The Great Liner Debate

As I alluded to in my previous post, I am currently furthering my (makeup) education at a specialized makeup school in Southern California. Which, might I add, is a perk for you also because you'll be receiving more information and helpful tips related to one of our favorite past-times - makeup!

Today's class concentrated on eyeliner; focusing on (material) options, technique, tools, and trends! After practicing applying with varying combinations of the aforementioned, it seemed that the material favorite was "cake" eyeliner. My personal favorite, however, is still pencil eyeliner. I love that pencil liner can be applied in a thin and natural or bold and dramatic style, a clean or smudged line, and can create a nice outcome even for the shaky-handed.

My absolute favorite pencil, you ask?

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eyeliner

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I am particularly fond of this pencil's creamy texture that can be easily sharpened to create a slimmer line or applied messily and smudged. The 24/7 Glide-on Eyeliners do just that - glide-on, and once applied they stay put! After lining the product is smudge-able for about 30 seconds and then sets in place, where it will stay until you remove it. Not only is this liner available in hot hues like Lust (dark purple), Flipside (bright teal), and Deviant (the perfect royal blue), it can also be purchased in Zero (classic jet black) and several shades from the brown family.

Product information direct from Urban Decay:

The best Eye Pencil ever, ever, ever! Never before has a pencil this creamy and brilliant been waterproof, too. Velvety-soft, this never-before-seen formula stays soft and creamy for blending (about 30 seconds), then dries down to a long-lasting finish that WILL NOT budge. Line eyes with a hint of color or go for the full artistic, multi-hued effect with the wide selection of lush tropical hues, deep metallics and unusually vibrant neutrals. Incredible with Urban Decay Eyeshadows!

Created with 50% moisturizing ingredients suspended in a sophisticated waterproof formula, 24/7 Eye Pencils offer long-lasting color and a dreamy, creamy feel when applied. With Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E and Cottonseed Oil.

Tips: 24/7 Eye Pencils are ideal for lining inner lids because the waterproof formula stays put. Just apply, try not to blink for a sec, and you’ve got immovable liner.

*The product information above has not been altered or edited in any way. Do not share eye products with others without first sanitizing appropriately between each use.

When it comes to liner, do you prefer gel, liquid, cake, pencil or another option? Which eyeliner product is your favorite?

Goodnight, Gorgeous! Time to rest those pretty peepers!

xoxox

Urban Decay Primer Potion in a Squeeze Tube!

If you hadn't yet heard about Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion packaging swap, I'm here to deliver the news. The Original Eyeshadow Primer Potion, a truly useful staple for maintaining the desired creaseless shadow effect, has long been housed in a bottle which must have been designed more for visual appeal and less for functionality. As consumers expressed opinions regarding the inability to utilize the product in its entirety due to the bottle shape, UD tweaked the design a couple of times, ultimately resulting in the squeeze tube seen below. The days of beauty die-hards across the globe dauntingly disassembling their Primer Potions via cutting, melting or otherwise McGuyvering said product, are now a thing of the past:

Eyeshadow Primer Potion Professional Size $29.00

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Seems like Urban Decay has finally gotten the Potion just right!

xoxox

Urban Decay at Hautelook 8/25 at 8:00AM PT

Sign on to Hautelook tomorrow and catch Urban Decay items at up to 75% off! The sale begins at 8:00AM PT!

Deluxe Eyeshadow - Adore $4.50

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Afterglow Blush - Fetish $4.25

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Original Primer Potion $4.50

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xoxox

::Newsflash:: Giveaway on Urban Decay's FB!

Want to participate in the Hautelook/Urban Decay giveaway? Click here for details!

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Goodluck!

Become a Follower of The Gorgeous Gal Glam Society and take advantage of Members-Only perks, including contests and giveaways right here at your Society! The Society is the go-to source for product reviews, promo codes, sales alerts, new product announcements and brand information for popular makeup brands and retailers! Become a Follower - I promise you'll love it, Gorgeous!

xoxox

Update: Urban Decay Naked Palette

The high demand of Urban Decay's Naked Palette is only somewhat surprising considering the twelve gorgeous neutrals accompanied by a duo liner and the brand's popular Primer Potion. Still though, it can be somewhat aggravating trying to hunt the palette down. If you've been struggling to get your hands on the coveted Naked Palette while it goes in and out of stock online and in stores, I've got pleasant info for you! The Naked Palette is not limited edition and the brand is working on sending shipments to retailers so that everyone will have a chance at getting Naked.

Urban Decay Naked Palette $44.00

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Ulta.com is currently sold out, as is Urban Decay's own site. Purchase now from Sephora.com while the palette is still stocked, or wait just a bit for your favorite retailers to have them on-hand once again.

xoxox

::NEWS FLASH!:: URBAN DECAY BOOK of SHADOWS VOLIII

If you are an Urban Decay lover, like myself, you will most likely be as excited about this announcement as I was; Urban Decay is releasing Book of Shadows Vol. III soon and photos are available!

