Styling Products -Got 2 Be - Guardian Angel Heat Protect N' Curl Iron Spray and Gloss Finish
lil_kismet 4/25/2011 4:28:00 PM
I absolutely LOVE this stuff! Since I don't heat style my hair on a regular basis, I've never felt the need to go out and buy an expensive product. But I have also always had trouble finding a product that holds a curl, as my hair is quite thick, resilient, heavy, and pretty much stick straight. This does an AMAZING job of protecting my hair from the heat AND holding curls well into the next day! I don't even need to use a finishing hair spray with this and my hair does not feel crunchie, which is awesome! It smells good to boot and is cheap, especially when found on sale. Love it and I'll always repurchase.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Urban Decay - All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray
lil_kismet 4/21/2011 5:46:00 PM
I'm not pleased with this product at all. I think this may have caused my makeup wear off faster than if I didn't use it at all. I thought this would have worked equally as well as the actual Skindinavia setting sprays, but it doesn't deliver. The only good thing about it is that it takes away the cakey/matte look -- but does not prolong the wear of makeup like it's supposed to. Not worth the money. Splurge on the real stuff (Skindinavia) instead.
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Eye Primer -NARS - Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base
lil_kismet 4/21/2011 5:14:00 PM
This beats both of my former favourite eyeshadow primers (Paula Dorf and UDPP) out of the water! It keeps eyeshadow and liner vibrant and in place like no other. While UDPP does an adequate job, I do notice slight fading sometimes after a few hours of wear. With Paula Dorf, it keeps eyeshadow vibrant and in place equally as well as the NARS primer, but it is a little on the thick side and can be mask-ey. With NARS' version, it goes on light and disappears when blended into the skin and I go the ENTIRE day (a good 10 hours) without any fading whatsoever! I have already purchased a backup -- best eye primer ever!
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Burmese Beauty Quad
lil_kismet 10/10/2010 10:09:00 PM
I'm lovin' this palette for fall! All the shadows go gorgeously together. Prized makes for a great base colour and/or browbone highlight -- it has a very light sheen to it and somewhat similar to Shroom. Burmese Beauty is a warm toned brown with an interesting green sheen to it, although the texture of this shadow isn't the greatest. Skintone 2 is a perfect shade of frosty light gold. And Showstopper is a matte cool brown tone. What I love about this palette is that the colours are excellent for daytime wear (as the shadows are quite muted in pigmentation) but can easily be built upon for a sultry night time look. It's been my go-to palette since the day I purchased it! I highly recommend it especially for you neutral lovers.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Urban Decay - Eyelash Primer Potion
lil_kismet 10/10/2010 9:28:00 PM
While I do feel this is overpriced ($24 CAD) it does work extremely well for me. It gives my lashes amazing volume and length and enhances any mascara I use from drugstore to high end brands. I also like that it doesn't dry out my lashes or make them brittle (which I have experienced w/ MAC's lash primer). It also does a great job at holding a curl. Awesome product but I'm not too keen on the price.
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Foundations -Eve Pearl - High Definition Dual Foundation with CosmeNutrients
lil_kismet 8/23/2010 1:09:00 AM
I have been testing out this foundation (along with a few other products from the Eve Pearl line) for the past few months and am thoroughly impressed! It provides excellent coverage, matches my skintone perfectly (I use light), and is incredibly lightweight. I love that it can be sheer to full coverage and literally feels like you have nothing on. It's not at all cakey and makes my skin look radiant and flawless. It is very expensive, but I have to admit that it was well worth the splurge. I'm a convert and have already purchased a backup for when I run out :) This is hands down my favourite foundation to date.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Makeup Remover -Neutrogena - Make-Up Remover Cleansing Towelettes Night Calming
lil_kismet 6/27/2010 3:58:00 PM
While I don't totally hate these, I wouldn't recommend them either. I don't like the scent of these very much and they do leave a bit of a greasy film on your skin. I'm not convinced that they remove all traces of makeup either, even after a very thorough wipedown. I always soak a couple of cotton pads in warm water and give my face a second wipedown to rid the greasy film... and to my surprise, there is still makeup residue coming off on the cotton pads when I do this. They are fine to use if you are willing to take this extra step. But the whole point of this product is to cleanse your skin in one step without needing to rinse, and it doesn't deliver on this promise at all. I will not be repurchasing.
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Lip Treatments -MAC - Tinted Lip Conditioner- Feelin' Good
lil_kismet 6/4/2010 6:44:00 AM
Although I do think this is extremely expensive ($17.50CAD) for something that is primarily just a moisturizing (glorified) lipbalm, I do like this a lot! It leaves my lips feeling soft, comfortable, and nourished and depending on how much you apply, you can build it up to a nice light beigey pink tint on your lips. The tint, however, won't last on your lips for long, but the moisturizing effects will. I agree with the reviewer below that the packaging for these is not the most hygienic but I avoid dipping my fingers into it by using a lip brush to apply. Would I repurchase? Probably not... but I will definitely enjoy it while it lasts and I can see myself using it all up. So, in the end it wasn't at all a wasteful purchase like so many other products I have bought in the past and will never finish.
