Pressed Powders -E.L.F. - Clarifying Pressed Powder
glamstep 10/4/2011 1:02:00 AM
I kept hearing these are semi-sheer powders to set mu with & so didn't think purchasing Honey for my NW25 skin would be too far fetched.Plus it was the second yellow tone shade online; well boy was I wrong! Its like 3 shades DARKER & orangey, so couldn't even use it as a bronzer, although the color is dark enough on me to contour with. Works decently as a blush/all over lid color. It is finely milled, caused no breakouts, goes on smoothly & lasts all day; but until I see this in my Target for accurate 'live' color selections...I will not be experimenting with online guesses (as with most e.l.f products---the $$$$ misses add up to > outweigh the $hits)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Physicians Formula - Matte Collection Quad Eye Shadow in Canyon Classic
glamstep 10/3/2011 11:04:00 AM
The quality of these remind me alot of Mary Kay shadows. Matte, soft, blendable, long lasting & ZERO fallout. I use the left two shades as crease colors to either add depth or blend other harsh colors. The top right-my FAVORITE, I use as a setting powder over my concealer!! It really brightens & fills in any pre-forming crease lines; better than most finely milled powders.Bottom right makes a polished neutral all over lid color. Boring looking colors but essential shades for all ages & looks. Packaging reminds me of Sonia Kashuk quads on the outside, inside the pans are loose--as if they'll depot easy but don't try => huge mess!
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Physicians Formula - Conceal RX
glamstep 10/3/2011 7:23:00 AM
If you cant get your hands on Hard Candy Glamoflauge, or can't afford Kat Von D tattoo concealer, then give this a try!! All three have similar: squeeze tube applicators,potently concentrated (need very little) & superb coverage (hides everything, even tattoos). Its super affordable ($8) but sadly has the most limited shades to choose from (2). Works best for under eyes, but using a brush to conceal blemishes works wonders too. Best part- stays put for upto 12 hrs. Minimal creasing/caking depending on technique/layers applied...no different from all other concealers. Natural Light (yellow undertones) mathces my NW 20, Revlon CS-Buff, L'oreal True Match W2, Sally Hansen Carmindy-Ecru Beige, Palladio Wet & Dry-Laurel Nude, Maybelline Mousse-Light Ivory/Creamy Natural
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Maybelline - Dream Matte Mousse
glamstep 10/2/2011 1:35:00 PM
Ok so if your even the SLIGHTESTTT bit curious about this foundation, then STOP READING this. Honestly, over 2500 women have given it an average of 50/50 verdict. Products I think worthy of trying, need to usually rank ‘close’ to the 70% repurchase rating, but given the outrageously high # of people that tried this (its the #4th MOST reviewed foundation here on MUA out of hundredss) a 48% is still veryyy impressive. It may not be universally acceptable, because of its very unique texture/finish/packaging , so I can see why most are split on this. U too will either love it/hate it & unlike other mu you'll find out after your first try! So join the controversy & decide for yourself!!! If u MUST know, I use Classic Ivory-Light 2 & I'm NW20, Revlon CS Buff, Sally Hansen by Carmindy Ecru Beige, L'oreal True Match W2, Palladio Dual Wet/Dry Laurel Nude, Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse-Creamy Natural. If ur wondering why I'm different shades in the same line its because Creamy Natural was the only Light shade with yellow undertones in the SM, Classic Ivory was perfect shade but pink. IMO all the the fair/light shades in the MM have yellow undertones. I have Normal to Dry skin & thus I avoid my dry patchy areas (which this does emphasize) & moisturize well before applying this. IMHO this is the only foundation that gives me a true MATTE finish, more so than Revlon CS even. It does leave a velvety touch to the face, which is why I enjoy & thus prefer using my clean fingers to apply. I have tried my RT Stippling brush & SK flat top brush & even a sponge (lightest coverage) all give the same finish overall. So why bother with extra tools/time? My other foundations REQUIRE me to use different techniques to reach desired look, but that's not the case here. This also doubles up as a concealer for my under eye & redness. I don't miss the d/c mousse concealer nearly as much now—but be aware the consistency of this is much thinner & excessive layering will make it cakey/crumbly vs the beloved concealer. I don't find the need to set this with a powder. Actually, I only use this where I NEED coverage-cheeks, acne, under eyes & it doesn't look un-natural, even though I leave 70% of my skin bare. Its NOT the longest wearing, (gives ~ 6 hrs) but is the QUICKEST to retouch (takes less than 30 secs! literally) which is why I actually bother with it vs other mu. Its about $8 for 0.64 oz (more than the Smooth Mousse for same $) & a little goes longg way; SM lasts me over a month with daily use, this I predict will last 3x longer. I do love SM as well, as it hydrates & leaves a dewy finish. But MM provides more coverage with less product used & is quicker to apply. Its also more portable & again doesn't require use/cleansing of sponge. Its all about what finish I prefer for the day & how much time I have—so personally I’ll continue to buy both :P
7 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Jordana - Lip Gloss
glamstep 10/2/2011 1:04:00 PM
I have this in Pink Crush & Sorbet. Both are sheer colors true to name, smell like Jolly Ranches, tasteless & shiny. Their slightly moisturizing & not very long lasting at all. Probably best for younger girls. I much prefer a better formula/color payoff gloss from NYX for almost SAME COST. These are $2 for 0.25 oz & NYX are $5 for 0.53 oz!!! Save your $ for better quality.
