Deodorants -Unlisted Brand - Certain Dri
snarkywench 1/25/2012 3:41:00 AM
I've been noticing an increase in sweating under my arms and other places as I've gotten older and it has been bothering me. This stuff worked when nothing else would.
I purchased the solid first because I was leery of something that you put on at night thinking it would wash off in my morning shower. The solid might as well be regular AP/DO for all the difference it made (none) on its own. BUT the combination of the ROLL ON applied at night with the solid applied after my morning shower kept my pits dry on the most humid summer day in a very humid/wet work environment. I was so shocked, I went to the bathroom to check and make sure. My pits really were completely dry! I also found using this that you only need to apply it (roll-on) every 2-3 days, it keeps working! You still use the solid in the mornings. I had the best result using the 2 products together. Using them separately or with other AP/DO products was not as effective.
The only real downside I noticed from this was an increase in sweat from other areas of the body. If I'm not mistaken, the body will try to cool itself wherever it can so if you block one area another picks up the slack. I did have some itching the first few times I used it but the information says you will experience that if you apply too much.
For me, I only use this when it's very hot or humid or both outside because my other AP/DO (mitchum) works fine in "normal" weather.
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Blush -Illamasqua - Powder in Unrequited
snarkywench 7/7/2011 4:13:00 AM
I got this last year along with Katie and Kiss.
I really thought Katie (a very light cool pink) would be my "go to" shade seeing as I'm quite fair** but, I reach for Unrequited more than any blush I own. It's a pretty look, a little life without looking clownish. Unrequited, to my eye, is a matte warm pink with a good dose of peach. Baby pink is not what I would call this, Katie is what I think of when I hear/see baby pink as a description. The 2nd pic above is mine & Katie is on the left with Unrequited on the right, NYX peach is in the middle.
As mentioned by others, this is totally matte no sparkles to be found. YAY!
Unrequited blends out like a dream and is not chalky but it is soft so a light hand and softer (but not too soft) brush are needed. Really this is true for all of my Illamasqua blushes. They are all very pigmented & wear well; I get about 10 hours of wear out of these blushes & could probably go longer but I take it off when I get home.
**I've never been MAC matched but they don't have a shade light enough for me, most brands don't though. The closest I've found so far in LIQUID foundations is Revlon Color Stay combo/oily Ivory 110, the lightest shade. Nars, Shu, Kanebo, GA, all are too dark or off in tone. As a guess, I'd say I'm nw/nc 10? hth
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Cleansers -Yes To Carrots - Yes To Cucumbers Face Cleanser Towelettes
snarkywench 5/30/2011 3:45:00 AM
First off, I am NOT a regular wipe/towelette user. When wearing makeup I usually use Purity Made Simple with a few drops of olive oil & a facecloth. If no makeup, I generally use just warm water & a facecloth. All that said, I am lazy every now & then and that's when I reach for a pre-moistened towelette product.
I've used Ponds & Olay and didn't care for either of them, they left a sticky feeling on my skin, didn't remove even half the makeup and were a bit scratchy feeling.
On to the YTC...
The first thing I noticed is the scent; a refreshing cucumber with a hint of floral, melon & apple. Yum! Theses are a nice thickness and wet, not dripping but nicely soaked. I like to really work my face, so the towelette has to be able to stand up to it and these did, unlike the ponds which I have torn.
I was wearing a lot of makeup today, full face including TFSI & 3 coats of mascara. Very little face makeup came off on a cotton pad with ACV toner afterwards and these cloths did a great job at removing all of my eye makeup. I was pretty surprised as I really thought I was going to have to use a 2nd cloth. These are about average size to slightly smaller than other towelettes.
There was a very slight residue left on my skin, not sticky, just something there. So I did splash the face with water & patted dry before using the toner.
The only real negative to these for me, is that I did notice a burning sensation right below my eyes & nowhere else. I'm not overly sensitive there afaik. For a product that claims to be soothing (one of the reasons I decided to try them) there really shouldn't be a burning sensation.
