How To: Revive Dried Up Gel Liner

We all love gel liners, they're creamy consistency makes them easy to work with when creating a cateye and a little goes a long way with them, but let's face it they dry out quickly. Most of us are tempted to just chuck our favorites once they become unmanageable but there's a solution to reviving the product. Don't throw it out just yet!

Left: Dried up Inglot #77 Liner Right: Revived Inglot #77 Liner

I've tried different gel liners both drugstore and high end and no matter the price point they still dry out. Even my most creamiest holy-grail liner, #77 by Inglot has begun to dry out. This beauty tip will save you time and money with the use of one product that you probably already have at home. That product is eye drops! I use Visine Advanced eye drops. Note: do not use contact solution as it does not work the same.

This beauty trick works not just for gel liners but eye cream bases as well. Here I revived one of my Maybelline Color Tattoos that dried out as I barely used it.


STEPS

 

1. Take your dried up/cracked gel liner and using the end of a makeup brush or a disposable spatula, break up all the product. Note: make sure that whatever you are using to mix the product with has been sanitized.

2. Add 3 drops of Visine to the pot and mix well until it has become completely creamy. If your product needs more visine, slowly add a drop at a time. (Here, I needed to add more visine. For the gel liners 3 was sufficient.)

3. If you would like the pot to look more presentable, take a dime covered in saran wrap and flatten the product down. Wipe down any mess made around the rim of the pot.

4. Let stand for 4-5 minutes and then place the cap on Voilà! You now have brought back life to your favorite gel liner!

HAVE ANY BEAUTY TIP QUESTIONS? LEAVE ME A COMMENT DOWN BELOW!

Vera Mona Color Switch Duo Review

Vera Mona Color Switch Duo

The Color Switch Duo by Vera Mona ($20) is by far the most genius makeup tool I've come across in a while. It is every makeup artist/enthusiast's dream come true! This tin can contains a round black coarse sponge that allows you to change the last color used on your eyeshadow brushes without using liquid products to clean them. All you have to do is sweep the used brush around in the sponge and it instantly removes traces of the shadow from it for the next color-application.

The Duo also comes with a smaller white sponge in the middle that can be used for a wet shadow application. I haven't tried using this part of the Color Switch because I don't use water when doing a wet shadow look. I like to spray my brush with MAC Fix + or Urban Decay's All Nighter Setting Spray because I find that they help create a more intense color application.

You could use a liquid brush spot cleaner in between colors but they are expensive and require more effort whereas the Color Switch is pretty much effortless. I especially recommend this product to makeup artists who are constantly changing shadow colors when working on a client. Using the Color Switch as opposed to brush cleaners is not only time-efficient but cost-efficient as well.

It can be used on both sides for up to 3 months in which case you should then get a refill sponge as it will begin to wear out and lose its effectiveness. A refill costs about $6-$7 compared to a 8oz bottle of Cinema Secrets brush cleaner which will run you about $30 and lasts about half the amount of time.

Clean-up for Vera Mona products embody the true definition of simplicity. Everything about them screams EASY! It will make your life that much easier when applying shadows to your eyes. Cleaning the sponge inside is just as easy as washing a beauty blender. You simply remove the sponge from the tin and wash it with soap and water then allow it to air dry.

Keep in mind that you are not disinfecting or conditioning your brushes with the Color Switch like you would be with a brush cleaner. It simply removes leftover eyeshadow from your brush and depending on the hair color and shade of the shadow it can still look dirty, but the shadow residue has been removed. At some point it is a good idea to spot clean your brushes in between deep cleanings.

Overall, I've really been enjoying the Color Switch as it's made makeup application just a bit easier. It has definitely become a staple product in my makeup kit.

Vera Mona Color Switch Duo

Availability: Vera Mona / Shop.com / Amazon / Naimies / Frends
Pricing: $20


Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for consideration by the manufacturer. This does not affect any opinions as they are my own honest experiences with the product. 

Lorac Pro Palette Review + Swatches

Lorac Pro Palette

Lorac Pro Palette ($42) is an eyeshadow palette that I've been wanting to add to my collection for some time now and haven't taken the plunge for until recently. Yes I know I'm very behind on this palette but better late than never right? Still I figured another review wouldn't hurt. So here it goes..

