Eye Shadow -Lumiere - Eye Shimmer eyeshadow in Emerald
chattykathy 7/1/2008 6:20:00 PM
I am really loving Lumiere's eyeshadows. They come in a large 2 gram pot and retail for only $6. I got mine on sale for $4. It is just stunning. Finally an emerald color that has no teal in it. All the emeralds I have been trying seem to have a blue flash to them.This is a rich deep emerald, sort of a shimmering jewel like forest green. It makes a wonderful liner and looks even more intense wet. These shadows last all day on with a primer underneath. I have not tried without a primer but with they are wonderful.The color is very pigmented, the consistency is very smooth and with the amount I have it will last forever!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyes -Lumiere - Peppermint Patti Eye Glitz
chattykathy 7/1/2008 6:02:00 PM
What a gorgeous color this is!! It is a medium neutral brown that flashes opalescent green/blue. The "sparkles" are not glitter, this is just really really beautiful and I paid $4 on sale for a gigantic pot of this. I use it to line and I use it wet to do this. It lasts all day long without smudging or wearing off. It's not at all overly dramatic or too flashy, it really adds some interest to my eyes. I am so happy I took the chance with this brand. The customer service was excellent, the prices are ridiculously cheap and the quality is top notch.
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Fragrances -Estee Lauder - Sensuous
chattykathy 7/1/2008 5:25:00 PM
Wow! This was a complete suprise to me. I was pretty skeptical about this one since I am not a big Lauder fragrance fan. I had gotton so used to ignoring the relases put out by this line because every single recent one seemed to be a Pleasures variation or something else that was a fruity floral. I do not like fruity florals at all. Way back when, Lauder used to make some great ones that were interesting even if I didn't like them for myself (Youth Dew, Private Collection etc). When I heard the description of this I thought it sounded too good to be true. I am so glad I was wrong. It is quite lovely and will be a very nice cool weather scent. The description from the EL website days: "Warm. Luminous. Feminine. A modern new definition of sensuality. Confident and elegant. A rich core of molten woods and amber, surrounded by atmospheric florals, warmed by a hint of pepper and a touch of honey"......I don't get molten woods at all, it's just not that "WOW" to me as the word molten would indicate.. At first I get a sweet vanillic honey and it was suprisingly mild considering the description. After a few minutes I begin to detect the pepper and wood and it is quite nice. This is not at all heavy and the initial sweetness does dissipate somewhat as the wood becomes stronger. It is very sweet for a while so if that puts you off wait a bit and it does die down. The pepper is pretty prominent on me too, it's dusty and gives this a kick the longer it dries down. Thankfully the florals are so minor they do not ruin it or get in the way of the wood, vanilla, honey, amber and pepper. Those are the main things I pick up on when the dry down is complete. It's pretty mellow and I would enjoy smelling this on others. I probably will not buy this myself because I have many other perfumes that smell similar to this but if it was a gift I would definitely keep it and it would be the only recent Lauder perfume I wouldn't have the urge to re-gift. It is definitely decant worthy for me. I wish the wood was a little less harsh and smoother but the fact that this is so different from most things out there right now warrants a 5 on the basis of that alone. I really hope that this is a sign of more interesting mainstream perfumes on the horizon which are affordable and easily available.
9 out of 10 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Lumiere - Lumi Lips - all
chattykathy 6/30/2008 8:21:00 PM
I absolutely love this lipgloss!! No taste or scent, great glossy consistency and not at all tacky. It leaves a nice finished look to my lips. I got 3 colors, English rose, Tahitian Coral and Hibiscus. They were all very true to the descriptions on the website. English rose is a muted natural pink that adds a slight tint to my lips and goes with just about anything. As an NW15 redhead this is definitely a MLBB gloss. Tahitian coral is beautiful, it is an irridescent coral pink. It really brightens my face. Hibiscus is a very pretty pigmented raspberry color. Every one I tried was a winner for me. None that I tried were frosty (something I hate) and all were pigmented enough to show up on my pale lips. Lasting power is excellent and when these wear off they wear off evenly not leaving chunks behind. They moisturize my lips very nicely. I also like having the option to order in either a squeeze tube or a tube with a wand for application. I got mine on sale for $6 and that was a steal!
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Fragrances -Caron - Montaigne Parfum
chattykathy 6/30/2008 4:51:00 AM
I am speaking of the original formulation here, not the recent reformulation. This is a beautiful womanly perfume and I just love it. It makes me feel so grown up and mysterious. It's citrusy (bitter orange) with a hint of floral (jasmine) and some sandalwood and vanilla to round it out. It's definitely a "big" perfume in the style of the 80's when it was created but it's not suffocating or cloying at all. It has a lush, smokiness that makes it unique and even hauntingly beautiful. This would definitely be a signature scent as it is in a class of it's own. It is not an everyday scent for me but I do reach for it when I want to feel extra special and sophisticated, especailly on cold winter evenings. It's a confidence booster for sure. The tiniest amount lasts forever and the EDT concentration is nearly identical to the pure parfum. What a wonderful perfume. I am very sad that the original scent has been discontinued. The newer formulation is not heresy but it's not the same.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Define A Lash
chattykathy 6/30/2008 4:31:00 AM
I really did not like this mascara at all. My lashes are pretty long and full naturally and this did nothing to improve them. It clumped and looked brittle and crunchy on. It also flaked and gave me hardly any additional length or volume. As far as mascara's with this rubber brush I am still going to have to go with the original Max Factor lash perfection as my favorite.