I bought the travel pack of 10 towelettes for $2.99
The standard peel up/resealable packaging should keep for quite awhile.
I would buy these again even with the slight under eye irritation since they are the best I've used so far for removing makeup. I don't plan to use them every day since I still prefer the Philosophy.
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Blush -NYX - Peach
snarkywench 5/21/2011 11:50:00 PM
This blush is the love child of Illamasqua Unrequited & Illamasqua Katie. Unrequited is a warmed Pink with a good dose of peach and Katie is a whispery muted Pink with no peach to be found. All are matte finishes. My ULTA expanded their NYX display & now carries some blush so of course I had to grab a few, bonus that they were on sale.
When you put this next to an obviously pink blush like Katie you can see that it really is Peach (with some pink.) They do share a similar tone though; both are muted, not in your face. It's more orange than Unrequited.
These are pretty soft and decently pigmented (nowhere near Illamasqua though) so a light hand and softer brush are needed. I used an ecotools brush from the mineral makeup set & applied about 3 times before I could tell it was there. I don't generally do peach blushes beacuse they're too warm (I'm nc/nw 5-10 range more cool than warm fwiw) but I think this is one that will work. Recommend only for fairer skinned ladies though as I doubt it would show well past nc/nw20.
I'll see about getting a pic of the three when I have daylight.
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Polishes -Sally Hansen - Insta-Dri Mochachino
snarkywench 11/5/2010 2:46:00 AM
I had in mind a shade of the perfect fall color. It couldn't be too warm, as I'm very pale, but needed to reflect the colors of fall leaves. I also wanted shimmer & hoped to find something with copper & a smidge of gold, again not too warm. That's not asking too much is it? Apparently not for SH! I really didn't think I'd find it in the drugstore & was prepared to spend more and search longer. I seriously can't believe I found it this fast & not just one but 2! This color is GORGEOUS! I am loving it, it's a brown berry/burgundy (almost like a real sugared plum) with copper & gold shimmer and there's also some red & silver in there too! I'd be interested to try a flake or holo on this but it would need to be clear based so the beauty of the polish could show through. The polish consistency is thick IMO, but not sticky. It lays down very nicely & with the wide brush, which I'm not crazy about, you can cover the nail in 2-3 strokes. Dry time is pretty much instant as the name says. Also, I believe that this is a one coat polish. If you're pressed for time or have to run out the door before a 2nd coat, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be ashamed. I can't speak to how long this lasts on the nails, as I haven't done a full mani with it yet & it's my first insta dri polish. As with all dark shades, I recommend a basecoat. I'm trying out SH fortifying base & topcoat atm. FYI I also found a dupe for this, it's an exact match as far shade: Canal Street by NYC. The only differences as far as I can tell are that the NYC is a bit thinner & comes with a normal brush. On the Canal Street bottle I noticed it said "quick dry" too, not sure if it's as quick as SH though. SH is $4.50 & NYC was $1.72 oh & slightly more polish in Canal Street. If you're pale & on the hunt for an easy fall shade give mochachino a try. I think it can work for both cool & warm toned ladies.
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Eye Shadow -NYX - Jumbo Eye Shadow Pencil - Cottage Cheese
snarkywench 10/13/2010 2:46:00 AM
I love this pencil, it's a shimmery/frosty white that is perfect for the tear duct area or under the brow. I also use it as a liner(top & bottom), sheered out to brighten my eyes & on my cupid's bow. Depending on the lighting it can reflect silver or gold (to my eye anyway.)
As with all the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils, the texture is creamy and they do not ever dry to a powder; if you have even slightly oily lids you will need a primer. If you don't use a primer they will disappear into nothingness or collect in your crease. This works very well under other shadows when you want to give them some oomph or lighten them up a bit.
Pros: color, pigment, price, portable
Cons: I wish it were a bit skinnier & was a cream to powder finish or at least not quite so creamy.
I use this almost daily, & would definitely buy another.
