Victoria's Secret eyeliner in Dark Forest and an easy "no-makeup" look

Happy almost weekend, everyone!  I go back to school on Saturday and I could not be more excited.  Two of my best friends are picking me up when I arrive at the airport, which is just another thing I seriously cannot wait for.  I've missed them so so much!  (Speaking of them, they were interested in looking at my blog for the longest time, and I finally gave them the link the other night.  I am typically pretty shy/embarrassed about blogging- I don't tell anyone- but they really boosted my confidence!  I'm so grateful for such supportive friends!)

Anyway, today I have a couple different things to share with you.  I was going to make a separate post with the look, but none of my pictures really turned out right.  So, it gets to be combined with my review of the Victoria's Secret eyeliner.  

Let's get started!

Victoria's Secret eyeliner in Dark Forest

(click to enlarge!)

I finally picked one of these babies up!  Let me tell you, working in the beauty side of Victoria's Secret means I have plenty of chances to play with the makeup (well, I'm technically "done" working there for now, as I'm going back to school).  I want to start off this review by saying how great most of it really is!  It feels to me like the status lies somewhere between drugstore and high-end, while the quality is definitely high-end.  The prices are affordable, though, and I think a lot of people either overlook or don't recognize the makeup enough.  

The eyeliners were one of the first things I tried out and instantly fell in love with.  After working there for over a year, I'm embarrassed that I only now own one.  But I digress.  Let me finish telling you about why I love it.

The Victoria's Secret liners are a mere $10.  That's really not bad considering L'oreal HiP eyeliners of this kind are $9.99 (Walgreens) and Covergirl Liquiline eyeliners are $8.99 (Walgreens).  To me, even though they are a dollar or two more expensive than other drugstore offerings, I'm not really comparing the two since they aren't in the same "league", if that makes sense.

You get 0.04oz of product, which is pretty standard in my opinion for a pencil of this type (UD 24/7 have the same).  One end contains the pencil, and the other has a sponge smudge tip, which is just your average sponge.  Not like the Covergirl smudger- but it still gets the job done.

Swatches

Dark Forest is a blackened forest green with a soft metallic finish.  I love the way this looks against my green eyes. 

If you're an Urban Decay 24/7 liner lover, I think you'll love these too.  They have that same creamy consistency and stay-put quality in a pencil form (and are similar to other drugstore brand varieties, like Covergirl Liquiline eyeliners which I reviewed here, although these are creamier than the Covergirl).  Their pigmentation is also really nice; I get full color in one swipe along my lash line.  

The lasting power is AMAZING.  The swatch on the right, above, is after rubbing my finger back and forth.  These eyeliners don't budge, and there is hardly any difference between the two swatch pictures!  Now, I haven't fully tested how long these last on my eyes without a primer, but I did try it out last night and it didn't move after 3-4 hours until I removed it.  

I was curious to see how my swatches would hold up against water, even though these don't claim to be waterproof.  Let's see:

And that was after mild rubbing trying to get it off of my hand, too.  Only some fading going on there.

Overall, I think these are seriously a great item to try out if you like eyeliners that are:

- Creamy

- Pigmented

- Long-lasting

- Smudge-able

- Affordable

(Side note:  I purchased this with my own money.  Although I work for Victoria's Secret, my review isn't bias or sponsored.  All opinions are 100% what I feel is true about the product.)

And finally, onto my quick and easy "no makeup" look.  I had to get ready quickly this morning (I overslept and my mom and I had plans to go out to lunch), so I figured what better time to do minimal makeup?  I wish the rest of my pictures had turned out, but I just couldn't capture this very well.  

Face:

- Neutrogena oil-free moisturizer for sensitive skin

- Victoria's Secret Mineral powder in Light 30

- ELF Studio Complexion Perfection (the VS powder has some shimmer to it, so I added this to tone it down)

- NYC Blushable Creme Stick in Plaza Pink 

- Benefit High Beam (on cheekbones, along bridge of nose, brow bones)

Eyes:

- VS Pro eyeshadow primer

- Nude matte eyeshadow from Coastal Scents 88 Matte palette (as allover wash- my eyelids get a little red in color so this evens everything out.  If I had a pigmented nude eye base, I would use that!)

- Medium brown eyeshadow from 88 Matte palette (pressed into upper lash line)

- MAC Eye Kohl in I Get No Kick (along upper and lower lashlines and inner corners)

- Physicians Formula Organic Wear mascara in Black

Lips:

- C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve 

My main focus was creating glow-y skin and brightened eyes.  I nixed foundation and just buffed in a face powder, then used a cream blush on the apples of my cheeks.  I highlighted my cheekbones, brow bones, and the bride of my nose with a liquid highlighter like Benefit High Beam.  

My eyes were kept really simple with two coats of mascara, a brightening eyeliner along the lower lash line, and a matte nude eyeshadow to even out the area.  I just applied the medium brown along my upper lash line to give a little depth!

Have a great night, guys!  Thanks for reading.  :)