Highlighters -Becca - Pearl Shimmering Skin Perfector
s70princess 4/23/2006 12:41:00 AM
Sorry, but I really really dislike Becca's shimmering skin perfector -- pearl is your standard white pearly shade which was nice, I guess it's the formual that really didn't work for me but might work for a lot of other people. After reading all the rave reviews, I decided to order both this Pearl shade and Opal shade from Sephora.com ... I was so excited to try it, but was soon disappointed to find it didn't apply very well for me ... it was kind of streaky and balled up easily if I used it to spot highlight over my foundation ... I hated the horrible scent, and worst of all, it really made my skin greasy looking as the day wore on (gave my face a weird sheen). My skin is normal-combo and doesn't grease up, but somehow this product really made it grease up. And maybe I am sensitive to the sunscreen in the product, I noticed the product also made my skin rough and have a waxy irritated feel ... I thought this could be my ideal liquid shimmer product to mix with foundations, but so sad this didn't work for me. I like my GA #0 fluid sheer a million times better, despite the fact it doesn't contain SPF. Those who aren't sensitive to sunscreen and didn't like GA fluid sheer may really like Becca SSP instead. I was happy to swap this away to someone who could really use it.
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Highlighters -Giorgio Armani - Fluid Sheer #2
s70princess 4/23/2006 12:28:00 AM
GA fluid sheers are my favourite liquid shimmer highligher product of all time -- oil-free and perfect formula for my skin. They always go on smooth and sheer, does not grease up or alter other products on my skin. #2 is a true champagne shade -- not too peachy, yellow, or pink ... perfect neutral shade which I can see any skintone being able to use. I use #2 the most out of my other fluid sheers (#0 and #7) because I mix #2 with my LSF, and not just spot highlighting as I do with the others. The shimmer particles in #2 do seem to be larger than those of my other fluid sheer shades, but somehow it really works for me and I love this shimmer ... it really shows up on the skin in a sophisticated kind of way. I find with a lot of other shimmer products, the shimmer tends to disappear or wear off easily -- but not with GA fluid sheers, and #2 being the best of them all. This is a huge HG product for me, I really don't know what I would do without #2 fluid sheer -- it is my "glow" in a bottle!! LOVE it.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Highlighters -Giorgio Armani - Fluid Sheer #7
s70princess 4/23/2006 12:19:00 AM
GA fluid sheers are my favourite liquid shimmer highligher product of all time -- oil-free and perfect formula for my skin. They always go on smooth and sheer, does not grease up or alter other products on my skin. #7 is a unique shade in my opinion, it is an irridescent pearly shade that has a pinkish tint ... I mainly use it to highlight my cheekbones (over blush or alone) and mix with cream/gel blushes. It is so gorgeous when used that way on strong yellow-undertoned skin like mine (NC25) but I can imagine any skintone to be able to use it. I find it gives me a similar effect on my cheeks as BE clear radiance does -- really pretty. Those who need to tone down yellow in foundations will also find this useful, but I can't use it that way since I have very strong yellow undertones and have the opposite problem with foundations. The shimmer in this product is similar to #0, only pink irridecence instead of white pearl.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Highlighters -Giorgio Armani - Fluid Sheer #0
s70princess 4/23/2006 12:06:00 AM
Of all the pearly-white shimmery highlighter products I have ever tried, #0 fluid sheer is the the best -- my favourite, hands down! I love my #0 fluid sheer, I use it to highlight brow bones, bridge of nose, chin, etc ... and also to mix with foundations or moisturizers -- it is one of the most useful products I own. The formula is oil-free, non-greasy feeling, and formula is really smooth, truly sheer! and has awesome slip on the skin (unlike Becca SSP which balled up easily, made skin look greasy, and had a horrid scent). I also love the shimmer in #0, it totally not chunky nor metallic looking -- just fine enough to look glowy but obvious enough to be a shimmer. I think people who expect this product not to have sparkle are unreasonable, this is a shimmer highlighter afterall! GA shimmer is really high quality shimmer and not chunky or low-grade obvious at all. #0 fluid sheer is really so versatile and great -- get a sample and I'm certain you will go back to buy the full sized bottle like I did!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Giorgio Armani - Sheer Lipstick- #11
s70princess 4/22/2006 11:43:00 PM
Sheer Lipstick #11 is a beautiful girly pink shade and was my first GA lipstick purchase, gorgeous looking in the tube and most importantly, it has no smell or taste. I love cool-toned pinky shades because they flatter my strong yellow undertones very well -- #11 being no exception. The only problem is I think there is something in the sheer lipstick formula that my skin is sensitive to, so this formula tends to try my lips out a bit and make them irriated -- so I find I rub my lips together a lot whenever I wear this lipstick because they peel :( To make thing worse, I then notice the shade to turn a much brighter pink as the day goes on. It's too bad because I love this shade on me when I first put it on. Otherwise, it is a really nice smooth and creamy lipstick that has great pigmentation for a sheer lippie -- I just wish my skin wasn't sensitive to it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Giorgio Armani - Sheer Lipstick #14
s70princess 4/22/2006 11:32:00 PM
Sheer Lipstick #14 is a neutral brownish-pink shade which is surprisingly very wearable since most brownish-pink shades have a tendancy to turn orangey or too warm and end up really clashing with my NC25/C3 skintone. This one manages to stay nicely neutral and is one of the only non-pink/mauve lipstick shades that I've found to work well on me. The only problem is I think there is something in the sheer lipstick formula that my skin is sensitive to, so this formula tends to try my lips out a bit. Otherwise, it is a really nice smooth, sheer and creamy lipstick that has great pigmentation. Best of all, no nasty smell or taste -- a really high quality lipstick, I just wish my skin wasn't sensitive to it.