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Tinted Moisturizer -Laura Mercier - Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 - Oil Free
lil_kismet 4/2/2010 9:08:00 PM
I wanted to love this, gave it ample opportunity to prove itself, but I just couldn't get it to work for me. While it does provide great coverage and looks great when first applied, it makes my skin feel uncomfortably oily as the day wears on and tends to make my face really shiny sometimes (even after a light dusting of blot powder). By day's end, all the product has melted off my face, so it's not very long lasting. I would not recommend this if you have even the slightest bit of oily skin. I also find the colouring to be slightly awkward -- not quite, but *bordering* orangey (I have it in Nude because Porcelain is too light for me and Sand is too dark). I can still get away with wearing Nude as long as I don't over apply. They do, however, have a new shade in Bisque, which sounds like it would be a better fit for my skintone. I won't be repurchasing though. I think I'll go back to my trusty Merle Norman tinted moisturizer after this.
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Masks -Unlisted Brand - Aspirin Mask
lil_kismet 3/15/2010 12:58:00 AM
I have been a user of aspirin on and off for several years now. I first started using it as a mask mixed with a teaspoon of aloe vera gel, leave it on for 15-20min, then gently scrub/wash it off. I did this 1-2x/week. Nowadays I just use it occasionally when I'm in need of a quick fix for those times that I haven't exfoliated with my regular mask in a few days. While in the shower, what I do is apply a gentle cleanser, then take 4-5 uncoated aspirin and dissolve in the palm of my hand and spread it on while the cleanser is still on my face. Leave it on for a few minutes then very gently scrub and rinse. BE SURE TO MOISTURIZE WELL AFTERWARD! You'll be left with baby smooth, glowing skin! However, I would not recommend aspirin to those with very sensitive or rosacea-ridden skin, as it can irritate. I personally avoid using it altogether during times when I know my skin is most easily irritated (ex. the week before and during that time of the month). Aspirin makes for a great quick fix and is a cheap, effective alternative. But I do prefer and would recommend using a more gentle (non-scrub) exfoliating product for regular use.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Jest Eyeshadow
lil_kismet 2/22/2010 1:24:00 AM
Jest is my absolute favourite go-to eyeshadow. It imparts a light peachy-pink glow and serves wonderfully for an instant brightening effect. Amazing texture, pigmented, and smooth application. I use it nearly every day! It's great on it's own on days that I'm pressed for time, but I usually apply Jest to my lids, blend Copperplate softly into the crease/outer corners, highlight the browbone with a soft wash of Mylar, Next to Nothing as the inner corner highlight, and black liner (usually liquid), and voila, a polished daytime eye look! Paired with NARS Amour blush, some tinted lipblam, and I'm good to go! There is a dent forming in my 2nd pan of this shadow and I will definitely be repurchasing again when I run out.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Unlisted Brand - Ivory Moisturizing Body Wash
lil_kismet 1/23/2010 7:13:00 PM
This has been a staple in my bathroom for a couple of years now, I use it every single day. It's not at all drying, lathers up extremely well (a small amount goes a long way) and leaves my skin feeling clean and refreshed. It's cheap, dependable and I love the scent (I have tried all of them -- the original Simply Ivory, the Simply Aloe, Honey, Lavender, and Waterlily, and my favourite by far is the original). I have repurchased this countless times already.. it goes on sale quite frequently, so I usually stock up on a few bottles at a time.
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Blush -NARS - Amour
lil_kismet 1/17/2010 8:44:00 PM
This has become a daily staple for me! It is a warm matte peachy pink tone and I think this would compliment just about any skintone. It gives my cheeks the perfect flush and I've been wearing it everyday for the past 4 months and counting -- it's even trumped my BeneFit Coralista blush that I love so much, which says a lot :) it's longwearing, extremely pigmented so a little goes a long way, blends onto skin beautifully, and goes with just about any makeup look. I have a hunch I will be repurchasing this, if I ever run out :)
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Primer/ Corrector -Merle Norman - Foundation Primer
lil_kismet 12/19/2009 4:40:00 PM
This is hands down the best foundation primer ever. I am about 3/4 through my second GWP sample of this and just purchased a full-size tube yesterday, because I have been dreading the day I run out! In the past, I have used MAC's Prep + Prime (both P+P & P+P Face Protect SPF 50), BeneFit's Dr. Feelgood & That Gal, Laura Mercier oil-free, NARS makeup primer and none of those even come close to Merle Norman's. This primer is more liquidy in formulation, glides on effortlessly and feels nice and hydrating leaving the skin surface SMOOTH to the touch. Whereas with other primers, it takes a lot more work -- I found Laura Mercier & MAC P+P Face Protect difficult to spread and distribute evenly. My foundation and blush seriously look flawless from morning till night with little to no touchups throughout the day. It is expensive ($43.85CAD for 2 fl. oz. / 59ml), but then again Laura Mercier's is $40CAD for 1.7 fl oz. / 50ml. I love this stuff and plan on repurchasing over and over.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -L'Oreal - Carbon Black Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner
lil_kismet 11/21/2009 3:35:00 PM
While this is probably the best drugstore liner I've tried, it doesn't come close to the best I've used (MAC's Penultimate). The colour intensity is excellent, I like the glossy finish, it's long wearing, and I love the price! However, I find the felt tip to be way too flexible and difficult to work with. It's easy to get too thick of a line and you need to use extremely gentle pressure if you want a thin line. Overall, it's hard to control and eats up time if you want a thin, precise line. The consistency is also very watery and has a longer drying time than I'm used to -- I need to keep my eyes closed for a full 3 minutes to avoid smudging on my lids, which slows down my makeup routine even more. I do like this, but I just can't use it when I'm in a hurry (which is probably 80-90% of the time).
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