Vincent Longo Duo Eye Pencil

I have been doing a bit of cleaning and re-organizing over the past few days and I decided that I was going to work on my traincase last weekend and dig all the way to the bottom to find some long lost favorites.  I haven't really unearthed anything new but I did find two old Vincent Longo eye pencils and I out both of them to the test later on that weekend.  I bought any new Vincent Longo products since Bath and Body Works and Sephora stopped carrying this makeup line. I want to find a brick and mortar store that carries it and play around with anything new that has come from this line.  I see some items that I don't recognize on the website and I am curious to see if the formulas and quality have remained the same or have been revamped.  Overall, I have found that the Vincent Longo collection contains some amazing products and then formulas that are complete duds.  It is one of the two extremes and therefore I am wary of just ordering the products online without seeing or being able to play with testers.

The Duo Eye Pencils are what I dug out of the bottom of my traincase this time around, I first bought and used these at Bath and Body Works many years ago and I wasn't in love with this product but didn't hate it.  These two came from a friend who could not get the formula to cooperate with her contact lenses and gave up trying after a few weeks.  Since I have been wearing my glasses exclusively for a few years now, I took these off her hands and then gave them a try.  I don't remember what I thought of them when she first gave me the pencils (maybe a year ago) so I worked with both of them over the past few days.  I can already state that this is one product formula that has not been changed since I first tried the line...and this is not a positive statement.

"Using two shades of eye pencil is a professional technique and easy makeup tip for creating intense and smoldering eyes. Combined complimentary shades encourage maximum creativity and remove the guess work for fast and easy application.  A must have for every makeup bag.  Smudge resistant and long wearing.  Glide-on application prevents tugging of delicate eye tissue.  Creamy texture and rich pigment blend easily to give maximum definition and shape to eyes.  Sharpens to a fine point without breakage.  Suitable for eyes of all ages.", states the Vincent Longo website.  The website goes on further to give more instructions about the best method of use for the product.  "Use the darker shade to define and shape your eyes by applying it along the lashline and in the outer corners.  Apply the lighter shade to the inner corners of your eyes to brighten and open them up.   The lighter shade may also be smudged over your upper lid to highlight your brow bone as well as intensify the color of your eyeshadow.  Blend the two shades together along the lashline midway between each corner to bring-out your eye color."

The colors are as follows...

- Mystic Sabine - deep shimmering brown/black
- Cabaret Urban Nights - matte plum/matte charcoal
- Brown Fawn Silk - medium brown cream/lilac cream
- Brown Orofila Golden Moss - medium gold cream/medium charcoal cream
- Jet Black Brown Black - deep black cream/deep brown cream
- Knight Spell Carnaby Pink - medium gray cream/pale pink cream
- Lapiz Lazlu - medium blue cream/medium jade green cream
- Lime Forest - pale green cream/medium navy cream
- London Glimmer Jet Black - deep charcoal shimmer/deep black cream
- Midnight Smoke - deep navy blue cream/medium charcoal cream
- Raisin Cabernet Esmeralda - deep purple cream/deep charcoal cream
- Satin Plum - light blue cream/medium navy cream

I have the Jet Black Brown Black and Brown Orofila Golden Moss pencils from this shade line up.  The best aspect about this product is that the shade line up is extensive and the idea for the use of the two shades to line the eyes is very unique and works well once the product is actually applied (sort of).  I get the most use from the Jet Black Brown Black shade, it is a very nice neutral that works with all kinds of eye makeup shades.  The other shade that I have (Brown Orofila Golden Moss) is a pretty gold hue but I don't love the look when used with the charcoal shade.  I only use these two shade alone with complementing eye makeup shades. 

The aspects of the product that I dislike will take much longer to write up.  The first aspect that I dislike is the hardness of the liner, it pulls and tugs on my eye area and would be much improved by having a softer formula that would glide on much easier.  I can barely use this formula without getting annoyed at the formula and therefore I would rarely use the two pencils that I own and have no reason to purchase any more shades of it.  The pigment is lacking in the lighter shades of these pencils, the gold hue kills me when I use it.  I have to go over the line at least twice and then work with the hard to use formula even more than I would like to.

This is one of the Vincent Longo products that is a complete dud, I like the concept of the complementing shades but the formula is so bad that I hate using the two liners that I already own from this company.  I much prefer gel or liquid liners to begin with and this formula is great example of why I prefer to purchase many types of liners other then the traditional pencil liner.  I would be willing to try a gel liner from Vincent Longo but I would hesitate before ordering any type of pencil liner from this company since I have gotten such horrible results from this formula.

photo courtesy of Vincent Longo

Vincent Longo Water Canvas Creme-to-Powder Foundation

The end of May begins the time of the year that I rarely wear foundation and will only wear the lightest feeling formula when I do bother to use it.  I have been very much into the Urban Decay Beauty Balm for the past few weeks and I think that this is the face product that I will be turning to until Labor Day.  I will only use foundation if I need it to even my skin tone when getting very dressed up or if I am having a horrible skin day and the extra coverage is needed.  Whatever the case may be, I am putting my favorite NARS Sheer Matte formula away for the summer and have ordered a compact of the Vincent Longo Water Canvas Foundation to use when I need extra lightweight coverage.

Many of you will remember that I first used the Vincent Longo makeup line right after I graduated from college and was working at a Flagship Bath and Body Works, this was when a select group of Bath and Body Works carried extra makeup, skin, and hair care lines and I was able to try all kinds of products out when I was working there.  Vincent Longo Water Canvas is one of the stand out products in the line and one of my personal favorites, this still remains one of the best blush formulas that I have ever used and I am running very low on my last pot of it.  The foundation in this formula is just as unique and fabulous and this is the foundation that I ordered to alternate with my beauty balm for the next three months.  This is the lightest weight foundation formula that I have ever used and it somehow actually still covers flaws and even skin tone out like a heavier formula would.

