Savvy Thinker » Avon

FOTD Weds NYX eyes +

Karin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:00:16 +0000

As I said in my earlier post today, I wanted to try the NYX colors I had not tried before. Once in a while a color combo blows you out of the water. This color combo is gorgeous and one of my faves!

Eyes:
Base: Nude Frost on lids, not under brows; then BE Queen Phyllis
Lids: NYX Luxor, square individual shadow with a clear lid, an exact match to my T
Drylined: NYX Red, square loose shadow with micro shimmer
Lined: Chanel blue duo pencil, lightest color
Tightlined: NYX Jet Black Felt Tip liner
Inner corners: Arbonne Illume (white matte)
Mascara: Clinique
Concealer: Guerlain
Brows: La Prairie pencil

Primer: Avon Magix
Foundation: Revlon Age Defying cream
Rouge under my sparkly powder mix: Chanel stick
Blush: Arbonne Promise
Highlight: Arbonne Bashful

Lips: AL Balm + MAC pencil -- see my LOTD for more.

Karin
www.savvythinker.com
don't steal my posts -- you know who you are

Originally posted 2009-09-04 15:29:17.

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Creating a black lippie

Karin — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:22:21 +0000

Wow! this was fun! Thanks to Elena for giving me the idea yesterday.

Do you want a little drama and edge in your life?
Try a little black lippie, especially since they are moving out of Goth and into mainstream, albeit high fashion.
Yves St. Laurent has a black gloss.
Chanel has black lippies in different color hues, not like their famous Vamp lippie, a burgundy-black. These would be black-whatever-color-tone-you-pick of the three.
NYX has a black gloss.
Fyrinnae has Monochrome, a matte black lip lustre.

Is it still Goth, if mainstream isn't far behind?

Could I make my own? Yes!
I figured I could come up with my own, yes!

I also wanted to try it with one of Aromaleigh's wonderful black shadows. But there was no time. Maybe tomorrow.

Step 1:
Base: Avon Beyond Color Lip Plumping Conditioner
This would allow the pencil to go on without pulling. And also, hopefully, not stain my lips.
Choosing a black eye pencil.
I used Revlon Wet Dry Blackest Black
I wondered about my really black Shiseido and my not-quite-as-black Shiseido, but for this, I chose Revlon.

What a gorgeous shimmery black! But I didn't have my eyes on yet, and it was morning, and I knew I wanted to tame it down.

For real drama
This would be a beautiful shade colored on both lips, with a touch of gloss up the center.

The bottom lippie is Milani Lip Mixer Gloss 704. I wanted to bring it into a burgundy look. Next time I might try lipstick instead of gloss.

My youngest 2 girls were looking at me wondering what the heck!

Step 2:
Smoosh the lips together.
It was really quite black, and the pencil shimmered through it.

My girls thought it was way too dark for me. But I wasn't finished with the rest of my makeup. If you could see the full shots here, you would certainly agree with them. But I'm not sharing them!

Step 3: Add gloss up the middle of the lip to highlight
Lancome Starlight White with silver glitter
Milani Glitzy Glow Girl to pink it up some

Finished FOTD I'll post more FOTD shortly.
Looking good.

Karin

Originally posted 2009-03-22 13:30:53.

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How many X hundred dollar creams can a woman use?

Karin — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 01:19:44 +0000

What's a woman to do when the newest high tech face creams are running several hundred dollars each? And how is one to choose one over another, if one is staving off the knife?

Honestly, are they all worth that kind of money? Chanel, La Prairie, Shiseido, Clea de Peau all have their moving-up-to-$500-each creams. Some need to be layered just to have enough moisture -- what's the use of that. And how does one compare an expensive cream by Chanel with a more expensive cream by Chanel sold only in a few select stores? or a Clea de Peau cream with another Clea de Peau cream? Do you think the SAs really know?

Are they old enough to have really given them a run for their money?

Well, the only fair way would be to use one on one side of one's face and the other on the other. Then you could tell folks why you appear only half-rested.

Surely some of this is hype and some is reality and some is making you feel the more expensive, the better it works. But is it true?

Perhaps there are equally good things from other much less expensive drug store lines, all of which say they use their own labs to come up with new things. And maybe if the truth were known, the differences are in the packaging as the labs may be supplying to several lines owned by a parent company.

Believe it or not, it was Avon that changed some of the creams many years ago when they first brought in alpha-hydroxy. And theirs is still one of the best. They have one of the best facilities for research and development of any company.

