LBH Weekly Roundup: Nars Larger Than Life Long Wear Eyeliner, H & M Light and Shade Contour Duo

With the blindness of youth, I never envisaged the day when I would need to worry about fine lines, hooded eyes or the depressing effects of gravity.  It didn't happen overnight (or perhaps it seemed like it did) but I noticed that my favourite eye pencil wasn't performing like it used to.  There was constant smudging and I would look like a raccoon at the end of the day.  Glumly, it dawned on me that it wasn't the fault of the pencil but the fact that my eyelids were losing their battle against time and gravity.  Enter the Nars Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner.

It is supposed to last for 12 hours, be smudge proof and even comes with its own tiny sharpener.  I had assumed that the sharpener was located inside the cap but it is actually at the end of the pencil.  I got the shade Rue Saint Honore which is a deep metallic blue.  I have been wearing it every day for the past week and I will say that there was a learning curve.  Because it is supposedly smudge proof, you have to apply it quickly before it sets.  After it sets, it is almost impossible to build it up without having bits flake off.  It isn't very creamy and I find that it tends to catch and pull on the skin.  In terms of being smudge proof, tiny crumbs do fall off during the day and there is a small amount of smudging but not to the point where I am getting raccoon eyes.  I find that it is best used for tightlining and for subtle definition.  I tried doing a cat eye but didn't have an easy time doing the tail as I just couldn't layer the strokes.  I will continue to use it but am going to keep my eye out for a replacement.  Have you tried the Nars eyeliner?

I went into H & M, eager to use my clothing donation coupons (see my previous post).  I haven't stepped into an H & M in years and now I know why.  The blaring music, miles of inventory and the long lineup at the fitting rooms was really overwhelming.  Desperately, I kept going round and round the store looking for something to buy.  Truly, I felt like I meandering through the seventh circle of Hell.  Finally, as I was ready to give up, I stumbled across their cosmetics section.  Hallelujah!  I didn't know they had a beauty line and was pleased and relieved to pick up their Light and Shade Contour Duo.

I know contouring is all the rage but, until now, it is something that I have never tried.  Thankfully, it comes with an instruction pamphlet, perfect for us newbies.  The compact comes in 3 shades, Light, Medium and Deep.  I chose Medium because I like the highlighter which is pink toned whereas the highlighter in the Light compact is a frosty white.  The compact is a lightweight plastic and so doesn't have the satisfying heft of a more expensive brand.  However, this is H & M, home of fast fashion so the flimsy packaging is to be expected.  At $12.99 CAD, I figured I could try contouring and not have it hurt my wallet.  It is a cream formula so it is easy to blend and build.  I have been using a light hand as I don't want to end up with a scary Kabuki mask.  Are you a fan of contouring?  Any tips or suggestions for this neophyte?

I am going to kick off a 30 Day Wellness Challenge on June 1.  Please join me as I challenge myself to do one small thing a day to improve my overall wellness!

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