The compound that makes the Water Canvas line so unique is called Microwater, this product is 75% Microwater and it helps the product to look and feel very natural on the skin.  Microwater is unique to Vincent Longo, this company holds the patent and I believe that the brand representative from this company told me that it was made in conjunction with the scientists from the major Asian beauty company, Kose.  Kose is the parent company of Awake, one of my favorite Asian skincare lines and I know that any product from this company will be unique and high quality. 

The Vincent Longo website is one of the few places that I can find this collection, it has been pulled out of Bath and Body Works and Sephora over the past few years and it gets harder and harder to find each year.  "A patented and award winning Water Canvas Creme-to-Powder Foundation imparts a real-skin (neither too moist nor too matte) powder finish on the skin. The unique, ultra-lightweight and refreshing liquid/solid texture hydrates skin and allows it to naturally breathe.  Contains 75% Microwater, a 100% natural botanical seaweed polymer and silica which maintain the skin’s moisture balance and minimizes fine lines and wrinkles.  Vitamin E protects the skin from free radical damage.  To prevent evaporation, be sure to keep the lid locked closed between applications."

The website also provides details for best application techniques.  "Start with the Water Canvas Base to smooth and brighten skin.  For sheer coverage, apply with VL Brush #37 working in light downward strokes.  The Water Canvas sponge will provide medium-to-full coverage and should be used by gently pressing the sponge into the skin."  I have this product in Porcelain however it is available in a full range of shades, most of which tend to run warm when you try them in natural light.

Application is really key with this product, I lightly rub the makeup sponge around the edge of the product in a circular motion and then apply it my to face.  I do this twice, once to cover my whole face and get a base coat down and then I apply it again to areas that need more coverage (under my eyes, cheek redness, and my nose area).  The second coat is needed for full coverage of problem areas but only one is really needed for good skin areas.  I then do need to touch up with a bit of concealer, as I would with the NARS formula and then I am able to top if off with loose powder or bronzer and I am good to go for the day. 

This formula lasts throughout the whole day as long as I use a powder formula with it and a primer underneath it.  I am using a Smashbox primer right now and I am getting great results from the combination of the products.  This foundation is best for warmer weather or for someone who wants a very lightweight formula and has no major skin issues that need a full coverage foundation formula.

Drawbacks of the product - You must close this pot fully (until you hear an audible "click"), close is wrong once and you have lost your whole compact of the product because the Microwater evaporates and dries out almost instantly.  The shade range leaves a bit to be desired for ladies with cooler toned skin, I find that many of the shades are warmer and have yellow undertones to them (instead of blue or neutrals), this is one of the hardest foundation lines for me to fine a good shade for my skin tone.  The biggest drawback of the product is how high maintenance the formula is; you must lightly rub your sponge along the top of the product to pick it up and it must be applied with a sponge (there is no other way to apply it correctly).  Two coats are needed for problem areas and coverage needs to be built, it takes a bit longer in the morning to apply this product correctly (though I find the payoff to be worth it).  Above all, you must make sure that you close the product correctly every single time, one incomplete closure with kill your whole compact.  If you are not willing to invest this much time into this routine, then this is not the formula for you and I recommend that you do not try this product. 

I love this formula and can commit to the maintenance of it and love the results that I get from it.  This is not a typical foundation formula however it can give you a fabulous result if you are willing to put the effort into making it work!

photo courtesy of Vincent Longo

Vincent Longo Large Eye Shadow Brush #22

I have mostly been talking about product themselves lately but today I want to turn the tables and talk about one of the brushes that works to make my makeup great.  After all, makeup only looks as good as the user can apply it and a good brush arsenal is the best way to get a flawless makeup appliction.  Most of you will remember that I tend to rave about NARS Eye Makeup Brushes and these are still my favorites on the market, you can get nothing better than a NARS eye makeup brush.  Today we are going to look a little-known jewel in my collection, the Vincent Longo Large Eye Shadow Brush #22, this is a huge eye shadow blending brush.  This one is even larger than the NARS #3 Eye Shadow Brush,  a Holy Grail of mine.

The Eye Shadow Brush #22 is best used for blending, this is just too large to deposit pigment and it will create a bit of a mess if you insisit on using it in this fashion.  "This eyeshadow brush should be used to apply your lightest shade of eyeshadow across your lid. Its large size and softness facilitates blending all shades of eyeshadow together at the end of your application for a seemless finish." 

Vincent Longo suggests that this brush can used to apply the highlighter shade of eye shadow or to apply your eye shadow if you like a sheer wash of color.  Maybe my eyes are much smaller than the ladies that this was designed for, but I find this brush to be too large to deposit pigment in any organized fashion.  "Dip the brush into the #1, Sun, or Sex shade of your trio shadow. Use small circular motions to apply the color over your lid from the lash line to the brow bone. When all eye color has been applied, gently sweep the brush over the whole lid to blend everything together."  Blending and bringing the look together is where this brush excels and I recommend that you use it in this fashion, one or two sweeps of it will quickly blend all your eye makeup and provide the perfect finishing touch for any eye look. 

How is this brush different from NARS #3 and do you need to own both?  No I don't believe that you MUST own both but it certainly would be helpful to own both sizes.  The NARS brush is slightly more all purpose, this brush is small enough to deposit highlighting shadow but is still a good enough size to blend all your eye makeup after application.  If you can only own one, then I still recommend that you buy the NARS brush, you will get more overall use from it.  The Longo brush is larger and fluffier and I cannot apply eye shadow with it, it works very well to blend but using it to apply pigment can create a huge mess on the eyelid.  This brush is a nice to own but you could get by without it...but I don't recommend it!

