Liquid -L'Oreal - Lumi Magique Foundation
BabyTheStarsShineBright 3/20/2013 11:17:00 PM
I was very impressed by this foundation. Initially, I was concerned that this would make my oily/combo skin look and feel too greasy, but it does not have that effect at all. The 'lumi' part of this foundation refers more to the natural, satin finish that it gives. It effectively covers up my red spots, light post-acne scars, and smooths the appearance of my pores. This does not make me oily at all, so I would feel confident using it even during the summer. I take one pump of the foundation and dot it around my face. Then I take my real techniques flat top buffing brush and quickly blend it over my skin. I then take another 1/2 pump to blend it over the areas I want more coverage (around nose/mouth, acne scars). I set it by pressing (not buffing!) a light powder over my t-zone. I like using MAC mineralize skinfinish, maybelline dream matte powder, or Rimmel pressed powder to set the foundation, then I spritz Urban Decay's All-Nighter spray 2-3 times on my face. This routine gives me a flawless base that lasts from 7am to 9pm every day. Compared to Revlon Colorstay (my other drugstore HG foundation), the L'Oreal has slightly less coverage, a more satin finish (rather than pure-matte), and it is more buildable. The lasting power is similar. Compared to MAC face and body foundation, the L'Oreal has better coverage, feels lighter on the skin, and 'sets' better. I feel like the MAC F&B never really sets on my skin and it transfers onto shirts and sunglasses easily. Lumi does not have glitter particles like the Revlon Photoready foundation, yet it makes my skin look super healthy. It achieves the 'glowy' HD effect without the added oiliness, shininess, or heaviness. Price is standard for US drugstore foundations: about $11 for 1 fl. oz. My local Ulta only carried 6 shades, so I bought the lightest shade available: n1-n2 neutral soft ivory/classic ivory. It has two names on the cap but I'm not entirely sure why it is a range rather than a single shade. I am NC20 at MAC, Sand Beige in Revlon for reference. This is a great color match for my light neutral-undertone Asian skin, but it will be too dark for those with a PPP skintone. I also wanted to add that removal is KEY for long-lasting foundations. I recommend using a two-step makeup removal process. First use a cleansing oil or balm to dissolve the foundation/powder/sunscreen that has been sitting on your face all day. Then use a second mild cleansing facial wash to remove all the residue. Moisturize with your favorite face lotion. If you use a toner/cotton pad step after washing your face, the cotton pad should look *clean* after swiping your face. I am a firm believer that makeup removal should be done at the bathroom sink. If your cotton pad is looking beige or grey, it means that your cleansing routine is not thorough enough. Sometimes a foundation is not the reason your skin is breaking out, it could be that your nightly cleansing method is not effectively removing all traces of foundation/oil/dirt/sebum from your skin.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -L'Oreal - Colour Caresse Shine Stain / Shine Caresse
BabyTheStarsShineBright 3/20/2013 10:41:00 PM
Infinite Fuchsia is a bright mauve/ berry shade that looks good when you first apply it, but it fades unevenly. I tried the tips posted on here with this product but I was not satisfied with its lasting power. I applied one layer, waited for it to set, then applied a second layer. After two hours, the color had completely faded from my upper lip and the outer edge of my lower lip, leaving a patchy, feathered, fuchsia stain only on the center of my lower lip. Someone actually approached me to ask if my lips were bleeding! That was when I knew this product wasn't working for me. I would describe the texture as a watery gloss. It applied smoothly but I did have to run my finger around the edge of my lips to get a clean line. The color was very flattering on my lips but it was also very drying and made my lips flake worse and worse throughout the day. I bought mine at Ulta and I did not like how the products were not sealed in any way. When you are buying a lipstick you can usually tell if someone had swatched it or used it before you, but it's nearly impossible with lipgloss packaging.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Prestige - My Biggest Lashes
BabyTheStarsShineBright 8/21/2012 12:31:00 AM
I wasn't impressed by the lack of curl this mascara held. I like being able to see my lashes in the mirror when I look straight ahead but this mascara drooped them so it looked like I didn't have any lashes. The profile view was also not cute (in other words, straight and pointing downward). Japanese mascaras are the BEST at keeping a curl so maybe I have been spoiled by them. I know that it is not meant to be waterproof, but this mascara gave me some intense raccoon eyes. On top of that, those smudges were impossible to remove without make-up remover so they stuck around all day! Volume and length were decent. On me it was a teeny bit more noticeable than Maybelline Full&Soft but I like Full&Soft 10x better for its hold, non-clumpiness, and non-smudging. Overall, will not repurchase and I was disappointed because my experience was nothing like the positive reviews on this product.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Colorburst Lip Butter in Creme Brulee
BabyTheStarsShineBright 4/20/2012 5:16:00 AM
At first, I wasn't a fan of the Revlon Lip Butter in Creme Brulee. It is smooth, decently moisturizing, and has a subtle vanilla scent but on my NC20 skin and medium pigmented lips, it only provided a beige-ish sheen. It wasn't quite opaque enough to pass as a nude lip and it was too beige to pass as a plain lipbalm. Then, I tried layering this over various pink lipsticks and it became Love! It provides the perfect milky pink shine when I want to tone down a pink lipcolor that is too bright or too cool-toned. It looks good over all shades of pink. Sometimes I will apply a pink or MMLB color lipstick first and then the creme brulee in the inner portion of my lips to create a subtle gradient of color that is popular in Korean and Japanese make-up. Get this when Revlon lip products are on sale at the drugstore.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Top/Base Coats -Seche Vite - Dry Fast Top Coat
BabyTheStarsShineBright 4/20/2012 5:05:00 AM
The good: - fast drying time - glossy shine The bad: - major shrinkage! (nail color drying and pulling away from the tip of the nail, exposing a millimeter of natural nail) - chips in fairly large chunks within 1 day - strong smell I have stalked the nail board for tips on how to prevent shrinkage and chipping but I am still unsuccessful. I have tried different base coats, different polish brand combos, always applying seche vite on still tacky polish, wrapping my tips with every layer... etc! Yet each of my nails end up with shrinkage and it still chips in less than a day. My bottle of this is still fairly new and not goopy yet so I had higher expectations for this popular topcoat. The search for the perfect fast-drying topcoat continues!
