Liquid -Maybelline - Fit Me Foundation
dietgrrl 9/15/2011 2:06:00 PM
Color me impressed! Fit Me is a dewy foundation that is great for dryer skins. What I love about this is that it makes your skin look like SKIN, not makeup. It has light to medium coverage, meaning it can be sheered out but easily built up in layers. It has a pretty impressive range of colors, and seems to blend in and match your skin tone easily, probably because it has such light coverage. The range carries both warm and cool tones, and the online shade finder on the Maybelline website is really helpful for finding the right shade. I was using 315 until I checked the shade finder and learned that 315 was cool and 310 was warm, like my own skin. 315 fit okay, but 310 was perfect! Some users have complained about oxidation. However, what's happening isn't oxidation; it's the dry down. If you google "Fit Me oxidation" you can see the results of a blogger's tests where she found that Fit Me does *not* oxidize - but it may dry down darker and oranger than you'd like. For this reason, make sure you choose a shade that is slightly lighter and perhaps warmer than your actual skin, rather than a shade that is darker. I think this is a great alternative to more expensive foundations which also attempt to mimic a dewy, real-skin finish.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -La Roche Posay - Anthelios XL Creme 60+ (Tinted)
dietgrrl 9/13/2011 5:59:00 PM
I've been using this sunscreen for nearly a year. I have medium-dark skin (somewhere in the NC40 to NC45 range) and many physical sunblocks leave a white cast on my face. This tinted sunscreen is pretty dark - it almost matches my foundation color - so I don't think this would be suitable for very fair people. This is, hands down, one of the most comfortable sunblocks I've ever used. I've never had any issues with breaking out or sweating, and it doesn't sting when applied. Like many sunblocks, the dry down leaves the skin shiny and a little tacky, to the point where it needs something on top, like foundation or powder. My biggest issue with it is that it does change the color of my face and make it darker and cooler. I think I may be applying too much - I'll have to experiment a bit more - but because of that, I'm on the lookout for a different sunscreen.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Revlon - Colorburst Lipstick in Rosy Nude
dietgrrl 9/8/2011 5:21:00 AM
This lipstick is my first semi-successful MLBB find! I was looking for something that would mimic that gorgeous just-kissed/bitten color we all covet. Usually the colors I pick out are too light and too mauve/purple. This is still a bit too pink/red for me, but I'm overall pretty pleased with the shade. My lips are quite pigmented (I'm a NC42, I think, with yellow undertones) and this lipstick is just a tiny shade darker than my normal lip color. The color is a mix of brown and rosy pink, and definitely doesn't look have that washed out/cool tone that can make you look like a corpse. I love the texture of this lipstick - silky and non-drying, and with a bit of shine that looks makes your lips look moisturized, not reflective. The color is relatively opaque, but not chalky. However, I personally prefer sheerer textures, and while I find this lipstick to be a bit too opaque and tawny to be perfect, I make it very wearable by applying it lightly and then blending in a swipe of a sheer, dark red lipstick, which creates the perfect rosy, natural color for my lips. For what it is, it's a great lip stick. I'll still be searching for that perfect shade with the right sheer consistency, but in the meanwhile, this will do just fine.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -Juice Beauty - Green Apple Peel- Sensitive Skin
dietgrrl 9/1/2011 9:08:00 PM
This is really a miracle product! I have super dry and therefore relatively sensitive skin, so I opted for the Sensitive formulation of this product. I saw results within two uses! My skin was bumpy and rough, especially on my nose which had a ton of blackheads and whiteheads. After using this, my skin is so smooth and shiny, and I can see my acne scars fading. I can barely stop myself from touching my face every 5 minutes and feeling how smooth and soft it is. Amazingly, I've been using this product now for about a month, but I *still* can see the great results each time I use it. I find myself using much less makeup now, too. I tried the Full Strength formulation once, but it left my skin too dry and irritated to use more than once a week, so I've decided to stick to using the Sensitive version twice a week rather than buy the Full Strength. Perhaps after I finish this jar I'll try the Full Strength again, but for now I'm extremely pleased with my purchase and given this HG status! I like to use my Clarisonic brush to clean my face before applying this peel, and also use it to remove the peel after 10 minutes are up. I also like to follow up after removing the peel with a hydrating serum which isn't too emollient so that it doesn't clog up my newly cleared pores. Right now I'm using the Skinceuticals Phyto Corrective Gel because it's what I have on hand, and it's working great to give a little moisture and calm my skin down post-peel.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Toners -Neutrogena - Pore Refining Toner
dietgrrl 8/27/2011 4:35:00 AM
This is the best toner I've found for everyday use on my sensitive, dry skin. It helps me keep blackheads and acne away, while not drying my skin and making it flaky. This is a very gentle toner which contains both AHA (glycolic acid) and BHA (salicylic acid) in it. However, the amount of each is probably quite low, and the package doesn't even list how much salicylic acid is in it! I tried to contact Neutrogena about this, and they told me to call them. :/ That being said, stronger toners with 2% salicylic acid are too harsh for my skin. This toner does not sting at all when applying it, and it still seems to work to keep my pores clear without drying out my skin. The smell of this toner is really nice, too, and it feels very refreshing (not irritating) to apply this to my skin. I like this so much that I order it online, as I can no longer find it in stores. For now, this is one of my HG products!