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Lipstick -Giorgio Armani - Lipstick Mania #1
s70princess 4/22/2006 11:19:00 PM
GA mania lipsticks are so great -- whereas the GA sheer lipstick formulas tend to dry out my lips, lipstick mania does not. Very smooth, creamy, good pigmentation, NO smell or taste, gorgeous packaging and really comfortable to wear. Shade #1 is a cool-toned pale nudish mauvey pink ... and at first, I thought I couldn't wear it as it made me look dead ... but I have found it to be very flattering on my NC25 skintone when paired with a pinky lipstain/lipliner!! I have full lips and very yellow olivey undertones ... so I can't wear this shade alone without a liner because it really washes me out ... however, with a liner this is perfect and is one of my 'go-to' shades to look natural yet polished. I also use it to tone down too bright/dark/warm shades. #1 mania lipstick is great ... I wish it didn't wash me out so I could wear it alone and make things more convenient, however, with a liner, it is a real winner.
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Lip Gloss -Giorgio Armani - Lip Shimmer #9
s70princess 4/21/2006 1:58:00 PM
GA lip shimmer is an OK lipgloss for me ... it is decent, but not my favourite. I find the shimmer a tad too chunky and the formula a little bit drying on my lips, I always find my lips peel a little when I wear this. It gives a nice finish and I love the brush applicator ... I just think the formula isn't the most compatible to my skin. #9 is a nice cool pink shade and is the only shade that I have ... I am a huge fan of pinks, but if there was a shade that was similar but ever so slightly more muted, I would have liked it more as this one can look quite bright some days. I could probably try to use it up, but won't be buying it again.
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Loose Powders -Giorgio Armani - micro fil loose powder
s70princess 4/21/2006 1:49:00 PM
GA micro-fil loose powder is a great staple finishing powder to have around, especially if you are a user of GA LSF foundation. I have found this to be my 'go-to' powder for everyday use, and if I want something more matte, I reach for my Benefit bluff dust. The wonderful thing about this powder is that it is airy light, very soft and very fine milled, and gives a beautiful polished and natural glowy finish. Eventhough it is pricey, there is a lot of product as the container is a fair size. My only complaint is that I detect a slight perfumy fragrance in the product, but luckily it is quite slight. I use #1 and wear LSF #4 or #5 depending on the season.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Giorgio Armani - sheer blush 10
s70princess 4/21/2006 1:33:00 PM
There is only one GA counter where I live and this blush was completely sold out. The tester looked sooo pretty, I was lemming this blush really badly. I was so happy I was able to swap for one, but unfortunately, I noticed it wasn't as flattering on my skin as it looks in the pan. I think I am in the minority with this one and agree 100% with muakitten's review below -- I find this blush looks very warm and peachy toned on my skin despite the fact that it looks pinkish in the pan. I absolutely LOVE staring at this blush in the pan -- the pinky mauvy slightly peachy shimmer shade has me in awe and I could stare at it all day -- too bad it isn't as cool or neutral toned as it looked to me and isn't the most flattering shade on my NC25/C3 skintone. I can imagine this would look really nice on girls who have less yellow undertones than I, or those who like NARS orgasm.
