Product Reviews: Tarte & Avon

Thought I would review some of the stuff that I had received earlier this week :-)

Cynthia Rowley for Avon Lip Gloss
This is described as a "sheer super-shaping, gleaming, glossy color with SPF 15. Maxi-moisturizing formula with vitamins A, C and E and jojoba oil for the smoothest definition and lip-magnifying shine." I'm happy to say that the lipgloss does live up to that description. It goes on smoothly and gives a nice glossy, moisturising finish that lasted quite well. I got this in Plum Orchid and Very Violet. I used them over the Plum Orchid Lipstick. Very Violet lipgloss turned the lipstick a lighter shade of pinky violet while Plum Orchid intensified the original plummy mauvce color with added shine. And the wonderful thing is that these are only $4.50! These are definitely worth the price and more!

Cynthia Rowley for Avon Lipstick
I got only one of these in Plum Orchid. On the website, it's described as "sheer creamy color. Moisturizing formula with vitamin E." It does go on quite creamy and can be easily layered for greater intensity or sheered out with your finger for a light berry tint that looks like you've been eating raspberries. It comes in a short fat tube that's sturdy enough to just throw in your bag and go. And again, it's super affordable at only US$4.50! These go fantastically well with the lipglosses so I would recommend snapping up both if you can.

Cynthia Rowley for Avon Eyeshadow Quad
I also got this is Plum Orchid. I got this mostly because of the cute packaging. For only US$8, I was not expecting much of the eyeshadows but these actually turned out to be quite decent with medium color payoff. It does have to be layered a few times for the level of intensity that I like. The shade are flattering and easy to blend.


Tarte Natural Beauty Cheek Stain
On the Sephora website, the Natural Beauty Cheek Stain picture shows a domed top like Tarte's other cheek stains but the one I received had a flat top without the usual accompanying plastic cap. The great thing about this cheek stain is that it is preservative-free and does not contain parabens (Tarte's regular cheek stains usually contain propylparaben) but then it also only has a shelf-life of 6 months marked on the packaging. In terms of the color, Natural Beauty is the most similar to Flush, the very first cheek stain that Tarte launched. On me, it's a sheer cherry red that looks quite natural as long as you use a light hand.


Tarte We Wish Happiness Mini Cheekstain Set
I really adore this! It's my favourite out of all the mini cheekstain sets that I've purchased. All the shades are easy to wear with great color payoff and no gritty bits. Enchanted is the lightest shade but still shows up as a lovely pink tint. Merry is a brighter rose tint. The little purple case is also super adorable.

Some other products that I'm using regularly now:
Laura Mercier Kohl Eye Pencil
I got this in Black Turquoise and Black Gold (from the fally 2007 Stormy collection) back in New York in August. These were US$19 each and I have to say they're worth every cent and more. Before getting these, I was actually not a regular user of eye pencils as I find them too time-consuming and it was difficult to find one with just the right texture that was not too hard and not too easily smudged. The Laura Mercier Kohl Eye Pencils strike just the right balance. They are soft enough to be applied easily without any fuss, a dream to blend and they last well without creasing. I've been using these virtually daily. I love the Black Gold as a liner along the lower lashline and also at the inner corners of the upper eyelids for added sparkle and complexity. Black Turquoise goes well with blue or green eyeshadow shades. I've been using these daily for more than 3 weeks and still haven't had to sharpen these once so I think they will probably last a really long time!

Jill Stuart Powder Foundation
This is not holy grail material for me but It's not bad too. The color match is good (I wear #101 Linen) and it is quite easy to apply and blend to a natural finish. But if you have any dry or flakey patches of skin, this foundation will accentuate them. It lasts quite well over several hours of wear but I need to blot several times as my skin gets very oily. Overall, I still prefer Revue's powder foundations (e.g. Essence In and Still Keep) as they give me a more flawless finish with better coverage of skin redness, pores and acne scars.