Powder -Clinique - Blended Face Powder and Brush
silldr 1/20/2013 8:03:00 PM
I'm reviewing this product specifically for setting concealer under the eyes. I can't compare it to the Benefit Powderflage b/c I haven't tried it, but here's what I think. Pros: A lot of product for the money, very finely milled, has a slight brightening/concealing effect, comes with a travel brush which isn't the best overall brush BUT you can pack it with powder and stick it in your purse which is pretty cool Cons: Cakes a bit under the eyes in fine lines BUT I did some research and found a cheap way to fix this. The main differences b/t this and the Powderflage (from what I've read) is 1) no silica, which causes more caking 2) color 02 is the closest to Powderflage, but slightly too dark 3) no reflective particles. You can fix 2 of these problems by mixing it with the ELF HD Powder! ELF HD Powder is mostly silica and the fact that it is bright white lightens the shade a little bit. The recommendation I found was about 75/25 Clinique to ELF but I like 50/50. SO, you can pay $28 for 38g of this mix or you can pay $28 for 3.2g and get the reflective particles. I don't know about you guys, but I'm on a budget!
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Primer/ Corrector -Revlon - PhotoReady Color Correcting Primer (color 002)
silldr 3/30/2012 11:37:00 AM
It seems pretty good. Does help makeup go on smoother and last longer. Mild color correcting effect- nothing really noticeable in my opinion, I still needed corrector concealer. It is a little pricey considering it's the same size as Rimmel fix & perfect for twice the price. It's good but not my HG. UPDATE: Tried Palladio's face primer and it makes this stuff look like junk! The Palladio wouldn't be good for oily skin, but it beats this stuff hands down!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Jordana - Black Rocks Glitter Rocks 
silldr 3/30/2012 11:28:00 AM
This is really nice! Goes on smoothly with just a little glitter to brighten up the eyes, but not too big or flashy. If I use eye primer it stays put most of the day. Can't beat it for the price. UPDATE: gets stars off for being unusable on the waterline, it's too waxy. But it's still dirt cheap...so...
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Misc Beauty Tools -Sonia Kashuk - Blending Sponge
silldr 3/30/2012 11:21:00 AM
I'm sorry I waited so long to try this! A lot of the YT gurus use brushes, so that's what I've been using but I much prefer this!!! For foundation- I'm not as big of a fan of the revlon colorstay as a lot of people, but this sponge made it look pretty nice. another brand that i previously didn't like Cinema Secrets looks FANTASTIC with this sponge. Before it looked cakey and blotchy and just didn't blend well. Have to experiment more but with this sponge CS might be my HG. For concealer- Blends concealer nicely, I prefer to apply the concealer with a brush then blend with the sponge b/c dipping the sponge directly it does soak up a little product. That's not as big of a deal with foundation, but on pricey concealer sold in small quantities, every bit counts! (at least to me) For powder- Actually applies powder very nicely, which I find weird. I didn't like the ELF HD powder with a brush b/c it seems to leave a whitish cast but with the sponge maybe b/c it "pushes" it in to the skin more it looks really nice and smooth. Cons: absorbs a little product (even wet) and does get stained even after washing Pros: has reformed some products i previously didn't care for and really does a great job of blending If you haven't tried a blending sponge before, you should!!! UPDATE: Finally tried the Beauty Blender, and it is a little nicer, but this is still a good sponge if you're on a budget!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Cinema Secrets - Foundation/concealer
silldr 6/14/2011 4:34:00 AM
I didn't like this until I experimented like HE** and finally realized what works for me. as a concealer: with clean hands, use ring finger and pick up the smallest amount of product, i mean BARELY touch it and lightly pat and blend where you need it. you can layer it if you do VERY light layers, but put it on thick and it will cake like a mofo- so just go super easy and it will look great! as a foundation: works best for me when i apply lightly with a brush then blend with a damp sponge (but really it's better as a concealer imho) overall: pro's - reasonable price for amt of product -great coverage con's -tricky to work with, can look cakey -packaging sucks, looks cheap -internet only makes color selection tricky honestly, i think most of the people that didn't like this either didn't apply it correctly (took me a bit) or just got the wrong color- it's pretty good. :) some reviewers said they had trouble matching color, a couple of tips about that: 1) call cinema secrets- they actually recommended based on my description that i use the corrector palette for foundation and it worked! 2) intriguebeauty.com (not affiliated) will send a sample for $4 and their customer service is GREAT! (b/c i was ordering other things, the rep actually gave me my 3 samples free!) 3) intriguebeauty.com (again NOT affiliated i just found them to be great) will match the color for you if you send them a sample of your current fd! UPDATE: This stuff looks wonderful when blended with a Sonia Kashuk blending sponge!!! I couldn't believe it. If you have this product and didn't like it- try the sponge!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyes -Unlisted Brand - Red Cherry - False Eyelashes
silldr 6/10/2011 1:23:00 AM
These are so much better than I expected! I bought 8 pair in various styles for everyday and also a costume. For $2 a pair- can't be beat! I like the DW (demi-whispies) for everyday, very natural look. The #1's are more dramatic but still not obviously fake and cheesy. I used the 107's for my costume which are SUPER long and was the perfect doll-like look I was going for. :) (pictures in profile) MadameMadeline carries these, and even with shipping- they're cheap. (fast shipping, plus you can get a discount for subscribing to the mailing list) I haven't been able to find them in stores, although I've been told some places that sell extensions, etc might have them.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Wet 'n' Wild - Color Icon Pencil - White
silldr 6/10/2011 1:17:00 AM