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Lip Treatments -Maybelline - Baby Lips lip balm
BabyTheStarsShineBright 3/8/2012 9:10:00 AM
I have this in pink punch and while this looked pretty in the tube, I did not like it for several reasons. Cons: - dried lips! - uneven and patchy application - grainy and dry feeling - waxy artificial smell - cheap packaging The color is a pretty bright pink but it does not transfer well onto my lips. Even after gently exfoliating and moisturizing my lips, it would look patchy and make them chapped within minutes. This product reminded me of a wax toy lipstick that would come in a kit for kids to play with.
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Hair Color -Clairol - Nice 'n Easy Perfect 10
BabyTheStarsShineBright 1/13/2012 2:42:00 AM
I used Dark Brown and my hair turned out black. I was trying to get back to my natural Asian black hair but this shade of black was even darker than that, and had an obvious fake tone to it. It is like a blue-black after the blue tint fades. It just looks too harsh with my skintone so I can only hope it fades with time and doesn't come back to haunt me if I try to lighten my hair in the future. Drippy liquidy formula. I didn't have this problem before with other box dyes, but I couldn't twist my shoulder length hair into a bun because it was too wet from the dye. As a result, I had drips behind my neck and on my collarbones. They mostly faded in the shower but it is noticeable. I liked the brush applicator at first to comb through the roots near my forehead but it couldn't brush through the bulk of my hair so I just squeezed the dye into my glove and scrunched and finger-combed through my hair. This took too long to wash out of my hair. I had to resort to using shampoo 4 times before the water finally began running clear. Overall, I wasn't happy with the Dark Brown color because it turned out to be Midnight Black when used on my medium brown hair. Drippy and messy formula and long rinse time makes it unsuccessful for me. There are better and cheaper box dyes from Garnier or Revlon.
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Bronzers -MAC - Bronzing Powder
BabyTheStarsShineBright 7/7/2011 4:09:00 AM
My face always seems to be 2 shades lighter than my body (without make-up!) so I thought I would try this bronzer in Matte Bronze to make my face and body look like they are part of one person again. I am NC 20-25 and the shade looked a bit dark in the pan but it's a completely different story on the face. I used my Mac 187 (duo fiber stippling brush) and buffed it along my cheekbones then sweeped it lightly across my hairline and chin. It somehow makes my face look so much healthier and glowy without any shimmer! I am usually drawn to shimmery and sparking blushes/bronzers/highlighters but this matte bronzer convinced me that matte powders can also have the same effect but with a more natural finish. This gives me an subtle tan look and *maybe it's in my head* but I think it also slims the appearance of my babyfat cheeks!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Revlon - ColorStay Makeup
BabyTheStarsShineBright 7/7/2011 3:45:00 AM
This foundation provides great coverage with a semi-matte finish. I actually use the oily/combo one more like a concealer by first applying light dots under my eyes, the sides of my nose, and my chin, then blending it out. I set it lightly with Mac MSF in Medium and my face is complete for the day! I have oily skin and this routine does a good job at keeping my skin feeling/looking fresh. It does have a smell but I only notice it while I'm applying the coverstay and the scent is really not that bad. I've tried using it all over my face and it doesn't feel heavier than a normal tinted moisterizer or bb cream, but I thought the overall look was too matte/flat for me so now I use it as a concealer and it works perfectly. I wash my face at night with the Olay Pro-X Brush (cheaper but excellent alternative to the Clarisonic) and Alpha Hydrox Foaming face wash or Dove soap, and it gets everything off easily. I'm NC20-25 and I wear the shade color Sand (I believe it is the 3rd from the lightest). The color is a great match for my light Asian skin with slight yellow undertones, and before I even blend it out it literally disappears when I dot it onto my face.
