Lipstick -MAC - Russian Red
SickSexFix 1/14/2013 5:30:00 PM
I'm one of the people this doesn't work on. This lipstick did nothing for my complexion at all and I don't think it's a neutral red. I wore it maybe 6 times, thinking I looked great until my roommate politely told me it didn't. :o( It also made my teeth look yellow. It's such an iconic red and I thought it would be a universal shade but on me it just comes out a bit too dark, like brick and somewhat dull. I detected a bit of yellow in this. I'm a MAC 35-40 if that helps. I find true neutral reds or pink reds look better on me as well as MAC's Classic Dame (mattene) and MAC's Red as my skin has a tendency to look sallow. 3 lippies for being a beautiful, long wearing shade. If my review helped you, click yes below!
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Bioderma - Sensibio H2O (aka Crealine H20 Solution micellaire)
SickSexFix 1/14/2013 4:58:00 PM
I don't know what possessed me to buy this expensive, overhyped product. I live abroad and I can get this brand at the pharmacy, so I picked it up one day after watching a few Lisa Eldridge videos. It's not all bad, but it's not a must have. Pros: Cleanses well Doesn't strip skin of moisture Very gentle Doesn't dry out my skin Doesn't break me out Doesn't burn A 250 ml bottle lasted me 8 months (I don't wear makeup everyday) Feels just like using water with maybe a little soap in it Cons: Terribly expensive (I spent around $35) Left a film on my skin Have to use a lot of it to get rid of all eye makeup Burns when it gets into my eyes I think this is great for people with normal, dry or sensitive skin. My skin is oily and I used this as a one step makeup remover and cleanser, which it's great for. But it's way too expensive to keep buying and I'm sure there are others products out there that are gentle and effective for one step makeup removal + cleansing. If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Nocturnelle Eyeshadow
SickSexFix 1/14/2013 4:39:00 PM
I hated this eyeshadow. I don't know why I bought it. I think the MAC SA used this as a liner or crease color on one of the looks she did on me. Now, purple is my favorite color, so I thought I'd love this. But no matter what I tried to do with it it was just too.. dark and not the shade of purple for me. Blending it was also a task, I'm guessing because it's a matte. It's true it's a warm purple, but it's too dark for me. No matter what I did with it, my eyes just looked bruised or like I hadn't slept. All around bad color for me - and I'm not sure what my undertone is. I guess it's olive, warm and in some places on my face, it's neutral. If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Treatments -Clarins - Beauty Flash Balm
SickSexFix 1/14/2013 3:18:00 PM
This is my first Clarins product. I've been wanting to break into this brand for a while now and when I saw a gift box of a small size of this and two Clarins moisturizers for something like $11, I snatched it up! First off, I got a ton to sample in my trial size product. I'm not sure what this even is, but kudos to their marketing team because seriously - they've promoted the crap out of this product, making it seem like it's a MUST HAVE in everyones makeup arsenal. I feel good having it, like it's some *secret weapon* against having dull skin. But is it? I don't think so. I remember watching Lisa E's video on how to apply this (loooong strokes, looong strokes hahaha) but for a few weeks now I've been wearing it just on its own - for those days when I'm either running late or don't feel like wearing makeup but still want to look good. I've also used it as a highlighter after I've powdered my face, just to make my makeup look more natural. It's nice for that but not *omgmusthave*. I have other highlighters I could've used with actual highlighting, instead of just moisturizing, properties. Well, today I finally used it under my makeup. I smoothed a good size amount on my face and lips (they were dry and peeling) and quickly put on foundation before it set. Foundation went on easily with my fingers, didn't pill or flake at all (I was afraid of this happening so I held off on using it with makeup). I'm not sure if I can use a brush to buff in my foundation with this as my primer, I don't want it to flake but I'll have to test it out on a day when I have time to wash it off and start again. **(edit: put it on one day and let it dry before putting on foundation - big mistake - it pilled up and flaked off onto my fingers and made my makeup look cakey - I used Bourjois 10hr sleep effect which is moisturizing and very sheer so I was surprised. If it was a matte foundation, I think it would have been impossible to blend in!)