Eye Shadow -NYX - Spring Flower
irishgirl71 4/27/2005 7:04:00 AM
LLL, NC20, Hazel-Green Eyes--> I have several of the NYX trios and have been test driving them for a couple of weeks. What can I say? It's "love at first swatch!" Did I mention that these NYX shadows are are some of the best MAC knockoffs I have ever tried? On to the review: For all you MAC experts out there, Spring Flower is very close in shade to MAC's Riviera Rose from the Tantress collection. The only major difference is that Spring Flower is lower on the shimmer/glitter. Pigmentation and texture is smooth! Blendability is soft! Spring Flower is a blue-based pinky-violet that is medium in tone. Spring Flower is included in the NYX Trio #5 which is how I got this shade. The quality in relation to the price is excellent!Huge Thumbs Up for NYX!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Alexis Vogel - Alexis Vogel Lip Gloss in Bliss
irishgirl71 4/16/2005 9:02:00 AM
NC20, LLL, Hazel-Green Eyes, Combo-Mild Rosacea skin---> I had previously reviewed the AV system but thought I would also review individual products so I could give better color descriptions. I would describe this color as marrying a lighter version MAC's Melon pigment with gloss or putting Bobbi Brown's Rose-Gold shadow into a gloss. Like a melon-rose-gold! Very pretty! The lipgloss has a brush tip as oppossed to the standard doe-foot which is nice for precise appication. Pigmented, shimmery without chunky sparkle as well. The scent is nice too; very tropical..Kind of a coconut-vanilla smell which isn't over-powering. Goes on smooth and without being tacky; think of Almay's Whipped Lipglosses..That's how these feel in texture except these last longer. If the rest of AV's lipglosses feel as good as these; then I will be purchasing more.
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Eye Shadow -Pout - Miss June
irishgirl71 4/16/2005 8:46:00 AM
LLL, NC20, Hazel-Green Eyes--> My reason for giving Miss June 4 lippies is that the lighter-lavendar shade didn't seem quite as pigmented as the other Pout duos I have tried. It could've have been my particular duo but it seemed like I had to work harder to get the lavendar shade to show up. That being said, the lavendar shade shows up very subtle on my skin with light shimmer. The darker shade is A LOT better on the pigment/texture and I describe it as a silvery-taupe. Very similiar to Cargo's Yukon with more lavendar undertones. I would say that this duo is a lighter version of Miss Tahiti so if you have Miss Tahiti; this isn't a must have. Furthermore, Miss Tahiti is more pigmented all the way around. Miss June was just OK for me and one of the Pout duos that didn't "WOW" me.
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Eye Shadow -Pout - Miss Antigua
irishgirl71 4/16/2005 8:37:00 AM
NC20, LLL, Green-Hazel Eyes---> I have to admit even after all of my makeup hoarding, I am surprised that I didn't have any colors like the ones in this duo! At first glance on Sephora's website; the shades looked too bright for me but I took the chance anyway. Miss Antigua consists of a light, shimmering yellow-beige with an iridescent undertone and a light, aqua-mint green with more subdued shimmer. Texture is soft and shadows are blendable like the other Pout duos. The end result brightened up my eyes and made them look very "Spring." I really like the lighter yellow-beige shade! I usually shy away from yellowish shadows because I end up looking like I had an allergy attack or something. However, this shade is light enough and the iridescence really brightens up my eyes. Kind of like MAC's Nylon with a bit of a "yellowish kick." The packaging is cute but I have to admit that I am not fond of any type of cardboard packaging. At least the compacts are magnetized so they stay shut! Another thumbs up for yet another fab Pout duo!!
