I realized that when I was showing off these pencils in my “What’s in my makeup bag?” post that I had never done a proper post telling you how much I love these eye pencils.

Let me tell you, I am not a thin, only in the lashline type of eyeliner girl. I like a big, thick, bold slash that goes across my eye. And since I don’t normally line underneath on the daily, it doesn’t look like I’ve been punched in the eye when I wear a big line. So, when I came across these, I was a happy girl. The big pencil makes it easy to hold when applying & they even have the smudger on the end, in case I want to make it more blurred out to diffuse it.

The colors are deceptive. They look like they could just be a nice brown or a simple plum/purple (*see? still looking for the elusive “HGPL” (*Holy Grail Plum Liner). I *will* find it.) But when you get them out in natural light, you can see the gold flecks in the brown, warming it up, and the multi-tones in the purple giving it more depth. I do not lie when I say that I wear either one of these colors up to 5 days a week. They go with so many of my looks and make my daily routine just that much easier when I just want a dash of color & mascara and then I’m out the door.

Now, these are semi-soft pencils. I don’t know if it is due to the size or not, but, just know that they do require frequent sharpening with a larger sized sharpener. Do not be like me and let your pencils get down so low that the sharp pointy edges of the wood scratch your eyelids on application. (*Not that I would do that – I am merely showing that as an example of what NOT to do in that pic over there. You believe me, right?). These pencils are also waterproof and contain anti-aging ingredients like Ceramide 2, Hyaluronic Filling Spheres and Nylon-12.

You can pick them up online on the Sue Devitt website directly for $22/ea USD currently. Or, check your local ULTA and see if you can pick up one of their two-pencil packs for $35USD currently.

Have any of you guys tried these pencils? What kind of liner fan are you – thin, thick, top, bottom, all over? Lemme know so we can compare.

*Disclaimer: I received one of these pencils in a gift bag and the other one I won in a twitter contest.

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Maybelline “Forest” LE gel eyeliner for $2.49? Yes, please!

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But what I want to tell you about first is that today, Sept 23, 2011, Mally is the “Today’s Special Value” on QVC, with her “Defend Your Beauty” 7pc kit. This kit was one of the things I brought home, so I wanted to show you some pics to help you decide if the kit is right for you.

The kit includes:

When you look a little closer at the products you might be a bit worried about the colors – don’t be. I can tell you that the gold in the Volumizing Lip Gloss gives just a hint of sparkle and doesn’t overwhelming make you look all OG (*over-gold). The blush looks bright, but it really does blend down to a pretty natural flush color & the hightlighter just gives you a bit of glow, not glowY, if you know what I mean. Of course you know that the Face Defender is colorless because you remember reading about my love for it here, right?

You know what? Why don’t I just show you what I mean with the colors. The hightlighter on the far right just glows. I applied the blush very heavy at the bottom so you can see how I blended it in up top. I put the gloss on heavy so that you can see the barely there gold & the also the pink color. And you can see how nicely the Violet shadow stick works with the Black Cherry Liner. Now, this is on my pale skin, applied heavily – your results will vary depending on how heavy-handed you are on application.

So, what do you think? Are you going to make the call and pick up a kit for yourself? Let me know if you do – I wanna know what you think about the colors, too!

*UPDATE* Just to let you know that this kit is regularly available on QVC, and was not just a One Time Special Value!

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Check out some of the looks they created this season:

Maybelline New York at Max Azria F/W 2011

STEP 1: Fit Me! Foundation: apply all over like you would your moisturizer.
STEP 2: Eye Studio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadow in Sapphire Siren: apply the darkest color to the moving eyelid and blend out just beyond the crease for a subtle smokey effect.
STEP 3: Color Sensational Lipcolor in In The Nude: apply directly for the tube for a clean nude look.
TIP OF THE DAY: For a more dramatic night time look, add a few layers of Falsies mascara.

Maybelline New York at DKNY F/W 2011

STEP 1: Fit Me! Concealer: dab on and smooth out to cover up any imperfections.
STEP 2: Line Express Eyeliner: start with the crease of the eye and go outward and then come back towards the corner but do not connect.
STEP 3: Color Sensational Lipstain in In The Buff: apply very lightly for a hint of color.
TIP OF THE DAY: For an ultra nude look, dab some Fit Me! Concealer on your lips before applying the lipstain.

Maybelline New York at Cynthia Rowley F/W 2011

STEP 1: Fit Me! Foundation: apply all over like you would your moisturizer.
STEP 2: Expert Wear Eye Shadow Quad in Chai Latte: use the dark brown as an overall base, blend edges out with the lighter brown, and then add the golden shade in the corner of the eyes.
STEP 3: Color Sensational in Warm Me Up: dab on with your fingers and then apply to center of lip directly from the tube.
TIP OF THE DAY: Apply multiple coats of Falsies Mascara to achieve the false lash look.

Maybelline New York at Carlos Miele F/W 2011

STEP 1: Fit Me! Foundation: apply all over like you would your moisturizer.
STEP 2: Eye Studio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadow in Give Me Gold: apply a few coats to bring out the eyes.
STEP 3: Color Sensational Lip Gloss in Touch of Toffee: apply lightly for a subtle hint of color.
TIP OF THE DAY: To apply Falsies Mascara simultaneous to top and bottom lashes close the eye and apply.

Maybelline New York at Betsey Johnson F/W 2011

STEP 1:Eye Studio Color Plush Eyeshadow in Sapphire Stylist (New for Fall 2011): apply the darkest shade all over the eyelid, above, under, and in the corner of the eye. Use gold on half the eye for additional pop.
STEP 2: Fit Me! Foundation: clean off the excess eye shadow and apply foundation carefully.
STEP 3: Color Sensational Lipcolor in Red Haute (New for Fall 2011): apply directly for a rich color.
TIP OF THE DAY: When doing a heavy eye look, do the eyes first and foundation second to avoid additional clean up.

