Deodorants -Unlisted Brand - Thai Deodorant Crystal
cali 5/2/2013 2:17:00 PM
I love this in the liquid spray bottle and having been using it about 2 1/2 years. It works, you wont smell, and you wont be polluting your body with nasty chemicals or aluminum! As another reviewer mentioned, your pits have to be clean so keep that in mind before you apply. When I take a shower a night, sometimes I wake up with a bit of sweat under my arms so I just wash there with a warm, soapy washcloth and then dry off my under arms and then spray this on. Works and lasts all day. You can also spray this on your feet if your going to be wearing sneakers, sandals, or pumps (without hosiery) and your feet might start to sweat. This will keep your feet from stinking!! It does take some getting used to the slight wetness you will get under your arms since this doesn't stop you from perspiring like an antiperspirant does. But once you realize your slight sweat doesn't smell and it wont stain your clothes than its all good baby. My sister and one of her friends told me I didn't smell at all when I wore this on a summer beach vacation with them. It was hot and we did tons of walking and lounging on the beach and NO smell. Brilliant stuff :)
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Liquid -Cover FX - Cover FX - Natural FX
cali 5/2/2013 2:04:00 PM
This review is for the natural finish oil free liquid foundation. I am the color G50. This foundation is a beautiful medium coverage, hydrating foundation that is great for sensitive skin. I was worried it might clog my pores but it hasn't at all in the last two weeks I've been wearing it. I originally had the cover fx cream foundation but the shade I got then was too light (G40) and I could never get it to look dewy on my skin. So I'm glad I returned that and took the plunge on the liquid foundation. I have sensitive, normal to dry skin and this formula does everything I want it to. It doesn't irritate, provides very good coverage, and leaves my skin looking younger!! Bonus for us ladies with dry skin in our 30's. The G50 looks dark at first and smidge too yellow but once it sets into my skin it perfectly matches my neck and coordinates with my upper body color. Lets just say my face is Lucy Lui (including some freckles), neck is Jessica Alba and body is Eva Mendes. So its been a pain finding a foundation that is tan with yellow to olive undertones and can cover redness/blotchiness, but doesn't make my face look fake. While most rave about the color range of this line, I think they could take it a step further and introduce 1/2 shades or shades in between their current colors. To me, I think there is at least a shade or two that could be in between G40 and G50, but that's just me. I've applied this with a damp sponge and gone in with my Real techniques expert face brush, tried it with the RT buffing brush, and then tried it with just the RT expert face brush by itself. All of these ways apply it beautifully, but I realized I could save and not use so much product if I just used the expert face brush. I smooth on a light layer or two in downward motions and then stipple in extra coverage on areas that need it. It does do a very good (but not great/super) job of covering redness and evening skin tone. If I was in a pinch, I could run out the door without concealer but I never do that so I go back in and cover blemishes and freckles with Dermablend Corrective liquid foundation in Sand Beige. I'm really liking that as a concealer right now, even better than my Hard Candy glamoflauge. After I get one or two light layers of foundation on, I eat breakfast and let the liquid set (5-10min). Then I go back to finish all my makeup by adding in my concealer and then setting with Fusion of Color Aura Lusion Tinted Diamond setting powders. This helps blend and set everything and I can buff the medium/dark color into the sides of my face and down my neck to make everything match. (side note - these diamond powders work way better (for airbrush finish) than plain silica mineral finishing powders. Plus, fusion of color is a lot cheaper than Purely Cosmetics diamond powder). This foundation is also versatile in terms of what you wear under it. It looks superb over Crème De La Mer and no primer needed at all. This gives a smooth, ultra hydrating skin finish and gets better as the wears on (for me at least since I have dry skin). I have also tried it under Weleda Rose Day Cream and used 100% Pure Luminous Primer. This gives me a more immediate matte finish but I know it will last all day and stay there even if I am outside under hot or humid conditions. I will still get a little dewy by afternoon and evening, but not as dewy with the CDM. So its nice to have options depending on the mileage and coverage I will need that day. I also noticed that my face is very soft and redness is really reduced when I removed this at the end of the day. I like that and it feels like the foundation is protecting and soothing my skin. The only down side is the stinking price!! $40 bucks is a lot!! but if I don't find anything else then I will buy this makeup again because I like my face, neck and body actually matching for once. Lol.
