Revlon Photoready Eye Art

Once in awhile comes along a makeup product that is so laughably awful that one wonders how did it make it past any form of quality testing. Suckered in by the 40% off discount at Ulta and these ad visuals featuring Olivia Wilde, I picked up two Revlon PhotoReady Eye Art Lid + Line + Lash in 020 Lilac Luster and 060 Peach Prism. These retail usually at US$9.99 each.


The concept is simple enough - a pigmented cream eyeshadow on one end with a slightly flattened sponge applicator and a super sparkly (read: chock-full of glitter) shade on the other end with a slim tapered applicator that can be used over the cream shade, as an eyeliner or on the lashes.

Both Lilac Luster and Peach Prism looked dazzling in the tube with the former containing a mix of purple and pink glitter and the latter containing glitter that flashed gold, pink and lime.


The cream shade applies quite well at first but any attempt to layer it for greater intensity results in patchy unevenness. The glitter shade felt like applying glitter glue to the lids. It felt cooling at first before I realised to my horror that the folds of my eyelids were becoming stuck to one another. Like the cream shade, the glitter shade was virtually impossible to apply evenly all over the lids. The result was, to put it bluntly, a hot mess. I had creases in my eyelids that did not exist previously with the glitter migrated randomly all over. After a few hours, my eyelid had developed even more weird (and uncomfortable) creases and the cream eyeshadow had disappeared completely from the space right next to my lashes.

Even trying to use the glitter shade simply as an eyeliner along the lashline was an abject failure. It was only when I was removing my makeup did I see that there was a long strand of glitter dangling from the inner corner of my eye. It had peeled off from my lower lashline, perhaps in a desperate attempt to escape being part of this hot mess.

Removing this atrocity felt like rubbing sandpaper over my abused eyelids.

Verdict: Burn it. Revlon, you are dead to me.

Weekly Photo Challenge Summer Must-Haves

This week's photo challenge theme by Yumeko is summer must-haves, so here goes!

1. Base Makeup – [sunscreen, powder, foundation, BB cream, whatever you use in the heat/humidity of summer]

My current range of primers include Paul & Joe Protective Foundation Primer UV SPF40 PA++, Dior Radiant Base SPF20 PA+, Anna Sui Protective Foundation Primer C SPF38 PA++, Za True White Instant Brightener SPF30 PA++ and RMK Smoothing Polished Base SPF13 PA+. I've been using the Paul & Joe primer virtually daily, usually under powder foundation, and love it for the high SPF and non-greasy texture. After finishing this, I'll probably switch to either the Dior or Anna Sui primer next. The latter is a lavender tinted primer with a brightening effect. The Za version is the most watery of the lot, feels very lightweight and silicone-y on skin but it does not offer good oil control. The RMK primer is the best in terms of concealing pores.

2. Point Makeup [blush,eyeshadow,whatever you use in the heat/humidity of summer]

When it's so hot, I reach for makeup that is super easy and quick to apply, without the need for complicated layering or blending. Dior's Eye Glosses from their recent summer collection are great for adding a tint of color with a slightly shimmery finish. Once these set, they do not crease and I can layer powder eyeshadow or eyeliner on top if I wish. Becca Beach Tints are also very lightweight and easy to blend though I would not use them with powder foundation.

I prefer lipglosses over lipsticks these days, as well as lip tints like Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. Coral, orange and pink hues are my staples for the summer.

3. Sunglasses/Hat/Anything you are wearing to block out the sun’s harmful rays

For walks in the park and hiking, I've been relying on this Union Jack print hat from Next that I picked up in London a couple of months ago. And I'm never without a lip balm with SPF like Ettusais Lip Essence SPF18 PA++ and Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment SPF15.

4. Deodorant/Body Spray/Perfume [whatever you are using to make yourself smell good]

For the sweltering days, I prefer light zesty fragrances. Jo Loves fits the bill perfectly with Pomelo, A Shot of Thai Lime Over Mango, and Mango Nectar.

5. Other must-haves for Summer

These would be Gatsy Oil Clear Sheets (the non-powdered type) which soak up every last drop of oil without disturbing one's makeup, L'Occitane Angelica Mist for a refreshing pick-me-up during the day, and an "uchiwa". These fans are a popular form of advertising in Japan and often given out free on the streets. I've got dozens of these!

BeautyOshaberi has also done this challenge, so do check out her picks. If you would like to join in the fun, just leave a comment on Yumeko's post and here with a link to your blog post, and I'll be sure to check it out!

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain Adore and Crush

Following the Colorburst Lip Butters, Revlon has another superb winner on its hands with the new Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. Designed to be a lightweight lip stain and moisturising balm in one convenient twist-up crayon, these are much more affordable alternatives to Tarte's Lipsurgence Lip Tint and Clinique Chubby Stick.

I purchased the Kissable Balm Stain from drugstore.com, where they usually retail at US$8.99 (2.7g) with a 'buy one, get one 50% off' offer. The Tarte and Clinique versions retail at US$24 (3g) and US$16 (3g) respectively. Both the Tarte and Revlon versions are made in the USA, while the Clinique Chubby Stick is made in Canada. Currently, the Balm Stains come in 12 shades, according to the Revlon website. These were recently launched in the UK as well, where they retail at £6 but with just 7 shades available. They are scheduled to launch in early September in Japan at 1260yen with 6 shades available. I'm not sure if/when they will be released in Singapore.

