Review: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo

The much reveled Anastasia Brow Powder took the blogosphere by storm quite some time ago. I however, like to know that I’m in for a good thing, so after reading many positive reviews, and after much internal debate about paying $23.00 on a brow product! I finally caved and justified it as a ‘treat’.

I have to admit, the packaging is absolutely beautiful, however, I was disappointed to see that it had changed from the original metal compact. But anyway, the packaging isn't the point right... or is it?

After using this fairly consistently for a few weeks, I honestly don't get the hype. It is a great eyebrow powder, don't get me wrong, but is it worth $23.00? Frankly, no. Admittedly, I knew this going in. I obviously didn't think it would magically transform my brows, but when it could be replaced by a simple matte shadow... meh. If you are a bargain hunter or if you are just looking for practicality without the frills then this is not the product for you. If however, you are a sucker for beautiful packaging and branding: then go ahead, you won't be disappointed.

Review: Sleek Storm Palette

When I can't get something, it just makes me want it so much more! 

That is how I came to own the Sleek Storm Palette. 

Review: Nars Blush and Bronzer - Orgasm and Laguna Duo

NARS' Orgasm and Laguna are some of the most hyped up products on the beauty market. I joined the frenzy and bought the duo so that I could give them a go for myself.

The result? A very expensive habit.

Fake Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

I was new to America, and eBay, when I decided to buy the Naked 2 Palette. Naive and far too trusting, I thought that I would save some money and buy it online... ah, silly past me.

When it arrived in the mail and I realized it was a fake I contacted the seller, eBay, and PayPal, got my money back, and bought a real one from Sephora.

This is what I ended up with:

Top: Fake Naked 2 packaging  -  Bottom: Genuine Naked 2 packaging

Review: Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation

The Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup is the newest edition to their foundation family and yet another one of their famous colorstay products.

I picked up this beauty from Ulta for $13.99

Fake: eBay Listings

Scrawling through eBay, I came across some laughable fakes that I thought I would share with you...

Fake: Benefit BADgal Lash Mascara

With an influx of counterfeit Benefit Cosmetics hitting the shelves, consumers need to be increasingly wary when purchasing products online. One the more popular imitation products currently being sold on sites such as eBay is Benefit's Badgal Mascara.

Fake mascaras are particularly dangerous as the product is applied so closely to the eye. With laboratory tests showing that some fake mascaras contain nail polish remover, paint stripper, lead, and high levels of bacteria, it is important to ensure that you are buying the real thing. Testing of fake Benefit mascara in particular has also found high levels of lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury which can cause infection, itching, burning, and flaking of the skin.

44 Reasons Why Not To Purchase Counterfeit Cosmetics

While reading news stories and blogs about fake makeup I was surprised to find that many beauty lovers were actively choosing to purchase imitation products. Many commenters were saying that the quality of their fake cosmetic was "just as good" as the genuine. I found this a little shocking, so after some research I decided to prepare a list of reasons why this is not good practice. 

1. New York laboratories found some imitation MAC cosmetics contained dangerously high levels of lead which can cause nerve, memory, muscle, kidney, and brain damage.
2. Past testing of counterfeit cosmetics has found dangerously high levels of aluminum which is linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
3. Research conducted by Interpol found that some of the profits made from selling counterfeit cosmetics were used to fund drug smuggling.
4. Imitation eye makeup is particularly dangerous as it can cause eye infections which can irreparably damage the eye.
5. Laboratories have found that some of the dangerous materials contained in imitation cosmetics are strong enough to burn the skin.

Fake Nars Orgasm Blush

Nars is famous for its amazing range of stunning blushes. Unfortunately, the high price point, and the massive popularity of Nars Orgasm, makes it a perfect target for counterfeiters.

Before you purchase a Nars Orgasm Blush, or to determine whether your blush is an imitation, check out my list of indicators below:

• The blush should come with a plastic protective sleeve inside it.
• The blush’s protective plastic sleeve should say “NARS” and this should be exactly the same size as the “NARS” text written on the front.
• The protective sleeve should show no signs of deformation or bending.
• The new Nars Blush weight is 0.16oz or 4.5g (the box may say 4.8g).

Fake: Benefit Coralista Blush

There has recently been an influx of fake Benefit products being sold on illegitimate websites, on wholesale sites, on Amazon, and on eBay. To make sure that you are paying for the real thing, and not throwing you money away, check out my tips below.

Tips on how to spot a fake Benefit Coralista Blush:

The real Coralista has a matte textured cover. - The fake Coralista has a glossy textured cover.

The real Coralista has a smooth cover. - The fake Coralista has a bumpy cover.

The real Coralista has "benefit" written in normal type. - The fake Coralista has "benefit" written in bold.

The real Coralista reads: "12.0 g Net. Wt. 0.42 oz". - The fake Coralista reads "12.0 g Nef. Wf. 0.42 oz".

The real Coralista has a flat cover. - The fake Coralista has a sticker on the cover.