Graftobian Pro Eye Pencils Review

Hello girls :)

In my Collective Haul post i mentioned that i bought some graftobian products from Camerareadycosmetics.com .So,Today i'm going to review the all the three "Graftobian pro eye pencils".

Price: $6.99 = INR 334 approximately.

Length: 15 cm.

Shades available: Currently they are making only three shades: 'Black velvet','Dark chocolate' and 'Coco bean'.


What The company says: Add vibrance, detail, and accentuation to your gaze with our rich, Italian made, professional length, 15cm eyeliner pencils.  Create a clean line with a  single stroke, or use the softness of the pencil to smudge into a smokey eye.  Currently available in these top requested shades with more to come!

Our Pro Eyeliner Pencils have received rave reviews in New York where we showed them for the first time in May of 2009.

Available at: Camerareadycosmetics.com (They ship internationally), Paintandpowderstore.com , Graftobian.com and many such stores which carry theatrical/pro makep lines.

General thoughts: Graftobian used to make these pencils in some different old formula but now they've improved the formula and relaunched them in 2009 comprising 3 shades: 'Black velvet','Dark chocolate' and 'Cocoa bean'.They are 15 cms long which means they are slightly longer than the regular eye pencils from various brands.They are are creamy and glide easily on the lids without tugging.But due to its creamy nature it is not quite useful to line your lashline and waterline..it smudges quickly or fades away.The best use you can get out of these pencils is using it either as a 'Cream eyeshadow' , for 'Smudging' near the lashlines or as a 'Base' for your eyeshadows.Just smudge it over your lid and once it sets it becomes completely waterproof.It will stay without creasing for up to 4 hours without a primer and after that it will start creasing.It is just waterproof..not oilproof..so, obviously it is natural for it to crease.Just use a primer underneath to prevent that and prolong its staying power.When used as an eyeshadow base it will stay without creasing for more than 6 hours even without a primer! Just imagine how long it can stay with primer! And mind you..i have super oily lids.So if your lids aren't that oily then this stuff is going to work great for you even without a primer. :)


*Since these pencils are creamy,smudge easily and have ample time to work with,the shades 'Coco bean' and 'Dark chocolate' can be used for contouring the face.yes..you heard it right :D Trust me..i tried it that way and the results were awesome! So,these pencils are kinda multipurpose <3

PROS: 

• Once it sets after smudging,it becomes completely Waterproof.
• They are multipurpose.
• Very well Pigmented.(Except for black velvet which is not that extreme black.But it's not bad either)
• Great base for eyeshadows.
• When smudged,it has a good staying power even without a primer.
• Great for instant smokey eyes.
• They are longer than regular eyepencils.
• Quite affordable.
• Doesn't dry instantly.Gives us ample time to work with it before it sets.
• Creamy texture which glides easily on the lids without tugging.

CONS: 

• Doesn't work well for lining both water and lashline.
• Black could've been a little more pigmented.It works perfectly fine as a base though.
• They currently have only three shades to choose from.(They did mention that more colours will be added later).
• Not available in india.It is easily available online but only from international websites.

Final thoughts: It works really awesome as a base for eyeshadows.So,if you are someone who are on the lookout for a good base then go get these ASAP! Must have for professional's kits since they are multipurpose,has good pigmentation,are waterproof,Don't crease that easily,blends in to the skin seamlessly while contouring,aren't insanely expensive and gives ample time to work with.

Rating: 9/10 (i took one point off only because it is not really useful for lining and also because the black one is not as intense as i'd like it to be.Otherwise they deserve a 10 on 10!)

Shade descriptions and Closeup pics:

• Coco bean: A medium warm brown.
• Dark chocolate: Named aptly..it is a dark chocolate in pencil form.
• Black velvet: It is a basic black.Not an extreme or jet black.It is just black.That's it.

None of them have shimmer/frost/glitter/pearl.They are all creams.

L-R: Coco bean,Dark chocolate and Black velvet.

 L-R: Black velvet,Dark chocolate and Coco bean.(These are not new tips.I used them..so,i had to sharpen them before taking the pic)

Size comparision.L-R: Graftobian pro pencil,Avon glimmerstick eye pencil and oriflame eye intensity pencil.All of them are new and never sharpened.

SWATCHES: L: Single swipe. R: 3-4 swipes.

L-R: Coco bean,Dark chocolate and Black velvet.

(In sunlight)

In shade.

Waterproof test: 

L: 'Dark chocolate' heavily swiped. R: 'Dark chocolate' smudged.After application i left them to set for 5 min.

After that i held my hand under tap water for about 3 mins.I wiped it 2 times real hard with my hand and You can clearly see that the smudged side did not move a bit! The heavy swatch despite the time given to set got wiped away.

Creasing test:

I applied 'Coco bean' to my bare lids without any primer and smudged it allover the lid.I took this pic after 4 hours.

I smudged 'Coco bean' allover the lid and applied powder eyeshadow over the top.I took this pic after 6 hours.You can clearly see that there is zero creasing! (The lines you are seeing on my lids are the natural foldings present on my lid.Do not mistake it for creasing).

