REVIEW: E.l.f. Studio 2 in 1 Conditioning Gloss (in "red"?)

When I looked at pictures of this, there was a tube on the inside with color gloss, and a clear gloss on the outside of the inner tube. However, mine wasn't like that. It must have been broken or messed up somehow. The packaging made the gloss VERY messy and it got all over the place (mine anyway). The actual gloss was really sticky and thick. This lipgloss is usually $3 but I got mine at the dollar store for $1.

E.l.f. Studio Tone Correcting Powder

I feel like this does an okay job of tone correcting. (I mostly use the green for redness.) But it looks white and powdery on your face, especially in pictures. So overall, maybe it's best to invest in a better product, or use a different product, like a tone correcting concealer or something.

REVIEW: Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick (in Pink Peony)

I also got this lipstick at Dollar Tree. It's the Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick in Pink Peony. I like this lipstick in terms of how it feels on my lips (very moisturizing!). However, the lipstick has an orangey tint to it, which I'm not the biggest fan of. If that's the color you're looking for, this lipstick is great, and definitely pigmented. I don't have much to say about this, but I really like this lipstick! :)

-kianars

REVIEW: E.l.f. Glitter Gloss (in Crystal Cranberry)

I got this lipgloss at the dollar store because I'm not usually a dark lip person, but I wanted to have one just in case I wanted one. This lipgloss is REALLY pigmented (and sparkly!). However, I find that it does come off a significant amount every time your lips are touched (whether by your fingers, a cup or something else...) Also, as I already mentioned, I like to stick with lighter lip shades. Therefore, this one is not for me -- I gave mine to my sister however, and she loves it! :) It actually looks good on her, whereas it looks cheesy on me. ;)

-kianars

REVIEW: Maybelline Cool Effect Cooling Cream Eyecolor

I absolutely fell in love with this product when I bought it about a month ago. I like just dabbing some of this on my eyelids if I want to wear eyeshadow but don't feel like taking the time to put it on! :) This is pretty pigmented, and like a lot of products, I got this at the dollar store! :)

-kianars

SUMMERTIME! :)

Yesterday was finally the last day of school for me and now it's officially summer (both sun-wise (lol I know that's not a word) and school-wise)! :) I'm going to be traveling a bit, so to keep you guys posted, I'll be scheduling things like reviews to be posted. And if you guys give me recommendations, hopefully I'll be able to come through on those on the days I'm not away! :)

-kianars

REVIEW: L.A. Colors Shimmering Loose Eyeshadow (in Honey Suckle)

I bought this at the dollar store thinking I was getting a great deal. I mixed it up with the N.Y.C. Sparkle Eye Dust because the packaging looks almost exactly alike and I didn't remember that the eye dust was by N.Y.C., not L.A. Colors. The one by N.Y.C. is raved about, though I haven't tried it myself. However, I didn't like the Shimmering Loose Eyeshadow. It's a beautiful color and really pigmented if you put it on with the package's brush. Unfortunately, I hate the brush (it's really cheap looking and feeling) and would rather use my own brush... but then the color barely goes on. Plus, you can only get the color if you're swatching it, because otherwise there's too much fallout because of the way the brush applies shadow to the eyes... I don't think this is even worth a dollar -- sorry, L.A. Colors, this was a miss!

REVIEW: E.l.f. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen (in Black)

E.l.f. Eyeliner Pen (in Black)

This eyeliner pen is... okay. You can't use it on the waterline (just like you can't use liquid eyeliner on the waterline). But the color is intense enough to be liquid eyeliner, and it's easier to use. However, it's nothing special. But... it IS just $1 and great for beginners. So if you're a beginner and looking for a cheap and easy way to start, I would definitely get this as part of your starter kit! :)

Oh, I forgot to mention, this is waterproof too! Personally, I like wearing waterproof makeup because you never know when you'll need it. But even if you're not, it's a plus :) This pen comes in 7 other colors, so you can check those out too!

If you haven't noticed yet based on all the reviews I've done, I'm a huge fan of e.l.f. cosmetics... (eyeslipsface.com) They have really cheap makeup, but most of it is pretty good! It's great for building up your makeup kit if you'd rather spend $1 on an eye-shadow instead of like $25!

-kianars

REVIEW: NYC Sky Rise Lengthening Mascara (in Extreme Black)

NYC Sky Rise Lengthening Mascara

I still haven't found that dream mascara. I absolutely hate clumps, but I haven't been able to find a mascara that doesn't clump (even if it claims not to!). This one is okay, and I think other people would love it. However, it's just like any other mascara to me.

-kianars

REVIEW: b.s.n. Nail Polish Stripers (in Glitter, Gold, Black, and White)

I didn't really like these stripers, and I'm glad they were only a dollar each. (Although I only paid $3 because my sister and I decided to buy the black & white ones together and share them.) The brushes were deformed and had pieces sticking out -- it wasn't good with detail.

