Brows -Maybelline - Master Shape
stephani99 4/13/2012 3:02:00 AM
I don't understand the difficulty in sharpening this; it can be done with a regular eye/lip pencil sharpener. I used my Sally Beauty Supply sharpener, the silver round metal one made in Germany, and UD Grindhouse with no problem. Just treat it like any other pencil. The plastic casing is not that hard to get through, it just looks like it OR they've changed it since it originally came out and mine is a newer/better version but regardless, I had no issues that way but plenty other issues causing this to be one of the worst brow pencils I've ever tried. If I could give it a 0 lippie rating I would. Sorry Maybelline, but this was an Epic Fail for me.
My issue with sharpening was the opposite of everyone else in that I did nothing BUT sharpen it. Every. Single. Time. The wax "lead" in this is so annoyingly soft that all it did was smear as I applied it to the point that the more I tried to fix it, the worse it got. It was also incredibly difficult (read: impossible) to apply with any precision whatsoever, much less blend afterwards, because it was so damn soft I couldn't keep a point on it for more than two seconds before I had to sharpen again so forget any kind of detail work or nice brow "tails". Blending just caused it to smear even more than applying it did, if not come off entirely. Because of all this, my entire pencil wore down so fast that I swear I went through half of it in three days because of all the sharpening to get and keep a point on it! I felt like I was using a half-melted brown crayon, which is what it looked like as well. This does not work well IMHO, for those of us whose brows need filling in. It applies so much product with each swipe that no matter how little pressure I used, I couldn't get a natural look with this no matter what. Just a heavy, thick layer of brown wax. And forget blending; every time I tried I ended up with it smearing around worse than it already did, and would come off on the spoolie, my hand, my brow brush, my dog, my husband, whatever touched it or so much as breathed near it. It never seemed to set so their claim of "long lasting" is a joke. It is heavily pigmented though and does hold brows in place so if that's all you need and you have thick brows that you have no problem staying within the lines so to speak, this might work. However, I don't need that and am growing mine back in so this was a Master Waste of Money for me and went back for a refund. I went back to their Define-a-Brow which does everything this doesn't, and doesn't need a sharpener at all :) Until now I wasn't sure that one was doing it for me until I tried this - now D-a-B feels like it should be awarded serious HG status, LOL
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Laura Geller - Spackle in Champagne
stephani99 4/10/2012 9:09:00 PM
I'm a bit confused by this product. It's a decent, if lightweight, primer that doesn't seem to have a lot of 'cones so it doesn't feel greasy, and my foundation or BB cream apply quickly and easily over it and lasts long enough and look good enough. Not all-day-OMG-amazing because I do get some shine breakthrough in the forehead region about mid-day, and I'm not even oily. Nope; what confuses me is that it's shimmery and glittery and makes me look like a disco ball until I apply makeup over to cover it up. I can use any kind- cream, powder, liquid, TM, BB, etc. and thankfully afterwards, there is not a glitter particle in sight nor any glow, but that just makes me wonder why it's there to begin with. Is it supposed to help those of us who need extra illumination? (dry skin is my cuplrit there) If so, it doesn't do that once you apply anything over it, and I surely cannot see this being good for anyone on the oily or even combo/oily side due to the same glittery shimmer. It's thin, kind of runny and needs to be shaken up first or the glitter settles in the bottom of the tube which is kind of annoying. But there is no scent, no breakouts and I have no major issues with it though one way or another. Just kind of 'meh' and leaves me wondering what it is really supposed to do, so I can figure out if it actually works or not. But, as someone else mentioned, it does seem to 'grab' my foundation so I guess that is one or two points in it's favor. Some of the really 'coney ones just seem to slide it around to the point it feels like it slides right off just as easily and I don't get that, at least.