Maybelline New York at Catherine Malandrino F/W 2011

STEP 1: Fit Me! Bronzer: apply down the cheek bones and down the jaw line to emphasize the contours.
STEP 2: Eye Studio Color Plush Eyeshadow in Pink Persuasion: use the darkest color in the crease of the eye and the lighter to highlight under the eyebrow and inner corners.
STEP 3: Shine Sensational in Minty Sheer: apply directly from the tube for maximum shine.
TIP OF THE DAY: Dab on some Line Express Eyeliner on the lid to make your shadow last longer.

Maybelline New York at BCBG Max Azria F/W 2011

STEP 1: Fit Me! Pressed Powder: apply all over with the sponge for a smooth finish.
STEP 2: Eye Studio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadow in Give Me Gold: put the darkest color underneath the eye, the middle in the crease and outer corners, and the lightest in the middle for a gold highlight.
STEP 3: Color Sensational Pearls in So Pearly: dab on the lipstick for a see-through effect.
TIP OF THE DAY: Using Define-A-Brow, brush out and fill in your brows to frame your eye makeup.

Maybelline New York at Vivienne Tam F/W 2011

STEP 1: Dream Liquid Mousse: apply all over like you would your moisturizer for a poreless finish.
STEP 2: Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner: create a modern effect by starting from the middle of the eye and then going up at an angle, creating a perfect edge. Fill in for a thick solid line result.
STEP 3: Color Sensational in Warm Me Up: apply directly from the tube for maximum coverage.
TIP OF THE DAY: Finish off the look by applying a coat of Lash Stiletto Mascara for perfect long lashes.

Maybelline New York at L.A.M.B. F/W 2011

STEP 1: Fit Me! Foundation: apply all over like you would your moisturizer.
STEP 2: Line Express Eyeliner: outline the eye in a sort of cat-eye shape, fill in the eyebrows, and the smudge with a brush or your finger for a strong look.
STEP 3: Fit Me! Concealer: dab on the lip for a nude finish.
TIP OF THE DAY: For a more edgy greasy look, do not powder around the eyes so that the liner can smudge naturally.

You can tell that the new “Fit Me!” Foundation, the Volum’ Express the Falsies Mascara and the Line Express Eyeliner were staples for the makeup artists at the shows and each of these only run around $6 -$8 (*and if you watch, there are usually BOGO1/2off at Walgreen’s and CVS pretty regularly.).

So, have you tried any of these Maybelline products? Any of them you are looking to try? I think I am going to try to go find my “Fit Me!” match pretty soon myself. Lemme know what your match is, if you go and find out, too.

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MAC’s upcoming collection, “To the Beach” is packed with so many summer products, including a LOT of bronzing options. They are in colorful lime-ish green and orange packaging & have a highlighter that it just too pretty to use, in my opinion. I mean, look at it over there <---.

I’m not kidding when I say it is a big collection – I tried to show you as many of the prods, that I had a chance to try, as I could in my video, but it still seemed a bit rushed. Please let me know if you have any questions about anything and I’ll be sure to slow down a bit and answer you.

Beauty Blogging Junkie: Spill: what eyeliner IS Eyeliner Richard, a.k.a. Richard Alpert who is played by Nestor Carbonell wearing? Emily Katz: Nestor Carbonell who plays Richard Alpert has no makeup on his eyes! He is of Cuban descent and is naturally blessed with the thickest set of lashes I have ever seen in my career. Women should envy him. It’s truly unbelievable; we have to try to diminish them ! And yet, he is the NICEST man as well.

And with that, I leave you with a coupla things. 1) A picture of Nestor as Batmanuel in “The Tick and 2) The delicious rumor that JJ Abrams has picked Nestor to play Kahn in the Star Trek reboot sequel. Of course, at this point it is strictly a Rumor, with a Capital R, but I’m pretty sure I could buy Nestor as Khan, just as easily as I *know* he could convince me to buy a car with “fine Corinthian leather”.P.S. I lied – I had to share this vid from Comic-Con 2009 showing behind the scenes look at Nestor getting ready for the “Lost” panel:

Luckily, I went to Walgreen’s and came across the L’oreal HiP Kohl Eyeliner, and it was only $11.99 – big diff from the $34 for the Guerlain. I figured it was worth that to try and see what all the raves for kohl were all about. First I needed to learn what to do with it, as you *can* use it to line your lids, but it tends to drop powder everywhere and not really have much staying power. However, if you use it on the waterlines, it can make a difference in making your eyes pop for a night out.

I turned to youtube for a tutorial on how to apply the Kohl in a way called “tightlining”, where you line your upper water line, and you can line your lower water line at the same time, too:

(*Yes, I know she is demo’ing with the Guerlain, but it’s the same process as the HiP has the same type applicator wand).

With this demo, I was able to apply it first try. I thought it was beginners luck, but I have been able to do it sucessfully since, so it really was helpful to see someone else apply it first.

Now, I have been using the Burgundy color the longest, but I have also tried the Navy and Gold now. The Navy really makes the whites of my eyes brighten, but the Gold just wasn’t as bright as I would have thought and seemed kind of flat on me. But, all three of these just last and last for hours on end. In fact, if for some reason I fall asleep wearing this, I wake up in the morning looking like I am going to do the walk of shame home, even if that walk is only from my bed to the bathroom. It’s still there, and doesn’t disappear like so many liners do when applied to the waterline.

You can get these at any CVS, Walgreen’s, or anywhere L’oreal HiP is avail. But, I would wait for a BOGO sale at the drugstores and pick up a coupla colors. Since you won’t wear these for everyday, they will last you a long time.