Masks -DDF - Sulfur Therapeutic Mask [DISCONTINUED]
IslandLover 3/10/2010 2:15:00 PM
I have very oily and acne prone skin. I'm a skincare junkie and have tried tons and tons of products but this one mask in particular has really been a skin saver for me. Although it carries quite a hefty price tag, the condition of my skin after using it makes it 100% worth it. I like using this at least once weekly to control oil and keep my pimples at bay. My favorite use for this however is as a spot treatment. I love using this over blemishes overnight because the next morning, the spots are practically GONE. And if they're not completely gone, they've stopped dead in their tracks and won't grow anymore. I love this product because it dries out and shrinks the pimple without over-drying the skin around it causing flakes. My skin is brighter, my pores are tighter, and I am 97% acne-free! Love it!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -MAC - Lustreglass in Love Nectar
IslandLover 2/8/2010 5:15:00 PM
This is my ultimate all time favorite lip product from MAC! I LOVE this lustreglass! It's the perfect pinky color that even looks good alone on my pigmented lips. But I love using this over nude lippies. This prevents from looking washed out & adds a slight pink cast over my lipstick. It's so pretty and has very small particles of glitter that just transfer over as a nice shimmer or sheen on your lips. And it's not as thick and sticky as the lipglasses. Will repurchase for life.
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Mascara -Cover Girl - Lash Blast
IslandLover 2/8/2010 5:09:00 PM
Great mascara! It separates, lengthens, and curls. It doesn't thicken as much as I like but because it separates so well, it is very buildable. I hate clumpy lashes and the wand on this product totally prevents that from happening - even with multiple layers. Great drugstore mascara. I like using 2 coats for everyday looks and a few more if I want a more dramatic evening look. Definitely worth a try.
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Blush -MAC - Azalea 
IslandLover 2/8/2010 5:03:00 PM
I love this blush! It looks SO scary in the pan. It's an intense and bright color. But just the smallest touch can bring a beautiful flush to the cheeks. My favorite combo is using this blush and putting Cheeky Bronze MSF over it. The perfect bronzed rosy color. Looks fantastic on my NC42ish skintone. I even got complimented by a Sephora MUA! I took off a lippy since it's a pro item and I was only able to buy it when I went to the pro store in NY. You can still call & order over the phone though. I wish they would bring this out in one of their collections since I feel so many people don't know about this color. Definitely worth a try if you can get your hands on it.
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Foundations -Revlon - ColorStay Makeup with SoftFlex SPF 6 for Combination/Oily Skin
IslandLover 2/1/2010 5:25:00 PM
I had dropped my studio fix fluid on my bathroom floor and didn't feel like shelling out the $$ to buy another one so I decided to try Revlon Colorstay since I was already at the drugstore. Lets just say I've never gone back to SFF again. I absolutely LOVE the coverage this gives me and the staying power is phenomenal, especially for a drugstore foundation. It's not as thick as SFF and doesn't oxidize at all. It's not as pore-clogging and my oils don't shine through. With SFF, I would still get rather oily even with a primer & a setting powder. I also hear that SFF breaks out a lot of people. I never broke out with full on pimples but my pores were certainly clogged, whereas with Revlon, I've never had that problem. Plus, Revlon is a much better color match for me. If I set this with my MSF natural, this doesn't budge all day. I have a completely flawless face. Everytime I wear this foundation, I get compliments. This is my going out foundation and I love it. It's buildable coverage but if you slather it on, it will looked caked on - but that goes for any product I feel like. Just be sure to blend quickly as the formula tends to dry faster than others. For the quality and the constant drugstore promotions, this is absolutely worth the money. If you haven't tried it yet, do it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Shroom
IslandLover 2/1/2010 5:15:00 PM
I wasn't too excited when I bought this. It looked like every other highlight color. But I find myself reaching for this every day. It's the perfect highlight for my NW35-NC42 complexion. Not as stark as vanilla is against my skin but it's not as washed out as some other colors either. It's a nice subdued highlight for me. Perfect for my daily neutral eyes. Definitely something I will repurchase unless I find something better.
