Lancôme ~ Khol in Love Waterproof: Deep Water Blue

I wouldn't consider myself "up to date" on makeup, but when I saw the new Lancome In Love Spring Collection I was really entranced by the packaging and the advertorial. I'm a guilt ridden shopper, so I usually tend to scour the internet for reviews and pictures before I purchase anything. That being said, when I saw the eyeliner packaging for the Khol In Love Waterproof eyeliners I fell "in love".

From: Lancome In Love

The In Love look this season is very girly and utilizes the light pinks, bright fuschias, and corals one associates with the blooms of spring, but also throws in some shimmering green, pale lavender, and deep navy in the form of creme eye shadows and eye liners. I wasn't too enticed by the eye shadows, but the eyeliners, to me at least, seemed to the stars of the collection.

And when I actually swatched them!? Beautiful. Very soft, very pigmented, and very creamy. I was initially really drawn to the Jade Crush, the color that Emma Watson is wearing in the promo image, but I don't think I could have pulled it off.

Instead, as you can see, I pulled away with the much safer Deep Water Blue. First of all, I was very impressed with the staying power of this eye pencil. Usually when I wear something along my waterline, it immediately bleeds out and gives me the "panda-eye" look, but this guy just stayed put. In the photos below, I took some swatches on my arm and, because I'm so lazy, I didn't take them off with makeup remover. The Deep Water Blue pencil was the only one that didn't smudge or lose its brilliance. So impressed!

I don't have much makeup, but I do have some Nyx Slim Eye Pencils that are in the same color range for comparison. Aside from the Nyx Eyeliners, I don't really have any other blues, but taking a look at some brands that I personally turn to for eyeliners, Urban Decay and Milani, their blue eyeliners seem to be a bit more "sky blue" or shimmery than the dark hue of Deep Water Blue.

Left to Right: Nyx Satin Blue, Nyx Sapphire, Lancome Deep Water Blue

The texture of the Khol in Love are really reminiscent of the Milani Liquid Eye Liquid Like eyeliner, previously known as the Milani Liquif'eye Eyeliner, the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Pencil, or the Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes. It applies without the drama of dragging and pulling and is just so creamy.

Pros:
- Creamy application
- Opaque color
- Grown up "blue", no shimmer
- Beautiful packaging
- Lasting Power

Cons:
- Limited Edition
- Price ($26)
- Color seems to be easily "duped"

Could Be Dupes (Judging from photos on the internets):
Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in Deep Blue
Make Up Forever's Kohl Pencil in Pearly Deep Blue 8k
Mac's Chromographic Pencil in Marine Ultra

Would I repurchase? Honestly, I would probably try out some of the alternatives I've posted. Not only is it limited edition, but it is a bit pricey at $26! The blushes look really enticing though, especially with the cute packaging, but I'm probably going to have an even harder time shelling out $49.00 for them. ><

If you have any dupe suggestions please throw your comments down below! I'm new to the world of blue eyeliner!

And here are some ways I thought to wear it!:

What I Smell Like: Prada Candy

This is a bit of a strange blog post for me to write up, because I'm not one for perfumes or strong scents. For me, I find myself very sensitive and easily given a headache by powerful smells. However, I find myself really liking Prada Candy lately. I received this super deluxe package of Candy for a Christmas present and it's the scent you'll most likely find me wearing as of late.

On the web, Prada Candy's fragrance is described as: 

Prada CANDY is instantly seductive—pure pleasure wrapped in impulsive charm. In an explosion of shocking pink and gold, Prada CANDY takes us on a walk on the wild side, showing us a new facet of Prada femininity where more is more and excess is everything. Magnified by white musks, noble benzoin comes together with a modern caramel accord to give the fragrance a truly unique signature. 

And the commercial is like: 

If you've ever smelled Aquolina's Pink Sugar before, I feel like they have the same sweet "spun sugar" tones, but where Pink Sugar is a little girl scent, Prada Candy is definitely for a woman.Where Pink Sugar is just sweet, sweet, sweet; I find Prada Candy to build on those sweet notes and give a little more complexity in the form of musk. I'm not very good at identifying scents or being a connoisseur of perfume, but it smells very edible and delicious. Like musky, cotton candy or caramelized sugar.

I really like the design and look of the main perfume bottle. I think the black, hot pink and the gold are really chic and girly. The whole bottle just reminds me of just a strong, sassy color blocked dress. I love the pump, a little arbitrary when it comes to perfume...almost every bottle has one, but Prada Candy is easy to press and dispense.

I also love the whole set came with a travel sized bottle. I don't have a travalo or anything so the prepackaged small size lends itself to being thrown in my makeup bag, travel bag or purse with ease! The only thing I really have a problem with is the way the perfume is dispensed. It doesn't have a pump like it's larger counterpart. Instead, the lid comes off with a strong tug, but you usually have to use a lot of force and sometimes the perfume that comes out inadvertently is spilled all over your hands. What can you do though, right?

I do not like the lotion. The lotion smells very, very different from the perfume. While on the surface they may have the same sugary, musky notes the lotion somehow manages to dry down to a very awkward, cheap scent. Almost overly floral? It just smells completely different from the perfume and doesn't moisturize the hands well. I wouldn't recommend purchasing it on its own, but as a freebie that came with the rest of the perfume package, I thought it was ok.

Comparison Photo

I've been a huge fan of Katie Puckrik ever since I stumbled upon her blog and youtube channel and I've been a dedicated fumehead ever since. As said previously, I think my nose has an overly delicate constitution when exposed to strong scents, so I live vicariously through Katie and her reviews of scents to get my "fumehead fix." Although I wrote this up before I watched Katie's review, I wanted to share her words of wisdom for any other fumeheads out there: 

And if you want to purchase this perfume, try out these links!

Sephora
Amazon

Swish

Cape: BCBG, Tights: Urban Outfitters, Shoes: Rampage, Skirt: Club Monaco, Button Up: Uniqlo, Purse: Coach, and Hat: Target

Hello, hello! I know this is a bit silly, but I feel like a hack version of Sherlock Holmes when I wear this cape. It makes me feel more elegant and sophisticated, even though I know it's only in my mind. In some ways I feel like I can just swish about town solving mysteries with my cute little cape, my cute little purse, my cute little hat, and my cute little dog sidekick. Ahh, the delusions I have. I'm probably playing Professor Layton's DS games.

I really love the polka dotted blouse in this outfit, not only is it 100% silk, but it was also a very affordable piece from Uniqlo. I know they just had their San Francisco store open, but wish that they would bring one up north here! The flagship of Victoria's secret is opening up here in Vancouver where the old HMV used to be, but I would have much preferred if a large Uniqlo shop opened instead. I do feel like three or four floors of bras and panties are a bit excessive, but ...we'll see. =/ I'm always embarrassed when I shop for underwear.

The sunlight is a bit deceptive though, as the weather has been relatively inconsistent as of late, the day after this "photo session" it was overcast and rainy. Although the silver lining in this cloud of grey is that I'm kind of learning how to dress for fall and mild winters. However, I suppose the bad news now is that I'm moving to the East Coast where the winters are a billion times more harsh. =(

Are you guys surprised it's March already?

+Love