So, what's your favorite face cream? Do you think it works? Would you spend that kind of money on a face cream? or do you reserve that for shoes or handbags or perfumes or airline tickets? How many mega creams do you own and use? (or owned and used up)?

What's your favorite recommendations?

How much of beauty is from within and how much from taking care of ourselves? (I have a couple of friends who are proud that they do nothing, and it shows. How much of that is laziness or frugality? Or not being able to see without one's glasses?)

If I didn't use something on my skin, it would hurt in a couple of days from dryness. That's not a bad thing, when it has caused me to continue to take care of my face. But I sure don't want to spend money for the proverbial Emperor's new clothes. They ought to sell mini-jars so you could test them at home.

Karin

Originally posted 2007-10-19 12:57:14.

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Serums that work — or not

Karin — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:19:35 +0000

Here are some thoughts on various types of serums and the links to posts where I have written more specifically. Some of the serums are pricing their way out of my price point. There are actually some that are over $1000 being marketed in Japan. I suspect some are worth it; others are not.

Whenever possible, let a beauty advisor put some on your skin. See if it is possible to get a small amount to try at home before you commit to a big purchase.

This is only a partial list, as I have thought of them. I will continue to update, as I think of it.

Body Serum
Arbonne has a wonderful body serum and body lotion. You can find my review at the above link.

Facial Serums
There are also serums targeted for eyes.
Anti-Wrinkle
La Prairie CELLULAR Retexturizing Booster
This just might be a miracle product. Whenever I apply it, I see immediate results. I generally use it for several days at a time, then I give it a rest and use it again when I see the need. It is expensive, but it really works. I think it works better than Renova. Price: $185.00 | 30 ml / 1.0 oz. (Unfortunately, it's possible this is no longer available. I have not tried any of the comparible LP serums to see if a newer one is as good.)

Serums with Vitamin C
Many companies have C-serums because they work. I have used C products for years. Mary Kay is one of the companies that has just added a C formula. If you can't beat them, join them. The important thing is to find a C serum that works for you, then use it.

Here's a partial list of companies that have C-serums: Awake, MK, Aromaleigh (generic), Lancome, Estee Lauder, Prescriptives, Avon, Lumene. Choose the link above to see my thoughts on each.

Arbonne has a number of excellent serums, including lifting, RE9 (with C), and Revelage (whitening) I won't be without the lifting or the whitening.

Avon has been a leader in skin care, very innovative. They were the first line to come out with an alpha-hydroxy -- and it made a big difference in my skin. Their anew products are excellent. I do not care for either of their pump serums that they had a couple of years ago, because they smelled so bad. I recommend smelling them before buying to see if they still smell. I didn't notice a huge difference like I did with their alpha-hydroxy products. Some of their products are targeted by age.

Beauticontrol
Beauticontrol makes several serums that I like. Some are targeted for 30's, 40's, and 50's skin. I've liked Regeneration Gold for years. It's a two step process that mixes when you pump it. It used to be that one was red, the other white. Now one is green, the other white. I do not know if it is the same product. Regeneration Platinum Plus is supposed to be the next step up, but it rolls on my skin, so I use it only on my neck and chest and bought more of the Regeneration Gold. They make C products, but I've not tried them as I have others that I am using at the moment.

Chanel Serums
Chanel makes a number of serums, and they are all excellent. It depends on your price point and your skin concerns. Sublimage products kept me moist even in the dryness of Las Vegas, using no other moisturizers layered in. The Radiance line has an excellent hydrating serum. As an aside, I did not care for Sublimage eye cream.

Clarins
I have used Super Restorative Serum. I likely might buy it again. I like what it says it does; I'm not sure I saw it doing it. I tended to use it more for hydrating than anything else. When I opened the container, when it seemed empty, there were still several days worth of product left. I put it in a small jar and used it to the last drop.

On the whole I like Clarins products, so I suspect their other serums would be good too. Their beauty advisers are generally knowledgeable and happy to help you. They are good about giving small samples to try.

Cle de Peau serums
Cle de Peau is the high end Shiseido line. CdP makes a number of serums, and they all feel good. I'm not sure how to choose one over the other. I have one. I'm not convinced it does anything particularly, but that might be because I tend to use others that I have.

Dior Serums
Dior makes some excellent serums. Capture Totale and HydrAction are two that I have tried. Capture Totale came highly recommended by a woman in NYC who swears by it.