All that said and considering this may be a dud of a primer compared to ones I know work better for me (Revlon, Pop Beauty, L'Oreal, Smashbox, MAC, etc.) I'm wondering if I can use it like MAC Strobe Cream or a liquid luminzer instead. Maybe mixing it with a BB cream or foundation instead of using underneath might give me the glow I was hoping for but not seeing used as a primer. I will try it and report back; because the tube I have is ginormus and I don't need a lot per use so I hope to find some way to use it. I won't be getting another one though, even if I could because I suspect it may be dc or only available in certain kits or sets which I don't need at the moment.
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Loose Powders -E.L.F. - Mineral Booster
stephani99 4/10/2012 7:40:00 PM
I got this in Sheer as a set with a full-sized brush in my local Grocery Outlet for about three bucks so I figured why not. I think it's also at Target. I really only wanted the brush which is a perfect smaller-than-average-blush-size brush that I wanted for some of my GWP blushes that are too small for a regular size blush brush. As it turns out, the powder is just as nice which was a bonus. I was expecting a pink, chalky craptastic cakey mess. Although it does appear pinkish in the jar, it claimed to be sheer so I gave it a whirl on my fair but warm (NC20) skin. I was amazed that not only does this not fly all over the place making a mess (in fact I have to really shake it to get any out as I use it), there is little to no pink once I applied, nor does it oxidize later and change color in any way. I was quite surprised at how good my skin looked with this, not to mention how long it lasted. I had to double-check to make sure I was actually using ELF and not BE Mineral Veil or my beloved Smashbox Halo.(Granted, it's not up to par with Halo but for the price of the tax on that alone, it is well worth it.)
I don't use the brush it came with though. It would work, but it is too small for adaquate buffing the way I prefer so I apply with a soft kabuki (the angled EcoTools from the LE 4-piece set) or MAC 187 to get a sheer application over my foundation or BB cream, which could also be why I get no pink tones. It needs to be applied in a way so it stays sheer, and it's not a foundation regardless. Applied this way I get a flawless finish with no caking, no breakouts or irritation (this was the only one in the series without Bismuth that I saw, which I am allergic to;) no dryness (even on my normal to often-dry skin) and no setting into any fine lines. This sets my foundation/BB cream beautifully, makes it last forever while minimizing pores, and gives a lovely airbrushed look without the 'flatness' of most mineral powders without shimmer. It's more like a satin or velvet finish. It reminds me of BE Mineral Veil at a fraction of the price; same kind of product in the same type/size jar (in the set, I've no idea re full or other sizes yet).This may not be as finely milled as the BE when you get right down to it, but it's not far off. I think there are quite a few skin-friendly ingredients in here, vitamins C and E along with others that my skin seems to soak up and beg for more (in a good way). I'm likely going back for another set before they sell out when others figure out how great this is too, because I hate ordering from ELF and not sure my Target has in store. It really is as good as some of my higher end powders, and I never ever thought I'd say that about this brand not having any luck except for this powder, the Studio brushes, blushes and eye primer in a pinch. Worth the five bucks or whatever it costs to try, even if the rest of the line has left you cold like it did me until I found this little diamond in the rough.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -BeneFit Cosmetics - Benetint
stephani99 4/10/2012 5:01:00 PM
I love BeneTint; lousy packaging and somewhat high price notwithstanding for a cute bottle of what is basically rose-scented food coloring. I've owned the Pocket Pal Duo as well, which I actually used up (!) but can't find that as easily anymore- pity because it was the best for travel or makeup bag.
Anyway, despite my dislike for the overall packaging of this in full size, it does what it promises and does it well and I've not found a better replacement yet. I love how easy it is to use; swipe, blend and go. I adore how buildable it is for lips and cheeks; how it lasts a long time and flatters just about everyone because it is sheer enough to look natural and doesn't scream "blush!". I use it by itself more often but sometimes I wear it under a powder or cream blush if I really need those to last longer or show up more. I also like that it's one of the only lip stains that doesn't totally dry out my lips nor turn that dreaded bright fuschia color a lot of pink and red stains do on me. This always stays a lovely soft pink flush.
