Brows -Maybelline - Define-A-Brow
Breve 7/25/2012 2:51:00 AM
UPDATE: 4 months later and I've finally finished the tube. I decided to try the light brown color this time. As it turns out, I would only recommend this color if you have red hair. Even though I have some red in my hair naturally, there was too much of a warm red tone to the light brown color to work for me so I'm going back to the dark blonde.Still love this pencil! Wow this product totally impressed me! I got it BOGO and got the Dark Blonde color, after reading a review that said that the light brown is actually lighter than the dark blonde. I'm NC15-20 btw. My brows are a light taupey brown, they are very neutral even though my hair is naturally warm (light brown-red) so it's hard to find a brow product that doesn't have that warmth yet still looks natural on me. Anyway the Dark Blonde color fits my natural brow color PERFECTLY. I have tried: Mac's lingering & strut Anastasia's brow wiz in caramel, brunette, and ash brown (best match of the 3) Smashbox brow tech in soft brown Maybelline mastershape brow pencil also in soft brown Kevyn Aucoin brunette brow pencil and more I'm sure! Yet I have never found a perfect color match until now. Although this pencil isn't as elegant as some of the fancier lines, the tip is fine enough to blend well and it doesn't leave a streaky finish like some pencils can do (*ie: Maybelline mastershape pencil*). It's creamy yet still firm, whereas Anastasia's and Kevyn Aucoin's pencils were too dry and stiff to blend on sparse sections. Only con I can find is that you have to twist up the color by grasping the pencil section that holds the color, so not ideal. That is just a small negative to me though. Bottom line, this brow pencil is super easy to use because it leaves a soft and natural finish, and it's pigmented enough that you don't have to press it over a section more than once to get color there. It is perfect for filling sparse areas and giving more definition to your natural brow color. Definite HG!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Joico - Daily Care Leave-In Conditioner
Breve 11/8/2011 1:14:00 PM
I love this conditioner and the shampoo that goes with it. Despite the name, you can use this conditioner as a regular conditioner, not just a leave-in, it even says so in the directions and so that's how I've used it since I've never liked leave-ins. Anyway, this conditioner is great for my hair which is- fine, wavy, dry and thick (as in lots of hair). It moisturizes my hair and makes it soft and tangle free and leaves it shiny and 85-90% frizz free (I use the joico hair oil very sparingly to fix the remaining frizz). I let my hair air dry and my hair's natural waves come out soft and defined and it feels strong and bouncy. It also smells like oranges so it's a nice scent to wake up to! I really love this conditioner and the shampoo and highly recommend trying them! They're also really cheap together at Ulta.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Joico - Daily Conditioning Shampoo
Breve 11/8/2011 12:55:00 PM
I got this on sale at Ulta recently and wow, I love this shampoo and the accompanying conditioner! The shampoo is great if you have hair like mine- fine, wavy, slightly dry, and lots of it. I've been on the hunt for a perfect shampoo forever and I think I may have found it in this one. What I look for in a shampoo: 1. Cleanses my hair and removes buildup from styling products without stripping my hair and making it feel tight and dry like straw; but also cleanses enough so my hair doesn't still feel dirty when I'm done rinsing; 2. Leaves my hair with weight and body- doesn't weigh down my hair or leave it feeling weak This shampoo fit both criteria which I've never been able to find before. After I was done rinsing, my hair felt clean, only slightly dry, and it felt soft and strong, instead of weak and matted which is how my hair usually feels after washing it! I could actually feel my hair's natural texture was still there and my strands felt strong, soft and healthy. The conditioner that comes with this leaves just enough moisture to rebalance your hair again too so I highly recommend trying them together. I let my hair air dry without pulling it back or anything and no styling products, and my hair came out gorgeous! My hair was soft, shiny and with pretty "mermaid" waves. Oh and like other reviews mentioned this smells like bananas! Very nice and light natural scent too, not candy-like. Definitely a new favorite product. Hope they never stop making it!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Boots - Fragrance Free Cleansing Wipes
Breve 7/14/2011 1:25:00 AM