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Powder -Palladio - Wet/Dry foundation
glamstep 10/1/2011 10:54:00 PM
Ladies DON'T BE FOOLED into thinking this is a DS item sold at Sally's/ulta for $10 because its really costing you $36---> WTH?!?! Its because this compact is ONLY = 0.28oz vs the average DS/HE foundation/powder that is almost ALWAYS =1.00 oz so to get the same amount ur essentially shelling out wayy more $$$. For starters, I have normal to dry skin. I look to cover redness mainly, a zit or two & even out my complexion overall with foundations. I do not have acne/scars & still using this dry, gave me such sheer coverage as if I wore translucent powder only. Used wet, yes this covered everything & I was flawless for hrss!!!! Here comes the bad: CAKEY, even withoutt layering. I think the WET part of this foundation is meant for the sponge application to get ANY coverage, the DRY is what your left with--dry, cakey, powdery matte finish. So UN-natural & emphasized ALL my pores. Ofcourse all this was with me staring in the mirror; I checked indoors/outdoors, yellow/white lights, natural/car lights & yup same effects. A couple of feet away & dim lights could work but come on self satisfaction is important too! Why wear mu in the first place, if it isn't. IF your still interested, for reference I'm NW20, Revlon CS-buff, Sally Hansen by Carmindy-Ecru Beige, L'oreal True Match W2, Maybelline Smooth Mousse-Creamy Natural, Maybelline Matte Mousse-Classic Ivory & matched Palladio-LAUREL NUDE which has pink undertones & is probably best for normal-oily skin IMO.
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Mascara -Maybelline - Great Lash Lots of Lashes
glamstep 10/1/2011 6:54:00 PM
Use with Caution. If your a pro with swapping hands or flipping wrists to apply mascara then this will work otherwise, maybe not. The small wand is tapered into a spiral cone shape with ALOT more bristles then the original; so it defines & separates my right eyelashes nicely since I'm a righty but leaves the left eye un-even & clumpy. I usually use my right hand for both eyes, which is fine but most mascaras doesn't require me to flip my wrist out so that my thumb is facing my nose when doing my left eye,giving me less control. Idk if its just me or makes sense, but I find it too difficult to apply. Also the formula is kinda wet & you have to be careful with the fine tip as it picks up alott of the formula & messes up coats.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -L'Oreal - Everstrong Overnight Repair Treatment
glamstep 10/1/2011 6:04:00 PM
Im indifferent on this. As a conditioner--yes its great! It doesn't weigh my hair down & leaves no grease/residue behind, even though it is a leave in. It gives great texture to hair while its in (kind of like day 2 hair, just after a wash) & leaves it soft after rinsing it out. But as a repair treatment, that its being marketed as-I don't know if its restored any bio-ceramide complex. It claims to improve hair strength after one use? I couldn't tell a difference. I continue to have breakage/hair loss/brittle ends after a month use. It does have a scent that I noticed is coconut like on washed hair but liquor like on dirty (2 day+ hair), but does disappear after 10 mins.I bought this 3.4 oz pump at Walgreens for $9 & have been using it bi-weekly (3-4 pumps for my mid back hair). I plan on finishing it but don't know if I'll repurchase.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Revlon - PhotoReady Concealer SPF 20
glamstep 10/1/2011 10:21:00 AM