The downside is that yes, the nail polish-style cap on this can crack and it can leak. (One of my purses learned the hard way). And yes, it's PITA to travel with for this reason with so you basically can't, but otherwise it has a safe spot on my vanity and probably always will. I didn't care for the pink Posietint or the Cha Cha versions spawned after this (the former didn't show up and the latter is too orange for my liking) which might prove that maybe you shouldn't mess with a good thing. I still think it's a bit pricey for what it is, but a little goes a long way and I get so much mileage out of this that it's worth it. Unless something else comes along that performs just as well but which I haven't seen yet, I'll continute to be a fan.
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Lip Gloss -Bare Escentuals - Buxom Lips Full Color Sophia
stephani99 4/10/2012 4:37:00 PM
I'm sad to say that out of the 8-10 of these I now own, this was the first one I disliked enough to return (actually, it's the first one I've disliked at all). It's the warm-toned sister to Roxanne; more of a peachy/bronze than Roxanne's rosy-bronze. The metallic finish of Sophia is not attractive at all on me though and seems more frosty than Roxanne, and also appears more orangey on my lips than in the tube. Every time I looked at myself with this on, I felt like a warm-toned version of the Tin Man from Wizard of Oz. It simply did not work no matter what I tried. Otherwise it has the same great formula, texture, pigment, lasting power, taste, scent, plumping effect and all the rest this line is known for which I love. It was the shade that killed it for me so it warrants a two lippy rating, rather than one. I exchanged Sophia for Sugar which I'm so far very happy with.
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BB Cream -MISSHA - M Perfect Cover BB Cream
stephani99 4/4/2012 6:23:00 PM
Having jumped on the BB Bandwagon at last, I've now tried and own this, a sample of Dior's, the Garnier one and TheBalm's TM which sounds very similar to a BB but isn't technically considered one. MISSHA's is so far my favorite in terms of shade, finish, blendability and skin benefits. I wear #21, Light Beige currently and have a small size of #23 the darker beige, to try during the summer.
This is not as dewy in finish as the Garnier and has better coverage by far. I like that one, but you need "good" skin to use it right off the top where this you don't, as it was intended. It's not as matte as TheBalm TM, and has better coverage than the Dior which was thinner and more runny but about the same shade as #21. Right now I can see why these are popular- my skin is in bad shape, dry, red, rough, looks and feels horrible due to an allergic reaction to a Strivectin serum to the point that even touching it was painful and nothing helped much less looked good, just made it worse. This has been the only makeup foundation- type product I can wear without further irritating my already irritated skin since the allergy occured, and it seems to be helping as the days go by. It goes on easily (love the pump), blends well, covers wonderfully, lasts a long time (I set by dusting a light finishing powder on top to help with that if I feel like it. Other times I leave it and it looks fine on it's own too). This doesn't further irritate or break me out, and my skin seems to like it. I run on the dry side so I don't need oil conrol and this seems the perfect blend of everything for my skin tone and skin type. A little dab will do ya too -a little goes a long way. One pump is enough to do my whole face. I don't notice a strong scent, at least not as strong as the Garnier by comparison so that doesn't bother me.
I'm happy these exist now whether they are really glorified TMs or not, and are more widely available to the US market. I know there are others coming out in practically every brand now, but this one works so well for me so far and is in my price range so I'm reluctant to try anything else yet. I can definitely see why these are popular for problematic skin types or issues, and I'm grateful for that now that I've had a reason to need it myself. I will continue to use this even after my skin clears up because I am enjoying the benefits and properties this brings and feel that things can only get better if it's been this good so far with my current state of "bad" skin. I also like their twin cake powder foundation and sheet masks, but those are different reviews :)
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -MISSHA - M prism two way cake
stephani99 4/3/2012 7:12:00 PM
Surprised there aren't more reviews for this. I got it in a box set from their website that comes with a small tube of their green primer and another small tube of one of their foundations (not a BB) in shade 21 to match the powder. First thing that grabbed me was how lovely the golden refillable compact is; simply gorgeous and classy- looking. Sturdy enough to carry around without being overly heavy or bulky. It's worth the price of admission alone since most compacts in my price range are ugly, heavy or just too cumbersome to use, if not all of these. I'm thrilled that this compact has a spot for the puff sponge on TOP of the powder separated by a plastic divider, rather than underneath for a change. It's a breeze to carry and use and given the nice large mirror, it's become the new everyday compact for my purse.
