Lipstick -Trish McEvoy - Essential Pencil - Model's Choice #3
smmalloy 4/26/2011 1:35:00 PM
This has been an HG product for me for such a long time that I never thought to contribute a review, but it's time. Now that I am over 50, I value a product that gives me good color and definition for my lips and doesn't bleed. I have to put some kind of gloss over it, which is actually OK because I can use a pinker gloss to make it more of a YLBB color. Otherwise, it's a bit too orange and dry looking on its own. It's expensive but I've re-purchased many times.
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Blush -Smashbox - High light/Creamy cheek color in Golden Blossom
smmalloy 4/23/2011 8:40:00 PM
I really liked the blush side of this. The highlighter did not show up on my skin at all and wasn't worth it, but the blush on my skin is a beautiful pinky-peach that makes me look fresh and Spring/summer-y. I have a yellow undertone to my skin so maybe that's why it works so well. It's warm but not too orange or gold. I got it for $7 from Sephora so I would definitely buy it again at that price, though I might not depending upon just how much more expensive it might be at regular price. If you can get it as a promotion or in a swap and you are a yellow-toned gal, I'd definitely recommend it!
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Makeup Brushes -MAC - 189 Face Brush
smmalloy 4/23/2011 8:35:00 PM
This is a fantastic brush for applying my Mercier Creme foundation (which I mix with a bit of moisturizer, so the texture is somewhere between cream and liquid.) I get a very smooth, even & quick application with this brush. In fact, it persuaded me to stop using the stippling brush because I like this one for the purpose so much better. The only negative, and it doesn't apply for my purposes, is that it's softer than what you might normally think of as a foundation brush and so not appropriate for heavier products like stick foundation. I use that on my nose, which needs more coverage, and have to use a different brush (or my fingers) but it's worth it.
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Styling Products -Frederic Fekkai - All Day Hair Plump
smmalloy 3/16/2011 4:43:00 PM
I still can't believe I spent $95 on this! I'm writing this review in part to confess, because I haven't told anyone in case they'll think I'm either crazy or just reckless. But honestly, it makes a huge difference in my hair. I have medium length, color-treated hair that is curly but soft and with very little body. This makes my hair shiny, bouncy and thicker-looking, more than anything else I've ever used. I got a sample from Neiman-Marcus and liked it so much that I went back only to find it was sold out. My epiphany came when I tried to find it at Sephora and found they no longer carried this product and the sales associate offered to let me talk to their specialist to find something similar. This guy told me he used to work for Fekkai and said that Sephora had nothing that compared, which was quite startling. I ended up not only ordering from Beauty.com but paying extra for shipping so I could have it in time for my desert vacation. You only need very little so I'm hoping it will last me a while! UPDATE: After using this for a while, I discovered that it was the culprit (not my shampoo) in making my hair flyaway & a bit dull. It was hard to wash out. I've switched to a leave-in conditioner and my hair looks much better. But it might still be a great choice for someone with a different hair texture than mine.
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Cleansers -Philosophy - Purity Made Simple (Real Purity Cleanser)
smmalloy 3/16/2011 4:24:00 PM
This isn't a bad cleanser, and I even re-purchased once, but I found out that once the weather turns drier, so does my skin with this cleanser. Right now I'm using it in the SF Bay area where the weather is cool and wet and all is well. When I took it to Phoenix for a recent vacation I thought my poor face was going to die. I actually had to run out and buy Cetaphil to give it a break. So I'm once more on the lookout for a gentle cleanser that will remove my makeup, since Cetaphil doesn't do that.
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