Urban Decay Book of Shadows Vol. III $54.00

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The product is expected to launch on Urban Decay's website in early September and will be available to purchase from other retailers beginning October 1. Mark your calendars - this NYC themed palette is bound to sell out at record speeds! The product will be also available at Ulta, Sephora, Macy's (with Sephora) AND even more exciting:

For those who live in New York or plan on visiting in late August, you have a SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY to get your mitts on this palette! Sephora at Times Square will have 1000 palettes to sell on a first come, first served basis on August 28, 2010. The store will limit your purchase to three - how about including one of those for me?! :)

xoxox

2010's Version of Matchy-Matchy

As we've all noticed by this point in the year, 2010's fashion is undoubtedly influenced by all that is ironic - mixing patterns & textures, pairing several shades from the same color family to create a not-quite monochromatic ensemble, wearing rompers & cutesy sockies past the six year old mark, and etcetera. Matching? Well, the shoes to your shirt or eyeshadow to your shirt modus operandi, yeah that's no longer a stipulation. A nice way to keep with the matchy-matchy? See possibilities in the NARS collection available at Sephora, below.

NARS Lip & Blush Collection (Glosses $24.00 & Blushes $26.00)

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* The shades above (left to right) are as follows: Angelika, Super *rgasm, Albatross, & Luster.

How matching gloss and blush will work for you:

Choose the pairing that best suits your current comfort zone. As with trying any trend or new-to-you style, the only way to make it work AND to make sure that you don't buy on a whim, but will actually use the products, is to be reasonable. If you are comfortable with a particular tone of blush, stick with a similar tone when you transfer over to the gloss & blush trend. If you generally favor peach cheeks, don't say, "Well, I think it's about time I try something new-I've never tried pink blush and I've never matched my lips to my cheeks before," and then pick up the pinkest gloss and blush shade team. If you do, you may find your new purchase hiding inside your makeup drawer untouched once you've walked out of the store. It seemed like a fun way to turn over a new leaf in the store, but remember all those "new leaf" clothing garments you bought to change your look? Yep, they're still hanging in your closet with the tags attached.

Wear your matching blush and gloss as a statement (apply gloss over a lipstick for a lasting pout) and keep your eye makeup simple for daytime (think liquid liner and mascara); for night, pack more of a punch with eye makeup but keep the colors dark neutrals a la Urban Decay's Naked Palette so as to complement the lip & cheek duo, not combat it.

xoxox

Urban Decay Naked Palette - Back In Stock at Sephora.com

::Newsflash::

Urban Decay's Naked Palette (Post: Everyone's getting Naked) is back in stock online at Sephora's website.

xoxox

Everyone's getting Naked!

You read correctly.

While summer has always been known as the most scantily clad of the seasons, this summer's trend is to drop the scantily AND skip the clad; naked is the new black. Two of our favorite ultra-trendy makeup brands have celebrated au naturale this summer by introducing Naked products. Full of super-wearable hues appropriate for any occasion, both palettes (shown below) have been the talk of the social media town! Are you getting Naked this summer?

Urban Decay Naked Palette $44.00

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*The Urban Decay Naked Palette not only offers 12 shades of perfectly pigmented shadows for base, crease, smoky and natural eye effects, the product also includes a double-ended 24/7 Glide on Liner in Zero (black) and Whiskey (a newly concocted dark brown). At only $44.00 for 12 colors, your lids can get in the buck without spending all yours!

**Society Gal Annette purchased her Naked Palette from Sephora but you can also purchase the hot commodity from Ulta - the palettes are already sold out on Sephora's site and at the Urban Decay site! (Don't let that get you down - it means more available reviews to read from other happy buyers on the brand sites!)

Too Faced Naked Eye Soft & Sexy Eyeshadow Collection $35.00

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xoxox

Urban Decay - $5 Sale!

Visit Urban Decay's website to take advantage of the $5 Deals that they are currently advertising! Do remember that sometimes you really do get what you pay for - bypass the loose pigments, unless you're in for the messiest shadow application experience of your life and use your $FIVER to opt FOR the Ultraglide Lip Glosses instead! Shop Urban Decay here!

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xoxox, Gorgeous!

Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows AVAILABLE

Did you miss out on your chance to purchase the Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows when it released the first week of February? I must say, I own the palette myself and I love it, but several of the shadows are renamed shadows that are available in the regular line.

Still want the Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows? How bad?

Urban Decay just announced one last opportunity to purchase the Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows via their website; the book is available as a collection called Alice's Favorite Things and will set you back $211.