The powder itself is very finely milled and soft, but not so much it flies everywhere when you use it. It's a pale but warm, yellow-toned light beige shade that when applied, is almost the same shade as it looks but melds and settles down with my skin nicely after a minute or two without a heavy look or feel. It works great as a finishing powder when applied with a brush, and can perform as a powder foundation with either the sponge puff or a denser brush like a kabuki. I think I personally Iike it best as a finishing or touchup powder though. It's true, as the below reviewer also stated, that it doesn't have a ton of coverage but manages to even things out nicely without looking overly powdery. I mostly prefer to use over my BB (also by them) to set and make it last longer throughout the day. It reminds me a bit of my old Lancome Photogenic powder in Light Buff in fact, if not even better texture-wise. I have not tried using it wet since the dry finish works for me so far, but I think you can (hence the "two way" part, I think). I'm dry so I don't need oil control but I also have a hard time with powders looking cakey or heavy on me for the same reason. This doesn't tend to do that unless I really glop it on and a little goes a long way. I find it applies best with a brush, and save the puff for spot touchups or heavier coverage in areas where I need it. I experience no irriration or breakouts from this, and so far it ranks up with my most-loved powder foundations in terms of shade, texture, finish and blendability and even better as a finishing or touchup powder. Unless something else that really blows me out of the water comes along, I will likely repurchase a refill to use with the same compact when the time comes if it continues to perform as well as it has so far. I have nothing to dislike about this or any other MISSHA product I've tried so far (this, BB cream, sheet mask, makeup remover cleansing wipes), except that their shipping is a bit slow and the English translation on the box in terms of product info and directions leaves a bit to be desired (it doesn't make a lot of sense grammar-wise, but it's not like it's hard to figure out what to do here, lol!) It's a nice powder if you are on the pale warm side of the spectrum because it appears they only have the one shade, Light Beige, which matches this NC20 pretty well. This definitely outperforms all the lower-end drugstore powders I have been using and I love having an attractive 'fancy' compact again as well.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Pop Beauty - Face Magnet Primer
stephani99 3/30/2012 8:16:00 PM
I got this unseen and practically unheard of with Pop's "All the Bases" kit some time ago. Problem is, I have so many primers from various brands in both full size and samples, that I tend to forget about some of them. This was not one that ever gathered dust, however. I reach for it so often that much of the writing on the bottle wore away months ago.
This was also a lifesaver (or skinsaver?) during the dry winter months. My poor skin got so dry that no matter what I did, it hurt to touch. Even applying blush with my softest brush felt like sandblasting. Most primers, especially those designed to control oil, just made things worse by sucking out what little moisture I managed to put back. I started to avoid and dread doing my makeup on days I had to work because it looked and felt so parched I literally felt it might crack and flake away, and it started to turn red from irritation. This was the only primer in my stash at the time that not only worked, it actually improved my skin. Instantly upon application, ahhhhh, it felt and looked 100% better.
This is not your average thin light silicone-based primer; it means business. It's thicker in texture than the majority I've tried (although I am seeing more lotion types now than ever before). This has a thicker creamy texture that despite that, soaks in quickly and leaves my face smooth and soft, not sticky or weighted down. My skin feels firmer yet 'plumped up' and competely hydrated without looking or feeling heavy, oily or greasy. Formerly noticable pores and fine lines are minimzed as well, and I think my skin looks brighter and more even-toned in general. With this on, my foundation (whether powder, cream or liquid) smooths on easily, looks great and lasts all day. You don't need to use a lot and it's a good sized squeeze tube whose only defect is you can't see how much is left. This also have SPF (a physical one consisting of mostly titanium dioxide) but I don't know how much and they're not quite clear on that aspect. The closest thing I can compare it to in terms of the type of bottle, texture and application is MAC Prep & Prime SPF50 although I seem to notice far more skin-enhancing and improving benefits with this than I ever did with that. If I had both sitting in front of me, this wins.