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Mascara -Wet 'n' Wild - MegaVolume Thickening Mascara
snarkywench 10/5/2010 1:53:00 AM
I've had this for a while now. I bought it, along with several other d/s mascaras when I was hunting for a new one. I don't think I'll ever stop hunting really but anyway...I've just gotten round to using this, I remember trying it when I first got it & thinking meh, closed it up & haven't touched it since. For some reason I was staring at it in my jar of mascaras & I decided to try it out again. I've been using it all week. Maybe it's because it had a little dry out time or something but I actually like it now. The first time I used it I remember it being very wet, not clumpy or anything just very very wet, to the point where by the time I finished applying it I looked like I had put eyeliner on :/ NOT this time, It just leaves a nice coat of black on my lashes, it's nothing special as far as volume goes (maybe if I work 5 coats) but it does offer good separation with no flaking as well as easy cleanup with water & removal with facewash. You do get a bit of the raccoon look upon removal but it all comes off without scrubbing. I haven't noticed an irritation or any lash loss and my lashes don't feel crispy. All in all, for $3 US I'd say it's worth it, just don't expect the mega volume unless you plan to spend more than 5 minutes on application. Oh, the brush is about average size, nowhere near as big as Prestige MBL & it narrows to a nice point that can get the little lashes too.
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Treatments -It's a 10 - Miracle Leave in Product
snarkywench 10/4/2010 12:55:00 AM
I use this every day after taking my hair out of the towel. 2 spritzes in the hands & worked through the hair are all my fine, color treated hair needs PRE blow-dry. AFTER drying, I use this very sparingly(I try for 1/2 a pump) and only on from the ears down just to smooth things out. I don't use a flat iron but I do blow dry daily. I use a curling iron also. So far, I find this works very well for me. I don't have as much trouble with static or flyaways and my hair is silky & I haven't noticed my ends splitting as quickly as they did. I like the shine that I get without turning into a greasy mess and the scent is nice as well. It's a warm, kind of nutty sent, not really sure how best to describe. I used to use Ojon Revitalizing Mist & still do occasionally but it doesn't do half of what this does.
This is a little expensive, the 4oz bottle I have was $17.00 but I've had my bottle for about 6mos now & using 2-3 pumps daily has left me with a bit over 1/2 the bottle, so It evens out.
I'm going to get the shampoo, conditioner & probably the mask too.
I will definitely re-buy as long as it keeps working.
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Eyeliner -Urban Decay - Ransom 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil
snarkywench 10/1/2010 2:38:00 AM
I'm pretty much a UD shadow junkie but I don't have much experience with their liners. I own several liners by different labels but I really don't wear them often. This came as part of the BOS3 kit & I've tried it out a few times. I love the color, as others have said it's a blue violet purple with not a speck of glitter to be found & it has a metallic sheen . I haven't really noticed any duochrome effect.
As for application, this wasn't/isn't as creamy as I'd hoped. It's not horrible but there are ds liners with smoother application & as good or better staying power (Milani Liquifeye comes to mind). Every time I've applied this there has been tugging or I have to tug & sometimes the color takes itself off instead of builds if you go over an area repeatedly. I'm not sure if that is typical to this pencil or because it was a kit mini. Can't say I'm impressed & I was so hoping to be impressed. Also, imo this is not really a color to use on the waterline; it doesn't show up at least not on mine & I'm very fair.