I ordered this brush from the Vincent Longo website when I wanted another eye shadow brush for blending.  I have been doing many bronze and gold eye looks and blending is very important to pull these eye makeup looks off.  Also, blending is really important when I try to mix rose and gold shades to create a rose gold gilded eye look, both of the Longo and NARS brushes will provide the result but the Longo brush provides a quicker blending experience and the overall effect is slightly softer.

photo courtesy of Vincent Longo

Vincent Longo The Curl Mascara

I used to use Vincent Longo products all the time when they were carried at Sephora but ever since then, I rarely order or find them anywhere.  I was digging through my stash of unopened products the other day and I found a never-used tube of mascara, I believe that I bought this right when Sephora was discontinuing the line and they had a huge sale on the products at the store.  I had remembered using and liking a mascara formula from them but since I wasn't sure which one it was, I just deicded to try something new and picked up a tube of The Curl Mascara.  I didn't need a new mascara at the time so I put it aside and forgot about it for quite a while, I was a bit nervous to use this product since I didn't remember quite when I actually bought it but the tube was sealed the whole time and nothing seemed off about the formula itself. 

When I was making my decision, I decided that I would patch test this prodduct first.  I rubbed some on my arm and let it wear all night.  I didn't have any problems and as I said above, the texture was fine and it smelled like every other Longo mascara that I had used so I decided to give this product a go.  This experience made me wonder how long cosmetics are really good for and how long they can sit on the shelf before they are sold to us...

The Curl Mascara is a slightly misleading name for a mascara, I have stated before and I will say it again right here.  Mascara cannot curl your lashes, it can only help to maintain the curl that you have already put on your lashes.  Therefore, if you want curled lashes, use an eye lash curler and then use a formula that will help the curl to stay in place.  This is a formula that you will like if you take the time to curl your lashes and really want them to stay in place all day.

This line of makeup is available on the Vincent Longo website and therefore that is where I will pull the product description from.  "Think deeply colored, lengthy lashes that never clump, curl naturally and reach toward the heavens. Inspired by those true full lashes that some women are born with, and we all wish we had, the Curl's leading edge formula amplifies lashes without looking false or cakey, bestowing every woman with "well-endowed" yet natural looking lashes.  Unique curved wand follows the lashline to evenly distribute the mascara while it reaches and separates every lash.  Volumizing fibers and natural waxes contour and define lashes, yet feel weightless.  Dries quickly and will not smudge.  Easily removed with make-up remover or soap and water."

The following type of application is recommended if you wish to really enhance the curl of your lashes.  "Apply mascara using a zigzag motion from the roots to the tips of the lashes. Apply product more generously to the outer corner of the lashline to extend and open the eye."  This is pretty much how I apply any formula of mascara, there is nothing super unique about this type of application and I doubt that it will really change your lashes...

This mascara only comes in a black shades which is fine with me since I only wear black mascaras.  This is regular black, nothing amazing.  The formula needed a makeup remover to get off but removed pretty cleanly and without giving me raccoon eyes.

This mascara is really made to enhance curl, it is not specifically for lengthening or volumizing.  This is another one of those mascaras that gives me nice lashes and a good result but I wouldn't rebuy because it doesn't provide the huge, thick lashes that I tend to buy mascaras for.  Two coats of this product didn't get close to the results that I get from one coat of Buxom Lash or Diorshow so I know that I would buy a formula closer to either of those.  This formula worked best for me when I used it with Buxom Sculpted Lash, I used the Buxom formula to build volume and length and then used this formula is enhance the curl that I put in my lashes.  This style of application made the formula more to my liking but I still would rather use two coats of a volumizing mascara that is formulated to hold a curl.  At this point, most mascaras are formulated to help hold a curl and a separate formula is not needed for that...

photo courtesy of Vincent Longo

Vincent Longo Cushion Lips SPF 20

I am one of those people who cannot exist without lip balm, I carry one with me everywhere and am using it all throughout the day and night.  My lips are on the larger side (which I love) and get dry so very easily so they chapp very easily in the fall and winter months so I need some type of lip balm even more than I normally do.  Over the years, I have tried many products that have worked well and many that have not done a thing to help my chapped lips.  I am currently in love with my tube of Fresh Lip Sugar and have not had any major issues with my lips since I started the tube last month.  I might be content right now but trust me, it took a long time and many errors for me to get to this point.  One of the errors was the Vincent Longo Cushion Lips SPF 20 lip conditioner...

I first tried this product a bit ago and initally liked the results so I ordered a tube of it.  It worked well at first but couldn't sustain any type of hydration.  I will admit that I made a mistake when I purchased this product, I normally prefer thick lip balms and this thin gel formula is not what I normally use.  Maybe I expected too much from this product but I found that it did not perform up to my high standards for lip conditioners.  

"Cushion Lips SPF 20 is a gel conditioner that adheres to lips and maintains lip moisture for hours, while helping shield lips from the damaging effects of UVA and UVB rays.  The unique golden apple colour compliments the skin tone of all lips, accentuating the natural-flesh undertones.  Use Cushion Lips SPF 20 as part of your beauty routine, while traveling in flight, when lips are exposed to the environment, as well as for professional wear.  Complete UVA protection plus powerful UVB filtering.  Amazing lip comfort and long-lasting conditioning.  Universal complimentary colour.  Perfect travel-size, on-the-go lip refresher."

The Vincent Longo website advises the following to receive optimal use from the product, "Apply to dehydrated, chapped, and irritated lips as needed, and prior to environmental exposure.  For the more natural look, and as part of your bedtime beauty routine, apply a small amount of Bang Bang Lip Volume Lotion to clean, bare lips.  Wait 15 seconds and follow with Cushion Lips SPF 20.  You will encourage firm, plump lips and drench your lips in shiny conditioners for the softest, most kissable lips imaginable."

I first tried this product a few years ago when this brand was still carried at Bath and Body Works, I tried it on and it worked well initially but the store was sold out of the product so I wasn't able to buy the product.  I remembered that I liked it intially so when I was browsing on the Vincent Longo website several months ago, I added a tube of it to my cart thinking that I would still love it. 