Guerlain serums
Orchidee Imperiale is their highest, newest line. It is excellent. Super Aqua-Serum came highly recommended on the strength of one older woman who works for Guerlain whose skin is exceptionally beautiful. It's a toss up which is better. Take your pick. They also have Success Future and Substantific serums. I get my Guerlain from Claire at the Palazzo in Las Vegas. Call 702) 732-7008 or email GuerlainPalazzo.STORE@lvmhuspc.com

Hydrating serums
La Prairie CELLULAR HYDRATING SERUM is an excellent hydrator, one of the very best. It is lightweight. It works by binding moisture to the skin and restoring the skin's natural moisture barrier. A little goes a long ways and it stays fresh in the bottle. I use it generally on very cold days or whenever my face feels like it needs more moisture from the inside out. Price: $185.00

La Prairie Serums
Like Chanel, these are excellent, and it depends on your price point. I have not tried the latest lines.

Shiseido serums
Shiseido has a number of serums that are all excellent. Again, it depends on your price point and what you are hoping to accomplish.

Signature Club A
Super Strength High Potent-C Anti-Wrinkle Capsules $29.50
I like this a lot. It's in my rotation of C products.

Retinol Wrinkle Penetrating Capsules 12 Hour Release $32.50
This is in my rotation. I like it a lot.

Viviane Woodard
I've used these products since I was 18. They have a number of serums, including specialized ones to use at night. Their day time serums are very good and moderately priced. The evening ones really give your skin a boost. They are used only periodically. Unlike ones by La Prairie that are also used only occasionally, these will not break the bank. Likely they perform different functions, but they help the skin.

Whitening serums
Many companies offer whitening serums. They started first in Asian countries. It's not surprising that Shiseido has one. If you want to break up an age spot the fastest possible way, then your best bet is laser. Be sure to use SPF every day along with these.
Arbonne Revelage is an excellent whitener, which works by breaking up dark spots from below and keeping them from forming from the top.

Mary Kay TimeWise® Even Complexion Essence
I consider this more of a preventative, than a curative. I want to see faster results. I have no patience.

What serums do you know, use and love?
As I think of more, I will update.

Karin
www.savvythinker.com

Originally posted 2010-01-28 20:49:42.

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FOTD Aromaleigh eyes + Cover Girl lips +

Karin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:15:12 +0000

I felt like wearing turquoise on my eyes today, and outside of the Summer set by Mary Kay, my go-to for turquoise is Aromaleigh. Kristen has beautiful shades of greens, turquoises and teals, and I probably have most of them, at least in sample sizes, which are quite long lasting. They are vibrant and beautiful, if you are on a quest for this color.

I also felt like doing a 5 min makeup today, which I did. The only reason it took longer is because I kept thinking of things I wanted to take pictures of, such as the Chanel container and my powder. So I would digress to that. Aromaleigh is really fool proof. Easy to apply; always looks great and lasts all day. I knew I could do a 5 min makeup with AL. And I had a busy, busy day today, meetings, errands, music lesson, pick and delivery to school and more.

In all honesty, there were two things I meant to do and got sidetracked: concealer, and some of the new Arbonne white shadow in the inner corners of my eyes. That would have taken 30 sec. I just forgot.

Eyes: all Aromaleigh, except where noted
Base: Nude Frost, then BE Queen Phyllis
Lids: Azure
Drylined Top: Aqua Nightmare (love this color!)
Drylined bottom: Caribe, just a touch more blue
Mascara: Stiletto
Tightlined top: NYX pen black
Brows: Merle Norman powder

Primer: Avon Magix
Foundation: L'Oreal True Match, N1 Soft Ivory While it looks like this foundation covers well, when applying it, I'm a little disappointed in how sheer it looks in the pictures. I like my skin to show through, but I like it a little less sheer. I will likely use this more as a highlighter in the future, if I try it again, and it is equally sheer.
Rouge under my sparkly mix of powder: Chanel stick
Blush over: Arbonne Promise
Hightlight: Arbonne Bashful lightest blush

Lips: CG 912+928 + Stila Silver Mix
First: Guerlain liplift primer and conditioner and all round magic product
912 and 928 are plumping colors
1/2 and 1/2 each color, one on each lip, smooshed; then Stila-Silver Mix gloss when some of the lippie was gone to refresh it...this lipstick (928) is the one that hurt my lips after using it exclusively for months. After using every lip balm known to man and still having problems wearing anything on my lips, I remembered I had the Liplift. It fixed the problem with one application. I now have one in my purse and in the bathroom. And I made sure I used it before these colors. I never felt the product sting my lips. 912 is a particularly pretty soft shade. Perhaps tomorrow I'll show it alone.

