Lipstick -MAC - Lustre Lipstick
kbb2008 4/21/2006 12:46:00 PM
I'm editing my review because I've now discovered that these make my lips crack and peel. Yes, they do. It's a shame because I love several of the colors, especially VGV, but the effect is unmistakable. I can wear Clinique's Long Last Soft Shine formula exclusively for weeks and nothing happens, but if I switch to MAC Lustres for even a few days, my lips start cracking and peeling. I can't wear lip balm under them either to fix the problem because they hardly have any lasting power to begin with. Maybe you won't notice the drying effect if you only wear them occasionally - they feel moist and glossy going on - but if you wear them consistently, they really do dry out the lips just like all MAC's other lipsticks. PASS.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Strawberry Blonde
kbb2008 4/21/2006 9:00:00 AM
I love MAC Lustres. I currently own 8 of them, and there have been several more I've tried that haven't worked on me. As a cool-toned PPP, I must say that I *love* Strawberry Blonde. I'm also a cool-toned PPP who does unusually well with corals and peaches, though, so if you tend not to be able to wear those colors, you should stay away. This is pretty much true coral on me, with maybe a tiny hint of pink. It brightens my face, pops my green eyes, and generally looks summery and happy on me. I highly recommend it. :)
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Lipstick -MAC - Viva Glam IV
kbb2008 4/17/2006 12:27:00 AM
I really wanted to like this lipstick. The color is really pretty, a medium-to-deep rose-berry. However, on fair-haired, cool-toned PPP me it is simply too dark for everyday wear.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Giorgio Armani - Sheer Lipstick #19
kbb2008 4/13/2006 11:29:00 AM
Every time I wear another Armani sheer lipstick, I swear that it's my favorite color out of all the ones I have. This one is no exception. #19 looks scary greyish purple in the tube, but when I put it on, it melts into a lovely and VERY sheer color- my lips but shimmerier and mauve-ier. Gorgeous. You do need to be very cool-toned to wear this though.
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Lipstick -Stila - Lipstick in Jane
kbb2008 4/12/2006 4:18:00 PM
I swear the color of this has changed since they put it in the new packaging. My old one was, just as described below, similar to Clinique Bamboo Pink only lighter and peachier. It was like a light peachy nude shimmer. This one is darker and pinker, more of a pinky-peach-bronzy-nude. I no longer have my old one in the cardboard to compare, but I just swear I remember it going on much lighter than this. ANYWAY, I really like this lipstick either way. It's a great, soft, professional neutral color for my cool PPP complexion, and the lasting power is fabulous- will last me for 3-4 hours sitting at my desk constantly drinking soda. I would definitely repurchase this if I ever ran out, especially now that they've FINALLY caught on and changed the packaging of the lipsticks.
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Lipstick -MAC - Lustre Lipstick in Spice It Up
kbb2008 4/12/2006 1:19:00 PM
I can pull this off, especially if I sheer it out with my finger, but it's just not quite right on me. It's way more dark than the other Lustres I have tried -- far more like a regular cream lipstick -- and is just too dark, screamy reddish-brown on my cool, pale complexion. It's not really my style -- I prefer soft, sheer shades. The day I wore this to work, I ran out at lunch after feeling uncomfortable all morning and purchased Stila Jane at Sephora, which is a soft, shimmery peach-pink-nude color. I put that on and instantly felt like myself again. Cool PPPs, I recommend the Sophisto Lustre over this -- it's also in the berry-red family, but more rosy rather than brown, and looks softer on me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Lustre in Syrup
kbb2008 4/11/2006 10:31:00 AM
I love this lipstick! It's a cool-toned, light pinky-mauve color that looks really good with my cool, pale complexion. It might be my favorite Lustre lipstick next to Sophisto. Very professional shade for the office, and has the same creamy formula and good lasting power as all the other Lustres. I would definitely repurchase this if I used it up.
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Highlighters -Giorgio Armani - Fluid Sheer #2
kbb2008 4/10/2006 11:51:00 PM
Sorry, guys... so not into this. I got a sample of the #2 with my order of #2 LSF (great CS Armani has.) It's SUPER shimmery, much more so than I would have expected- not as subtle as Armani's other products. Makes my combo skin look oily, not glowy. In addition, like the LSF, it clung to every flake on my skin, highlighting dry patches that were invisible until I put it on. Glad I didn't buy it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Hard Candy - 10 Years of Gloss
kbb2008 4/10/2006 11:39:00 AM
This is a pretty, sheer, neutral pink gloss that smells divine -- really like lemon/vanilla/raspberry cake. And the huge, glam pot is oh so tempting. The gloss itself, however, is really average. It will stay on my lips as long as I'm not eating or drinking anything, but after a few sips of soda or bites of a granola bar, it is almost all gone. For someone like me who is constantly drinking and snacking throughout the day at work, this is not exactly ideal -- anything I wear on my lips really has to have at least some MINIMAL level of lasting power.
