Esqido Lashes | Review

If ever you've been pondering over how to take your makeup game up a notch for a special event, or hey - just because - false eyelashes are a really easy way to do just that. While I'm not of the type that wear them daily, weekly, or even remotely close to frequently - for a wedding or for family pictures, I've been known to sport a pair.

I was contacted a while ago by Esqido, asking if I wanted to give a pair of their lashes a test run, and after hearing about this brand everywhere, I jumped at the chance. They were so kind to send me a pair of their "Gina" lashes and a tube of their lash glue.

It's obvious to say that we can't continue any further in this post without noting how gorgeous their packaging is. Holy. Buckets. That white and rose gold? Yes please! 

Esqido lashes are made from real mink fur, which make for a more fluffy, realistic looking lash. Their bands are all cotton, so they're not hard and inflexible like so many falsies you'll find at the drugstore. These babies will set you back a bit more than a drugstore pair of falsies, however, you will get way more use out of these, and they'll look better for longer than your Walmart pair. ;) 

Above are the Gina lashes. After lots of hemming and hawing, these seemed like something I'd actually want to wear for a special occasion. Personally, I like to keep my lash style simple and not too overstated. I like a little extra pop to my eyes. The Gina seemed like the perfect fit.

For shock value, I'm wearing no other makeup in the photos below. It'll show you just what fake lashes can do for your look, and I think this is proof that if you were wearing eyeliner or a full makeup look with these, it's  a no brainer that you'll get the extra oomph you were looking for.

BOOM! Quite the difference, right? I think adding eyeliner to the area where you can see the band would make these look even more seamless and natural. They were comfortable to wear, and easy to apply. I found the lash glue was easy to work with and got just the right amount of tacky in a short amount of time, which I like. 

The Gina lashes are $32 a pair, and other Esqido lashes are of similar price, ranging up or down a few bucks. If you're new to the world of falsies, don't let this number scare you. Because these are higher quality lashes, you're going to get 10+ uses out of these before it's time to dump them. As for the lash glue, that's very reasonable, ringing in at $10 a tube. 

If you've got the expendable budget and you're in the market for lashes, I'd definitely recommend trying Esqido lashes. They're a luxury option and there are options for everyone and every preference. Check them out at Esqido.com.

MEMEBOX Pony Shine Easy Glam 3 Eyeshadow + Blossom Lipstick

MEMEBOX has been on a serious roll with bomb ass eyeshadow palettes. Say hello to their latest palette collab with Pony, the self-taught Korean makeup artist, popular YouTuber, and the 2011 "Makeup Artist of the Year" award. There are three beautiful palettes, and a handful of lipsticks but I have just 2 from the line to show you. 

First off, how stunning is that packaging? I love the white and gold mix - it looks so classy and expensive! But don't worry - it's all quite affordable! The eyeshadow quad is just $18, and the lipstick is just $12.

I received the Orange Blossom palette, which has gorgeous orange hues for the spring season. The formula is really silky and easy to apply. They blend well and you can create some gorgeous looks that range from neutral to bold - whatever your preference may be. I have very fair skin and these colors are very complementary to my skin tone and auburn hair, but I can imagine that these shades would be equally flattering on darker skin tones as well.

The top shades, L to R are named Glam Nude Orange, and Glam Fair Orange. The bottom shades, L to R are named Shine Orange Brown, and Shine Copper Brown. All the shades have hints of shimmer and Glam Fair Orange is straight up glitter but it is absolutely gorgeous and wearable both day and night. I've worn it to work without looking crazy! 

L to R: Glam Nude Orange, Glam Fair Orange, Shine Orange Brown, Shine Copper Brown

The lipstick, in the shade Blooming Love, surprised me. It looked like it was going to be very pigmented, but when I put it on it's just a sheer wash of color. I absolutely love the look! The formula reminds me a lot of the Maybelline Color Whispers. They're not super hydrating and they don't last very long, but it's a good "throw in your purse" color for use on the go.

These products are great for any level of makeup expertise - whether you're a beginner or a professional makeup artist, I think people of all experience levels would find these easy and enjoyable to use. They're effortless and beautiful and perfect for summer. You can find the entire Pony collection on the Memebox website here. 


What's your favorite eyeshadow palette for summer? Let me know!

Empties #13

Just to recap from last time - I'm getting even better about not buying things and getting through my stash. This post is proof because I've got a LOT to show you. Of course, I still grab up the things I find on a killer deal, but I can't even tell you the last time I bought something like a new palette! Little victories.....

Here's all the stuff I've finally used up and purged out of my stash. The reason I've continued to do these posts (13 to be exact!) is that once I've finished up a product, I know certainly whether or not I would purchase something again, or whether I think it's worth recommending you try. So, here we go! 

Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle Spray (would repurchase) - This detangler spray is a Birchbox exclusive, so you can only purchase it at Birchbox.com, but girl -- you need to. This stuff is probably my favorite detangler ever. It really works out those stubborn tangles while providing your hair with a whole mish mash of other benefits like heat protections, shine maximization, UV protection and more! Plus it's paraben and sulfate free. 

Kiss My Face 4 in 1 Moisture Shave in Cool Mint (might repurchase) - This wasn't my favorite shave cream, but it wasn't bad by any means. I like that it's formulated without parabens, phthalates, SLS, artificial flavors and fragrances, plus it has vegan friendly ingredients, and is cruelty free. My legs are really sensitive and are prone to razor bumps when I shave, and this didn't prevent them from getting itchy after shaving, but I can't hate because of how good the ingredients are. I can handle a little itch until I'm out of the shower.

Paula's Choice Perfectly Natural Cleansing Gel (would repurchase) - If you're in to products created using healthy ingredients, Paula's Choice is where it's freaking at. This was a very basic cleanser, formulated with 99% natural ingredients, that left my skin feeling clean without stripping it of natural oils. This cleanser is recommended for babies it's so gentle, as well as people with super sensitive skin and those suffering from eczema. I have neither, but I love a gentle, natural cleanser. A+ product!

Herbal Essences Honey I'm Strong Rinse Off Treatment (would not repurchase) - I don't even think this hair treatment is sold anymore. I can see why, because it literally did nothing for my hair. This was about as strengthening and nourishing as a basic conditioner, it was nothing special as a once-a-week treatment. 

Sonia Kashuk Red Promisia Hand Creme (would not repurchase) - Holy smelly, Batman! This stuff is seriously fragranced, smelling strongly of sandalwood, vanilla and jasmine. You could and should bypass perfume if you're going to use this as your daytime lotion or hand creme. I used this at night because it was way too strong and I prefer to use perfume in the daytime and I like my hand cremes to be minimally fragranced. It was hydrating but nothing special. 

Aveda Hand Relief (would repurchase) - On the flip side, this hand creme is one of my holy grails. This version smells like lemon pie and is super duper hydrating. If you have really dry hands, this will be your savior. It makes your hands greasy for a tiny bit but then it soaks in and works moisturizing magic.

Calgon Royal Rendezvouz Velvet Body Cream (would repurchase) - I used this as a body lotion each morning, and it was nice but nothing special. It was lightly hydrating and it smelled fresh, kind of like a shampoo or hair spray. The scent did last for a long time, but I didn't find that it interfered with my perfume. 

Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter Body Moisturizer (would repurchase) - I'm a huge fan of Soap & Glory products because literally everything they make smells amazing. The Righteous Butter has a nice feminine scent, characterized by bergamot, peach, vanilla and sandalwood. These body moisturizers are ridiculously hydrating without leaving your skin greasy. Side note, Soap & Glory has been pulled out of Sephora stores and is making a move to Walgreens - hip hip hooray! Hopefully this means prices go down just a smidge (even though they're not bad to begin with)! 

Tom's Aluminum-Free Deodorant in Wild Lavender (would not repurchase) - I got this deodorant in a PinchMe box for free, and I'm glad I didn't purchase it. This stuff irritated my armpits at times, and didn't keep me dry (not that it promises to) or smelling particularly great on warm or stressful days. I've used way better natural deodorants before so I won't be buying this again. 

Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Conditioner (would repurchase) - I purchased this travel size to take on trips with me, and I got quite a few uses. It made my hair feel soft and it smelled nice. 

Martha Stewart Essentials Hair, Skin & Nails Vitamins (would repurchase) - I always take some form of biotin, primarily to keep my nails strong as I'm prone to brittle, easy-to-break nails, and I got this when it was on sale. These were nice, they did the job, and they're vegetarian capsules which is an added and necessary bonus for me!

Yes to Tomatoes Skin Clearing Facial Mask (would repurchase) - Unfortunately this wasn't used up entirely, but it dried out on me and started to smell funky. I liked this mask, it wasn't a godsend, but I do think it helped my skin continue to clear. It's affordable and worth a shot if you have problem skin. 

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Translucent (would repurchase) - This used to be a holy grail powder for me, but lately I've come to like powders that are truly translucent, and I've found some others that I like more than this. However, if you're an oily skinned gal, this will keep you matte all day, and it costs under $5 which is awesome. 

Finley Grace Wickless Soy Candle in Hot Apple Pie (would not repurchase) - All this is is a solid soy room freshener. It had literally no scent throw so in order to smell it your nose had to be pressed against the freshener. If I didn't have a million wax tarts to use, I'd cut this out and put it in my warmer, but I just don't care enough. 

