Blush -E.L.F. - Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder
classicgirl05 5/2/2011 12:26:00 PM
I love this duo. I don't have the Nars Orgasm/Laguna duo, so I cannot speak to them being similar, but they work well for me. The colors are pigmented, to the point where one needs to be careful how much they pick up, especially with the bronzer. Both colors look very natural on my light skin. In terms of longevity, I think they are good. Sometimes I put these over a cream blush base and that seems to make them last a bit longer, but even without it, they do well on me, around 6-8 hours depending on what I'm doing and how much I'm sweating. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I take no issue with the shimmer, I don't know if it's that I have a light hand or what, but I don't see much in that sense in any light. ( if you simply must have a matte contour/bronzer I encourage you to look into E.L.F.'s bronzers in cool and warm, they're totally matte and you have some different shades in the palette to choose from.) The packaging is really nice, and I appreciate that they haven't littered it with a pointless brush. The one thing that may bother some folks is that the consistency tends towards the powdery side. My own feelings are, 'whatever'. I have had no trouble with this breaking me out, and I have pretty sensitive skin. Another thing that I do with this set, when I'm in a hurry or feeling lazy, is use the bronzer as a lid color, blended up slightly past the crease and a bit below the lower lash line. It makes me look more 'done', it's easy, natural looking, and the color makes my green eyes pop.
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Crème -Laura Mercier - Crème Smooth Foundation
classicgirl05 12/27/2010 9:57:00 PM
Love this. I have combo skin with dry patches in winter and this foundation is one of the few that doesn't accent them. I don't use a primer, so it goes straight on after my moisturizer (L'occitane Shea) and has a moderate amount of coverage. I use a sponge or my fingers. I have found it goes on too heavy and doesn't blend well when applied with a brush. I set with a light dusting of powder. Wear is excellent on me, lasting through the day with no trouble. I don't really have fine lines yet, so I cannot speak to it settling into them, but it does a wonderful job of evening out my skin and covering the redness around my nose. If you have major circles or blemishes you will need a concealer (I use Dermablend for my circles) I had no trouble with it settling into my pores, which are on the larger side on my nose. The texture is thick, but it's easy enough to blend. Color is an excellent match for me, I use Blush Ivory and would describe myself as an NC15-20. I can't smell any sort of perfume in it, but my nose isn't reliable right now, so it may have a scent that I cannot detect. The finish is lovely, and manages to make me look luminous with no apparent sparkly bits. I bought mine on offer for $24 and I will continue to look for deals, as I will not spend $50 on a foundation.
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Primer/ Corrector -E.L.F. - Mineral Infused Face Primer
classicgirl05 9/8/2010 8:33:00 AM
This is, in my opinion, comparable to Smashbox. It gives me a smooth and velvety surface on which to apply foundation and minimizes the settling of foundation into pores and fine lines. I don't know that it prolongs the wear of my makeup, but my makeup is typically good for at least 8-12 hours. I like the consistency and it seems to 'seal' in my moisturizer. It is colorless and odorless and I haven't had any breakouts or rashes. While it's true the amount of product is small it's cheap enough that I don't much mind and a little goes a long way, so I feel like it's still a good deal. The packaging looks nice and I appreciate having a pump to dispense the product, however, it's very hard to control the amount that comes out in one pump of product. One pump is too much, and if I use too much of the product I end up with the little nubbly eraser shaving sorta things on my face. The other issue with the packaging is that the top cover never stays on. Overall a good, inexpensive primer and I will purchase again.
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Liquid -Rimmel - LASTING Finish foundation
classicgirl05 9/7/2010 5:07:00 PM
This review is for the 25 hour version. I bought this in August on a whim when the drugstore didn't have my shade of Colorstay. (either Buff or Sand Beige in summer) I bought Ivory, which I think is the lightest shade they offer and it blends in reasonably well with my own skin color. It's a bit more yellow than I like, but once I've set it with powder no one can tell. I have a hunch that when winter rolls around and I'm NC15 it will be too dark for me, but with a slight tan (which is all I can muster) it works well. The consistency isn't as runny as Colorstay, and it takes a little longer to dry (which is a plus in my opinion). I found that it had a tendency to be a little blotchy-cakey if I did not use a primer, but with primer it goes on like a dream. I use a regular cosmetic sponge so that I can stipple where I need more coverage, and blend out where I don't. The foundation is medium coverage and covers my minor redness around the nose and evens out my skin tone. One can also get a lighter coverage by using a damp cosmetic sponge as opposed to dry and it works nicely. The finish is satin to matte and stays that way (on me) for approximately 15 hours and the color stays true. I can't speak to it lasting 25 hours, as I never have makeup on for that long. The packaging is cheap, not very pretty, but is practical so I can't complain (much). I got it on offer so the price was great (under $5). I have sensitive skin and I have not noticed any breakouts or irritation. The *one* thing I think could be improved is the number of shades they offer, which, at least at my local store, is very limited. UPDATE Broke me out, gave to sister in law. Boo.
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Blush -Cover Girl - Cheekers Blush in Golden Pink
classicgirl05 9/7/2010 8:32:00 AM
I wear NC20 foundation in the summer and NC15 in winter, though I am as close as a person can be to a true neutral. I have violet based (dyed) medium auburn hair and green eyes. This blush *does* work well for me as a contour. I think the two things that make it work for fair cool people is how pink your complexion is and how it is applied. If you are quite pink this isn't your best bet. If that's you and you're keen on a contour/bronzer I'd suggest checking out the e.l.f. studio bronzer in 'cool'. My main reason for picking this blush was the lack of overt shimmer/sparkle and it delivers well in that regard. This is not the easiest blush to work with, and I was annoyed with how streaky it was in the beginning, but then I tried using my (generic) skunk brush and my e.l.f. studio blush brush. I had good luck with both, but I found the e.l.f. brush to be the best. My contour brush is far too dense for this blush, it picks up too much color and distributes it in horrifying streaks. I also found that if my foundation was in the least bit 'dewy' or tacky the blush wouldn't blend well. The packaging is awful (reminds me of the old wet n wild) and the brush that is included is scratchy and useless. Frankly I'd rather they skipped the brush and just gave me more product. The scent reminds me of being a teenager when Cover Girl was my makeup of choice (as I couldn't afford anything else). Not my favorite, but it dies down after a while.
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