-kianars

REVIEW: Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss (in Papaya)

Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Papaya

This lipgloss is one of my favorite drugstore lipglosses. I love the color it gives -- plus, it can be used as a sheer lipgloss or one with quite a bit of color. As long as you put it on slowly, you can achieve the color payoff you'd like. I got mine on clearance at Target for $0.76 (that's not a typo!). I thought I'd buy it just because I'd never bought a Revlon lipgloss before (surprisingly!) and wanted to try one -- $0.76 seemed like a perfect excuse to try one and I'm glad I did! :)

-kianars

P.S. This goes very well with Maybelline's Moisture Extreme Lipstick in Pink Peony! :)

REVIEW: Conair Xtreme Instant Heat Multisized Hot Rollers

Conair Hot Rollers

I'm just going to come out and say it. I absolutely hated this. Most of the reviews out there about this set say good things about it. However, I got the opposite experience from it. Not only did the thing not curl my hair, it made nasty and kinky waves -- I've used hot rollers before, and other ones curl nicely. I don't know, maybe I got a defective one that didn't heat up properly? Point is, mine was horrible. (Plus, the rollers kept falling out of my hair!)

I really don't know what to say about this, because yes, mine could've been defective. I sent it back and got my money back, but didn't see the point in buying a new one because I like my Conair curling wand and it curls just as fast as the hot rollers, if not faster.

-kianars

REVIEW: Wet'n'Wild Craze Nail Polish (in Teal or No Teal and The Wonder Yellows)

Teal or No Teal

I got these nail polishes at the dollar store -- I think they're great, especially for a dollar. I would compare these to the Revlon Nail Enamel nail polishes.... I don't have much to say abot these! :)

-kianars

The Wonder Yellows

DIY Eyeshadow Primer

I made a video on how to make your own eyeshadow primer and posted it as my first video on YouTube! Please check it out! Thanks! :)

REVIEW: E.l.f. Studio Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter (in Glow/Medium)

I love this! The highlighter can be used on the inner corner of the eyes to brighten them. You can also dab a bit on your cheekbones and blend -- it will work as any face highlighter will! The concealer isn't for any part of the face -- just under the eyes, like it says it is. I don't have horrible dark under eye circles so I don't know if it covers even the worst dark circles, but it covers mine. The best part is that this is only $3! I got this for the first time a long time ago, and ran out so I got a new one and I still love it! :) The only drawback is that e.l.f. doesn't make this in colors for darker skin. I have pretty fair skin and still need to use the glow/medium (which is the darkest color). So unfortunately if your skin is even somewhat dark, this product will be too light for you :( I hope those of you fair-skinned people out there try this product and love it just as much as I do! :)
-kianars

REVIEW: Maybelline Great Lash Mascara (in Clear)

I have black hair, and therefore black lashes. And it REALLY bugs me when mascara gives you clumps! I really like this mascara, because it's really just a gel that keeps your lashes curled throughout the day. Personally (for me), I like the look of natural looking, separated, and non-clumpy lashes. So unless I'm going for a more dramatized look, I just curl my lashes and put this mascara on! However, because it's clear, there's obviously no pigment. So if you don't have black/dark brown hair, you might want to stick to black/black-brown mascara! Sorry!

-kianars

REVIEW: Milani Easyliner For Eyes Retractable Pencil (in Black)

I love this eyeliner - it's my favorite right now. I glides really easily/smoothly, but it's not like it's super easy to make a mistake either. You can get a really thin line with this eyeliner, but if you want a thicker one, you can build it up! :) I think this eyeliner is great for beginners - and it's only $4... well, at Walmart anyways! :D

-kianars

DIY Lip Scrub

Lately, I've been getting into lipstick more. I used to like just putting on a lip gloss, but I've started collecting a lot of lipsticks in the past, I don't know, 6 months or so? I've never exfoliated or taken care of my lips before, just because lipgloss hides dried lips. However, lipsticks just accentuate the dried skin on the lips! So I've started trying out different ways to exfoliate my lips, and tonight, I found the best overall lip scrub - and you can make it in your own kitchen! :) It's just a couple easy steps, and you suddenly have soft, kissable lips! So let's get started! :)

1) Put some sugar in a (preferably airtight - unless you're making it for a one-time use) container.

2) Add in some oil. I've seen most "recipes" use extra-virgin olive oil, but all I had on hand was canola oil - which worked great! So you can use olive or canola oil... not sure about other oils! :D

3) Mix. Add more sugar or oil until it's the consistency of a scrub and/or paste!

