OPI Catch Me in Your Net, $9

OPI's Catch Me in Your Net is part of their Summer Flutter collection. I think it appeals to all those girls out there who dream of being mermaids. I mean, who doesn't? You get to swim around all day, look awesome, toy with fishermen, chill with dolphins, whatevs. Of course, you're going to need a glittery, sparkly blue-green nail polish to match your tail, right?

From the minute I saw this color, I knew I had to have it. When I put it on my nail, I literally said, "OMG." It's so full of sparkles! And the aqua color is just perfect. This picture makes it look a lot lighter than the bottle, but it's actually a pretty close match. This is just 2 coats, no base or top coat, so maybe it would look darker with another coat. (It also looks different in different lighting, as a lot of OPIs do. The above shot is in the shade.)

(Here's a shot in direct sunlight.)
I think it goes well with my tokidoki calendar and my octopus ring. :) I can see myself putting this on in the middle of January, just to remember what the beach is like. Here you can see its more greener tones.

Love it with my mom's treasure chest necklace!
Photo inspired my Mirna! :)

Final verdict
Cost: $9 full-price (cheaper elsewhere).
Color: Beautiful! The perfect shade of aqua. Be warned: It might make you yearn for ocean waves . . .
Texture: Like all OPIs, this one is smooth and easy to put on. There is a ton of color in just one brush stroke, so you only really need two coats.
Sparkles: The intense amount of gold and green sparkles really give the aqua a lot of depth.
Repeat offender: If you can't tell, I'm in love. I highly recommend it.

-T

bareMinerals Eyecolor, $13

I just bought the Heroes Super Color Collection from Bare Escentuals. Since there's so much to review in the collection, I thought I'd give each product their own separate entry. The set includes a Buxom gloss, which is awesome (check out Mirna's review here).

Today I'll review their bareMinerals eyecolor (loose eyeshadow) in Fearless and Freedom.

(Fearless and Freedom)

Fearless is a super dark forest green/gray/black with multicolored shimmer. Oh my, is it gorgeous! I was surprised at how pretty it really is, in that dark and dangerous kind of way. The picture on the website really doesn't do it justice.

The shadow is intense and highly pigmented. It is crazy dramatic as a shadow. It could be used as a liner, to add some depth to your crease, or blended with other colors.

Freedom is a sweet light blue with a hint of green (less green when applied, see photo below), decorated with tiny silver shimmers. It reminds me of a really clear summer day, when the sun bleaches out the sky.

The color is also really pigmented but is much more subtle. It would look really nice with blue or brown eyes, and coordinates nicely with Fearless.

(click on pic to enlarge)The versatility of these eyeshadows really impressed me. The top line is Freedom, shown (left to right) over Urban Decay primer, dry, and applied with a wet brush. The bottom line is Fearless, shown (left to right) over Urban Decay primer, dry, and applied with a wet brush. As you can see, these shadows can have quite different looks! With primer the colors are bright and clear. Worn dry they are more subtle and easily blended, for a nice day look. When applied with a wet brush they become intense and really shimmery. I love having options!

Final verdict
Cost: $13 each. Right now these particular colors are only available in the Heroes collection for a limited time. ($40 for a lot of awesome products, get it while you can!) I found Fearless on Amazon, so as always check there, too (and eBay).
Color: These colors are amazing! They have so much life and depth, and are unlike any other eyeshadows I have. I personally prefer Fearless because of the richness and drama, but Freedom is sweet and pretty as well.
Versatility: The colors look different whether they're worn dry, over primer, or applied wet. You can create a lot of distinct looks with just one color.
Repeat offender: Totally! I would definitely buy their eyeshadow again, as well as other products. Stay tuned for reviews of the other products in this collection.

Hey! Did you enter our giveaway? Remember, it ends Friday at 11:59pm!

-T

L'Oreal HiP Studio Secrets Shocking Shadow Pigments, $9-$12

Well, I tried High Intensity Pigment's cream eyeliner a little while ago and didn't have that much luck with it. In the same trip to CVS I grabbed one their Shocking Shadow Pigments in Exciting.