Lush Lip Scrub in Mint Julips (would repurchase) - Sometimes you just need to exfoliate your lips, especially before putting on a pigmented lipstick. I like these Lush ones because they're made with sugar and (even though it sounds disgusting) you can just lick them off after you scrub your lips. Mint Julips smelled and tasted minty and I enjoyed using it. I bought the Santa's Lip Scrub when this ran out, but I'd get this flavor again.

St. Tropez Prep & Maintain Tanning Mitt (would repurchase) - Nothing much to talk about here. I used this mitt to apply self-tanner and it worked nicely. It didn't rip and it didn't leave me streaky.

Shiseido Facial Cotton (would repurchase) - I've heard everyone and their mom rave about these cotton pads and I always wondered how anyone could be crazy about freaking cotton pads. I wasn't blown away immediately, but after going back to regular cotton rounds, I totally miss using these fancy ones. They're big enough to wipe all my makeup off with a cleanser and they don't fall apart. I'm a fan. 

Swisspers Cotton Rounds (would repurchase) - These are the boring regular cotton rounds I was referring to. I got a big box of these at Costco and I have a many more tubes to use. I've gotten more in to micellar waters and I'd like a bigger cotton round to use instead of these small ones, so once these are gone, I'll probably only use these size to remove my eye makeup.

Aveeno Positively Radiant Makeup Removing Wipes (would repurchase) - Another Costco purchase, I got three packs of these on a whim. Turns out I really like using them. They have a nice pleasant scent, they're super moist and they get all my makeup off. 

Up & Up Cosmetic Wedges (would repurchase) - Call me old school, but my favorite way to apply my foundation is still a good old cosmetic wedge. I always get latex-free because I hate the smell of latex. I'll continue to buy these.

Nature's Bees Natural & Organic Lip Balm (would repurchase) - I picked this up at the checkout counter of Big Lots one day and then proceeded to fall head over heels in love with this balm. It doesn't have much of a scent, but it's so hydrating and comfortable on the lips. Sadly, Big Lots closed in my town, but I went to one elsewhere and picked up 2 more of these because I can't find them online anywhere! 

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation (would repurchase) - Holy grail foundation. My favorite ever. I did a full review on this here. 

Sally Hansen Dry & Go Drops (would repurchase) - I got these way back in an old Allure Beauty Box and used them, but they aren't really something I would have thought to buy for myself. It sort of felt like oil drops on my nails, and I think it did help speed up the dry time of my nail polish. 

Laura Geller Spackle Primer in Bronze (would not repurchase) - I didn't finish this completely, but it's super old, from one of my first Birchboxes. I didn't notice this keeping my makeup put any longer than normal or doing anything wonderful for my skin. 

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation in Ivory (would not repurchase) - I don't use this alone, I actually mix it in with my Covergirl 3-in-1 foundation when I want a more natural or dewy look. It's a bit too slippery on me to use this foundation alone. I did a full review of this here. 

StriVectin-SD Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles (would repurchase) - I have fine lines under my eyes and when I used this, I felt like they were less noticeable. I would totally get this again for upkeep and prevention.  

Milani Eye Tech Extreme Liquid Eye Liner (would repurchase) - This was a nice eyeliner. It had a thin, long tip and was easy to apply. 

Almay Liquid Eyeliner Pen (would not repurchase) - This finished too shiny for my taste, plus the tip was far too thick for my liking. 

Maybelline Great Lash in Clear (would repurchase) - I use this to set my brows. It works like a charm and it's cheaper than many brow gels. 

Sephora Transparent Brow Gel (would not repurchase) - Tried this out on a whim and hated it. It dried sticky and sometimes white. Absolutely awful stuff - I should have read the reviews before buying or I could have saved myself the $5!

OPI Avojuice in Mango (would not repurchase) - Avojuices used to be my favorite lotions, but I've come around and changed my mind. They do a good job at temporarily hydrating my hands, but they don't do any major work. I have other hand creams I prefer more now. 

B&BW PocketBac in Strawberry Hibiscus (would repurchase) - There's always one of these in my empties. I use them before applying my makeup to kill any germs on my hands. This one smelled nice and the packaging is cute! 

Visine Advanced Redness + Irritation Relief (would repurchase) - I'm so prone to having red eyes, and this stuff does the trick to knock redness out. I didn't quite finish these, but they expired and I don't mess around with eye products and expiration dates.

Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Face Polish (would repurchase) - I got this little sample from Sephora and really enjoyed it. It's quite scrubby and feels like sand. It made my skin feel soft and exfoliated. I'm sure a full size is quite pricey, but if I saw it for cheap, I'd consider buying it. 

Garnier Fructis Marvelous Oil (would repurchase) - I used this sample as an overnight treatment for my hair, prior to a hair wash day. It smelled really nice and left my hair feeling smooth. 