Since I started using this, I can't wait to put my face on every morning again and will definitely repurchase. Crazy as it sounds, it truly seems like my skin breathes a sigh of relief with this and the results were better than any other primer, even other moisturizers or serums, I tried. I cannot speak to how well it controls oil as I obviously don't have that issue, but if like me you are on the dry side but still want or need to use a primer, give this a shot. Even with my dry skin (which thankfully isn't always THIS dry, in summer it's definitely combo!) primers make my skin look and feel better, which in turn makes my foundation look and feel better, last longer and generally perform better overall than on their own. If you're tired of primers that all seem the same, simply don't deliver, and/or you are dry (even if not to the painful level I was) give this a whirl. I can't say enough good things about it and am pressed to find something even remotely negative, the price? Naw, it's worth every penny to me now. The opaque bottle? Annoying but not a dealbreaker. This deserves far more attention than it gets, the entire brand in general actually, because they do have some standout products. Not everything mind you but what is good like this, is exceptionally good.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Physicians Formula - pH matchmaker
stephani99 3/28/2012 7:49:00 PM
What is interesting about this is the "Natural" shade I have seems anything but. It appears a little more warm toned, more of a coral pink in the pan, but on me it's a normal shade of vibrant pink without any peach or coral tone. Bummer. However, it's highly pigmented without shimmer or glitter (once you get through the cute little imprinted silver dots on the surface, which takes about five minutes or one to two uses). I don't know if the PH claim really works, but this does seem to be a different shade on me than it seems like on others here. Regardless, when I'm in the mood for a bright blush I reach for this as it definitely makes me look awake even when I'm not wearing a lot of other makeup, and looks like I just came in from the cold. This doesn't fade much (if at all) throughout the day and the texture is nice; soft and finely milled, not chalky at all even on my dry skin. I need very little to get it to show up and it blends nicely. It can be very easy to over-apply though, especially if you have a heavy hand or dense brush - a Skunk brush is a must for me with this!
The lighted compact is.... interesting. Gimmicky to be sure and that's ok. I got it for the fun of it because it was cute and different and I've got nothing like it and apparently, had money burning a hole in my pocket at the time. Pity it doesn't seem to be refillable because it's sturdy enough (read: a bit bulky) to last awhile. It works pretty well, despite that the light is more of a flourescent or halogen-type than any kind of natural light so it's not the most flattering for doing makeup. But, it works in a pinch so if you get stuck in a cave with just this and your latest crush or something, hey look at that -you can still pretty up your face! Ok....more realistically, it makes for a good flashlight when you can't find your keys in your ginormous handbag like mine. Beyond that I haven't so far had a lot of use for the light, but it is still a unique concept.
Despite my being a little bummed I don't see any noticable peach or coral tones in the Natural shade that others seem to, I still like it enough to keep and use and don't regret it (plus it was probably on sale with a $3 off coupon at the time) but at the rate I'm using it (slowly due to the good lasting power and pigmentation) I will probably never have to buy another one. I also liked it well enough to get the Rose version (and hey, perhaps that one will be the coral shade I'm after. Based on what I've experienced with Natural, anything is possible and perhaps I'm the one who is backwards and have a wonky PH?) These are more on the matte side for me so they're a nice change from my usual shimmery blushes, PH or no PH, and while I may not repurchase either shade again anytime soon, they currently have a spot in my regular blush rotation which is pretty much all I ask for.