** I had a few flakes on my face this morning because I didn't have time to exfoliate or moisturize before my makeup and this did a great job of moisturizing the flakes away. Also, after I applied my makeup, I didn't get shiny until 5 hours later, when I'm normally shiny 3 hours later. And the I wasn't *as* shiny as I normally get without a primer and powder. My lips were also hydrated until that time (applied a bunch of lip balm after and throughout the day) but they ended up peeling again. Conclusion: this is a moisturizing primer with no highlighting effects. I don't notice anything too different when I wear just this alone, maybe a little glow? But I have to say, the days that I did wear just this? I got compliments on my skin. *shrug* I don't know what it is. I'm going to keep using it and will probably repurchase if it's on sale -- otherwise it's too expensive and I'll just use a good moisturizer on the days I want to go bare but look nice. (edit: I also wanted to mention I didn't notice any tightening effects - but I'm only 27. I will edit this review when I try this stuff out in the summer, maybe it will perform better!) (edit x2: I had to take away one lippie because I think this stuff is breaking me out in deep, angry cystic pimples :o( If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Mascara -Bourjois - Volume Glamour Max Definition 
SickSexFix 1/12/2013 4:20:00 PM
I've been having bad luck with mascaras recently. I like Bourjois so I went and picked up two mascaras that had really great reviews. This was one of them. I had a bit of trouble putting this on as the brush is so thick and I'm used to thin plastic wands. I think this dispensed too much product into my lashes as it was thick and dried really fast. It was very hard to apply more than one coat with this. I tried to comb through my lashes afterwards and that just made it worse! (I've uploaded a pic of me with and without this mascara on so you can see what I mean! Please note: I didn't curl my lashes before trying this out so maybe I'd have had a different result, I don't know.) I washed my face after this had dried and it was pretty difficult to remove! I had to use a gentle soap, an oil cleanser and then an oily makeup remover to get it all off. I'm not sure how I really feel about this, but I'm leaning toward.. meh. I got it on sale so at least I didn't spend full price on it. And the packaging is so adorable. I'm going to try it again after curling my lashes and wiping down the wand and seeing if that helps a bit. I'll edit my review then. EDIT: Okay so I curled my lashes this morning and wiped almost all the product off the brush - until I could see the pink plastic bristles of the wand poking through! I used just that to apply to both lashes and the result was MUCH better. So yeah, there's a lot of product on the brush when you take it out and it feels very wasteful to just wipe it off. It dried quick but did smudge under my eyes (then again there isn't a mascara in the world that doesn't smudge under my eyes -on the sides- when I use it on my bottom lashes) It also made my lashes feel stiff. Bumped up my rating to 4 lippies, not 5, because it definitely flakes (while you're applying and when I rub my lashes) and is messy. If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Mascara -Bourjois - Effet Liner Mascara
SickSexFix 1/12/2013 4:09:00 PM
I've been having bad luck with mascaras recently. I like Bourjois so I went and picked up two mascaras that had really great reviews. This was one of them and I bought the waterproof version. This was easy to put on but did scrape the base of my lashes a little with the rubber nubs on the short side of the brush. (I've been using MAC's Studio Fix mascara so I'm used to hard plastic wands). I really hated the effect this had on my lashes. It did make it look like I had tightlined my eyes and it lengthened my lashes but made them all stick together like glue, all pointy like. I tried to comb through them afterwards and that just made it worse! It also flaked as I was putting it on! (I've uploaded a pic of me with and without this mascara on so you can see what I mean! Please note: I didn't curl my lashes before trying this out so maybe I'd have had a different result, I don't know.) I decided to test if it was really waterproof so I splashed my face with a bit of water after it had dried and I had black mascara running down my face! It's NOT waterproof at all! And it took ages to dry. I don't know what I'm going to do with this tube but I won't be using it again. I got it on sale so at least I didn't spend full price on it. (EDIT - So I wiped down the wand until almost nothing is left on the brush and it works well in lengthening but the formula is way too thick and flakes *everywhere* after it dries. It's also messy and I manage to smear it on my top lash line (not in a pretty "faux liner" kinda way) no matter what. It does make my lashes look spidery without even trying so I can't put on more than one coat. I really hate the formula, the wand is a nice design.) If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Loose Powders -MAC - Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder
SickSexFix 1/12/2013 2:17:00 PM
