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Category: Reviews (page 24 of 25)

Volume Alert!: Givenchy Phenomen'Eyes Mascara Review

Hey ladies!!

So almost a year after this mascara launched, I finally caved and bought it! I’m always in search of the ultimate mascara and I had heard a lot of great things about this one.

The Claim

Givenchy promises a mascara that can grip even the tiniest lash from the roots, separating and curling to give a fanned-out, panoramic effect.

The Description

The most striking feature is the wand. Usually wands are cylindrical or conical in shape but Givenchy came out with a revolutionary, spherical shaped wand. The sphere is covered in short, fine but firm bristles.

The other thing that drew me into the mascara was the colour. Since I am dark-skinned, I love wearing the blackest, deepest mascara and liner I could find and this one is certainly black! On first application the Phenomen’Black colour was very black and very shiny, another plus.

The mascara comes with a little instruction booklet and it directs you to use the brush vertically, horizontally and diagonally to draw the lashes out in multiple directions for that panoramic effect.

The Verdict

Eyes without mascara

With 2 coats of mascara

I found this mascara to be easy to use and made my lashes stand out. Especially on my tiny, almost non-existant lower lashes. I was very impressed with how well-defined each lash was and how black it made my lashes. The length was incredible and I looked like I was wearing falsies. I also found that the volume was really good as it nicely thickened my lashes. I got a bit of a curl but I did not think that they were super curly. I don’t care as much for curly lashes so this gave just enough. I got used to using this newly-shaped wand very easily and I have been wearing this mascara just about everyday, on the top lashes alone. With this mascara, I reserve the lower lashes for night-time because the effect is so dramatic. In the photo I have 2 coats of mascara, and I found little to no clumping, my lashes were still soft and very little smudging even after a loooong workout at the gym!!

I would recommend this mascara to anyone looking for some eye drama. The only drawback is of course the price. At $28, its is not in the reach for a lot of people, but I think this is well worth it as I have found few mascaras that give this kind of effect!!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

Swatched! Review of Zoya Matte Velvet Fall Collection

October 3, 2009 / Noire Tropical Beauty / 2 Comments

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Hi guys!!!

So today I am going to review the Zoya Matte Velvet Fall Collection. I only started wearing Zoya this year when I took advantage of their exchange programme that they had earlier this year. I had always heard great things about this nail polish line and they’ve lived up to the hype! They have more than 300 nail colours and have some of the best colours out there! For the most part their polish applies smoothly and the formula is on the thinner side. They are Big-3 Free, i.e. they don’t contain formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), which have been linked to health issues. Zoya also does not contain camphor.

Anyway, one of the most anticipated matte lines to come out is the Matte Velvet Fall Collection. As some of y’all may know, matte nails are the hottest nail trend and everybody is coming out with some sort of matte line. A few general points about matte nail polishes. Matte polishes are a little different to the regular polishes. They are meant to have no shine, no gloss, just pure colour. This trend is not for everyone as we are so used to having bright, glossy nails, but I love the change in texture that this finish gives! They also don’t last as long as glossy finishes because of the difference in formula, so they chip a lot faster and are easily affected by water, lotions, oils, creams etc. Lastly, they are not meant to be worn with any base coat, top coat, primers, anything!!! Just you and your bare nails! So there is a risk of getting stained nails as well. If you are iffy about they whole matte look and don’t want to spend $$$ on buying separate polishes, there are a lot of matte top coats out there to try. I have the Essie Matte About You. Mattes also run the gamut from completely flat and chalky to glittery, semi-matte satin.

Onto the review! No, really…..!

Look of the Day: Easy, Soft Pink Look! & Red Cherry lash review

October 1, 2009 / Noire Tropical Beauty / 0 Comments

Hey folks!

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This is a look that I did earlier this week. I also used Red Cherry Lashes for the first time. And they are pretty good and inexpensive!

I heard A LOT about Red Cherry but did not want to order online, and silly me only just discovered Beauty 35 in NYC! Really it’s a mecca for inexpensive beauty products, hair and makeup supplies. Anyway, I bought one pair of Red Cherry lashes in #DEL just to test them out. They cost about $2.99 and they were very thin, wispy and long! They were easy to put in and felt really comfy. They get a thumbs up from me!

Back to the look!

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The Products….

Too Faced Shadow Insurance (TFSI)
M.A.C. eyeshadow in Warming Trend
M.A.C. eyeshadow in Hepcat
M.A.C. Pigment in Smoke Signals
M.A.C. Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline
Givenchy Magic Kajal in #1
Red Cherry Lashes in # DEL
Duo Lash Adhesive in Clear
Maybelline Lash Stiletto in Very Black
M.A.C. brushes in # 224, 226, 239

Update: Swatches of recent M.A.C. haul!

September 25, 2009 / Noire Tropical Beauty / 0 Comments

So I am keeping a limit on what I get at M.A.C. I am just trying to stick to the items that are standout, different, new etc.

Style Black, Cinderfella & Blackfire

As mentioned before, I think that the Style Black collection is quite wearable and sultry!!! I got only 2 items, Cinderfella MES and Blackfire Glimmerglass. Surprisingly I don’t own a lot of grey colours so I snatched this one up. This is going to make a sick smoky eye, and the shimmer is not too large so it does not look gaudy. I had to get one of the Glimmerglasses and Blackfire was my pick. It is basically Beauty Marked in lipgloss form. The formula is similar to the Dazzleglasses, so its a black, sheer, shiny lipgloss with dark burgundy shimmer suspended in it. I did not get the Greasestick as yet because it is supposed to reappear with the DSquared2 collection which is rumoured to come out on Sept 28. September 28 is the date for the DSquared Fashion Show in Milan and they wanted both collections to coincide. I would suggest calling your local M.A.C. counter to check. None of the other items were must haves for me. Check out this cool vid with two different looks from the Style Black collection courtesy MUA Nadine Luke and M.A.C.

Eye Primer Review: Too Faced Shadow Insurance vs. Urban Decay Primer Potion

September 5, 2009 / Noire Tropical Beauty / 0 Comments

TFSI vs. UDPP

I have been a longtime user of Urban Decay’s Primer Potion (UDPP), but I recently bought the Too Faced Shadow Insurance (TFSI) at Sephora because I wanted to use my V.I.B. coupon. I have always heard a lot of great things about TFSI and I decided to take the primer plunge.

Off the bat…these are two great, effective products. There are many similarities between the two. As mentioned before I have used both of these products with great success. They basically cost the same amount and possess similar properties. So are there any differences??? Um…yeh!

Now first, let’s look at the similarities….