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Cleansers -Mario Badescu - cucumber cream soap
cali 4/14/2013 6:23:00 PM
For me this is a great makeup remover. I have tried many oil based cleansers (DHC, Fancl, Laventine, Albolene, mineral oil, plain almond oil, coconut oil, apricot kernel oil) and while those all worked for a short period of time, most ended up making my skin drier or making it redder and blotchy with continued use. I have been using the cucumber soap about 5 or 6 weeks now only at night to remove my makeup and then follow up with the MB enzyme cleanser. The cucumber soap is great because you can wet your face first and then smooth this all over your face! May not be a big deal for some but for me, splashing with warm water first helps remove surface oils and makeup and break things down. Then I smooth a nickel size amount of this soap all over and work it in gently for about a minute or two. Then I remove with a warm/hot baby wash cloth in gentle downward strokes. It takes everything off (cream makeup, concealer, setting powder, blush etc) and doesn't leave me red, dry or irritated. It does have a unique perfumey smell which may irritate some. My nose isn't sensitive to it, but my eyes sure are! I cannot get it close to my eyes cause they will water and get irritated. So I still use plain avocado oil to remove eye makeup first. I think the regular MB makeup remover soap is the same formula without the cucumber fragrance so I may try that one day, but for right now I love this face soap. I do have sensitive skin and I have had no skin irritation at all from this. It is very affordable too (only $10 for 6oz) and a bottle lasts a long time. I do tend to favor "natural" products but let me be honest this product is not natural at all. In fact, most MB products are not. You will find propylene glycols, parabens, stearic acid, quaternium-15, etc. Sometimes though synthetics do work better and don't irritate the skin, but everyone's skin is different. I'm not overly worried about the unnaturalness of the cleanser since it doesn't sit on my face that long. Also, MB doesn't test on animals and is made in the USA so that is a plus to me. Overall, big fan of MB products right now.
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Cleansers -Mario Badescu - Enzyme Cleansing Gel
cali 4/14/2013 6:07:00 PM
I really like this cleanser! I needed something gentle that would exfoliate my pregnancy hormonal skin, and after using this for about 5 or 6 weeks, my skin is so much clearer and smoother. My makeup goes on easier and I look like I have a glow most days as long as I had a good nights rest. I started using it just in the morning but after a week started with twice a day. In the evening I use it after I remove makeup with the MB cucumber cream soap. It works very well as a double cleanse on my sensitive skin. My skin is clean and soft not dried out at all. I like that it doesn't foam and I don't mind the slight shampoo-y fresh smell. It has cleared up breakouts on my forehead and overall skin texture is smoother. I follow up with the Mario Badescu Aloe Vera toner and all these products together keep my face clean and soothed. That overall blotch redness look is lessened. Definitely will repurchase.
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Eye Primer -Too Faced - Shadow Insurance, Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer
cali 3/3/2013 7:53:00 PM
Loooove this stuff!! It really helps eyeshadows (low or high end) go on smoother and last all day. It actually works as advertised by Too Faced in that it does intensify the colors of their own eyeshadows. I find it really doesn't have that same effect with other brand eyeshadows though. I have the one in the light blue bottle that has a yellow tone to it and the yellowness cancels some of that reddish purple look on my eyelids. My eyelids are not oily at all so I cant say how it holds up against that. I believe UDPP is the #1 pick for oily lids but I havent tried it since I'm not oily. I swatched UDPP on my hand once and it literally seeped into every crack in my hand (so def not for dry skin) Anyways, the best trick I learned abut this product was from one of my fave youtube beauty gurus lovemelisamichelle when she used some eye primer underneath her eye. So I tried that with this and it works awesome!!! I have very dark under eye circles and again, the yelllowness cancels some of that out but it really helps my concealer go on smooth and last all day!!! its a miracle. I wear contacts and have allergy eyes so my eyes water a lot and I rub them. Also, one of my eyes sits in my socket slightly further back and this increases the dark shadow there and that same eye also has some light freckles on the ocular bone which also creates a darker effect that drives me nuts cause the other under eye looks lighter :( This product helps the concealer cling, go on evenly and stay so much better. It worked super great with a Sonia Kashuk stick concealer but that tends to look dry under my eyes after a long day. I've been using Maybelline Fit Me concealer under my eyes for a week and it glides over the primer and lasts pretty darn good too. (Not as long as the drier stick concealer but I'm still happy with the combo) Side note - if you have allergies to bismuth oxychloride then dont apply this to close to the lash line. I am sensitive to bismuth and it made my eyes (both upper & lower lids) really itch at the lashes when I worked it in. Now I stop right before the lash line and no more itchies. Porblem solved! Overall, I think this is a definite must-have in any makeup kit, you will get more bang for your buck out of any eyeshadow, and I will for sure buy this again.
