Review: Kat Von D Foiled Love Lipstick (Forever and Never)

If you wear lipstick, do you have a preference of finishes?  Do you choose a certain finish if you're going for a certain eye look?  Usually I go for matte and satin finishes, maybe because I went wild for frosty colors when I was a teenager (my go-to lipstick was Sandstone by [i think] Maybelline if any of you out there remember that one); but, when I saw the promo images of the new Foiled Love lipsticks from Kat Von D, I had to have them.  It's probably because all the sparkle and shine lead me astray from my matte-lipsticked ways.

oOoO shiny!!

PIGMENTATION: This lipstick is a super metallic-y frosty golden peach, so I find it best to be light-handed in my application lest I look like someone who time traveled from the 90s. As with most KvD cosmetics, Forever and Never is packed with pigment, but since I'm fair-skinned, this kind of looks like a metallic version of my natural lip color. (I like to wear Urban Decay's 24/7 liner in Wallflower with this to make my lips stand out a bit more)
PERFORMANCE:  I have a few of the KvD Painted Love lipsticks, which I love, but they dry out my lips a little.  While the Foiled Love lipstick won't replace my lip balm, it's definitely more moisturizing than the Painted Love series.

PACKAGING: The cap clicks on, so I can be sure it won't slide off in my makeup bag, which is a huge plus for me.  I think the metallic outside looks cool, but it takes on fingerprints. (see below)  I'm also not confident those printed-on roses on the outside are going to last.

PRICE: $18

Even though I'm more of a matte lipstick lady, Forever and Never Foiled Love lipstick is a pretty addition to my makeup arsenal.  I thought that going with a more neutral shade would be the safest bet, but I think the pinks or the red this is offered in would be really awesome (I'm waiting until they're in-store to check them out).

You don't have to take my word for it! Kat Von D's Foiled Love Lipstick is available now at Sephora.

Review: Kat Von D Rehab Priming Elixir

Does the summer bring out the worst in your skin? For me, among other things, it gets extra oily. I use an oil free moisturizer that contains sunscreen, but I'm always chasing my face down with blotting sheets throughout the day. Not fun! Usually I have more important things to do than to check how shiny my face is. I've used the De-slick primer from Urban Decay, but sometimes I get dry, flakey patches where The product wasn't blended out enough.

Enter the brand spanking new Rehab Priming Elixir from Kat Von D. It's an oil free, fragrance free facial primer. On Sephora.com, above all else, it's basically described as a hydrating primer that's good for all skin types.

PERFORMANCE: I used this in place of my regular moisturizer, with great results. It is really light weight, and even mattified my skin for a bit.  That is to say, I haven't experienced mirror-like shine on my face. My skin still needs to be blotted, but instead of using 2-3 sheets (yes, in one sitting!) I'll only use one. My foundation also hasn't migrated into pools on my face when I've used the elixir as my primer. The only downside to this product is that there's no sunscreen in it. If you have drier skin, you may have to use a separate moisturizer with this.

PACKAGING: This is pretty much the same packaging as Makeup Forever's HD elixir-- frosted glass, with an eyedropper-style applicator. While the Kat Von D version is so pretty with it's stenciled roused all over the place, but I think a pump would be more practical to get the product out. The consistency is just a little too thick to be sucked up by the applicator, so I had to try a few times to get a useable amount out. I foresee this being a huge pain when I'm doing my face in a rush.

PRICE: $30 for 1 fl oz.

While not perfect, I really like the Rehab Priming Elixir, but you don't have to take my word for it. Try it for yourself! It's available now at sephora.

Review: Urban Decay Urban Defense Tinted Moisturizer

It seems tinted moisturizers are a must-have item for a lot of ladies, especially in the summer time, but I never paid much attention to them since I need heavy-duty coverage on my face due to acne scarring and uneven skintone.  When I tried Urban Decay's Urban Defense tinted moisturizer, I started paying attention!

PIGMENTATION: Urban Defense has enough pigmentation to even out my skin tone, but not cover my scars (as a tinted moisturizer, I wasn't expecting it to, but you can check out how I use it to suit my needs here).  I have this in the lightest shade Sephora offers, Halo, and I think it's an excellent match for my skin tone.

PERFORMANCE:  This has an almost mousse-like texture, and goes on very easily and evenly.  I love how it has a built-in sun protection (SPF 20), so i don't need a separate sunscreen.  My qualm with it is that it feels a bit heavy on my face, as if i was wearing a heavy-duty foundation, and that I've had to be more vigilant with the blotting sheets when wearing this.

PACKAGING: It's a simple squeeze tube-- super easy to use.

PRICE: $30.

Warning: here are some before and after shots of me.

No makeup whatsoever.  

With UD's Urban Defense (PS: I learned all my awesome posing skills from America's Next Top Model. just kidding. sort of.)

Since Urban Defense takes two steps out of my makeup routine, it's a bit of a lifesaver.  If you're lucky enough to not have scars, and need something to moisturize + protect your skin + even out our skintone when you've got 6 seconds before you run out the door, I highly recommend this.

You don't have to take my word for it, Urban Defense is available at Sephora.

In Practice: Kat Von D's Angeles Palette

I promised this a while back, and now that the Angeles palette is now on sale for $24, today is as good of a time as any to post this look I did.  This particular look was my half-attempt to recreate the look Kat Von D is wearing on her Sephora page. 

