1P2L: Pencil Eyeliner with Glossier Colorslide + Glossier Play Mini-Reviews

Like most beauty bloggers, I assumed Glossier was about due for a "more full-on" makeup range, and I figured Glossier Play would be it. When they launched a range that prompted some excitement and a slew of criticisms, my initial feelings toward the four new cosmetics and two new tools were relatively mild. Yes, I was excited for the highlighters, but my reaction to highlighters is as instinctual and simple as my two-year-old niece's response to french fries. The lack of professional swatches on multiple skintones--something Glossier has been relatively good about for the past few years--leads me to believe that the launch was a little rushed.

All of this said, I received a slew of Instagram messages and emails when this line was announced, so clearly there's been some hype and interest surrounding the range. And frankly, a fun, colorful cache of products I could buy with the store credit you lovely people have earned me (thanks!) couldn't have at come at a better time. Between Kirby fighting a nasty bout of shingles and me being whacked with the depression hammer, the first half of March reminded me just how important fun and relaxation are.

Now, a lot of people have complained that this launch doesn't suit the "Glossier look." I can't entirely agree. For starters, there's a reason why they're launching these products under a sub-brand: they know it's not their usual no-makeup-makeup. But more importantly, this strikes me as "cool girl" party makeup, the kind of stuff naturally pretty people slap on their faces when they go out and want to try something a little different. None of it is designed for precise cut creases or stage-worthy Instaglam looks, and in my opinion, that's very Glossier.

There's also been a lot of debate about the design and environmental impact of these products. This delightful post from Auxiliary Beauty sums up most of my feelings about this. I'll add that I thought the 1970s-as-seen-by-Y2K-teenagers fonts and boxes were very cute. They hit me right in the "oh fuck that was middle school" nostalgia. However, like most people, I think wrapping each product in an extra piece of foil, then putting in to a box, is a wee bit excessive. It's also suspicious to me that Glossier claims they spent two years preparing this brand, yet they didn't think to use biodegradable glitter. Their consumer base is almost all Gen Z and Millenials, and we're groups that tend to worry about climate change and plastic consumption. To their credit, Glossier has listened to the criticisms; they will phase out the foil packets and plan on reformulating their products with biodegradable glitter.

Since I'm ranting, may I also point out that Glossier is STILL doing that "this is so unique and there's nothing like it" marketing, and it just doesn't work for them? Colorful pencil eyeliners and glitter gel have been around for decades, but they're releasing ad copy like this:

For the millionth time: there are more marketing tactics than the appeal to novelty. Customers like me are drawn to how easy and effortless Glossier's range is, and some are drawn to the "cool factor." But I'm not seeing a single, not-a-Glossier-rep person gushing over how "new" and "original" these products are. Play to your strengths, Glossier.

Enough complaining; let's get on to the swatches, looks, and reviews!

As mentioned, Glossier Play was launched with four new makeup products and two tools. The first makeup product is Colorslide, a range of colorful eyeliners. I got five shades: Adult Swim and Disaster Class for day-to-day wear, and Early Girl, Nectar, and Jumbo for experimentation and fun. All of these shades are matte, but there are metallic colors in the range, if that's more your gig. The Colorslide pencils are $15 each.

I've also sharpened them with the Blade sharpener. I get that a sharpener isn't something most people are going to lose their shit over, but this is a pretty nice one at an agreeable $4. It comes with a purple "cleaning stick" that you can twist in the sharpener to clean out the blade.

Next, we have those not-yet-biodegradable Glitter Gelees. I have three of the four shades: Glass Bonsai, Phantasm, and Firewalk. They're all technically suspended in a clear base and are, therefore, meant to be layered or used as sparkle rather than as full-on eyeshadows. But you can see that some of the shades contain a bit more of the fine shimmer, which makes the base seem less clear; this is most obvious with Firewalk. Phantasm, meanwhile, contains no fine shimmer and is all larger, more obvious holographic glitter shapes. Glass Bonsai is somewhere in the middle as far as opacity goes.

The product I was least excited for, shocker of shockers, was the Vinylic Lip. Yes, a liquid lip product in a click pen with a spongey applicator takes me right back to my first order from ELF, I'm not gonna lie. But I'm not a huge gloss person, and I find clicky pens a bit of a pain to use. It took me 41 clicks to get product out of Pony, and a whopping 71 clicks with Baby. I also find Glossier's color descriptions a little weird: Pony is less "taupe" to me and more mauve, and "Baby" reads more like a strawberry pink than a saturated, blue-based red.

By contrast, I was beyond hyped to see that they were releasing more full-on highlighters, because...highlighters. I purchased the two lightest Niteshine shades, the yellow-based Pale Pearl and the pink-based Platinum Rose.

Here are two looks I created with my Glossier Play products. (The only one not shown here is the Glitter Gelee in Glass Bonsai.) On the left, we have my attempt at something a little more full-on. I used the Jumbo and Disaster Class liners as bases, then added Glossier Lidstar in Cub to the center of my eye and topped it with two layers of Firewalk Glitter Gelee. I lined my lower lashline with Nectar. On the whole, I enjoy the eye look:

Interestingly, neither the Colorslide pencils nor the Glitter Gelee applied the way I expected. Glossier describes Colorslide as a "technogel eye pencil," implying it has a smooth gel formula. I actually found these pencils very waxy, and they tugged at my lids a little as I applied them. Disaster Class was especially difficult to use and applied patchy when I tried to use it as a base. Also, while I was able to get some intense color out of the Colorslide pencils, it took at least two layers to reach full saturation, sometimes three. And using these all over your eyelid when they're a waxy formula that catches? This can happen:

Yeah, that's frustrating.

In short, you can use these as eyeshadow bases, but it's a real pain in the ass, and some of the shades work better than others. These also take a little more effort to transfer to your waterline as compared to a true gel or khol-type pencil. If you're going to get these, go for the more pastel, interesting shades, like Nectar and Easy Girl, which are perfectly serviceable and can be tough to get in a decent formula. As a whole, though, I don't think these eyeliners are particularly special.

