Bigger is Better: A Picture Story

Papa Bear, Momma Bear, Baby Bear, and the Thing that didn't get scared eating all their porridge.
Yes, I got the Urban Decay Primer Potion, Professional size.
I'm not sure if I even need this big honkin thing.
I heard that the tube breaks easily.
Here's wishing other wise. *Crosses fingers*

And that's my lazy post. 

Haul: More Rock & Republic Cosmetics

Since my last Rock & Republic haul, I've been acquiring some more products from the line here and there.

Contrived blushes in : Bedroom, Shameless, and Seduce

I got three more blushes, since they're probably the product I like the most. I now have 11 out of the 12 colors made. The last color I don't have is one I don't want because it's a safety orange color... erggg. Bedroom is a matte peach. This is the color I realllyyy wanted last time but accidentally didn't order. Shameless is a bronzey shimmery color, and Seduce is a plum/brown with shimmer. Shameless can be used as a slight bronzer. These blushes, like all the other ones, are hard for me to use because they're so pigmented and my heavy hand always forgets...

Pressed Powder in Satin 

 Swatches of their pressed powders aren't available, neither is any info on the shades. I really had to take a guess at which one would match me, which makes shopping online difficult. I went with "Satin" and it works! =). I used this to mattify my forehead, nose, and top of my cheeks. I also need a light hand with this because although it's pressed, the brush picks up a lot of powder.

Noir Eye Color Trio in Scene 2 

 I had heard some pretty good things about this eyeshadow palette so I gave it ago. First things first, the compact is SUPER heavy. Sturdy indeed. I would hate to travel with this weapon though. The colors are OK. I probably won't really use the purple. As you can see, the black pan came broken. I'm so sad =(! I wish they handled my packages properly. Even if I clean it up, whenever I open the compact, the powder sticks to the magnet at the top of the palette! Color-wise, The black is a very deep matte black. The purple has an almost blue sheen to it, and the cream/champagne color would make a great inner corner highlight. The overall color schemes of their two palettes are weird... and I'm really disappointed that I won't really want to use this palette since it's broken...

Lipglosses in Vacant, Drama Queen, and Runaway

When I got my first two lipglosses, I really didn't like them. However, I found different ways to use them, and they really started to grow on me. Vacant is a nude peach, Drama Queen is a sparkly pink, and Runaway is a nude with glitter. Again, all the colors are sheer. I like Vacant the most. It seems like my favorite formulation of their lipglosses are ones without any shimmer. Vacant is actually looks like my original lipcolor. I wear it ontop of my NYX lipstick in "Honey" (which creates a nude base). I'm basically left with a better, lighter version of my natural lip color =). HURRAY! This is beating my former favorite lipgloss from them, "Muse".

Tinted Primer in Sophia and Tinted Illuminizer in Roxanne

 First, WTH. Both of the pumps look like this when opened. Are they broken?! Where's the straw?! I'm not digging in their for a stupid straw. Anyways, I've been pumping away, and nothing comes out. FAIL.

EDIT: I finally got the illuminizer to pump after about 100 pumps. Still nothing on the primer. I think the pump operates on air suction through the continuous pumping when you first get it. I think the primer's not coming out because of its thick mousse formula. 

The colors are very yellow and too dark for me. However, they are very sheer so they should work. The primer is a weird mousse texture and completely throws me off. The illuminizer's texture is nice though. You can use it as a liquid bronzer, mix it with your lighter foundation to get a darker shade, or mix it with any foundation for a nice glow (which is what I did). I'm holding off on trying the primer these because it seems like an overall strange product...

I think I have enough Rock and Republic products for the rest of my life. I'm generally happy with their products. I really don't think you should try the primer, and the eyeshadow palette doesn't seem worth it to me. I'd rather try their single eyeshadows.

For those interested, R&R is having their friends and family sale. They're offering 30% off with the code FF30. Personally, I'd wait for another sample sale at Hautelook or something.

Benefit Tells You To Stay Put

Awhile ago, I blogged about the newest  mini kit from Benefit, The Stay Put set ($10). They say it's a retail value of $35, but I have no idea where they got that number. I think $10 is the right price. My kit has been sitting around for awhile since I got it in the mail, but I finally took the time to try the pieces out. The set comes with deluxe sample sizes of the Stray Don't Stray eye primer, Erase Paste concealer in medium, and a creaseless cream shadow in RSVP.

The packaging is much like the old mini Benefit set, with the products neatly tucked away in a cardboard box.

Stay Don't Stray eye primer

Erase Paste concealer in Medium

Creaseless Cream Shadow in RSVP

Swatches L-R: Stay Don't Stray, Erase Paste, RSVP

Stay Don't Stray: This is yet another primer much like UDPP. It's basically the same color and texture. However, I was not very impressed with this because I did see some creasing and fading throughout the day.

