Lipstick -E.L.F. - Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Bark
marmaladecat 6/23/2012 10:22:00 AM
'Bark' is a really pretty pinkish-brown shade, just a bit darker than my natural lip colour so it's perfect for me as a 'my lips but better' shade, great for everyday wear and when I want to look natural but a bit more 'polished.' The product goes on smoothly and I love the minty smell! I think it's more of a thick lip-gloss than a lipstick. I do find the container flimsy (I've had 2 of these and one broke so I had to transfer the product to a pot). The other one is fine but I still feel the container's pretty delicate. Be extra gentle when twisting the bottom of the pen to dispense the product. You don't get much of the product, but this is only £1.50 on the UK e.l.f web-site, so I'm OK with that. I find I don't need to use much anyway. I have repurchased this and would again because despite the bad packaging, the product itself is lovely.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Urban Decay - Naked Matte shadow
marmaladecat 6/16/2012 11:24:00 AM
I love many of Urban Decay's eye shadows, but not this. I got this as part of the 'Naked' palette. 'Naked' showed up as a pale orange-brown colour on my lids and was not flattering or natural looking, perhaps because I am very pale and cool-toned. My friend has warm-toned medium skin and it looks natural and nice on her. I've tried to use this shadow alone and in a variety of ways with a variety of other shadows and I've concluded it's just not for me!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Rimmel - 60 Seconds in 270 Shocker
marmaladecat 6/1/2012 2:39:00 PM
Gorgeous shimmery fuschia pink, a real splash of summer :) I find this really easy to apply and it dries very quickly. It stays on a decent amount of time too. Inexpensive and so pretty! I love this.
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Treatments (Eye) -Avene - Soothing Eye Contour Cream
marmaladecat 4/8/2012 5:11:00 PM
Love it-just ordered my second tube! I use this morning and night. This eye cream is super-gentle, non-greasy and moisturises my eye area beautifully all day long. It makes my skin feel really soft and look smooth. It provides an excellent base for my concealer too. This cream won't reduce dark circles or provide line-zapping technology but it doesn't claim to so that's fine!
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Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Studio Complexion Brush
marmaladecat 4/8/2012 4:50:00 PM
Awesome brush-you really don't have to spend a lot to get fantastic quality. I use this to apply blush and it does a great job in picking up product and distributing it evenly on my face, from really compacted powder blushes to really loose powdered ones. In addition, the brush is lovely and soft, has a sturdy handle for good grip, doesn't shed and keeps its shape well after washing. I've had it a few months now and it still looks new. I can see this lasting AGES, but I'd definitely re-purchase if necessary. A steal at £3.50! :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Simple - Kind to Skin Refreshing Wash Gel
marmaladecat 4/2/2012 9:37:00 AM
I've been using this for weeks now and although it's inoffensive enough, I'm not a fan. Good points are it's cheap & doesn't give me breakouts. However, my skin feels tight and dry after using this, really stripped of moisture. I put moisturiser on straight after using it so it isn't as though I go around for ages with a dry face, but I don't like the feeling while it lasts. I've got combination skin; if my skin was oilier I think this cleanser would be fine. I wouldn't repurchase, because I think I can find something that's also inexpensive that will be less drying.
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Blush -E.L.F. - Shy
marmaladecat 3/18/2012 6:07:00 PM
Pretty blush. 'Shy' is a soft, pale baby-pink shade, which goes on with the tiniest hint of shimmer and gives a really subtle wash of colour. Because it's such a gentle tone, I think it'd work well with many different combinations of eye and lip colours. I love using this for a really natural, 'no makeup' look. I'm very pale so I love the fact I don't have to worry about being heavy-handed with 'Shy' (impossible as the colour is so muted) and I love the subtle glow I get wearing this, but I'm not sure how well it would show up on darker skin tones. You don't get much product in the box, but I don't mind that since it's really cheap at only £1.50 and I really like the blush. I do find the texture rather chalky, but it looks fine once it's actually on the skin. Yes to a re-purchase!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Loose Powders -E.L.F. - Studio High Definition Powder
marmaladecat 2/26/2012 3:10:00 PM
I love a lot of E.L.Fs stuff, but I regret to say I'm under-whelmed by this! My skin actually looks better without it and given it's one of E.L.Fs more expensive products (£6.00 on the UK website), I was disappointed. Good points: It does make my skin's texture look smoother and it does mattify effectively. Negatives: I'm pale and even though I applied this sparingly, I still ended up looking washed out; my complexion just looked dull. I also found it to be really drying on my skin; perhaps those with oilier skin would find this better. As some others have mentioned, it's a good idea to leave the plastic sticker covering the holes where the powder comes out and just pierce a few holes in the sticker yourself. I didn't do this-I just took the whole sticker off and found the powder came out in huge quantities and just made a mess in general!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -Johnson & Johnson - Baby Oil