This is the best setting powder I've used so far. But it still doesn't get 5 stars as it's not perfect for my needs, but still closer than anything else I've tried! Pros: *Easy to blend *Finely milled *Doesn't cake! *Doesn't make me look older like other powders *Blurs large pores *You get a lot of product *Wears well and can be layered (when the oil comes through on my face it doesn't look bad after or ruin the rest of my makeup) Cons: *Looks horrid in flash photos *Expensive (well *I* think it is) *Bad packaging (you have to tape the holes!) *Not travel friendly at all *Can be messy (and I'm afraid to inhale it!) *Is.Not.Invisible! (I'm a MAC NC 35-40 and I can see a white cast even after blending a lot but it goes away when the oil in my face comes through) *Doesn't control my oily face all day (even with primer underneath) *I have to apply twice the amount (previously I was only using a dab all over my face and I got shiny 2 hours later - I figured out I have to use much more than I thought to get it to last for around 6 hours) Even with those cons, I will still use it up and will most likely repurchase as I haven't seen anything better (and cheaper) in the drug store. Maybe I'll try UD's Mattifying Powder or get this but the pressed compact version instead. If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Liquid -Estee Lauder - Double Wear LIGHT Foundation SPF10
SickSexFix 1/12/2013 1:46:00 PM
I love this foundation. This is my HG in summer or when I want good coverage. I'm lucky that I found one to match my skin tone very well as the shade selection is very poor. I use Bourjois 10hr sleep effect for now because I don't need the coverage this provides and after having my bottle of this for a year, it started to itch on my cheeks at the end of the day. (Probably expired but the tube has lasted me along time with everyday use). It is way too expensive but worth it. Regular Double Wear is much too heavy for me to wear. This is much lighter. I will say I don't like the scent of it but it's not too bad. And you have to work with it very fast as it sets quickly. It also doesn't oxidize, I use less concealer due to the coverage this provides on pimples and it doesn't break me out or make me oily faster. However, you have to cleanse really well to get this stuff off at the end of the day. But at least it's not as heavy as MAC's Studio Fix Fluid. Another con is that the bottle sometimes squirts out too much product so I have to fiddle with it to get it to suck it back into the tube and the tube can get messy. I wrote that I'd repurchase but it's more like a maybe as I'm sure there are foundations out there just like this but for a better price. We shall see :o) (edited to add: I went back to this from the Bourjois foundation because of the transferring problem of 10hr sleep effect and I was breaking out badly and needed more coverage. This hardly transfers and does a good job of controlling the oil on my face. And I love the coverage!) If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Lips -NYX - Soft Matte Lip Cream
SickSexFix 1/11/2013 6:25:00 PM
This was one of my first NYX purchases. I was on a trip to the States and since there's no NYX where I live, I picked up a few blushes and some of these lip cremes. I'm really impressed with the quality of their products for the price, but the lip cremes don't get a 5 star rating. Unfortunately, the formula leaves much to be desired. I love the concept of a lip cream and I've been using L'Oreal's line Le Rouge Pulp (before it was discontinued) so I knew what to expect. This was not the same. It's not as creamy, goes on rather oily and patchy and I have to go over different areas a few times so all areas of my lips are covered. It clings to the dry patches on my lips so exfoliating and moisturizing before is essential. I love the scent of this though and it feels light weight on the lips. I love the slip it has before it sets a few seconds later. It does dry matte on my lips. Don't get me wrong, I love matte lipsticks but was expecting these to be creamier than they were. The formula reminds me of MAC's Pro Longwear Lip Colour - I had the same dry, matte finish with this. The first time I wore this it was to a job interview and I checked my makeup in the mirror afterwards - this had flaked a tiny bit and one of the flakes was on my teeth! I don't think it was noticeable *facepalm* but I definitely saw it after. And let me tell you, I know how to put on lip products - I didn't have this smeared on the inside of my lips so I don't know what happened there. The next time I wore this I made sure to moisturize really well and while this lip creme did stay on most of the day, it settled into the lines of my lips so when I smiled there were obvious lines of lipstick on my lips while the rest of my lips were somewhat bare. I tried scrubbing it off with some water and a paper towel but it didn't budge! Another gripe I have is the packaging. I don't like doe-foot applicators, I'd prefer a squeeze tube. And the color on the outside of the container is different than what you get - I'd say that's true for all of the lip cremes in this range. I'm going to try this with some lipliner underneath as well as a primer and see if it helps with the drying formula. *EDIT- Found the best way to use this on my dry lips. I exfoliate then really prep my lips with a good balm or oil (my favorite is coconut oil!) then dab some of the lip cream on my finger and work it into my lips. I don't recommend using the applicator as it just applies way too much. It's not completely matte with this method but it doesn't flake like crazy this way. Love it! Bumped my rating up to a 4. If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Lips -NYX - Soft Matte Lip Cream in Antwerp
