Eye Primer -Urban Decay - Eyeshadow Primer Potion - Eden
pishtosh 12/14/2010 6:38:00 PM
Ever since I started wearing makeup, I've been applying colour corrector, concealer and powder to my reddish purple eyelids. I don't wear a lot of eyeshadow, usually just a matte cream highlight and a soft brown in my crease (and wearing any shadow over my concealer concoction came out very muted), but Eden caught my eye because it's also meant to even out skintone. I've been using this regularly for maybe a week and I have to say, I'm not crazy about it. I find it doesn't blend out to be very smooth - it always looks kind of chalky and patchy in the inner corners of my eyes and towards my brows when I blend it up, as well as close to my lashes. The colour, for me, just doesn't work. Like another member mentioned, it looks like a matte, sickly neutral yellowish-gray. I know it's not really meant to be worn on its own, but they definitely say that's an option. I just find that when I wear this in place of concealer on my lids, it looks obvious and out of place, even with my minimal eyeshadow. I've gone back to using concealer - (Pixi's peach corrector and Hard Candy's Glamoflauge, to be exact) and I much prefer the natural, bright-eyed look I get. I'll probably use this up slowly, on nights when I wear more shadow, to make it appear more vibrant and reduce creasing, but for everyday, no thanks.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -TRESemme - Instant Heat Tamer Spray
pishtosh 12/7/2010 5:07:00 PM
Fantastic drugstore product. I had been using Redken's Iron Silk, a spray that's meant to be used with a flat-iron, and liked it just fine. I bought this on a whim and have probably been using it for 9 months or so and I couldn't find it the other day, so I grabbed my old Redken one - and I liked it less than Tresemme's! Crazy. I don't notice a huge difference when I'm using these products; they both keep my hair smooth and straight and smell nice (though I prefer the scent of the Tresemme one) and the straightness of my hair lasts into the next day, but I find my hair feels heavier and gunkier the next day with the Redken spray. I love finding a drugstore product that's better than its expensive twin. :D The only reason I gave it a 4 is because I don't think either of these products do much in the way of protecting my hair from heat damage - but that's okay. I'll definitely repurchase the Tresemme, I'm totally happy with it.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -NYX - Iced Mocha
pishtosh 9/3/2010 7:15:00 PM
This is the perfect crease color for me. I'm a big fan of the "no makeup" makeup look and this eyeshadow gives my crease just enough depth without looking like I'm wearing lots of eye makeup. I use NYC Brule on my brow bone and lid and Iced Mocha in my crease - perfect daytime eye. As others have said, it's hard to overdo it. I bought this shadow for six dollars - great price, great product. =)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Bioderma - Sebium AKN
pishtosh 8/31/2010 12:03:00 PM
Wow, I'm surprised this doesn't have better reviews. I've been using this product all summer - maybe a couple of months now. Initially I got a tiny tube of it in a Sebium line trial box when my skin was freaking out and I didn't know what to try. I was a bit nervous about using it because my skin can be finicky, but boy am I glad I did. I waited a long time to buy the full-size bottle (the small one lasted a long time though) because it was $30CAD but when I went to pay for it, it ended up being 50% off! Gotta love that. It's a thin, super smooth cream that does leave a bit of a sticky film behind and leaves my skin shiny/oily-looking, which is why I use this only at bedtime. (I would say this is definitely a treatment, not a moisturizer.) It can sting a bit on application but it's well worth the results. Before using this, my skin was grumpy; dull-looking, breaking out, etc. If I use this consistently (every night) my skin stays happy, smooth, no breakouts and the biggest difference is how even my skintone has become. I have combination to oily skin and I had lots of ruddiness and marks from old breakouts. Without foundation, I looked scary. Now my skin is almost completely even-toned. I use about 25% of the foundation/concealer that I used to. And my favourite part about this product is that it treats acne without drying! I used to use BP creams but they were sooo drying and irritating to my skin. I can use this every night without worrying about redness/peeling. Awesome! I will for sure continue to buy this product. It's worked wonders for my skin and I'm so glad I stumbled upon it. =)
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -MAC - Sheertone Blush Pink Swoon
pishtosh 8/9/2010 4:41:00 PM
I can't believe how much I love this blush. I bought Well Dressed first, but it was too subtle for my liking. Pink Swoon is so natural looking and it's almost impossible to apply too much. It's a true bubblegummy pink, but doesn't look garish at all - I love the Sheertone texture. It looks great with a tan - which I have now - and I'm sure it will look just as good on pale skin in the wintertime. It looks good with lots of different lip/eye combinations, wears well and doesn't bother my skin. This is for sure one of my HG blushes - my other is MAC Blushbaby, which is a great everyday blush as well. My two favourite everyday looks right now are Blushbaby with Revlon's Soft Rose lipstick, for a polished look, and Pink Swoon with Revlon lipstain in Passion, for a really fresh, girly look for summertime. I know I'll repurchase this, I've been wearing it on a daily basis for a few weeks now. Love, love, love.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Prestige - Baked Bronze Mineral Powder St. Tropez