Alice's Favorite Things $211

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Urban Decay designed this collection very wisely, including two top sellers: the Razor Sharp Ultra Definition Finishing Powder and the Big Fatty Mascara, along with two items that have newly been released: De-Slick in a Tube - Mattifying Gel and Eden Shadow Primer Potion (to let you try them and get hooked), and then a couple of neutral fillers to make the set that much more appealing. Great planning - will you be making this purchase?

Mascara Woes...

They say you never know what you've got 'til it's gone...

And although I don't necessarily think that they were referring to mascara, I find that it applies here too. My favorite mascara tube is nearly empty and it's time to repurchase! On a brighter note, I will be repurchasing, not continuing to search for that perfect match! I thought perhaps it would be helpful to tell you a bit about mascaras that I've tried. A little bit of love it or leave it input to aide you in your quest for your own perfect mascara match!


At #1 - BadGal Lash by Benefit



This Mascara Will Change Your World. It has the ultimate fluffy brush-luxe, right? Unlike other mascaras, it truly does add volume and length with just a small amount! For those of you who prefer a few coats (several if you are me), you will notice that this mascara does not clump the way most others do! The formula dries quickly, minimizing the chance of the mascara'd lash stamp on your upper lid AND I've found that it doesn't flake on my cheek!

I have fairly sensitive eyes that have been irritated by certain mascaras in the past (think a certain pink and green that's been around since the beginning of time) and this mascara doesn't bother my eyes at all.

Benefit, you've done well!

Image Source / Buy BadGal by Benefit for $19


Runner Up - Skyscraper Multi-Benefit Mascara by Urban Decay

My second favorite mascara at the moment, and one that I think works nicely but doesn't make my heart go pitter-patter at the same rate that the first did (le sigh), is Skyscraper by Urban Decay. The product description advises that the formula is meant to "lengthen, strengthen, separate, curl, brighten and thicken." While I cannot prove the mascara's ability to strengthen and brighten, I do believe that it accomplishes in creating longer looking, separated lashes. The wand is concise, but I can see this mascara being more useful for people of all lash lengths. The size of the wand allows for strategic placement sans undereye residue from a misguided swipe, so it will work great for shorter lashes as well.

Image Source / Buy Skyscraper by Urban Decay for $22

Amongst my leave-its are:

BareEcentuals Flawless Definition - the wand is very thin and I felt that it took too much time to achieve length and definition. The wand can support very little product at a time and application is more tedious than with other mascara options. If you are in no hurry at all (thus eliminating applications in the morning before work) this may work well for you. However, if you are looking for a mascara that you can swipe on and go, this won't be your cup of tea.

Maybelline XXL Pro - the primer works excellently, but the mascara itself does clump quite a bit so your lashes will require some declumping attention post application.

Maybelline Pulse Perfection - mascara works well enough and the vibrating wand does help slightly in preventing clumping. Unfortunately, I found that applying more than one coat is a difficult task because the mascara is quite clump-prone and adheres to itself.

Maybelline Full and Soft - an okay formula to get by with. This isn't going to take your lashes to the next level but it will suffice.

Rimmel Glam Eyes - an okay mascara with an awful wand. I will never repurchase this mascara because the wand is flimsy and literally bends against the container when you try to put it back into the tube. I cannot explain how many times I had mascara all over my hand because the wand bent when I tried to put it back in the container. Awful.

Overall, I would suggest Benefit's BadGal Lash to everyone. Go out and buy it now! Sometimes you can even score a sample of the formula as a gift with purchase from places like Belk, Ulta, etc.

Good luck, Gorgeous!

Marooned.

I've noticed, as of late, that maroon-esque shadow and liners hues seem to be of-the-moment. This surprised me slightly because maroon has definately been the under-dog, minus a shade from the family appearing in the Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows from Urban Decay earlier this year. I suppose for brown eyes, the color can actually have the effect of a fresh take on neutrals as it does seem a bit inpired by the chocolate and taupey neutrals we've grown accustomed to. Just as with the chocolate, the maroon liners and shadows can be paired with taupes, beiges, altogether light colors that aren't necessarily for a night look; alternatively, maroon shadow and liner can be dramaticized to create a smudgey or smouldering effect that will work quite nicely for night.

My suggestions: Try lining in 1999 by Urban Decay or, if going the maroon shadow route, opt for Gash, also by Urban Decay. I use Queen, from the Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows and pair it with nudes or beiges like Sellout, YDK, and Naked. A nice nude lip completes the look perfectly-day or night!

Also try: a smokeymaroon eye with black liquid liner with a slight cat-eye OR a smudgey maroon lined eye with thin black liquid cat-eye.

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Buh bye for now, Beauties.

xoxox