NYX Wonder Pencil First Review

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Big zits, big pores <3

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As I've been wearing lipstick more and watching more beauty tutorials, I've realized how important lip liner is. It makes your lips cleaner, so the color doesn’t feather, and it helps it last longer. So, I decided to invest in some! I read online that nude lip liner is your best bet since it can go with any lip color. This one is not only cruelty-free, but it can also be a concealer and eye brightener, so that’s pretty cool. It was also super cheap. I bought it at Target!

What I’m Using Now: NYX Wonder Pencil (in Light)

I used this for the first time with my nude lip gloss. I put foundation on my lips, as usual, and then used the lip liner. I noticed that my lips looked a little more plump, which I’ve never had an issue with, but it was still cool. Then, I put some balm over it, and added my lipgloss. I thought it looked a little weird at first, and I think I overlined a bit. I didn’t notice any difference in how long my lip color stayed. Honestly, I think it lasted longer without the liner.

The next day, I tried again with this liner, except I put on my foundation first, then my balm, then my liner and lipgloss. Again, my lipgloss did not stay on as well. I tried for a few days without the liner, and I think my gloss actually looked cleaner. It definitely lasted longer.

So, I tried using liner with my dark lipstick, thinking it may have been just because I used it with lipgloss instead of lipstick. I did what I did before: foundation, balm, liner, lipstick. This time, the color definitely lasted longer. However, I didn’t like how the color just stopped. The color didn’t feather, but there was a part of my lips where I think I put on a little too much liner and the lipstick would not go over it. At all. I’m happy the product was working, but my lips looked weird!

So, I decided to review this lip liner now, but I’ll also be re-reviewing it in the future once I figure out how it works. It could be that it’s not just a liner, but it could also be that I’m not applying it properly, so I don’t want to give up hope yet. I'll be watching a lot more tutorials and finding some more information, so stay tuned for another review! In the meantime, if you have any recommendations for cruelty-free makeup products, leave them in the comments!

If you’re interested in going cruelty-free, check out PETA's Searchable Database and Cruelty-Free Kitty’s alphabetized list of cruelty-free brands.

Manicure Monday

I have been obsessed with nails ever since I was little. It may be because my mom always got her nails done, but also, who doesn’t love the fact that you can make your fingers different colors?! I’ll never forget my first trip to the nail salon. I got Essie’s Ballet Slippers on my nails. It’s still one of my favorites today!

My nail obsession has never faded. I used to be a wiz with designs, but as school has picked up I just haven’t had the time/energy anymore. I still am very passionate about manicures, however. So, I figured I’d start a little Manicure Monday thread here on The Clunkster.

Today, I’ll be talking about powder gel. Since I’m older now, I usually get gel manicures, which last for two weeks without chipping, for the most part. They also dry instantly. It’s the best! The only thing I didn’t like was that I had to put my hands under UV lights for the nail polish to dry. Even though I put sunscreen on before my manicure, I was still a bit iffy.

Last week, my mom tried a powder gel manicure, and she loved it, so I decided to try it too. It starts off as a normal gel manicure: cut, file, etc. After that, you get a clear coat on your nail, which is then dipped into a small jar of colored powder. Your nail is lightly dusted by a small brush and another clear coat is applied on top. This happens a few times, and then the polish is filed to lock it in. Another clear coat, and you’re all set. After that, you get your usual massage, hot towel, etc.

I absolutely loved this! I plan on getting this from now on instead of the UV gel. It looks and feels just like regular gel polish. It’s been almost a week and still no chips! My accent nail also looks flawless since I literally dipped my nail into a jar of straight sparkles. I love that I didn’t feel like I was harming my nails, and I love that I got the same awesome results.

There is one risk, however. My aunt got this done and she got a small fragment of powder in her eye somehow. She had a reaction, and her optometrist suspected that the powder may be made with some sort of wheat, and she is allergic to gluten. I’m not allergic to anything, but if you are, definitely check out the ingredients before you give powder gel a try!

Like I said, though there are risks with every beauty thing you try, I would definitely recommend powder gel if your nail salon offers it. Let me know how it worked in the comments!

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An Ode to My Setting Spray

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Since I worked today and then stayed in my pajamas afterwards, I sadly do not have a look to post. I haven’t revisited any products I’ve reviewed yet, and I think it’s something I’d like to do! So, I’m going to write about how much I STILL LOVE Urban Decay’s All-Nighter Setting Spray.

In my last post, I talked about how great this setting spray worked. My only complaints were that I got some black crap under my eyes from my eye makeup, but soon I figured out that I just needed to change my concealer. The magic of this setting spray is that it literally lowers the temperature of your makeup so it doesn’t melt.

To understand how this works, I need to talk about three separate occasions where I was amazed at how this shit worked. One day last week, I went to an amusement park with my tiny cousins. It was hot as all hell. I was constantly dabbing my forehead and upper lip with the back of my hand. I went on all types of rides, types that you think would make makeup fly off of your face and water rides where I was soaked from head to toe. So after all that sweating, wetness, and movement, you would think half my face would be on the ground. Nope. My makeup looked almost as good as it did when I left the house. My face makeup stayed on, I didn’t have a ton of crap under my eyes, and my lipgloss was still poppin’. I still thought, this can’t possibly real.

The next day, I went Pokémon hunting with my best friend. I was in all black. Pants and a flannel. I was SWEATING. Again, I was doing the cute dainty little dab thing. I got in the car expecting to look like a Hanukkah candle. My makeup was moving around a tad bit, but I dabbed my face with a towel, blasted the air conditioning, and everything looked exactly as it did before. I went through a ton of temperature changes, but my face bounced the hell back.