UGH. These were really disappointing. I've tried, I think, 5 or 6 different makeup remover wipes now, in my hunt for the perfect one, and these were the worst of the lot. There's 3 things I look for in a mu removing wipe: 1. Moistness- is it wet enough to take off mu easily? 2. Texture- Is it soft enough? 3. Ingredients- is it fragrance free and full of soothing &/or simple ingredients? So these failed on the first two. And to be honest, I was really excited to find these at Target, because they don't have any dimethicone in them, which is hard to find, and they are fragrance free, which is also very hard to find in a mu removing wipe. So the ingredients looked good, and I hoped these would work out but unfortunately they were an epic FAIL. The first thing I noticed when I took one out of the package, was that it was super dry! I said, "Really???!" when I felt it, because you can barely even tell that it was damp, it was so dry. Because it's so dry, you have to wipe it over your face a lot to get anything on it, which is the opposite of what you want to do if you have sensitive skin! So the second thing I noticed, was the texture of these is very poor. It feels like a paper towel, NO JOKE. I don't know what they were thinking when they chose this tissue. They are very rough. In fact, in some makeup remover wipes I've tried, there is an exfoliating side, and a soft side, but with this tissue, it was much more rough than even the exfoliating sides of other mu remover wipes I've tried. Not cool. I don't like to feel like I'm rubbing my face with a barely damp paper towel. These also left my skin flaky and rough feeling instead of soft. (Though not irritated, tight, or red thankfully). So in case you couldn't tell, I won't be buying these again.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Everyday Minerals - Foundation - Intensive formula [DISCONTINUED]
Breve 7/13/2011 1:17:00 AM
This is a MUST for people who have Rosacea like me. My skin was irritated and getting bumps from liquid foundations, even the Oil-free ones, and I was at my wit's end when I stumbled upon Everyday Minerals. I got the free + shipping trial pack and found my HG match in the Intensive formula. The other formulas don't give me enough coverage on my cheeks, which are very prone to redness and being rash-y looking. The intensive formula covers up my redness 95% of the way, which is amazing. It even gives better coverage than liquid foundation does, but feels very light on, I don't feel like I'm wearing a mask at all, which is how liquid foundation felt on me. I apply it to the top of my cheeks and alone the planes of my face with a blush brush-Ecotools- and then I put some more on my Ecotools mini kabuki brush and buff it out along the edges of my face and my outer cheeks. The only con I'd say is that it can give a powdery appearance to the top of your skin if you have very dry skin like me. I usually have to wear lotion underneath to stop this and it works most of the time. To be honest, the coverage I get from this more than makes up for the slightly dry effect it makes. Anyway, I'm NC15-20 in Mac, Revlon Colorstay "Buff" and in EDM wear "Fair" in Winter and "Fairly Light" in Spring/Summer.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Revlon - Revlon Super Lustrous in Fire and Ice
Breve 4/1/2011 11:20:00 AM
This is a very cool toned, blue based red. It is not neutral so be aware. Though I love the color in the tube and the formula is fantastic, applies very smoothly and evenly, this color looks dreadful on me. I am warm-neutral and this makes me look like a clown, literally. The only way I'd wear this is for a costume party as a clown or I could even see it working as a Lucille Ball costume. I've tried multiple times to make this color work for me, but it is not the intensity that makes me unwearable, it's just the undertones in it that make it ugly on my skin tone. I love Revlon REALLY RED much much more for a true glamorous red color, or KISS ME CORAL for a fun coral red. Those apply just as dreamily as this one but the colors are much more flattering. These are so cheap though so no big deal if it doesn't work for you, but I'd try something else first if you have neutral to warm undertones.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Revlon - Matte Lipstick Really Red
Breve 3/10/2011 4:04:00 PM
HG red lip for me! Nc20, pale/freckles, light auburn hair, neutral to warm undertones. The first time I put this color on, I fell in love. It is a gorgeous, 40's glamourous and pretty lipstick. It doesn't have a strong yellow or blue undertone to it, so it is perfect for us neutrally toned girls. I also tried Fire and Ice, but that one looked ghastly one me because of the blue undertone to it. This red is perfect. It looks very dark in the tube, but does NOT apply that way. The matte formula is fabulous. It completely covers. I don't even need to apply a lip liner with this one for it to apply evenly on my lips. You definitely need confidence to wear this one though because it is a strong color.This lippie is definitely wearable for daytime, every day sort of use though as well. It's not a dark vampy red, nor a bright red (like Kiss Me Coral) so all you need is a light application of eye makeup and clean skin and your makeup will look nice without being too much or costume-y. It's a very sophisticated color, does not look cheap at all. I really like this one and recommend it highly! Also only $5 at Walgreens, so no regrets.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Neutrogena - Oil-Free Moisture Sensitive Skin