I had much better luck with the Glitter Gelees. Now, some people have complained these glitter gels made a huge mess on their face and left a ton of fallout all over their cheeks. In video reviews that stated this, I noticed that the person would apply the glitter to their eyelid, then immediately start blinking and moving their eyes all over the place. A product like this needs a minute to dry, so just be patient and keep your eye as still as you can right after application. I had absolutely zero glitter fallout or movement from all three Glitter Gelee shades after they'd dried, which sort of stunned me.

For the second, more natural look, I used Easy Girl and Adult Swim on my upper lashline to create a simple, slightly winged eyeliner, then lined my upper waterline with Adult Swim and tapped a bit of Phantasm Glitter Gelee at the corner of my eye. Phantasm is the glitter most people are excited about, and I can see why; it's just really fun and pretty.

For both looks, I used their Detailer to apply the glitter. A silicone applicator is definitely the best way to apply these, since it gives you more control and limits the mess, but you don't have to buy this one. Plenty of other brands make cheap silicone applicators.

Both the Colorslides and Glitter Gelees had great staying power; there was no fallout and minimal fading/smearing throughout the day. I use baby oil and cottons to remove them. The glitter is especially tenacious and should be kept out of your plumbing as much as possible, so you'll probably want to hold the oil-soaked cotton on your skin for a while to loosen it up.

For the more dramatic look, I wanted a super-shiny, very bold, definitely red lip, but I didn't get that with the Vinylic Lip in Baby. In fact, when I tried to layer it, I got only slightly more color, but I also noticed flakes on my lips that I didn't see before--see above. And it still never became "high shine" like Glossier promised. It's a thin, lightweight, decently comfortable formula with a faint strawberry smell. Nothing terrible, nothing to write home about. Frankly, I think Glossier should have produced colored versions of their regular gloss instead, since it is far shinier and more full-on than this formula.

I'll definitely get more use out of Pony, which I used for the softer look. One layer gave me that wearable, work-appropriate mauve shade that's perfect for work.

Last, but not least, we have the Niteshine Highlighter Concentrate. In terms of payoff and shine, I'd say these are like Glossier Haloscopes and Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors had a baby: they're shinier and more obvious than the Haloscope, but they manage to do it without being sparkly a la the SSP. It's a nice product with a thin, liquid formula that can be built up. Just make sure you blend them out fast, because they dry within seconds. I'm wearing Platinum Rose on my cheekbones in the full-on look, Pale Pearl on my cheekbones and under my brows in the more natural look.

While I really enjoy these and will get good use out of them, I have two quibbles. First, the shade range is just plain dumb. Platinum Rose and Pale Pearl are almost identical on your skin, and the two darker shades look similarly close. If you're releasing glitter gel and colorful eyeliner, and if your ads are full of disco and rave-inspired shots, you should probably come out with some more interesting colors. A lavender, for instance, would've been an on-trend option. Second, these suffer from the same packaging problems as the Lidstars: the lids are small, smooth, and difficult to turn. Anybody with limited hand mobility is going to have a rough time opening these highlighters.

When it's all said and done, I don't think this launch is as terrible as some people are making it out to be, but I also don't think it's full of products you have to rush out and buy. True, I really love the Glitter Gelees, and I'll use the Niteshine Highlighters regularly. But one of each, tops, will probably be more than enough for most people. And while the Colorslide pencils and Vinylic lips aren't dreadful, they certainly aren't worth it when you have brands like Colourpop producing better stuff at a lower price. If Glossier wants to improve this range, I suggest that they:

• Fulfill their promise to use biodegradable glitter in the Glitter Gelee,
• Improve the shade ranges for several of the products, and
• Focus on creating what their fans have actually been asking for, like a cream bronzer or a tinted moisturizer/foundation with a bit more coverage. 

PS: I'll be taking a very short break from writing this blog to focus on work. I should be back by the end of March!

PPS: WHERE IS THAT GODDAMN CANDLE YOU PROMISED, GLOSSIER?!

Note: All of these products were purchased with Glossier store credit earned via an affiliate link. I have not been paid to test, photograph, or write about anything in this post. My reviews are always honest. Actually, Glossier is probably a bit sick of sending me so much free shit, given how poorly I've rated some of their releases. Sorry, guys.

Pray for My Face, November 2018

One of the benefits of store credit, company PR, and free samples is that you can try a bunch of new stuff without spending your money. It's especially nice when you end up loathing a product; you don't want to feel like you've wasted that $30. Unfortunately, one of these products went beyond being "meh" and actually ate my face alive. Pray for this face, friends.

Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Creme, $38 at Sephora 

This eye cream got a stupid amount of hype recently. Bloggers and YouTubers insisted that this cream's yellow color helped it correct your undereye circles, and they claimed that it was the most moisturizing, smoothing eye cream they've used. I think it's this level of hype that set me up for disappointment. Yes, it is quite hydrating and smoothing, even more so than a lot of other eye creams I've tried. But this did nada on my undereye circles. The people saying that must've had the faintest circles known to mankind, whereas my undereyes are a very strong, dark blue.

Still, it's a nice eye cream that hasn't irritated my skin, and I've almost emptied the sample pot. It works well at night as a soothing treatment or before makeup to make concealer apply better. I wouldn't spend a full $38 on it because I still prefer the Kiehl's eye cream, but I wouldn't turn my nose up another sample of the Ole Henriksen.

Glossier Zit Stick, $14 at Glossier

I continue to be stunned by Glossier's recent focus on skincare. While their makeup is often right up my alley, their skincare rarely tickles my fancy due to the run-of-the-mill formulas and unnecessary ingredients designed to make it smell nice. The ingredients for the Zit Stick looked fine, though, so I purchased one and brought it to a conference shortly after it arrived.