Then yesterday, when I was running around Manhattan in the 90 degree heat, I felt the need to dab again. This time, I was convinced that this spray would not work. I felt sweat dripping into my mouth. The corners of my eyes were getting sweaty. I knew I would look in the mirror and see the Pillsbury Doughboy staring back at me. Instead, I saw The Clunkster looking as put together as she did when she took her morning selfie.

WHAT IS THIS SORCERY??? AND IT’S CRUELTY-FREE??? I seriously can’t handle it. Even my mom is amazed. Everyone needs to go buy this damn setting spray right away because I actually cannot take all of this on my own.

As you can see, I can get a bit heated over my cruelty-free products, but that’s because I’m so amazed that these products can work so well without torturing animals! If you’re interested in going cruelty-free, check out PETA's Searchable Database and Cruelty-Free Kitty’s alphabetized list of cruelty-free brands. If you have any cruelty-free recommendations, please comment them below!

Cruelty-Free Makeup Review!

Your friendly cruelty-free blogger is back with another review! I haven’t done one of these in a while, so I’m super excited to share my findings with you guys. You know how excited I get about my cruelty-free makeup.

What I Was Using: e.l.f. Concealer and Highlighter (in Glow/Fair)

What I Use Now: e.l.f. Complete Coverage Concealer (in Light)

Okay, so I actually had no problem with the concealer I was using before. It was doing the job just fine, I was just running out so I headed to the e.l.f. store to grab some more. I was a huge fan of the highlighter too, which I’ve never used before! I loved how this concealer was made specifically for under the eye. 

Anyway, I couldn’t find the concealer in the store so I asked someone to help me. She asked me if I had a problem with what I was using now, and I said no, even though it was a little light, as in texture-wise. It was thin. She showed me a concealer stick and this palette. She put both on my eyes and I decided that I liked the Complete Coverage Concealer better! First of all, it’s only $3, and it’s actually a bunch of shades instead of just one. It’s meant for when your skin changes through the seasons, but she explained to me that it could also be used to contour, which I do wanna play around with one time.

So obviously it looked great, but can we please talk about how well it worked? I mentioned in previous posts that my undereyes always bleed a bit no matter what setting spray I use, but it turns out it may have just been my concealer. Since this one is a lot more creamy than the other one, it really stuck to my face. This also matches my face a little bit more, and I save makeup because since it covers so well, I don’t have to use as much foundation.

Overall, I’m so amazed at how well this is working, especially since it’s so cheap! e.l.f. never fails to impress me.

To learn more about going cruelty-free, check out PETA’s Searchable Database and Cruelty-Free Kitty’s alphabetized list of cruelty-free brands!

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Cruelty-Free Skincare!

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Today, we’re gonna talk about cruelty-free skincare! My mom has always expressed to me the importance of washing my face every morning and night as well as always taking off my makeup before I go to sleep. Those are things we’ll be talking about today!

I’d like to preface this post by reminding y’all that everyone has a different skin type, so these reviews may not necessarily be on point for all of my readers. However, since I wanted you guys to join me in my cruelty-free journey, I wanted to continue posting about changes I’ve been making to my beauty routine. I’ve never had an issue with acne, and my skin isn’t oily or anything. Sometimes it gets dry, but otherwise, I got pretty lucky as far as skin is concerned.

What I Was Using: Aveeno Positively Radiant Skin Brightening Daily Scrub

What I’m Using Now: e.l.f. Daily Face Cleanser

I’ve been using this Aveeno scrub for as long as I can remember. It never made me break out and it kept my face clean, as it should have. The microbeads made my face really soft, but microbeads were just banned in New York, so this scrub has been slowly disappearing from stores around here. I figured it was the right time to try something different, especially since I found out that Aveeno tests on animals. Since I’ve been having so much luck with e.l.f products and this Daily Face Cleanser was so cheap, I decided to try it out. It’s been working really well! My face is still soft and I’m not breaking out, so it’s getting the job done. I would definitely recommend this! It smells really nice too.

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What I Was Using/Am Continuing to Use: Pond’s Cold Cream

What I Tried: Nature’s Way Unrefined, Vegan, Organic Coconut Oil

I’ve been using Pond’s Cold Cream to take off my makeup forever, and I realized a few years ago that I could use it as a moisturizer. It was working out really well for me, no breakouts and my skin was super soft and hydrated. Then, I found out that Ponds tests on animals as well. I remembered that I had coconut oil in the house, and decided to try it out again. Last semester, I wrote an article about coconut oil (that I adapted into a web article; check it out here!), so I needed to do lots of research. I tried using it as a makeup remover and moisturizer and I really liked it! It made my skin soft and it smelled great. However, I did notice that I was breaking out. I stopped using it, but then I realized that I was getting my period the next week, and I usually break out around that time. This time, I tried coconut oil again nowhere near my period week, and I still broke out all over my chin and under my eyes, and like not even normal breakouts, like huge, painful zits that didn’t go away. It was an amazing moisturizer and got ALL of my makeup off my eyes. People have told me that coconut oil has made them break out before, so it wasn’t a huge surprise. I switched back to my Ponds for now, but if anyone has any recommendations for moisturizer, please let me know! Maybe I’ll see if e.l.f. has some since they have yet to fail me. I would definitely recommend coconut oil either way, but proceed with caution.

If you’re interested in going cruelty-free, check out PETA’s Searchable Database and Cruelty-Free Kitty’s alphabetized list of cruelty-free brands. If you have any cruelty-free recommendations, please comment them below!