Product performs like a 3, but the price bumps it to a 4. Shows up decently on the waterline (slight heating with a lighter helps) Doesn't last more than a couple hours- but it is cheap, so... Compared to the Rimmel ($3 vs $1 and the Rimmel is half the length) it is only slightly less pigmented, although not quite as soft. For a drugstore eyeliner- it really ain't bad!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Rimmel - Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil in Pure White
silldr 6/10/2011 1:11:00 AM
Pretty good for the price! If I heat it up LIGHTLY with a lighter (not much at all or it will melt) it shows up a more dramatic white, instead of soft white- depends what look i'm going for. It's true that it doesn't last for more than 3-4ish hours (on waterline) , but i can work with that. For the price, that ain't bad. :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -E.L.F. - Flawless Finish Foundation
silldr 6/10/2011 1:02:00 AM
Just have to get the common complaint out of the way: I HATE the smell! In a lot of products that reviewers complain about, I actually don't mind the smell- but this is funky. :x Application: blends okay.... Coverage: evens out skin tone, but don't expect any blemishes concealed Staying power: nonexistent Appearance: looked okay- didn't look cakey, would actually have liked a little more matte Summary: could be worse for the price- but almost functions more as a tinted moisturizer to me. Probably better than anything else that cheap, but i'll spend a couple more bucks for a better product
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Revlon - Super Lustrous - Black Cherry
silldr 6/10/2011 12:49:00 AM
I've been looking for this color for a while and was so excited when I found a store not sold out. I bought it and opened it in the car, and my reaction was!!!... "oh... that's it?" I mean... the color is very dark but nothing super special to me- i have similar dark reds. i was expecting it to be more opaque on my lips. unless i layer it on, it really is a little more sheer than i was expecting. and this may be the super lustrous formula, but i find it smears and slides around on my lips. if i press my lips together or drink something, the next time i look in the mirror it looks kind of blotchy. maybe i could fix this by prepping.. but i don't have to do that with other lipsticks so meh. truly i feel this deserves a 3, but... maybe it's just me...
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Acne.org - Cleanser
silldr 6/1/2011 5:02:00 AM
I'm not wow'ed by this product but I gave it 4 lippies because it does what it claims to. It's a very mild but effective cleanser that doesn't irritate your skin or leave a residue. That's all there is to say about that! (I only got it because I was giving the "regimen" a try)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Alpha Hydrox - Retinol Night ResQ
silldr 6/1/2011 4:57:00 AM
Love this stuff! I apply around my eyes and then a pea sized amount patted on the rest of my face. When I use this my face looks smooth and glowing in the morning. I never used to use it around my eyes, but my fine lines were starting to look really pronounced and I starting dabbing around my eyes. In two weeks, I've seen improvement! My lines are not completely gone, but definitely reduced. I did some research recently and was pleased to see it's the most affordable retinol product recommended by Paula on beautypedia as well. :)
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Acne.org - Treatment
silldr 5/26/2011 1:43:00 AM
As a stand alone product: Great! I have mild-moderate acne during flare ups and I really like putting a dime-nickel sized amount on my problem areas, has cleared up the blackheads on my nose fantastically! A great value for the size compared to similar products. As part of the regimen: I'm sorry to be the naysayer but this dude's crazy! THAT much bp on your face twice a day? @@ I think 90% of people would get a good result with much less irritation doing smaller amounts on problem areas only. I tried to do the "regimen" but it made my face so itchy and irritated, I've done much better with a smaller dosage. It's a good product but I think he tries to make more money by selling more... I mean come on- $13 shipping for one bottle unless you buy the whole kit and then it's $5? Hmmm...
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Acne.org - Moisturizer
silldr 5/22/2011 2:15:00 AM
UPDATE 6/29: Okay so I had to bump up 2 lippies b/c of the fact that I realized this product has ingredients I really want in it (like Vit E) and none of the ones that I don't (like parabens). On the regimen I HATED it, but now that my skin is healthy and not freaking out anymore- it moisturized adequately. I just use what is a normal amount of product as opposed to the insane 3 pumps suggested and I've been liking it. :) As a stand alone product: Really don't like this moisturizer. Looks greasy and very shiny on your skin. Takes a good couple hours to absorb, so after putting it on, you then have to spend time counter-acting the greasy shine. I also find it doesn't actually moisturize that well unless you slather it on and it just seems to me that with an effective product you shouldn't need to do that. As a pro: doesn't clog pores or irritate skin. As part of the regimen: the bp dries your skin out BAD and this moisturizer doesn't seem to be that... moisturizing. If you have severe acne and really wanna stick with the "regimen" maybe the jojoba oil he suggests would make better... but for me, with mild-moderate acne- i'm looking for a different one, it's not worth the way it makes my skin feel.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -E.L.F. - Studio Line Concealer Pencil & Brush
silldr 5/14/2011 5:52:00 AM
Good concealer for the price- that being said: concealer is one area I DON'T want to say that about.... meaning I want it to be GOOD with no if's, and's or but's. I find it better than many other drugstore brands that cost twice as much- but not up to par with a higher quality. Another reviewer compared it to Bobbi Brown- uh... no.... I'm early 30's and have VERY few fine lines but I find it really settles into them. Coverage wise, it's pretty decent. Bottom line: if you're on a super budget- might be the product for you. if not- spend a little more and get a higher quality (I like Bobbi Brown's concealers) - you won't be sorry. :)
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