Lipstick -Shiseido - Perfect Rouge Lipstick
bren81 8/28/2009 2:07:00 AM
I received a sample size of this in my recent gift with purchase promotion (it's still on at sears I think. it comes in a cute little red pouch with a generous sample of the skincare lotion, toner and cleanser). I'm usually more of a lip gloss type of gal, but this might inspire me to try more lipsticks! this goes on really smooth and does not accentuate my chapped dry patches on my lips. the color is true on, even though my lips are fairly pigmented to begin with. it lasts a decent time until i started drinking coffee (it lasted about 2 hours which i think is decent). it has very creamy and silky texture and did not have any bad smell or taste. i really do love this lipstick and i'm planning to stop by shisedo store to try on other colours and get a full size!
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Liquid -Clinique - Superfit Foundation [DISCONTINUED]
bren81 8/22/2009 3:08:00 AM
i have this in creamwhip which is actually "almost" a perfect match to my skin tone. it applies smoothly (whether you use your finger tips, make up sponge or brush), blends well, medium coverage and does not feel heavy on my face. but it does nothing to control oil (after about 2-3 hours of wear, i can feel the oil seeping through). and it changes color by the end of the day. it's not as expensive as my other foundations. i was hoping to find a cheaper alternative to my beloved la mer and cle de peau foundations but this one disappointed me...
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Eye Shadow -Cle de Peau - cle de peau eye shadws
bren81 8/22/2009 3:01:00 AM
the product i have is ombres couleurs quadri #13 (eye color quad). this palette consists of four beautiful colors: The base color is sheer golden color that looks very luxurious on the eyelids and makes the perfect base for day/night make up. the point color is a very unique orange/coppery color with beautiful shimmer. it truly is a very hard to find color. i have never tried orange on my eyes before but this doesn't look overdone or cheap. the shading color is grey/brown/mossy color (similar to lancome's erika but more grey) with again gold tone shimmer. the liner shade is deep rich charcoal brown. all four colors glides on smoothly but lasts all day. even without eye makeup primer it does not budge all day until i take them off at night. no other shadows were able to do that (except dior and shu uemura). the color delivery is excellent (what you see in the palette is what you get on your eyelids). although it is murderously expensive, you do get four beautiful colors in on palette with lasting power. i would love to try other colors from this collection. now that i have a set of shadows that is very versatile, i would like to try something different. any recommendations are welcome!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -Shu Uemura - H9 Hard Brow Pencil - Seal Brown
bren81 8/22/2009 2:53:00 AM
i am blessed/cursed (depending on your preference and the trend at the moment) with rather full set of eye brows. now that i had less and less time in the morning to apply make up these days due to busy schedule, i've learned to appreciate the fullness. I usually don't really have to do anything except occasional trimming and if i have time, i'll brush it with clear mascara to set it. however, right after getting it trimmed, i have to shape it with a pencil to maintain it (to get my money's worth as much as possible) and this pencil is the best. you have to be careful with the application though. light touch will allow you to make less serious mistakes. the formula is hard which i think helps with the lasting power of this. the color is quite natural looking on me. you can't really tell if i'm wearing it at all actually. it just looks like my natural brows but just better. and it lasts a looooong time. also when it gets dull, take it to the shu uemura store and they'll sharpen it for you.
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Concealers -Laura Mercier - Secret Camouflage
bren81 8/22/2009 2:46:00 AM
i used to love this concealer. i was able to blend the two colors to get the closest match to my ever changing skin tone (due to acne, sun spots, etc) to hide imperfections. but it's a bit of a hassel to clean the brush after every use (i'm anal that way but there is really no choice if your face breaks out constantly). I sometimes used my finger tips if i'm feeling extra lazy but i seemed to get better results when applied this product with my bobbi brown concealer brush. This product is expensive but it lasts and lasts and lasts. I used it every day for about 5 months and there were still plenty left! I also found that it was a better fit for hiding blemishes rather than undereye dark circles since it wasn't very moisturizing and hence accentuated the little line i had around my eye area. However, I will not buy this product because i've found a far better products, namely spot concealer from shu uemura and stick concealer from cle de peau. Both of these products gives better, lasting, and more natural coverage.