I love the Balm Stains as they wear comfortably without drying out my lips and several shades have impressive color payoff, certainly much better than Clinique's Chubby Sticks which tend to be very sheer. Thanks to the peppermint oil, these have a light tingly feeling when first applied but this wears off quite quickly. There is no discernible taste. Although there is some transfer to a cup when drinking, the lasting power is impressive through meals.

05 Crush is an intensely pigmented deep berry red that managed to survive almost completely intact through a pasta meal. When I blotted it off, it left a berry stain that was slightly more noticeable around the external edges of the lips.


55 Adore is a more work-friendly brown-toned red. Like Crush, its tenacity is surprising and it took several wipes with tissue to remove it completely.


Below are swatches of my Revlon, Tarte and Clinique lip balms and tints.

The Clinique Chubby Sticks tend to be too sheer for my liking, although they are non-drying as well. Tarte offers the widest range of shades in shimmery, glossy and matte finishes but it's the most expensive. Spirited, a skin-brightening coral orange, has become a fast favourite of mine.

While it's not an original concept, Revlon's Balm Stains are well worth checking out as they are surprisingly well pigmented, long-lasting and easy on the wallet. I'll definitely be picking up a couple more, and hope that Revlon will introduce new shades in the future.


Below is the list of ingredients.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter 075 Lollipop

A few weeks ago, I picked up Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter 075 Lollipop at Monoprix in France. It launched awhile ago in Singapore and has just arrived in the UK as well.

There are only 14 shades available in France, versus a grand total of twenty in the US. The price is much higher in France at around €15.90, versus S$15.90 in Singapore, £8 in the UK and about US$6 in the US.

The quilted design on the translucent cap is a nice touch. The matching colour of the cap to the lip butter shade also makes it easy to pick out the shade you want if you own a few of these.

The clear window on the end is also helpful for see the actual shade and checking that the lip butter is still in pristine condition before purchasing it. At Monoprix, I came across one that had a gash across the top despite still bearing the factory sticker seal.

True to the name, it glides on to the lips with a superbly smooth consistency. The comfortable emollient texture reminded me of Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment. I was also impressed by the almost opaque color payoff of Lollipop, which is a juicy fuchsia pink that brightens up the complexion.


On my lips, it wears well for about three hours. Although it feels comfortable on the lips and does not accentuate dry patches, I did not find it to be super hydrating as my lips still felt slightly dry after blotting it off.

There are hundreds of reviews of Revlon Lip Butters across the beauty blogs. Some utterly adore them while others aren't too impressed by them. Personally, I think it is pretty good for the price that you pay and definitely one of the better lipsticks by a drugstore brand that I've tried to date. I think prestige brands like Shiseido still win out in terms of quality but the Revlon Lip Butters are a good budget buy to play around with.

Sightings at Watsons

Spotted some new products at the Watsons in Ngee Ann City, like these Chupa Chups Lipglosses and Lip Balms by Kiss Me.

The scented lipglosses come with plastic spatula applicators and appear to have a bit of shimmer.



There are also new My Beauty Diary sheet mask sets in an Alice in Wonderland-themed packaging. These seem to contain the usual scents instead of new ones. There are 17 masks in each set, with three sets to choose from.


Revlon has released four Custom Eyes Shadow & Liner palettes (S$23.90). The shade combinations look quite pretty but there were no testers so I wasn't able to try them out. You can see swatches of all the palettes on FacesbySarah.

Bourjois' new Bio-detox Organic Foundations comprise 98.8% natural ingredients and also contain chlorophyll to help filter pollution. As usual, the shade selection is very limited with only two shades for the powder foundation. The online reviews for the Bio-detox liquid foundation don't appear to be all that positive though.

As Watsons was having its preview sale for members today at select stores, I took the opportunity to snag the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation, Correcting Concealer and Healthy-Glow Foundation as there was a 20%+10% discount on Bourjois. I've been wanting to try the Serum Gel Foundation after reading positive reviews about it. I also picked up two boxes of Schwarzkopf Palette Deluxe in Intensive Red Ruby as my earlier hair color by Liese Cassis Berry Bubble Hair Color is looking more brown-toned than red now and my grey hairs are looking quite obvious again (sigh).

Magazines Haul (AneCan, Steady, Marie Claire Taiwan)

Picked up a few magazines at Kinokuniya (Ngee Ann City) earlier this evening for the attractive freebies.

First up is the October issue of AneCan (S$20.20) which comes with a Juicy Couture "spa bag" and white plastic drawstring bag.

The spa bag has an unusual mesh bottom and a zipped middle compartment.

It's roomy enough to fit two novels.

I also picked up the October issue of Steady (S$16.70) which comes with a lace-print Rebecca Taylor small tote bag.

The bag is made of polyester and a pink inner lining.

Like the Juicy Couture spa bag, it has a zipped middle compartment.

The dimensions are very similar to the Juicy Couture spa bag.


Finally, I also got the September issue of Marie Claire (Taiwan) (S$14.60) as it comes with a Revlon Skinlights Bare It All Lotion 01 Buff Love (19g).

The ingredients list is printed in both Japanese and Chinese. According to the Revlon Japan website, this retails for 1890yen (about S$30) in Japan. The retail price in Taiwan is NT$520 (about S$22). Mix it with either foundation or moisturiser for a skin-perfecting glow. It can also be used on the décolletage. The expiry date is September 2011.

There were only about 5 copies of the Marie Claire left but more than 50 copies each of Steady and also InRed, which comes with two Marc Jacobs Daisy zip pouches.