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Makeup Remover -Rimmel - Gentle Eye Make Up Remover
dietgrrl 8/27/2011 3:51:00 AM
This is my HG eye makeup remover! Most makeup removers leave a gross oily residue which is difficult to remove, and don't do a very good job of actually removing my mascara. This remover, however, actually manages to melt my non-waterproof mascara off without excessive rubbing or tugging - just patting a soaked cotton pad on my eyelashes seems to remove most of the makeup! - and the liquid has the consistency of water. I tend to liberally soak a cotton pad, and the remover doesn't sting my sensitive skin or even when I get it in my eyes. Best of all, it leaves no residue - it just leaves your skin clean! I tend to stock up because it's sometimes difficult to find this at my local drugstore.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Clean - Warm Cotton
dietgrrl 8/23/2011 10:44:00 PM
As other reviewers have noted, it does smell a little bit like a dryer sheet, which on its own would have been fine, but I think it actually smells more like dirty laundry! It has a sort of stale smell and reminds me of a t-shirt that has already been worn by someone wearing strong deodorant. Dirty laundry and deodorant is pretty much the furthest thing from smelling clean, if you ask me, so I will not be repurchasing.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Mary Kay - Signature Eyeliner - Black
dietgrrl 5/24/2008 3:40:00 AM
HG! I've been purchasing Mary Kay eyeliners for the past 3 years. I love that the consistency of the liner is soft and easy to apply, minimizing eyelid tugging and irritation (important for people with sensitive skin like me!). Finally, no more watery eyes or raw eyelids! Normally I would purchase the Sable eyeliner, the only dark brown liner that has ever been able to show up on my medium-dark Indian skin. Since the Sable was recently discontinued (or will be soon) I switched over to Black and have been equally pleased with the results. The pencil is easy to apply and provides a dark, consistent line. The liner tends to stay on my eyelids for the whole day, but it is relatively easy to remove with a Q-tip and can be rubbed away if you touch your eyes a lot. The consistency of the liner is great for both precise lines (although not thin, due to the rounded edge of the self-sharpening liner) and smudgy lines. This is not the liner for you if you're looking to wet-line your eyes on the inner, moist rim of your eyelids. Also, as others have mentioned, you can get it for much cheaper on Ebay.com. I will definitely repurchase!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -The Body Shop - Liquid Lip Color (all)
dietgrrl 5/19/2008 9:16:00 PM
Okay, I really want to love this product, especially because it's full of good ingredients and supports fair trade. The color I chose, #03 Soft Red, is the only red I've been able to pull off. Although in the tube it looks like it has cool undertones, it works (amazingly!) on my warm-toned, medium-dark skin. The product itself is more of a lip gloss than a liquid lipstick. The biggest problem about this gloss is its poor staying power. I don't lick my lips, but within an hour my lips will be nearly color-free. It's a pity, because the color of the product is so beautiful! My lip color is from the discontinued packaging, which was a matte green cap on a long frosted clear tube. The gloss leaked up to the top of the tube, under the cap, and every time I close the cap some of the product seeps through. I constantly find myself wiping the outside of the tube, and am afraid that the tube will leak into my purse. I can't speak for the new packaging. I'm not sure if I will repurchase; for now, I'm just on the lookout for a new lip gloss or lipstick with the same color!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Revlon - 3D Extreme Mascara - Blackest Black
dietgrrl 4/24/2008 6:07:00 AM
If you're looking for big, dark, 50's style lashes, 3D extreme does a wonderful job. I love that it gives my lashes a wonderful thickness instead of the spidery wispyness that most mascaras impart. You MUST follow the directions of the package, or else you'll end up with a clumpy mess. Because I prefer really dramatic, thick lashes when I use this, I usually just use the flat, short-bristled sides on my lashes, two coats, and don't follow up with the longer bristles afterwards. If you're looking for less dramatic results, just use one coat of the short side, and then brush through with the longer side afterwards. One thing I've learned is to NEVER wiggle this brush while applying mascara. Usually I wiggle mascara brushes at the base of the lashes to make them look fuller, but with this brush you'll just end up with a mess.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No