The product works well when it is first applied, however this product cannot sustain the same type of results that it provides when first applied.  When I first applied it, it instantly hydrated my lips however I didn't see any type of plumping effect (not that I really would if I am going to be very honest).  The hydrated effect lasted for about an hour then faded away and I needed to reapply the product.  This cycle just continued over and over again for the next few days until I had the product finished up in slightly under two weeks.  The fact that I had to keep reapplying is the reason that I would not order this product again, Smith's Rose Salve works better and lasts much longer.  I felt like I was just throwing money away on this product since the result never lasted more than an hour or two.  Also I never saw the point of Longo making a fuss about the shade of the product, my lips never looked any different with the use of this product then when I wasn't using it...

This product would have been better for me if it would have lasted longer, there is no point in me using a lip conditioner that I have to keep repallying to reap any benefits of...

photo courtesy of Vincent Longo

Vincent Longo Day Play Duo Compact Blush

I haven't really been thinking about blush lately, until I looked at the Smashbox fall collection yesterday, I can honestly state that I haven't been looking at new formulas or shades lately.  I had purchased so many new shades from Illamasqua last spring and have been rotating in between them and Benefit's Bella Bamba over the past few weeks.  I started thinking about blush again after reading about that formula and specially Vincent Longo blush formulas.  I have loved the Water Canvas Blush formula for years and I revisited the company's website to see if any new shades were released over the past few months.  No new shades have been released, but I did start looking at some of the other formulas and thought about ones that I have tried over the years.  One of the formulas that I used a few years ago and have fond memories of is the Day Play Duo Compact Blush, a compact that contains two complementary shades that can be used alone or mixed together.

The Day Play Duo Compact is a product that allows the user to mix the two shades of blush in order to create a full variety of shades.  "This powder blush captures the vitality of a youthful glow with its creamy, densely pigmented formula.  The texture disperses evenly and blends effortlessly leaving a radiant glow to the cheeks.", states the Vincent Longo website in an overall product description.  This line is now much reduced in availability, a complaint that I have had with quite a few makeup and skincare lines lately.  I feel like as soon as Sephora reduces the counter size or decides to stop carrying the brand, almost every other website and retailer follows their lead.  Can I start a website of the "rejected" lines?  I bet that I could make it a pay very quickly...

This product can be applied in a variety of ways.  Vincent Longo suggests the following mode, "Dip into the Day side to create a natural daytime glow, and the Play side to contour the cheeks and add drama for night.  The two shades can also be blended together to create a unique, multi-tonal color for any time of the day."  This product is currently available in the following six shades.

- Canyon Light - medium warm bronze/pale tan
- Coral Crush - bright warm peach coral/pale peach
- Heart's Desire - medium plum/medium rose
- Innocence - medium pink/light to medium warm peach
- Misty Blossom - medium warm pink coral/light warm pink
- Temple Peach - medium peach/deep warm peach

Heart's Desire is the shade that I always used from this product line, I have found that many of the blush and face shades from this company tend to lean toward the warm side and I often have a hard time finding shades that are flattering on me, even the pink corals are warmer than I would normally find flattering.  The Day shade in the Heart's Desire compact is the rose shade and the plum shade is the Play shade, I use the rose shade by itself and then mix the two of them to add a bit of the pink tone to the plum shade.  I don't love the plum shade by itself so I do need to add some of the rose shade and the mixture is much improved.  The pigmenton both the Day and Play are decent, they have a nice color payoff but Illamaqua and NARS both contain much more pigment than this line does.  I prefer the Water Canvas Blush from this company, the pigmentation and wear are nicer.  Since the rest of the shades are too warm for me, I can't see that I will need to buy anymore shades from this product line.  I wish that this company would continue to offer new products and shades, many formulas are top quality but I never see anything new that I wish to order...

photo courtesy of Vincent Longo

Vincent Longo Baby Balm Lipstick

My Vincent Longo collection seems to grow every single time that I do some more cleaning, I cannot believe how many products I bought from this line and then put away and forgot about.  Baby Balm Lipstick was one of the later releases in the Vincent Longo line and started to become popular just as I was moving away from this product line.  This is a hybrid product that is half way between a lipstick and a lip balm, creating a sheer wash of hydrating color that sticks on the lips like a traditional cream lipstick.  This is a very typical sheer lipstick formula, there is nothing in this formula that will change your life but it performs very well among the other brands on the market.

"An ideal lipstick and unique, gloss meets protective balm formula.  Moisturizers combine with pigments to provide a sheer veil of color rendering the lips naturally sexy.  It's extremely comfortable, emollient texture restores, heals, and prevents the lips from aging.  Vitamins C and E paired with soothing Apricot Nut Oils protect and repair lips from free radical damage.  High shine polymers provide a long-lasting delicately glossy finish and a sheer veil of color.  A balanced mix of waxes and lightweight oils create a thin protective lip barrier for a very comfortable feel." 

This lipstick is creates a great finish and feel on the lips, however it is not all the different than any other sheer lipstick.  I own this lipstick in Sheer Contessa, a sheer medium berry shade.  Vincent Longo suggests the following as an application technique: "Sheer color lipsticks last longer when applied over defined lips.  Use our Lip Pencil in a coordinating shade to shape and contour your mouth.  Beginning in the center of your lips, use VL Brush #35 or #36 to paint a thin layer of color.  Completely paint lips up to and including the lip line.  Blot and paint a second layer of color."  I tend to use this product in a slightly lower maintence way, I use it on clean, bare lips for a very sheer flush of berry tint.  I agree that the lipstick would last longer with the matching lip pencil but this type of application would give a much more pigmented look than I want from a sheer lipstick.  If I am going to use it as Longo suggests, I might as well use a traditional satin or cream formula.

I get about two to three hours of wear from this product, I do need to reapply almost every single time that I eat or drink something.  The formula is very hydrating and I love the soft, cushy feel of it on the lips.  This product can truely be called a lip balm with a small hint of color, a hydrating lip gloss will give you many of the same effects as this product.

The shades that are offered in this sheer lipstick formula are...