Erase Paste in Medium: BLEH. I was really looking foward to this one after seeing some good reviews. Usually I'm a fan of thicker consistency concealers because usually it means better coverage, however, the texture of this one was just plain sticky and hard to blend. Also, the color is way too pink. I thought the pink/salmon tone might lend as a better color corrector, but the hue looked much too pink and didn't match my skin tone. YUCK.

Creaseless cream shadow in RSVP: This isn't anything special. It's a shimmery champagne-skin tone shade. Like other Benefit cream shadows I own, they don't work great as a shadow, but better as a base.

This is a good little kit to try out before committing to full sizes, because I definitly will NOT be getting these in big mama size. Overall, I was disappointed and will shove these little pieces in the back of the drawer to play around with when I'm bored out of my mind.

P.S. Benefit also released a new value set on Sephora: 

It's called the Beauty in the Box kit ($48) and includes:

- 0.34 oz Full-Sized Some Kind-A Gorgeous The Foundation Faker
- 0.37 oz Full-Sized "That Gal" Brightening Face Primer
- 0.09 oz Deluxe Mini Stay Don't Stray Stay-Put Primer For Concealers & Eyeshadows
- 0.25 oz Deluxe Mini Erase Paste 02 Medium Brightening Camouflage For Eyes & Face

 I already know the minis are a fail for me. I've also tried "That Gal" and hated it. I own Some-Kind-a Gorgeous, and I don't like it either. This kit isn't for me but some might like =)

ELF Eyelid Primer VS. Urban Decay Primer Potion

I decided to give ELF's Eyelid Primer ($1), to see how it would compare to my darling Urban Decay Primer Potion ($18). Plus, it was only a buck. If this primer works out, I will feel incredibly stupid having three backups of UDPP.

The wand is just a normal wand, a lot like a lipgloss applicator, much like UDPP's old one. It feels cheap, and for some reason, product doesn't hold well on it, which makes application on the eyelids feel a bit rough.

ELF on the left, Urban Decay on the right 

They look relatively the same right? I'm not talking about packaging, because ELF's is a cheapo little tube. It had the same color, and creamy consistency. While ELF's version is thinner, It certaintly FELT like UDPP on the lids. I decided to do a test to see how eyeshadows showed up on the primers, as well as to time how long they lasted. I did a swatch test using MAC's eyeshadow in Mulch.

Mulch on bare skin, on ELF's Primer, and on UDPP

First of all, I just realized what CRAP Mulch looks like alone. This is why I ALWAYS wear primer. I wasn't expecting it to look so lame alone. When I applied it on both primers, the color was equally vibrant. The ELF swatch did go on easier though. So far, so good.

This is what the swatches look like 5 hours later. It's not great picture quality because I woke up at 3 in the morning to take this picture... Don't ask =). As you can see, the lone Mulch swatch is virtually gone, the two primed swatches both held up, EQUALLY! I can't evaluate creasing, because I never have much of a problem with that. From my experience, using these primers on the eyes yeilded almost identical results. I did find blending with ELF's version easier (probably because it is thinner), but I still somehow feel safer sticking to my Urban Decay Primer Potion. But don't mind me, I'm a Urban Decay whore.

I highly recommend trying out ELF's Eyelid Primer if you want to save $17, what do you have to lose?

Uh, a dollar I guess.

Urban Decay Primer Potions Trilogy W/ Swatches

I know I've only been blogging about drugstore products. I can explain. Last month I started myself on a makeup budget, so recently I've been scouring drugstores for makeup. I'm sure you guys need a break.

I decided to review/compare all three UDPPs since Eden just came out.

 

Original, Sin, and Eden

Swatches

The Original (cult fave) is a skin tone color that is easily blended in. Some people like Too Face Shadow Insurance better, but after comparing, I must say, UDPP will always be my HG. 

Sin is a sparkly champagne color. I have to admit, this is my least favorite out of the three. Sometimes when I use it, I feel that my lids... look dirty? I don't know how to explain it. It is still pretty though. I don't use it often because it's not as versatile and it really shimmery. 

Eden is a matte yellow. BE CAREFUL WITH THIS STUFF. Only put a teeny amount on. The first time I used it, I put the normal amount I would have used with the Original, and my whole lid was a stark YELLOW and the primer didn't blend in! But putting just a smidgen on, this primer really covers my lid well so I don't need concealer prior. It doesn't blend as well as the Original. 

Overall, they all have good staying power. They make my shadows last a lot longer and stick better. My only problem is it gets a little hard to blend sometimes.

Note about the bottle: I know a lot of people hate these bottles since they have to be depotted (maybe even with the new wands) but I F-ING LOVE THEM. Maybe it's because I grew up watching I Dream of Jeannie

My favorite? The Original. And I'm sure that it'll stay that way unless UD releases something new and better.

Which one's your favorite?

FTC DISCLAIMER: I threw my own hard-earned money on this crap because I like to. My opinions. I wasn't threatened, bribed, or manhandled in any way. Thanks.