Kryolan: First Impressions, Swatches, Review

ZOMG.

I'm tempted to say I'll never buy another shadow again, but we all know that's a huge lie.  However, if there's anything in the world that could convince, it's the combination of both Naked palettes and this baby right here.

Introducing...the Kryolan 18 Bold Colours Palette V2: Fashion.

Review: Jack Black vs. My Favourite Night Balm

I consistently mistake one for the other.

My Favourite Night Balm was something I bought on a whim because I'd been lusting after Jack Black for so long.  Apparently they've been available at Sephora this entire time.  I think I've used both on and off for two months now.

In one corner...

Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm

Price: $9 CAD

Volume: .25 oz

Scent: Vanilla and Lavender

I love that this ultra-moisturizing lipbalm has SPF 25, is in no way sticky and absorbs really quickly.  But not in that I-didn't-put-anything-on way, in that whoa-that-asborbed-quickly way.  LOVE.  This is great to wear alone or for any lip prep.  I usually put this on before bed and once in the morning and I don't feel any need to apply more often. Occasionally I do, but only because it feels so damn good.

And in the other...

C.O. Bigelow My Favourite Night Balm

Price: $7 CAD

Volume: 0.34 oz

Scent: none on the label, but smells like something vanilla-y or sugary.

This is the most high-gloss lip balm I've ever tried.  It reminds me of my long-lost love, Dior Addict Ultra Gloss in 001; neither of them really sink into your lips.  Rather, they sit on top and give your lips the most beautiful lacquered finish.  It's moisturizing, but it feels more like it's sealing in the existing moisture in your lips rather than adding any at all.  This is meant for use at night, so there's no SPF.

Verdict?  As an actual lip balm, I prefer Jack Black's version.  I always forget to use sun protection on my lips and it's the one part of my face that gets oddly rough.  Apparently that means your lips are sunburned.  Bottom line, Jack Black ekes out a little more moisture than C.O. Bigelow's version.  However, I do recommend My Favourite Night Balm for high-shine lip looks.  I've been using it for shiny nude lip days, but I don't really use it for moisture at night because I find it gets all over my pillowcases.

Any other lip balms I desperately need to try?

On my Vanity: Brushes

I need to put this out there:  brushes are my straight up kryptonite-candy-to-a-superkid weakness.

I don't use every single one of these brushes on myself -- these are also the brushes I reach for most often when I do tutorials and looks on other people, etc.

Why do I keep getting Naked?

Better question: how can you not get Naked2?


First Impressions:

• The way the Shoppers Drug Mart announced it before the release was: "Naked 1 is warm, Naked 2 is cool."  It makes sense -- Naked2 leans a lot more silvery and purple -- but there are a few colours here and there that are warmer than in the original palette
• This new palette has a lot less colour variation.  Not in the sense that you're getting the same colour over and over, but you don't get a lot of very light or very dark colours (except the black).

Double-ended brush

L: Naked2, R: Naked1

Top: Naked1, Bottom: Naked2

Top: Naked1, Bottom: Naked2

Swatches

Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper

Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol

Verve, YDK, Busted, Blackout

Price: This palette retails for $60 CAD -- about $10 more than the original.  Of course, if you really want to make your skin crawl, it's only $50 USD.  That's right.  However, I did get mine on a 20x Optimum points event (my American friends, it's a drugstore points-collecting craze that's taken us Canadians over), so technically it was cheaper than buying it across the border.  That's what I'm telling myself.

Quality: The shadow quality is just as good as the last one -- shimmers in Naked2 are just as creamy as in Naked1, and mattes are characteristically less pigmented, but not bad compared to others that I've tried.  I do wish the payoff was more consistent among the shades, but the only one I'm particularly disappointed with is Foxy.  I'm not quite sure who this colour would work on, but I'll play around with it and let you know.

Packaging:  It's exactly the same size as the old Naked, which pleases me to no end and I have no idea why!  This one comes in a metal box, kind of like those pencil cases you get in Japanese stationery stores.  The velvet case on my Naked1 hasn't gotten too dirty yet, but I can see people liking the fact that they can wipe this one down.  The mirror is also much larger, taking up the entire inside of the lid.

Extras:  I haven't bothered to try the lipgloss yet, simply because it looks like a neutral enough colour that it likely won't show up on anyone's lips.  Tod tried it and she really doesn't like the minty, plumping feeling that you get from it.  The double-ended brush is a nice touch, but it makes me wish I'd gotten the original Naked palette during its first run when they released it with a double-ended eyeliner.  Imagine, all your eye needs in two compact cases!  Except mascara.