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Brows -Maybelline - Expert Eyes Twin Brow & Eye Pencils in Charcoal Grey [DISCONTINUED]
chattykathy 6/30/2008 4:23:00 AM
Damn you maybelline! I cannot believe this had been discontinued. It's perfect! It is a hard pencil and it really does just fill things in to give my brows a natural finished look. The colors is just right. Not black or brown, a middle of the road taupey ash brown. Nothing else even comes close at the drugstore. I found this after not wanting to shell out $23 everytime I used up my favorite Kevyn Aucoin brow pencil. I am off to ebay to stock up. :(
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Lip Gloss -Bare Escentuals - Lip Guard SFP 15 Bare Beach
chattykathy 6/30/2008 4:15:00 AM
I absolutely love this product to death. I was really searching for something with sunscreen and came across this. There is nothing I don't like about it. The scent in wonderful, it is lemony and refreshing. It comes in a squeeze tube which is hygenic and means that I don't need a mirror to reapply. The level of shine is just right. It lasts pretty well on my lips and as it wears off it does so evenly. No unsightly chunks left behind at all. It feels wonderful on my lips too, really soft, smooth and cushiony.This color is perfect for me. I'm an NW15 redhead and this has enough pigment to be noticeable but not fight with any other colors I'm using. It has been my go to color for almost two months now. I don't even have to think when I grab for it. It's a soft MLBB pinky nude color. Not pink or nude enough to be either, somewhere in the middle. I love this and the other colors I have as well. Excellent product with the benefit of SPF!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Fresh - Cannabis Rose
chattykathy 6/30/2008 3:38:00 AM
Can I give this a zero?? I'm going to try. I have never had a fragrance make my eyes water before but this one certainly accomplished that feat. I am hoping this is some sort of joke and someone at Fresh lost a bet which caused this stinkbomb to go to market. It is just disgusting. I can usually find something good in any scent even if I dislike it, but this was just so nauseating and filthy smelling I am feeling ill just trying to recall it for this review. The patchouli was there like a sledgehammer ramming me over the head repeatedly. Imagine Angel without her charm and being unwashed for a month (and this is from a person who detests Angel but this perfume made me long for it.) And the rose?? Well, maybe it had withered up and died from the noxious fumes of whatever else is in this dreadful conconction. The image that comes to mind for me is being in a health food store circa 1972 with barrels full of dusty dried herbs and a creepy,pale,extremely thin, unhealthy looking middled aged man trying to talk me into stirring up some homeopathic remedies at home. It is herbal in a dusty, unpleasant way. This is an unbalanced mess and I truly hate it. As far as lasting power, I practically needed an exorcist to get rid of this stuff. It took two showers, alcohol wipes and unscented deoderant and I could STILL detect it lingering like an unwanted party guest at 3 am. I would never in a million years want to be around someone who smelled like this nor would I want to smell like this. I would rather smell B.O or some other god awful scent. If you know me in real life or we are ever planning to meet do not wear this monstrosity under any circumstances or I will have no choice but to make up a a story to get away from you as quickly as possbile. YUCK. EDIT: This deserves a ZERO rating from me, I would give it a negative 5 if I could but the system requires I give it at least a one. Oh well, it would be a great repellant (animals, bugs, people, all things living). Maybe it has earned one lippie after all.
