Makeup Brushes -Sephora - Professional Mineral Powder Brush #45
carita 7/1/2010 3:08:00 AM
If I had to pick only one face brush to use forever, I’d pick this one. I’ve had it for a week and I love it. Before buying this, I really wanted to get MAC 187, but now I’m not interested in it. Although the name says it is a mineral powder brush, it is very verstile and you can use it for a loose powder, pressed powder, cream powder, liquid foundation, blush… The brush is very dense and soft. I use mine as a stippling brush ad it gives an incredible even, flawless finish. The brush is small, which is very practical since it can easily apply the makeup on the sides of the nose, but unpractical when it comes to loose powder (especially if I want apply just a light sweep of setting powder). I have washed it several times and it hasn’t shed yet, but it takes some time to dry. In my Sephora it is very cheap so I’m planning to get at least another one.
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Sunscreen -Ducray - Melascreen Creme Solaire SPF 50+
carita 7/1/2010 3:07:00 AM
I wanted to get a good sunscreen, since before I’ve been using only moisturizers with low SPF so I got this since it was the cheapest sunscreen in the pharmacy. I know how difficult is to find a good sunscreen and when I first tried it, I thought that I’ve got a HG. Unfortunately, after a month of using this, I have to say that I don’t like it. The sunscreen has SPF50 and PPD is 1/3 of the SPF so this means PPD is around 16. The tube contains 40ml. The product comes in a tube with a pump. I like that the packaging is very hygienic. The instructions say to use 5 or 6 pumps for the whole face. Although I’m aware that it decreases the degree of protection, I’m using only 2 pumps. When I first put it on my face, it feels lightweight and it’s very easy to spread. A minute after, it becomes sticky and uncomfortable. It doesn’t have a white cast, but my face feels greasy for the whole day. Even when I put a foundation and a loose powder over it, my face is still shiny. Not to mention that it breaks me out. I definitely wouldn’t repurchase it.
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Lipstick -BeneFit Cosmetics - Full-Finish Lipstick in No Competition
carita 6/30/2010 3:37:00 PM
Benefit has suprisingly good lipsticks, their quality is comparable to Chanel and Guerlain. The lipstick is very creamy and suprisingly pigmented. It’s just a tiny bit darker than my original lip colour and it gives the effect of my-lips-but-better. Since it is very pigmented, a light sweep over the lips will provide enough colour. It is very longwearing – probably the most longlasting lipstick I’ve ever had. The shade could be described as burgundy, it’s very natural and very neutral. It reminds me a bit on Avon’s lipstick in the shade Chic, which was my first lipstick. The lipstick has no taste or smell. The only thing I dislike about this lipstick is that it is very matte and such finish doesn’t suit me very well, so I usually pair it with a transparent lipgloss.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -Sisley - Express FLower Gel
carita 6/30/2010 3:29:00 PM
This is a must-have. If there is any Sisley product that I would recommend to everyone, this is it. I got several 15ml GWP tubes (the full size packaging contains 60ml) and several 4ml sample sachets. This is supposed to be a moisturizing mask – you are to apply a thick layer of mask on your face, wait for a few minutes so that it sinks in and the wipe of the excess. I have oily, but very dehydrated skin and I usually apply it before sleeping and sleep the whole night with the mask on. The mask is a gel-like texture (very similar to the texture of eye-contour mask) and it spreads easily. At first it is a bit sticky, but until the morning the mask has sunk in. The reason why I’m so thrilled with this mask is that it has excellent regenerating, hydrating and calming properties. I’m using this only on nights when I know that I will get less than 5 hours of sleep. If I’m having a mask during the night, I look as if I had a whole night sleep and not barely 3 or 4 hours. I’m using it only once or twice per week, so I cannot comment whether it would lose effectiveness with daily use. The mask is rose scented. Although their effectivness was the same, I must note that the sachet sample of this mask had slightly different scent than the GWP tube (I got both from a reputable store, so I know that it’s not a fake). The sample sachet had very strong, old-fashioned rose scent which bothered me (I usually don’t have problems with strong fragrance)and sometimes it still lingered in the morning.The GWP tube, on the other hand, had a very subtle rose scent. I’ll definitely repurchase it.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -Lancome - Primordiale Eye Skin Recharge
carita 6/30/2010 3:19:00 PM
I got 5ml tube of the cream as a part of Lancome GWP. Full size contains 15ml and comes in a jar packaging. This is just a basic, average moisturizer. It has very light texture and sinks in almost immediately. Its moisturizing properties are so-so. I need to use a really large amount and yet, in the morning, the skin around eyes seems a bit dry. The good thing is that it is not scented and it didn’t irritate my eyes. I wouldn’t repurchase because for that price I expect more hydratation and better packaging.