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Misc Beauty Tools -NARS - SHARPENER
bren81 8/22/2009 2:40:00 AM
i bought this mainly because i had bought a chubby eye liner pencil and my dior sharpener didn't fit. i'm actually quite happy i did! it doesn't break my softest eye pencils and generally works great with other brand's eye pencils/lip liners. there are three sizes in one sharpner and the lid doesn't leak (unlike the first sharpner i got at a drug store). i liked it so much that i bought another one to give to my sister and she's quite happy with it too!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -L'Occitane - Cherry Blossom Hand Cream
bren81 8/22/2009 2:35:00 AM
i bought the giant tube on sale when i was shopping in the states and i'm quite happy with the purchase because: 1. can't find it in canada anymore! 2. has very clean, not-too-strong smell 3. absorbs quickly and does not leave sticky, grease residue 4. moisturizes well and makes my hands soft and plump (until i wash them which is often... i'm already 1/4 way through the tube altho i've only bought this 2 weeks ago....sniff sniff) i wonder if this lotion is discontinued? i hope not because i'd definitely buy again!
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Mascara -Helena Rubinstein - Long Lash waterproof mascara
bren81 8/19/2009 5:19:00 PM
I'm sad we can't get Helena Rubinstein in Canada anymore (well other than online shopping). This used to be my favorite mascara of all times. It lengthens beautifully and does not smudge or clump. It gives long lasting curl but does not flake. It is not heavy on volume but I don't mind. I don't like spidery, thick lashes anyways. The design of the mascara is also interesting. It doesn't come with bristles. When you open it, you will see a thin metal with screw-like design on the tip of the wand. This is what enables you to achieve the perfect long lashes. The outside packaging is also beautiful. It looks like a golden pen! I miss my HR mascara. The one I grabbed from my trip to Europe last year is long gone.... If I can buy this again at Sears or the Bay, I would!
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Mascara -Maybelline - Pulse Perfection™ by Define-A-Lash® Vibrating Mascara ] ] [DISCONTINUED]
bren81 8/19/2009 5:13:00 PM
I just had to try this when I saw it at SDM. My last experience with the Lancome version was a bit of a disappointment but still! I am a mascara junkie and I want to try new things. You never know if you'll find the HG until you give it a try, right? Overall, it is an average mascara, with or without the vibrating wand. The color is very black so I like that and it gives descent volume, length and curl. The formula though is a bit goopy and makes my lashes stick together. Also too much mascara comes out and creates lumps (which can be solved easily with a mascara comb. but why bother with an extra step if my mascara can do that job properly in the first place? I've tried some that actually does that!). This is a problem because this vibrating technology is supposed to separate my lashes. Well it doesn't. For me it wasn't very difficult to maneuver the vibrating wand probably because of my previous experience with Lancome product. It also takes longer to dry and once it does, for some reason I feel like I'm wearing fake lashes made out of soft plastic. Not a comfortable feeling for sure. Overall, for the effect I get using the mascara, I don't think I can justify the extra money I'd have to pay for this so I won't be repurchasing for sure.
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Mascara -L'Oreal - Voluminous mascara
bren81 8/13/2009 1:24:00 PM
I heard good things about this mascara so when I saw the SDM was having BOGO I grabbed it without thinking twice. Well, I don't know if my expectation was too high but I was not too impressed with it. When I first opened the new tube, the formula looked too watery and I was worried it would smudge all over my eyelids. But when I actually applied it, my lash felt dry and stiff and as the day wore on, I noticed that the mascara was flaking and I had little black dots on my cheeks and undereye area. Not good. Also I felt that this mascara gave lumps and uneven coat rather than giving me natural looking volume. Other than that problem, it didn't have any unpleasant smell, it lengthened a decent amount, average curl (I would still need to curl my lashes with my Shiseido lashcurler but it didn't kill the curl that I had just made nor did it add any more curls). It wasn't particularly hard to remove at the end of the day but that may be because so much has already flaked away during the day. For the price, I guess I can't really complain but I wouldn't repurchase. Can't wait to go through the second tube....