What do you think?
Do you like to use plumping lipsticks or teals and turquoises for shadows? What is your favorite AL color?

Kristen's birthday is coming up and she'd love to have people participate in nominating her business. See the info here.

Karin
www.savvythinker.com
do not steal my posts -- you know who you are

Originally posted 2009-08-28 17:41:19.

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FOTD AL Spring Solstice Eyes

Karin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 07:57:17 +0000

I received AL's Spring Solstice colors a couple of days ago. They are really beautiful shades, and even better, they are 25% off until March 18, 2009. I love that it is affordable to try the colors as samples before ordering full sizes.

Because I was wearing gray today, I wanted to go bright and cheery, like the feathers of a bird. That is generally the look I go for, anyway, instead of a lot of extra blending. I try to blend as I go, but with bright definitions. I wanted my eyes to flash color when I blinked, the way a birds feathers would show in flight.

After all, it is spring! The birds have been singing here like crazy lately, even in the middle of the night.

I love all the AL reds that they have for eyes.
Before AL, I had never worn any red shadows, and in fact, had never even seen any. Yes, pinks and mauves and lilacs and purples and burgundies, but never red.

This shows you how I laid out the colors, but in RL the edges are not sharply defined as it shows with the flash.

All Aromaleigh Spring Solstice, applied dry:
Crease: Lupine, a soft grayed blue
Outer Corners: Nasturtium, brilliant beautiful red
Drylined upper and below my usual MAC in lower waterline: Forget-me-not, bright teal
Lined outer top: E.L.F. waterproof pen in navy
Mascara: Jillian Dempsey for Avon, dual
Brows: Clinique pencil

Cheeks: AL femmefatale rocks sonic rouge
This is a beautiful peachy pink, that I thought would go well with the lippie.
Lip gloss: Milani Glitzy Puttin on the Ritz 07
This takes on all different hues depending on the light. You can see it illustrated at my review post. Gorgeous color; almost like the 70s, but updated to be new and fresh.

Today I'm comparing two serums. Everything else is the same.

One fun thing is E.L.F. Shimmering Facial Whip in a pink tone that I used to highlight up the center of my face before my usual glimmer powder mix. I bought this on a whim. Plus the price. Every E.L.F. item I bought was only $1, except for two which were $3 each. I figured I couldn't go wrong.

I'll talk more about E.L.F. in another post after I try more of the products.

Karin

Originally posted 2009-03-15 13:59:10.

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Review: Comparing Guerlain mascaras Le 2 and Maxi Lash

Karin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:18:51 +0000

Today I compared two Guerlain mascaras.

I had worn each individually, but never compared them against each other.

Le 2
I like the wand. The twist is quite ergonomically pleasing. The lower lash brush is teensy and works very well for both the lower lashes and the little lashes in the upper inner corners of your eyes.

I also have an Avon dual one, but I prefer the Guerlain. I'll have to do a side by side comparison, which I haven't done.

Tarte has a mascara which is supposed to be the only one for lower lashes, but I know both the Guerlain and Avon were on the market. It might be one that is only for the lower lashes. I have not seen it or tried it. Have you? Have you compared it to the Guerlain?

Maxi Lash
I recently received a full sized one as a gwp. It has a very pretty container:

I couldn't see any particular difference in appearance between the two. This picture was taken after wearing it for a full day, even with some rain.

Both held up equally well. Neither of them smudged. They both felt light weight. Neither one bothers my eyes.

Take your pick! The Le 2 is more expensive, but if you want to try the tiny brush, this is the one to get.

Enjoy!

Karin

Originally posted 2009-03-14 19:02:12.

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Tools of the trade: Brushes

Karin — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:49:14 +0000

There are a number of brushes you need in your arsenal in order to apply your colors in the best possible and easiest way. In general, I like real hair brushes, except for ones that are meant to be synthetic (foundation and concealer.)

Keep them clean
Clean them whenever you see residue in the brush. If you are oily or prone to acne, this will be more often (even daily) to keep the brushes clean. And you won't contaminate any of your product.