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Lip Gloss -Unlisted Brand - Rosie Jane Lip Dew
s70princess 4/17/2006 4:35:00 PM
I got Rosie Jane's lip dew in 'Apple Blossom' at a local spa that recently started carrying this line -- it is my first time trying Rosie Jane products. This product is average in my opinion ... it's OK, it would be great for those who wear minimal makeup and like the very natural and minimalist look. For me, it doesn't have enough body to hold up as a good lipgloss and it's finish is also too oily looking to use as a lipbalm -- so it is somewhere in between. There is also very little tint to this product, Apple Blossom looks like a bright pink in the tube, but pretty much goes on clear ... only very very light pink tint. I think this product is really like the name implies -- it is a 'Lip Dew' ... coats your lips in a light thin layer of shine ... the texture is like a thin gel and the smell is actually really yummy (reminds me of Px Liptint in Mulberry). This product reminds me a little of MAC lipgelees, but I prefer this one more because it lasts longer and isn't as oily or thin as MAC lipgelees coz it has a tad more tack and is more moisturizing and comfortable to wear. If you like MAC lipgelees or light textured lipglosses, you'll like Rosie Jane's Lip Dew.
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Lip Gloss -Pout - Lipslick- Pin Up Girl
s70princess 4/12/2006 1:36:00 PM
I ordered Pout Pin-Up girl sight unseen from sephora.com ... finally when it arrived, I opened it and was put-off by the shade I saw ... I usually like pinks and this wasn't what I was expecting it to be ... it looked kind of bronzey-mauvey shimmery rosy kinda pink ... I was thinking if the texture was thick and sticky like most glosses are, then this one would look hideously metallic on me. So I didn't open it and wanted to get rid of it ... but then a few months later, I took it out again and decided to give it a try -- my goodness, it's gorgeous!! The texture is not thick or sticky at all ... it provides a sheer coat of gloss that is really smooth and comfortable to wear. Also love the light yummy cupcake vanilla scent it has. The shade is actually really flattering on my NC25 olive toned skin. Needless to say, I am keeping this for sure and want to try more shades!!
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Lip Liners -Stila - Lip Liner Contour No. 9
s70princess 4/4/2006 12:29:00 PM
Of all the pinky shaded lipliners I have tried (and trust me, I've tried many!), Stila contour No. 9 is my all time favourite -- I keep trying new ones, but always come back to this one. It is the perfect pink for me ... not too dark, not too light, not too bright, no brown tones ... just looks really nice and polished kind of pink. It goes with all my pinky lipsticks and glosses, and is creamy and soft ... I have bought this over and over again each time I run out! HG material for me.
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Highlighters -Bobbi Brown - Pink Shimmerbrick Shimmer Brick
s70princess 4/3/2006 3:46:00 PM
Pink Shimmer Brick was the very first of my shimmer brick purchases. I absolutely adore the way this compact looks in the pan ... I am a huge fan of anything pink and this one looks so gorgeous I just want to keep staring at it! However, after trying it on my olivey NC25 skin, I have to admit that this doesn't work for me -- it just doesn't have enough pink pigmentation and has too much silvery sheen. I even tried using it as eyeshadow, but it really washed me out -- it gave my skin a metallic silvery-white sheen rather than a hint of pinky flushed glow. Too bad, as the shimmer was great and had just the right amount of sparkle on my cheeks. This shade would definitey be more suitable for PPPs or someone with minimal olivey/yellow undertones. I finally stopped being in denial and swapped it away -- but I still stare at it everytime I pass a BB counter, LOL. I eventually got Rose and Peony, which both work much better for me :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Bobbi Brown - Protective Face Lotion with SPF 15
s70princess 4/3/2006 3:24:00 PM
I wanted so bad for this product to work for me, but sadly it did not. I have been searching for a moisturizer w/ spf for a long time and I finally thought this was the one, but it made my skin react with little bumps. I tried it for a week and loved how it felt when I first put it on -- it absorbed into my normal (slightly combo) skin right away giving it moisture and felt great ... however, my skin felt worse as the day went on. Maybe it was the sunscreen or something else in it? My skin started feeling tight and irritated and filmy. I think this would be a great product for those who can tolerate it -- I wish mine could. Luckily, the BB MA gave me a sample to try so I could return the deluxe 100ml size bottle I bought in case I reacted. Too bad I had to return this one, I would have really liked it if I wasn't sensitive to it.
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