I'm not sure why but I was under the impression that HiP's colors were generally matte. When I picked this up though, all I could see was the beautiful purple-pink-white iridescence. And if you know me, you know I can't resist anything that sparkles.

The color is predominantly white with a pink iridescent shimmer.

The eyeshadow is a loose powder in a tiny little 0.05oz. jar, which can get a little messy if you're not careful with it. Make sure it's closed all the way but don't close it too tight (stripping the inside)--I've learned from past (dumb) experiences! But, this closes pretty securely, so I'm not really worried about it leaking.

One thing that made me okay with paying $11 for eyeshadow is the free brush. It's a pretty good size (especially for the small container) and is soft. It grabs the powder well and makes it easy to apply.

As you can see, the color shows up really well. It would work great for any part of the eye (lid, eyebrows, corner) and as a highlighter. It blends well and seems really subtle at first, but then sparkles when you turn.







Final verdict
Cost: $9-$12, depending on where you get it. (Look for it and other colors on Amazon for around $9).
Color: Wow, the color is incredible! Dynamic, iridescent, and subtly dramatic (what a great oxymoron). If all the colors have this much life, I'll buy 5 more.
Easy to use: The brush it comes with is a great size--much bigger, softer, and more useful than most free eyeshadow brushes. The powder goes on easily and blends and builds well.
Repeat offender: I'd definitely buy this again! I want to go out and try other colors, too. HiP, you disappointed me with the cream eyeliner, but this totally makes up for it.

-T

What I'm Wearing - 4/23/10

Hey lovelies! I tried a new eye makeup technique over the weekend and wanted to show you. (Click on any picture here to make it larger.)

I'm wearing:
-Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Original (top and bottom)
-Urban Decay Deluxe Eyeshadow in Freakshow (we've mentioned Urban eyeshadows a few times here--these are their super vibrant ones)
-Almay Liquid Liner in Black (not yet reviewed)--top lid
-Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero (mentioned here)--inner rim
-Clinique Lash Power Mascara Long-Wearing Formula in Black Onyx
-Nars Orgasm blush

Love the eyeshadow--dark and sultry, but super vibrant and purple. Tip: For some reason, you MUST use the primer potion with this shade. I wore it once without it and it just didn't work. In the container it looks almost black, but actually has a lot of color. The website describes it as having a "red sheen"--I don't really see what they mean, but I guess it is a more red shade of purple than a blue shade.

Using the angled brush from the EcoTools Bamboo set, I smudged some eyeshadow on the outer edge of my lower lash line and connected it with the eyeshadow on top. I kept my eyeliner super thin.

I really liked the effect--super dark on top but not too dramatic on bottom, which stopped it from being too over top. My eyes still looked awake, so it worked for daytime.

Have a great weekend!

-T

Sweet Stuff

Hey guys we have some cool newz! We created a Facebook fan page for everyone who can't get enough of the blog already--or we hope...lol. Check out the Sweet Glow Beauty Page on Facebook!

(Click here and it will take you to the page!)
On our Facebook fan page we are planning on having discussions, links to some cool makeup products we find, promotion codes, and we really want to get to know our readers better! For anyone who is comment shy on the blog, the Facebook page might be a better place for you guys to tell us about some products you have tried or things you want us to try. We keep hearing our friends tell us about product they have bought that we reviewed in the past or products their friends have bought since we gave them positive reviews, so we want to know your experiences (and, yes, we are enablers).

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Another somethin new: Sometimes it is hard to take a photo of us wearing the makeup we are reviewing that day. Trust me, taking pictures of your eyelids can be really hard. So every once in a while when we are having a particularly good makeup day with some products we have previously reviewed, we are going to post some pictures. For example:


Products I'm wearing: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, Tarte eyeshadow (not from this palette), MAC Penultimate Eye Liner, Benefit A Litte Bit BADgal Lash Mascara, and you can hardly see it here but I have Nars Deep Throat Blush on as well.


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And because you read this whoooole thing, here is a really sweet deal that you probably shouldn't pass up! Ulta.com is offering 40% Revlon, Almay, Maybelline, and Ulta cosmetics here! You also get 3 free samples with all orders and not to mention $3.50 off any purchase of $10 or more by using the code: 40140. Yeah here we go again, enabling.

-M & T