I'm not sure about repurchasing this, chances are it won't get enough use. NYX has a color that is very similar to this (purple velvet JEP). I just wish the NYX had the same staying power & a finer tip. Based on staying power in this color alone, if I needed another I guess I'd get it, otherwise I'll buy NYX or Milani. Especially the Milani Liquifeye, if they ever come out with a color like this I'll be one of the first in line.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Eden Botanicals Amber Essence Oil
snarkywench 5/18/2010 2:23:00 AM
I was introduced to this about 10? years or so ago when I started going to a "new age" store that I later ran. I wore it all the time & was constantly asked about it, we couldn't keep it in stock. This is my absolute favorite "amber" scent on the market. It is soft & sweet, a little powdery & a little vanilla-ish, with a bit of smoke/woodiness. There is even the faintest floral note, to my nose. It's a warm & cozy yet sensual fragrance that reminds me of being curled up near a fire or snuggled into the softest cashmere throw& um other things ;) This is a thick oil that you can apply straight to the skin or you can cut it to make your own EDT if you like. You can get a sample vial for $2.00 or the typical 8.5ml bottle for $13. Personally if I could afford a vat of this stuff I'd get it. I love the amber resin too, I burn it or set it out like potpourri.***goes off to get some out***
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Crème -Lacura - Beauty Foundation
snarkywench 5/9/2010 2:41:00 AM
I finally managed to get some of this in #10, Transparent, the lightest shade. My Aldi has been out. I wore it today for the first time over moisturizer & age rewind primer. I was pleasantly surprised at the color match on this. It's pretty much perfect for my PPP casper-ish cool skin tone.The color looked a bit odd coming out of the tube, it was kind of ashy/ pink/beige. The consistency is thicker than I expected, very creamy yet very lightweight. I don't even notice its there except for a the occasional whiff of a light floral/rose-ish scent which doesn't fade out much but isn't terribly obnoxious to me. This does dry quickly, but not as fast as Color Stay & it's a nice matte/semi-matte finish. I would say this is sheer to medium buildable coverage. I put a second layer on my cheeks & tzone and, while they didn't disappear, my pores were much less visible & the product did NOT look heavy. It's been on for about 8 hours now & there is barely any shine in the tzone & my skin still feels velvety smooth, no tackiness & not sticky!! Temperatures here were very cool today, I'd be interested to see if it performs as well on a hot/humid day. If it does then this ranks with my Revlon Color stay Oily/combination. This product doesn't say anything about being oil free but it doesn't feel oily/greasy. If you're looking for a very wallet friendly, lightweight foundation with nice coverage then give this one a try. As long as it doesn't break me out, I'll repurchase. EDIT: removes very well with Purity Made Simple cleanser, no scrubbing or toner needed. 1oz size $3.49 at ALDI stores, available in 4 shades Paraben Free As stated on the box: Perfect coverage and natural shine protection. I think I'd have to agree :) **UPDATE 10/13/10: I still love this stuff, I've been alternating it with Revlon CS all summer. It held up very well in heat & humidity, which we had quite a bit of this summer. There were only a few times where I thought blotting was necessary. I have not experienced ANY breakouts related to this product and I'm going to stock up just in case. Seriously, you can't get more wallet friendly than $3.50 a tube.
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Mascara -Rimmel - Glam Eyes
snarkywench 5/5/2010 1:52:00 AM
I picked this & Volume Flash The Max up tonight & couldn't wait to get home to try them out. I'm almost out of my L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen & am always wanting to try new mascaras. This is only a first impression review, since I'm about to wash it off for bed. I'll be back with a full(er) review in a couple of days.
Initial Pros:
Color, very pigmented
Great volume
Can get all lashes
seems to lift or curl too?
no stinging, itchy or watery eyes
brush: I like the separation that you can get but it's still weird
price
packaging
Initial Cons:
very wet
brush, bristles are comb like, weird & short & the head is superflexible so care is needed when blotting excess off the tip.
packaging: a needless secondary cap is a waste just so people can see the brush.
clumps
Application was pretty easy but the formula is VERY wet. I love hate the brush; it deposits the product well & the bristles do seem to offer some separation but the initial clumping is awful, not unilash awful but close, so you'll need a lash comb. I'm wearing 2 coats in the pic which is what I'd normally wear. There's enough volume/color that I don't even seem to need liner and it appears to have curled my lashes somewhat as I did NOT curl them & they are pretty straight naturally(see the max eye.) It's highly pigmented but it also transfers to the lash line & to your bottom lashes quite easily so be prepared for cleanup. There hasn't been any stinging, itchiness or watery eyes as of yet. I can't detect any noticeable scent.
As of right now, I'd by again.