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Lip Gloss -Stila - Stila Pocket Quad #1
kbb2008 4/9/2006 11:10:00 AM
Cute mirrored compact containing surprisingly high-quality glosses -- all of these are fairly long-lasting for this type of product. You get a shimmery pale lavendar, shimmery pale pink, YLBB nude rose, and deeper shimmery plum. These are fun to mix together to create other colors; I also like to wear them over lip liner (usually Stila No. 16) to increase the color options even more and make them last a lot longer. The first two (top two) colors aren't that great to wear alone, but are good to mix with the others or to use as a highlighter in the center of the bottom lip. The latter two colors (the bottom two) are what really make this quad worth the price IMO. The nudish rose is perfect for daytime, and the shimmery darker plum is great for going out at night. As many have already pointed out, the lip brush is basically useless so I have a tendency to throw it back in its slot in frustration and just put these on with my fingers. Great quad otherwise, but the shades aren't unique enough that I would repurchase it. I might get a different one though.
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Eye Shadow -Stila - Convertible Eye Color
kbb2008 4/6/2006 10:53:00 AM
These are absolutely genius. I can see how a real eyeshadow addict might not appreciate them as much as someone like me, but for people like myself who normally don't wear ANY eye makeup except mascara because it's too much trouble, these are an absolute revelation. This is the product that actually got me wearing eye makeup on a daily basis again, as opposed to just for special occasions, and for that I appreciate it very much. One minute to swipe the shadow on the lid and line with the liner and blend with the little sponge and my eye looks completely done -- all I have to do is curl lashes and add mascara. I have thrown this in my jacket pocket and put it on in the taxi when I was late to work one morning, and when I got there it looked great. They are amazing for travel as well. I normally don't even bring eyeshadow on trips because a palette and brushes are such a pain to pack and take up so much room in my bag. Now I can -- these take up practically none at all! I have Stone, Clove, and Violet so far, and I think my favorite is Clove, which is amazing on green eyes. The quality of the shadow is the same as Stila's other shadows (great, IMO) and the liner is soft and creamy but doesn't smudge off my lids or migrate under my eyes. Will definitely buy more.
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Lipstick -Stila - High Shine lipstick
kbb2008 4/6/2006
Great sheer lipsticks. These are indeed high shine and are soft, sheer shades that wear very well. The color selection is kind of lame though IMO. Beatrice and Lana are basically the same color (warm orangey red), and Mandy isn't too far off from these two either. Ariel and Diane are also basically the same shade (shimmery nude), although I prefer Ariel. The four colors I really like on my cool PPP self are Ariel, Louise (soft pinky coral), Electra (sheer cool berry, my favorite hands down) and Guinivere (also a cool berry, but much more pinkish and more pigmented -- I really wish it were a bit more sheer like Electra.) Overall, a great new line from Stila. I just can't wait until they expand the color selection. I'd like to see a light true pink and a cooler sheer red for starters.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Chanel - Aqualumiere Lipshine
kbb2008 4/5/2006 12:08:00 PM
I bought a set of 5 mini Aqualumieres to try. I like the colors and the creamy application, but I'm not impressed with the lasting power at all. These slide right off, even when used with a lip liner -- mine need reapplication after two hours even if I'm not eating, drinking or talking. Armani's sheer lipsticks are only a couple of dollars more and are better in color and texture and MUCH better in wear. Also, these are nowhere near as moisturizing on the lips as many other similar products I have tried (some of which are much cheaper). I wouldn't go so far as to say they are drying, but they don't moisturize at all -- if I wear one for a day, I start feeling the urge to wipe it off and put on some balm around mid-afternoon. I don't get that with Armani's sheer lipsticks or even with MAC's. Bottom line, I wouldn't look to purchase these again unless I found a color I absolutely adored.
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Lipstick -Chanel - La Collection de Chanel - Hydrabase
kbb2008 4/4/2006 11:24:00 PM
I bought this lipstick collection because I wanted to try a few Hydrabase colors and it seemed like a good value. I knew they were mini lipsticks, but was still pretty shocked at how "mini" they really were when it arrived. They are TINY! I'm still glad I bought it though, because at least three out of the five colors I got are colors I would totally repurchase in full size and might not otherwise have tried. They all came in a beautiful black quilted (reusable!) box, along with a full size Nude l/l, which unfortunately I didn't like and have reviewed separately. Here are the colors I got: (reviewed from my cool PPP perspective)
VIBRANT: My favorite in the set. I would buy this again in a heartbeat. A lovely berry with golden shimmer, totally wearable for everyday despite its name.
RED NO. 5: True, creamy, beautiful red on me, completely opaque. Not for every day, lol, but PERFECT for my next dressy occasion.
RICH CORAL: I would NEVER have tried this l/s if I hadn't gotten this set, but I love it! It really brightens my face up. It's a rich coral just like the name suggests. Great for summer.
PINK SUGAR: A wearable rosy-bronze on me, nice and not like anything else I have, but not spectacular with my coloring.
CAPTIF: I could tell immediately that this copper was going to be too warm on me, so I haven't touched it and plan on giving it away to my mom.
Overall, a worthwhile way to get into the Hydrabase line.
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Lip Liners -Chanel - Le Crayon Gloss - Pink Praline
kbb2008 4/4/2006 10:57:00 PM
Wow. I bought the Hydrabase and Aqualumiere lipstick sets on the same day. With the Hydrabase set, I got Precision Lip Definer in Nude, which I was expecting to love but ABSOLUTELY HATED. And with the Aqualumiere set, I got this, which I didn't really even care about getting, but absolutely love! It's soft and creamy and just the perfect shade for me -- one shade darker than my cool PPP lips. The one thing I wish is that it were self-sharpening -- I really hate having to sharpen pencils; pretty much every other eye or lip pencil I own is a twist-up style. But other than that, it's just perfect.
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