Breve 2/28/2011 4:02:00 PM
I really like this moisturizer. I have extremely sensitive and dry skin with rosacea. I have eczema on my hands and body and my face has been flaking due to the winter air and spot treating for inflammatory acne. My skin is so sensitive like many girls on here, that I will get clogged pores after one use of a product that doesn't work for me. This has happened from various foundations and from lotions and sunscreens, among them, Cetaphil, Olay, Eucerin, Boots and La Roche Posay. Needless to say, I've been downright afraid to try new products, especially face lotions! I didn't want to break out or cause a rash that would take a day or two to go away. Well I'm happy to say that this product works great! It is light but also moisturizing. Unlike other light lotions I've tried, this one actually got rid of my flakiness and left my skin hydrated that I didn't even need to apply it the next day and the flakes were still gone! Amazing. It also did not cause any redness or stinging or burning which I will feel within a few minutes of using a product that is not good for my sensitive skin. My skin stayed calm and I didn't feel anything. Also no clogged pores or breakouts. I will of course update this review if I do end up breaking out from this product, but I generally see a breakout the next day or two after using a clogging product and my skin still looks great right now. I'm very happy to have found this product and would recommend it if you have very dry and sensitive skin and/or mild rosacea. EDIT 3/30: I'm still using this moisturizer a month later with no problems whatsoever. It does not cause me to breakout....when I follow the directions. On the back it says to use 1 pump for the entire face. A few days after I first tried this, I applied more than 1 pump to my face and I broke out. This lotion requires a thin layer, not for your skin to be soaked in it. If 1 pump doesnt cover your whole face, try just dotting it and patting it in on your driest areas and leave the normal areas alone. Since I've been following the directions, my skin has been luminous, breakout free, smooth, very soft and supple. I've had no problems with flakiness, oiliness, breakouts, dryness, redness, irritation, clogged pores or anything. This is definitely an HG for me!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -E.L.F. - Eyebrow Kit
Breve 1/11/2011 2:49:00 PM
OK so obviously this is from ELF so its super cheap and you can't expect amazing quality for it. I think its $5 and under quality, I wouldn't pay more than that for a similar product. I'm warm-neutral toned, NC20, light-med. brown hair. Since seeing the rave reviews on MUA, I decided to try it since it couldn't hurt being so inexpensive. I got it in Medium It's a good match in terms of color. The powder is a light-medium brown color. It definitely pulls a brassy orange color underneath the brown as do most cheapy brown mu products so be aware of that. That orange undertone and the consistency of both sides of the kit is why I'm only giving it 3 stars. The wax side is strange. It's a very dark- a dark brown much darker than the powder- and can actually color your brows with just the wax alone. The wax is very dry, it's almost too dry to even call a wax.It tints the brows without filling in any empty spaces. I wish it was clear because the powder side is a perfect match in level so I can only apply the wax lightly to avoid giving my brows a strange dark tint. Now, the powder is very cheap and hard to blend. It is very chalky and remains powdery looking despite using the wax that came with it both before and after using the powder. It doesn't blend in very well, just sorts of sits there, looking like you smudged your brows with brow color. I tried using my regular angled brow brush to blend it but it really doesn't blend very well at all. It also smudges super easily. All I have to do is run my finger through my brow and it rubs off. So in that case, its easy to remove excess, but has no staying power whatsoever. The little angled brush that comes with the kit is actually somewhat helpful for blending it out though. Also like I mentioned earlier, it pulls a orange undertone. (This is just the medium/brown though, that may not be the case for the lighter brow kits). Despite this, this is probably the best $3 brow powder you're going to be able to find because it's decent. If you have $3.50 more though, I'd recommend the Ulta brow pencil instead because it blends easily and does not pull a brassy undertone to it. I'll put this in my car to use if I need to on the run but its not quite my favorite for everyday use.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -Ulta - Ultimate Brows