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Concealers -Hard Candy - Glamoflauge Concealer
cali 1/24/2013 6:19:00 PM
Awesome!!! This stuff truly rocks! I am so glad I bought this last summer cause of the great reviews, and still continue to use it everyday. This concealer covers all redness, pimples, discolorations, freckles, etc. As with any makeup product you have to have a good base in terms of your moisturizer and primer. I have tried this concealer with different moisturizers underneath and it performs well all the time (just set with a little powder as last step). The coverage is very opaque and it "grips" well to different moisturizers and foundations. However, I found it to be too "wet" and creamy to ever properly set as an under eye concealer so I do not use it there. Also, they have recently expanded their color range and have several more shades in the fair range. The fact that this only costs $6 and can be easily picked up from Walmart makes me very happy. I have had it almost 8 months and I wont have to buy another bottle for at least another year so it is a super savings deal! Because the color medium works for me and it is so cheap I do not see the need to buy or try Amazing Cosmetics Concealer ($28) or MUFE concealer (about the same price range). The ingredients between these three concealers is very similar but they differ only slight in the "wetness" factor. I can see why some people would prefer these high end concealers since the color range is greater but please give Glamoflauge a try first before you plunck down tons of money on more expensive but very similar concealers. This product always helps me cover any last bit of redness and my darker freckles to give me a flawless face. I have tried about 8 or 9 diferrent foundations in the last year and this concealer fills in where all of those fail. The color medium works with many light-medium, golden and warm based foundations. I dot it on with Real Techniques precision concealer brush and then pat with a slightly damp sponge to fuse it to the foundation and to my skin. Then blur the edges by gently buffing with Real Techniques buffing brush.
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Concealers -Unlisted Brand - RMS Beauty 'Un Cover-Up
cali 1/24/2013 6:05:00 PM
I like the concept of this all natural product but I found it lacking in performance. It is very thick and I could never get it to look dewey on my normal/dryish skin (even though I had heavy weleda creams on underneath). Also, it seemed to dry my skin more and make it itch. I do have sensitive skin, but many products dont make me itch like this did. I dont feel I am overly sensitive to Coconut oil (internal or external) so I am guessing it is the high percentage of Castor oil that might be the culprit. Castor oil is the second ingredient and what makes it so thick. I did like the colors even though color range is limited, they offer true skin colors that could work for lots of people. But they all tend to lean warm/golden so if you have true pink undertones than this prob will not work for you. It does cover redness, blotchiness and general discoloration. I could not get it to cover my darker brown freckles though and had to go back in with Hard Candy Glamoflauge concealer. Applying it with a damp sponge worked ok as did applying it with a real tehniques brush, but I can see that this is really meant to be applied with fingers so the heat warms it up. For me, I hate using my fingers and thats why I find it lacking in performance and versatility. I will not purchase this again because of the dryness & itchiness issues. I have searched high and low for a natural foundation (no parabens, no phenoxyethanol, no synthetics, no talc, no gluten, no bismuth oxychloride, no boron nitride, etc.) and so far the best I have found is Earth's Beauty Revitalizing Cream Foundation. (have already tried and didnt like Nvey Eco, Zosimos, Logona, Erzulie, Jane Iredale and more) Earths Beauty has more color choices and more "slip" while still oferring good coverage. If you dont like RMS than definitely check out Eath's Beauty.
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Stick -Napoleon Perdis - Stick Foundation
cali 1/9/2013 4:24:00 PM
I really wanted to like this and I love the idea of stick foundation, but ultimately I ended up returning this to Ulta. The color range is a little limited and I ended up with look 3 and there was just a smidge too much yellow undertone to it. I am a bit more light tan olive. Anyways, the formula is beautiful and does give excellent coverage, but for me it was like almost too much coverage. The only thing I can think of is it's full on glamour shot makeup. Lol. I really couldnt see myself applying this everyday because it really does cover and is quite opaque even when applied with a light hand. Plus the other problem is again, the limited color range. The formula without the sunscreen would definitely photograph beautifully and give you an airbrushed look. For me, thats just not what I want for my everyday look. Also, I realized it was breaking me out. Not entirely sure but I think it is the nylon-12. Those ingredients are in may powder foundations which all broke me out too. It does have beeswax and aloe which is hydrating and good for sensitive skin, so if you arent sensitive to the other ingredients and want full, full coverage then definitely check this out.
