Treatments -Essie - apricot cuticle oil
iramasson 7/24/2009 6:37:00 AM
I like this oil. This the best I have used so far. I had a cheap one from Beauty Treats before which actually makes your cuticles dry (don't know how they managed to do that). This oil really does the job. It also feels soft to touch when you massage it. My cuticles have been looking good. It smells very pleasant too! It seems like it will last forever and it is much cheaper than the pen version in my country. A big plus for me is that Essie don't test on animals. Will definitely repurchase. The only problem I have with it is that I couldn't find any apricot oil in the ingredients. Someone please correct me if I missed it. Edit: I have only used a fifth of the bottle and it has gone rancid !!! Not too happy about that. This is only for people who use it 24/7 and go through bottles of this very quickly.
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Top/Base Coats -Sally Hansen - Mega Shine Top Coat
iramasson 7/24/2009 4:50:00 AM
I only used this once before I returned it. I expected up to 10 days wear as it says on the package. Instead my polish peeled quicker than it would without a top coat. I notices this polish likes to peel in huge pieces and takes the polish with it. Horrible.
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Blush -Revlon - Barely Blushing Creme Blush - Precious Coral [DISCONTINUED]
iramasson 7/10/2009 7:53:00 AM
I picked this up at a clearance sale for 2.5 USD. This is my first cream blush. I have been eying Maybelline's mousse blushes but I don't want to support animal cruelty! I was happy to see this. It is great for the price.There is a lot in the compact, it doesn't have any shimmer whatsoever, it is very smooth. It is buildable. The color can be very subtle if applied lightly. The application is also easy. It doesn't set before you are finished! This was the only color available otherwise I wouldn't probably picked this one. Surprisingly it wasn't bad! Looks darker in the container. On me it shows as brownish-rosey. Quite a classic color I would say! I wouldn't repurchase only because I would try another color. But nothing else is available again I definitely would buy it.
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Crème -Almay - Line Smoothing Compact Makeup [DISCONTINUED]
iramasson 7/10/2009 2:07:00 AM
I am happy I got this on a clearance sale! It is discontinued so I got to try it right before it disappeared off the shelves. I got it in buff. I was really worried it would look too pale on me but it suits my skin tone just fine - I just have to wear a little blush. It is my first cream to powder foundation. I have been dying to try one. I almost bought Max Factor but I read on MUA that it cakes up. This foundation meets all my expectations! I looove the smooth feel of it when you touch it. It is way more fun for me to apply it from a compact than a bottle like most foundations.Texture is great. Goes on light and smooth. I often use face products with salicyc acid so I often have dry flaky spots. I can't say it has completely hidden them but it definitely hasn't accentuated them at least. I love the dewy look it gives me. More than other foundations I have (L'oreal True Match, The Body Shop Moisturizing Foundation and Revlon Beyond Natural). It does something to make my skin look more supple. Very happy with the purchase!! Will try to go back to the drugstore to get a few more!! The big plus is also the fact that Almay doesn't test on animals!!! I am trying not to buy from companies that do anymore.
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Lip Gloss -Revlon - Mix and mingle [DISCONTINUED]
iramasson 7/9/2009 10:29:00 AM
I got two of these at a clearance sale at about $3.5 each. One was in RSV Pink (the better of the two) and the other in Caramelt (I think). I was mainly attracted to cute and unconventional packaging. I thought it would be fun to apply it with my fingers and be able to "mix and mingle". My biggest cons for this would be the smell! They both stink! They smell old and chemical. I am thinking it is just because they are so old! Not sure....If I discovered that after paying the full price I would not be happy!!! I believe they were quite pricey originally. Some of the three mixed colors (in both shades) have way too much frost in them but I could live with that if it wasn't for the smell!!! Will never repurchase!!!
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Concealers -Revlon - Beyond Natural Concealer and Highlighters [DISCONTINUED]
iramasson 7/9/2009 10:17:00 AM
I have it in Light.I love the smoothness of the concealer. It just glides once you touch it with you finger. The color is a good match for me. It hides my under-eye circles well. I love the square packaging - my favorite shape for all makeup products! What I don't like is that it cakes on me. I apply it in the morning before going to work. Once I am at work I find it has creased into my lines and looks cackey. It only takes once to smooth it out with my finger and it stays put for the rest of the day but it shouldn't be normal for a good concealer. As for the highlighter I don't mind it. It is buildable - you cant put too much at first application. It is noticeable enough for my liking (very subtle). I wouldn't repurchase for the highlighter though. The price is average. I got it on a clearance sale so I have no regrets.
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Blush -Revlon - 004 Barely Buff 
iramasson 7/9/2009 9:42:00 AM
This is my first nude blush. I have mixed feelings about it but purely based on whether it suits my skin tone best. With regards to quality there are no complaints from me. It's smooth, easy to build up, can be applied lightly. Its quite pricey but seems like it will last awhile. I just seem to look a lot petter in light pinks and peaches - they make me look a lot more fresh and girly. I guess it is always useful to have a variety of shades for different looks so I don't regret buying it. Will repurchase if I don't find anything better by the time it is finished.