- Honey Cafe - sheer neutral nude
- Positano - sheer warm medium nude
- Sorrento - sheer warm medium orange
- Sheer Contessa - sheer cool medium berry
- Amorosa - sheer cool medium pink
- Fawn Nestle - sheer pink nude
- Fresh Carnal - sheer flesh tone
- Le Cameron - sheer light blue pink
- Love Berry - sheer medium blue pink
- Soft Saturn - sheer warm peach
- Tawny Mauve - sheer warm mauve

I like the finish from this lipstick however it is not a very unique formula, almost any sheer lipstick formula would perform similar to or exactly the same as this product.  There aren't really any unique aspects of this product, I like the sheer color that it produces and the hydrating benefits that it provides but most sheer lipsticks provide similar benefits.  Amorosa and Love Berry are pretty sheer pink hues but they aren't very different from the pinks that I have already bought from Clinique's Almost Lipstick line.  Since Vincent Longo products are getting harder to find, I don't know that I would expand all the effort to find this product when I could use the Clinique Almost Lipstick or the NARS Sheer Lipstick formula.

photo courtesy of Vincent Longo

Vincent Longo Pressed Face Powder

The past few times that I have bought powder, I have been buying loose formulas.  In fact, I haven't used a pressed face powder in the past few years and I am beginning to miss the coverage and ease of the product use.  Especially after the last few times of spilling loose powder all over my outfit and having to change my shirt right before I am going out.  I have been thinking fondly of one of my former favorite pressed powders and I am plotting a full Vincent Longo order just for this product.  I first bought the pressed powder formula from Vincent Longo several years ago and I am relooking at it for next fall (all summer long I will use bronzer and have very little need for pressed powder).  My goal is to add the right pressed powder to my makeup collection and be able to create a no-makeup look from tinted moisturizer and pressed powder.

"One of the softest, lightest weight powders available in compact form.  By triple milling the powder and using real silk fibers, the powder becomes ultra fine and smooth to the touch.  The large mirrored compact is great for touching up your makeup on-the-go.  Blends completely into foundation and concealer, leaving no residue for a totally invisible finish.  Absorbs surface oils and sets foundation and concealer to maintain a smooth, matte canvas throughout the day.  Eye and cheek color glide-on over the pressed powder, color will not streak."  I am envisioning using this pressed powder formula for two major purposes; the first being for additional coverage over tinted moisturizer and the second being for a touch up product to use as needed throughout the day. 

Vincent Longo's website recommends the best usage of this product.  "Dab the Deluxe Velour Puff into the compact being sure to work the powder into the velour fibers.  Tap the puff into the palm of your hand to remove excess powder and starting with the undereye area, lightly press the powder into your skin.  Continue pressing as you move over your eyelids, up to your forehead, along your temples and cheekbones, down your nose and ending along your chin and jaw line."  I haven't used a puff for pressed powder since I was in high school and didn't know the value of a good set of makeup brushes.  I understand that using a puff is much easier for touch ups since then I wouldn't have to carry a brush around with me all day, however I bet that I will try it once with a puff and then go right back to packing a brush in my makeup bag.  I have also heard that using the puff gives more coverage and this type of use is recommended if you are using a pressed powder instead of foundation.  Personally, I find that using a puff makes the finish less natural on my skin and leaves excess powder all over my face.  Even though the company recommends one of their puffs, I will continue to use pressed powders with a fluffy face brush.

This product is currently available in six shades, one that is translucent and five that are tinted.  I use the Translucent shade since the rest are too dark for my pale skin.  The Translucent shade if the easiest work with and typically is most flattering shade of powder.  I have only been using translucent loose powders and I don't see myself starting to use tinted powders anytime soon, I never find tinted powders to look very natural or flattering.  With the exceptions of bronzers, I never use tinted powders and have never found a way to make them work for my skintone. 

I am not currently shopping for a pressed powder but I just wanted to write up how much I liked this powder the last time that I bought and wanted to see if the shades and formula were still the same.  I still don't think that I will ever pressed powder exclusively but I want another product to take with me in my bag and for when I don't have the patience to deal with loose powder in the mornings.

photo courtesy of Vincent Longo

Vincent Longo Rejuvenating Velvet Riche Lipstick

Over the past weekend, I decided to go through my entire traincase and see if there is anything that I could purge to save a bit of room.  I pulled out a pile of products that I put on the chopping block and made individual decisions on whether or not I would ever use them again.  Well, on the plus side, I refound some products and shades that I had forgotten about but I didn't end up purging anything.  Every single product I decided that I would use again sometime soon or that I really loved when I first bought it.  I am so bad with throwing beauty products away, I always remember how much I loved the product when I bought it and decide that I will somehow use it again in the near future...

One of the products that was on my "throw away" pile were two shades of Vincent Longo Rejuvenating Velvet Riche Lipstick, both shades are reds and these are among the first reds that I ever bought soon after I started wearing more color on my face.  I kept these shades to add my collection of red lip shades, a collection that continues to grow and grow with every passing season.  Velvet Riche is a very unique formula of lipstick so these two shades should hold a special place in my lipstick collection.  I bought these way back when Bath and Body Works still offered the Vincent Longo line at some of it's stores and I used them once or twice but then became afraid of the colors and they found their way to the bottom of my traincase.  I guess that my first reds shouldn't have been full pigment cream finishes...

I got all of my information about this product from the Vincent Longo website since this brand is getting harder and harder to find in most major retailers.  "Now with lip firming and anti-aging ingredients that protect and plump lips.  Our version of the classic 1950's cream lipstick, our luxurious lotion-like formula caresses and contours lips with full-color, soft luster finish.  Sophisticated, refined, and provocative, Velvet Riche Lipstick looks professional in the board room and glamourous on the red carpet.  Contains collagen and hyaluronic acid filling spheres to firm lips and keep them youthful looking.  Essential oils, Vitamin E, and Aloe Vera protect and moisturize lip tissue.  A beeswax base keeps color vibrant and ensures a long lasting wear.  The lotion-like texture clings to the lips and prevents color from bleeding over the lip line."