3a) Optional! :) If you'd like, you can add in a piece of tinted/flavored lip balm to color/flavor your lip scrub! But keep in mind that it doesn't necessarily taste bad without putting lip balm in. After all, it is mostly sugar! :D

4) Exfoliate. Rub a bit on your lips and rub your lips together. (Do this over the sink, otherwise this will be messy!) Then wash the scrub off with some water.

5) Lock in your luscious, soft lips with your favorite lip balm.

This lip scrub is wonderful because it works really well, but it only costs about 10 cents to make! (Compared to the $10+ you can spend at a store for a good lip scrub!)

Let me know what you think about this DIY, and if you'd like to see more DIYs or tutorials! (rather than just reviews...) Thanks!

-kianars

REVIEW: E.l.f. Shine Eraser (Oil Blotting Sheets)

I don't have very oily skin, but I thought I'd buy these anyway-they ARE only a dollar! I let my sister, who has oily skin, try one out. We found that they didn't work very well. So in conclusion, these aren't the best oil blotting sheets.

-kianars

REVIEW: E.l.f. Zit Zapper

This will be a quick review because these kinds of things either work, or they don't. I haven't noticed any changes at all in zits and stuff because of this product.

-kianars

REVIEW: Maybelline One by One Volum' Express Mascara (in Blackest Black, Waterproof)

In my opinion, this mascara is... just mascara. I bought it at Target for $5 or $6. I'm the kind of person that's really against clumps. Because this claimed to separate your lashes, I was disappointed to find out that it doesn't look so natural (because of clumps). I like this mascara for volumizing purposes, but if you're looking for a mascara that separates your lashes, this isn't the one for you.

-kianars

REVIEW: E.l.f. Eyelid Primer (in Sheer)

I really like this primer. I feel like my lids are so... 'smooth' after using this. It also makes eyeshadow stay on for a long time, and it makes the eyeshadow brighter. Well, I guess that's what a primer does, so I'm just saying that the primer works. It's $1, from the Essentials line.

-kianars

Hey everyone!

Hi, I'm SO SO SO sorry that I haven't posted in a couple weeks. I try not to make excuses, but my life has been really busy -- getting braces, big projects in a couple classes in school, practicing for a performance, spending a few hours in the ER -- unfortunately, it all adds up! I'd just like to apologize for the lack of posts in the last couple weeks. If you were reading my blog before and are still 'reading' it and check it/see this post, THANK YOU for staying a reader! :) It means a lot to me!

-kianars

E.l.f. Studio Bronzer (in Warm)

This bronzer is very sparkly - not a good thing. It's okay, if you just want to use it for the blush/highlighter. But if you mix the 4 colors together, like they tell you to do, all you get is a sparkly.... I don't know. It's not really a bronzer, just a sparkly mess on your face. I definitely don't recommend this. I like most E.l.f. products I've tried, but in my opinion, this one was a miss on their part.

-kianars

REVIEW: Maybelline Forever Metallic Lites Lipstick (in Blush Sparkle)

I got this lipstick at the dollar store (Dollar Tree). It seems to be discontinued, as the only places I can find it online are places like Ebay, etc. It is the Maybelline Forever Metallic Lites Lipstick in Blush Sparkle (#10). It isn't very pigmented -- I think it's supposed to be sheer though. And personally, I really like the effect. It gives my lips that extra "shine" (not a glossy shine, just a "non-chapped lips" look) without there really being color on it... even though there is color, it doesn't look unnatural when I put it on. So this could go both ways, depending on what you're looking for. If you want something sheer, go for it (although it may be hard to find). If you want something a little bit more pigmented, it might be a better idea to keep searching! :)

-kianars

REVIEW: The Power of Pink Infiniti by Conair® You Curl

I bought this a while ago. I LOVE this curling wand! I get beautiful curls with it, and if I brush my hair, I get very pretty waves. If you have hard-to-curl hair, or your curled hair doesn't stay curled, you'll have to use some hairspray, gel, cream, etc. (I happen to have hair that doesn't lose it's curl--so after I curl my hair with this, I'm ready to go!) I definitely reccomend this one as a beginner's curler, even though curlers without clamps are considered to be "Intermediate." This was my first curler, and it was fine. (You might burn yourself a couple times, but that happens with ANY hot tool.) You can also get this in red, but since they were the same price at Walmart, and the pink one supports Breast Cancer, I thought, why not?

The curler automatically turns off after 1 hour. I have very thick hair and it only takes me about 30 minutes to curl my hair with this. When I started, it took me 2 1/2 hours but after 5 or 6 times, it only took me 25-30 minutes. The curler has 4 heat settings (310⁰F, 330⁰F, 360⁰F, and 400⁰F). If you have thick/coarse hair, don't worry about the heat being too low, if you straighten your hair at a higher heat. Mine takes at least 430⁰F to straighten, but I only need 400⁰F to curl my hair! :)

-kianars

REVIEW: E.l.f. Brightening Eye Color (in Nymph Dreams, Butternut, and Drama)

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't written anything in a couple weeks; I've been really busy with school and everything else! I went out and bought a bunch of stuff, but I'm not big on the whole "haul" idea where you just tell everyone what you got. So I thought I'd do reviews on the things I bought!