Let's get the bad out of the way. First, this is nothing new or revolutionary; it's a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide treatment with a dash of salicylic acid and tea tree oil packaged in a cute pen. It's not strong enough to get rid of my most horrendous, under-the-skin blemishes, and if you rub it on a blemish without a head, it can actually make it a bit redder, which is typical of benzoyl peroxide.

There are some positives for this product, however. The tiny tube is very travel-friendly and fits in my small purse easily. The formula comes out slightly pinkish-white at first, but rubs in and dries down clear, so you can wear it in public. When I was on a break during the aforementioned conference, for instance, I noticed a new zit appearing on my forehead, so I rubbed the Zit Stick in to it and it was noticeably smaller by the end of the day.

DHC Lip Cream, $9.50 at Dermstore

Lena got me interested in this lip balm, and the non-stop 5 star reviews pushed me to pull the trigger. I've been running low on my Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm, which is becoming scarce in the United States, so I was hoping for a replacement. I do really like this balm, but I don't think it's the end-all-be-all (sorry, Lena), and it certainly doesn't replace the Nuxe for me.

The DHC Lip Cream has a smooth, very slightly waxy texture. It provides light to moderate hydration and is relatively weightless. It's not super glossy unless you really pack it on, so it should work well for makeup-free people, too. I personally love this in the morning to lock in the hydration from my humidifier and help my lipstick glide on. It's nowhere near as hydrating as the Nuxe is, but it gets the job done.

The downside is that this is a teeny, tiny tube. You get 0.05 ounces of product, and a month of using it in the morning and at night saw me finishing half of the tube. I might continue to purchase this one, but only when it's on sale (Black Friday, I'm coming for you!), and I'll avoid using it at night so that it lasts longer.

Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser, $35 at Sephora

Shortly before I received this cleanser from Influenster, Sunday Riley got itself in to a bit of hot water when a former employee revealed that the company had planted positive reviews. This didn't change my opinion on their products that much, to be honest, because their high price tags and iffy ingredients lists never appealed to me. Still, Ceramic Slip has always been a popular cleanser, and it seemed like it would be right up my alley. I patch tested it for a week and had zero problems. When I used it all over my face, I noticed that it felt soft and was relatively scentless. It didn't strip my skin. That's...about it. Nothing terrible, nothing amazing, just a run-of-the-mill gentle cleanser.

I woke up the next day asking, "Man, why is my face so itchy?" I've been on medication and vitamin D supplements for my chronic hives for almost 2 years now, and it's worked marvelously, so I've forgotten what it feels like to wake up and immediately scratch my face off. I looked in the mirror, and...

...HOLY FUCK, WHAT HAPPENED.

These pictures don't do the rash justice, as they were taken about an hour after I woke up, took Benadryl, and worked an hour at my online job while barely resisting the urge to scrape my face off of my skull. It was twice as unsightly, purple, and huge when I first woke up. I've had some reactions to skincare products in the past, but rarely one this intense. It was so bad, I had to call off work at my on-site job. And when I thought it was getting better, it started to puff up the skin around my eyes--see the middle picture.

Suffice to say that I threw the cleanser back in its box an tossed it under the sink. I have no idea what to do with it, since I don't want to give it to a friend and unleash the same horror on their face. A huge thanks to Sunday Riley and Influenster, though, for proving that I really don't need to spend that much money on overhyped skincare.

Charlotte Tilbury Mini Reviews

Charlotte Tilbury is a talented makeup artist, no doubt, but between her using the word "pop" a few too many times in her videos and her Into the Gloss interview that described wearing makeup to bed so her husband doesn't see her bare-faced, I've found it a bit hard to stomach her as a person. For a time, those feelings were transposed to her makeup line. I held off trying it for a couple of years.

Now that I have tried several products from the range, I have to admit that I'm impressed. Is every product as revolutionary and unique as she claims in her tutorials? Of course not; sometimes, a black eyeliner is just a black eyeliner. However, most of the range seems solid, and while there are some definite duds, there are also a few standouts that I would wholeheartedly recommend. So it's time to give them their due and write some mini reviews. (I've already written a full review of the Light Wonder Foundation, which you can read here.)

I purchased the Beauty Light Wand from Nordstrom earlier this year, and I gotta say, the hype is real. It's a beautiful champagne gold highlight that maintains a wet, glossy look even after drying down. It looks amazing in photographs and always garners compliments in real life. I've also used it on my eyes without any irritation or issues--your mileage may vary. I am a bit weirded out by the sponge tip applicator because you can't really clean it, but I like that you can lock the tube so it doesn't leak in your bag. It has become one of the stars of my highlighter collection.

The other three products mentioned in this review were sent to me by Influenster in preparation for Charlotte Tilbury's big Sephora launch. Let's start with the Hot Lips lipstick, which I expected to get in a more muted shade like Secret Salma and instead received in the very nude color Kim K.W. This is one of two satin shades in the range, and if by satin they mean "not matte," then okay, I'm fine with it. But for me, "satin" has always been between a true matte (with no shine) and a glossy, rich-looking cream, ie, most of the Besame Classic Color lipstick range. Charlotte Tilbury Kim K.W. has more of that plush look I associate with cream finishes.

Quibbling aside, it's a good lipstick. It feels comfortable on the lips, it isn't drying, and it photographs really well. It can look a bit smeary on me in real life, but I think that's just because the color is so light, and using a darker lip liner around the edges of my mouth definitely helps. That said, I won't spend $34 on another tube unless they make a shade I desperately want. It doesn't beat the aforementioned $22-a-tube Besame lipsticks, so it's not worth the extra $12 to me.

If any of the Charlotte Tilbury makeup products disappointed me, it was the Colour Chameleon Eye Shadow Pencil, which I received in the shade Champagne Diamonds. It's not awful, it's just...very meh. Based on the name and the description ("mineral, soft-focus effects transform and enhance eye color for a range of looks"), I expected something complex and versatile. What I got was a pretty but plain champagne color with some flecks of glitter, which looks ordinary and one-dimensional even in the above macro shots. Eh.