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Foundations -Paula Dorf - Moisture Foundation Oil Free
cali 1/9/2013 4:14:00 PM
This is very lovely liquid foundation that performs very well, but I do think it is a bit over priced for the simplicity of ingredients which is why I am glad I got it half off on sale at Ulta last summer. My color is Sand and the finish is smooth, slightly dewey and very skin like unless you really cake it on. It worked very well for me in the summer since I am in Texas. I would set it with Aromaleigh's porecelaine oil control powder and that would make the foundation last nearly all day. The formula contains kaolin too and I think that also helps to control oil. I am not oily at all but in the summer, I do sometimes get a bit of shine on my nose. It easy to blot with a tissue and that doesnt mess up your foundation. Since I have sensitive skin, the minimal ingredients in here are great although some people prone to breakouts might not like the isopropyl myristate. Overall, its a great foundation but I'm not sure I would buy again because I was desperately searching for a natural, organic foundation without parabens and I finally found one called Earth's Beauty Revitalizing Cream foundation. Plus, now that I am pregnant, its more important than ever for me to avoid as many chemicals as possible. So if you're just in the hunt for a good liquid foundation that performs well and suits sensitive skin than this is a pretty good buy. INGREDIENTS: water, titanium dioxide, propylene glycol, monostearate, bentonite, isopropyl myristate, stearic acid, kaolin, octyl methoxy cinnamate, t.e.a., glyceral monostearate, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, methyl paraben, may contain: iron oxides.
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Makeup Brushes -Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman - Buffing Brush
cali 1/9/2013 3:58:00 PM
Fantastic brush!!! I have sensitive skin and this blends liquid and cream foundations beautifully! In fact, my skin is so sensitive that other brushes (including real techniques expert face brush) would make my skin break out because the bristles would be to harsh on my skin or I would have to press harder to get the brush to the blend the porduct. But I have none of those problems with this brush and thats why I love it. I have had it since last summer and even though I wash it about every four days, I havent seen any shedding and the bristles are still incredibly soft and comfortable on my face. Its defintely a great value for the money and it will last a long time, so yes, one day I will defintely repurchase or just buy when I want a backup.
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Lipstick -Wet 'n' Wild - Lipstick- #547b, Breeze
cali 12/13/2012 9:16:00 PM
Wow, I havent bought a WnW lipstick since I was in grade school and they have really made some improvements. I am very impressed with this light, moisturing lipstick formula and it doesnt have any crazy offending scent. The best part is, this color is almost an exact DUPE for Victorias Secret lipstick in Whisper. If I had known that, I wouldnt have bought the VS lippie for like $13. The only slight difference is Breeze is a tiny tiny bit more peachy nude while the VS is a tiny bit more bronzey nude. Overall this is a fabulous lippie in terms of formula, perfomance, shades available and price. Love it!
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Moisturizers -Weleda - Everon Cold Cream
cali 11/27/2012 3:09:00 PM
I love all Weleda products so I am a bit disappointed that this didnt work for me. It is indeed very moisturizing and great for sensitive, dry skin; but I think the peanut oil in this might be a little too heavy for my skin since I experienced some small breakouts the same day I would use this. It looked beautiful underneath my Dalton conceal-it concealer (which I use as full face foundation) since this cold cream gives you a dewey. moist healthy glow. But like I mentioned, I would get these little pimples that very same day. I only tried it a few times and it nearly happened every time. I would then switch back to my Weleda Almond cream and breakouts would clear right up. (i know its not the makeup since I continued straight through and have been using Dalton concealer since I bought it.) It has a rose scent which is a little stronger than the Weleda Rose Smoothing Day cream but it didnt upset my sensitive nose. I think if you like the Almond cream or Weleda moisturizers in general, than you will probably like this if you are not sensitive to peanut oil.