 I hope this review and swatches were helpful :)

Love,
Siri.

Coastal Scents Mineral Eyeshadow "Touched" Swatches and Review.

Hi girls :)

Today i'm going to review Coastal scents Mineral eyeshadow in "Touched".

Haha..you'll know why i wrote that ;D

Price: price of sample: $0.95 = INR 45 approximately., Price of full size: $7.95 = INR 376 approximately.I got this sample free with my order :)

Available at: Coastalscents.com

Finish/Formula: Pearl/soft shimmer.

Packaging: It comes in a teeny tiny plastic jar which is always such a pain in the #$$ to open! Please CS! change this packaging!

Size comparision with a 50 paise coin.

Colour description: It is a beautiful light lavender colour with pink pearl/micro shimmer which gives a soft duochrome effect.

  

General thoughts: This is a loose mineral eyeshadow which means that you need to have patience and practise to work with it.And now, this particular eyeshadow,demands both of these quite strongly! Because,It is quite sheer and will not show up unless you use a heavy base that grabs it and intensifies it.It does not adhere well to the skin when used without a sticky base.It's staying power is also based on the 'base' you are going to use.If you use a lighter non sticky/creamy base then it won't last longer than an hour and if you use a heavier sticky/creamy base then it's lasting power can be increased up to 5 hours or more.

Final thoughts: This shadow did not touch my heart..it touched only my eyes by it's beautiful colour(This explains what i wrote on the picture :D).If you are someone who lacks patience, then stay away from this one and if you have loads of it,then happily go ahead and buy this.But i personally would buy this again mainly because of the beautiful colour and also i think i do have a bit of patience to work with it. :P :D

Rating: 6/10

Swatches:  The first pic shows you the soft pink duochrome effect and the second one shows you the true intensity of the colour.It was so difficult to capture both of them in one pic.

Left: With creamy concealer as a base, Right: Without any base or primer.

I hope this swatches and review were helpful :)

And lo.. here is a look in which i used this eyeshadow as an allover lid colour..

Love,
Siri.

Review and Swatches: BH Cosmetics 120 Color Eyeshadow Palette-1st edition.(Pic heavy!)

Hello everyone :)

Today i'm going to review the "120 color eyeshadow palette-1st edition" which i bought from BH cosmetics.

Price: $29.95 = INR 1,430 approximately.I bought it during a 20% off sale,so got it for a bit lesser price.

Available at: BHcosmetics.com and you can find similar palettes at Ebay.com too.

Finish/Formula: Various.

Packaging: Comes sealed in a cardboard and is also wrapped securely in a bubble wrap.Due to the secure packaging none of my shadows got damaged(Which happens quite often) :)

It has a shiny surface which is prone to attract fingerprints, scratches and dust which makes it look ugly in no time!But i don't care about it that much.To me,Quality and performance of the products is what matters the most.

Ingredients: 

Pics of shadows:

 First stack.

Second stack.

It has a small ribbon under the lower stack which is extremely helpful in lifting it easily.

Size comparision:

I compared it's size with (anticlockwise) INGLOT AMCeyeshadow in "#63",NYX single eyeshadow in "Morocco" and MAC eyeshadow in "Vanilla".

General thoughts: Out of the 4 editions of 120 colour palette,i picked the 1st edition because this looked like the most colourful one out of the lot :P I badly wanted bright coloured eyeshadows so that i can practise and perfect my skills without spending a bomb on expensive single eyeshadows and i can now say that this palette served the purpose very well.Creative minds will have no limits with this palette in their hands.The shadows are very well pigmented except for some 3-4 colours which are chalky and poorly pigmented which is not a bummer at all.

PROS:

• Very well pigmented (the black one is JET BLACK! <3).See the end of  the post for some swatches without base.
• Price.
• So many bright colours.
• A row of neutral colours..which may be helpful in emergencies :P :D

CONS:

• 3-4 colours(Especially the purples in first stack) are chalky and very poorly pigmented.
• The shadows NEED a good base which helps in intensifying them and also make them adhere well to the lids.

Final thoughts: The moment you grab it with your hands(or even look at it),you will instantly feel like an artist ready to let his imagination go wild (atleast i do).I'm in love with this palette and i highly recommend it to anyone who have creative minds and are in to makeup which involves the use of bright colours.Trust me,just carry a good neutral or colourful creamy base like NYX jumbo pencils(ofcourse a primer is must),this palette won't let you down.Some people might think that this palette has too many similar looking colours but i think that depending on how dark or light they are,they help in creating beautiful gradients.So,if you are searching for a good colourful palette,your search may end here.Go get it and let your creative juices start flowing :D

Rating: 8.5/10


SWATCHES: 2 swipes each with creamy concealer as a base.

First stack:

First and second rows:

In sunlight.

In shade.

Closeup of First five columns.

Closeup of Next five columns.

Third and fourth rows:

In sunlight.

In shade.

 Closeup of first five columns.

 Closeup of next five columns.