This is what I used/where I used it:
crease/outer corner/lower lashline: Leather (matte milk chocolate brown)
lid: Venus (metallic copper)
browbone: Rehab (pale taupe with clear glitter)
inner corner highlight: Morphine (iridescent white)
eyeliner: Bukowski (teal with slight green shift) over Make Up For Ever's Aqualiner #11 (sparkling burgundy)

Other products used:
UDPP
Dior Iconic Mascara (black)
on brows: Kat Von D Lucifer shadow (matte black)

Sorry for the blurry pic!
 I'll get a decent camera one of these days.

9/15/2011: I've been wearing this palette a lot lately.  It came with me on a recent vacation, and I created a different look every day with it. I did a look using a few shades from Angeles on Tuesday to add to my How to conceal acne marks post,  but since the focus of the look is on the eyes, why not post it here?

Far outer corner: Bukowski
Outer half/crease: Peggy
Inner half/brow highlight: Rehab
Lower lash line: Specimen

Other products used:
KvD eyeshadow in Lucifer (on brows)
Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero
KvD Sin-full Mascara

PS: I've been using a new lash growth serum from Rimmel. Check out the difference between my lashes in the first and second sets of photos!

Review: Kat Von D Sin-full Mascara

Have you ever loved a certain product, only for it to be discontinued?  That was me and the Kat Von D High Voltage mascara (in black, it's still available in blue for a little longer).  I did find a good substitute in Dior's Iconic mascara, but it is $10 more expensive!

(yes, those are my real nails!)

Fast forward to KvD's fall 2011 collection, in which a new mascara was released!  And, you know what?  It's pretty good stuff.  Here's the rundown:

• PIGMENTATION: It's SUPER black! I have blonde eyelashes and dyed black hair, so the blacker my mascara, the better in my opinion.
• PERFORMANCE: It lengthens, curls, and thickens.  It has the versatility of giving you a semi-natural looking fringe or a really dramatic look-- all without clumps!  Also, I splashed water on my face, and this didn't run at all.  My lashes stuck together a little bit (because i rubbed a wet finger over them in addition to the water splashing), but there were no black rivers running down my face- at all.

• PACKAGING: The brush is MUCH better than that in the High Voltage mascara.  It's big with stiff bristles, so that it really combs your lashes as it applies the product (hence the lack of the aforementioned clumps). As far as the tube is concerned, I personally like how it starts off matte black and "fades" to the shiny metal.  I can only hope the printed rose pattern will last the charybdis that is my makeup bag.
• PRICE: $18.  This is on the cheap side of "high-end" mascaras, and honestly I think it's worth it. Sin-full mascara does everything it promises, and a little more.

This is my eye, mostly no makeup. I think there's a little residual black eyeliner.

With Sin-full mascara! No lash primer, eyelash curler, or other mascaras were used.

You don't have to take my word for it-- it's available now at Sephora.

Review: Kat Von D's High Voltage Primer- Skin (vs Urban Decay's Primer Potion)

Let me start this off by saying that I am a big fan of Urban Decay's Primer Potion (original), but I hate that they've changed the packaging to a squeeze tube.  I purchased the "Makeup Artist sized" tube of it when it first came out, and upon first use, the crimped end of the tube split open and the product came out!  It took a lot of finagling for the product to dispense out of the tip, but sometimes it still comes out of the back end.  More recently, I went to unscrew the cap from the tip, and it completely came off the packaging!  Before the tip broke off, I went to Urban Decay's customer service to try to get to the bottom of this.  Did I have faulty packaging? Was this normal?  But my questions fell on deaf ears (or eyes, because i sent them an email) and they never responded.

With that said, I was itching to try the Kat Von D High Voltage Eye Primer.  The price wasn't terrible ($18), I was never incredibly let down by anything in the brand before, and, most importantly, the packaging was practical.  So, how did the actual product hold up to UDPP?  Read on!

• PIGMENTATION: "Skin" is pigmented enough to act as a concealer for my fair coloring. Urban Decay's "Original" Primer Potion is completely translucent, so i still have to do concealer with it. (Urban Decay makes a primer potion called Eden that's supposed to be a matte, flesh toned color that may compare to the pigmentation of Skin, but I have never tried it)
• HOW IT REACTS TO EYE SHADOW APPLICATION: Skin is a stickier base, so I noticed that a lot more eye shadow stuck on to it- including glitter! UDPP dries really fast, so if I'm using a glittery shadow, the glitter doesn't really show up.  I definitely feel like the KvD eye primer made shadows live up to their fullest potential.
• CREASE PREVENTION: Sadly, UDPP wins this category ten million-fold.  When I used the KvD eye primer, my shadows started creasing within two hours, and by the end of my 8 hour work day, my eyeshadow was pretty much gone. When i use UDPP, my eyeshadow lasts literally 10 or more hours before it starts to crease.  I have oily skin, so there's a good chance this has something to do with how the KvD primer performed on me.

All in all, I think I'm going to return the Kat Von D Eye Primer back to Sephora.  I really wanted to like it, and tried all different things to get it to last (outside of layering it over my Urban Decay Primer Potion, because i feel like that's silly), but it's just not cutting the mustard.  It may work better on someone without oily lids!

If you're interested in trying it out yourself it's available at Sephora.