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Lip Gloss -Guerlain - Kiss Kiss Gloss - Ambre Precieuse (LE Holiday 2009)
carita 6/30/2010 3:14:00 PM
This gloss is a part of Guerlain’s holiday 2009 collection. I wanted to purchase some dark shade of lipgloss and I haven’t really planned to buy this shade. I have set my eyes on Rubis Rose , which, swatched on the skin, seemed as the prefect dupe of Chanel Aqualumiere Ironic Tonic. Unfortunately, the shade Rubis Rose looked horrible on me, so the SA talked me into trying Ambre Precieuse. Ambre Precieuse is a warm, brown chocolate shade with golden shimmer. It is not too dark, but it manages to darken and warm up the real shade of my lips (which are very pigmented). When I reviewed my first Guerlain gloss (in Rose Sunset), I said that I didn’t like the scent, but now I’m used to it. This gloss is also much thicker and stickier than Chanel Aqualumiere (which are my favourite), but this also means that it is more longlasting. The applicator is a brush. The product contains 6 ml of the gloss. I would repurchase it.
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Blush -Guerlain - Blush 4 Éclats - 10 Tendre Aurore
carita 6/30/2010 3:08:00 PM
I adore Guerlain make-up but I haven’t paid much attention to the new Guerlain’s blushes, because the shade-range seemed limited. I’ve been looking for a very light nautral-looking blush to use when I’m wearing a lot of dark make-up on eyes. My usual blush – Diorshow in Framboise is too pink (even if I just apply on highlighting shade), and the bronzer is too obvious so the shade Tendre Aurore caught my attention. The blush consists of four shades: light beige pink, very light beige, medium beige and medium bronze. Light beige pink and medium shades are twice as large as the other two. Acording to Guerlain you can get various effects, depending whether you pull the brush from the left side to the right or the opposite, but this shade of blush is too light to see the any real difference All shades contain shimmer, but it is not over the top – it just gives radiance and looks really natural. Since the shades are light, the blush does not leave much colour. I am NC20, and on me this is the mixture of highlighter and blush - it leaves just a slight, very natural pinkish-beige colour. I think that this shade could function as a blush only on those lighter than me. Those a few shades darker could use it as a highlighter since I don’t think that it is pigmented enough to show on them. Those with skin darker than NC/NW40 could pass this shade, because it looks very unnatural (one of my friends tried it). The blush has Guerlain signature scent (violets), which disappears upon the application. The product comes in a golden box with mirror, black velvet bag and brush included. I know that most of the people avoid using the brushes they get with the product, but Guerlain gives really good brushes with their products. Now, the blush appears expensive, but it is not considering the amount you get - it contains 9 grams of the product. I would repurchase this blush.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Nivea - Nivea Creme
carita 3/24/2010 3:43:00 PM
This saved my skin this winter. I’ve never thought about putting Nivea crème on my skin before. I have oily skin and I always thought that it would be heavy, greasy and break me out. However, this winter has been unusually harsh and cold weather in combination with central heating really dried out my skin so much that Chanel Hydramax+ serum didn’t help anymore. My skin looked horrible – at the same time oily and extremely flakey and so in a moment of desperation I decided to try a small amount of Nivea crème. I have to mention that I use the German version of this crème and the moment I put it on, my skin appeared incredibly soft, with much less flakines. Since the next day I didn’t notice any breakouts, I’ve decided to continue using it. I’ve been using it for a month and my skin never seemed better. The cream is not light but neither is very heavy. If you apply it the right way, it isn’t greasy at all. The best way to apply it is to take whatever amount you think necessary and warm it up between your palms for several seconds and then gently and slowly tap it all over your face. You must tap it until most of the cream “sinks in” and then it won’t feel greasy at all. I do not recommend rubing it straight onto the skin, because it won’t spread properly and you’ll just tug skin while trying to spread the cream. So far I haven’t notice any breakouts and the dehydration has completely disappeared. It also works great as a body moisturizer, but even then I recommend to warm up a necessary amount of cream between your palms before putting it on your skin. For hygienic reasons I'm not particulary fond of the tin packaging, although it looks vintage, but there is also the tube version of the creme. Now that I’ve finally found it, I won’t stop using it. I think German version is worth trying.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Guerlain - Blush Éclat Cherry Blossom