SickSexFix 1/11/2013 6:14:00 PM
This was one of my first NYX purchases. I was on a trip to the States and since there's no NYX where I live, I picked up a few blushes and some of these lip cremes. I'm really impressed with the quality of their products for the price, but the lip cremes don't get a 5 star rating. I love the color of Antwerp. I poured over swatches before settling on this color and it looks like a lovely mid toned coral on my pigmented lips. I'm a MAC NC 35-40 for reference. It wakes up my sallow skin quite nicely. Unfortunately, the formula leaves much to be desired. I love the concept of a lip cream and I've been using L'Oreal's line Le Rouge Pulp (before it was discontinued) so I knew what to expect. This was not the same. It's not as creamy, goes on rather oily and patchy and I have to go over different areas a few times so all areas of my lips are covered. It clings to the dry patches on my lips so exfoliating and moisturizing before is essential. I love the scent of this though and it feels light weight on the lips. I love the slip it has before it sets a few seconds later. It does dry matte on my lips. Don't get me wrong, I love matte lipsticks but was expecting these to be creamier than they were. The formula reminds me of MAC's Pro Longwear Lip Colour - I had the same dry, matte finish with this. The first time I wore this it was to a job interview and I checked my makeup in the mirror afterwards - this had flaked a tiny bit and one of the flakes was on my teeth! I don't think it was noticeable *facepalm* but I definitely saw it after. And let me tell you, I know how to put on lip products - I didn't have this smeared on the inside of my lips so I don't know what happened there. The next time I wore this I made sure to moisturize really well and while this lip creme did stay on most of the day, it settled into the lines of my lips so when I smiled there were obvious lines of lipstick on my lips while the rest of my lips were somewhat bare. I tried scrubbing it off with some water and a paper towel but it didn't budge! Another gripe I have is the packaging. I don't like doe-foot applicators, I'd prefer a squeeze tube. And the color on the outside of the container is different than what you get - I'd say that's true for all of the lip cremes in this range. I'm going to try this with some lipliner underneath as well as a primer and see if it helps with the drying formula. *EDIT- Found the best way to use this on my dry lips. I exfoliate then really prep my lips with a good balm or oil (my favorite is coconut oil!) then dab some of the lip cream on my finger and work it into my lips. I don't recommend using the applicator as it just applies way too much. It's not completely matte with this method but it doesn't flake like crazy this way. Love it! Bumped my rating up to a 4. If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Styling Products -Shea Moisture - Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Style Milk
SickSexFix 1/11/2013 5:15:00 PM
This is my HG curl cream. I've been using hair creams since I was in my early teens. Previously, I was using a product by Natural Formula (an Israeli company you can only find here and specialty stores in the US) which was fantastic and I still use, but I wasn't too crazy about the scent. It's fine but this smells so much better! I was on vacation in the States (I'm American/Israeli) and forgot to take my hair cream with me. I browsed around, thinking I wouldn't find anything because honestly, American products for curly hair are really disappointing. Nothing has ever really worked for me and finding a hair cream that's not expensive and works is impossible. I was prepared to browse the "ethnic" section (hate that word..) ANYWAY I came across the Shea Moisture line and picked this stuff up because the ingredients intrigued me and it smelled absolutely divine. I use coconut oil for just about everything so to find a product that lists it as one of the main ingredients was encouraging. It wasn't that expensive either, but I do wish the bottle was bigger! I absolutely LOVE it. It's replaced my old HG hair cream (I may have to go back to it since there's no Shea Moisture here - but hey, that's what the internet's for! lol) This leaves my hair moisturized, VERY SOFT and bouncy. My curls soak it up, like they do coconut oil, and plump up about an inch. I've used it