In my teaser post yesterday, I showed you the following photo.  These are the most similar colours in the palettes.

Each pair of swatches: Naked1 on the right, Naked2 on the left

1. Smog and Snakebite aren't actually dupes for each other.  Smog is much more gold and Snakebite is darker/browner
2. Sidecar is a little less orange and much less glittery than YDK, but otherwise these colours are quite close if you apply YDK sparingly.
3. Contrary to this whole Naked1=warm and Naked2=cool thing, Virgin is slightly cooler than Bootycall.  I wouldn't call Bootycall warm though -- it's more neutral than anything.
4. True to our warm/cool theory, Hustle is a slightly warmer version of Busted.

So, Naked 1 or Naked 2? 

Get Naked 1 if...

•  If you like to do lots of different looks -- the shade range will help you create a different eye each time you use it
• You look better in warm-toned shadows.  I.e., if your favourite eyeshadow from MAC is Amber Lights, Woodwinked, Soft Brown or Mulch, get this one.

Get Naked 2 if...

• If you don't like to experiment with your look but would like to have a few colour scheme options
• You look better in cool-toned shadows. I.e., if your favourite MAC eyeshadows include Patina, Satin Taupe, Club and Smut.

Or if you're like me: get both.  You won't regret it.

Review: Salux Body Cloth

Ladies and gents (however few of you there may be), I've reached another level of smooth skin enlightenment.

It is this.

I've never used washcloths or bath towels because they always seemed so dirty.  I don't even use a wash cloth for my face; I spritz my face with toner and let it absorb after I've cleansed.

Anyway, I was perusing the Makeupalley boards when I realized you can sort the reviews by Most Popular, Top Rated, etc.  I clicked on the MUA Top Picks and found that it's the seventh item on there.  I had to find out more.

After a couple weeks of idle research, I found a store in  Toronto that sells them (Sanko at 730 Queen St West) and picked one up.  I'm not sure if you're supposed to wash these or something before using them but...I didn't.  Best part?  They're less than $5.00 (including our harsh Canadian taxes.  Win.)!

The cloths are about the size of a small bath towel and are made of 60% nylon and 40% polyester.  The idea is that it helps your body wash foam up way more than a normal washcloth would and the roughness helps slough off any dead skin.

Does it work?

Indeed it does.

Even after months of dry brushing, there's a huge difference in my skin after using this for only a week.  In fact, I noticed a change after the first time I used it.  Maybe the brush I was using before was too harsh on my skin, but this made my skin feel softer, not just smoother.  Does that make sense?  Instead of just having a really smooth, even surface, my skin was also silkier to the touch.  I still follow up with my Neutrogena Body Oil, but I think this has solidly replaced my scrub brush!  I'll probably still dry brush every once in a while (it's good for your circulation and cellulite, they say...), but this wins the skin battle, hands down.

Review: Nars Botan Brush

You know that feeling where you save the best for last?  I'm not sure if this is the same thing, but it's like I'm waiting for something that seems special enough to break these out.  Finally, for my birthday party last week, I decided to let myself purchase one single brush: the NARS Botan.

If you've ever worried about your powder looking cakey, or -- a more relevant, modern worry -- that your HD powder will flash white in photographs, worry no more.  I've been playing with the E.L.F. HD powder lately and while I've read some reviews that it can cast a weird, ghostly paleness when subjected to flash photography.

I hadn't tested this theory (weirdly enough, I'm not a photo person), but there'd been a few times when I'd applied the powder and felt that it had paled me up a little.  On my birthday, I used the Botan brush to blend it out and the powder disappeared into all the invisible goodness it was supposed to!  I even used it with that Victoria's Secret technique I mentioned in this post where I blended my powder and bronzer together, and the results were SEAMLESS.

Again, not a photo person, so I don't actually have any photos from that night to prove to you how beautiful it was, but watch for it in an upcoming tutorial/video!  I will, however, bombard you with photos of the actual brush.

A few details...

My First Shellac Manicure

The proportion of nude manicures I get is highly disproportionate to the number of times I do my own nude nails.  Weird.

Anyway, I decided to try CND's Shellac (I was debating between those and Minx) and went for a the colour they usually use for french manicures.  I'm not sure what's wrong with me.

But I really liked the way it turned out!  I'm a little afraid of the removal process.  I hate getting my nails filed down.

CND Shellac Romantic

CND Shellac Mother of Pearl

Yeah, I'm probably going to paint over these the second I'm finished typing.  That should be an oddly smooth experience!