Earlier this year, Milani released the Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow range-- so, naturally, everybody was curious. A gel and an eyeshadow? What? How? According to the Milani website, this product begins its life as a gel and it then transformed into a powder through a "special process." It is supposed to give you the crease resistance of a gel or cream product but the blendability of a powder. The best part is that is comes in a pretty wide ranges of shades-- and all for $3.99! Here are the few I picked up:

01 Bella Ivory

11 Bella Charcoal

06 Bella Espresso

17 Bella Khaki

18 Bella Emerald

09 Bella Navy

25 Bella Cobalt

19 Bella Rouge

Dry, Without Primer

The swatches are extremely pigmented, and that is without using a mixing medium or a primer underneath (the way I usually use shadows on a day-to-day basis). With the use of either of those things the pigmentation is sure to be phenomenal. The eyeshadows really are super blendable and so, so soft. Plus, let's be honest, they are just pretty to look at-- which, for plenty of us who are makeup obsessed, is important. There is also, like I said before, a wide range of shades: from the bright and bold to the every day neutral, you are set.

These retail in most drugstores for around the $4 mark and, if you keep an eye on your sale bills, you will often find a BOGO50% deal-- that's how I purchased so many of these on a college student budget. In my opinion, these or a 5/5 product and I definitely recommend that everyone check them out!

I have to admit, I have never hopped on the pigments train. Whether it was high-end or drugstore, I always felt that they were too messy and I couldn't bother with them. But I had heard so many rave reviews of the L'Oreal pressed pigments that I was intrigued-- and when the new Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigments came out, I decided why not do a little comparison?

Sultry Smoke: dry swatch (top), wet swatch (bottom)

The color I bought in the L'Oreal range was Sultry Smoke-- a gray color with blue undertones.And I love it! The product itself is so smooth and easy to apply and blend. I love that it comes with something the press the pigment into a regular-ish eyeshadow-- it keeps the mess at bay. The color itself is gorgeous. Paired with a gray or black eyeliner, it makes the perfect daytime smokey eye.

Downtown Brown: dry swatch (top), wet swatch (bottom)

When I started to see swatches pop up for Downtown Brown, I knew I had to get this color. I thought it looked like a pretty good dupe for MAC's Romp, which is a gorgeous color. And it is a dupe-- if you apply it correctly. This pigment seems to have a lot more fallout than the L'Oreal pigment I tried, though that could be because it lacked the shimmer that this one has. When applied dry it has decent color payoff, but nothing I'm impressed with. But when you apply it wet, it is amazing! And, by the way, this color is perfect if you are wanting to try out a Mila Kunis-type of look.

Okay. So this battle doesn't really have a winner. Both products are pretty awesome and if you were interested in picking one up, I'd say go for it.

Have you tried either of these products? What is your favorite pigment out there?

Six months after receiving my first (awesome) Voxbox from Influenster, I was informed I would be receiving the new Mary Kay Voxbox. This box provides five products to help you create a glamorous look. I've already tried and tested them, so I'll be reviewing each product as I go along. Let's get started!

The photo above shows the products still in their packaging, as well some little paper extras that came along with the box, including a catalog advertising some of their other products. I'm not sure if this was a full catalog or one made especially for the box, as it didn't seem to have a wide range of products like I would have expected. The products included in the box, as listed on the Influenster website, were: