Blush -Clinique - Blushing Blush Powder Blush - Iced Lotus
SickSexFix 1/5/2013 4:41:00 PM
I got this as a GWP (2 of them!) and it's now my favorite midtone pink everyday blush. For reference, I'm a MAC NC 35-40 and I'm not too big a fan of shimmery cheeks as my skin is oily and sometimes it can end up making me look greasy. It took me a long time to reach for this but now I can't be without it! Even my tiny sample (about the size of a MAC eyeshadow in a screw top container) has lasted me a long time so I put the second one up for swap. I use this when I want a really natural healthy glow. It delivers and lasts throughout my 9+ hour workday. I thought it would be too cool toned on my skin (kinda neutral-yellow-olive depending on the season) but it's absolutely perfect! My sallow skin is transformed and looks healthy and fresh. This has shimmer in it and I'm glad it doesn't emphasize my large pores like a lot of shimmery blushes do and it's not totally obvious even if you're standing in the sun. Try it! (*edit* I gotta say, I hate clinique's blush containers - rectangle shaped. I think all their blushes should come in pots like my sample did.) If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Treatments -Elizabeth Arden - Eight Hour Cream
SickSexFix 1/5/2013 4:09:00 PM
I tried a sample of this at the counter on my hands only. I picked it up and almost bought it because it was such a great price! I'm so glad I tried it though.. the smell is horrid. I rubbed it into my hands and told the SA that it smelled expired. She smelled it and said "It's not expired, that's just how it smells." Fragrance free my size 12 ass. No thank you. I guess they meant no fragrance added. The natural fragrance is musty. I'm kind of weird and I like an expired lipstick smell (yeah, yeah shoot me) but this was just gross. I rubbed it into my hands anyway, went on with my shopping and really did not find it to be anything special. I like that it's a balm. It reminded me of Neutrogena's Norwegian Formula Deep Moisture Fast Absorbing Hand cream. I find theirs to be much more moisturizing. Anyway, I washed my hands about an hour or so later (plenty of time for it to absorb) and my hands were totally dry again. No improvement... I didn't go back and buy this. I did see that there's an original Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream on one of those discontinued cosmetics websites so maybe the old formula was much better? If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Makeup Brushes -Smashbox - Arched Liner #21
SickSexFix 1/5/2013 3:55:00 PM
I got this brush in a Smashbox eyeliner palette so I can't comment on the price or the packaging. I wouldn't buy this only because the bristles splayed and I find even before that happened I had trouble getting a very thin line with this brush. It's pretty floppy. Although it might be my technique, I don't think it is. That said, this is my favorite eyeliner brush currently in my collection only because it's slanted. I'm so glad I got to try out one like this because it's made me want to buy others in this same style - it makes applying cream eyeliners SO easy! So yeah, I can't complain! If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Mascara -Maybelline - Great Lash Mascara Blackest Black
SickSexFix 1/5/2013 1:39:00 PM
Is there a word stronger than hate? If so then I stronger than hate this mascara, all of the Great Lash versions. Cons: *Even the blackest black isn't very black *Brush is terrible (makes my lashes look shorter!!) *Ugly packaging (it's not vintage, it's just ugly) Pros: *Doesn't irritate my eyes *Good for a daywear, work mascara (it's better than using nothing at all) *Cheap as dirt I pick this up now and then but hate it everytime. You never fail to disappoint me, Maybelline. If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Blush -MAC - Matte Blush - Frankly Scarlet
SickSexFix 1/4/2013 1:32:00 PM
I love this blush. It's the first red blush I'd ever seen so of course I bought it. There's no brown and no shimmer - it's a primary red color. It doesn't pull pink on me which is kind of odd? since if you look at the swatches, it looks like a pinky red! It's sooo gorgeous in the pan. I planned to wear this with a vintage red lip and black eyeliner. It's very easy to go overboard with this so blending properly is a must - unless you want to look blotchy and sick. I'm thrilled that it's a matte blush, I really like the formula. I think MAC is overpriced in general and I have a few of their blushes. Maybe this one would be better in a sheertone formula (I hate those, btw) since it's so pigmented. I still have not figured out how to wear this without looking too overdone so it's only been used a few times for evening, which is a shame since I gaze longingly at it in my blush palette (LOL). I want to try to wear it in the day time to work so if anyone has any ideas - let me know! I'm an NC 35-40 for reference and it's bang on for my skin tone. Those with even darker skin tones will benefit from this blush. I unfortunately dropped my palette on the floor and this was the only one that totally crumbled. I was heartbroken and pressed it back together (doesn't look nice anymore though). I won't buy this again only because NYX and Mehron have blushes in this color now for much cheaper. If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Liquid -Bourjois - 10hr Sleep Effect
