No7 Poppy King Collection

Poppy King is a lipstick legend.

Having started her own cosmetic company at the age of 18, Poppy's brand Lipstick Queen has created quite a cult for years.  In the United States, her products are hard to come by, mostly being stocked in Bloomingdale's Space N.K and Barneys stores.  With such high end marketing, you can imagine my delight when I heard she was working with UK brand No7 to design an affordable line of lipsticks featured in Target stores all over the United States.

The line was released just before Christmas but can still be found in many target stores now (my two local stores had products available).  I was able to pick up three of the seven lipstick colors available, and one gloss.  Please see swatches below:

Top: Glamour, Intrigue, Power, Allure

From Left: Glamour (Gloss), Intrigue, Power, Allure

From the squeal worth packaging to the texture and application of the lipsticks, Ms. Poppy King does not disappoint.  The colors are creaming and opaque with the feel of a high end product for $9.99 price tag.

I do want to point out one strange thing I noticed with the size, let's compare shall we?

No7 lipstick, 3.5 g / 0.12 oz             Mac lipstick, 3 g / 0.1 oz

No7 lipstick, 3.5 g / 0.12 oz             Mac lipstick, 3 g / 0.1 oz

Strangely enough, by weight alone, the No7 lipsticks are a smidgen heavier than your average MAC lippy.  Compare the packaging, and you have a clear case of "looks can be deceiving".  The No7 lipsticks seem to cut out all the "fluff" with their packaging, condensing the lipstick into a teeny tiny, and likely to get lost in my ginormous purses, package.  As much as I love minis, this is one product I wish was in a slightly larger packaging.

Silver lining?  This is the PERFECT size to slip into a clutch for your night on the town.. 

No7 Gloss, .2 oz                       MAC Dazzleglass, 0.06 oz

I am not normally one to compare size vs. price for products, but reviewing the amount of physical product  in the No7 Poppy Collection as compared to a similar product by MAC, it's impossible to ignore that Poppy is providing one heck of a deal!

Final Verdict: KEEPER!

- Opaque coverage

- Wearable Colors

- 4-5hours Average Wear time

- Great Value

If you could find them, I would highly suggest you pick them up before they're gone!

Product Fail: Eve Pearl Liquid Liner

Due to increasing brand competition and saturation in the market, today's cosmetic and beauty market offers a LOT of options.  Sephora offers 100+ brand names, and a trip to any department store will provide you the same number of options.  Not including drugstore and indie brand options, there is NO reason for a consumer to accept a product which does not fully satisfy their expectations. 

Enter today's product fail: Eve Pearl Black Pearl Liquid Liner

Eve Pearl describes this product as follows:

This long lasting liner has a uniquely tapered brush for a precise smudgeproof application. The highly pigmented formula offers all day wear with rich, luminous results.

I picked this product up during my first visit to the IMATS 2011 show in Los Angeles, California.  Lucky enough to meet Eve Pearl personally, I heard about her experience as a celebrity makeup artist and also received first hand information on some of her most popular products.  The Black Pearl liquid liner was created to fill a hole in the market, making black liner portable, rich and easy to apply.  

Convinced, I took this product home immediately (along with a handful of Eve Pearl's other popular products).  Unfortunately, my displeasure with this product started with my first use and has continued until today's ultimate product disposal; please see below.   

Every time I apply this product to my upper lash line it ends up as a watery mess IN MY EYE.

*Cue the EWWWs* 

To be clear, in the picture above, I have applied the product just as I would any liquid or pencil liner: above the lash line.  This is no photoshop trickery, I did not apply to either my upper or lower waterline, and this is a repeated result not just a "one-off" or fluke. 

I do feel it's important to disclose that I have watery eyes, 12 months a year; That said, I have NEVER had any other product produce this result: gel, pencil or liquid. 

Maybe the product is defective, maybe Black Pearl and I were just not meant to be.  I know that there are many other beauty bloggers in the industry who love and praise the Black Pearl liner; I, sadly, will not be one of them.

Can't win 'em all.  For me TOSS IT!



Product Review: Covergirl 24hour Mascara

Product on the chopping block: Covergirl LashBlast 24HOURMascara, Very Black

Those of you who read my recent "Product Rant" regarding mascara are probably one step ahead of where I was when I bought this item, "Jamie Lynn, you don't use waterproof mascara so WHY ON EARTH would you consider a 24HOUR formula?!" My friends, you'd be right.
   

Covergirl 24HOUR Mascara Right Eye - Eyes Open



Covergirl 24HOUR Mascara Right Eye - Eyes Closed

  



Covergirl 24HOUR Mascara Both - Eyes Open



Covergirl 24HOUR Mascara Both - Eye Closed



 The Verdict- Keeper or Toss Me?

TOSS ME! 

My distaste with this product is not unfounded, I will argue. While the formula is reminiscent of Covergirl LashBlast Volume (the original in the Orange Tube),the removal of said formula brought upon literal tears.

I do not use waterproof mascara because I strongly feel that rubbing the delicate eye region is something that should be avoided at all costs.  With the variety of makeup remover solutions, gels, creams and wipes out there, it just isn't necessary to rub back and forth with a cotton pad to remove a products. 

Apparently this was a memo never received by the creators of Lashblast 24HOUR formula.

Top Left: BioDerma Makeup Remover, MU Forever Senseyes Remover, MAC MU Wipes

It took me three, THREE, products to get this product off my lashes in it's entirety.  This makes it an immediate Toss Me! product in my book.  Check out how much products was left after using both the makeup wipes and soaking with Bioderma Remover for 30 seconds:

Now I'm a girl who can appreciate a product that sticks with you, but this one just sticks too much.  It is fair to consider my bias against a product like this, since I don't use waterproof mascaras, but in retrospect I wish I would have know that I was testing the kryptonite of mascaras I did it.

Final Verdict: TOSS ME! 

There is a distinct different between long wear and FOREVER wear. 
I like my makeup to come off at the end of the night, without having to rub my skin raw in the process.

Sorry, Covergirl, this one isn't a winner for me.