That said, the actual formula of the eyeshadow pencils is just fine. It's a bit dryer than I expected, but it applies smoothly and evenly, and it definitely sets. I had no issues with creasing, and I didn't notice any of the glitter dropping down on my face. Again, this is not something I'd purchase with my own money, but I'm not opposed to wearing it or recommending it. It's a wonderful product for long days at the office, for instance. I just expected a little more shade complexity from a $27 eyeshadow called Color Chameleon. I'll stick with the cheaper Butter London Glazen Eye Glosses for now.

Now...let's talk about the Magic Cream. I'm trying to be more restrained with my skincare snark, since I've gone through half a dozen bottles of a $24 cleanser that is objectively rather basic. But I think a $100 cream that claims to contain "patented anti-aging, hydrating, and youth-boosting ingredients" that can "fight the aging process" needs to back up its claims with more than run-of-the-mill cloggers. I'd joke that reading this ingredients list gave me nightmares if it weren't all so generic. Butylene glycol and glycerin are cheap-as-dirt moisturizers included in most affordable options. Dimethicone is a form of silicone, and it's often used in skincare to make it seem smoother and more softening than it really is. Shea butter is a lovely ingredient, but it clogs my face like crazy. So on and so forth. Basically, it's $100 worth of hype based off of a mixture of other moisturizers Charlotte used to slap on runway models' faces.

Even if I weren't rolling my eyes a little too hard at this cream, I wouldn't be impressed. As expected, it didn't patch test well on my face, but I could use it on my neck and hands. It was a wholly average moisturizer with a thick lotion texture that took some time to soak in, then provided adequate moisture. And that's it. I'm sorry, but for $100 a tub, you'd better make my dry-as-a-grilled-chicken-breast skin plump, soft, and super-hydrated.

The only thing I liked about Charlotte's Magic Cream was the soft baby powder scent that reminded me of my mother, and I only liked that smell when it was on my hands. I certainly wouldn't want my face to smell like that.

I know that three out of four mini reviews ending with "I wouldn't spend my money on it" sounds like a lot of negativity. It's not: the makeup is usually good, sometimes great, occasionally shit, just like most other brands. It's just that I have found cheaper products I like just as much (Besame lipsticks) or better (Butter London Glazen Eye Glosses), and in those cases, I'm always going to save a few dollars. The Charlotte Tilbury makeup products are still worth recommending, say, if you want a nice nude lipstick or a quick and easy eye color for work.

The skincare range? Not so much. I've looked at some of the formulas for other products, and I'll take a hard pass on trying those in the future.

Charlotte Tilbury products will be available at Sephora on September 13.

This product was sent to me by Influenster in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: House of Besame Debutante Sheer Color Lipsticks

For as long as I can remember, my mother has been obsessed with costume dramas. Does she actually care about the plot of The Age of Innocence or Downton Abbey? Well, kind of, but she openly admits that her primary attraction to those sorts of shows is the lavish clothing wealthy people wore at the time. Even after discovering that the sort of people she's looking at didn't bathe too often and, therefore, said lovely clothing probably had a bit of a stench to it, she's drawn to anything that promises corseted women swooning over their beaus.

Despite the fact that I hate even wearing a bra and get most of my ratty black t-shirts from the thrift store, my mother's love of costume dramas rubbed off on me, as did my brother's interest in history. This prompted a fascination with cultural norms and beauty expectations throughout the ages, particularly the Revolutionary War era and the 19th century.

So you can imagine how deliriously happy I was when Besame, one of my all-time favorite brands, released a picture of their new Debutante Sheer Color Lipsticks, which feature the Gibson Girl on the box. After I posted the picture on my Instagram story with the shrieking caption "OH MY EDWARDIAN GODDDDD," Besame messaged me and said they had actually sent the new lipsticks to me.

How excited was I for these new lipsticks? So excited that I immediately made my mother promise to forward the box to me ASAP if it arrived after I'd moved. After several stressful weeks of moving in to our new place a thousand miles from home, receiving these lipsticks was a treat.

The Debutante Sheer Color Lipsticks are advertised as part of the new "House of Besame" line, which seems to be inspired by turn-of-the-century luxury beauty routines. They arrive in matte, pink tubes with the traditional Besame flower logo. At $22 per 0.12oz tube, they are the same size and price as Besame's breakout Classic Color range. The main difference, of course, is that these are meant to be sheer. These also have a different scent: the original Besame lipsticks smell very faintly of vanilla to me, but the Debutante range uses peppermint oil for a light mint scent.

There are currently three shades in the range. Berry Red is, as the name suggests, a relatively neutral, popsicle-stain red; it's slightly less brown and more vibrant in real life than it looks in this swatch picture. Mint Rose is a soft pink. Chocolate Kiss is a sheer version of the same warm brown shade from the Classic Color range.

While these lipsticks are more sheer than anything from the Classic Color Range, they're not as barely-there as some sheer lipsticks, ie Glossier Generation G. One swipe will net you visible color. Mint Rose and Chocolate Kiss are very slightly glossy, but only slightly, and this easily rectified with a quick blot if you prefer a more matte look. Berry Red has more of a traditional lip stain look to it.

From left to right: Chocolate Kiss, Mint Rose, Berry Red.

I fully expected Mint Rose to be my favorite of the three shades. But while it's certainly the one I'll wear most frequently, being so work-appropriate and my-lips-but-better on y skintone, I think the shade that impresses me the most is Chocolate Kiss. I love the original, full-on version of this shade, but it can be a bit tough for me to wear brown lipstick past autumn. This sheer alternative seems like it will be more wearable on different skintones throughout all four seasons.

As far as wear goes, these perform about the same as most sheer lipsticks: they last for a good 3-4 hours if you're gentle with them, but they will fade quickly if you eat a full meal or drink a lot.