SickSexFix 1/4/2013 11:37:00 AM
I LOVE this foundation. This is one of my first Bourjois purchases. I saw this company featured on some Lisa E. videos and was sad they didn't have it here. It launched a few months later where I live and YAY I can finally enjoy this company. I'd heard good things about their Healthy Mix foundation but being an oily skinned girl I can't enjoy it. I bought the 10hour sleep effect because my skin tends to look sallow. I got this in the shade 74 Beige. I'm a MAC NC 35-40 for reference. Some parts of my face are neutral, others are yellow or olive. *shrug* I'm annoyed that there aren't that many shades to choose from in the store. It's like they decided certain fringe shades don't need to be available to certain countries (that's my guess anyway). I was worried this may be too light but the only other choice was a shade MUCH lighter or a shade darker but rosier. My skin is combo right now since it's winter. I use this with my fingers, one pump only. It smooths on easily, like a watery serum. I say watery because it comes out of the pump watery - it's very runny. My skin drinks this up easily, especially my cheeks which are drier and it doesn't make my flaky bits flakier. The slip in this is great and it goes on like a night serum. It's very, very light and I feel like I'm wearing nothing but a light moisturizer. A welcome contrast to Estee Lauder DW Light or Studio Fix Fluid. (We'll see how this works out in the humid summer though..) I was afraid the shade might be too pink as this is supposed to counteract sallowness in the skin (what I got from the name 10hour sleep effect and the general marketing overview). My skin is pretty clear right now but my skin tone is uneven (lighter on my cheeks) and this product evens it up nicely. It doesn't look weird on my T zone (where I'm darker) since it's so incredibly sheer but has just enough pigment to even out my cheeks. Sometimes I buff in MAC's Studio Fix powder on top if I feel I need more evening out or I'm really oily that morning. I'm happy there's no glitter in this, I hate that. There's enough shimmer? to make my skin look alive and more awake but if you look closely you don't see any shimmer. It's pretty amazing they figured out a way to do that! However, this does not cover red pimples or my dark undereye circles. I must use a separate concealer and avoid putting this on my pimples as I don't want to highlight those areas! I love the pump bottle and I actually love the scent. It doesn't linger too long and I find it pleasant - it's not perfumey at all, just fresh apricot. I wish I could see how much product is left in this so I know when to rebuy. I hope Bourjois doesn't discontinue it in favor of newer formulas. The longevity of this foundation is excellent. It's still on at the end of the day which is amazing since it's so sheer. I can't pile this on too much otherwise I look shiny but I'm happy with the coverage it gives me with just one pump. (EDITED to add: I'm not sure if I mentioned this in my review but I'm taking off one lippie because this transfers like crazy!! If I blow my nose or touch my face it'll completely transfer off! Even if I set it with powder.) If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Blush -NYX - pinched
SickSexFix 1/4/2013 10:50:00 AM
This was one of my first NYX purchases. I was on a trip to the States and since there's no NYX where I live, I picked up a few blushes and some lipsticks. I'm really impressed with the quality of their products for the price. This blows MAC blushes out of the water - sorry MAC, not going back to you. :o) There were 25 colors for me to choose from at Ulta and I have to say, I was really overwhelmed! I wanted to buy all of them (haha) but settled on two that I didn't have in my blush collection. This was one of them. I needed a peach blush and settled on this because it didn't have too much pink in it (to my eye anyway). I'm a MAC NC 35-40 and was worried it may be a bit too light but took the plunge anyway as I figured I could pile it on. Since it's shimmery (but not glittery) I find it wakes up my skin in the dead winter. I'm sad to say that this isn't pigmented enough for my skin tone. It's more of a highlighter so what I like to do is to use a deeper matte blush in a complimentary color first then this over it and blend blend blend. I tried piling this on my cheeks alone and while it did show up, it's not matte so didn't look natural. I don't like shimmery cheeks but may try this in the summer since it's winter now. (Shimmery cheeks in this light color just make me look oily.) Another con is the packaging. I move my makeup around on my dresser a lot and being clumsy I'm afraid that this will break and I'll have a powdery mess to clean up. One lippie off for that but if they jack up the price for better packaging - ehh, I'd still buy this one for cheaper because I'm cheap heh. I did drop it once on the floor and I'm happy to say nothing happened. Phew. I like the amount you get for the price but this isn't suitable for travel in my makeup bag. Which brings me to my next point - the longevity is excellent! I'm so happy about that. It's still on at the end of my work day. Would I buy this again? Most definitely. NYX blushes are on my wishlist! (EDIT - I've decided to swap this one for a deeper peach color!) If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Blush -NYX - Desert Rose
