Makeup Brushes -MAC - 138 Tapered Face Brush
bebemonte 11/24/2010 12:11:00 AM
I've been very happy every time I bought MUA Top Picks products and this is no exception. This brush is gorgeous, luxurious and soft. I use it for contouring and even the darkerst scariest contour colors go on sheer and perfect with this brush. I also use it sweep away fallout from under the eyes. Love it!
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Mascara -L'Oreal - Voluminous mascara 
bebemonte 11/23/2010 1:28:00 PM
I've loved this mascara for years and only strayed recently and got Lancome Hypnose to see what all the fuss is about. Well, Hypnose is better, darker and makes my lashes longer, but the L'oreal version is not much worse (they are owned by the same company) I love the volume and length I get but my only problem with BOTH of these is the transfer issue. I guess it's a good problem to have but my lashes are pretty long and naturally curl up so they touch my upper and lower lids with mascara on and the color does transfer to my skin which I hate. I guess this could be avoided with water proof version of each but I don't like waterproof. So, good but not perfect.
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Crème -Cover Girl - AquaSmooth SPF15 Make-up
bebemonte 11/22/2010 11:37:00 PM
WOW I'm usually a makeup snob and bought this on a whim after returning my Merle Norman Smart Finish creme makeup (acnegenic) at Target and was more then pleasantly surprised by the luxurious feel of this foundation. The packaging is ugly but the makeup itself is gorgeous on the skin and feels so moist when you apply it, yet dried nearly matte. This is full coverage with a sponge and I bet even nicer with a good flat top or stippling brush. Lovely!
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Crème -Merle Norman - Smart Finish
bebemonte 11/20/2010 8:37:00 PM
Wow, this foundation is so deliciously creamy and beautiful but unfortunately I just read the ingredients and one of the top ones is Isopropyl Isostearate which is a fatty acid that is EXTREMELY acnegenic. I just used this foundation once and I hope my acne-prone skin won't break out after the 3-4 hours that I had this on. Bummer, because I loved the finish of this -- so I would totally recommend to those who are not acne prone.
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Lipstick -Yves Saint Laurent - Rouge Pur spf8 #124 Rosy Beige/Rose Ingenu
bebemonte 11/17/2010 6:18:00 PM
I get all my YSL Rouge Purs on Ebay for around $10 - $11 and this is my third. LOVE LOVE LOVE this color. Much better texture then Rouge Voluptes in that it does not destroy my lips. The packaging is beautiful, although not as showy and luxurious as the Rouge Volupte but for $10 it's AWESOME!
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Powder -New York Color - Smooth & Natural Matte Powder Foundation - Metro Tan
bebemonte 11/17/2010 6:13:00 PM
I bought this in Target because I've been obsessed with powder foundation lately (also got Merle Norman -- awesome!! and Prestige Multi Task wet/dry) and let me tell you, this is quite comparable to the Prestige one. I dig it! It's not full coverage but at least a medium and does work well combatting shine. The lightest color is a nice match for my NC25 skin.
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Pressed Powders -L'Oreal - Infallible Never Fail Powder
bebemonte 11/16/2010 10:49:00 PM
This was my first powder foundation and since I didn't have anything to compare it to I liked it. BUT today I went out and bought the Merle Norman powder foundation, and WOW -- what a difference! The finish is matte in MN, whereas with the L'oreal powder I get shiny almost immediately, even if I use MAC Blot to set it. Will not repurchase.
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Powder -Merle Norman - Luxiva Ultra Powder Foundation
bebemonte 11/16/2010 10:37:00 PM
LOVE this product! Yummy, retro goodness! I am so glad I found out about this brand on MUA. The only drawback is that I thought this was going to cost me under $25 when I first went to my local Merle Norman salon, but alas it is $34 here in Cali. The chick there said all the boutiques are independently owned and set their own prices....which sucks because I didn't expect to spend so much especially since I just ordered Prestige powder foundation online as well. BUT all that said, IT IS WORTH EVERY PENNY! I like the smell that everyone is complaining about, it reminds me of bubble gum, and the finish is A M A Z I N G! I love how matte this keeps my super oily skin and how it erases my large pores! The compact itself is pretty huge and not the classiest thing I've ever seen. I can't imaging busting it out at a nice restaurant or a club for a touch up without some grandma-makeup references from my friends. Ultra Neutral is a perfect match to my yellow-toned NC25 skin and there were plenty of yellow warm colors to choose from (I was afraid the choices may be too pink and old-ladyish) Love it, love it, love it! Now I want to try more M.N. products! P.S. the sales girl at the Tustin branch was not too pushy or annoying as as I was afraid after reading the reviews on here
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Pressed Powders -MAC - Blot Powder - Medium/Dark
bebemonte 11/16/2010 6:49:00 PM
I am very shiny and oily and this is THE BEST powder ever for minimizing the shine! I've tried a lot of powders, including pure silica powder (which is good too but I wish it came in pressed form) The color is perfect for my NC25 complexion even though it sounds like it would be too dark. Holy Grail all the way!
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Eye Shadow -NARS - Bellissima Duo
bebemonte 11/16/2010 6:17:00 PM
I LOVE the cool brown part of this duo and HATE the glittery sheer light part. Wound up repressing the darker color into my MAC palette and threw the lite one in the trash where it belongs...
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Eyeliner -Sonia Kashuk - Dramatically Defining Long Wear Gel Liner
bebemonte 11/16/2010 5:00:00 PM
This is a pretty darn good gel liner. Not as opaque as Bobbi Brown which is the only one I can compare it to, but what do you expect for $8? Just go over the line twice instead of once to achieve a bolder look and you're good to go. I got it in the brown color and feel no need to spend more.
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Makeup Brushes -Unlisted Brand - Loew-Cornell Maxine's Mop 3/8 inch brush
bebemonte 11/13/2010 12:43:00 AM
I have a couple of these and a couple of MAC 239s and this is not as soft at all.... good but not an exact dupe to me
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Eye Shadow -NYX - Eyeshadow *ES18 Sahara
bebemonte 11/11/2010 11:07:00 PM
I own a ton of MAC, Bobbi Brown, Too Faced, Laura Mercier and Urban Decay shadows and this cheapie Nyx shadow in Sahara is still THE BEST most opaque neutral silky shimmery beige I've found. Softer and more pigmented then any MAC shadow and comparable to UD. Love it for all over the lid! Edit: I used to have it in the pot version and now got it in a trio and I don't think it's the same... the one that's part of the trio does not seem as pigmented and creamy
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Skincare - Face -Unlisted Brand - Tazorac
bebemonte 11/8/2010 10:39:00 PM
I got this prescribed for acne years ago but didn't use it till about a week ago after reading the reviews on this site. Holy crap -- this is AMAZING FOR DARK SPOTS! I have (correction had) one pretty dark sun damage spot on my cheek that nothing could get rid of until I started putting this stuff on it about 5-6 days ago twice a day as a spot treatment (use less for the entire face because it will make you peel) Today the spot is at least 50% faded -- that is incredible!!! It will probably be completely gone in another week!! LOVE LOVE LOVE I am also using this on my millia under the eyes and that will take longer as I don't see much difference yet but I have faith seeing how well it worked on that stupid spot!
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Lipstick -MAC - Cut a Caper
bebemonte 11/8/2010 10:09:00 PM
I missed out on Ever Hip so this was the closest I could come to a wearable peachy lipstick. The formula is moisturizing and quite opaque for a lustre.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No