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Concealers -Unlisted Brand - Dalton Conceal-it Concealer
cali 11/15/2012 2:57:00 PM
So glad I bought this!!! I have been on a huge foundation hunt since my beloved Mehron HD Pro started to oxidize on my skin in the heat this past summer and their color selection is too limited. I have tried over a handfull of foundations and this one is the closest replacement to my Mehron so far. I bought the medium and dark from qvc and i'm glad I did because i am in between those shades. I love the handy container it comes in (keeps it uncontaminated and easy to travel with) but havent used the sponge cause I prefer to use latex free triangle sponges from cvs. i use a fresh on each time. (i know, not eco friendly but havent invested in a beauty blender yet and my skin is too sensitive to brushes) Anyways, this is a concealer but I use it as a near full coverage foundation. I love the full size pot because I have room to swipe my makeup sponge in there. So after mositurizer and primer, I dampen my sponge and swipe twice in the medium and once in the dark. Then i gently swipe and pat in downward motion. I can layer in more coverage by swiping more product and just bouncing and pressing into the areas that need it like my cheeks and chin. This has three silicones in it, so stay away if you are sensitive. However, my skin loves the barrier protection of silicones and my face feels protected and soothed after putting this on. also, for sensitive skin gals, this does not have talc or nylon-12, both of which break me out or make me dry and itchy. There's a ton of pigment in this so you dont need a lot of product to get nearly full coverage. I say nearly full because I am ocd about covering some of my random dark brown freckles and so I go back in and lay a small amount/dot (with Real Techniques pointy concealer brush) of Hard Candy glamoflauge on my freckles and then press the HC glamoflauge into my skin with my still slightly damp makeup sponge. This help fuse the two products together and to your skin and blur the edges of the dots of concealer. Then I take a Real Techniques buffing brush and lightly smooth on some Fusion of Color diamond indulgence finishing powder in #2. This blends out all the edges and gives an airbrushed look. For me, the coverage is slightly matte (but I have quite dryish skin in fall and winter) and it does not have as much slip or dewey finish as the Mehron. But I think I can get this to "dewey" more on my skin if I layer a heavier mosturizer underneath. Its not all natural by any means since it has parabens, but the ingredients are quite few compared to some formulas. Also there is no fragrance which is huge plus for sensitive skin or noses. You get a lot of product for the money and qvc is great about returns so I am overall very happy with my purchase. (for reference, I tried the following foundations which almost all were fails and will write reviews soon: Sonia Kashuk Luminous, Loreal True Match Blendable liquid, RMS Beauty, Erzulie Cosmetics, Zosimos, Napolean Perdis stick foundation, Cinema Secrets(just ok, pita to find color match) , Paula Dorf liquid(love this & best for summer) , Jane Iredale liquid minerals.)
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Eye Shadow -Too Faced - Natural Eye Palette
cali 10/25/2012 6:01:00 PM
Wow, I love this shadow pallette!!!! Such beautiful colors, shimmer, and quality!!! Ladies, dont be like me and never venture into quality makeup simply because of the higher prices. I am bummed on all the money I spent on crappy drugstore shadows. Anyways, these shadows are beautiful and many are a close dupe for the infamous UD Naked pallette. So you can get this for 36 bucks as opposed to 50 for the UD. I was immediately bowled over by the color intesity and payoff. They blend like a dream too. They is very little fall out on the brush or your face when applying these with the proper brushes. So, yes, $36 bucks is a lot of money but for 9 shadows that are pro quality and will last quite a while, its not that much and you will get a lot of bang for your buck. Love these :)
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Eye Shadow -Maybelline - EyeStudio Color Explosion Eyeshadow in Caffeine Rush
cali 10/25/2012 5:52:00 PM
I like these eyeshadows, but I am not overly in love with them. It is a very good pallette for a drugstore buy or someone who does not want to spend a lot of money on eyeshadow. The quality is pretty good and the color combo is very nice. However, I just bought a Too Faced eyeshadow palette yesterday and I am over the moon with the quality and colors! So I know now what I have been missing all these years from higher quality eyeshadows. These colors do blend well though and the initial color payoff is pretty good. My favorite color is the light tan, peachy color cause it make a great transition color, and the white on the bottom makes a great highlight for the brow bone. Overall I am happy with the quad since it was only $8 but I will focus my money on higher quality shadows from now on.
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