SickSexFix 1/4/2013 10:39:00 AM
This was one of my first NYX purchases. I was on a trip to the States and since there's no NYX where I live, I picked up a few blushes and some lipsticks. I'm really impressed with the quality of their products for the price. This blows MAC blushes out of the water - sorry MAC, not going back to you. :o) There were 25 colors for me to choose from at Ulta and I have to say, I was really overwhelmed! I wanted to buy all of them (haha) but settled on two that I didn't have in my blush collection. This was one of them. Desert Rose didn't look like anything I'd seen, especially at such a cheap price. It's warm red, brown, plum, pink and matte. Awesome. I'm a MAC NC 35-40 and was worried it may be a bit too dark but took the plunge anyway as I figured a touch would do it. And I was right! This is very pigmented and really wakes up my skin in the dead winter. I don't even need bronzer with this as it sculpts my cheekbones well. It is indeed easy to go overboard even with a light hand but will probably look better in the summer when I'm darker BUT I don't see this as a summer color, will try it out then and report back. One con I would like to mention is the blendability. I'm still working with it. I must put powder on after my foundation and before blush with this - instead of foundation then blush then powder. It's not really a con but more my application technique I think. I can't get this to "stick" to the apples of my cheeks without piling it on. I sweep it on with a kabuki brush or a tapered blush brush and find that it gets on the high points of my cheeks (the sides) and the temples but not the apple.. hmm. I was confused at first, thinking it was just the lighting so I swept more on but it didn't look as good unless I turned my head - so I kind of had blush on the hollows of my cheeks but not the apple. Confusing but I hope you follow what I mean. Anyway, I'll try it with other brushes and see if there's a difference. Another con is the packaging. I move my makeup around on my dresser a lot and being clumsy I'm afraid that this will break and I'll have a powdery mess to clean up. One lippie off for that but if they jack up the price for better packaging - ehh, I'd still buy this one for cheaper because I'm cheap heh. I did drop it once on the floor and I'm happy to say nothing happened. Phew. I like the amount you get for the price but this isn't suitable for travel in my makeup bag. Which brings me to my next point - the longevity is excellent! It wears a long time on my oily skin!! I'm so happy about that. It's still on at the end of my work day. Would I buy this again? Most definitely. NYX blushes are on my wishlist! If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Lip Gloss -Michael Kors - Eau de Parfum Rollerball/Bare Vinyl Lip Gloss Combo Stick
SickSexFix 1/4/2013 9:20:00 AM
This is an LE 0.17 oz./lip gloss 0.15 oz. rollerball duo. I was on the hunt for the Michael Kors EDP at Ulta (any size bottle really as it's rare to find). I already had the full size bottle of it that I bought on ebay and I suspected it had been diluted or something (review of that bottle soon) as the sillage wore off after half an hour to an hour. Anyway, I picked this up as the other sizes were out of stock. I paid around $22 for it and was annoyed that it came with a lip gloss on the other end of it. It's multipurpose and great for travel but I really wanted more bang for my buck and would have preferred a full size roller ball of the EDP so I took off one lippie for that (I'm picky). I've had this perfume in my bag for a few months now and I just love it! If you're not familiar with this EDP just know that the projection is very strong - that is to say, one spritz from a bottle and you could easily clear a room or give yourself a migraine LOL so I'm glad I have this rollerball so I can just dab behind my ears OR my wrists and that is it. Not overpowering at all that way! I'm really happy. I no longer use my bottle of the EDP & have been decanting it for swaps. Onto the lip gloss - It's a cool toned milky beige with a hint of pink. I'm of medium olive coloring so I thought it would be too light and would make me look dead and would be otherwise totally useless to me. I'm happy to report that it's very, very sheer so that's not the case. It's long lasting and really great quality but there are some silver glitter particles in it that you see when the lip gloss wears off a bit. I'm not a fan of that. I wish this lip gloss came in other colors BUT I imagine they made it sheer so it would suit every skin tone *shrug* I use it occasionally to touch up my drying matte lipsticks midday or if I forgot to put on a lip product before work and my lips feel dry as its pretty moisturizing and has slip. It is a bit sticky but I don't mind that as it makes it last longer. I just wish it didn't have the glitter particles in it. The formula is shimmery not creamy or matte. Again, I could do without it but I have found some use for it. I would definitely purchase it again if I found it online. The EDP end has lasted me a few months with just a few dabs 3x a week. I think there's 98% left which is great. There's been no spillage in my purse as the packaging quality is absolutely excellent. I also wish I could refill it but since it's a rollerball, not sure that's possible (if you know how to do that, message me!) *Edit* I uploaded pics of it. FYI, the EDP looks more green and the lip gloss looks way lighter in real life (it's not browny at all). If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Fragrances -Lolita Lempicka - Lolita Lempicka
