Mascara -Rimmel - Volume Flash The Max 
Sue_raisin 7/9/2010 11:23:00 AM
To be honest I thought this mascara was some sort of joke. I picked it up for less than a fiver at Tesco because I thought I'd give a different brand a chance (I've always been a Maybelline mascara girl, meself) but it's a really thin formula, makes my eyelashes dry all wonky and with the very ends turned downwards. It also splays my lashes out in every which direction. Very strange. No smudging though. I was surprised to see the reletively high stars this was given on MUA. I have given it a chance and worn it for 3 days now, but after today it'll be going in the bin. Back to "The Falsies" Volume Express for me (does anyone else think that that's the old formula, Volum' Express with the curved brush - in new packaging?). Update: 19 August 2010. Well well well! Look who's eating her words? I ended up using this as my the Falsies had run out so I threw this in my makeup bag as I dashed to work. After I'd used it for about a week it started to dry out and thicken up, and in the end I used it to the end of the tube. There was still the problem that it dried my lashes wonky, but once it had thickened up this wasn't as much of a problem - certainly workable. However, saying that, I think it only cost me a fiver so it's good as a back-up mascara to throw into my makeup drawer. In summary, it does what it says on the tin, once it dries out a bit. p.s. I'd previously scored this product: 1, 1, 2, No.
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Polishes -Maybelline - Salon Expert
Sue_raisin 1/14/2010 5:47:00 AM
Well well well! Who'd have thought that the shape of the brush would make such a difference to applying nail polish? The brush is the right length, with a curved edge at the tip of the brush, not a "squared off" edge, like normal nail polishes, and it makes it a dream to apply. I've not used Maybelline polishes for years, I do my nails religiously every week with a natural colour on fingers (that way I don't look scruffy when it chips) and a dark, vampy red on my pedi. I only applied this last night (Wednesday - I'll update again with the day that it starts to chip), no base coat (I use a top coat instead, I find if I use a base coat, then colour, then topcoat, it tends to chip off in big chunks - might try with this Maybelline range and see if it's still the case) so I can't really score it fairly, but I'll update once I've had it on a few days. Regarding the colour, I got a natural, very pale pink which is undetectable colour-wise on my fingers, however it does make my hands look far more polished and glossy. Very happy so far but we'll see. Update: well this lasted really well, about a week with only the slightest bit of wear at the very tips. Really impressed with the brush and the lasting power so it's definitely staying in my mani kit. I've put the stars up to 5/5.
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Lipstick -MAC - Lustre in Jubilee
Sue_raisin 1/13/2010 10:17:00 AM
I can't believe I haven't discovered this lipstick before!!! Coolur-wise, it's a nude, brownish, dusky pink which looks amazing with a gentle smoked-but-subtle eye for work. On my lips it's definitely MLBB, can't imagine this not suiting anyone, it's a great colour, nice and natural. Of course, what's the point in having a lipstick that matches your lips exactly? Well, the colour makes your face look polished, it gives your lips the softest, most subtle sheen and personally I feel weird having a full face of make up and then having nothing on my lips. I've been looking for a true nude for years now and never noticed this lipstick but it's replaced my Bobbi "Nude Pink" as my staple MLBB lippie.
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Primer/ Corrector -GOSH - Velvet Touch foundation primer
Sue_raisin 8/4/2009 8:34:00 AM
I was really pleased to see the good reviews on this - I thought I might be the only one. I've had a few primers in my time, Lancome, RMK and a few others I've forgotten as they were, at best, so-so. This one leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth, ready for my mineral foundation. It makes it sit nicer - without it the foundation seems to be uneven and slightly patchy over drier bits of skin. This evens out my face completely and my base lasts easily all day with it on. The only problem with it is: (and this isn't a problem with the primer, which is why I haven't taken it into account with my scores) be careful of which moisturisers you use underneath this because if you get on it doesn't like, you end up with those things on your face where little bits get "rolled" off, like bits of skin from a zombie. I've been using a L'oreal one and every morning I try to leave a big enough gap between applying it, but so far I've left it for 5 mins (which is a long time when you're getting ready for work. And you're already 15 minutes late. And you've missed the bus) and no change. Saying that however, there's no way I'd change the primer, the L'Oreal is going to have to go!
