2.28.2011
Review and Giveaway: Shiny Mama Beauty's 'Gleam All' Pencil
Hey Everyone,
Several months ago I was given the opportunity to try one of the products from Shiny Mama Beauty, a company owned and operated by the fabulous Yana Chupenko. Yana, who worked as a product developer in the cosmetics industry for a number of years, started her own luxurious cosmetics brand, Shiny Mama Beauty a couple of years ago. Yana, who drew her inspiration for the line from the music and fashion of New York's Lower East Side, describes her line as being 'D.O.D, Decadence-Opulence-Debauchery'. She says:
"A Shiny Mama woman is a modern, confident sassy gal. She is a bold, progressive leader who, rather than follow trends, initiates them ...A Shiny Mama woman looks perfectly put together. Age does not come into play - but style certainly does, she embodies effortless grace and radical elegance. She knows what she wants: she works hard, plays hard and needs to be pampered royally, like the deserving individual that she is."
The Shiny Mama Beauty line contains three multi-purpose shimmer products meant to add glamour to any look, including the "Gleam All" pencil which I have reviewed below.
What:
Shiny Mama's 'Gleam All' pencil is a multi-purpose, creamy, glitter-infused, pencil containing sunflower seed oil, shea butter and rosemary leaf. The 'Gleam All' pencil has two ends containing two different coloured creamy glitter products. Sunray is a vibrant metallic gold and Frost, a bright metallic silver. The 'Gleam All' pencil can be used be used on the eyes, lips or cheeks and can be worn opaquely (a more creamy consistency) or sheered out (a powder-like consistency). The 'Gleam All' stick contains no parabens and, like all of the other Shiny Mama products, is cruelty-free. Here is what the company says about the product:
"Sparkle revolution is not dead, it just became a staple. There is nothing more glamorous than adding some shimmer / glitter pop to your existing palette - when you want to pump up the volume or make a statement. GLEAM ALL multipurpose pencil is very versatile and you can go from Downtown RocknRoll, to pure Couture Elegance of Paris runways."
Packaging:
The packaging of the Shiny Mama's 'Gleam All' pencil is absolutely gorgeous. The pencil, which comes with its own sharpener, making it easier to sharpen its larger heads, comes in a gorgeous damask print plastic box, giving the product a very luxurious feel. The pencil itself, which is fairly thick (think NYX Jumbo Pencils) is very durable and comes with two well made caps to protect both ends of the super creamy product.
Price:
$25 USD on the Shiny Mama Beauty website.
Pros:
1) Its Multi-purpose: Although one might assume that the 'Gleam All' stick can only be used in the eye area, it is actually meant to use all over the face. I have personally used the 'Gleam All' pencil as an eyeshadow on my entire lid, an eyeliner on my lower lash line, a highlighter on my cheekbones and a lipstick on my lips. There are so many different uses for this product and, because it can be sheered out or built up, it can be worn both as a cream or powder product.
2) The Glitter Is Finely Milled: Unlike a lot of the other glitter products I have used in the past, Shiny Mama's 'Gleam All' pencil has very finely milled glitter which, when applied to the skin, gives a gorgeous glow (not a chunky mess). Luckily, because the glitter is so finely milled, it does NOT sit in the crevices of the face directing attention to larger pores or wrinkles.
3) It Can Be Used In Conjunction With Other Products: While the 'Gleam All' stick looks nice on its own, it also works very well when paired with other makeup products. Not only can the pencil be worn on top of other products, it can also be mixed in with products to create your own colour. I like to wear the pencil on top of a darker lipstick giving the lips a fuller feel or mixed with a matte eyeshadow for an edgier look.
Cons:
1) It Creases: Although I have tried wearing the 'Gleam All' pencil over several different eyeshadow primers, I have found that it creases almost immediately when worn as an all over eyeshadow on the lids. While some people don't mind a creased look, it drives me crazy and I have resorted to wearing the pencil in a more sheered out fashion on top of other cream or powder shadows.
2) The Price: Personally, I feel that $25 is a quite a lot to pay for this multi-purpose pencil. Although it has several different uses, it is still priced well above the NYX Jumbo Pencils ($4.50 USD) and is even more expensive than the newly released Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil.
Overall:
Overall, I really like this product, especially considering that it can be used in a number of ways unlike a lot of other cosmetic pencils that are strictly for the eyes or lips. The glow that this product gives the skin is extremely pretty and the pencil has quickly become one of my favourite cheekbone highlighters. The price is definitely higher than I would normally want to pay; there is the added benefit of this pencil being both paraben and cruelty free. If you are looking strictly for an eye pencil that will not crease, this is not the product for you. However, if you are looking for a subtle way to add some glitter into your look, be sure to check out Shiny Mama's 'Gleam All' pencil here.
Rating:
7/10 Funny Faces
Giveaway:
Yana has been nice enough to give me the opportunity to give away one of her 'Gleam All' pencils to one of my subscribers. In order to be entered to win this multi-purpose pencil, leave a comment below telling me which side of the 'Gleam All' pencil you would be more likely to use. You have one week to enter the giveaway as the winner will be chosen next Tuesday March, 8th, 2011.
xx
Alicia
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