Mascara -Jordana - Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara
KeyWestBum 4/11/2012 10:05:00 AM
I am a mascara junkie. I must wear it everyday and even to the gym. I need mascara it is my drug. I have thin tiny lashes. My inner corner lashes are so tiny, most brushes are too big for them. I was in Walgreens and stumbled upon this mascara. It's so cheap ($2.99) so I decided to pick it up. When I got home, I had to try it. I was disappointed to find that it had one of those plastic wands like LashBlast. However, the Jordana plastic brush was so slim and small. I thought I bought another flop. Well....Well...Well....I was shocked by how much volume and length this mascara gave me. The brush is perfect actually and it reaches my inner corner lashes w/ ease. I no longer get mascara on my lids. Also, the formula is wet and allows for multiple layers without getting dry or clumpy. I actually achieved fake lash status with only 2 coats! I love the brush and handle, it is very sturdy and easy to use. The tube mouth has a nice tight entry that wipes any additional mascara. The packaging itself is really cute. The tube is black with pink lettering. Out of all the thousands of mascaras that I have tried, Prestige My Biggest Lashes was always my HG. Now, Jordana has taken HG status.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Revlon - PhotoReady Concealer SPF 20
KeyWestBum 4/9/2012 10:25:00 AM
Overall rating: 2 Pros: 1. Creamy texture that glides over the skin extremely easy. I find that this formula is perfect for the delicate under eye skin. Also, it is so creamy that you can even just use it as a spot concealer all over and skipping foundation. 2. Doesn't cake or settle into fine lines. 3. Nice packaging. Black slim tube that is travel friendly. 4. Affordable and found at most major retailers. Cons: 1. Coverage. I found this concealer to be very sheer in coverage. Even with an under eye corrector, I still needed about 3-4 layers to cover circles. With skin blemishes, I needed 2 layers. 2. Color Selection isn't the best. Colors all lean very yellow and run dark. For reference, Medium resembled dijon mustard on me. I had to pick up the light-medium shade. 3. Creases within 3 hours of wear.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Revlon - Grow Luscious Plumping Mascara
KeyWestBum 4/9/2012 10:18:00 AM
This mascara is considered a SAFETY HAZARD. I do not recommend you put this on then drive. I think the biggest issue with this mascara is that it flakes like you wouldn't believe! I put this on and within a few hours, the mascara began to flake off in chunks and getting into my eyes. I tried wiping the chunks out but they were really bad and obstructing my vision. The formula goes on wet but dries extremely fast (within 30 seconds). If you wait too long to layer, it will clump and make lashes look like spider leges. If you still want to layer this mascara, you need to do it in lightening speed! I find that overall, this mascara provides a natural looking lash with some separation. However, it doesn't provide any length or volume, imo. There are only two good qualites I found with this mascara: 1. It contains no horrible strong scent & 2. The brush is shaped nice. The brush tapers at the end so you can reach those tiny lashes at the inner corners. My final thoughts: I hate it :(
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Styling Products -John Frieda - Frizz-Ease Moisture Barrier Firm-Hold Hair Spray
KeyWestBum 4/3/2012 9:14:00 AM
This is my favorite hairspray for when I do my hair natural (wavy). I love that this really tames down my frizz and has the correct hold for wavy to curly hair. For demanding styles, I reach for Farouk CHI Helmet Head but this leaves a firm stiff hold. For waves, you want a soft yet structured hold so the waves or curls can move naturally and Frizz-Ease Moisture Barrier Firm Hold does just that!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Suave - Keratin Infusion Leave-In Conditioner
KeyWestBum 4/2/2012 2:29:00 PM
I love this so much. My hair tends to create weak waves when air dried. It can appear messy and frizzy w/o any styling products. I can't believe how nice this makes my hair. I put this in my hair after the shower and put my hair in a lose bun. I then let my hair air dry. Once my hair is dry, I take it out of the bun and my hair is very wavy and frizz free. I also get very soft defined waves. I wish I could buy this in a huge tub! I highly recommend this for people w/ thick long hair.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -Dr. Brandt - Dark Circles Away Collagen Eye Serum
KeyWestBum 3/27/2012 3:09:00 PM
I feel this product is a gimmick and a rip off. The retail price of this is $55 US and can be bought at Sephora. I was very excited to try this out since I've had dark circles since birth and I've tried it all with little success. The sample size will last 4 weeks. According to the product description, this contains Lumishere which are microencapsulated pigments. Why not just say that this is a tinted serum? Clever marketing to get fools like me to buy it. The tint is extremely sheer and I found no brightening effects from using this. The consistency is very watery and product leaks out everywhere from the tube. After 4 weeks of usage, I noticed no improvement under my eyes. In fact, my under eye circles appear darker since I stopped my go to serum and switched to this. For a far better formulation and results, I would recommend Beyond Belief under eye brightening serum sold at Sally's for five bucks!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Stila - Peony Convertible Color
KeyWestBum 3/27/2012 9:17:00 AM
I held off on cream blushes for a very long time. I tend to get oily and easily breakout so I didn't want the hassle. I received this blush in a swap just so I can test the waters. W.O.W not bad...not bad at all :) The color Peony is a warm pink with a hint of brown and I feel it's a nice flattering shade for most. Peony has no sparkle, sheen or frost in it. The formula isn't as creamy as I expected. The formula reminds me of hair pomade. I applied Peony CC over my TM with a skunk brush. The technique I used was tapping the skunk brush into the cream then dotting the brush lightly along the cheek with gentle short blending strokes. The result was a soft focus "glow from within" look. I then topped it w/ a light dusting of bronzer and the overall look is so natural and healthy looking. Very impressed and would love to check out other Stila CC's.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Chanel - Giggle Glossimer