PROS: ~Formula is creamy & texture is silky---> Blendable ~Consistency is sheer---> Buildable, Light to Medium Coverage at most ~Conceals under eye, veins, redness, spots---> Looks Natural ~LIGHT matches NW-20, Revlon CS-Buff, Maybelline Smooth M-Creamy Natural, Sally Hansen Carmindy-Ecru Beige ~Easy to carry/use Clicker Pen in Lipstick tube ~Emily Noel from yt recommends & uses this for her HD camera news ~Find it On sale 40% off at most DS---> (i.e this month at ULTA for $6) CONS: ~Deceitful packaging, its taller than a lipstick but carries same #grams. ~Unhygienic if your using this as spot concealer too, so use a Brush! ~It DOES have MICRO glitter, if u didnt see/care for it in the Revlon PR foundation, then this won't be a problem; for me that wAs a big no-no, but I don't mind the concealer much, as its not covering my entire face & I usually use foundation/powder with it. ~Excessive layers/heavy hand: leads to creasing,settles in fine lines ~Lasting power not so great, 4 hrs? Maybe less; fades evenly tho Overall 3.5/5; one of the better DS concealers, probably best lipstick pen type applicator one. Although, I enjoy using this; it may not qualify for a repurchase..onto the new Maybelline Age Rewind/Rimmel Match Perfect---the only other 2 highly raved DS concealers I haven't tried ;)
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Lotions/ Creams -The Body Shop - Moringa Body Milk
glamstep 9/28/2011 8:17:00 PM
OMG this seriously smells like Couture Couture by Juicy Couture perfume!!!! Its such a sweet, floral smell with a clean-almost lemon hint. It has some awesome moringa seed-oleic acid, babassu & sesame oils that lightly moisturize, soften & smooth skin. It really does look like milk & absorbs super fast--no greasy/sticky residue left behind. Love the easy spray on application, definetly my favorite scent from TBS. INGREDIENTS: Aqua, Octyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Orbignya Oleifera (Babassu) Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Oil, PEG-100 Stearate, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Dimethicone, PEG-40 Stearate, Phenethyl Alcohol, Fragrance, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Carbomer, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Salicylate, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Isoeugenol, Tocopherol, Yellow 5.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Professional Bronzing Brush
glamstep 9/28/2011 10:23:00 AM
Definetly a 'miss' product. The bristles are too wide & not dense enough to contour with a bronzer. A bit scratchy too, as some of the hairs randomly poke out. Picks up wayyy too much product, but I suppose you could use this to apply less pigmented blushes or bronzer for forehead/jawline--i.e. bigger areas that don't require too accurate definition like nose/cheeks. But, why bother when the ELF studio- blush & kabuki brushes do a fabulous jobs for those areas?
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Highlighters -E.L.F. - Healthy Glow Bronzing Powder - Luminance
glamstep 9/27/2011 11:43:00 PM
HG GOLD based shimmery champagne highlighter!!! Its finely milled & super silky vs. ELF Gotta Glow (too chalky). Best of all the shimmer is so fineee & light reflective that I can actually dust this on my forehead, chin, under eye area (over concealer) for a BRIGHTENING effect!!!!! Rest of my highlighters --MAC CCB pearl, Benefit HB, ELF Shimmer Palette don't have the right consistency/texture for this. Only Luminance is a powder that can be dusted for that soft focused, lit from within look---its perfection! P.S. This also adds a subtle but dewy glow when applied ALL over the apples of my cheeks alone/on top of matte blushes vs the conventional cheekbones only.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -L'Oreal - Wear Infinite Single in Frosted Icing
glamstep 9/27/2011 8:36:00 PM
Long lost forgotten high school staple of mine. Pearlescent shimmery white, I useD daily to highlight. I use to use my fingers back in the day & simply swipe down my nose, cheekbones & brow bones. Its too powdery to pick up on a brush so I used the old method again & within hrs this stuff had transferred to my hands, arms & even my laptop! which is now covered with pretty silver reflects btw. I reapplied more to my red matte laptop to make it all even, now its ready for the holidays! Overall, gooood hs days, the only place/time this was good enough for me for---hs teenage yrs.
