Product Review: Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner

Grüße!

It is product review time again! I know it has been a while since I have done this, but I have been super busy and relying on my old favorites in terms of makeup and various other beauty products. However, I have been trying out some gel eye liner.  To be specific, I have been using Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner. So, without further ado, let us get on with the product review!

So, you may be asking what is so great about a gel liner. Well, a gel liner is sort of that in between a pencil and a liquid in terms of texture and consistency. Some of the other gel eyeliners that I have used for costuming and various other projects have a slightly oily texture to them. Maybelline’s does not! In fact the formula is completely oil-free! This means that you do not have to worry about it falling or smudging for about 24 hours. Have I tried to wear it for 24 hours? Yes, for the purpose of this product review I did. I usually do not wear my makeup for 24 hours.  I always wash my makeup off before I go to bed since leaving it on for long periods of time can clog up your pores. I have found that gel liners go on smoother than liquid eye liners. Not that I have anything against liquid eye liners. I use those the most after all. However, for a gel eye liner this is the best I have found. It goes on very smooth and you do not have to fight with it like some of them.  Best of all? It comes with its own liner brush so you do not have to go out and buy your own if you do not have one. Also, it comes in 4 basic shades: Blackest Black, Brown, Charcoal, and Eggplant. On occasion you may also be able to find the older shades such as Sapphire and Forest. Here is what Blackest Black looks like after wearing it for about 24 hours.

 

Are there any bad things? Of course. There are always downsides to products. If you are not used to putting on liquid eye liner then you may have problems with the gel liners of any kind, not just the Mabelline. Also, when it says it stays on for 24 hours it means it. While it is great that it stays on well, it is not so great that it does not come off easily. On Mabelline's website it says that it comes off easily with their brand of makeup remover. However, I have had allergic reactions to their makeup removers and cannot use them. So, I end up having to scrub it off with the eye makeup remover that I can use. Not fun, but that is how it goes. Although it says that it can be used by people with sensitive eyes that wear contacts, if you wear it for more than about 5 hours it starts to make your eye water. At least it does for me. I have to go and touch it up to make sure that none is about to fall into my eyes or get close to my eyes period. My last problem is the brush that it comes with. I have more problems with that brush that I just gave up and started using that brush as my eye brow brush. I prefer to use a slanted eye liner brush. They work much better than the one that Mabelline provides.

Is it a good product? I would say so. It works well for what it is and it also helps if you are trying to learn how to put on liquid eye liner. It works as an in between step. Also, it stays on well and does not clump like a lot of the ones that I have tried before. It comes in the basic colours that everyone needs, but if you are looking for other shades you may have difficulty finding them. Overall, it is a great product. I would recommend it to anyone that wants to use gel eye liner. There is also enough in the pot so that it lasts a long time and you do not have to go out and buy new all the time.

 

Hope you found this helpful! Until next time!

Some Questions To Answer! A.K.A. Why My Spelling and Phrases are "Weird" to Some of You

Hello everyone!

So, I have had several people ask me about my spelling. My favorite time has been when I had a person come up to me at college and tell me that I was spelling things wrong or that I was calling things by the wrong name. All I have to say is, oh silly American English. So, today I am taking a break from my usual posting to clear up some terms and spellings that people keep telling me are incorrect.

First things first. Where was I born? Not in the Commonwealth! Amazingly I was born in the middle of the United States to my wonderful Mother and Father that are of

Oto-Missouria/Dutch/Prussian/Scottish/English decent. So, how do I end up sounding like I’m British rather than American? Well, it comes from learning my English from people that use Oxford English. *sigh* For the longest time my teaches and professors thought I grew up overseas. Oh well. That’s life.

Next: the questions that I get the most. “What is up with you adding a u to various words?” and “why do you keep spelling the word color wrong?” I am not spelling colour wrong. To me you all are spelling colour wrong. I spell it the same way that I have always spelled it. The same thing goes with flavor, labour, honour, and neighbour. Also, I sometimes people think that I spell words like centre, litre, and theatre wrong. No, that’s how the English spell the words center, liter, and theater. Sometimes I spell things like practise instead of practice or connnexion rather than connection. Most of the time I spell things like catalog this way: catalogue. That’s just one of my quirks. I’m not spelling it wrong. I’m spelling it right…in the Commonwealth.