This lipstick formula has very precise application instructions, when I bought this the company's rep told me that it can't even be applied straight from the tube.  Apparently the lipstick itself is so delicate that it can broken with any type of application straight from the tube.  The company recommends the following mode of application, "Velvet Riche Lipstick should be applied over defined lips.  Use our Lip Pencil in a coordinating shade to shape and contour your mouth.  Beginning in the center of your lips, use VL Brush #5 or #6 to paint a thin layer of Velvet Riche color.  Completely paint lips up to and including the lip line.  Blot and paint a second layer of Velvet Riche."  Of course I would purchase a lip formula that is so high maintence for one of my first lipstick purchases, no wonder this product was only used once or twice...

The formula is a hydrating cream formula, it has no added shimmer to it.  This is the exact same look that was seen on Marilyn Monroe and so many actresses in the 1950s and early 1960s and is not for someone trying to pull of a natural look or who does not love the look of lipstick.  I apply this lipstick in accordance with some of the company's instructions, I don't use the lip pencil first.  However, I do use the lip brush (I have one from Origins) and while it takes a bit of work to get it perfect, it will last well over the next few hours.  This formula is best for dramatic shades, since it takes time to get the application perfect but it will stay all day.  This formula stays on after light drinking and wears like most longwearing lip formulas.  I am aware that I could get an all day wear from this formula if I used the lip pencil underneath but this is one of the few products that I have never tried and honestly never really plan on it...

The shades that are currently available in this formula...

- Carnelian Whisper - rich strawberry red cream
- Dakota Red - medum neutral brick red cream
- Grace - light cool blue pink cream
- Hush Delight - warm light peach cream
- Ignition - bright cherry red cream
- Indie Rose - medium cool pink cream
- La Prima - medium warm coral pink cream
- Ouch - bright medium cool pink cream
- Pure Demure - light neutral nude cream
- Rain Dance - cool dusty rose cream
- Ravish Sin - medium warm raisin cream
- Sexy Lady - light nude pink cream
- Sweet Caberet - deep cool plum cream

I own two of the red shades from this product, Dakota Red and Ignition.  Dakota Red is a deep brick red, Ignition is a true cherry red.  I find Dakota Red easier to wear however Ignition is my favorite since I love the bright cherry red shades.  Dakota Red lasts about five hours on me before it fades down into a deep red stain, this one wears off the nicest which is why I find it to be the easier of the two to wear during the day.  Ignition is the better shade for going out, it wears off in gthree or four hours and the stain that it leaves is more of a subtle red.  This one needs to be reapplied more often than Dakota Red. 

I retried both of these colors in order to write this review, I didn't really remember much about them from my first experience with this formula.  The formula is very nice if you like a full pigment cream lipstick, I would purchase more shades in it if it wasn't so difficult to find.  I am considering ordering two of the pinks from this formula, Sexy Lady (light blue pink) and Rain Dance (cool dusty rose).  I am looking for pink shades that will last all day since the ones that I have from MAC last two hours or less.

photo courtesy of Vincent Longo

Vincent Longo Diamond Lip Gloss

Lately I have been revisting my stash of Vincent Longo products, I used this collection a lot in 2006 and 2007 when it was readily available at Bath and Body Works and Sephora.  My usage has really tapered off since that time since I can barely find this line in stores anymore and have to order all my products from the company's website.  I have been rediscovering my stash of Longo products since I started spring cleaning and I decided to retry every single one of them out and see if they are beginning to get old and lose their pigment or if I can hang onto to them for a season or two longer.  So far, I have had no problems with any of the products being spoiled but I have rediscovered a bunch of products that I had forgotten about.  Spring cleaning might just be the best time of the year!

One of the products that I rediscovered is the Diamond Lip Gloss, one of my first Longo purchases and one of their hardest products for me to wear.  I bought this gloss in the Diamond Rose hue, a warm medium rose with a huge amount of gold shimmer laced into the formula.  This level of shimmer is on par with the MAC Dazzleglasses and makes your lips the focal point of your face, a look that is best reserved for nighttime makeup. 
The Vincent Longo website provides a full product description and usage instructions.  "Diamond Lip Gloss is a lip-moisturizing, stardust-shimmering, full color gloss.  High-tech reflective pearls combines with pure pigment for a brilliant finish that wears significantly longer than traditional lip glosses.  Glides over lips with an ultra-silky, cushiony soft texture.  Aloe Vera and Vitamin E moisturize and condition the lip tissue.  Vanilla extract adds a beautiful fragrance."

Some thoughts on the formula - it is very hydrating and is an almost watery texture.  It is very creamy and silky, I love the feel of this gloss during application.  It is also one of the more hydrating lip glosses that I have used.  My major complaint with this product is the wear time, or lack of wear I should say.  The product description states that it wears longer than most lip glosses, however I have a completely different view on that aspect.  This gloss stayed on for less than two hours for me and came off as soon as I ate or drank anything.  I know that lip glosses don't stay on as long as lipsticks but the wear time on this one is one of the shortest that I have ever used, so I don't know from where the company is pulling the "long wear" aspect of this product from.  It is pretty while it is on but it comes off so fast that it is a very high maintence lip gloss formula.

The usage instructions, "For beautiful, lush looking lips, be sure to prep your lips with either our Lip and Gel Stain or Lip Pencil.  This will also prevent your lips from looking bare or unshaped when the shine starts to wear away.  Then dab your choice of Diamond Gloss onto lips.  Using VL Lip Brush #35 or #36, completely paint lips up to and including the lip line."  So I use this product all wrong...  I use it on clean lips straight from the tube, using the doe foot applicator.   Perhaps if I followed the instructions (which I never saw on the tube or on the box), then this lip gloss would last longer for me.  I would try using this over a nude or rose lip pencil, the shade that I have wouldn't really work with any other shades.

