Wet N' Wild Has Changed...

For the better! Can you believe that the brand that once produced stinky, waxy lipsticks and dry eyeliner that was impossible to apply has now become one of the better brands among drugstore cosmetics? If you haven't tried them yet, these colorful eyeliners are a wonderful bargain for $1 a piece. This is especially good if you normally wear neutrals and wish to experiment with a bit of color.

I cannot vouch for the staying power as I have only worn them with primer underneath but (with primer) they remained smudge free and just as vivid as when first applied for a minimum of 6 hours. They were a breeze to use and did not tug on my delicate eye skin at all. It goes without saying that I was pleasantly surprised after purchasing one; I bought three more!

My crappy camera doesn't do these pencils justice but I assure you, the colors are bright. I have:

653E Cool Green: The "cool" is a bit of a misnomer. It is a medium tone, clear green with a hint of yellow and shimmer (not glitter) thrown in for good measure.

650C Lilac: Pastel, light lilac/purple. This one has the tiniest bit of blue-violet gleam and reminds me of a light version Urban Decay's Deluxe eyeshadow in "Fishnet" or MAC's "Stars N' Rockets".

659C Turquoise: A deep, dark forest green, no shimmer.

654B Sky Blue: Pastel sky (or robin's egg) blue with shimmer.

Also available in Taupe, Dark Brown, White, Silver Blue, Bronzed, Mink Brown, Black Black (not a typo), Charcoal, Deep Blue and Violet.

I don't need to tell you where these are sold (nearly everywhere) but I hope I've enticed you into giving them a chance! Wet n' Wild is an animal cruelty-free brand, making this a guilt-free buy on multiple levels.

Doin' the Wedge

Any makeup aficionado has used one of these babies to apply liquid foundation but they can be a convenient tool in other steps of your makeup routine. Here are some alternate uses I have found:

Can't get the perfectly-shaped, cat eye look? After applying eyeliner (pencil or liquid/gel--before it dries) to the outer portion of your eye, use one of the sides of the sponge to parallel your eyebrow and (gently) drag the eyeliner up. Voila! This will also create a lifted look to your eyeshadow.

Annoyed with eyeshadow fall out? With one hand, hold a sponge under your eye while applying your shadow. This way, you don't have to deal with powder getting into any under eye lines or creases in to save your under eye area from black eyeshadow.

Gloopy mascara giving you spider lashes? Use the sponge to wipe off any excess before applying. It won't tear or get on your wand the way a tissue will.

Wedge sponges can also be used to blend makeup. The only thing one shouldn't with a wedge sponge is continuously reuse it with properly washing it first. Please not that my tips only work with sponges of this particular shape. A bag can be purchased from drugstore.com at whooping $2.69 for a bag of 32. If you are allergic to latex, these are your best bet. Wedge sponges are readily available in many drug and mass retailer stores!