Also, some of the phrases that I use in my everyday life are more British than they are American. For example, I often ask people if they would fancy a cuppa. Most of the time I end up with people looking at me strangely. Of course growing up in Oklahoma asking someone if they want a cupppa tea isn’t that far of a stretch and people there just look at me like I’m abbreviating the sentence and then finish it with what they want. When being asked if you fancy a cuppa, what a person is asking is if you want a cup of hot tea. Speaking of tea, when being asked how one takes their tea or coffee what you are being asked is do you want cream, milk, sugar, or nothing in it and not what kind of cup you want it in. In a lot of places outside of the States it isn’t uncommon for people to put milk or cream in their tea. I do this all the time. For a long time my boyfriend thought I was drinking coffee until he notice the tea bag in my empty cup. For those who would like a new type of tea to try I would recommend PG Tips. It’s delicious. I enjoy it quite a bit. I always have a box at work and at home so that when I feel the need for a cuppa I have it available. I also use my mobile not my cell phone. For the ladies, and this relates back to one of my previous fashion posts, I wear tights regardless of if they are called pantyhose. It weirded my boyfriend out when I started talking about ice lollies. Those are popsicles for those who don’t know.

I could go on and on, but alas, I have so many things to get done today that I must cut my post shorter than what I would like. I will try to start posting little random tidbits at the end of my post though or explain things that may be unfamiliar to those who were not raised by Europeans.

Until the next time!

Fashion Trend: Brightly Coloured and Patterned Tights!

Hello my lovelies!

Today I will be posting about a fashion trend that has come and gone and seems to be back once again: brightly coloured and patterned tights. Now, some people think that brightly coloured or patterned tights are only for children. Not so! In fact what better way to add a bit of colour to a basic neutral coloured outfit? Today to work I wore a black skirt with a white shirt and black weskit. A good way to add some colour is to either wear colourful shoes, or to wear colourful tights. My tights today are blue. Police box blue to be exact. It gives my outfit a bit of colour without being completely over the top.

Police Box Blue tights

So, what is so great about tights in general? They are on your legs. Why does it matter what you wear when you are wearing a skirt or dress? Why not just wear socks under your shoes? Good questions. Why does it matter? Well, for one thing it helps prevent those painful blisters one gets from wearing flats and heels. Most of the time blisters form when the skin rubs against a material that is not very giving in terms of how something slides against it. Leather and leather substitutes are the worst at this. However, if you wear tights with your shoes it gives a slick layer for the shoe to slide against and not your skin directly. This means the chance of getting a blister is reduced! Also, if you wear socks with your strappy heels it looks stupid. Do not wear socks with your strappy heels!

On to the coloured and patterned tights then. Why are coloured tights so popular? Well, you know those lovely candy coloured jeans and leggings that you think are super cute and you want to wear them every chance you get? Yeah, those do not look so good when you are wearing a dress or a skirt that hits at or just below the knee. It looks dreadful in fact. Do not do that either. Instead, they have candy coloured and patterned tights. You can find all sorts of them at Joy of Socks. I will link that at the bottom of the post so you can look around. Also, you can find them at Old Navy. Coloured tights help add a splash of colour and keep you warm as well. I know some people insist on being old fashioned and do not want their legs to look blue or green, but there are some tights that have patterns on them. I have some black tights that have lace print on them that is not overly noticeable. It can add a bit of something fun to an outfit that would otherwise be a single solid colour without any print whatsoever. You can also start out small. I have some tights that are flesh coloured with a little bit of gold glitter threads woven through them. They are pretty fun and go well with everything.

So, what do I think of this fashion trend? I think it is cute! I work at a jewellery store and that requires me to wear a dress or skirts to work. What better way to spice up a plain outfit than with colourful tights. Granted, some work places may not like it, but our jeweller does not particularly care as long as we get our work done. It can add colour without being overbearing or as bright and obnoxious as you want. I have all different colours of tights that I wear to work, to dance classes, to church, and sometimes when it is really cold in the house and I do not feel like lighting the pilot light for one random cold day. Just keep in mind that not every dress or skirt that you wear tights with can go with brightly coloured or patterned tights. If you are wearing a bright floral skirt you probably should not wear bright tights. That would just be too much colour. A good rule of thumb to follow for this trend is that if you are wearing a solid, neutral colour then go for it! As long as it does not clash with the other colours you are wearing. Do not wear a plain red dress with pink tights. That would look like a five year old dressed you. A red dress with charcoal lace tights would be okay. As long as you follow basic fashion rules then you should be okay with this trend.

Hope this is insightful for you all! Here are the links to some of my favorite places to purchase tights online! Enjoy and stay lovely everyone!

The Joy of Socks
Old Navy Socks and Tights
Silkies