Annabelle Smudge Paints, Smoothie Eyeshadow Pencil and My Fave Canadian Beauty Bloggers

Makeup addicts everywhere know about Makeup Alley (www.makeupalley.com), a place to post your beauty items and accessories up for swap as well as list the items you're lemming at the moment.  I have been a member of MUA for quite some time and have had the opportunity to make some friends and also to swap for some products not sold in the United States.  One such brand that I love is Annabelle, which is part of Group Marcelle, the Canadian leader of drugstore brand cosmetics (www.annabellecosmetics.ca).


In a recent swap, I acquired two of Annabelle's Smudge Paints and one of their Smoothie Eyeshadow Pencils.  I also received a Smoothliner Eye Liner, but as I have several of those shades, I will do a separate post on Annabelle's eyeliners.

Smudge Paints come in five shades (2 g/0.07 oz; Retail $10.95 CAD; $10.82 USD as of blog post per www.xe.com).  The two shades I will be featuring today are Plummed, a metallic plum shade and Tar, a matte black shade.  They are found under the Eyeliner category on the Annabelle website.  The product is packaged in a jar with a long handle that houses the built-in brush applicator.  Smudge Paints can also be used as an eyeshadow or eyeshadow base.  For a custom look, you can also mix shades.


Here is how Smudge Paints are described on the Annabelle website:



Catch the latest chic trend for smeared eyelids with the new Annabelle SmudgePaint. Creamy gel-shadow + liner with a velvety smooth, crease free, smudge free texture that will survive anything life throws at you! Its long-lasting waterproof formula glides on easily for a mess free look.  Available in 5 highly pigmented shades that will be sure to bring your makeup case back to life!

Here is a close-up of the brush applicator as well as swatches:

Smudge Paint Brush Applicator

Top to Bottom: Plummed thick and thin, Tar thick and thin, Plummed over Tar

Overall rating:  Booyah!  The brush applicator is versatile as you can use it flat for an all-over lid application or you can use the tip for a finer line.  The product has staying power and sets quickly.

Smoothie Eyeshadow Pencils come in eight shades (1.6 g/0.05 oz; Retail $8.95 CAD; $8.84 USD as of blog post per www.xe.com).  The one I will be featuring today is Melonade, a shimmery peach shade.  The pencil is not retractable so it must be sharpened, similar to NYX Jumbo Pencils (5 g/0.18 oz; Retail $4.50).  They are found under the Eyeshadow category on the Annabelle website.  You can also mix shades for a custom look.  I selected Melonade as it appeared to be different from any of the other shadow pencil I already had in my stash.  It is more peach than NYX Yogurt (a pinkish beige) and not quite as bright as NYX Strawberry Milk (bright light pink).  The staying power on the Annabelle Eyeshadow Pencil is significantly better than the NYX pencil, which needs the help of a primer or it creases terribly.


Here is how Smoothie Pencils are described on the Annabelle website:

The new generation of brightly coloured long wear eyeshadow. Waterproof, crease-free and mess-free, the Smoothie eyeshadow pencils will keep going as long as you do! Use them as a liner, as an eyeshadow by using only one shade all over the lid or by blending more colours of Smoothie pencils together, or even as an eyeshadow base to give your favourite powdered shadows a professional hold and an outstanding colour pay-off! The makeup junkie in you will be ecstatic! Easy to apply, convenient and fast, this versatile, creamy, light-weight pencil is available in a variety of vibrant hues.  Our Smoothie pencils contain no parabens, no preservatives, no mineral oil and no paraffins.


Here is a close-up of the pencil tip as well as a swatch:

Overall rating:  Booyah! for quality and texture of the product but Boo! Hiss! on the price, considering its size.  NYX Jumbo Pencils offer more product for about half the price.  I wouldn't mind paying more if the Smoothie pencil were retractable.


While Annabelle products are not sold in the U.S., you can call their customer service department (800-387-7710, ext. 352 or 353) and place an order directly with one of their friendly representatives.  Shipping fees are steep starting at $20 for orders between $30 and $49.99 (all prices in CAD).  You can include Marcelle products to your order if you fall short of the $30 minimum (www.marcelle.com).


To learn more about Annabelle and Marcelle products, I recommend viewing and subscribing to three of my favorite Youtube Beauty Bloggers from "up north" as they often review Annabelle and Marcelle products and include them in their tutorials.  Please show them some love if you haven't done so already:

• Heather (Vancouver) - Website: www.sokolum.com; Twitter: @sokolum; Youtube: sokolum79
• Jean-François (Quebec) - Facebook: Jean-François CD; Twitter: @jeanfrancoiscd; Youtube: jeanfrancoiscd
• Tamara (Ontario) - Website: www.beautythesis.net; Facebook: Beauty Thesis; Twitter: @beautythesis; Youtube: beautythesis

Have you tried any Annabelle or Marcelle products?  I'd love to hear about them.