Some people use a conditioning shampoo.

I use a cleanser made for brushes by Merle Norman. I do not use a whole capful. I use 1/4 of the cap, filled with 3/4 water (that is the percentage). Put it in the sink. Swirl my brush(es). Add more water to it. Swirl some more. Empty basin. Squeeze excess out of brush. Fill basin with water and swirl brushes. Empty and repeat until brush is clean and water is clear.

Why do you need so many brushes?
Because using the right brush makes application easier.

Much less blending is required. In general, I believe if you lay it down right, you don't need to do much blending.

And you won't look like a clown with too much blush, for example, unless that is the look you are going for.

And if you have sensitive skin, where blending can actually feel hurtful, the better the brush, the softer or less pull on the skin.

Do I have to have them all?
No, but these work. Use what you have, but begin to collect others as you need them. If you buy good brushes (consider buying them when there is a gwp offered), they will last nearly forever.

Several of these brushes have hit the market only in more recent years, so it is possible that a brush we can't live without will be offered in the foreseeable future that meets a need we didn't know we had.

BE gives their brushes as part of many of their sets for face or eye. They are really good, and many are only offered in their sets, they cannot be bought separately. That's an added perk for buying their sets.

You can also look in places that sell brushes for arts and painting. These may work just as well and cost less than something you find at a cosmetic counter. For the most part, I have shown shapes so you know what you are looking for.

Brands I like
Bare Escentuals -- every brush I've used has been top notch -- often included in sets

Clinique -- the two I have are great; one type I've only seen at Clinique, a large fluffy eye brush (will add the name later, if it is on the brush) (works great for laying down strong color without being too much)(which is how the SA used it on me and therefore sold me on it -- I don't have anything like it)
CVS -- nice quality; not so easy to use as they are dual ended (they won't stand upright in a container -- they have to be flat)
Estee Lauder -- I'm still using a 20 year old set.
Lancome -- nice quality, I especially like the L'angle brush for eyes and use it daily.
Update: Lancome's mineral foundation brush is superb! It feels like velvet -- you are transported to a spa. If you use mineral foundation, do yourself a favor, go to a Lancome counter and try this brush. Let me know if you do! Do you know if there is anything out there that is identical to this brush in a different price range?
Mary Kay -- nice quality for the price.
Sephora -- every one I've tried has been top notch; they have great travel sets.
Trish McAvoy I have a couple of hers. They are good. Hers was the first brush similar to the Lancome L'Angle that I bought, but it is bigger and fuller than the Lancome.
Ulta -- I just bought a very small angle eye liner brush (I wanted something similar to a drugstore one that I can no longer find -- this is smaller, but it works for what I want to use it for. I used it to line my FOTD today)

Brands that are said to be good, but I have not tried
Aromaleigh edit: I love their fiber optic brushes.
MAC -- edit: I use a fiber optic brush of theirs for blush.

Types of brushes that you should have at a minimum
Anything else you have is just a plus. These should be in your staples.

Eyes
Angle eye brush to lay down the crease
Medium fluffy eye brush to lay down a base color
Short almost semi-circular eye brush to lay down the outer corner color
Sephora makes one called a Smudge Brush. It's perfect.

Denser round eye brush to use with Chanel type colors, if possible.

Fiber Optic eye brush as much for fun as anything. I have a BE one. Aromaleigh's are supposed to be very good. I really like their fiber optic eye shadow brushes.

Brush you could use for blending, if necessary
Angled or flat eyeliner brush for laying down shadow as eyeliners, usually dry, but works with gel also.

Regular shaped eyeliner brush for doing a wet or gel liner or
Regular shaped eyeliner brush with bent handle This is surprisingly easy to use.

Brow Brush if you use a powder form. Often these brushes come with a comb on one side. I rarely use the comb.

Face
Use any soft good sized fluffy brush for blending away any mistakes, if necessary.
Concealer brush(es), synthetic (or use your clean fingers)
Some concealers feed through a brush, in which case you might not need one.
Small thin one, for spot concealing.

Medium one for under eyes.

Fluffy dense brush to apply mineral makeup with, if you use it. BEs is very good.
Take your pick:

Fluffy brush, not so dense angled or not, to apply powder or BE Mineral Veil. Just like the above only a bit smaller in diameter.