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Smut Eyeshadow
Sue_raisin 8/4/2009 8:23:00 AM
This is my smokey eye staple, amazingly easy to blend, and like someone else said, it's mistake-proof. With a pot of Smut and a really good quality eyeshadow brush, say a MAC 217, it really does make a gorgeous just-the-right-amount-of-smokiness-eye. I use this for night's out - I used to use Carbon/Print before I found this - it's an amazing eyeshadow. I'm on my first pot, but I have a back-up already.
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Crème -BeneFit Cosmetics - Some Kind-A Gorgeous
Sue_raisin 8/4/2009 8:10:00 AM
A good idea, very, very light foundation - so light that you nearly can't call it a foundation, it's what you would call "whisper-soft" if you were full of cliches. Very little coverage and a powdery texture once on the skin, it has a "veil effect". For me it's not enough, I want more substance to my foundation, but if you've got good skin and don't mind the slight sponge marks when applying, then this could be quite nice. I realise "quite nice" isn't high praise but it's all it's getting.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Neutrogena - Wave™ (Power-Cleanser And Deep Clean Foaming Pads)
Sue_raisin 12/12/2008 8:49:00 AM
Ok, hands up who thought the pad was going to, at the very least, rotate and spin round? I thought it would be an easier way to cleanse but it does very little. No, I tell a lie, it vibrates against your face. The pads absolutely refused to foam up, so it didn't feel like there was any cleanser on there (I ended up adding my own). If it spun round and rotated a little it'd be quite a good little gadget, the shape of it is pretty badly thought out though, it's too big to get into the sides of the nose and the inner corner of the eyes. The vibrating action has no benefit whatsoever to the face so I'm not sure what this is for. Perhaps it's the novelty value. Maybe it serves me right for thinking that this was going to be a lazy girls way of cleansing, now I've wasted £12 on this little machine that is frankly, useless. The cleansing pads must have very little cleanser on them. The pad itself probably does have a little exfoliating action, but I wouldn't rely on the pad soley for my exfoliating - definitely consider adding your own exfoliator to the pad. Left my face smooth, but only because it exfoliated slightly, it's not the vibrating action. Wouldn't buy again. For a cheaper alternative, attach some cotton wool to your Rampant Rabbit and squirt some face wash on there. Bob's your uncle!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Palmers - Cocoa Butter Stick
Sue_raisin 12/11/2008 10:46:00 AM
I'm generally a lover of Palmers, I swear by their gradual self-tanner (which IMHO works better than dove, Johnson's St Tropez etc etc) and I love the Lip Butter. However this Cocoa Butter STICK is useless. It breaks so easily, and you can't 'fix' the stick like you can with other stick lipbalms, once it's snapped, that's it. It's too hard to give any moisturising benefit, you can swipe it on but it doesn't feel particularly nice on, it's just too brittle. It doesn't have any smell and I'm sure if you only used it indoors and kept it at just about room temperature it would be very effective. But for me, it's already gone in the bin.
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Blush -Jemma Kidd Makeup School - Lip & Cheek Tint "Rosy Glow"
Sue_raisin 12/10/2008 10:44:00 AM
I'm a complete Benetint devotee, but am utterly open minded to new products. This is in a roller ball format so far better than the nail varnish-type bottle of Benefit...or so I thought. The colour, as far as I can tell, looks very similar, but I'll put them both together in natural light tonight and do a comparison. This doesn't blend as well as the Benefit version, plus it dries a lot quicker so you have to blend it very fast before it dries a streak a across your cheek. Although the roller ball is slightly easier to apply, and more compact to carry around in your handbag, I think you have a lot less control with it. I suppose with the nail varnish application you can put less on too, whereas with the roller ball you kinda just hope for the best. The leaflet inside suggests you put a "circle" onto the apple of the cheek but if you do it this way it is FAR too much. Once blended it gives good colour payoff with an intense pop of berry colour. The Benetint has more of a rosy blush to it, whereas this has more of a berry-ish stain. I always, always end up toning the colour down with some more of my mineral foundation, as it's too much. I was hoping for a good alternative to my Benetint, but I've not got it in this. Wouldn't buy again. Just goes to show that sometimes the original IS best.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -BeneFit Cosmetics - California Kissin'
Sue_raisin 12/10/2008 10:24:00 AM
I was expecting this to be icy cool blast of minty freshness when I applied it...but was a little disapointed really. I like the tingle of minty lipbalms which is why I bought this. To me, personally, I thought there was very little mint-iness to the balm, although it had a lovely thick consistency without being too gooey, and it moisturised perfectly well. The gloss is blue coloured coupled with bits of blue glitter, which DOES actually look quite obvious, so make sure it doesn't clash with the rest of your makeup before you go out in it. I wouldn't buy this again, although I do think I'll enjoy using it until it runs out.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Colossal