pishtosh 8/8/2010 2:27:00 PM
I bought this bronzer on sale for 6 dollars to use this summer because I had a tan for the first time in years - usually I forego bronzers altogether because they look unnatural on my pale skin. The first time I tried this one, I found it way too shimmery - I switched to the NYC matte bronzer for a while but found that one a little too flat and it made my skin look kind of dull and dirty. After experimenting a bit more with St Tropez, I found that if I wear it *around* my face, it gives me a beautiful, natural glow. I buff it in with a kabuki brush, under my cheekbones, around my hairline and a little on the bridge of my nose and cheeks, then add pink blush (MAC's Pink Swoon) and it looks great. I like the shimmer, I think it makes it look more believable. It hasn't broken me out or irritated my skin at all. Not sure if it's been discontinued - I've seen it for sale but always marked down - but I doubt I'll have to repurchase anyway, I use so little. We'll see if I can make it work in wintertime too when I'm a lot paler. Anyway, I WOULD repurchase, if I ever ran out. =)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -MAC - Satin Blush - Well Dressed
pishtosh 7/13/2010 6:48:00 PM
I went to MAC to get a baby pink blush and couldn't decide between this one and Pink Swoon: after reading reviews I decided on Pink Swoon but when I went back to buy it I totally forgot which I had decided on and got Well Dressed by accident, haha. While I do like it, it's very very subtle. When I initially started wearing it, I'd say my skin tone was pretty pale, and over the last few weeks I've gotten a tan for an upcoming wedding; at first, it gave me a nice natural kind of pink glow, but as soon as I got some colour this blush became undetectable on my skin =( It would probably show up if I really piled it on, but I just wish it was softer/more pigmented so I wouldn't have to use so much product to have it show up. I do like wearing it over other blushes to "cool them down" and make them look glowy, but I'm not reaching for this everyday as I had hoped. I'm gonna get Pink Swoon after all. Will not be repurchasing Well Dressed, though I'm sure I'll use it up in the paler, winter months!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Revlon - ColorBurst in 070 Soft Nude [DISCONTINUED]
pishtosh 7/7/2010 8:08:00 PM
This is my first nude lipstick; how exciting! I admired this shade on the lips of a few girls on the FOTD board before finally giving in and buying a tube for myself. I never thought of myself as someone who could pull off a nude lipstick - I usually stick to sheer brights - but my lips are really pigmented and I figured it would be interesting to see myself with a softer lip. I'm so surprised how much I love it! I know I lucked out with the shade - I'm fairly neutral-toned, dark hair and eyes - and this colour works perfect for me; not too opaque or pink or white or thick, just perfect. It helps that my lips are so pigmented, too; the lipstick's a bit sheer and it just softens my whole look. I love this with a little bronzer and pink blush, for a summery sun-kissed look. The consistency is great, I love how it's a bit sheer, makes it a lot easier to wear. It wears off pretty quickly (thus the 4/5) but that's okay, I love the consistency so much that it's worth it. Great packaging and price. Will for sure be getting more of these lippies!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Revlon - Colorburst in Soft Rose [DISCONTINUED]
pishtosh 7/7/2010 8:03:00 PM
I'm so surprised this doesn't have a higher overall rating! I LOVE this lipstick. I saw it used in a few FOTDs and I knew I would love it. I patiently waited for SDM to get the Colorburst lipsticks in and when they did I bought it without even swatching the tester, haha. It's name is a good description of the colour; a soft red/brown rosy colour. It makes me look really polished. My favourite face for everyday is this lipstick paired with MAC Blushbaby blush and a little mascara. Soft Rose is a really classic shade and I'm so happy that Revlon came out with a line of lipsticks with so many wearable, not over-the-top shades. Great consistency too, kinda sheer but feels great on the lips. I wish it lasted a bit longer (which is why I gave it a 4) but really I prefer a sheer, soft lipstick to anything too thick or dry, so if it wears off after an hour and I have to reapply, it's worth it. I also looove the packaging, so cute. I got my second CB today, "Soft Nude", and I can't wait to try even more of these lipsticks!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Revlon - PhotoReady Makeup
pishtosh 6/29/2010 12:02:00 AM