I have two problems with these lipsticks. My first complaint is honestly a bit petty: the names of the lipsticks are on the bottom of the tubes and on the white barcode stickers on the boxes, but they're not on the box itself. I always loved the "This shade is a true replica of a shade from ____" stickers on the Classic Color boxes; it felt like it fit right in to the aesthetic. Having to locate the name on an obtrusive white sticker makes the experience feel a bit less lux than I'd expect.

My more substantial quibble is that Besame claims these lipsticks are moisturizing, but I can't agree; I actually found that they could be ever so slightly drying by the end of the day. I think this is caused by the peppermint oil, which dries my lips out a bit; your mileage may vary.

While the Debutante Sheer Color Lipsticks are never going to usurp the many Classic Color Lipsticks in my collection, they've earned the right to sit in the same drawer. They're easy to wear, beautifully packaged, and have me excited for whatever else Besame is planning for this new range.

RATING: 4 out of 5

House of Besame products are available at BesameCosmetics.com.

These lipsticks were sent to me by Besame. As I made clear to the company, I only write honest reviews. I do not accept financial compensation for my posts.

We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Hiatus for the New Glossier Cloud Paint Shades

I no sooner go on hiatus than Glossier does something I've wanted them to do for the past year: they release more dark skin friendly shades of their *Cloud Paints. There's still no true red, but there is finally a warm shade for deeper skintones, a bright coral named Dawn. The other new shade is a slightly muted, rich plum named Storm.

One of the best things about these blushes is that they mix together so well, giving you extra shade options. I often add a dab of Dusk to Beam or Puff for a more natural, less pastel shade. Here are a few other color mixes I tested; I'm especially fond of how Storm and Puff make a sort of lavender color:

As per usual, these new Cloud Paints were purchased using store credit earned via affiliate link clicks. A special thank you to everyone who uses the affiliate links I post. You help this blog thrive!

* NOTE: This is an affiliate link. It is not mine; it is for the YouTuber Jacquelyn Lovene. I have more than enough store credit, so I'm passing on the love. If you don't want to use an affiliate link, just head to Glossier.com. 

I purchased these two tubes of Cloud Paint using store credit earned via affiliate link purchases. I am not a Glossier Rep and my reviews are always honest.

REVIEW: Kat Von D 24 Hour Super Brow Long Wear Pomade

I'm not a huge fan of the Kat Von D brand for a variety of reasons, but I was still intrigued when Influenster decided to include me in their Kat Von D brow product campaign. For some weird reason, I've been really in to brow products lately, and I've been especially keen on comparing various micro pencils to my old faithful Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. Given my product preferences and how I normally wear my brows, I assumed they'd send me the Kat Von D Signature Brow Precision Pencil. Instead, I received the 24 Hour Super Brow Long Wear Pomade and the new #70 brush. I was a bit irked at first, since I admitted to myself years ago that I'm too lazy for brow pomades. Yet I've actually started to like this product over the past few weeks, albeit for very specific situations.

The Kat Von D Long Wear Pomade (as I'll be calling it for the rest of the review) retails for $19 for 5 grams of product in a glass jar with a plastic lid. This is on the cheap side as far as pomade price-per-gram goes:

ELF Lock On Liner and Brow Cream, $4 for 5.4 grams -- $0.74/g
Makeup Revolution Brow Pomade, $8 for 2.3 grams -- $3.48/g
Kat Von D Long Wear Pomade, $19 for 5 grams -- $3.80/g
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow, $18 for 4 grams -- $4.50/g
MAC Fluidline Brow Gelcreme, $19 for 2.8 grams -- $6.79/g
Benefit Ka-Brow, $24 for 3 grams -- $8.00/g

The ELF pomade is obviously a steal compared to all of these, including the Kat Von D, but it lacks a decent color range. By contrast, the Kat Von D Long Wear Pomade currently boasts 16 shades, 7 in "regular" brow colors and 9 in bright editorial or mixing shades, like a pure white and a vibrant pink.

 From left to right: Kat Von D Long Wear Pomade in Medium Brown; Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow in Medium Brown and Chocolate; L'oreal Brow Stylist Definer in Brunette; Milk Makeup Gel Brow in Pilsner.

Influenster sent me the shade Medium Brown, which is probably my closest match in the range, but not the best shade for me overall--I tend to prefer something ashier, like the aptly-named Anastasia Ash Brown. Still, it's not overly warm, and it's definitely a workable shade for me.

Here's a shot of one brow with the pomade and one brow without, just so you can see the undertones. Again, my brow hairs are cooler and this product definitely leans warm.

The actual application of the Kat Von D Longwear Pomade was about as fussy as I expected: you have to dip your brush in to the pomade, then wipe most of the product off on to the lid or the edge of the jar, or you'll end up with way too much pomade. While I prefer a less drawn-on look most of the time, I think you'll want to use light strokes no matter what look you're going for, since that makes it easier to control the application and shape. I started at my arch and worked back, since that's the more sparse part of my brows, then filled in the front of my brows with what was left on the brush.

Speaking of the #70 Pomade Brush: it's very meh. I found it a bit bigger and thicker than I like for most pomades. The smaller, thinner Anastasia #12 is better if you want to make precise lines and/or have more control over your application, and it comes with a spoolie.

The actual texture of this pomade is a bit lighter and less dense than Anastasia Dipbrow, but I don't think the Kat Von D is quite as workable. You need to work quickly and in small sections because attempting to go back over this product once it has dried will create a bit of a mess: you might pull up a bit of the pomade, but it's more likely that the wet stuff on your brush will stick to the already-dried parts. See this portion of my brow:

Is it super visible to the naked eye? No, but again, I always work slowly and with a light hand to prevent more obvious snafus.

The good thing about the fast drying time, however, is that it seems to improve the wear. I didn't wear this pomade for 24 hours because I refuse to sleep in my makeup, even for the sake of science, but I did wear it for 12+ hours on a very humid day that included some traipsing about town and an hour on the porch in a misty rain. Here it is at the 10 hour mark:

As you can see, the pomade stayed decently in place. I do seem to have a bit of fading right in the middle of the arch, but it wasn't noticeable to the naked eye--I actually didn't see it until I looked at this macro shot. I also have a brow hair that has clearly jumped ship, but that's normal for me and isn't the fault of the pomade. (I skipped clear gel on this day to get the most fair and accurate photographs possible.)