Medium sized fluffy angled brush, to apply blush

Dense, flat round brush to apply blush, for certain colors

Fiber Optic Brush to apply blush or bronzer, when the color is strong and you only want a bit. It looks similar to this. I have one by BE and by Prescriptives. I have a smaller one by MAC. Aromaleigh's are supposed to be very good. I really like their fiber optic eye shadow brushes.

Specialty
This is a nice brush. The one end applies dry liner nicely.

Optional
Lips, only if you use one
Or, use the brush on the end of a lip pencil, if you have one, rather than buying an extra brush.
Lip brush, only if you use one.
Lip brush with a cover for your purse.

Makeup foundation brush
Synthetic brush to apply liquid or cream makeup, if you desire. Using your fingers is just as good and there is no product waste. You could also use a sponge.

Eyes
Dense round eye brush Sephora makes one, for laying down intense colors, such as Chanels. See above. (You can use the half round flat brush above just as easily, maybe more so)
Brush suitable for applying shadows wet -- I sometimes use an older brush that gives it new life.

Travel Set if you travel a lot or if you should need one for your purse.
Sephora has some good sets. Check for the one that has the type of brushes you like the most. Chanel often has one, but expensive.
Aromaleigh carries a set too, see link above.

This is a quick run down, and I might have forgotten one or two.

Which brand of brushes do you know and love?
It looks as though ELF and NYX have brushes reasonably priced, but I have not tried them. I have used several from CVS that are good.

Karin

Originally posted 2009-03-06 16:54:13.

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FOTD Chanel Collection Essentielle Lumiere Naturelle

Karin — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 18:41:04 +0000

This palette is similar to Lumiere Tendresse only it is more brown. I normally don't reach for it because it looks too brown to me, but then this morning the blush surprised me because it looks peach on. It has quite a bit of shimmer in it. It goes to show I should wear it more often to be more familiar with it.

In this palette, the right side has darker colors; the left has lighter. The brown in the left looks quite similar to the brown in LT.

I'm not real crazy about how much red pulls in the brown. I prefer a more taupe brown, the way it shows on the eye to your left.

I worked with the right side of the palette with the exception of using a bit of the shimmery gloss from the left.

Eyes:
Base: Trish McEvoy Eye Base Essentials -- very light beige, followed by my shadow mix
Lids: Peach
Crease and outer edges: Medium Brown
Brows: La Prairie pencil
Mascara: Guerlain Le 2 Black
Lined upper with MAC graphblack
Lined lower with MAC graphblack, followed by earthline below that
Drylined top and lower with medium brown from the palette.

Face:
Primer: Avon Magix
Foundation: Revlon Age Defying Spa Fair (free during the rebate at Walgreens)
The brush applicator is very nice. I use my fingers to blend. It can be closed off.
Powder: my sparkly mix followed by Chanel Roselight
Concealer: Mary Kay #2
Blush: from palette

Lips:
I notice the longer this is on, the better it looks. It needs to meld, evidently.
Mostly from right side of the palette, with some of the left gloss which is shimmery over the right gloss, which is not.

Sally Hansen invisible liner on the outside (on sale this week at CVS.) Works good!

It looks striking, as most Chanel does, when it is done, but while I am doing it, I am questioning why I chose to use it! I need to remember that with these palettes.

Karin

Originally posted 2009-03-31 09:47:54.

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Brows for blonds

Karin — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 08:40:42 +0000

Finding a color that works for blonds that isn't too dark or too yellow, is a trick.

Here are some favorites of mine that were collected over time:

Top to bottom:
Powder: Merle Norman -- Perfect shades when mixed and matched together;
Pencils: Chanel, Clinique, La Prairie, Prescriptives (love the tiny diameter and the tiny brush, also that it feeds up and doesn't need to be sharpened -- comes in only two colors), Mary Kay, Tova, Avon, Revlon (this tends to be darker) (packaging has changed now, but has gel at one end.)

Swatches:
Generally, brow pencils are harder. They draw well on the brow, not so well without a brow bone behind them. La Prairie is not pictured, it wouldn't draw and just made my skin red, sorry about that! Then the red showed through some of the other colors, so look at the bottom.

Left to right: Powder:
Merle Norman lighter color (barely visible on skin, but shows up well on brow), then deeper color; Pencils: Chanel, Clinique, Mary Kay, Tova, Avon, Prescriptives, Revlon first without gel, then with gel.

Do you have any other colors or brands that you particularly like?

Karin

Originally posted 2009-03-08 19:00:54.

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