REVIEW: NYC Sparkle Eye Dust in "Smokey Topaz"

soooo i mentioned that there was talk of Glossybox ending its service in Canada in my last post.

after more than a week of unresponsiveness, Glossybox sent an email as well as posted on Facebook confirming that the rumors were true. 

why is it that when rumors first start popping up, the company absolutely denies it and cites another reason for delay or whatnot, stops responding to customer concerns which fuels more concern about the company's status and then BAM, come back only to say "we are indeed closing up shop" ("yes, you were right all along")?

this has happened twice now to many beauty box subscribers, but only this time, Glossybox is not taking our money and running. they will not be shipping a May box and people will begin getting refunds. sadly, i redeemed my Glossydots for a free box. i should have known better after the Glymm fiasco to stop hoarding points!

anyway, what's done is done. Glymm and Glossybox are out which brings my beauty box subscription count down to 4. 

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let's try something different - an actual review! i haven't done a review other than unboxings for a while. go me!

today we have the NYC Sparkle Eye Dust (2.1 g). this is not a product that i have read about but it is one of those last minute "why-not?" moments you get while strolling through Walmart. Walmart has these Sparkle Eye Dusts listed at $3.27, which is definitely a price that i have trouble saying no to. 

out of the 10 shades available, i chose "882 Smokey Topaz".

i was drawn to this since it was a "new" product on the shelves which i found out was only a new format of an older one. the old Sparkle Eye Dust packaging was a little pot with a built-in brush that looked like it would be an absolute mess to use.
this new packaging really isn't any better.

the Sparkle Eye Dust comes with a doe foot applicator. i should've taken heed to the name of the product, and more specifically to the word DUST. because that's really what it is. it gets everywhere. if you attempt to apply this directly on your eyelid, you are in for some cleanup duty for all the flakes that get on your cheeks.
a better idea would be to swipe the doe foot applicator onto the back of your hand and then dab it on your eyelid.

and now let's move on to color. here's a swatch:

uhh wait a second... what happened to the color??
let's try this again:

you see, that dark purple-y shade was what i was going for when i bought this. but it turned out to be nothing like this.

as i type this post, the lamp in my room is making the tube look more like the color it turns out to be when blended (more like an actual topaz color). i guess you have to be careful with lighting when purchasing these Sparkle Eye Dusts because they can change into a completely different color!

actually i can't say that's true for the other shades since i am not exactly willing to purchase another one to see. not a fan of how messy it is to use, the color and the lasting power is poor.

some good points? pigmentation improves if you use more product. and it's definitely sparkly if that's what you are looking for.

what is your favorite sparkly eyeshadow? do you own this product? 

REVIEW: NYC Liquid Lipshine

helloooo!
it has only been 3 days since my last post and i feel like apologizing for being away for so long!
Calgary Stampede has started and the weather is hot hot hot! i went yesterday and i felt like i was melting. this year is the 100th anniversary as well so it is anticipated that there are going to be record numbers attending the Stampede. i heard that on Saturday that there were some waiting for THREE hours to get INSIDE the park. i've spent hours waiting for a ride and have stood in a super long line to try some new item they decided to deep fry but have never heard of waiting for hours outside the park. very crazy!

what's new in terms of food: huge turkey legs (for $15!!) and deep fried red velvet funnel cakes (which was delicious! but only if you share with 5+ people. see below for pic). there's probably more i haven't discovered yet.

anyway, a few days ago, i stopped by Walmart and there happened to be a dollar bin. this was a first! i picked up a CoverGirl Outlast Smoothwear lip color (to be reviewed at another time), a NYC makeup remover and two NYC Liquid Lipshines (7.2 mL) (to be reviewed now).

i recall owning one of these (from my junior high days) before they revamped their packaging. the smell of the lipgloss honestly takes me back - it still smells like cake! the new packaging is sleek but after spending a couple of days in my purse, bits of the lettering is starting to rub off. the sponge applicator is long and flat and the gloss goes on very smoothly.

first up, "Midtown Mulberry 581" is a burgundy color with subtle shimmer. you can't tell there is any shimmer unless you stare long and hard at it. it does not go on quite as dark but gives my lips the perfect shade of pink to brighten up my entire face.

"Honey on the Hudson 584" is a shimmery peachy gold. this one is surprisingly very pigmented. nude-colored glosses do not show on me and usually just goes on clear.

arm swatch:

i did not expect these lipglosses to have such great color payoff. these retail at Walmart for $3.97 and they are worth it. after swatching on my arm and washing it off, it didn't leave any sticky residue. the glossiness effect lasts long too - i felt the need to reapply after 3 or 4 hours which is pretty impressive for lipglosses! i noticed that the two colors i got no longer had room on the display, but according to the website, they are still available. there are a total of 10 shades available. New York Color refers to something NY-related in all ten shades - cute huh?

thanks for reading!!