on both wet and dry hair, both times left me pleased with how my hair looked. It feels like it's nourishing my hair, which is a huge plus. It also doesn't clog the pores around my hair line (I hate that!) I wash my hair maybe twice a week (it's very dry, coarse and thick) and this leaves my hair soft and beautifully scented until my next shampoo. A little goes a long way, don't put on too much and don't forget to shake it! I use maybe the size of a quarter or a bit more and my hair is layered - from my jaw to a couple inches past my shoulders. I accidentally squirted out a bit too much (it's the consistency of a conditioner) and my hair felt heavy, dull, and a bit crunchy - sort of like when you don't rinse out all the conditioner after a shower. I bought the body oil from this line too and it's great. Any Shea Moisture product is on my wish list! If you're unhappy with your bottle, I'll swap you for it! If my review helped you, click yes below!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Neutrogena - Visibly Clear 2-in-1 wash mask
SickSexFix 1/10/2013 7:34:00 PM
I hated this. I was looking for a clay based mask at the store and was suckered into buying it. There's nothing out there like it. It sounded like a great idea - a mask and cleanser in one! In theory, it's awesome - in execution - no thanks. Used as a cleanser it was okay. That's why I give it two lippies. But it felt harsh on my skin - it was nice in the summer when my skin gets really oily and feels grimey at the end of the day. But I hated that tingly minty feeling it gives - sort of like there's menthol in the ingredients (maybe it's salicylic acid or a ton of alcohol? Not sure.) My skin felt very clean after use, but as a cleanser, it's much too heavy. The consistency is like a thick goopy lotion - that lathers. Kinda weird. It also takes a while to rinse off. I prefer lighter gel cleansers. I hated using this as a mask, which is really what I bought it for. I put on a layer and it felt super gross on my face. It just stayed creamy and I prefer my masks to dry fast and dry tight. It did a good job of soaking up the oil on my face but I never knew how long to leave it on for as it doesn't dry. It wasn't very effective on my blackheads and acne either. I used it up as a cleanser and never bought it again. If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Eye Shadow -MAC - All That Glitters
SickSexFix 1/6/2013 5:36:00 PM
This is my go to neutral eyeshadow color. I use it daily to neutralize the dark natural color of my eyelids. It makes me look more awake when I swirl it into the inner corners of my eyes and my concealer doesn't have to work as hard! lol It's one of the only MAC eyeshadows I've hit pan on. I'm an NC 35-40 for reference and this looks so incredibly natural on me and I haven't found a crease or eyeliner color it doesn't work with. I'm currently on the hunt for a cheaper dupe, but I'd buy this again if I can't find one. If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Eye Shadow -Essence - Sun club (glamour to go eyeshadow)
SickSexFix 1/6/2013 5:28:00 PM
This is my first Essence product (everything else I wanted at Ulta was out of stock). I was looking for a neutral eyeshadow palette and picked this up. The packaging is great and many of the colors look like dupes for other good neutral eyeshadows but the quality is really bad. All around terrible color payoff, even over a primer. I really have to pack it on to get any of the colors to show up and even then - major fallout with huge chunks of glitter, it creases quickly even over a primer and doesn't last longer than an hour if you can get it to show up. I haven't tried all of the colors yet - only 3 so far - including one of the darker ones in my crease but I still give this a 2 as it was dirt cheap so I can't complain too much. I'm going to try foiling it and seeing if that helps. If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Masks -Clinique - Acne Solutions Oil Control Cleansing Mask
SickSexFix 1/5/2013 5:08:00 PM
I used up a whole tube of this and never bought it again. It was expensive and I hated the ingredients. But did it work? Yes. It got rid of a lot of the congestion and blackheads as well as flattened the red angry whiteheads that were on my face at the time. I never bought it again because I hate the smell, the price and I find the ingredients way too harsh and it felt like it was burning my face after a while. I can't find the ingredients online anywhere, but I know it has salicylic acid in it which I've been using for years on my skin so it's not that. I suspect this has menthol in it and I've since found a cheaper better clay based mask without any harsh ingredients like menthol, peppermint or eucalyptus. That stuff is unnecessary. (Edit: checked the ingredients, it doesn't have menthol in it but that's what it feels like on my skin - a cooling feeling that actually burns. I don't like it.) If my review helped you, click yes below!
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