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Shampoo -Redken - All Soft Shampoo
bren81 7/5/2009 7:43:00 PM
recently after using shampoo from aveda, my scalp has become extremely sensitive and itchy. i used kerastase for a while to calm it down but it's so darn expensive, i had to find an alternative for everyday shampoo. i have dry hair that's naturally wavy but oily scalp. i bought this shampoo after reading the rave reviews here and my god... thank you everyone. i love this shampoo. it cleanses very well without drying my scalp and keeps my hair light yet soft. some "moisturizing" shampoos weighs my long hair down but this one doesn't do that at all. it's still quite expensive but compared to kerastase it's okay i guess. after going through the first bottle, i plan to buy it again but i am still searching for a more afforable options...
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Pressed Powders -Cle de Peau - Poudre Transparente
bren81 6/20/2009 4:34:00 PM
I am fairly new to Cle de Peau products (only been using maybe two years?) but it's been my HG for a multiple products. I am currently using their primer, cream foundation, loose powder (and the brush set), eye shadow and the eyeliner and all of them are top notch products. I've also used their skin care products which to me felt same quality as Shiseido products but just priced much higher. I decided to buy this pressed powder compact since I love the loose powder very much (I have bought the refills already as I can't be without!). I thought I could use the pressed powder for touch ups during the day. Basically the pressed powder is the same thing as the loose powder, just compressed. It has the same lovely quality of sheer but porcelain finish. It brightens up my face but gives me a very natural look at the same time. My only complaint aside from the price would be the applicator that comes with the product. It is crap. I have thrown that out and replaced it with the portable brush by too faced (very cute pink brush with soft plush bristles. love it!). If you have fair skin and is looking for a natural finish powder that will light up your skin then give this one a try.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Unlisted Brand - Home Made Brush Cleaner / Cleanser
bren81 6/17/2009 3:02:00 PM
Wow! I love this home made brush cleanser recipe. I used half a plastic water bottle of tap water, half of that amount of rubbing alcohol, a few squirts of dishwash detergents (i used cascade), same amount of baby shampoo (used aveeno baby shampoo), same amount of foaming make up cleanser gel from avene (the one in a big white bottle with a pump). i shook it well and let it sit for a while because it foams up. then soaked my dirty brushes in it (i get enough cleanser for three washes so i put the amount i need for a wash in a ceramic cup), rinse in running water and voila! it's clean! it doesn't smell bad, very cheap, cleans well, brushes stay soft. can't go wrong with this. do give it a try girls!
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Aveeno - Nourish+Moisturize
bren81 6/14/2009 8:06:00 PM
I was at Costco last sunday and they had this shampoo so it went straight into my cart (they had two shampoo and one conditioner packaged together for less than 20 bucks). this cleanse very well. my hair and scalp feel very clean. but it still felt very soft and smooth and moisturised! i love it so much and wish i could get it at canada costco!
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Hair -Kiehls - Olive Fruit Oil Repairative Hair Pak
bren81 5/30/2009 5:06:00 PM
I used this hair mask since I couldn't get kerastase hair mask (love!!!). It comes in a big jar but still it's pretty expensive. I think i was able to get maybe, 10-12 masks out of one jar. I have long asian hair that has been treated (had a disasterous perm..... which left my hair all damaged tangled and full of split ends...). This mask is a very rich, deep moisturizing treatment for damaged hair. I usually wash my hair with clarifying shampoo and while it's wet, apply generous amount of this hair mask all over my hair, wrap it all up in a towel, and sit in my bubble bath for half an hour and wash everything off in a shower afterwards. The results are healthy, shiny, soft hair! I don't think i would repurchase because my beloved shopper's drug mart started carrying kerastase!!!! yay sdm!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No