I've also tested this on my lids as eyeliner, and it works okay for that. It's not as smooth or workable as a regular gel liner, and it doesn't seem to have the same wear time on my oily lids as it does on my brows, but it definitely gave me a rich, dark line for most of the day without smearing or flaking. If you were in a pinch or trying to cut down on products in your travel makeup bag, this could work as a liner.

While the Kat Von D Long Wear Pomade is a solid product, and the shade range sets it apart, I don't think it's better than the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow. I found Dipbrow a bit easier to work with and even longer-lasting. Still, I enjoy wearing this product on days when I'm out in the elements for a while and I don't want to worry about touch-ups.

RATING: 4 out of 5

Kat Von D products are available at Sephora.

This product was sent to me by Influenster in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Glossier Lash Slick

Like many people, I've been waiting for Glossier to release the barely-there mascara of my dreams. Given that they registered a trademark for Lash Slick quite a while ago, I expected it to release much sooner. The company insists that it took so long because they went through 248 formulations before settling on this fiber mascara version; that might be true, but holding off was also savvy marketing that ensured consumers would be ecstatic when a mascara inevitably dropped. Now Glossier can post advertisements rhapsodizing that your eye makeup is "finally complete."

Lash Slick is described as "the perfect everyday mascara." It promises to curl, lengthen, and define your lashes with a smudge-proof, flake-free fiber formula that's water-resistant, all for the reasonable price of $16 a tube. Founder Emily Weiss said that she basically wanted to remake the Kevyn Aucoin tubing mascara without "the tubes" (girl, what?), but really, this reminds me of Japanese mascaras like Kiss Me Heroine Make Long and Curl. Fibers are designed to cling to the tips of your lashes and provide the fluttery, feathery, lengthened look so favored in Japan; the intent seems to be the same with Lash Slick, which will supposedly give you a "lash extension effect."

To give you that effect, Glossier chose a rubber wand with stubby bristles that comb through the lashes and deposit the tiniest amount of product at a time. Frankly, I hate most rubber bristle wands because they tend to be so pokey and never give me the effect I want. This one doesn't bother me, though, in large part because the bristles aren't sharp at all. Also, they put a damn good stopper in the tube; it pulls off every bit of excess product barring the teeniest dab on the tip. I hate having to spend 30 seconds wiping my wand off on the lip of the tube, so I appreciate a good stopper.

My mom also likes being able to go straight from the tube to her lashes, but beyond that, we have rather different preferences for our lashes. My mom has very short and straight lashes that are decently thick. Because she likes a quick, barely-there makeup look, she usually goes for a defining mascara in a brown-black shade that's easy to remove. My lashes are the complete opposite: long and curly yet fine. Hence, I tend to go for a rich, creamy formula that will plump them up and provide tons of volume. I like an easy-to-remove mascara, but I'm more concerned with flaking and smudging, which is something almost every mascara does on me. That's a lot to take in, I know, so here's a handy dandy Me vs. Mom chart:

Why do I mention my mom? Well, friends, she also wanted a tube of Glossier Lash Slick. And since I love overly detailed reviews almost as much as my mother, I had to get her some and ask her to test it, too.

The above photos show my lashes before and after two layers of Glossier Lash Slick; I apply by wiggling the wand at the roots of my lashes, then working my way up. The formula is very thin, but it's not watery or messy, so I don't make quite as much of a mess on my lids during application. As you can see, Lash Slick definitely makes a difference, providing a bit of length and a rich black color. I don't think you get actual volume from this mascara, per se, but if you press the wand in to the roots like I did, it does give the illusion of slightly thicker lashes.

This seemed to hold my curl just fine as well, but to be fair, my lashes hold their curl most of the time. (Is that because the hair on my head is curly? Can anyone with a better grasp on genetics weigh in there?)

To further test Lash Slick, I did something I normally avoid: I put mascara on my lower lashes. Guys, I have very dark undereyes--see the above concealer-free photo for proof. And everything freaking smears on me! The last thing I want to do is draw attention to the area or make it darker. But I know most people don't have those hang ups, so I gave it a shot, and it actually looks pretty damn good. I'm too lazy to do it on the regular, but if I want a bottom lash mascara, I'll reach for Lash Slick now.

 Holy macro fine lines, Batman!

My initial application looked a bit more "made up" and obvious than what I've come to expect from Glossier products. So the next time I applied it, I did just one coat. As you can see in the photo above, this will give you more of a "tinted lash" sort of effect. You get slightly less length and "oomph" in exchange for a more defined, natural look. Overall, two coats works well, but I think I prefer this one coat look.

Now, my eyes are deep set, and macro shots make the clear tips of my naked lashes more visible than they really are. Photos shot from beneath my eye do a slightly better job of demonstrating the effect, as you can see how close my lashes are to my brows. So here's one of those:

Broadly speaking, I'm not getting my usual look here: there's some length and decent definition, but very little volume. That said, it's a look I like, especially for light makeup days, and I appreciate that I can slap this mascara on in less than a minute.

My mom also did one coat of this mascara, but unlike me, she avoids wiggling the wand in to the roots of her lashes and instead just swipes the brush up as quickly as she can. She still got darker, more defined, slightly lengthened lashes, they just don't look any thicker. Again, this isn't really a volumizing mascara, so I'm not shocked.

While my mom liked that Lash Slick wasn't clumpy or goopy, she was sad to see that they didn't release a dark brown shade. That's probably my biggest critique of Lash Slick as well; I never wear brown mascara, but a lot of my blonde friends prefer it over stark black. She also told me that while it didn't make her lashes droop, it didn't make her curl last longer than it normally does. I've said it before and I'll say it again: if you want a mascara that will hold your curl, you'll probably want something waterproof, and/or you should check out the Japanese mascara market.

