A Guide to Transforming Liquids/Gels

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Hi folks! I didn't know how else to title this post. Basically, the gist is that I'm going to give you the run down on five products that have multiple uses or completely transforms your eye shadows and other powdered products. Basically "helper" products. I've written reviews about some of these things before (a long, long time ago).

1. MAC Mixing Medium Gel

Unless I'm mistaken, this is a Pro product. It's fantastic for mixing with pigments for a foiled look, or for more theatrical uses (like when I was a zombie last year for Zombie Pub Crawl, I mixed it with red shadow for blood stained skin). It has a million uses, honestly. I really should use this more often! A little goes a long way, which explains why I've only used like a tablespoon in the year and half that I've had this bottle.

2. La Femme Cake Eye Liner Sealer

Fantastic stuff. Makes any eye shadow into liquid eyeliner. Bare Escentuals and Illamasqua both sell something similar, but this a fraction of the cost. I need about half a drop. You can see that my bottle is almost still full, but I've used this at least 100 times because you need that little! I haven't purchased a colored eye liner since I bought this sealer. Cheap too, at the time it ran about $3 from Frends Beauty Supply. Unfortunately, it looks like they don't carry La Femme any more- if I ever lose this bottle, I'm going to be one sad beauty blogger.

3. Hi Fi Cosmetics Hi Impact Shadow Fix

I bought a long time ago because at the time, Fyrinnae was closed and I wanted a replacement for their Pixie Epoxy. This milky gel does not even compare. It feels kinda slick and emollient on my lids, not sticky. Loose shadows do not adhere all that well and it never really sets so that it creases very quickly. I really wouldn't ever recommend this stuff. (Also, it looks like this owner of this indie company has gone AWOL, so I doubt you could get your hands on it if you wanted to!)

4. Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy

If you own any loose shadows at all, you NEED this product. You know how sometimes when you blend out a loose shadow and by the time you're done all the sparkles are gone and it looks nothing like it did in the jar? Solution! Pixie Epoxy. I was skeptical at first, because of the sticky nature of this product, but it does set. It has never caused creasing on me. It took me about two years to finish one tube, even though I used it quite frequently. Again, with the nature of these kind of products- less is more.

5. Le Metier de Beaute Magic Lustre Cream

When mixed with powder products like blushes, it turns them into lip products. So useful, since I don't own that many lipsticks or lip glosses but own more blushes than a lonely spinster owns cats. Kinda pricey at $24.

There you have it! Four out of the five mentioned are very useful, and I'm definitely going to rebuy them when I run out. What are you favorite helper products?

Products featured were purchased by me, for my own use. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.