KeyWestBum 3/27/2012 9:06:00 AM
I was itching to try a Chanel Glossimer but didn't want to pay $$ for something I might not like. I received this in a swap and I'm very delighted with the performance. The formula of glossimers are thick and a bit sticky. Some may not like the formula of these but I do. They remind me of Lorac glosses. I found that the glossimer formula is moisturizing on the lips and has decent staying power. The color Giggle is a cool toned dusty pink that is pretty close to MLBB. There are no sparkles or frost in this shade which is nice. I find Giggle to be a little sheer. I needed 3 layers to cover my lip color (so 1 lippie off for that). Overall, I'm impressed though. Now that I had a taste of glossimers, I want more!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Cover Girl - CG Smoothers Concealer
KeyWestBum 3/21/2012 12:48:00 PM
This is a concealer that is okay to keep in my purse for on the go touch ups. I have dark circles and my standby concealer is bulky and depending on how tired I am, it can fade midday. I like this for a no fuss quick application on my "bad" days. The formula is thick and creamy. The coverage is pretty decent w/ 2 layers. I use the medium shade and I love that it's not too warm toned. Pink toned concealers seem to work better on me. I find this has better coverage then the following DS concealers: 1. CG simply ageless pot 2. Maybelline age rewind 3. Maybelline mineral wear 4. Maybelline superstay 5. Revlon CS 6. Revlon PR and 7. Most of PF concealers
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Essence - Lipstick
KeyWestBum 3/20/2012 10:25:00 AM
I'm pretty impressed with these inexpensive ($2.49 @ Ulta) lipsticks! I have a few shades but my favorite is Coralize Me! #55. Coralize Me! is a sheer coral pink with micro sparkles in it. The shade looks pretty intense and almost unwearable in the tube but on the lips, it shows up more sheer. I need 2 layers to achieve desired pigment. The formula is similar to MAC Lustre lipsticks and feels very moisturizing on the lips. I'm shocked of how well the staying power is on these. I had to reapply after 4 hours but this is with eating and drinking. I can imagine this lipstick staying on longer without food & drink.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -MAC - Lipglass in Lychee Luxe
KeyWestBum 3/20/2012 10:15:00 AM
I love this shade on me. I have cool toned pigmented lips so this coral gloss pulls more pink then orange on me. Lychee Luxe is very pigmented and I got bright true to color coral with one coat. There are tiny sparkles in this gloss as well. I am a big fan of the color on me. Coral anything really compliments my skintone.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Top/Base Coats -Unlisted Brand - INM - Out the Door Top Coat
KeyWestBum 3/19/2012 11:31:00 AM
So far, I am very pleased with this top coat. I've tried them all. I've tried all the brands at Sally's. OTD was the last one to try and I am happy with the results. I just wished I didn't wait to pick this as the last one to try! Blows SV....out the door! After doing my manicure, I thought it would be a brillant idea to go clothes shopping right after. I will always wreck my nails when going clothes shopping from trying things on, pulling things up, trying to rush playing with the buttons and zippers. I have weak nails that tend to split and crack from shopping as well as chipping my polish. After 4 hours of hardcore shopping, not one single chip! I also did three rounds of hand washing dishes and still no chips. It's not the fastest drying top coat. It doesn't dry in seconds. In fact, it was completely dry after 15 minutes. The formula is thick however it's not goopy and stringy like SV. I can't complain. Good top coat.
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Top/Base Coats -New York Color - Extra Shiny Top Coat
KeyWestBum 3/19/2012 11:21:00 AM
I'm such a top coat junkie. Since I don't care for the famous SV, I'm always on the hunt for something. Boy, this top coat is really terrible. The Pros: 1. provides a shiny finish 2. dries fast. The Cons: Within hours, random chunks of polish goes missing. LOL I could be just sitting watching tv and notice hunks missing just hours after I painted my nails. I think if you LOOK at them, they will chip. Don't buy this. The price was seriously a steal for a buck but so not worth it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Estee Lauder - Bronze Goddess
KeyWestBum 3/19/2012 11:09:00 AM
I wanted this bronzer to work but it just isn't pigmented enough for my skintone. Bronze Goddess only comes in one shade and it is considered a matte bronzer. The texture is so buttery soft. This bronzer feels so luxurious on the skin and the tone is perfection. The tone isn't too orange or too brown. I would call this bronzer a beautiful true bronzey look...something you would acheive in the sun. However, on my medium toned olive skin it just doesn't show up that great even with a few layers on. I could get away with this shade in the winter but I can get a few shades darker in the summer and this can't work for me. I wish EL would come out with more shades in this!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Lancome - Star Bronzer Natural Matte Bronzing Powder
KeyWestBum 3/19/2012 10:57:00 AM
I was looking for a matte bronzer that was oil-free and pigmented. I wasn't impressed with this bronzer. This bronzer comes in three shades and I sampled the darkest shade (03 Sunbath). Sunbath wasn't pigmented at all! After packing on three layers of this, I got a faint hint of color that appeared blotchy. I found this bronzer to have very poor pigment. I also found it to be poor quallity with a chalky texture. The only positive qualities I found with this bronzer is that it's oil-free and comes in a pretty case.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No