Both my mother and I were impressed by the wear of this mascara. Everything seems to flake and smudge on my watery eyes, and technically speaking, Glossier Lash Slick wasn't all that different. Around the 8 hour mark, I noticed some flakes. In comparison to the usual giant black dots I get, however, these were minute, barely-there flakes and the occasional stray fiber; I boxed them in in the above photo so you could see them better, and you'll still probably have to enlarge the picture. These flakes were easy to remove with a swipe of a brush or a finger. I got even less flaking when I stuck to one coat. I've yet to experience any smudging, and that's pretty impressive given how humid it is in Pennsylvania right now.

So did I get zero flaking or smudging? No. But I'd say this is about as little as I'll ever see with lashes and eyes like mine.

Last, but most certainly not least, there's the removal. Because I deal with black specks on my cheeks and gray smears around my eyes so much, I usually favor waterproof formulas, since their waxier base tends to give them a longer wear time. As a result, I often have to soak my eyes with a bit of oil to remove all of my mascara, which has never really bothered me. I find my skincare routine relaxing. My mom, by contrast, considers skincare a tedious but necessary part of good grooming akin to putting on deodorant. The faster she can get her makeup off at the end of the night, the more she likes it.

Glossier promises that you can remove Lash Slick with warm water, and that held true for us. I tested both a Makeup Eraser and micellar water on this, and they removed the mascara entirely with minimal tugging. My mother just used her usual Cerave face wash with some warm water, spending all of five seconds rubbing at her moistened lashes, and again, it came off easily.

My verdict: Lash Slick was worth the wait. It's a solid mascara that does what it says on the tube: lengthens, defines, doesn't make a mess, and comes off easily. If that's the look you're going for, then Lash Slick could be the mascara for you.

RATING: 5 out of 5

Glossier products are available at their website. If you would like to support small beauty bloggers, consider using their Glossier affiliate link for your first purchase; the affiliate link I used here is from Auxiliary Beauty.

I purchased these two tubes of Glossier Lash Slick using store credit earned via affiliate link purchases. I am not a Glossier Rep and my reviews are always honest.

REVIEW: Glossier Lidstar

I'm weirdly irritated by people who try to do a "full glam" look with makeup that's meant to be sheer and natural, and then they complain about it being sheer and natural. This seems to happen a lot with Glossier: they complain that the Perfecting Skin Tint "has no coverage" (it's not supposed to have any), or that Haloscope "just looks wet" (that's the point). While I'll rag on Glossier for a lot of things, particularly their marketing, I'm not going to complain about them making barely-there products. "Barely There" could actually be the brand's name. The just-released Glossier Lidstars are no different. They aren't advertised as high impact colors; the tagline for the product is actually "less shadow, more glow," and three of the six shades are described as "sheer."

That said, there's a difference between "sheer" and "invisible," and I know that's a legitimate fear some people have regarding these eyeshadows. And while I may not complain about their overarching aesthetic, I will rant about another factor in this review. So, you know...fair warning.

Glossier Lidstars currently cost $18 each or $30 for any two shades. At 0.15oz per tube, they're the same size as most other liquid eyeshadows; you can compare them to the Stila Glitter and Glow Liquid Eyeshadows or the Make Up For Ever Star Lit Liquids. It's a plastic "test tube" sort of packaging with a doe foot applicator. Some people find it cute. I think it looks like a cheap tube of lip gloss from the 1990s, but hey, I'm turning 30 next month. Maybe I'm just an old fuddy duddy.

The real problem with this packaging isn't the appearance, though, it's the function. I'm not ashamed to say I was truly excited about these shadows when they launched, so imagine my frustration when I ripped open my pink bubble mailer and discovered that two of the six shades took a ton of effort to open. Slip took me a minute of twisting with a towel to finally open up, whereas Herb was stuck so tight, I had to enlist my mother to twist the tube one way while I twisted the cap in the opposite direction. After five minutes of wrenching, it eventually opened, but if you were somebody with reduced hand function, this would be a complete nightmare. When I complained about this on Instagram, multiple people messaged me and said they had the exact same issue, and one lovely follower pointed out that makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes (often featured by Glossier) had difficulty opening the tubes on an Instagram Live video. This is not an isolated issue.

On top of that, the lids for these tubes are really quite tiny. I have a tough time fitting my thumb, pointer, and middle fingers on the applicator, and I have relatively small hands. It hasn't been too much of an issue for me because I have full function in my hands and can grip the lid firmly, but it's definitely a bit awkward, and again, people who can't grip as well or as hard will likely find controlling the Lidstar applicator difficult. I think the fix for this is easy: make the lid longer, update the tube or the lid so that it's rubberized or textured, and/or update the packaging so that there's an edge to grip. Oh, and don't screw the damn things on so tight in the factory.

Natural light on top, ring light on the bottom.

Let's move on to the shades and performance of the actual liquid eyeshadow locked away in those obnoxious tubes. First, there are three very sheer shades: Moon, a champagne, Lily, a lilac, and Slip, an oyster pink. Then there are three more pigmented colors: Herb, a golden olive, Fawn, a taupe, and Cub, a rose gold. They all have a refined shimmer to them that thankfully doesn't flake off throughout the day.

Tin foil hat time: I find it very suspicious that, at the time of this review, Glossier's demo photos of the three sheerer shades don't feature anybody with dark skin. They have a video of Mekdes applying every color, but nobody darker than her seems to be featured. Will they actually show up on anybody who isn't as white as I am? I'm not sure. Darker skinned readers, please report back!

Glossier describes their Lidstar as "a wash of soft, glistening color that lasts all day...no need for primer." Now, "soft and glistening" is right up Glossier's natural glowing alley, but "lasts all day without primer" made me tilt my head. Their products are generally known for being easy to apply and barely perceptible on the skin, but not having the best staying power, especially if you have oily skin. I usually wear primer under all of my eyeshadows to prevent creasing, but I was so intrigued (and so lazy) on one particular work day that I decided to skip the primer. They also said that the formula is extremely blendable, even with fingers, so I paid close attention to that as well.