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Blush -NARS - Desire
IslandLover 1/29/2010 4:56:00 PM
This is a great bright bubblegum pink blusher. I use this with smokey eyes or on nights when I go out and I LOVE it. It's the perfect flush of color on my cheeks and it photographs wonderfully. I really love Nars' blushes despite their high price tag. They are extremely pigmented and last for ages. Definitely worth the money in my opinion. Don't be scared by the color in the pan...if you're lighter skinned, apply it with a light hand for a hint of color. For medium to darker skinned girls like me (I'm NW35 to NC42), this is a great color that compliments our skintones. Check it out next time you're at a Sephora or a Nars counter.
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Treatments -Patricia Wexler MD Dermatology - Anti Aging Acne Serum With Acnostat
IslandLover 1/28/2010 5:50:00 PM
I'm surprised to see all the bad reviews here. I've been using this product for over 1.5 years and I absolutely cannot live without it. I took off a lippie for the bad packaging and the insane price but it's the only thing that works for me. My whole introduction to the skincare & beauty world was through my search for a simple daytime moisturizer. I stumbled upon the Wexler line and finally found a cure to my oily & acne-ridden skin. Wexler was the first line of many products that I've tried over the years but I keep coming back to Wexler. I've tried everything from drugstore to insanley priced high-end products to all natural like Lush and nothing works as well as this. The acne serum in particular is one of my favorite products. It sinks right into my skin and helps relieve acne and fade spots over time. I don't experience the burning or tingling sensations like others have mentioned and I've never had any allergic reaction. This works great under my nighttime and daytime moisturizers and I can tell a difference when I don't use this product. My skin goes back to breaking out & becoming more oily. This is one of my HG skincare items. It is expensive so I always wait for a coupon and stock up but I will repurchase this for life.
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Powder -MAC - Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation
IslandLover 1/28/2010 5:34:00 PM
This is my go-to everyday quick foundation. On days when I'm especially running late, I just take a big powder brush and quickly go over my face and viola - great even skintone. The coverage is fantastic for a pressed powder and it doesn't streak across my face at all. My problem is that with my oily skin, this can tend to oxidate a little and by the end of the day and it definitely wears off. So the staying power can be better. I prefer my Bare Minerals Matte foundation for low to medium buildable coverage that lasts the whole day but the ease of using this foundation in one swoop still makes it worth repurchasing for me. Bare Minerals can be messy if you're not careful & takes much more time to apply. One Studio Fix compact will last me anywhere from 3-8 months depending on how often I use it and I have yet to break out from it. It's also buildable from medium to full coverage. Just be sure you don't put too much on too thickly as this formula can look cakey with multiple layers. But that's nothing a good primer and a little Fix+ won't fix. Just a great everyday powder foundation that wonderfully covers acne & scars and evens out your skintone. I use NC42 in studio fix powder. NW35 in liquid foundations.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Christian Dior - Diorshow Iconic High Definition Lash Curler Mascara
IslandLover 1/28/2010 11:58:00 AM
Great mascara! I already have very long lashes but I HATE those thick brushes that just clump everything together. This wand is perfect for me. It separates and lengthens and after 2 coats it definitely thickens. I just love the effect I get with this. Lasts all day and it looks Amazing in conjunction with my Shiseido mascara base and my Shu eyelash curler. Beautiful lashes that last me all day long. Try it out if you can. One of my favorite high-end mascaras. Glad I splurged.