marmaladecat 2/13/2012 8:54:00 AM
I use this at night on wet skin after a shower and it leaves my skin feeling very soft and smelling fresh. I don't dry it off with a towel; I find that by the time I've brushed my teeth, put on face cream etc I'm OK to get dressed. A squirt of it in the bath is also a recipe for gorgeously silky skin. You do need to clean out the bath afterwards though as it makes it very slippery! I'd like the scent to last longer than it does (seems to fade very quickly on me) but I still love this stuff. I'm on my 3rd bottle and I'll definitely keep buying :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Bourjois - Healthy Mix Foundation
marmaladecat 1/30/2012 11:55:00 AM
Hmmm, I don't love it, I don't hate it; it's just so-so in my opinion. Plus points: I am really impressed with how well Shade 51 blends in with my skin tone (I have always struggled to find a good match with drug-store foundation; they've always been too dark/orangey.) The foundation gives really good coverage and has good staying-power. I find I don't need to use much at all, so it'll last a long time. However, the frustrating thing for me is the fact that I can't seem to get my skin looking smooth and even with this. I find it hard to blend in because the texture's pretty thick and so I end up with patches where it looks rather cakey. Basically, my skin doesn't look any better wearing it, so I wouldn't repurchase.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - E45 Cream
marmaladecat 12/27/2011 5:46:00 PM
Brilliant stuff. My mum always has a tube of this lying about and I now know why; it's really cheap and works wonders! E45 is a cream specifically for dry skin. The product information states that it helps with a variety of skin issues like chapped skin, eczema and dermatitis. I've been dealing with really dry, chapped skin on my hands recently, to the point where they felt pretty itchy. This cream really soothed and softened them instantly. Within a few days, they were lovely and smooth and there was no evidence of any dryness. I was most impressed however with how well it sorted out my under-eye skin. I had developed a reaction to my eye-cream which left me with very dry patches and rather sore, reddened skin under my eyes. I dabbed a little bit of E45 on the skin 2 or 3 times a day and within a couple of days it was totally back to normal. The cream is fragrance-free, absorbs easily and doesn't irritate my skin in the least-the complete opposite, in fact. I'll make sure I'm never without this-it's a skin-saver!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -E.L.F. - Wet Gloss Lash and Brow Clear Mascara
marmaladecat 12/20/2011 5:32:00 PM
Love it. This does a brilliant job of keeping my brows slicked back and gives my lashes a nicely defined, separated, slightly darker look. It holds a curl and doesn't leave that flakey, gluey-looking residue some clear mascaras can. The brushes on the 'brow' end and 'lash' end differ, but I'm not sure if the formula does. In any case, I use both sides for brows and lashes and it's fine, although I find the 'lash' wand does work best for my lashes in terms of applying the mascara. You don't get a lot of the product but it's only £1.50 on the U.K E.L.F site and given it works so well I don't mind! This is a staple in my make-up bag; a definite thumbs-up to a re-purchase.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Primer -E.L.F. - Eyelid Primer
marmaladecat 11/28/2011 4:57:00 PM
I love Urban Decay Primer Potion, but I decided to try this as I'm always on the lookout for a bargain! For me, using this was only a very slight improvement to using nothing under my eyeshadow. I do have really oily eyelids though, so I think I need a heavy-duty primer and for me, this wasn't. It was only £1.50 so I don't feel like I've wasted lots of money, but I won't re-purchase.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Clinique - City Block Sheer Oil-Free Daily Face Protector Broad Spectrum 25 SPF
marmaladecat 11/25/2011 11:35:00 AM
I'd tried lots of chemical SPF face-creams and got breakouts each time, so I got this on my friend's recommendation. City Block is a fragrance-free, all-physical SPF which is tinted beige, but when applied blends in brilliantly with my skin tone and really does even it out. It makes my skin look and feel smoother. I don't use primer, but it has the same effect. It stays on really well; when I remove it at night I can see how much has remained on my face. I've had no issues with clogged pores or breakouts from this product. I haven't had any trouble with pilling like some; I've found that if I pat it into my skin rather than massage it in, it applies evenly and easily. I use moisturiser under this as I find it is not moisturising enough on its own, but if you have oily skin perhaps this would suffice. I'm on my third tube now and loving it. I've finally found sun protection which my skin likes-please don't discontinue this, Clinique!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Urban Decay - Maui Wowie
marmaladecat 11/12/2011 12:46:00 PM
I adore this eyeshadow, it is so beautiful. Maui Wowie shows up as a pale-ish antique-gold shade on me and really brings out the green in my eyes. It has a lovely silky texture and applies so smoothy. The fine glitter particles lend a gorgeous sparkle without looking OTT. Worn over primer, this shadow really stays put. I'm not a fan of the fall-out which I initially get under my eyes and cheeks after application, but I just use a dab of make-up remover and I don't get any more after that. A resounding YES to a re-purchase!
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