Well, I just purchased this foundation in a darker shade for summer, so I thought I'd write a review, finally. My old HG was Revlon's CS but I noticed it was clogging my pores, and it was kind of a PITA to use; I had to apply it with a damp sponge, and it always took me a while to blend it out and make it look good. I was also getting a bit sick of the "perfect skin" look - looked a bit creepy and masky. Anywho, enter PR. First time I used it (in Vanilla - I use CS in Buff) I freaking HATED it; Oil Slick City. I didn't notice anything about it except that I hated the feel; it never set/dried! I continued to use the CS but eventually got sick enough of it to try the PR again; felt I needed to use it up as it was like 15 bucks and I'm a poor student. Enter MUFE HD powder - this plus PR = bliss. Now that I've found something to cut the oilies and perfectly set this foundation, I am finally able to notice how natural it DOES look in sunlight! I am seriously amazed. I thought CS looked natural; it has nothing on this. Plus this foundation (I owe some of the credit to the HD powder, I'm sure) lasts for ages; as long, if not longer than my CS. Yeesh! And continues to look natural throughout a 12 hour day. Doesn't cake up at all, and makes my skin look unbelievably great. I am thrilled. I have my brother's wedding coming up and I've gotten a bit of a tan for it, and today I picked up PR in Nude, hoping to mix it with my Vanilla and come up with a perfect shade. I also think I may try mixing it with the CS and seeing how that wears. Either way, I am VERY impressed with this foundation. Yay!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -NARS - Niagara
pishtosh 6/19/2010 5:22:00 PM
I bought this (along with Orgasm blush) when I got a gift card for Sephora from my BF. I wanted Niagara for a long, long time but couldn't justify spending 30 dollars on one tube of lipstick. Turns out, I shouldn't have. This is nothing special on me. I think it's mostly because my lips are really pigmented (like, really) and in order to achieve the pretty, soft coral lip that I had seen on others wearing Niagara, I would need to have paler lips or wear this lipstick over a concealer. On me, it looks rather dark and orange. Not bright at all. It's a bit sheer, so I guess it's my natural lip colour (dark pink) showing through. Otherwise, the consistency is nice, not drying. It doesn't last particularly long on my lips, but I don't really care about that aspect. I don't find myself reaching for this lipstick often, if at all. Sad.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -NARS - Orgasm Blush
pishtosh 6/19/2010 5:18:00 PM
I do like this blush. I bought it on my birthday after receiving a hefty Sephora gift card from my lovely manfriend. It was 30 bucks, which is a lot. Since then, I've experimented with it quite a bit, wearing it alone or layered over matte blushes. The conclusion I've come to: it's too shimmery for me. I love the color (bright corally hot pink) and I wish it were more pigmented, less shimmery. The amount of product I have to apply to get some decent colour leaves my cheeks very, very shimmery, and the pores on my cheeks are big enough that it isn't super flattering. In sunlight, the shimmer is overwhelming. At night, I can get away with it. I will continue to use it - especially layered on top of matte blushes of a similar shade, so I don't get shimmer overload - but overall, I wouldn't buy it again. I also don't find it to be particularly soft or blendable, for such a steep price. It doesn't last super long on the skin, either. I'm interested in maybe trying other (matte) blushes from NARS, (and seeing how Orgasm looks with a tan) but I really wanted to love this more than I do.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Revlon - Electric Pink
pishtosh 6/19/2010 5:11:00 PM
I love this pink! Picked it up last week at Wal-Mart for 3 or so dollars. I painted my fingernails and toes and its lasted pretty well (with basecoat & Seche Vite), its been about a week since I applied it and just now I'm about to take it off because there's lots of big chips. The colour is vibrant and perfect for summertime. This is a rich, electric corally-pink. I try to only buy polish colours that are "special" (haha) because I have so many, and I think this one is.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Sephora - Anti-Shine Primer
pishtosh 4/24/2010 6:36:00 PM
Man, I bought this primer after reading the reviews for it here. I was so excited; I have pretty oily skin and am always looking for products that help me to blot/powder less throughout the day. This primer cost me a little over 20 bucks, which is an investment for me, since I'm an unemployed full-time student. It comes in a tube, which is nice, but that's pretty much all I liked about it. It does dry matte, but it also dries to a texture that is absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to blend anything over. Any liquid foundation, cream concealer just ended up looking super awful; cakey, streaky, dry. To the point where a couple of times I would have to wash it all off and start again sans primer. And, to top it all off, on days when I did wear this, it didn't control oil for me AT ALL! Boo, hiss! Overall a big waste of money for me. I'm having much, much better luck with Neutrogena Sheer Dry Touch sunblock, SPF30, used as a primer. Keeps the oilies at bay!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -Maybelline - Define-A-Brow
pishtosh 4/5/2010 4:40:00 PM
I am reeeally impressed with this pencil. I am big into perfect-looking, manicured eyebrows and have been using brow powder & pencil for years and years. I use NYC's powder and had been using Rimmel's pencil, which was fine, but nothing special. I didn't really think eyebrow pencils could be "something special" -- enter Maybelline's Define-a-Brow! This pencil is super slim, and you don't have to sharpen it - YAY - it twists up. I like the packaging. The way I do my brows is to fill in sparse areas with powder, then use a pencil to 'perfect' them; give them a little more definition. This pencil looks as natural as a powder; it's like the ease of drawing with a pencil coupled with the natural look of a powder. Fantastic! It was like 10 bucks but completely worth it. My new HG.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No