Concealers -NYX - Full Coverage Concealer Jar
dawl_1015 2/27/2011 6:50:00 PM
I'm surprised by the bad reviews! I bought this with a bunch of other Nyx stuff that was on sale... I've heard it being compared to Mac's concealer pot, so I figured I'd try it out and see if it was worth all the hype. First of all, I like that it's very creamy and glides on easily... I use a small concealer brush and dab it on under my eyes. It spreads easily and has a nice finish, and can appear slightly dewy if I apply it over top of my eye cream. I don't have dark circles, so for me, this product has perfect coverage and doesn't settle into any lines etc around my eyes (although to be honest I don't really have any lines for it to settle into). I love the packaging, it's easy to dip a brush into, and it's cute and easy to throw in your bag and take with you. The smell (for me) is unnoticeable and I didn't even know it was scented until I read the reviews on here, and purposely went and sniffed it! It has a light floral smell (kind of like old lady makeup?) but it's very very faint and I never noticed until I held it up to my nose and sniffed it. I apply it in the morning usually with some kind of lotion or cream underneath as a base, and it stays on me all day and sometimes even overnight. (I have dry skin though, so my makeup generally tends to stay on twice as long as most people's). Coverage wise, it's not as pigmented as Mac, and as far as texture goes, it's not as creamy either. If you have very dark circles or areas you need to cover over, this is probably too sheer for you. But if you're like me, don't have much to hide, and you just like a little concealer under your eyes for that flawless effect, you may like this. Since I need such minimal coverage, I actually find the Mac too thick and opaque for my liking... this is kind of the perfect level of coverage, creaminess and sheerness for me. For $5 it's not bad at all, I'd say that personally, it was money well spent.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -NYX - Red Bean Pie
dawl_1015 2/27/2011 6:25:00 PM
A+ for the pigmentation! I have to say, I was very surprised with this. I ordered this along with a bunch of other Nyx products, mainly because they were on sale, and I was bored. I figured I needed a new purple shadow, and since it was already discounted, why not? This may just be my new HG crease color. Red Bean Pie is a reddish (burgandy?) purple, it's really unique and pretty. The shadow itself is very smooth and silky (surprising quality for Nyx) and feels more finely milled than other Nyx shadows that I own. I usually stick with department store brands, brands from Sephora, or Mac, but I have to say, Red Bean Pie is my favorite out of all the more expensive shadows that I have in similar colors! I have green eyes and this shade just really emphasizes them and makes them pop. It's very pigmented, and shows up beautifully, it's very metallic/frosty in appearance and looks/feels much more expensive than it actually is. As far as quality, I would definately say that this beats out many Mac shadows that I own. In the pan, it looks identical to Mac's 100 Strokes shadow.. but I find the texture/pigmentation/color of Red Bean Pie much nicer once it's applied. Every now and then, a really cheap product that you're not expecting anything from manages to surprise you- this is that product!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -NYX - Nude on Nude Natural Look Kit (9 eyeshadow + 2 lip)
dawl_1015 2/27/2011 4:41:00 PM
Surprisingly, I actually like this. I bought this as a dupe for my Too Faced Natural Eye kit, and for traveling. My Too Faced kit is larger, bulkier, and since it was fairly expensive, I don't like traveling with it or even taking it out of the house (in case the shadows break or something while jostling around in my bag). So when I saw this online for $11, I googled some swatches, decided it was extremely similar, and decided to purchase it as a backup. The obvious difference is the quality, the Too Faced shadows are much silkier and more pigmented. You can tell from swatching them that the Too Faced shadows are much finer milled, and higher quality. However, for a cheap knockoff, the Nyx quality actually isn't that bad. The Nyx shadows are silky, glide on smoothly, and are easy to foil for a more dramatic effect. Since this is the cheaper alternative, I use this as my daily eyeshadow kit and for traveling, and I save my Too Faced shadows for special occasions now. The colors are almost identical between the two kits, and that's the primary reason that I purchased this... I have a hard time finding colors that suit me and don't look "muddy" on my eyes, and I'm pleased to announce that the Nyx colors appear the same in person as the Too Faced shades. You can't tell which kit I've used while the product is on my face, and I like that. It saves me having to replace the more expensive kit, as I can just use this one up and it's very cheap/affordable to replace on a more regular basis. Compared to Too Faced, the shimmery highlight shadows in this are a bit darker and more peachy/pink toned, as opposed to the TF ones which appear more silvery once applied. Alot of people actually prefer the Nyx highlight shades though, as they don't contain noticeable glitter like one of the TF highlights does. The gold color in this is also a bit different, it's not as smooth and metallic looking as the gold in the TF kit. When I swatch that shade in the higher end kit, it literally looks like I dipped