*EDIT 5/19/10* I only have a bit to add to the initial review... I think the curling effect was a fluke because I have not seen the same effect without a lash curler since the initial review. Flaking has been very minimal as far as I can tell & no smudging either. Removal is easy, no tugging req'd & even though you do get the raccoon look, it all cleans up. I'll be keeping this one because it plays well with others & was under $7 USD.
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Skincare - Body -Ecotools - Bamboo Bristle Bath Brush
snarkywench 5/5/2010 1:32:00 AM
I just used this again today, I love & adore this brush ♥♥♥♥♥ it has soft, but not too soft bristles that feel like they do their job without irritating or damaging your skin. I used another brush that actually left scratch marks on me the bristles were so stiff. This brush also seems well made; I've had mine for about a month now & I haven't seen any shedding yet and it fits my hands well. I use it about every other day or so & will happily repurchase when needed.
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Mascara -Rimmel - Volume Flash The Max
snarkywench 5/5/2010 12:49:00 AM
Just got home from buying this a bit ago & couldn't wait to try this & Glam eyes. Walgreen's is currently having a buy 1 get %50 off 2nd so I grabbed both. I usually use L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen, which I really like, but I'm down to the last of it & I always want to try new mascaras. Since it's almost bed time I'll be washing it off in a bit, so I can't give a review on how it wears but I'll be back in a day or two with that.
Pros: Big brush, but not too big,Can get even tiny lashes, Nice volume but not huge,Buildable, Noticeably black, No stinging itchy watery eyes so far & Price
Cons: Wet, Clumps & Flakes
Application was pretty easy; the formula is wet & does transfer to the lash line so you'll need to plan time for cleanup & also for using a lash comb if you do more than 1 coat. I always comb my lashes so it's not a big issue for me. I have what I consider 2 coats (apply, comb, re-apply) on in my pic, which is what I normally wear. You'll need to blot the tip on a tissue as product does cling but this is not unusual for this type of brush.
To me, this gives a more natural eye look, obviously still product on the eyes but not as intense as the glam eyes. I did NOT curl my lashes for application which might change my opinion but in the pic it doesn't look overly done to me. I'm not entirely satisfied with how this turned out, the lashes are still a little clumped but maybe more time with the lash comb would fix it.
5/9/10
EDIT: The Max flaked a bit during wear but was easy to remove with no under eye staining/residue after removal. After experimenting for a couple of days, I decided to return. It's an alright mascara but doesn't give that much volume, there are better out there for the same $5-8( I paid $3.50 on sale.) I'd buy it again only if they stop making L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen.
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Mascara -NYX - Doll Eye Mascara - Volume
snarkywench 5/4/2010 12:16:00 AM
I'm on the fence about this. After reading reviews here I bought both Volume and Long Lash. So far, after trying out both together & separately, I loved the combination of the 2 but I'm liking long Lash better on its own. I will list the positives first, it wont take long :p
Cute packaging
Can get all lashes
there, see? done with the positives,now the negatives...
I detest the brush head on this, the dip in the middle irritates, me to no end, it causes 2 clumps of lashes on the ends (the same brush head is used for long lash) but the mid section looks alright. My lash comb got a workout getting rid of the clumps between coats & I had so much on my lash lines that I didn't need liner. It also doesn't clean up very well with just water.
The formula isn't very volumizing imo. I was using L'Oreal extra volume collagen, which is MUCH thicker with less effort & the brush doesn't have any newfangled weirdness going on. It's also cheaper. I had to layer on 4!!! coats to get the same volume from Doll Eye as from the L'Oreal.
It flakes, during application & during wear.
Removal, this comes off in flakes, which wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to sort of tug my lashes to get it off.
Price, I paid over $9 so that makes it pricey to me for a d/s mascara.
Ok I started off the beginning of this review on the fence about keeping this, but after reading what I've written it's going back. It's not worth keeping even to use with the Long Lash; if I wanted to spend $20+ for mascara I'd just go get Lancome. I really wish this had worked =(
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