I have wanted to try Cosmetics a la Carte products since I saw them on QVC QVC page when I was at my mum’s house. She has a slight obsession with QVC and I see why, I wanted every single beauty product I saw it’s addictive!
I loved the look of their lipsticks, face and eye products and pictured above are the two products which I was kindly sent to try out which are Santa Lipstick which is a limited edition item and Outliner in Blackberry which is a gel eyeliner.
The website describes the lipstick as “Santa Lipstick – an extremely wearable red. The soft, velvety texture is good for those who want to go red without being vampy. Paraben and preservative-free”.
This is a really lovely lipstick, the packaging is very glam and it even does a YSL style ‘click’ when you close the tube which I really like for some reason. I apply this with a lip brush as I do for all bright or dark lipsticks as it is less likely to bleed. It has fantastic staying power which you definitely need with a red otherwise you spend your time worrying it will smear off. It has an undertone of blue which is so much better when you smile as orange toned reds can make your teeth look yellow.
Since I am a creature of habit I want to order a pink or a beige to try, which one should I get? I think either Pearl in Wisteria or Cream in Floribunda or Sugardaddy?
The picture below is of one coat applied with the lipbrush. As you can see it is more a Drew Barrymore style red than a vampy or Dita von Teese style red. I was actually very pleasantly surprised as reds scare me but I have worn this out and had lots of compliments although this could just be as I never wear red lipstick and it’s such a change for people to see.
The Blackberry Outliner is described as “Blackberry Outliner – darkly dramatic purple creates a stunningly original look for the party season. Smudge and blend for smokey eyes with a twist, or go for precision definition using a brush. This professional, super long-wearing and water-proof eyeliner is a must. Creme Outliner’s intensely pigmented, comfortable gel formula draws a maximum-impact line without irritation. Glides on easily without budging or smudging. Paraben and preservative free.”
I tested the eyeliner at the same time I tested my new Urban Decay liners I put them all on my hand before bed and when I woke up only the palest UD colours had rubbed off slightly, all of the others and this Blackberry Outliner had stayed put. I can also attest to the waterproof-ness as I was trying to remove it in the shower and it needed scrubbing, you would definitely need waterproof eye makeup remover for this as you wouldn’t want to be scrubbing at your eye.
As you can see it is a gorgeous colour, it has a soft consistency somewhere between Mac’s and Bobbi Brown, I don’t have a similar one with the exact same consistency to compare it to. You can use it as an eye base or as a liner just like the other brands and as it is a blue toned purple it will contrast well with the whites of your eyes, making your eyes look brighter. I will post the picture of me wearing the liner as soon as my eczema has cleared up on my eye (due to me still being ill, please send me sympathy lol).
It will be perfect for me to wear to work as it’s not too harsh and I can use it with Barry M’s purple mascara that I just bought. Purple is absolutely my favourite colour BTW. As much as I love my Mac fluidline and my Bobbi Brown gel eyeliners (of which I prefer Bobbi Brown over Mac) this has nicer packaging.
It is a slightly thinner consistency than Bobbi Brown and it is so easy and quick to apply with my Mac 210 brush. It is really the easiest to use gel liner that I have ever tried, it doesn’t go dry or clumpy on the brush and you can do your liner in one smooth line very easily.
The one day I managed to use this before the sexy eye eczema outbreak I put the liner on before work at 7am and it was still there when I got to the gym at 6.30pm – it really lasts the distance. It also comes in lots of other colours including a metallic gold and silver. And you can check them out here. I will definitely purchase the black one instead of replacing my blacktrack.
I absolutely love both of these things and I want to try more Cosmetics A La Carte items, they have so much stuff and I was amazed that you can’t get this in more shops. This is why I am so grateful that they sent this to me, as to be honest I probably would have thought about buying some stuff from them but never really actually done it.
Have you bought anything from them before? I want to order the lipstick as above and the lipgloss named Pearl.
Do you use QVC? And is it just me or does that Alison Young have some sort of hypnotic shopping powers??????