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Eye Shadow -Pout - Miss Egypt
irishgirl71 4/16/2005 8:19:00 AM
NC20, LLL, Hazel-Green Eyes---> Miss Egypt is one of the latest duos I have added to my growing collection of Pout eye duos! I would describe this duo as 2 coordinating-shimmering shades of champagne/peach. For those of you that own NARS All About Eve Duo; this duo is close to the fleshy-neutral shades of the NARS duo. The lighter shade in this duo is a shimmering, light, peachy-champagne color with a "sparkle-dust" kind of finish minus the chunky glitter. The darker shade is a more subdued, shimmering pink-peach shade minus the sparkle-dust finish. Pout's eyeshadows are very soft in texture and fragile so I would not recommend throwing these in your makeup bag. For those who have tried Aveda's and Shu Uemura's shadows; you know how fragile those are. Some of Pout's duos are like those and Miss Egypt is one of them! I had to use a soft bristed eyeshadow brush and patting the lighter shade on my lid worked best! Like what you would do with MAC pigments. It doesn't take much swirling of your makeup brush to pick-up the eyeshadow so be careful! This might be a pain for some, but I prefer a softer shadow with great blendability. The packaging is "froo-froo" but the product inside is the best part! I am glad Aligirl put the idea in my head to try these out as most have been wonderful! Thumbs up for the texture, pigment, and blendability!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Kevyn Aucoin - Kevyn Aucoin-The Dew Drop Powder Foundation
irishgirl71 4/15/2005 12:03:00 PM
LLL, MAC NC20, Sensitive-Combo-Mild Rosacea---> I was almost sure I had reviewed Kevyn's foundation but glad a post on MUA reminded me to! I received this cream to powder foundation as a gift in the shade; DW02. I would consider this shade to be more on the neutral side as there is no obvious pinkness to it. I was scared to try it since I have rosacea and get oily so easy. Kevyn was such a makeup genius, this stuff had to be awesome; right? Well, it is! For those of you that have used Jane Iredale's Absence Primer, think of this as a tinted version in terms of application. It applies smoothly, blends well, and can easily build up for more coverage. The foundation sets to a very light powder finish. The end result is non-cakey nor greasy and my pores look more refined. I have to admit that cream to powder foundations have scared me in the past because of the product "pooling up" in my pores. Not a problem with KA's Dew Drop!The red-mahogany, lacquered packaging is classic & elegant. It is rather expensive at $54 but a worthwhile purchase for all Kevyn Aucoin lovers! If you like Inouiid & Shiseido; you'll like this! Thumbs up!!!
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Christian Dior - Skinflash Radiance Booster Pen-002 Candlelight
irishgirl71 4/13/2005 10:14:00 AM
LLL, MAC NC20, Mild Rosacea-Combo Skin---> I have been faithful to YSL's Touche Eclat in Radiant Touch for years so I wasn't looking for the pinkish shade of the Radiance Booster pen when I purchased it. I purchased the Candlelight shade with the hopes that this would double as a concealer/highlighter in one pen because of its neutral shade. Well, my hopes were too high as this product failed me on both accounts. The packaging is sleek and comes in a velvet holder which is a nice, elegant touch! The pen is a twist style as oppossed to the click-button style of YSL's Touche Eclat. Texture is very thin and not very pigmented for use as a concealer. As far as highlighting/light tricks, I found it to be too white on my fair skin and I failed to see the "radiance" factor with this particular shade. Not as creamy or as pigmented as YSL's either. Other than the sleek packaging, this product just didn't "Wow" me so I will go back to my concealer with YSL Touche Eclat over it..The extra step is worth it to me for the results I get with my other products.
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Eye Shadow -Cargo - Yukon Eye Shadow
irishgirl71 4/13/2005 9:49:00 AM
LLL, Hazel-Green Eyes->>I was interested in Cargo shadows so I posted a poll and asked what were the most unique shades in Cargo's line..The top answer was Yukon so I decided to give it a spin! Yukon is a silvery-taupe shade that is very similiar to Shu's ME 945 e/s and MAC's Satin Taupe. Texture is very soft, Pigment is dense as with most of Cargo's shadows. I found Yukon to be unique from the above-mentioned shades because the finish is more silvery-taupe. Whereas, MAC & Shu's shades had a stronger taupe hue. Finish of shadow is a metallic sheen without chunks of frost! Not too crazy about the tin packaging but there is plenty of shadow in the pot and a cool shade for doing a smokey eye. Thumbs up!