Cosmedicine Primary Care Multi-Tasking Moisturizer (would repurchase) - This was a fragrance-free, no-nonsense moisturizer with SPF 20. It was lightweight and worked nicely under makeup.

Keomi Skincare Luscious Lavender Soap (would repurchase) - I love these Keomi soaps and the lavender scent smelled really good. It lathered nicely and made my skin feel clean but not stripped. I did a whole review of these soaps here. 

100% Pure Green Apple Nourishing Body Cream (would repurchase) - I used this sample as a hand cream and it worked well. It wasn't greasy, and it smelled just like you'd expect green apples to. I love that this lotion is 100% natural and vegan. 

Vanedo Beauty Friends Pearl Sheet Mask (would repurchase) - For my birthday, my husband got me a set of various Vanedo sheet masks. The pearl mask left my face soft but I didn't notice any major improvements. I just enjoy a good sheet mask for relaxation and pampering. 

Up & Up Luminous White Whitening Wraps (would repurchase) - Stay tuned, I'm going to do a full review on these soon so I don't want to give anything away. :)

Johnson & Johnson Soft Woven Mint Floss (would repurchase) - I love flossing my teeth, and the woven floss is my absolute favorite. It gets every speck of junk out of my teeth and it doesn't hurt.

GUM Butlerweave Mint Waxed Floss (would not repurchase) - I get these little floss samples from the dentist and I keep them in my desk at work for use whenever I need it. It's fine, but again, I prefer the woven kind.

Jason Powersmile Antiplaque & Whitening toothpaste in Powerful Peppermint (would repurchase) - Jason toothpastes are some of my favorite natural toothpastes. They're fluoride-free (google why fluoride is bad for you if you're curious why I prefer toothpastes without it) but they do a really nice job of cleaning my teeth. This flavor was nice and fresh.

B&BW Cinnamon Sugared Doughnut candle (would repurchase) - This candle smells divine. My best friend went and bought herself a bunch of these candles after smelling it burning in my house. That's how epic this smell is. You can still buy this in large and small sizes, but I do believe the mason jar size isn't available right now. 

Yankee Candle Pink Blush Candle (would not repurchase) - This wasn't a bad scent, but it just isn't something I need again. It's a floral scent with a hint of powder. 

B&BW Flowering Dogwood Candle (would repurchase) - This is ages old and I don't think B&BW even carries this scent anymore. This smells just like Flowerbomb perfume. It's heavenly. 


Uff da! That's it. Have you tried any of these products? Let me know! 

3 years.

Wow. Today marks 3 years since the creation of Glazed Over. I don't want to get too mushy and gushy or drawn out about it, but I just want to take a second and thank you sincerely for reading. I consider makeup and beauty an art form and I truly enjoy sharing my passion with you each week on this blog. Glazed Over has come a long way in 3 years - there's still so much more I'd like to do and so much more I want to share with you and I can only hope that in the next year, things will be even BETTER! 

So thank you! And I hope you'll continue to join me here each Monday, Wednesday and Friday! I'm going to go find a cupcake to celebrate now.... ;)

Holiday Wish List 2014

My beauty wish list spans far beyond what you see here, but I thought I'd show you some of the things that I hope Santa will bring me! 

• Elizabeth & James Nirvana White - My husband got me Nirvana Black for our anniversary this year, and now I have it in my head that I absolutely need both. Both scents are classy, sexy, and feminine. The White version is the lighter, more floral sister of Nirvana Black. 

• Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me (9th Edition) by Paula Begoun - I don't own any of the editions of this book and I've recently come to love Paula Begoun. She's got a wealth of great information about what ingredients are in products and what to grab and what to avoid. I want to dig a little deeper in to her brain and learn more from her.

• Philosophy Pink Marshmallow Buttercream Trio - I've never even smelled this before, but I can assure you that I will love it. Pretty much anything with marshmallow in the scent notes means I am going to love it. I haven't played around much with Philosophy shower gels or lotions so I thought this would be the perfect set to start with.

• Balenciaga Rosabotanica Perfume - I got a little sample of this from Hautelook this year and I fell head over heels in love. Like, make it my signature fragrance kind of love. It's rosy, but so much deeper than that. It's really one of the most unique fragrances I've ever set my nose to!

• MAC Warm Soul Mineralize Blush -  The last thing I need is another blush, but I saw someone talking about Warm Soul on YouTube, then proceeded to look up swatches and fell in love. The rest is history.

• Bobbi Brown Warm Glow Palette - Ugh, this palette is so disgustingly gorgeous. I keep seeing it in magazines and blogs and yearning for it. Just like blush, the last thing I need is another palette, but I mean... LOOK AT IT. Gorgeous, just freakin' gorgeous. And expensive.

What's on your holiday wish list? Do you have any of these products? Let me know!