my finger in gold, very smooth and extremely shiny/metallic... However the Nyx gold is obviously not as finely milled, and doesn't look as metallic or dramatic. This is good or bad, depending on what look you're going for... I prefer dramatic, so I usually just foil the Nyx gold and it comes out almost identical to the other shade. It takes a few extra steps, but for the price and the end result, I really can't complain. I like this kit alot and would recommend it as a cheaper alternative to the Too Faced kit. TF is obviously the superior quality, but the shadows are about 99% identical in terms of color. As far as packaging, the Nyx kit is smaller, plastic, and snaps shut, which I like as I find it much more compact and travel friendly than TF. It also contains a mirror and 2 lipglosses in a slide out compartment, which TF does not (but probably should for the price). As far as the glosses, they're ok and nothing to rave about... they're pretty much exactly what you'd expect them to be in a cheaper kit like this. However they do come in useful for quick touchups when you don't have a lipgloss on hand, and having a mirror built right in is quite handy for this as well. The shades are nice, fairly flattering, and although alot of people have complained that they're a bit waxy, that's only so they don't melt/run out of their pans. All in all, this is a decent quality kit considering how cheap it is, and may be perfect for those who are looking for an affordable dupe for Too Faced Natural Eye. If you care about quality, splurge and go with the TF kit, you may be disappointed by Nyx... but if you're not as picky quality-wise and are just looking for a cheap alternative, definately try this out. I'll most likely be repurchasing this when I run out, and will continue to use this as my every day shadow.
10 out of 10 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Unlisted Brand - spa resource
dawl_1015 1/7/2011 4:40:00 PM
I purchased the SpaResource body butters in the mango and coconut scents. My favorite is mango; it smells amazing, very fresh and fruity and reminds me of The Body Shop mango body butter. I picked these up at Walmart for about $5 each (as opposed to TBS at $20 each) and expected them to be cheap and full of synthetic ingredients and mineral oil... but I was wrong! The first ingredient is water, followed by shea butter, and then cocoa butter, and they contain alot of other natural oils (ingredients vary depending on what scent you picked). I compared the labels to my TBS butters, and they contain many of the same things, they're extremely similar. Score! and at a fraction of the price! :) My only complaint is I find the coconut scent to be very synthetic, whereas the TBS coconut butter smells more natural/beachy. I'm very picky about my scents, so I probably won't repurchase the coconut SpaResource butter... but I'll 100% repurchase the mango one. I just love it. As far as both of them go, the textures are awesome (very creamy... definately a butter-like consistancy) and they both work well to moisturize and hydrate dry skin. I don't like that they're made in China because I avoid buying products from there, but the ingredients are high quality compared to most body products coming out of China, and they're packaged as cruelty-free (not tested on animals, if that's a concern for anyone!). So I like both of those aspects. The sweet tangerine scent is 99% identical to The Body Shop's famous "Satsuma", so I definately plan to purchase that one next :) I still feel TBS butters are a bit superior/better quality, but for only $5, these are an amazing dupe, and work practically just as well. I'll still splurge on certain TBS butters (like the coconut one), but as far as the others go, I'm completely content with the SpaResource butters and will definately continue to buy.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -MAC - Sheertone Shimmer - Peachtwist
dawl_1015 11/27/2010 8:36:00 PM
I just got this last week, along with 'Honour', and I love this. This is definately a new staple product for me. It's absolutely gorgeous and looks amazing on tanned skinned, and I find the color extremely versatile. It's a very flattering shimmering bronzey/peach tone (to be honest it looks more of a copper color to me), and looks good with a variety of makeup styles and outfit colors. Sometimes blush can 'clash' with a look, but this is very natural and flattering no matter how I do my makeup or what I wear. The pigmentation is good and the blush itself is very fine and almost silky feeling. I love the shimmery finish (I believe this blush is categorized as a frost?) and it offers a nice punch of sheer color and shimmer that alot of other blushes just don't have. In the past I've found alot of Mac blushes to show up rather chalky on me, but this blends in beautifully. Although it's very shimmery, it's still quite natural and it compliments my tanned skin perfectly. I would especially recommend this to anyone who's tanned or has a darker complexion, it's really nice. I may have found a new favorite as far as blushes are concerned!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -MAC - Honour
dawl_1015 11/27/2010 8:28:00 PM