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Blush -Alexis Vogel - Alexis Vogel Blush in Fresh
irishgirl71 4/13/2005 9:37:00 AM
LLL, Combo-Mild Rosacea Skin>>> I previously reviewed the complete AV system but thought reviewing individual products & giving color descriptions may help..So, here it goes: At first glance at the pan, this blush looks like a bright coral/pink/peach similar to MAC's Foolish Me and Style blushes put together. I admit that I was intimidated by the brightness/pigment of this shade. Texture is soft, dense in pigment, and leaves a sheen without glitter. For all of you Fiber Optic/Skunk brush users, this blush is perfect for those brushes. When lightly applied, this shade gave me a glowy look similiar to the MAC shades mentioned above with a delicate sheen. The texture of the blush is soft/dusty so I would recommend using a soft-bristled brush as a densely-packed brush will grab too much pigment and would apply too much color. I would rate this at professional stage quality and I plan on purchasing additional shades. Nice surprise as I was expecting quite the opposite based upon previous reviews.
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Tools -Alexis Vogel - The Alexis Vogel System
irishgirl71 4/12/2005 1:16:00 PM
LLL, Hazel-Green Eyes, Combo-Mild Rosacea Skin>>I decided to give this system a try after reading positive reviews from Amazon.com & other sites. I have to say that the inconsistency of reviews here as oppossed to Amazon's made me even more curious to try the system for myself. On to the review: I ordered the system on a Sunday without Rush shipping options and it was delivered the following Saturday..Shipping was prompt and the box was neatly packaged! This system/kit is definitely for those who want to get in touch with their "inner glam girl" (like me) or those who want a fuss-free, sexy cat-eye look too. The DVD was fun to watch and great for beginners & advanced make-up users alike. I found her voice to be pleasant and her teaching-style to be down-to-earth. Not like a college professor which would've bored me. I found the color cosmetics to be soft, pigmented, and blendable. Very much in keeping with the stage/theatrical/professional style and quality you would find with Ben Nye, Joe Blasco, Cinema Secrets; etc. The foundation was pigmented, blended well without having to use a lot of product. I was actually surprised that it looked so good over my Rosacea. No pooling of foundation into my pores, which is a plus! You definitely need a light hand with the cosmetics because of the pigment. I picked up quite a bit of pigment just swiping my finger alone over the blush, eyeshadow, and loose shimmer. However, the shades apply softer than what they look like in the pans. No creasies! No greasies! Yay! The shadow shammy is awesome for keeping eyeshadow dust off of your face and helps with keepin the "cat eye" looking symmetrical..Definite time-saver! The Lash Primer dries soft instead of dry/stiff like some of the others I have used in the past. The brush/on lipgloss smells like vanilla-buttercream and applies smooth/non-tacky. The included tools are helpful as well for beginners. While the blush/powder brush bristles are indeed synthetic, they aren't nearly as bad as I was expecting from the previous reviews. The eyeshadow brush hair is not synthetic and bristles are soft/flexible. After trying all the products & tips in the system, I do not regret buying it at all and the installments made it more affordable for me. It's fun, approachable, & glamourous makeup..You can choose to "kick it up" or "kick it down." Makeup is all about fun for me anyway and so is this kit. I plan on purchasing separate items from her line as well. The kit gets a thumbs up from me and NO! I do not work for Alexis or am paid just because I do like it. ;-)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Aveda - Detoxifier [DISCONTINUED]
irishgirl71 3/25/2005 3:17:00 PM
Fine textured-hair/prone to oiliness w/dry ends>>>I am always on the lookout for a good clarifying shampoo since I use many Volumizing products. So I decided to grab this on a recent trip to Target. I think shampoo clarifies gently w/o stripping, which is a plus! Lathers nice but it does have a strong essential oil/herbal scent to it. The scent is not my favorite but it's liveable. Did I find it unique? or does it have a "Wow" factor? Not for me because it reminds me of Quantum's Clarifying shampoo at Sally Beauty Supply..A liter is $6 and works the same for me as Aveda's w/o the strong scent. Aveda's is good but Quantum does the same thing for me; for less.