The shades are...
- Traviata Pink - bright blue pink with silver shimmer
- Capri Bronze - deep warm bronze with gold shimmer
- Rosewood Luster - neutral medium rose with gold shimmer
- Berry Crush - warm medium berry with gold shimmer
- Diamond Rose - warm medium rose with gold shimmer
- Lavender Mews - pale lavender with silver shimmer
- Starlet Pink - light blue pink with silver shimmer
- Goldleif - pure gold foil

Diamond Rose is one of the few warm shades that I own in my lip gloss collection, it didn't look warm in the tube and the gold comes out the most during application.  This shade looks the best during the summer, it is more flattering on slightly bronzed skin than on pale winter skin.  This is why I get much less use from it than I do from many of my other lip glosses, I only pull it out from the months of June to September.  I like the Starlet Pink and the Lavender Mews shades from this gloss, they are both much cooler than the shade that I bought so maybe I would get more usage from them.  In addition, I will have to find a neutral lip pencil to use with this gloss and see if it helps to anchor it better.

photo courtesy of Vincent Longo

Vincent Longo Water Canvas Blush

Vincent Longo is a line of products that I used to use all time about five years.  However in that time, it has been pulled out of the Sephora stores and Bath and Body Works has stopped carrying makeup in their larger stores so I now have to find this line online and therefore I have bought much less of it in the past few years.  One of my favorite products in the line was always the Water Canvas Blush and this is one of the only products that I still continue to use from the line, I have been using this blush since before I started this blog.  It was always a staple in my train case yet I kept forgetting to write about it for some reason, this blush is fantaastic and is the reason that I started using cream blush (and haven't looked back ever since!).

Pretty much the only way that I can get this product line is to order it from the company's website so that is also where I am getting all of my product information for this post.  "Based on the patented technology of our legendary Water Canvas Foundation, Water Canvas Blush is a moist, refreshing formula, so light and natural looking, it perfectly mimics the flush and glow of healthy skin.  Contains 75% Microwater, and unique 100% natural botanical seaweed polymer, along with Vitamin E, and silica.  Moisturizes and protects the skin.  Easy to apply and very long lasting.  Two shades may be used to sculpt cheekbones for the most dramatic, yet utterly natural finish."

This product is the most concentrated cream blush that I have ever used.  Ever...  I am still using the same jar that I purchased over five years ago, I only need a very little bit of this product for my cheeks.  Due to the Microwater in the product, care must be put into closing and opening this product.  The jar is airtight so the product isn't aging at the same rate that other products do.  This product must be kept airtight, it will quickly dry out if it is closed wrong and the whole product can be lost in a matter of hours, the case contains a mechanism that produces a clicking noise when it is closed correctly. 

The Microwater in this product is exclusive to the Vincent Longo Water Canvas line, I don't know how long the company has this patent for so I don't know when we will be seeing other companies using this type of technology.  This technology actually makes the product feel cold when applying it, an odd feeling in a cheek color product.  This blush produces the most natural flush on my cheeks and I get many compliments on how great I look when I have it on.  Compliments on my overall look and skin, not on my makeup shades. 

This product can be applied with either clean fingers or with a sponge.  Vincent Longo provides a variety of application details on their website.  "For a clean, natural look, apply Water Canvas Blush onto the apples of the cheeks with your fingers.  For a more professional look, blend color more intensely along the cheekbones with Vincent Longo #37 Foundation Brush or Vincent Longo Wedge Sponge."  I have found that this product is best used with clean fingers, over bare skin or a liquid foundation.  I didn't like the way that this product blended over a powder foundation (which I rarely use anyway).  The #37 Foundation Brush gives this product a very dramatic, sculpted look which I don't really like.  I have used it with the #26 Highlighter Brush, this tools provides more pigmentation than using it with my fingers but still looks more natural than using it with the sponge or the stiffer brushes. 

This product is available in the following shades...

- Aqua Crimson - peachy pink
- Aura Passion - medium neutral
- Lucky Light - light peach
- Mermaid Muse - deep warm peach
- Clover Mist - deep warm pink
- Forever Flush - medium warm peach
- Morning Tender - bright rose pink
- Nature Ray - light neutral
- Savannah Fresh - medium warm pink
- Swan Lake - medium cool rose
- Terra Dew - bright warm red
- Tuscan Spell - deep brick red

The only shade that I have from this product is Swan Lake, the cool medium rose.  These blushes are very pigmented so many of them would look awful against my pale skin.  Any of the warm peaches looked very unnatural and the deeper neutrals and reds were just too much for me.  I wish that this product contained a few more shades for cool skin since I love this formula.  I would love to buy this product in more pink shades, I feel that the shade range is too skewed to warm and deep shades.  In addition to wishing that there were more shades in this range, I am also wary of ordering these online since they are so pigmented and can look very different in person.

photo courtesy of Vincent Longo

Vincent Longo Wet/Dry Diamond Eye Shadow

I am never a girl that wears matte eye shadow and is happy about it.  Shimmer is my style and often times the more the shimmer, the happier that I get.  Vincent Longo's makeup collection contains the eye shadow with the highest amount of shimmer in it that I have ever used.  In fact, the sparkle of it is so concentrated that it can become overkill quite easily.  I am referring to the Wet/Dry Diamond Eye Shadow formula.  We see from the name that this formula can be used in two ways to create two major looks.  Shimmer is the name of the game either way and this is a product that is best for those who really love their shimmer eye shadow formulations.  If you aren't that into shimmer, this product could be too much to pull off.

Vincent Longo's website describes both the product itself and the wet and dry usages.  "New, high-tech, light reflective pearls in a creamy soft, full-color baked eye powder makes Wet Diamond Eye Shadow unlike any other eye product available.  Eight gorgeous colors to choose from, Office to Evening, Natural to Dramatic!  Applied dry, it spreads a sheer veil of dazzling, diamond sparkle color over the eyelids.  Used wet, it goes on like a shimmering brilliant cream that lasts for hours without creasing."