FAVORITE. HIGHLIGHTER. EVER. Like EVER! I swatched this on my hand when I was at a Mac counter with my friend, not intending to buy anything. I have a few other Mac blushes, but until now I haven't really been a fan. This blush is a gorgeous pale gold with flecks of shimmer, and it shows up beautifully on my tanned skin (Mac F&B N5, for reference). I like to use a more sparkly/bold highlight on my cheeks for nights out, and this does a great job. It's also nice to swipe over your blush if you're wearing a boring or matte shade, and want to amp it up a little bit. On me, Honour shows up as a gold sheen with a bit of subtle sparkle. I don't personally find the glitter offensive, or even barely noticeable at all... but perhaps that's because I'm not wearing it all over my face. I think a bit of sparkle is really pretty on your cheeks when used in moderation... application and knowing how to apply products is everything in relation to the final result you'll get. I've gotten so many compliments on this, and I only got it last week. This is definately a new staple of mine.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Sally Hansen - Lip Inflation
dawl_1015 11/14/2010 5:39:00 PM
This is a decent "plumping" gloss... it doesn't physically make them bigger (I don't think any lipgloss can, to be honest) but it makes them appear kind of bee-stung if that makes sense. I have pretty plump lips to start with, and when I use this gloss they look noticeably juicier. I usually swipe on some lipstick (Covergirl in Soft Blush) and then layer this over top, and I get soo many compliments! This product has an extremely glossy finish to it, so it enhances alot of lipstick shades really nicely. It's also very pretty on it's own, it makes my naturally pale lips appear a healthy/darker pink which is very flattering cause it's such a natural color. I also like the minty/tingly/cool feeling it has on my lips. (The gloss I have is the clear one)
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Sephora - Lip Attitude - Glamour
dawl_1015 10/23/2010 4:38:00 PM
I purchased this in G19, "Innocent Beige"... LOVVEEE! This lipstick is very moisturizing, I find it to be simultaneously glossy and creamy, almost like a Mac Creamsheen. It literally glides onto my lips. The color itself is a peachy nude in the tube, but on my lips it just looks like a creamy nude... very flattering on me! It's perfect for a natural nude lip, and it has just the right of creaminess for a lipstick. I like that it's not matte or drying like most other lipsticks I've used in the past, and has a gloss to it (which I love in nude colors especially, because more matte looking nudes just make my lips appear corpse-like). It's definately an "alive" looking nude lip. :) I also really love the scent, it's very subtle and slightly sweet smelling... not at all the usual 'lipstick' smell you would expect. I will 100% repurchase this product, this is definately my new HG lipstick.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -L'Oreal - Lineur Intense liquid liner - brush tip
dawl_1015 10/23/2010 4:29:00 PM
Assuming you know how to apply liquid liner, this product is great! It lasts a long time and stays on for (literally) 48 hours straight if you need it to... or at least it does on me! This is the first liquid liner that didn't flake, ball up, peel off, run, or bleed onto other areas on my eye... It stays on, stays super black, and doesn't budge. I have no idea what the regular price is because I purchased this on sale, but I will definately repurchase this when I run out. I also like that it's 7ml (0.23oz) as opposed to alot of other liquid liners, that are only 1.5ml and are extremely overpriced. I feel like I got a good deal for my money, and that it will last for a while. My only (minor) complaint is that the applicator stick is very long, and that can make it a little difficult to work with... I've been using liquid liner daily for years and consider myself pro, but for someone new to the product, that could be an issue. The brush itself though is great and I find it applies a perfect amount of product, in a perfect straight line... I rarely have to touch it up with a q-tip. Not as great as my (discontinued) NYC liquid liner, but it's a good replacement.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -The Body Shop - Aloe Body Butter
dawl_1015 10/23/2010 4:21:00 PM
This is a great product, but I like it way less than the coconut and mango body butters. I find the smell of this to be a little strange, unscented, but still a little bit weird... like baby powder and celery or something; I can't quite put my finger on it. So that bothers me, because I prefer fruity smelling butters... but I won't complain because I knew this would be 'unscented' when I bought it. The texture is nice, but it feels more like a cream than a butter... probably because of the lack of oil in it. This does a great job at softening the skin, but for my skin I need more heavy duty butters because I get super dry really easily. This is however, nice to put on immediately after a shower, and great for the summer/warmer months when it's hot out and you don't want to cover yourself in anything thick, scented, or greasy. It's nice and light and was perfect for the warm weather... but now that it's fall I need to switch back to my "Very Dry Skin" butters. This is also very soothing, I find it's awesome if you apply it after shaving or on any areas you get irritation... it soothes it and keeps rashy/irritated areas from getting too itchy. So I love it for that... I'm just not fond of the smell at all!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -The Body Shop - Coconut Body Butter
dawl_1015 10/23/2010 4:11:00 PM
