FOTD: My New Goodies by Kevyn Aucoin, Sleek, Wet n Wild

I recently got myself a few makeup gifts for my upcoming birthday, and decided to write up some first impression reviews. Here’s the full look:

Kevyn Aucoin Volume Mascara

Uh… you can’t really see the mascara in the FOTD photo. That’s because my lashes are naturally short, sparse, and not very visible in selfies, even with volumizing mascara on. However, I can say that Kevyn Aucoin Volume works just fine! I didn’t have time to take an eye pic, but hopefully, I will put one up on this blog soon.

In another post, I mentioned that I had sworn off expensive mascara after trying Essence’s cheapo volumizing mascara, I Love Extreme. However, since I learned that Kevyn Aucoin is cruelty-free, I’d been wanting to add something by this brand to my collection. (Who doesn’t love Kevyn Aucoin??) I needed a mascara the most, so… *shrugs*

Unlike I Love Extreme, the Aucoin mascara does not create that spidery effect. It’s actually surprisingly understated, producing a look that’s kind of a “middle road” between the Essence and my other mascara that just expired, Milk Makeup Ubame. Like the latter, the Aucoin mascara separates the lashes very well and makes them, um, “fluttery.” But it’s clearly a black mascara, whereas Ubame had hardly any color to it.

I also love that the Aucoin wand is really small and delicate, which allows me to cover my lashes fully. I had a hard time getting to the roots with the hammy Essence wand!

Sleek Hemisphere Highlighter

Did you know that the British brand, Sleek is now sold at Walgreens? At least one Walgreens in San Francisco: the one on Fillmore, by SF Japantown. I actually entered that store to look for Royal Calyx, the new lavender highlighter by Wet n Wild. (I recently had my interest in highlighters rekindled by Russian blogger Elia Chaba’s bombastic posts.) Turns out Royal Calyx is only available on the Ulta website, but no problem–I got the legendary Sleek Solstice palette, which also has a lavender highlighter! It’s called Hemisphere, and Temptalia lists it as a Royal Calyx dupe.

On me, Hemisphere doesn’t read as “boom! lavender!”, but its super cool tone creates a strong contrast with my skin. I love it. Besides Hemisphere, I’ve tried one other Solstice highlighter so far: the creamy beige called Ecliptic, which is very subtle and translucent (like a plastic bag). From what I know, the Glossier stick highlighters have a similar effect.

Wet n Wild Video Vixen Liquid Lipstick

I’d never heard the term Video Vixen before, and I assumed that Wet n Wild was just inspired by the 90s (“VHS era”) dark lipstick. But I now see that the term has a large and contentious cultural history.

As for the product itself–I’d long, long wanted to own a fully matte dark lipstick, and Wet n Wild had been a strong contender since the release of the Liquid Catsuit line. Video Vixen didn’t disappoint–just like the other Liquid Catsuits I’ve tried, it’s relatively light and not devastatingly dry. Which, to me, means it’s a good liquid lipstick. Here’s a post where I express all my thoughts on the whole genre of liquid-to-mattes).

However, Video Vixen has a large and glaring issue: with the way I apply liquid lipstick (in a light layer on top of a balm) it comes off easily, and it doesn’t look too hot when worn off. As in, Video Vixen completely disappears in the middle of the lips. And when you reapply, the finish gets uneven and clotty. I haven’t figured out how to deal with this yet. Maybe apply a more emollient lip product on top?..

The other problem (a small one, this time) is that Video Vixen, like other Liquid Catsuits, dries down really quickly. So, if you’re the one to blend your lipstick after application, that needs to be done swiftly, one lip at a time.