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Eye Shadow -Kevyn Aucoin - The Essential Eyeshadow Set - Palette 2
irishgirl71 3/11/2005 8:09:00 AM
NC20, LLL, Green-Hazel eyes>>>This is a must-have eye palette for all admirers of the late, great Kevyn Aucoin! Palette #2 contains 5 coordinating eyeshadows for those who love the smokey-eye look; regardless of your eye color. The shades are not individually named so I will describe them as best as I can. Top row of shadows consist of a low-shimmer charcoal-black and a shimmery lavendar-taupe. Bottom row consists of a shimmery champagne-beige, shimmery snow-white, and a shimmery-light pink/beige. For those of you that have Kevyn's books, these shades mimic a lot of what he used for his neutral/smokey eye looks. The shadows aren't too soft and are similar in density to MAC's eyeshadows without being overly frosty. Pigment is dense and I found them to be easy to blend. At first glance, I found the packaging to be very similiar to Dick Page's Inouiid; (a Shiseido brand); which didn't surprise me since Kevyn worked w/Shiseido before his death. The price tag is hefty at $55 USD but worth it if you like having a palette full of neutral staples for your makeup case or love the smokey-eye look. As far as I am concerned, this is classic elegance in a compact! So it gets a thumbs up from me! A nice indulgence indeed!
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Kevyn Aucoin - The Eye Pencil Primatif Basic Brown
irishgirl71 3/6/2005 9:08:00 AM
LLL, NC20, green-hazel eyes>>>It's been awhile since I have used an eyeliner pencil to line my eyes as I usually line w/ eyeshadows/liner brush. I could never really find an eyeliner pencil that excited me until I was lucky enough to try this one..Eye Pencil Primatif Basic brown is a medium/dark-chocolate-coffee color when applied to my skin tone. I am most impressed with the texture/pigment as there is no skipping of color and it's very smooth without being greasy. The other side of the pencil has a sponge-blender which really softens the color without stripping it away. Gorgeous packaging too! Definitely a luxury staple for anyone's makeup bag. I plan on purchasing KA's plum liner too as the quality/texture is awesome! Thumbs up for this one!
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Eye Shadow -Cargo - Emerald City
irishgirl71 2/26/2005 9:10:00 AM
NC20, LLL, Green-Hazel Eyes>>>I have really been impressed with most of Cargo's shadows thus far except this one. From the color swatch on Sephora, I thought this was going to be a shimmery, lime-green similar to UD's Acid Rain or MAC's Juxt. Green Bay is very light on the pigment & "sheen" when compared to the other Cargo shadows that I have tried. Color is described as a pale, celery-green that is low on the shimmer and almost matte. Pigment is not as dense as I would expect from Cargo and applies very sheer. Not for me but might be an option for those wanting to start out with an understated, green eyeshadow. I will be trying Green Bay next.
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Eye Shadow -Cargo - Duo-Arizona
irishgirl71 2/11/2005 8:33:00 AM
NC20, LLL, Green-Hazel Eyes>>>Another winning eyeshadow duo from Cargo! The lightest shade is a shimmery, champagne with peachy undertones (think understated version of Urban Decay's "X" shadow) and the darkest shade is a medium, shimmery purple/burgundy with golden undertones. The beauty with Cargo is that the shadows apply lightly and are easily buildable. The shadows wear well throughout the day too but I also wear an eye primer which helps. Application is very close to how Aveda's eyeshadows would apply with the same superior texture and blendability. I am also impressed with the "shimmer factor" with Cargo as the shimmer is more of a reflective sheen than chunky shimmer when applied. I am not crazy about Cargo's tin packaging since the cap on the jar can stick making it hard to pry open. The quality is there so I am willing to forgive the problem w/packaging. I want more duos so I hope Cargo comes out with more! Thumbs Up!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No