carita 3/24/2010 3:22:00 PM
So far this is the worst Guerlain product I’ve tried. At first, it looked gorgeous with the shimmery overspray in various shades of pink and orange. Unfortunately, once the overspray is removed (after several sweeps of brush), you’re left with the product of horrible quality (for a HE product). Most of the blush is light pink, while the upper right and lower left corners were in the shade of coral orange. This wouldn’t be so bad, but the shade you get is mostly pale pink and it is such an awful chalky colour. The texture of the blush is not what I consider a typicall blush texture. For me, a blush should offer a decent pigmentation, without covering up the skin – the blush should melt with the skin and look natural, but this doesn’t melts with the skin, it just sits obviously on the skin. This blush, texture-wise, reminds me more on the eyeshadow texture and wearing this blush I’ve felt as if I put some cheap chalky eyeshadow on my cheeks. I don’t know who did they made this blush for – it looks chalky on any skin colour. I gave it to my friends to try it – I am NC 20, and my friends are NC45, NW30 and NC15 and it looke very artificial on everyone. The only good thing about it is the brush included. I know that usually the brushes the brands provide with their maek-up products are worthless, but I think that Guerlain’s brushes are worth keeping. The brush is really soft and applies the blush perfectly. The only reason you should buy this is if you are collecting it, because unused it really looks as a work of art.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Lancome - Le Khôl Gloss 01 Pop Petrol
carita 3/24/2010 3:19:00 PM
I adore the petrol colour and I've been waiting for this collection ever since the preview pictures came out. The Khol gloss leaves wonderful, glossy line in the perfect petrol shade. It looks very dark in the khol, but when applied on the skin, it's just perfect. The texture of the pencil is very soft and it has great pigmentation – I only need to lightly touch the skin when applying. Staying power is good but at the same time it is not (I'll explain it later) Now, onto the bad things. It smudges. As I've mentioned, the khol, when applied looks glossy and wet. After a couple of hours, the khol has smudged and that wet, glossy look has disappeared. The good thing is that there is still a lot of pigment left on the eyes, but the khol then looks just line an ordinary eyepencil. I'm not sure if I would repurchase. The shade and the glossy effect look wonderful, but unfortunately this effect doesn't last.
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Eye Shadow -Artdeco - Eyeshadow - General Review
carita 3/6/2010 2:53:00 PM
The four lippies are the grade of the eyeshadows in general. Further in the review, I’ll grade each shade separately (the grade will reflect their blendability, pigmentation and simply how I like the colour). These were the first “good” eyeshadows that I bought. I’ve heard a lot about their quality and the array of shades is great (I think there are over 50 shades), but I usually stick to neutrals. These eyeshadows are in fact refills. Each eyeshadow comes in its own pan, with transparent cover with the shade number written on it. On the bottom of the pan is a magnet which is used to sticking (attaching) the eyeshadow into a box. You don’t need to buy a palette; basically you could put the eyeshadows into any metal box. The boxes (or palettes, as I like to call them) can be bought separately. There are palettes for two eyeshadows, three eyeshadows, four eyeshadows and eight eyeshadows. The palettes are usually black, with Art Deco signature sign, but you can find palettes with decorative top cover (usually 3 pans palette) which are released with every collection and are LE. I must also mention that the camouflage and blush pans are the size of 2 eyeshadow pans. Every palette has the separate part for the brush (spoonge tip applicator), but the applicators must be bought separately. The eyeshadows have wonderful, silky texture. Lighter shades are not as pigmented as dark shades. Most of the eyeshadows have pearly finish with some shimmer, although there are some matte and some glittery eyeshadows (I don’t recommend these, because you would end up with glitter all over your face, and their texture is not nearly as nice). Most of the eyeshadows I own blends well. They have pretty good staying power, especially if used with Art Deco eyeshadow base. The price of these eyeshadows is in a medium range – here they cost around $6-7 for a pan. I own these shades: 218, 299, 98, 208, 05, 92, 284 and 93. 