4 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Lumiere - Eye Shimmer in Taupe
chattykathy 6/29/2008 8:40:00 PM
Wow! as far as mineral e/s goes this is heads and shoulders above Bare Escentuals and all the ohters I've tried Alima included ! It goes on much easier, it lasts WAY longer and it is 1/2 the price! (actually I paid $4 for this on sale and that is 1/3 of the price). This is the most beautiful color. It's a medium shimmery greyish brown. It's so flattering. I am an NW15 redhead. I can't imagine anyone this wouldn't look good on though. I always wear a primer and this lasted all day with my primer. It's so silky, finely milled and pigmented. a little goes a very long way. It looks very soft and flattering on my skin too, no crepiness at all. This pot is going to last me forever. HG taupe!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Flirt - Glamourazzi
chattykathy 6/29/2008 8:26:00 PM
This is totally not my style of fragrance but I was really suprised to like it. I'll admit I am a dept store snob sometimes but it has nothing to do with price or brand or exclusivity. Many mass marketed scents dry down to have a commonality that I really do not like. A muskiness or a fake,chemical tinge. This was a pleasant suprise as it doesn't smell like fruit punch or aquatic or particularly floral. The notes are exotic flowers, ginger and vanilla. I wish there was more ginger, I can barely detect it, there is just a slight hint of something in there that resembles ginger. The flowers are not in your face air freshener type of flowers either, they just give this a nice feminine touch but there is a slight sharpness to them that makes this a scent that I would not be able to wear personally. The vanilla rounds everything out and isn't foody at all but it's definitely there and it doesn't smell cheap or overwhelming. As far as the rice flower and shea comparison this did smell like that in the very beginning but then it turned into something else. This scent would layer quite well with that scent though and probably bring out more of the softness that I like in my favorite fragrances. While I probably wouldn't wear this on myself I definitely would not mind smelling this one on others. It's the nicest dept store scent I have smelled in a long time.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Ava Luxe - Sweet Absinthe
chattykathy 6/29/2008 7:55:00 PM
Here is the blurb for this from the Ava Luxe website:........" A soft absinthe fragrance made very wearable with the addition of sweet vanilla flower and soft musk."........ Playful and feminine. Notes: Absinthe Licorice Anise Vanilla Flower Sweet Musk Lemon Balm I really like this one. It's very different and interesting. It kind of reminds me of halloween at first, there is something earthy and herbal about it but it's very soft and gentle. It's not at all sharp or astringent like I would imagine an absinthe scent to be but I guess that's why it is called "sweet" absinthe. The vanilla really turns it into a caressing skinscent type of fragrance. Yes there is anise and licorice in here and it's quite noticeable, but it's so soft and gentle with the vanilla blended in that I really like it. I normally wouldn't like something with licorice in it but this one is balanced and very nice. The musk is the only kind of musk I can tolerate. It's that sweet, soft type of musk with no animalic quality to it at all. That is that kind of musk that ruins a scent for me and this one doesn't have that dirty quality thankfully. This scent smells better as the hours pass. I have worn it to bed and when I wake up I usually smell it and think wow, what on earth did I wear last night?? It got better overnight! LOL! Lasting power is really wonderful for me. If you put this in a fancy bottle and said it was from Italy people would probably be paying $180 a bottle for it. It's definitely worth at least a sample as it's so different from a lot of what's out there right now.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -L'Oreal - skin genesis daily treatment eye serum
chattykathy 6/29/2008 7:34:00 PM
This was so drying on me I feel like I am talking about a different product than everyone else here. It just coated my skin but didn't penetrate it at all. I have minor darkness under my eyes so that is not a huge issue for me but it didn't do anything for that either. I am 43 and dry skinned with some fine lines. I'm very disappointed in this, I thought this would be the one drugstore eye product that I could call mine. Definite no for me but try it out for yourself since this really seems to vary person to person.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Awake - Stardom Pure Blush - Papaya Whip
chattykathy 6/29/2008 3:18:00 PM
What a gorgeous color! It is exactly what I was looking for. I have so many pink based blushes and being a pale (NW15) redhead I have recently started wearing warmer colors. Normally, warmer colors look terrible on me but my hair color makes a blush like this really come alive. This is not super warm, it's on the borderline which is why I can get away with it. It looks really scarey in the pan but on the skin it gives the most incredible arpicot/coral glow ever. There is no brown in this at all which saves it for me. You only need the tiniest amount of it. The texture is so silky and there is just the right amount of shimmer in this. You can't even detect it on my cheeks but it keeps it from looking dull. This is like nothing else I own which is saying a lot since I have an obscene amount of blush. I love this and have finally found the perfect shade of blush in the peachy/ apricot/ coral category. This really makes me want more Awake blushes of there are others this good out there!
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Loose Powders -Make Up For Ever - HD High Definition Loose Powder
chattykathy 6/29/2008 3:06:00 PM
After hearing all the raves here and being a huge fan of this brand I was dying to try this. What a strange powder, it's hard to describe. In a nutshell I would have to say that ,for me, this has the same effect on my skin as a silicone primer (such as smashbox's or clarins etc). It makes my pores completely disappear, blurs fine lines and makes my face as smooth as marble. It really mattifies and seals all other makeup in underneath it so this should be the final step in your routine if you use it because once it is on it doesn't take kindly to anything on top of it. I even tried dusting some MUFE compact shine on powder over it to give my face a more glowy look and it just sat on top looking strangely dull. As a dry skinned person, my use for this is limited and it would not be something I would use regularly. I used it recently on a very hot, humid steamy day, the kind of day that makes my makeup just melt off despite being a normally dry skinned person. This powder held everything in place amazingly. There was no moisture or oiliness around my nose or chin and my makeup was completely intact even after being caught in the rain briefly. I do prefer a dewier look so I imagine that I would only wear this in extreme heat and humidity or use it as a spot treatment type of product (like dusting a tiny bit around my nose or chin where my pores are uneven and larger). You only need a very very small amount of this. If you use too much you can see it, it looks filmy and there is a white cast to it. If you use a very small amount it does what it is supposed to do: erases pores and blurs fine lines. I can't recall ever calling a makeup product interesting before but this definitely fits the bill!
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