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Liquid -Cargo - Foundation - Oil Free
IslandLover 1/28/2010 11:44:00 AM
Ehh.....the MUA put this on me in the store and it looked okay. I wasn't too impressed but I was just in the mood to try out a new foundation so I ended up buying it. Nothing about this foundation stood out for me. The formula was only okay. The coverage was nice enough. But it definitely did not keep my oil & shine at bay like I thought it would. I got much more shiney and oiler than I thought I would even with a primer and several blotting powders and sheets. The packaging is interesting and at least you won't be wasting product. And you do get a good amount for the price but it just didn't work for me. After a week, this went back to Sephora.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Bare Escentuals - Matte Foundation spf 15
IslandLover 1/28/2010 11:37:00 AM
After using my MAC Studio Fix powder for 3-4 years and wearing only liquid foundation, I was a firm believer that loose powder and bare minerals in particular would never give me the coverage and staying power that I needed. But I've been picking this up everyday since October. I LOVE this formula! I did try the original BM formula but it broke me out. I tried this and it's love. I have extremely oily skin so I wasn't expecting a completely matte face all day but with a primer and occasional blotting, my face looks amazing. I have many acne scars & imperfections so I'm surprised that people are saying this doesn't cover as well as the original. I do use concealor for my spots but I think this product does a great job evening out my skintone and leaving my face looking matte and well-covered while looking natural. It doesn't look cakey even on those days when I have to use a little more and it doesn't oxidize or change color on me even with my oily skin. It literally can last me 12 hours which is AMAZING for me. By the 10th hour or so it will definitely have faded but it's still there and I still look good. I also like how they changed the packaging to include the sifter. Makes traveling so much easier and I don't have to hold my breath when opening the jar over the sink in the bathroom. Overall, I'm very impressed with this and will repurchase for sure. Try a sample if you're unsure. It works for me.
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Makeup Brushes -MAC - 224 Tapered Blending (Windshield Wiper) Brush
IslandLover 1/28/2010 11:26:00 AM
This is a great brush to have in your collection. Like others have mentioned, it is very versatile from applying concealors, to highlighters, to setting concealor, to blending eyeshadow. This is my absolute favorite blending brush. It does a great job diffusing the color and creating soft lines. It fits great in my crease. I want to pick up another one soon just because one isn't enough for me. It is on the expensive side however so I may be looking into the Sonia Kashuk brush like another reviewer suggested. But if you've been lemming this product for awhile, definitely make the plunge. You won't regret it.
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Pressed Powders -Urban Decay - De-Slick Mattifying Powder
IslandLover 1/28/2010 11:20:00 AM
I love the packaging and I do like how this immediately removes shine from my face. However even though it is advertised as a translucent powder, I still definitely get a white or ashy film on my NW35 to NC42 complexion. It's not too noticeable which is why I continue to use it but *I* can definitely see the difference. It doesn't bother me too much though because it does take away shine like I mentioned and after a quick spritz of Fix+ or Evian spray, it looks fine. It also does a good job of keeping the oil away for an additional 2-3 hours. My biggest gripe with this however is the amount of product you get for the price. For $29 you get .4 oz of De-Slick but for $21 you get .42 oz of MAC's Blot powder without the slight white cast on your face. I am a sucker for packaging and have already re-purchased this once but I don't think I'll be buying it again after my little discovery. I'll be sticking with MAC which does the same exact thing for cheaper. If you don't have access to MAC or MAC's blot powder formula doesn't work for you, then this product is a good investment.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Neutrogena - All-In-One Makeup Removing Cleansing Wipes
IslandLover 1/28/2010 11:01:00 AM
I really like these wipes. I've used both the blue and the purple ones and I think they do a great job of removing my make-up without drying out my skin. The scents never bothered me and I never really had an issue with any of the towelettes drying out. I did purchase the box to store the pack and I do always store them upside down while ensuring the lid was closed tightly so maybe that has something to do with it but I have no complaints with the formula or the ability to remove make-up. For those lazy nights when I don't want to wash my face, this stuff works great because my oily skin still feels Ph balanced after using these. I wake up without oily or dry skin. But normally I use these to remove my make-up before washing my face and it does a great job. My only issue is that the top tab should be either be stickier to keep it closed or it should have a snap top like the Kirkland wipes. That would also eliminate the need to store these in the box. But I've never minded that. I always get these on sale at the drugstore or with a $3.50 off $10 coupon from Ulta so the price works for me. I've been trying the Kirkland wipes from Costco just recently and they seem exactly the same to me. The only difference is that the Kirkland wipes do seem softer but the Neutrogena ones never hurt me. Just a matter of personal preference. I will repurchase these.
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