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Lip Gloss -Revlon - Super Lustrous - Life's a Peach [DISCONTINUED]
iramasson 7/9/2009 9:16:00 AM
I absolutely love this lipgloss! The most surprising thing for me was how well and evenly it tones down my dark pigmented lips. I have a problem with most light nude glosses because my lips are always visible through/under them (I don't know if it makes sense?). This one however is great! Perfect colour - nude/light peach. Really brightens up the face. Smells like butterscotch to me which is nice. Not sticky but not too thin either. Perfect shine as well. I can really say it is my favourite so far!! The packaging is cute and looks classy. The stick of the doe-foot applicator always comes out clean (the gloss is only on the end not along the whole stick). It might be a minor details but I recently bought a couple of Sally Hansen glosses which are so messy because of this!! It could be cheaper but it is normal for so-called drugstore makeup to be overpriced in my country (South Africa) so I cant really complain. Would buy again but I think it has already been discontinued here!
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Lip Treatments -Innoxa - Definitive Maximise Lip Creme
iramasson 7/6/2009 10:30:00 AM
No...I don't get it. I wanted to purchase something from Innoxa because they are cruelty-free. I love lip products so I tried this.I really wanted to like this and I thought I would based on good reviews here. I have only used this for a week and so far I am not impressed. If you look at what it promises point by point: I don't feel that my lips are more moisturised. It doesn't give my lips a comfortable feeling at all. Quite the opposite - 5-10 minutes after applying the cream it feels like my lips are drying and are shrinking. I also don't see any plumping effect. When I compared to this product I even came to like my Sally Hansen Thin Lip Collagen Boost which I used to think was useless. What is more - it smells and tastes medical and once after applying only this and coming to work (greeting some people) and discovered with horror that this product turned white and really flaked on me. I looked disgusting. Thank Goodness I noticed in time! It is definitely not worth the price ($11 US dollars in South Africa).
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Lip Gloss -Sally Hansen - Line Smoothing Mineral Lip Treatment
iramasson 7/6/2009 10:16:00 AM
I also love these glosses! I have them in Rose Quartz and Pink Sapphire. There are so far the best lip plumpers I have tried. They smell great - like mint but quite mild. There is no stinging whatsoever when I apply them (I get horrible sensation when I apply Maybelline's plumpers which actually stops me from using them more often). They create quite noticeable effect - I do see less lines and my lips look so juicy. Rose Quartz is quite bright on me (I have dark lips) while Pink Sapphire tones my lips down a bit. I wish they didn't have so much shimmer! The packaging is not the best - somehow lips gloss always gets where the cap screws on and it gets messy. I don't think that little plastic piece ( that creates vacuum-like effect when you take out the stick of the gloss) is working well because the gloss is always loaded on the stick. I bought them on sale at about $6 (US) each and I think they are worth the price.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Revlon - Matte Powder Blush - #003 - Perfectly Peach
iramasson 7/6/2009 10:04:00 AM
It is a lovely blush. Goes on smoothly. Gives a very nice healthy color to the cheeks. It is buildable (starting from unnoticeable). Overall no complaints about quality. I also have it in Barely Buff (need to use it more first before writing a review). The packaging is nice. I love square containers. They definitely could give more product in place of the brush that comes with it. I use the brush for applying Revlon matte eyeshadow in peach sorbet (my normal eyeshadow brush takes forever to deposit enough shadow). The main complaint for me would be the price. In my country it costs $14 (US dollars). A bit pricey! Otherwise I would own all the colors!!
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Lips -Revlon - Just Bitten Lip Stain - Berry Juicy
iramasson 7/6/2009 9:55:00 AM
This is the first lipstain I've ever used. It is quite bright - it would look a bit over the top for work. I can still wear it in the evening (while I could never get away with wearing a lipstick of this color any time). I agree with everyone else about the application with a roller ball - it goes on your lips very unevenly. You will definitely have to use your finger - and it will obviously get stained as well. Make sure you don't have even traces of other lip products on your lips - the application will be horrific. It is quite drying on the lips. That can be fixed by applying some gloss on top but it makes the bright color stand out even more. Fortunately I bought it on a clearance sale for $4 (in south africa). It was fun to try for the price but I will not repurchase.
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Eye Shadow -Revlon - Matte eyeshadow in Peach Sorbet
iramasson 7/6/2009 3:51:00 AM
I have mixed feelings about this. It is good quality, goes on smoothly, doesn't crease. The only thing I don't like is that it is practically invisible. It does neutralize the eyelid color as a base for eyeshadow but not really noticeable on its own. I would still use but just not sure if it was worth $10 (in South Africa).
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Polishes -Essie - Sugar Daddy
iramasson 7/2/2009 2:22:00 AM
Its a fantastic sheer polish. So far it is my favourite! I also have Mademoiselle and Pink Glove Service. Application is great - not a hint of streakiness. I have it on now - after 4 days it still looks quite glossy without top coat. Prefer it to Mademoiselle because of the warmer undertone - you see a bit of lovely pink shine through! My nails look great in this! I just wish Essie played a bit more with their brushes to make them more salon style (flat) but the currant brush still works fine.
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Lipstick -Maybelline - Moisture Extreme in Windsor Rose
iramasson 7/1/2009 4:24:00 AM
At first I was shocked by the brightness of this lipstick. I seemed a bit too much for day wear. I didn't use it for a while. Then I tried to apply it with a lip brush and it came out a lot more subtle and wearable. I still can't wear it with any clothes. I works best for me when I wear black. I have very dark features so the lips stand out beautifully. I have to say that I agree with someone who said it makes you lips look fuller. It really does. It is not a plumping lipstick but it does accentuate the contour somehow. The smell and packaging are nice. Moisturizing effect is average (I probably have the older formula) - at least it doesn't dry my lips out. Having said all the good things....I will never buy this product (or any other Maybelline products) again because of animal testing (I bought this product before I was aware of it). It is just not worth making animals suffer for manufacturing of good products!!! This is really ridiculous in our day and age!!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No