Breve 1/11/2011 2:12:00 PM
Edit: I ended up finding my Smashbox brow wax/powder duo and I still go to that one for everyday use. It does blend much better than the pencil and looks more natural. In a pinch, I'd use the Ulta pencil, but the Smashbox one has lasted me for such a long time, that I think it is the better deal if you can afford it. This is a good quality brow pencil for not very much money- I paid $6.50 for it. I have light-medium brown hair, pale skin- about NC20, green eyes, warm-neutral undertones and I got it in Warm Brown. It's a nice match for my hair color and skin tone- not too dark or too light. The tone definitely is warm- has a golden brown undertone to it. Not quite red just warm. If you have warm to neutral undertones it will probably work for you. It definitely doesn't look red when I apply it to my brows but there's a slight warm undertone to it so be aware of that if you are very cool toned. The pencil is nice and almost as natural looking as using powder. I've used powder brow filler for the last few years (Smashbox) but this one is nearly as good for about 1/4 the price! I'd definitely recommend buying it. It blends pretty well and doesn't apply a lot at a time so it's easy to control. The slight benefit of the Smashbox one I was using before in terms of easiness in blending and filling in is not enough to justify spending that much more money (That being said, the Smashbox one also lasted me 2 years so it does last a long time...so it might not work out to be more expensive in the long run!). I don't think this pencil will last very long, I'm guessing 2 months. I've only used it for about a week and I've already had to sharpen the white side. The white side is really cool- I guess its a wax, but I use it around my eyebrows to clean up smudges and messy areas from the brown side. It works really well- like an eraser. It also works to run it through after you've applied the color to help set it, and doesn't remove the color there for some reason. It also comes with a little bristle brush to run through your brows and that works pretty well too to blend. I think this was a really good buy and I'd recommend getting it, especially if you want a good quality brow pencil but don't have a lot of money to spend. I'll update this review when I've used the whole pencil to say how long it lasted me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Batiste - Dry Shampoo
Breve 1/4/2011 11:33:00 AM
This is a review for the ORIGINAL formula (green can). PROS: Does what it's supposed to do! Not many products can live up to their claims but this product does. My hair problem: I have fine hair, but a lot of it, so fine, thick hair? Anyway, my hair does not greasy or oily on its own unless I don't wash it for a long time, like 6 or 7 days. BUT the day after I use styling product in my hair, it gets sort of greasy feeling a few inches past the roots. Since its fine, this gives me flat hair pretty quickly. SOFTNESS, SHINE, AND VOLUME: Since my hair is naturally dry, I've never tried a dry shampoo since I didn't want to dry out my hair anymore. However I'm happy to say that this product gets rid of the greasy flatness in the midshaft of my hair without drying out my hair or making it rough/brittle. My hair feels soft, STILL has plenty of shine, and lots of VOLUME!!!! Which is very exciting for me since its hard to get my hair to stick away from my head. HOW I USE IT: I cover my face and spray it about a foot away from my head. Then I use my fingers to rub it in more and rake my fingers through the rest of my hair. I have to use several sprays (maybe 5?) in sections/layers of my hair to reach all the spots I need to. If you have a lot of hair you also will probably have to use a lot. GENTLE: However this product is very GENTLE. The smell does not give me headaches or overwhelm my nose like most scents do. NO RESIDUE: I do not get any flakes, or white powder in my hair. I was really surprised by that. My hair is a light chocolate brown, level 5 ish, and I don't have any powder or residue in my hair, despite using a lot. Maybe this only shows up in black hair, or if you spray it too close to your scalp? CONS: Smell temporarily. Smells exactly like baby powder. My nose is very sensitive though and the smell does not bother me after it's set in my hair a few minutes later. I got this at Sally's and it was $8 with my sally's card. That's pretty expensive for Sally's and drugstore. But I think it's definitely worth it. RECOMMENDED FOR: Fine hair that needs volume and gets greasy/oily at roots/midshafts from styling products. EDIT 9/18: Still love this stuff, it has become a staple for me, using between washes, at least once a week. I just wanted to add that I like the pink can ( called "blush") even more than the green one. It doesn't have the baby powder scent. Instead it has a lighter, pretty rose scent. I usually don't like floral scents, but this one is very light and nice so I recommend that one even more than the original.