Sue_raisin 12/8/2008 8:34:00 AM
I've always liked cheap DS mascara's; I begrudge paying upwards of £20 for something that I know I have to replace after 3 months. I didn't realise that this was "Volum' Express" - I thought it was a brand new formulation. I assume it's based on Volum Express - I hoped it was the one with the curved brush that got DC'd in the UK, because it was fab (see the reviews). When they DC'd it I tried all the remaining V. Express formulations - the straight brush, the Turbo Boost, the WP etc but not one replaced the curved brush model as my HG. They were all rubbish. And I DO give them a chance, I'll use each one for 2 weeks before it gets renegated to the "back-up" or "if-I-lose-my-job-and-can't-afford-to-buy-make-up-at-least-i-can-use-it-as-a-last-resort" drawer. So then I went to Bourjous Clubbing (that's a whole other review) and then I saw this. Firstly, the smell doesn't bother me - I didn't even notice the smell until I read these reviews (I really should think about quitting smoking, maybe then I'd have smelt it straight away). The brush is fantastic, just the right amount of "bushiness" to it and a good size, not too small, not too big to get into the corners of the eye. The formulation is perfect too, it's not so dry that it clumps easily, and it's not thin and watery either. The brush effectively applies to every lash and every time I've used it so far (I bought it 3 days ago) I've not had ANY clumping at all. It lengthens and thickens with every coat - you can really build it up without it going clumpy, unlike Bourjous' Clubbing. I've not had any smudges even though I've had a heavy night, and it stayed put with no flakes during a 2hr bedroom olympics session lol. so far so good. I'll see how easy it is to remove tonight and will update, All in all, 4/5, and a good price, I think it was about £6.99 in the UK. Update: Well it removes easily enough, and I slept in it last night (I know, I know, I'm bad) and there were VERY few flakies, just a bit smudged underneath - but it's not designed for wearing overnight. I reckon this will be HG now.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Bourjois - Volume Clubbing
Sue_raisin 10/8/2008 10:34:00 AM
I'm a bit on the fence with this mascara. It's a bitch to remove though - I inevitably end up losing a few lashes with this mascara. Does tend to clump as the formula is very thick and volumising, and if you're not really careful it can make your lashes curl in a funny direction. The colour is great though - really, really black. It stays on for ages (even in the shower!) and you need to be take care when removing. Some reviewers have said there's a knack to using the brush but I use it the way it works for me. It thickens, lengthens and holds a curl quite well if you use lash curlers beforehand. I'm still on the lookout for my HG ever since they stopped selling Volum' Express (curved brush) in the UK, so until I find a replacement, I suppose this will do.
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Lipstick -Bobbi Brown - Nude
Sue_raisin 10/7/2008 11:22:00 AM
I do like this colour - fair enough it's too intensely coloured to be classed as a 'nude' colour, however on Oriental me it looks really nice, looks FANTASTIC with smokey eyes. It's creamy, but like alot of other reviewers, does tend to dry your lips out. However I love this colour - similar to 151 Dior lipgloss, and would buy again. Just make sure you wear a good moisturising lipbalm under it (with no menthol).
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Blush -BeneFit Cosmetics - Benetint
Sue_raisin 10/7/2008 11:16:00 AM
I bought this years ago but couldn't get used to using it, so I put it away. Then oen day I tried it out again, and haven't put it away since. It's watery - but that's why it works, why it dries so quickly. If it were thicker, it'd be more like a cream blush. The smell doesn't bother me, and it last aaaaaaaaaaaaaages, I've knocked it over twice and there's still plenty more in the bottle. It gives a lovely natural flush of colour that's not garish or glittery. Perfect for the English Rose look, or to team with smomkey eyes and nude lips. Gorgeous.
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Highlighters -BeneFit Cosmetics - Kitten
Sue_raisin 9/19/2008 8:46:00 AM
I like the ida of this pouffy-thing thats already got the sparkly powder pressed within it...I kind of pat it onto my legs and arms to give that something extra. However, it runs out VERY QUICKLY. I wouldn't but this again, there are far cheaper alternatives out there - and seeing as it's just a bit of glitter, it's not really worth the price. Once the glitter's gone there's no need to keep it - you'll never get rid of the glitter completely so it's not like you can use it for anything else. Pleasant enough though, definitely won't be wasting any of my money on another one though.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No