REVIEW: Butter London Glazen Eye Glosses

If a cream shadow is going to impress my lazy, I-don't-really-wear-eye-makeup self, it's got to give me tons of impact with minimal effort. For years, that's meant relying on the cruelly discontinued Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Eyeshadows, which look like actual metal on my lids. I never thought I could find anything that could truly compare. Then Lyn posted this swatch and Ulta had its 21 Days of Beauty sale. I was armed with a gift card, friends, and I was desperate for a new cream shadow love.

I ended up buying two of the Butter London Glazen Eye Glosses, which were half off during 21 Days of Beauty but normally retail for $24 each. I decided to buy the blue-brown duochrome Lyn had swatched, Oil Slick, and Unicorn, a newer shade comprised of pastel glitter in a clear base. The pots look tiny to me, but they actually contain 5.5g of product, which is pretty standard. For comparison, a MAC Paint Pot contains 5g of product and a Maybelline Color Tattoo contains a little less than 4g.

The pots are hard plastic. Inside, you'll find a little plastic cover with a tab that covers the shadow; you'll want to hold on to these covers to keep the air out. In fact, you'll want to keep the covers and screw your lids on tightly, since cream eyeshadows dry out quickly in general and I'm told these shrivel up super fast.

I did try to do old fashioned hand swatches of these cream shadows. Unfortunately, while they looked great on Snapchat and Instagram Stories, I couldn't seem to capture a decent still photo. Oil Slick looked flat and Unicorn disappeared completely. What gives?

Well, these aren't really eye glosses, insofar as they don't stay wet on your eyes and give them that "glazed" look. They're actually super sparkly cream shadows; up close and in some photos, you'll see straight up glitter. But the shimmer is refined enough that, from a distance, these actually look glossy.

Since they wouldn't swatch on my hand, let me show you some full face photos to give you a better understanding of what I mean.

On the left, we have two layers of Oil Slick. On the right, we have one layer of Unicorn on top of the Rouge Bunny Rouge eyeshadow in Unforgettable Oriole. (I always use Too Faced Shadow Insurance as well, since my eyelids can get very oily.) In both cases, I used the tiniest amount of product possible and blended it with my fingers. And in both cases, I think the Butter London product is the standout. Look at that shine! Look at that GLITTER! They're even prettier in real life.

Here's an obligatory blurry shot to better demonstrate the glitter in Unicorn:

There are other benefits to this formula beyond the sheer sparkly goodness. It has a very thin, gel-like texture that's weightless on the eyes. The Butter London Glazen Eye Glosses also dry down almost immediately, which means you'll have to work fast, but the upside is that they don't really crease and there's next to no fallout. Unicorn did drop a couple of specks on my face throughout the day, but when it comes to glitter, "a couple of specks" is nothing.

So do the Butter London Glazen Eye Glosses replace the Josie Maran liquid eyeshadows? Technically, no. The Josie Maran product is very metallic, whereas these are very sparkly. But are they absolutely beautiful and highly recommended? Uh, yes! Dummy proof, long lasting, absolutely gorgeous glittery cream shadows? I am ready.

RATING: 5 out of 5

The Butter London Glazen Eye Glosses are available at Ulta.

Porn: Favorites and New Stuff

Still using my sister's not-so-fantastic point and shoot camera until I can save up for one of my own or get the SD card slot in my computer working...and since I'm saving up for bus tickets for my SO's visit, that's going to take second fiddle for a while. Sorry, guys. :(

First, some new stuff! Not pictured are some non-beauty-clothing-thingies: chai latte K cups for the Keurig coffee maker (they're like crack, no lie,) and a nice wall shelf my mom got for $7. I'm going to use it to hold my beloved cameras. :)

I found a surprising amount of clearance clothing at a Gabriel Brothers sidewalk sale. The Bass sandles and the summer dress were $7 each, the jeans were $3, and the swimsuit bottoms were $1 each. Beyond shoes, you can't try anything on at a sidewalk sale--you purchase your items and have to take them to the car immediately afterwards--but luckily, I'm a pretty good judge of what fits me. :)

I've also been avoiding new makeup purchases, because again, I'm trying to sell some of my less-used items and buy bus passes for when my SO flies in to visit. But I was spending the day with my mother, and when we stopped at Ulta to look...well, I had a 20% off coupon. I grabbed the Lorac Baked Matte Satin blush in Exposed and the Essence gel liner in London Baby. I've tried an Essence gel liner before, one of the LE "denim" ones, and was very unimpressed with the formula. But I wanted to try London Baby because of the hype, swatches, and my understanding that I'd bought my previous pot on clearance. Sure enough, this pot was much creamier and lasted pretty darn well on a humid, 95-degree summer day and through a fit of tears (long story). I haven't tested the Lorac blush yet, but it seems to look gorgeous on just about everyone!

It's not pictured, but as far as skincare purchases go: I got a backup tube of my beloved Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream for $6 at TJ Maxx and 2 backups of my HG night cream, Avon Nurtura, during their recent BOGO sale.

And of course...Marilyn! My brother bought this for me at a sign shop in Myrtle Beach. It's obviously not a real vintage sign, just a copy, but it's the thought that counts. And what a great thought: anyone who knows me know I plan to have a woman cave with makeup advertisements and pictures of people putting on their face all over the walls. My parents actually bought me this beautiful poster last year as a Christmas gift, and I cannot wait to find a job, get my own place, and hang it up in a nice frame. :)

And now for some favorites! I've been really lazy about painting my nails for the past few months, but this mini Essie polish ($2) in Coat Azure has been my go-to for when I actually do put on some polish. I've fallen back in love with the Elizabeth Arden Color Intrigue lipstick ($19.50) in Poppy Cream, an underrated red that is just perfect for a Marilyn Monroe look. I've also been digging the Revlon Just Bitten balm stains ($8), shown here in Charm and Sweetheart; I know that the formula doesn't agree with everyone, but I've had no problem with them changing colors on my lips and just adore how long they last without drying my skin out. My current favorite gloss is Butter London Lippy ($17) in Trout Pout, a beautiful bright coral pink that looks great on top of lipsticks or on its own. The ELF Essential liquid eyeliner ($1) in Ash is a surprisingly great find that I've really loved for simple, understated looks, as my usual black liner can be a bit harsh. Finally, I've only owned the Kevyn Aucoin Celestial powder ($42) in Candlelight for a few weeks, but I'm already obsessed with it and the incredible, lit-from-within glow it gives.

And I almost forgot to add...MOAR KITTEH!!!