about my promotion! I will be in touch with you shortly to get your information so I can get the necklace out in the mail to you ASAP.

And thank you to all who participated, I really appreciate your feedback about my shop!

Splurge vs. Steal

You know how the fashion magazines have their "Splurge vs. Steal" sections? Well, I've got one for you today!

When it comes to eyebrows, I am follicly-challenged. My dad has sparse eyebrows and my mom MAY have a couple of hairs framing each eye. Being a redhead, I am further challenged because what little brows I have are blonde.

So, over the years I've always had to pencil them in. I've hated using cream pencils because it just looks too ridiculous...too cartoony. So, I can remember when I came across Le Crayon Poudre for brows, by Lancôme, I was smitten. The pencil was a soft powder that could be blended easily and didn't look too harsh or cartoony. The downside was that the powder pencil lead broke frequently and at $24 a pop, I simply couldn't afford to keep using it.



Than I came across N.Y.C.'s Browblender Brow and Liner pencil and decided to give it a try. It is also a powder pencil, so it has all the benefits of Le Crayon Poudre. AND I find that it doesn't break as often...occasionally the tip breaks off after it is sharpened, but that's it. And seeing how I can pick it up at Walmart for around $3...you can't beat it.



My trick for making the brows look nice is to apply the pencil, then powder over it with loose or pressed powder. After that, go back and fill in any areas that need extra defining with the pencil.

Mother's Day Giveaway

With Mother's Day rapidly approaching, here in the US, I decided it was time to do my very first giveaway. Here's a little bit about the piece I am giving away:

The necklace is an organza ribbon necklace with some silver and stone accents. The vesuvianite (idocrase) drop and the lemon quartz rondelle are both beautifully faceted.

The necklace measures 16" and has a 1 1/2" extender chain.

**Please note: The findings on the organza necklace (the lobster claw clasp, extender chain)are NOT sterling silver.**

But all other metal work on the necklace IS sterling silver.


NOW...what do you have to do?

1.) Subscribe to my blog and refer 1 friend. (Have them leave a comment that you referred them. You can refer more and you will be entered again, for each person referred.)

2.) Follow me on Twitter: Glamourpuss15 and tweet/retweet about the giveaway.

3.) Check out my Etsy shop and tell me which piece of jewelry is your favorite and why.

The contest will end on April 30th to ensure I can get the piece to you or your mom in time for the big day.

Thanks so much! Spread the word!

Fun UK Finds!

Okay, so whenever I visit my in-laws in England, I know they all think I am totally insane because I always go and waste lots of time and money in the local drugstores. Boots used to be my favorite, but over the years, I have found Superdrug to be far more interesting. It's less pretentious and their brand of products are pretty good. (Tate only uses their sparkly strawberry and tutti frutti toothpastes! And their kids shampoos and bath products have scratch and sniff labels with cute illustrations of monsters on them!) This trip, after each trip to the shop, I have been given these cool vouchers to complete a survey online and get 25% off Superdrug brand items and 10% off everything else. I'm saving like CRAZY!

So far I've been to three locations of Superdrug...Loughton, Marble Arch and The Strand. The Strand location has been my favorite. I found some fabulous eyeshadow palettes. And despite dropping a tester and getting a death stare from the cosmetics sales associate who thought I was a weirdo looking at make-up for people with darker skin tones than mine, I found and purchased some cool things! (Take note, if you have a lighter complexion you should not rule out make-up designed for darker skin tones. The eyeshadows, blushes and lipsticks usually have more pigments in them than what you would get from Maybelline or some other drugstore brand.)

What I like about the drugstore cosmetics here is that it is risky...there are bright colors and lots of sparkles. I mean, just look at the gorgeous colors in the eyeshadow palettes by Sleek MakeUP! (Although I am not-so-secretly lusting for a grayscale palette they had called "Graphite", but it was limited edition, last year.) And while you run the risk of TONS of fashion "faux pas", it's really fun! Sure, I've seen plenty of people who could use a visit from the fashion police, but at least they are taking the chance. I find that many Americans are afraid of color. But the fact of the matter is that you can wear any color you like, it is all in how it is applied.

Anyway, here are some photos for you to feast your eyes upon! Sometimes the packaging is really fun too!

(Photos by Glamourpuss)

Beauty Tip #3

I was recently reminded of the phenomenon where women feel compelled to leave their mouths gaping open while applying eyeliner or mascara. I can only compare it to a tightrope walker holding his arms out for balance. And it really doesn't make our eyes wider, just our mouths! It is quite bizarre and one day I decided I was tired of looking silly so I put a plan into action to end the "o" face.

The easiest way to do this is to tilt your chin up, like you're looking down the end of your nose at someone. Hold your mirror up and go to work. Please note: a hands-free mirror makes this even easier!

The main reason I wanted to break the habit was that I found myself making THE face when I was applying make-up on other people. I felt it was seriously unprofessional to leave my mouth agape while working! What a no-no!

As always, make-up should be fun, so go play and enjoy it!



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