I purchase this in the fall/winter along with the Mango butter. I have very dry skin in the cooler months and I love The Body Shop butters (for dry skin) to keep me moisturized and smooth. I love the scent of this product, it smells like coconut but also slightly tropical... it reminds me of the scent of the Hawaiian Tropic tanning oils. Loveee it. I always get a thousand compliments on how I "smell delicious", sometimes from complete strangers, so that's always nice! The texture is a bit thicker than the other butters, but works amazingly well.... it keeps all the scaley/dry bits at bay and makes my entire body super soft. I feel hydrated after using it. I especially love this before I go outside, because it almost acts as a barrier between the cold and my skin. I use this all over, including on my face... just don't do that if you're acne prone or something, might not be a good idea... But for me, it's an amazing winter night cream and locks all the moisture into my face. I always stock up when these go on sale for 3 for $30... I will definately repurchase! :)
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Too Faced - Natural Eye Kit
dawl_1015 10/22/2010 7:54:00 PM
I was never an eyeshadow girl, until this kit! Don't get me wrong, I own alot of MAC and department store/drugstore shadows, but I never found anything that actually complimented my green eyes and platinum hair. I would apply shadow, and it just made my eyes look muddy and even with good technique and good brushes, it just never worked for me.. Either the pigmentation wasn't good and you couldn't even see the shadow, or it was too dark, and made me look hookerish. So I stopped wearing it. This year I started to miss getting all dolled up. I actually bought a bunch of new makeup in general just to get back into the swing of it, but I didn't bother with eyeshadow. I sometimes verrryyy lightly wear a light dusting of Physicians Formula shimmer strips on my lids, but that's it. The 'smokey' and 'glamor' makeup looks just never worked for me. Anyways, I went out with a girlfriend the other night and before we left, she offered to touch up my makeup for me. Her eye makeup is always flawless, so I said sure. She dabbed a bunch of stuff on my eyes quickly with her fingertip, and literally 2 seconds later I had THE most gorgeous makeup! I asked what the heck she used, and apparently, it was this kit. Before we went out that night, we went to the mall, and I immediately purchased my own! I love it. I don't use the cards, I find I can come up with nicer color combinations on my own that are much more flattering for my eyes. I get complimented on my eyes and makeup every time I use this kit. The colors are beautiful, and are very rich and very pigmented... I like these shadows better than anything more expensive I've purchased from MAC or other brands. The quality is insane! $44CDN is a bit excessive, but for the quality and payoff I get from using this, I consider it worth it. I also don't wear shadow every single day, so I think it will probably last a really long time. To be honest though, even though this is called 'Natural Eye', I actually don't do a natural look with it... I usually do a more glamorous eye. I can't get over the amazing pigmentation and how easily the shadows glide on... I can use expensive brushes, or just my fingers to apply it if I'm in a hurry, and I still get the same awesome results. I will definately repurchase this kit should I ever need to! These eyeshadows are gorgeous on me; never overdone, underdone, or muddy looking like every other brand/color I've tried in the past. I can use every single color in this kit, and I find them all equally flattering. I like that there's both matte and shimmer options, and I love the endless options I have for mixing/matching shades. These shadows also stay on me for days (literally for a full 48 hours, my eyemakeup stayed on and looked flawless, even after sleeping in it!) without a primer. That's what I call results! :) The only things I'm not fond of is the bulkiness of the kit, I think a thinner cardboard case would have been better and more practical especially if you want to bring your shadows with you or travel with them... Also the applicator they include is kind of pointless in my opinion. But for the awesome results I get, I won't complain about that. I love this and will definately recommend.
11 out of 13 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -New York Color - Liquid Eyeliner
dawl_1015 10/16/2010 4:20:00 PM
I prefer the plain black liner (NOT the one in the photos above).. the one in the photos is newer and has a slight shimmer to it, whereas the regular black (with the silver cap on the bottle) is plain black and not shimmery. The regular black liner: I'm not sure if they still even sell this version, because I haven't found it anywhere recently! But I used this version all through highschool and never ever had it flake or come off. The line was always crisp and black, and it stayed on forever... I even slept in it several times, and it was still on the next morning just as fresh as the day before. Loved it. The one in the pictures above: This one seems to be slightly shimmery, which I don't like because I feel like it makes the line look less black and less crisp. I also find that this version flakes like no other, and was actually flaking off while I was wearing it. And the top of the bottle kept getting cakey around the opening, even though I'm always super careful with it and wiped off the opening often... this never happened with the plain black! So I don't know what to say... perhaps they've changed the formula from a few years ago?