218 – a medium to dark taupe brown. It has good color payoff. (4/5) 299 – a peachy pink colour, with a considerably good colour payoff, considering the fact that this is a very light shade. (5/5) 98 – a light greyish-purple shade. it is not very pigmented, but still has a decent colour payoff. Blends easily. (5/5) 208 – a medium to dark bronzey brown. It is my favourite colour, has good pigmentation (it is a bit darker than it seems on the swatch picture). Blends easily. (5/5) 05 – a light grey, medium pigmentation. Blends easily. It looks especialy good with the shade 93 (4/5) 92 – very dark purple (in the pan), which on the skin turns out as a very dark brown with purple sheen. Very pigmented, but very difficult to blend and it can simply look dirty and muddy if it is applied with a light hand (other shades look good when applied lightly). (3/5) 284 – light lavender. I don’t know what was I thinking when purchasing these shade as it completely clashes with my skin tone. The pigmentation is pretty strong. (3/5) 93 – very light pink; it is barely visible on the skin. (2/5) When I repurchase anothes shade, I will update the review. All in all, I find these eyeshadows are pretty good and worth the money.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Sisley - Phyto Lip Star lipgloss
carita 2/17/2010 5:37:00 AM
This lipgloss is what I hoped the Chanel Glossimers from the Lumieres Celestes collection (collection of incredibly glittery lipglosses) would be. This gloss is less sticky than Glossimers. I have the shade Rose Quartz which is a medium dark pink with a lot of very tiny glitter particles . The lipgloss offers a decent pigmentation. The staying power is ok; definitely better than with the aqualumiere glosses. It is not drying and the glitter doesn’t feel gritty. The applicator is a brush, which I prefer. The gloss has a smell, but it is very light and doesn’t bother me. It is very expensive ($55 for 7ml) and I can list that as it’s only bad side.
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Palettes -Urban Decay - Book of Shadows Vol. II [DISCONTINUED]
carita 2/17/2010 5:22:00 AM
For a very long time I couldn’t made up my mind whether to purchase it or not, but right now I think it’s the best make-up purchase I’ve made so far. This palette is absolutely amazing and it really got me interersted into Urban Decay makeup. The staying power is great, especially with the primer. The texture of the eyeshadows is just as I like it - very soft, almost creamy. They are even better than Sisley eyeshadows, and they are much cheaper. BOS2 contains 16 eyeshadows (seven of which are exclusive to this palette) – each is 0.03oz/0.8g; two 24/7 eye-pencils in Bourbon (bronze brown) and Zero (black) – each is 0.03oz/0.8g and mini Eyeshadow Primer Potion (0.13fl.oz/3.7ml). The exclusive shades are AC/DC, Nylon, Mushroom, Sphynx, Jinx, Homegrown and Misdemeanor. I really like the shades they’ve decided to put in: first three rows are practically all neutral nuances, while the last row offers slightly edgy shades. THE SHADES (the swatches of the eyeshadows can be seen in my profile pictures. The eyeshadows are applied very lightly, so the colours are not as vibrant as they are when applied over the primer): Perversion – matte black. I’m not really a fan of matte eyeshadows and the pigmentation is comparable to one of my very cheap d/s eyeshadow which is a bit disappointing. 2/5 Gunmetal – shimmery gray with slight glitter. I really like this shade, it is a warmer gray and it really sutis me. 5/5 Ectasy – shimmery medium dark lilac. 4/5 AC/DC – this is true lavender (purplish gray) and one of my favourites in this palette 5/5 Nylon – medium dark beige with glitter 5/5 Sellout – shimmery champagne beige. Good for highlighting. 5/5 Mushroom – shimmery taupe. Another of my favourites 5/5 Sphynx – pink with glitter. This is the most pigmented light pink I’ve ever seen. Whan I got the palette, I thought it was shimmery, but when I removed top layer of the shadow, I realized that it is packed with glitter (in various colours – blue, green, gold…), although not as much as MCRA. 5/5 Half Baked – shimmery gold. 5/5 Twice Baked – dark brown with glitter,but the glitter is barely obvious Midnight Cowboy Rides Again – light beige full of glitter. Well, it’s actually gold and silver glitter. There is glitter fallout, but I still like how it looks when I apply only small amouunt. 4/5 YDK – shade is a bit lighter than nylon and more shimmery 5/5 Jinx – shimmery turquoise.Such shade is not something I would usually wear, but it’s good to have it in my stash to use it when I get bored with neutrals.5/5 Flipside – shimmery blueish green. It is too cold to work with my complexion.4/5 Homegrown – real green with shimmer. 5/5 Misdemeanor – dirty black with green sheen. This is one of the shadows which disappointed me most. When I saw it on the on-line swatches, I thought it would be my favourite, but in fact it’s nothing special and it’s very difficult to work with this colour. 