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Shampoo -Suave - Daily Clarifying Shampoo
BabyTheStarsShineBright 6/2/2011 1:57:00 AM
I have short above-the-shoulder hair that seems to get greasy faster than when I had long hair, so I like to wash my hair everyday. This makes my hair feel SO clean, feathery, light, and healthy. When I air-dry my hair, I can actually see lift in my roots, and I have very little hair! My pony-tail has the thickness of about a nickel. My natural hair color is black and it is currently dyed medium brown. My friends have commented that my hair color has been looking lighter so I believe this shampoo may strip color. However, I don't mind because the color has been looking better and better. The fragrance is uni-sex and fresh, but it would be nice if it came in other fruity scents too :)
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Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - Salux Nylon Japanese Bath Towel
BabyTheStarsShineBright 5/28/2011 4:35:00 AM
My parents used this on my sister and me since we were in elementary school. Since it lathers so extremely well, it can be used gently on skin or aggressively to make every inch of your body sparkling clean. I love it. I usually wash my body with a plain old bar of Dove soap and even use the corner of this bath towel to gently exfoliate my face. It prevents ingrown hairs, even in the bikini line. My calves don't have those bumpy 'pores' anymore. Whenever I switch to a more gentle washcloth or poof, I feel the need to shower again with a Salux towel to get *really* clean. It costs about two dollars at Asian supermarkets It even helps reduce the KP (chicken skin) on my upper arms more than any prescription cream, spray or foam did!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Yes To Carrots - Yes to Carrots Conditioning Lip Butter with SPF 15
BabyTheStarsShineBright 5/19/2011 4:50:00 AM
Moisturizes decently but it made my lips feel greasy. It also slipped around past the edges of my lips making the corners of my mouth and cupids bow feel greasy as well. After using this I realized that I like 'firmer' lipbalms that don't feel similar to vaseline (for example. Burt's Bees honey lipbalm) but if you prefer slippery lipbalms it may work for you. Also, Citrus smells a bit plactic-y.
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Cleansers -Alpha Hydrox - Foaming Face Wash
BabyTheStarsShineBright 5/18/2011 11:15:00 PM
I use this with my Olay face brush and it works great. It removes all my make-up, and I have almost zero visible pores or blackheads after using this for a month. I didn't like the Alpha Hydrox lotion as much because it made my face sting a bit, but this cleaner is gentle, removes everything (foundation, eye-makeup, oilies) and makes my face glow before I even put on moisterizer. [edit------7/7/11] My sister recently began breaking out badly with large painful pimples on areas of her face that she never even got acne before (i.e. center of cheeks, between eyebrows.) I made her use this face wash with my Olay brush and after 2 days half her acne disappeared. Within a week her skin was 80% clear again. I don't think the Alpha Hydrox face wash has any acne fighting ingredients (such as benzoyl peroxide) but it does such a good job of cleansing, I really believe it prevents and clears acne without even needing those ingredients. I can't ask for more from this cleanser!
11 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Primer -Urban Decay - Eyeshadow Primer Potion - Original (UDPP)
BabyTheStarsShineBright 11/23/2009 11:55:00 PM
I am on my fourth tube of this, and always recommend this to my friends. I dab the tiniest amount onto my lids and brows, and it keeps my eyeliner, eyeshadow, and brow powder fresh all day/night. I get absolutely no smudges, and the colors do not fade. NOTE: When you think you have run out of product, cut open the container lengthwise. I didn't realize this until I was on my second tube, and I've been cutting them open since! You can scoop out so much leftover and put it into a small container. There are tutorials on Youtube. Update on 6/12/2011 I cut open a tube that I've used daily for over a year, and there was enough product left in it to fill up an empty contact lens case. Each L and R capsule is about 3/4 full. No funky smell or texture, just perfectly fine product that I would have never been able to get out in that packaging!
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Moisturizers -C.O. Bigelow - Extra Light Face Lotion [DISCONTINUED]
BabyTheStarsShineBright 8/27/2008 1:43:00 AM
Before using this product, I had extremely oily skin. By noon I had patches of oil around my nose and forehead. I just finished my first bottle of this (4oz) and my skin is now actually more on the normal/dry side. It definitely controls excess oil from when you put it on until dinnertime. I no longer need oil-blotting sheets or touchups throughout the day! It was the perfect spring/summer moisterizer. This moisturizer lives up to its name. The fragrance is also light and clean smelling. Not sweet or floral- though it reminds me more of plants/subtle herbs. I do like the packaging. It is simple, travel friendly, and easy to squeeze out (even when you're down to the last few drops). I will buy this again if my skin reverts back to oily/combo issues.
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