First of all, E.l.f.'s Brightening Eye Color in Nymph Dreams. I've actually had this for 3 or 4 months. I have to say, the pastel yellow color is really chalky and powdery. There's no way it can even be used, except for play makeup for little kids. However, I really like the blue in it. (The gold and silver colors are okay. Not the most pigmented gold and silver eyeshadows I've come across, but you can use them.) It looks really pretty on the outer lid, with the white on the inner part of the lid. It creates an iridescent effect. I realize I pretty much paid $1 for just the blue, but it's only a dollar, so I didn't really expect any of the colors to work fabulously. (Seriously, it's $1 for a quad. What do you expect?)

E.l.f. Brightening Eye Color (Nymph Dreams-Official Photo)

Second, E.l.f.'s Brightening Eye Color in Butternut. I just got this a couple days ago. I love all of the colors on this one. After Nymph Dreams, I was a little skeptical about buying another one - but I'm glad I did. (as well as the Brightening Eye Color in Drama) All of the colors are pigmented; NOT chalky/powdery. I understand now, why this is the picture for E.l.f.'s Brightening Eye Color.



Third, E.l.f.'s Brightening Eye Color in Drama. I got this one a couple days ago as well. I don't like this one as much as Butternut. The colors aren't as pigmented as I expected them to be (there are two silvers, a black, and a white) and I really thought this color combination would look great. However, because they aren't very pigmented, I don't think they'd create enough of the "smoky" in "smoky eye."

E.lf. Brightening Eye Color (Drama-Official Photo)

Overall, these are pretty much what you get for the price. Thanks for reading!

-kianars

REVIEW: L.A. Looks Wet Look Styling Gel

This product claims to give you that 'just out of the shower look' that lasts all day.


L.A. Looks Wet Look Styling Gel

I had been seeing girls at school with their hair looking wet all day, and I had no idea what they were using to do that. I asked one of them, and she told me she used mousse. At the time, I hadn't used mousse before and so thought that was the brand or something. Boy, was I wrong. Unfortunately I tried at least 6 mousses from different brands, and none of them did what I wanted it to. (and these were like $5 each) I saw this styling gel at Walmart for just under $2 and it was meant to give you the wet look so I bought and tried it.

And truth is, it's not great, but it's not a complete fail either. My hair looked wet for about 3 hours and then it started to look like it was drying. However, it wasn't frizzy like it normally is when it's drying. It just looked like pretty waves. So I have to say that overall, I liked this product. Since then, I've bought it again! :)

-kianars

REVIEW: Tresemmé Smooth & Silky Shine Spray vs. Redken Glass 01Smoothing Serum

I loved the Tresemmé Smooth & Silky Shine Spray. I liked it better than the Redken Glass 01 Smoothing Serum. I have problems with frizzy hair, but with a couple spritzes-is that a word?- I'm good to go! Be careful though, if you spray it too close to your hair, or spray too much on your hair, your hair will probably end up looking more greasy than not frizzy/shiny!

I would definitely recommend the Shine Spray. Although the serum works, it doesn't do much. I prefer the Shine Spray. Plus, it's $3-4 for 4.25 fl oz compared to the serum being $16 for 2 fl oz! :)

Tresemmé Shine Spray

Redken Glass 01 Smoothing Serum

-kianars

REVIEW: Tresemmé FreshStart Dry Shampoo (for oily/straight to normal hair)

This is the second dry shampoo I've tried. (the first was Tresemmé's Waterless Foam Shampoo for dry/curly to normal hair. I'll do a review on that later.) Ever. I absolutely hate it - I saw it at Safeway and it was on sale for $2.59. I liked Tresemmé's waterless foam shampoo, but my hair has kind of changed from wavy to straightish recently so I decided to try this on out. And it's normally like $5 at Walmart and other drugstores.

However, it seemed to make my hair even more greasy. Not to mention the fact that it put white strands in my hair (and no I'm not like 40 and starting to get white/gray hair-I'm young).

So, bottom line is, this was a MISS on Tresemmé's part. I wouldn't recommend it.

-kianars

First Post!

Hi everyone! This is my first post on this blog! I'm pretty much going to be doing posts about beauty (reviews, tutorials, etc.) but I'll occasionally put up a random post! :) I don't know what else to say for my first post... but I'm excited, and hope you like my blog!

-Kiana

Technical Difficulties Update

I'm still trying to sort out what's going on with the dates being messed up and stuff, which is why you haven't seen any posts recently.  I will try to start posting again ASAP! :)