Fifth and sixth rows.

In sunlight.

In shade.

Closeup of first six columns.

Closeup of next four columns 

Second stack:

First and second rows:

In sunlight.

In shade.

Closeup of first five columns.

Closeup of  next five columns.

(The first colour in second row did not come in to the frame properly :P It is a shimmery light aqua blue colour)

Third and fourth rows:

(Sorry! forgot to take the closeup pics!)

In sunlight.

In shade.

Fifth and sixth rows:

(Sorry! forgot to take the closeup pics!)

in sunlight.

In shade.

Swatches of some random matte shades without base.(Indoors in natural light)

Swatches of some shimmer shades without base.(In sunlight)

I hope this review and swatches were helpful. :)

Love,
Siri. 

Review and Swatches: BH Cosmetics 10 Color Professional Blush Palette (With Colour Descriptions)

Hello girls :)

Today i'm going to review the "10 color professional blush palette" which i bought from BH cosmetics.

Price: $16.95 = INR 796 approximately. I bought it during a 20% off sale..so,got it for lesser price.

Available at: BHcosmetics.com or you can get a similar palette at Coastalscents.com, Ebay.com and Sedonalace.com too.

Finish/Formula: Various.

Packaging: Comes sealed in a cardboard box.The surface of the palette is matte and attracts less fingerprints than the shiny ones (example:120 palette).

Ingredients: 

Inside the palette:

Size comparision: I compared them with bourjois blush in "Lilas d'or"(on the left) and MAC blush in "Springsheen"(on the right).

General thoughts: As you can see,this palette contains ten beautiful shades of blushes which have different finishes.It has both warm and cool toned colours to go with wide variety of skin tones.They are not crazily pigmented which can be a plus point for heavy handed people.It is good enough to give you naturally flushed cheeks.Equally useful for both professionals as well as consumers.But,since these are not heavily pigmented,the colour is likely to get washed out in flash photography.So, if you are a professional who deals with film/fashion/theatre/any kind of  makeup which is heavy lights/flash and camera related,then this palette may not meet your needs!

PROS:

• Moderately pigmented.Which is good enough to give you naturally flushed cheeks and also a plus point for for those who are heavy handed.
• 10 colours in one compact palette.Which will be quite handy during travels or for professionals who don't want to carry 10 different bulky blush pots with them all the time.
• Price.16$ for 10 blushes is awesome.Plus they keep on having 20-40% off sales every now and then.So you'll get it at much lesser price.
• Contains both warm and cool toned colours.

CONS: 

• Lid of the palette is not secure.It does not close tightly and also it popped out from the lower part many times.I fixed it a hundred times by now(Not sure if every palette is like that.I may have got a dud!who knows!)
• Not useful for professionals who deal with makeup which goes under heavy lights/flash photography/cameras.

Final thoughts: All in all..this is a good palette for aspiring makeup artists who needs some budget friendly options to practise or start their work and also for consumers who need a well balanced palette for regular use  without spending on tons of single blushes.

Rating: 7/10

Close up view of each blush & Swatches: Swatched with a thin layer of concealer as a base to make the colours show up on my hand which was quite darker than my face at that time.I took close up shots to show and explain the exact colour of the blush in the pan.

Close up shots.First row(Left to right).

1)A matte medium brown with a hint of peach.It has tiny sparkles scattered here and there but they don't transfer on to the skin.Great as bronzer for light to light medium skintones.

2) This is a very light warm pink colour with a hint of peach.I has a satin finish.This is my favourite out of the lot. <3 Loos so flattering on very fair to light warm skintones.

3) Very light cool toned frosty silvery purply pink colour.This colour is one of the most unflaterring ones out of the lot.It makes anyone look sick,pale and bruised! yuck!

4) a medium peachy pink colour.It has a satin finish.This looks so flattering on fair to medium skintones.It's my 2nd favourite.

5) A light brown with hints of mauve and gray with satin finish.It has lots of tiny sparkles but most of them do not transfer on to the skin.This is the least pigmented one.This is the also a very unflattering colour for most skintones.But this may work as a great contour colour for people with very pale cool toned skin.

Swatches of first row: (1 to 5)

In sunlight.

Indoors in natural light.

Closeup shots.Second row(left to right)

6) A bubblegum pink colour with satin finish.It will suit cooler skintones better.

7) A matte warm rose colour with brown undertones and a hint of peach.

8)A bright peach colour with silvery sheen and some fine silver shimmer.

9)A matte medium fuschia colour.It is not overly bright.So don't get scared by looking at the pan.

10) A warm brown colour with very strong peach undertones.It has satin finish.This is my 3rd favourite.Works great as a bronzer on medium skintones.

Swatches of second row: (6-10)

In sunlight.

Indoors in natural light.

Here's an old look in which i prepared my bronzer by mixing 1 and 10 shades.Click HERE for tutorial.

 I hope this review and swatches were helpful :)

Next i'll be reviewing and swatching the 120 colour palette(1st edition).So look out for that if you are interested :)

Love,
Siri.