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -MAC - Face and Body Foundation
dawl_1015 10/6/2010 5:00:00 PM
HG foundation! I model and I love MAC products because of how amazing they look in photographs. I tried every foundation out there back when I was in highschool, from the cheap drugstore products to the department store brands, and finally gave up and stopped wearing it all together. They were either too thick, too cakey, too yellow, too orange etc... Or they caused the dreaded white ashy face in photos because of their SPF content... nothing worked for me. Enter MAC! When I found out about MAC Face and Body this year, I immediately scoured the internet and Makeupalley, reading reviews, looking at photos of color swatches, and researching the best ways to apply it. I purchased it in N5 (because I have a dark tan) and anxiously awaited it's arrival in the post. I LOVE IT! Like I don't even have words, it's amazing, and if they ever discontinue this, I may have to hurt somebody. The texture is thin, like water, and feels weird at first because foundations are usually pretty thick. It goes on smoothly and provides a sheer dewy finish, which I love because it looks super natural (just like bare skin) and also looks amazing in photographs. I also love that there's no SPF in it, because I tan and also don't like the ashy effect most SPF products give me. I apply it with a kabuki brush, swirling it all over my face, and the result is absolutely flawless: it looks airbrushed! The product literally melts into my skin and gives the perfect coverage, and the dewy finish makes my skin look fresh and glowy. There's no shimmer or sparkle in this foundation, but somehow it still manages to give a glowing finish. My skin is naturally dry, and I like that this is moisturizing AND adds a dewy sheen to my otherwise chalky/dry face. I can't get over how natural this looks, you could literally stand in direct sunlight and no one would be able to tell you had anything on at all. It just melts right in and pretends to be skin. I would 110% recommend this product... but only if your skin is already good and you don't have much to cover. Otherwise, you still might need to use a better coverage foundation on certain areas before applying this. It's so sheer that it's been compared to tinted moisturizer, so bare that in mind if you have any skin issues. For me though, this is perfect and I have finally found a product worthy of HG title! This does not break me out, I just make sure to remove it all at night with a good OIL BASED makeup remover (oil dissolves oil!), and it comes right off. Otherwise, it stays on for hours and looks great the entire time... I can apply this at 10am and by 10 at night, it's still there, fresh as when I put it on. Some people like to set it with a powder, but I personally don't just because I like the dewy look it gives me, and I don't really feel it needs to be set. So far I've had no problem with it transferring (rubbing off etc) or wearing off, so no powder for me... that's a personal choice though. All in all, MAC's really outdone themselves this time... this product is amazing and I wish I'd known about it years ago, I feel like I've missed out on years of use! Highly recommend. :) EDIT: Just wanted to add, after a few weeks of continued use, I find I waste less product if I apply it with my fingers and THEN buff it gently with a kabuki brush... it goes on even smoother, like I'm talking perfect flawless finish, and I don't lose any product on the brush!
11 out of 12 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Neutrogena - Healthy Skin Rejuvenator - The Anti-Aging Treatment
dawl_1015 10/2/2010 8:20:00 PM
After trying out my mom's, I decided to purchase this. I love it! I had been contemplating the Clarisonic, but for the $100+ price tag and mixed reviews, forget it. This is gentle, but still does the job, and I can always always change the speed if I want a little extra scrubbing action. I have super nasty dry skin in the cooler months that begins to flake and look very ashy as soon as summer ends... and I'm relying on this little beauty to exfoliate all that nastyness away. So far so good. The pads although somewhat pricey, last me a while because I re-use each one several times with my own exfoliating cleanser, then wash it out thoroughly before storing. When the pads run out of cleanser and start to lose their roughness, I add my own cleanser with the little exfoliating beads in it and that does the job. I should probably just change the pads more often, but I'm really freaking cheap, what can I say? With continued use, my skin has been glowy and fresh looking.. no longer dull and matte from the build up of dead/dry skin. (And yes I wash my face all the time, my skin is just drier than most people's and doesn't do well in cool climates!) Putting on my moisturizer after using this is a dream, it soaks right in and doesn't just sit on top. My mom's been using hers weekly for over 3 years now, and at 46 she has great glowy skin and no wrinkles. Not sure if that's just good genetics or what, but she definately loves this thing. Now I do too. For the $30 pricetag, it's a great product and I actually like it better than the Clarisonic (which I ended up trying out at a friend's house). I will stick with this! :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No