SickSexFix 1/2/2013 5:46:00 PM
This smells awful! I read a bunch of reviews on it and tried out a tester. I couldn't figure out how to work the stupid spritzer and ended up squirting it on my hand. Didn't bother with any more after that and proceeded to walk around the store. It smelled sickly sweet and strong at first. I don't smell anything complex here. After the dry down, it started to smell... dirty. Not dirty in a sexy, woodsy way but dirty in a cheap chemical way. It smelled balmy and strange. I'd compare it to Love Spell by Victoria's secret mixed with salty sweat or gym socks, just wrong and nasty. Reminded me of a cheap strip club, ew. It actually turned my stomach a little. I couldn't wait to get the stink off me. (Btw, I sniffed the other testers - didn't want to spray them after that one lol - and they all had this out of place dirty note) So not for me. (If anyone knows what that dirty note is - please message me and let me know so I can avoid it in my fragrance shopping!!) If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Mascara -MAC - Studio Fix Lash
SickSexFix 1/1/2013 4:04:00 PM
I've used this mascara since it came out and I've bought it twice now. I have to say, it's not the formula that makes this my favorite mascara but the wand. It's not the first time I've used a completely plastic mascara wand (instead of the regular ones that look like tube cleaners lol) but this is the BEST one I've used. It's thin (not fat like some of the drug store plastic mascara wands - Maybelline comes to mind) that are impossible to maneuver around your eyes. I already have long lashes - let me just say that first - but this mascara makes them EXTRA long - to the point where they touch my brow bone/nearly my eyebrows when I look up. They look like falsies with just two coats and the formula doesn't clump. It doesn't smudge either unless I accidentally smudge it while applying. It very easily grabs every lash - even the ones in the corners - and allows me to twist them around and around the wand with ease. A lot of mascara I've tried don't let me really get in there with the wand, they just sort of sit beneath my lashes to deposit mascara but this one lets me get in there to the point where I can spend as long as I want to build up my lashes. When you open the tube and pull out the wand the perfect amount of mascara is on there - no extra at all!! Now the cons - I have used this formula with a different mascara wand and it's nothing special. Just a very black, light mascara formula. I took one lippie off because this is a pricey mascara and I'm not some crazy MAC fangirl where I buy everything that MAC comes out with and doesn't think twice about it. The second time I went to buy this I grumbled to myself a bit lol but it truly is worth it the price for what it does to my lashes. (FYI MAC is more expensive here than in the States.) Another con is that the plastic wand is rigid so if you're not careful or in a rush you MAY poke yourself in the eye. I've done it a few times and I've been wearing mascara for years. It took me a bit of practice to get the hang of this - as well as some accidental scraping at the base of my lashes - OW that really stings! - but now I'm a pro at it. MAC gave these wands away to use with the testers when this mascara came out and I grabbed a bunch of them and now I just use them with any mascara (even cake mascara) and just wash, sanitize and reuse. If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Lipstick -Revlon - Matte lipstick in Mauve It Over
SickSexFix 1/1/2013 3:36:00 PM
I love this lipstick. I got the shade sight unseen from a popular beauty wholesale website. I first heard about it through Lisa Eldridge's videos. When I saw the shade in the tube, I was worried it'd be a bit too dark for my pigmented lips and would look too drab but I'm really happy to report that it's the perfect MLBB shade. When I first put it on I asked my mom what she thought about my lipstick and she just said "It doesn't look like you put anything on." When I look at it, it looks like an opaque beigey coral color, the shade looks incredibly natural on me, no lip liner needed. However, the best part about it is it isn't a pink nude! I have tons of nude pink and beige pink lipsticks. With my complexion (MAC NC 35-40) corals look more natural and that's why I'm so happy with this lipstick! The shade "Mauve it over" is completely misleading as there is no mauve, purple or grey in this AT ALL. The formula is a bit drying though, I will admit. It dries on my lips to a matte powdery finish but I still feel a bit of a creaminess when I rub my lips together. It does wear a very long time so I'm happy with that. It does accentuate flakes and go into the lip lines (which I have a lot of) so you have to exfoliate and moisturize before putting this on. Sometimes I use my face or eye primer on my lips before and it works well at keeping it looking smooth. I want to mention that even if you pair this with a lip balm or a gloss, it'll still go into your lip lines if you have a general problem with matte lipsticks doing that (I do). You have to remove it, moisturize, blot, then reapply. It doesn't clump though (a huge problem I have with most matte lipsticks), so I'm keeping it! *Edit* I just wanted to mention the prohibitive price of Revlon where I live. It's like $10 here (exchange rate) for this lipstick. WTF Revlon? Seriously. If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Concealers -Dr. Denese - Smart Concealer Duo