This palette contains (16) .02oz (total .32oz) neutral eyeshadows, 8 matte and 8 shimmer shades as well as a mini sized Behind the Scenes Eyeshadow Primer. From neutral to more dramatic looks, it is the perfect palette to own when you need to have variety packed into one product. All the shadows have great pigmentation and are buttery smooth. A few of the shades, in particular the matte shades can be a bit chalky but not too bad where there is a lot of fallout like other matte shadows. They can be applied wet or dry, especially the shimmer shadows which look beautiful on the lid.

PACKAGING
The sleek thin design of the Lorac Pro Palette is perfect for traveling. The black case is made of a sturdy cardboard that has a rubberized texture and a magnetic flip top. It also comes with a full length mirror which is great for those who rely on using the mirrors in palettes. I personally never do. The amount of product in these shadows is a bit small at .02oz each, compared to the size of a MAC shadow at .05oz.

I like the look and feel of the rubberized case but am not a fan of how dirty it gets. I like my palettes to be easy to maintain.

SWATCHES

(Top left to right) White, Cream, Taupe Lt. Pink, Mauve, Sable, Espresso, Black (Bottom left to right) Nude, Champagne, Gold, Lt. Bronze, Pewter, Garnet, Deep Purple, Slate

White is a cool-toned white matte. It can come off a bit chalky so I like to use this in the inner eye to create a halo effect instead of applying it to the browbone.

Cream is a light warm beige matte shadow. I need to pack more shadow on to get good color payoff. I suggest trying a nude base under this shadow.

Taupe is a warm medium brown with a matte finish. It has good color pigmentation. It's a great crease color or use it on the lid for light brown smokey eye.

Lt. Pink is a cool pale pink matte shadow with good pigment but can be powdery when applied.

Mauve is a true pale purple matte shadow with pink undertones. It applies smoothly and is a great color to blend out other colors. I like to use it to blend out the harsh lines of a black smokey eye.

Sable is a warm medium dark brown matte shadow with great pigmentation that applies smoothly to the skin. I love to use this shade to darken the crease and on the lower lashline to smoke out black liner.

Espresso is a dark cool matte brown with good color payoff. It looks great used on the outer v for a smokey eye.

Black is a dark black-grey matte shade with good color payoff. Though it is black, it isn't the deepest black out in the market and it can be a bit patchy. Pat on this shadow instead of sweeping it on to prevent patchy streaks.

Nude is a frosted beige and applies very buttery.

Champagne is a frosted pink-champagne shadow and applies smoothly.

Gold is a copper colored shadow with a frost finish. It has a metallic look when applied to the skin. It is also buttery and has rich color payoff.

Lt. Bronze is my favorite color from this palette. It is a warm peachy shadow with a frosted finish. It is smooth and pigmented. I like to use this shade on my lid or as an inner corner highlight. It provides just a subtle highlight to any look.

Pewter is a light frosted brown shadow. It goes on soft and creamy.

Garnet is a dark rich red copper shade with a metallic finish. It has great pigmentation and is such a gorgeous lid color.

Deep Purple is a shimmery satin dark purple. It is more of a black purple and contains fine micro shimmers. It goes on smoothly and is very pigmented.

Slate is a dark grey with a blue undertone. It applies buttery and has a rich pigmentation. It reminds me of gunmetal from the Urban Decay Naked Palette.
 

THE RUNDOWN
The Lorac Pro Palette is a great product to own or have in your pro kit for its quality, versatility and practicality. I think that is what you really are paying for since the amount of product in the palette isn't much compared to other palettes. For instance, the Urban Decay Naked Palette offers (12) shadows at .05oz each (total .60z) at around the same price. You are getting half the product with the Lorac Pro Palette.

Having the different matte and shimmer shadows all in one palette is a pro especially with the effortless application they offer.

Check out some of the looks I created using the Lorac Pro Palette.. and don't forget to follow me on Instagram (ShugaandSpice1) for more details and makeup inspiration!

Availability: Nordstrom / Ulta / Lorac
Price: $42