Frugal Friday - L'oreal HiP Color Chrome Eyeliner

I've been curious about L'oreal HiP Color Chrome eyeliners for awhile. My girls on MUA (makeupalley.com) rave about them so I felt they deserved a try and at $9.99 each but on sale for Buy One Get One Free I charged into Walgreen's expecting to find an assortment of glittery overkill. Surprisingly these soft creamy liners are very un-teenybopperish, (that's a PB technical term, haha). Soft and creamy = ultra smudgable = smooth, not harsh on older eyes. They are available in four shades:

Black Shock--I can't detect any shimmer in this one at all, but it's a very very dark black without being too harsh if that makes sense!
Gold Charge--a bright deep gold almost a bronze
Silver Lightening--a bright shiny silver--a bit too shiny for my taste and age
Violet Volt--a jewel tone purple with a bit of shimmer

Chrome eyeliners take a minute to set up and then there's no budgin', they last as long as the Energizer Bunny! I have to say, I really think these rival Urban Decay 24/7 liners which I love, but are $17 vs. $10 and $5 on sale!

The only con I can to see the Hip Chrome eyeliner is that they are only available in 4 colors. C'mon L'oreal, I'm begging "Please Sir, some more?"

Makeup Tip: Metallic Eyes

This fall eyes shine with shades of silver, gold, copper and bronze. I couldn't be happier. Bronze is my very very favorite eye shadow color and I have-- oh I don't know, like, 4,987,204,630 of them. Does that stop me from buying more? Hell-to-the no! Everyone can wear metallics, the trick is to find a hue that suits your skintone. Silver works with cool undertones, copper and bronze with warmer undertones and gold is universally flattering. Here are some tips for sparkling metallic eyes:

• Brush shadow under the eyes as well on the lid
• Apply the lightest shade on the inner corner of the eye
• Downplay lips and cheeks by staying neutral, but don't forget a bit of bronzer
• Use metallics in pairs--silver and pewter, copper and gold, bronze and dark grey
• Use a light hand, a sheer wash lets your eyes shine without looking like a disco ball
• Use a neutral matte shade for the brow bone to avoid too much shine
• Avoid colored liners, opting instead for black, charcoal or deep brown

Shades to try:

Laura Mercier Metallic Cream Eye Colour

Bobbi Brown new Chrome Eyeshadows, available in gold, bronze and pewter
Stila eye shadow trio in Gold Glow (gold, bronze, ivory)
Dior Beige 1-Colour Ultra-Smoothing High Impact Eyeshadow in
Argentic-gunmetal gray shimmer, Gold Touch-golden bronze shimmer


Less expensive alternatives:

Revlon ColorStay 12 Hour Eye Shadow in Copper Spice and Priceless Metals (see my Frugal Friday post here)
L'oreal HiP Metallic Duo in Platinum and Gilded

Try some sparkle and shine this Holiday season!!

Review: L'oreal Colour Riche Anti-Aging Serum Lipstick

It has been years since I have purchased a drugstore lipstick. I attribute this to the fact that I can be a makeup snob on occasion (surprise!), there are no testers in the drugstore, and the general poor quality and staying power of drugstore lipsticks. I have bought lip glosses, but glosses just don’t seem to last very long so my preference is lipstick. I’m sure it started waaay back when as a child and my mom let me play with the Avon tester lipsticks; those teeny tiny tubes were great, weren’t they?

I cannot tolerate the cloying fragrance of L’oreal lipsticks and just gave up on them for several years. But L’oreal Colour Riche Anti-Aging Serum Lipstick had me at “anti-aging”. They must have changed the formula for this lipstick because the smell is faint and not unpleasant. The serum core has ingredients like ProXalyne, Collagen, Hyaluronic spheres and Glycerin, all designed to smooth out lines and plump up lips. It does a decent job of both.

The formula is smooth, creamy and moisturizing. The pigment is great, one swipe and your done. Make no mistake this is a plumping lipstick so you will feel a tingle. I found the sensation more like a slight warming feeling and not at all uncomfortable. I liked the plumping effect, it was subtle but I could notice it. Lasting power is average for a good quality lipstick, around 4 hours which included sipping tea and a snack. There are 16 gorgeous shades; some have slight shimmer, all have a bit of shine but are not what I would consider glossy. I chose Berry Exciting, a raspberry shade, Blushing Bouquet a soft rose pink that will work for everyone, Spicy Pink, a browned bright pink and Compelling Coral a bright coral with a bit of red. I chose well for my warm skintone but there are some lovely choices for cool skin as well.

Left to right: Berry Exciting, Blushing Bouquet, Spicy Pink, Compelling Coral

Left to right: Berry Exciting, Blushing Bouquet, Spicy Pink, Compelling Coral


I won’t give up my beloved Chanel Rouge Allure’s, however I will not purchase another $30 Chanel lipstick unless it is a truly unique shade, or…. it has anti-aging in the name :)

I've only been using L’oreal Colour Riche Anti-Aging Serum Lipstick for a week but if it really does make my thin lips fuller with continued use, it just might complete me.

Performance: 4/5

Value: 5/5, retails for about $10, got mine on BOGOHO (buy one get one half off) so, $15 for 2

Packaging: 3/5--cheap plastic, but I do appreciate the clear cover so you can see the color

Overall: 4/5--Impressive!

I purchased these products myself