 I actually was the most interested in the application techniques that are listed for this product since I don't use the product even remotely like they suggest (for either style of application).  "To use dry: Using Brush #22, dust Wet Diamond Powder over your entire eyelid or over your trio eye shadow application, concentrating on the brow bone and inner corners of the eyelid, as an easy way to take your look from day to night."  Brush #22 is a large eye shadow brush, closer to the size of NARS No.3, that is best used for highlighting or sheer washes on the eye.  "To use wet: Squeeze a pea size drop of Water Canvas Base onto the back of your hand.  Dip Brush #14 or #18 (for upper and lower lid application) or Brush #33 (for outer corner and lash line application) into Wet Diamond power and mix the powder into the Water Canvas Base."  Brush #14 and #18 are smaller eye shadow brushes using best for targeted color on the eye lid, #33 is another smaller brush but one that I find a better size for the crease or for blending.

Applied dry, this shadow is very shimmery and eye catching.  Applied wet, it takes on a cream finish and will be the most dazzling eye shadow that you have ever seen.  This is a formula that must be preceeded with a primer.  I have found the best primers for it are the Urban Decay Primer Potion or the NARS eye primer, these are the only two that I have tried that are tacky enough to actually hold this formula in place.  Without a primer, this formula causes a lot of fallout and will end up all over your cheeks very quickly.  When applying dry, I prefer to use my finger to pat it on instead of any type of brush.  I have found that any brush that I used caused the product to fly all over the place and created more disaster than anything else.  When I use it wet, I simply wet a liner brush and then dip it in the product to use as a liner on my upper eyelids.  I used it wet all over my lids once.  I put some on the back of my hand and then added water and applied it using the same fingertip type of application. 

If you wish to use this product during the day, you must follow the dry application and watch what shade you use.  This product is too shimmery for conservative offices or against a shimmery or glossy lip.  The "sheer veil" that this company describes it as is somewhat inaccurate, it is dazzling and very noticeable.  I have never used it over any other shadows, it is enough on its own.  Used wet, this is a nighttime only product and again you need to watch what other products you use it with.  When used wet, I really prefer it as a liner unless I am going all over for the evening.  I have found that many Longo products can be overkill when used as suggested so I do recommend trying this product out in as many different ways as possible. 

This product is currently available in eight shades, two of which I have purchased already...

- Palace Skye - shimmering deep charcoal gray
- Concerto - shimmering deep charcoal
- Dawn Flesh - shimmering pale champagne
- Mermaid Blue - shimmering medium navy
- Metropolitan - shimmering red plum
- Midnight Taboo - shimmering medium silver gray
- Tempest Bronze - shimmering medium bronze gold
- Verite - shimmering deep green

I own Dawn Flesh and Tempest Bronze.  Either shade could be used during the day, but I tend to get more use from Dawn Flesh during the day and Tempest Bronze at night.  I often use Dawn Flesh against a creamy or matte red lip or a nude lip.  Tempest Bronze is best used at night against a nude lip or as a liner against more of a pigmented lip.  All of the other shades are best reserved for nightime as they contain much pigment, especially the Metropolitan, Mermaid Blue, and Verite shades. 

This formula is amazing for a dramatic shimmering eye look, but I find it best used for nightime.  My favorites are the more neutral shades but I would like to buy the gray and charcoal shades too.

photo courtesy of Vincent Longo

Fond Farewell Products

There are very few beauty products that I swear by and could not live without. Urban Decay Primer Potion, Vincent Longo Water Canvas Blush, Caudalie Vinoperfect Serum, Lippmann Collection Just Walk Away Renee Nail Polish, Benefit BadGal Lash, Stella McCartney’s Stella fragrance are just a few of the products that I really love.

So I get really disappointed when I manage to find a product great enough to love and then it ends up getting discontinued. Here are my five most missed beauty products…

Chanel Ciel de Nuit Nail Polish - My first piece of expensive makeup ever. This is what got me hooked on makeup back in the seventh grade. I loved everything about it; the color, the bottle, the interlocking Cs on the cap, the fact that no one else in junior high had it, and even the cute little Chanel shopping bag that it came in. I have searched high and low for a polish that even comes close to this color and have continued to draw a blank for over ten years. Chanel introduced Blue Satin and Azur last spring and I tried to recreate the original color with it but still came up empty.

Fresh Memoirs of Geisha Sake Bath - One of the most amazing bubble bathes ever released. A florally, peachy scent that produced thick, luxurious bubbles. It never dried my skin out and was just the best bath experience ever. Fresh has their original Sake Bath but I prefer the scent of this one more.

Vincent Longo Gel-X Lipstick in Lust - The perfect deep red for me. I have never found a color quite like this one and am beginning to doubt that I ever will. It was a cream lipstick that resembled the formulas that were popular in the 1950s. This lipstick lasted forever and always garnered me compliments with every use. This lipstick contained shea butter and tons of emollients to keep lips hydrated and plump looking.

Dessert Beauty Deliciously Kissable Bath Bubbles in Creamy - I don’t have great luck with bubble bathes obviously. This one wasn’t popular on Makeup Alley and this line overall just sucked and had the crappiest quality. But somehow this product was a gem for me. Only a little bit of this gel is needed to create a huge mountain of foamy bubbles that make the whole bathroom smell like cupcakes. Just because I loved it doesn’t mean that it was loved overall and the whole line was gotten rid of.

Awake Optic Force Mascara - One of the most amazing and unique mascaras that I have ever used. It had dual ended brushes, one for a base coat and the other for a top coat. The brush on the base coat was shaped like a W to get the product to the edges of eye and to make the middle of the lash pop. The brush of the top coat was small and easy to get every single lash. The first time that I used this mascara, a friend looked at me and told me that my eyes looked amazing. It really killed me that I found an AMAZING mascara and it got discontinued. I still believe that if more people knew about the amazingness of this mascara, it would have been a top seller for Awake.
Ok, now I’m just getting depressed…