12 out of 12 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Wet 'n' Wild - Color Icon Trio - Walking on Eggshells
Breve 1/2/2011 2:36:00 AM
I really don't understand the high ratings for this shadow set. Sure it's $4. But why would you spend any money on a product that's terrible? These are just as crappy as Covergirl eyeshadows. The shadows in here are super frosty. The pink is so light, it comes out like an icy white color. I tried applying these over TFSI, over a thick paint base, with my regular shadow brush, and applying them with a wet sponge brush. The best results I got were with the wet sponge brush pressing lightly a bit at a time into my lid. Even then though, these shadows are too frosty and have a LOT of fallout. Very poor quality and color payoff. I'm not going to try any more Wet n' Wild shadows if they are all like this.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Garnier - Anti-Dark-Circle Eye Roller
Breve 1/2/2011 12:17:00 AM
Wow! I am super impressed with this product. I think I am a somewhat picky person when it comes to products effectiveness. I always have to know a store's return policy on opened cosmetics or beauty products before buying from them because I am the Queen of the Returns! At any rate, I will definitely not be returning this because it WORKS. I am in my 20's and have slight-moderate dark circles under my eyes (but no puffiness). My skin is fair with slight yellow undertones-NC20- and this concealer matches my skin PERFECTLY. I am not even kidding when I say that you can't see the concealer at all when I'm wearing it. I don't wear foundation during Winter and my skin is seamless with this concealer on. It covers the darkness about 90%, which is good enough for me. I've never been able to find a concealer in the past that was the right shade or right consistency. This concealer is light, blends perfectly, and does not cake or crease. Also easy to apply with the ball-pen applicator. When I saw this recommended on the boards I had to try it and I'm so glad I did. My eyes look perky instead of droopy like they usually do. I am the type of person who looks tired most of the time, and after applying this, I couldn't believe how much more awake I looked. It really is a miracle drugstore product. If you are light skinned with warm to neutral undertones, I'd definitely recommend trying it!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Aveeno - Ultra-Calming Moisturizing Cream Cleanser [DISCONTINUED]
Breve 12/13/2010 5:17:00 PM
This has become my favorite cleanser that I've tried for my sensitive,dry skin. I like that it is a tube cleanser instead of a bar soap like Cetaphil's because it's much more hygenic, even though Cetaphil is equally as gentle on my skin. Tips- 1. I would only recommend using this though if you don't wear face makeup! I didn't like this when I first bought it during the Summer because I was wearing tinted moisturizer or foundation and blush most days and didn't think it did a good job at removing all that. But during the Winter I don't wear any makeup on my face and this face wash is amazing. 2. Don't use it around your eye area. It will sting if you put it too close to your eyes. It shouldn't sting anywhere else though. I like this face wash so much it has even surpassed the much more expensive, previous favorite of mine, Avene intolerant cleanser. That actually leaves my face a bit dry and tight. But the Aveeno doesn't at all. My face feels soft and lightly moisturized after using it, not even the slightest bit tight. Its probably because the high amount of glycerin in it, which attracts moisture to your skin. I really couldn't recommend any other face wash more than this one if you also have sensitive, redness prone and dry skin.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -TRESemme - Instant Heat Tamer Spray
Breve 12/13/2010 5:07:00 PM
This stuff is amazing! I've tried lots of anti-frizz, smoothing, silicone-laden heat protection products, from cheapo stuff like Garnier Fructis Smoothing Milk to high end products like Kerastase Ciment Thermique. Nothing I've tried (including the Kerastase) has taken care of my frizz like this stuff has. After using it, 98% of my frizz and flyaways are gone. Even my family noticed and commented on how smooth my hair looked. It doesn't weigh down my fine hair either or look greasy. I've only used it on dry hair before flat ironing, but I've noticed that you can even skip the flat ironing if you want and just spray a little bit in the palm of your hand to smooth down frizz & little broken hairs at the crown and that works well too if you just want to smooth stuff down at your crown and no where else. The scent is interesting. It smells very fresh and shower-y smelling if that makes sense. I don't really like it but I don't dislike it either and its light enough to not offend my VERY sensitive nose. Also love the spray nozzel- really helps keep it from getting too much on any one area. Just be careful to protect your face with your hand. Somehow I got some in one eye, one time, when spraying the side of my head even though it was no where near my face. It's only a little over $3 at the drugstore so its definitely worth trying if you're thinking about it!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No