2/5 Eyepencils are also wonderful. They are extemely soft, very longwearing and do not smudge(keep in mind that I haven’t tried them on the waterline, because I don’t wear eyeliner there). The pigmentation is wonderful – I just need to touch the skin with the pencil and it leaves a well-pigmented line. Zero is black and Bourbon is bronzey brown with very tiny goldish glitter. The pencils are my new HG. Eyeshadow Primer Potion is another hit, and now I find it wonderful, but I want to test it during summer to give my final grade. There is also a small booklet which can be found after opening the top cover whith mirror (which is nothing special). There are some very good looks, but I wish it included some step-by-step instructions. They claim there that the instructions can be seen on their web-page, so I checked it, but there were instructions for only one of the looks. The packaging is cute, but very unpractical. The shadows are in a carboard pull-out drawer which doesn’t slide smoothly. In spite of this, BOS2 is a great value and favourite part of my stash.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Sephora - Mineral Double Compact Foundation SPF 10
carita 2/17/2010 5:18:00 AM
Ever since I’ve noticed that my Diorskin Fluide is almost finished and since it is unfortunately discontinued, I began a quest for a new foundation. My skin is oily and, while I do not have heavy acne and I am not breakout prone, I can count on one acne per week. My pores are also very expanded. In spite of this I am not a fan of full and medium coverage foundations. What I require from the foundation is minimal coverage – the foundation simply needs to even-out my skin tone, cover slight discolourations and minimize the appearance of the pores. My MAC shade would be NC-20. I got this in D25, which is a bit too dark, but it is the lightest shade I can get here. I liked the idea of this being talc free powder and I hoped it would be a great alternative to much pricier Diorskin Nude Loose Mineral Powder. The powder comes in a round compact. Underneath the powder pan is a dual-side sponge and a mirror (not very practical since you have to flip the foundation pan up and down). Two differently coloured sides of the sponge serve to give various degree of coverage – the white side is for light coverage and the black side is for heavy coverage. I find that both sides apply the foundation too heavy for my liking. Instead, I apply it with a powder brush. The foundation minimizes the appearance of pores up to some degree, but it doesn’t mask them completely. It seems more drying than Dior Nude Loose Mineral Powder. It also emphasizes dry patches, and if applied heavily, it can look cakey. It did not break me out and it didn’t oxidize. There is 10g (0.35oz) of the product. It has SPF 10. Ingredients: Mica, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Zinc Stearate , Silica , Phenoxyethanol , Sodium Dehydroacetate , (+/-) : Ci 77491 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77492 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77499 (Iron Oxides).
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Foundations -Sephora - Mineral Double Compact SPF 10
carita 2/17/2010 5:18:00 AM
Ever since I’ve noticed that my Diorskin Fluide is almost finished and since it is unfortunately discontinued, I began a quest for a new foundation. My skin is oily and, while I do not have heavy acne and I am not breakout prone, I can count on one acne per week. My pores are also very expanded. In spite of this I am not a fan of full and medium coverage foundations. What I require from the foundation is minimal coverage – the foundation simply needs to even-out my skin tone, cover slight discolourations and minimize the appearance of the pores. My MAC shade would be NC-20. I got this in D25, which is a bit too dark, but it is the lightest shade I can get here. I liked the idea of this being talc free powder and I hoped it would be a great alternative to much pricier Diorskin Nude Loose Mineral Powder. The powder comes in a round compact. Underneath the powder pan is a dual-side sponge and a mirror (not very practical since you have to flip the foundation pan up and down). Two differently coloured sides of the sponge serve to give various degree of coverage – the white side is for light coverage and the black side is for heavy coverage. I find that both sides apply the foundation too heavy for my liking. Instead, I apply it with a powder brush. The foundation minimizes the appearance of pores up to some degree, but it doesn’t mask them completely. It seems more drying than Dior Nude Loose Mineral Powder. It also emphasizes dry patches, and if applied heavily, it can look cakey. It did not break me out and it didn’t oxidize. There is 10g (0.35oz) of the product. It has SPF 10. Ingredients: Mica, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Zinc Stearate , Silica , Phenoxyethanol , Sodium Dehydroacetate , (+/-) : Ci 77491 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77492 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77499 (Iron Oxides).
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No