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Lipstick -E.L.F. - Mineral Lipstick in Natural Nymph
glamstep 9/27/2011 7:11:00 PM
Not as moisturizing as the other ELF Mineral Lipsticks (somehow each color has different texture on me) but not overtly drying either. Its an opaque matte; wash me out & look dead nude on my NW20 not so pigmented lips. Gives similar effect as Revlon Nude Attitude; if that worked for you, so will this otherwise coat with lip gloss. I actually prefer Palladio tinted lip balm in Orange on this, gives a glossy coraly bronze look. I LOVE the combo sooo much, that I may have to repurchase this lippie for it, but never to wear alone. PS sleek but cheap packaging, handle with care, I did have another lippie break on me the first time I uncovered it. Also always-check retailmenot for discount codes for ELF in general.
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Lotions/ Creams -Paula's Choice - RESIST Skin Revealing 10% AHA Lotion
glamstep 9/27/2011 6:27:00 PM
I was looking for a product that would exfoliate & lighten if not remove my "farmer's tan" that I accumulated over my 2 yrs studying in the Caribbean. Back in the states for a yr now & my arms are still like NW45+ while rest of me is NW25, thus I'm tired of spending time & money on continuous self tanners; that leave me uneven & fake looking. MUA revs seem to confirm a more even skin tone, with promising results on sun damaged skin. I have been using this daily & generously on my arms for 2 mos. It stings a bit on dry-cracky skin, does have a strong sour scent but doesn't linger, also very bitter tasting if you forget to wash your hands. This quickly absorbs into skin, leaving a matte dry touch, it has given me softer & smoother skin; but it has done nothing for my tan :/ Also no experts were available on the live chat option online to see which product was best for me, so I emailed & received a helpful, but late reply after placing the order. (Click continue to read Customer Care email response on my question of whether this AHA or RESIST skin lightening gel/lotion would work best for me) PC has a great 60 day money back guarantee, but I'm too lazy & since I have no problem with it; I will finish it up atleast, but not repurchase. I'm impressed with other PC products, phone customer service & even detailed email, but not this product. I have half the tube remaining (you can see thru the tube if held in sunlight) so $23 for 7 oz tube is not too steep if you have rough,acne, red, KP, or sun burned-skin or simply need a product with good amount of AHA. IMO its not worth it if your looking for hydration/softness alone & definetly not for "REVEALING youthful radiant glow." I wasn't looking for a bleaching/hydroquinone lotion but the name for this one was slightly misleading. EMAIL REPLY- Thank you for taking the time to contact us. The active ingredient Hydroquinone is used in products to inhibit melanin production in the skin to reduce and potentially eliminate melasma, meaning that it prevents skin from making the substance responsible for skin color. Hydroquinone does not bleach the skin, which is why “bleaching agent” is a misnomer; it can’t remove pigment from the skin cell. With that said, products formulated with this ingredient will only prevent hyperpigmentation (brown spots, freckling, “moles”) resulting from sun damage and/or hormonal imbalance. The same applies for chemical exfoliants (AHA/BHA products) in that it can only lighten and reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation resulting from sun damage (only on the surface of the skin). These products have no “bleaching” properties however, they can “lighten” your skin tone only in regards that the dead skin (which can darken skin appearance making it look dull and/or flakey) is being dissolved and sloughed off resulting in a more radiant and healthy glow. This is also the same concept with manual exfoliants (wash cloth, scrubs, or anything containing small beads or flakes) by removing built up dead skin cells to reveal fresh and smooth skin. The only thing that can undo/improve a “farmers tan” is to lessen sun exposure (as much as possible), make sure that you are wearing a sunscreen (IMPORTANT) and reapplying (SUPER IMPORTANT) throughout the day, and lastly time for your tan to fade. **She also added the Skin Care Facts link on the webpage for further articles on the topic in the email. Wish I received the email sooner or researched the site more. Use PC resources along with MUA to find the right products for you, because there are many beneficial ones! Although none for my give situation apparently...
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