Here are macro shots of every shade except for Herb--feel free to zoom on. On the left, we have two layers of Slip (one layer is almost imperceptible), worn to work with no primer. Shockingly, I found that it did, in fact, stay creaseless for most of the day. There was one big crease in the middle of my eyelid after 12 hours, but you had to be decently close to see it, and the shadow hadn't broken up or smeared otherwise. These definitely stick, so you'll need a strong makeup remover to get them off.

The other two shots show Lily and Fawn, then Cub and Moon, over primer. I do prefer to wear them this way since it takes the creasing from 5% to 0%. Take a look at that middle shot, though, for a very obvious problem: Fawn applies patchy. When I put it on the outer half of my lid and tried to blend it in to Lily, it basically pulled away the shadow that was already there. I had to keep fiddling with it to get it to be visible, let alone decent. I had a similar problem with Herb: it applied very patchy and didn't blend well with other shades.

A post shared by Renee (@reneesanatomy) on Mar 11, 2018 at 10:30am PDT

Here's the full FOTD with Moon and Cub.

By contrast, the sheer shades applied smooth and even, even if I added another layer for more impact. Cub ended up being somewhere in the middle. One layer was very "meh" and slightly patchy, but two layers was smooth and beautiful.

I also tested blending these with a brush. Fingers definitely work best because they set so fast, especially on that first layer, but you can certainly use a fluffy brush to smooth out edges or spread the product evenly. Just be sure to use the lightest touch possible--too much pressure will pull the shadow up and leave you with bald spots.

 I'd love to round my Lidstar score up from a 3.5 to a 4. While Herb and Fawn are letdowns, the other shades are really lovely, and the claims that they will look soft and stay on are totally true. But I'm sticking with a 3 because of that packaging. Ignoring my personal dislike of the actual look of the tubes, they just aren't as functional as they could be. Glossier listened to their customers before when there were complaints about the Generation G tubes; hopefully, they'll listen here, too.

RATING: 3 out of 5

Glossier products are available at their website. Affiliate link: Glossier.

 These products were purchased from Glossier.com using store credit earned through referrals.

Glossier Cotton Rounds vs. Shiseido Facial Cotton

Glossier's new chemical exfoliant earned an immediate "meh" from me, mostly because they won't release the exact percentage of acids in the product. My very dry, dehydrated, reactive skin will respond one way to < 5% acid (yay!) and another way to close-to-10% acid (proceed with caution), and I know I'm not the only one. To be frank, I think hiding the percentage of active ingredients in your product because "it's a secret formula, teehee!" is just an irresponsible marketing ploy. That goes for just about every skincare company and product out there, including the cult classic Biologique Recherche P50: I'm not buying that shit until I know exactly what's going on my face.

But Glossier also released cotton rounds to go with the solution, and you guys...I'm a sucker for cotton. I've been using that stuff to remove my makeup for years now, and my favorites have long been the soft, durable Shiseido Facial Cottons. Since I'm flush with store credit (thanks for the clicks on my affiliate link, by the way!), I decided to test them out.

Let's talk price first. Shiseido Facial Cotton comes in two sizes: a 40 count travel size for $5 and a 165 standard size for $10. (The price has ticked up about $0.50 since I first started using them.) The Glossier Cotton Rounds come in one 60 count size for $4. Mathematically, that means:

You get 8 cottons per $1 in the travel size Shiseido bag.

You get 16.5 cottons per $1 in the standard size Shiseido bag.

You get 15 cottons per $1 in the Glossier bag.

This makes the Glossier cottons cheaper-per-piece than the travel size Shiseido cotton, but slightly more expensive than the full size Shiseido bag.

The Shiseido cottons come packaged in a thin, translucent sheet of plastic. I usually rip mine open and just pull out cottons as is necessary; they're stacked very tightly and therefore don't fall over or make a mess. The Glossier cottons are packaged in a clear plastic bag, sort of like a stack of Pringles, and are shipped in a silver-and-pink zipper bag. The extra packaging for the Glossier product is a bit wasteful to me, but since they're made in China, I'm assuming they're a private label product and therefore arrive at Glossier headquarters in bulk, blandly packaged. The brand has to fancy it up somehow.

(Images desaturated to better show textures and shapes. And because black and white pictures are cool.)

Pricing and packaging are important, but for me, the mark of a truly great cotton is its texture and durability. The Shiseido cottons have a famously plush, silken texture. They glide across the skin smoothly without pulling or irritating, and they never leave white fuzzies on your face.

The Glossier cottons aren't quite as soft. If I had to compare them to anything, it would be the top of a mattress, both in their texture and their appearance. This doesn't mean they're rough--they're actually decently soft--but they certainly aren't as luxurious feeling as the Shiseido cottons. You also have to be a bit careful of the dotted line around the edge, which I barely notice on most of my face, but can feel a bit pokey if you get it in your eye.

I will give the Glossier cotton rounds the higher score for durability, though. While the Shiseido cottons have never completely torn apart on me, they do start to "fray" a bit after removing an entire face of makeup. By contrast, the Glossier cotton rounds stay together with no fraying or fuzzies. The above cotton round was used to remove this face of makeup (I switched the lipstick to Besame Red Velvet for testing purposes). These are tough little buggers, no doubt.

With that in mind, I'd say that the Shiseido Facial Cottons are still the best choice for makeup removal and serum/toner application. The Glossier Cotton Rounds are also fine for makeup removal, but will work even better for jobs that usually need a little more elbow grease, like taking off your nail polish. In the end, Shiseido remains queen of my cupboard, but Glossier is a fine companion.

GLOSSIER COTTON ROUNDS RATING: 4 out of 5

Glossier products are available at their website. Affiliate link: Glossier.

 These products were purchased from Glossier.com using store credit earned through referrals.