Bad, Better, Best

The search for a usable, inexpensive and pretty color brown eye pencil continues... it's just one of those things that since I noticed I'm lacking, I just couldn't live without.

My first attempt was very bad, it was WNW double sided automatic pencil, which was not pigmented, flakey, and creased a lot, then broke after I used it twice.
Price: $4

Second attempt was much better, a light golden brown that came as a part of a 5 pencils set from e.l.f. They are all quite shimmery, and could be a little more pigmented, but overall, it's pretty great. The shimmer doesn't show so much on my eyes, and the result is pretty casual, perfect for day time make up.
My main problem with it, is that I don't like eye pencils that needs to be sharpen, I always manage to drop them, and then unable to sharpen them without breaking the tip. I do like it that each pencil comes with a sharpener on the cap.

Price: $5 for the set (I got it for $2.5 because of e.l.f spring sale)

I could totally stick to the e.l.f pencil, but a walk through CVS and a very pretty display of Physician's Formula got me to by a set of 3 automatic pencils for brown eyes. BINGO! those are everything I wanted them to be! soft and opaque, easy to apply without mess. The black is very nice, the purple is OK but not pigmented enough, but the brown is absolutely amazing. Dark rich color, and stay on all day.
It's a little strange, since the company market those under "shimmer stripe" but on me, they all look matte.

I liked those so much I already got a second set. Now I want ll of them.

I wish they sold them separately, because each set has one black pencil and I don't need so many blacks, but considering that 3 pencils costs a little over half of one pencil from Urban Decay, maybe it's not the end of the world.

Special Delivery!

When I made the rules for my shopping diet I decided that I could get Julep Maven box if it's really spectacular, and it pretty much was. I love bright colors, and I picked the one I liked and was all happy about it. A couple of hours later I realized that each month I get any combo that has a teal or blue and some type of orange in it and that I have a bunch of teals and oranges I haven't even opened yet.

I canceled it, and then Coastal Scents relaunched their mystery box and I decided that since I didn't get Maven Box, I can get this one instead.

I ordered it about a week ago, and then got sick and the box got here today, just as I was trying to feel a little better, to cheer me up in my miserable snotty condition. 

And how can one's not be cheered up by getting anything in the mail that comes in a bright magenta box?!

In the box was... a smaller box, also pink, a bumper sticker and a cute little mini eyeshadow samplers, with 4 mini shadows is New Penny (bronze) Vanilla Sky (cream) Aurora (orange) and Deep Forest (dark matte brown). 

So what was inside the mystery box?!

Nice looking tissue paper 

A really nice collection of brushes

A flat shadow brush, a small pencil brush (I'm especially excited about this one), a slanted brow\liner brash, a large powder brush, very soft and lovely, a sponge applicator (I don't like those at all, and probably will not use it) and a hash comb \ brow brush.

I'm sure the 1st 4 will be used quite a bit. So as far as I'm concern - big success. 

Coastal Scents makeup remover. I've used it in the past, it's nothing fancy or extra special, but it does a decent job at removing makeup (both face and eyes) It's not the best cleanser I've ever used, but still, totally usable.

Bronzer in "Dark", I've never used bronzer before. I think I belong to the school of beauty that think that the paler the better. Plus, with my long face, shading is not something I can work to my advantage. I'm not sure what I'll do with this. The color is quite pretty, so for me this might just be the world's largest eyeshadow. 

4 Coastal Scents Hot Pots in Powder pink (which looks more white to me), Aqua (beautiful matte light teal), Petal Peach (pretty neat, but not really my kind of color) and Sterling (a nice dark silver). Non of those are colors I would choose for myself, but I really like the pink and the aqua and sure the silver will come in handy. 

2 loose eyeshadow, a little sample of am amazing dark metallic purple and a full size doe tail, I couldn't find this color of their site, which I think means it's either discontinued or had a change of name. at any rate, it's a pretty intense shimmery dusty golden rose which is perfect.  

Lip pencil in mauve, not my favorite color, but since it's not extremely pigmented, I think I can use it under any pink lipstick, which is great.

Double ended shadow pencil in Peach De Jour, which surprisingly enough, isn't peachy at all, but what looks like bronze on one side and white on the other. This might just be just what the DR. order to recover from the WNW double shadow pencil disappointment...

I know that Coastal Scents is not exactly top shelf, but overall, I like their products. The purpose of this buy was to get myself a nice fun surprise and as far as that goes, I'm very happy with all the fun stuff I got. I'm especially excited about the pencil brush, the little brown and bronze shadows, the full size aqua and the loose Doe Tail shadow. If the double edge pencil turns out good, it might be the best part about this buy.

The boxes are out of stock (again) but if and when they come back, I'm totally getting another one.