SickSexFix 12/30/2012 2:35:00 PM
This is an amazing concealer! I bought it off of one of those popular wholesale makeup websites in the shade Medium. I think it may be a tad too light but with enough blending I can get away with it. I may have to order the one in dark and mix the two. First off, I adore the packaging and the fact that you get two different concealers. Awesome. And best thing about this concealer is that it does.not.smudge. It's almost as hard as the Dermablend pot foundation - you definitely have to warm it up with your fingers before patting it on (one of the concealers is creamy, the other is much harder and that's the one I'm referring to). It really covered my spots and though it gave me Kim Kardashian reverse raccoon eyes, it looked good and covered my dark circles amazingly (I'm used to a more NW or salmon colored concealer). I brush some MAC prep and prime loose powder over it but be advised, you may need to touch this up after a few hours. While it didn't crease, it did kind of evaporate everywhere I put it after a 9 hour work day (and that was on top of Too Faced shadow insurace). I'll have to find a better way to set this so it lasts longer (my skin is oily and I touch my face a lot) but so far, this is HG material! *EDIT - decided to swap this since the color is too light for under my eyes and I found I liked my dermablend concealer better. I'd still recommend this - hoping to swap for the dark shade! If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Eyeliner -Rimmel - Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer - Noir
SickSexFix 12/30/2012 2:24:00 PM
Pffft this isn't waterproof. It smudged a ton under my eyes even with Too Faced primer/concealer/powder underneath! It's a hard, dry formula and while I love everything else about it, it really isn't waterproof. Everytime I use it I get maybe two hours of wear before it starts to migrate into my lash line and inevitably smudge under my eyes. It was dirt cheap and looked great for those two hours, but wouldn't stay put on my waterline (I have to really go over it a few times to get it to show up). I'll use this up but have to figure out a way to set this properly. Won't buy again. *EDIT* Took off 1 lippie because this stuff just doesn't stand up to my oily eyes! Smears like crazy no matter what I do. :o( My cheap NYC pencil works better than this! So disappointed. If my review helped you, click yes below!
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Moisturizers -Garnier - Garnier Pure moisturiser (oil control)
SickSexFix 12/28/2012 9:25:00 AM
You know what, I don't know why I put this product up for swap (lol). It's dirt cheap and effective for my oily skin. It glides on smooth like a moisturizer, has good slip and really mattifies (sp?) my oily skin. You get a lot of product in a hygienic and easy to use squeeze tube - no mess coming out of the package at all. A teensy dot of it goes a long way at controlling the shine. I really love it in the hot, humid summer but not for the winter when my skin is less oily as it dries up my cheeks more than I like. I tried putting moisturizer over the top to even it out but oh my god - this stuff just drank.it.up. It was like moisture? nope! Don't even try. hahaha :o) I think this even keeps my pimples at bay during the summer. That's amazing. It feels refreshing too but I hate the light cucumber scent. (I just don't like cucumber scented products, but hey that's me. I think that's why I tend to stay away from the Garnier skin care line.) I don't find it very moisturizing and it takes a bit more time to buff my foundation in over the top of it as I said it's quite mattifying. In fact, my skin looks almost chalky afterwards but after the oil comes through on my skin - depending on the day, an hour to two hours later- I find it looks incredibly natural and dewy. It lasted throughout an entire work day too. Oily and super oily skins that don't want to buy or use a separate moisturizer will LOVE this. Why is this up for swap? The scent. Yeah. I hate that artificial cucumber scent, it makes my stomach turn. Please Garnier, make your skin care line unscented so I can enjoy you more! (EDIT: Oh. I remember now why I don't use this anymore. Because at the end of the day, when oil does come through on my face - it makes my foundation separate and look REALLY cakey. So parts of my face are oily/shiny and parts look caked with foundation. It's a hideous mess under foundation. But it looks nice for a few hours at least. I took off a lippie for that and because the product ended up separating in the tube.) If my review helped you, click yes below!
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