4 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Stila - Plumping Lip Glaze
stephani99 3/24/2012 9:11:00 PM
I like these, but NO way would I pay $24 (really Stila?!) but I got one for 1/4 that at a warehouse sale on a whim because I thought what the heck, I pay more than that for drugstore glosses these days. Berry Mint was the one I chose. The rest looked sheer, nude or peachy which I wasn't after at the time. This one is a light pinky-lavender with very faint shimmer I can't see once it's on. It's a good-sized tube, twice as large as their regular lip glazes. They have a minty tingle (as all plumpers do to some degree and with 'mint' in the name I was fully expecting it even more, but it's not OTT). Whether they actually do plump or not, the illusion I get is that they do. I also like the shine and lasting power. They are sticky, not to the thick MAC Lipglass level of sticky; more like a thinner Buxom gloss kind of sticky if that makes sense. In fact, these remind me a lot of the Buxom line in terms of scent/taste, feel, tingle/plumping action and color (the sheer shades only, as these are too), if Buxoms came in a click-pen. I don't mind this style once it gets going; after that you only need a couple clicks to apply each time. Even without a mirror. So far it does not seem to dry out my lips wich is my main concern with plumpers and minty glosses, but it wears and looks quite nice alone or over a pink, mauve or rose lipstick to add shine. I can only give a four though, because I wish they were easier to find offline but I'll repurchase when I can either way if I see them again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Bare Escentuals - bareMinerals Big & Bright
stephani99 3/21/2012 7:04:00 PM
This is reviewing the Big & Bright Eyeliner Kit from Sephora that comes with 2 liners (Slate and Black Iris), a tiny tube of Brightening Opal eye base, a travel size pointed pencil-type smudge brush and a deluxe mini size black mascara.
The liners are nicely pigmented, creamy, easy to apply, easy to blend and didn't fade as much as I expected based on reviews here, even after a full day. I really like the blue-gray Slate which has no shimmer. Black Iris is a purple-tinged black, also without shimmer, but is otherwise nothing special. I can't say they look bigger but I do think the whites of my eyes do look brighter with Slate especially, and they do seem clearer and perhaps a bit more vibrant. However, I am not sure having to buy the set just for that one liner is worth it because they do not sell either of these singly according to SA at Sephora who opened the set AND checked the regular stock for me to find out.
Next we come to the Brightening Opal base. This seemed much more unique as a tester in the store than it is in the set. It's a shimmery light pink that seemed to have the potential to really brighten but in reality, barely shows up, even after applying two layers after which the tube is nearly gone. It's like it blends away to nothing and the more you try to get it to show up, the less it actually does. It's thin and weak in texture and by the end of the day it creased a bit so was a disappointment. Sad because it was the one item I was probably the most excited to try. I really was hoping to find a nice light pink brightening eye base but this isn't it.
Next up, the mascara. It just plain sucks. The brush is a hard plastic type with super short, narrowly-spaced brustles that taper to a triangular point and deposited nothing but clumps. I found it no better than your basic drugstore mascara and not even a good one at that. But, it didn't flake or smudge for not claiming to be waterproof (that I can tell anyway, as it doesn't say), and didn't pull out my curl. It does nothing for length or volume though, and takes at least two to three coats to do much of anything so I'm not sure what the point of it is. I guess it kind of separates...once you get past the clumps the horrid brush leaves behind. It did dry fast and is a true black shade, at least.
Finally, the smudge brush, which is probably the best thing about this entire set - IF I needed another eye brush, which I don't. It's soft and dense; according to the directions you are supposed to smudge the liner into the creases of your eyes using the brush to achieve a dramatic darker smoky 'nighttime' look but for the life of me, I can't get it to do that or look anything like the examples on the box. All I manage to do is smudge the liner entirely off my lids which forces me to start the whole process over again.
I think I paid $26 or $28 for this set ("a $65 value!" or something, of course) because I hadn't tried a BE set before and this looked and sounded so promising but sadly, doesn't deliver. It's not worth keeping just for Slate so I'll be returning it to Sephora as soon as possible for a refund and won't be bothering with any more BE kits. I'll stick to their Buxom glosses and leave the rest well enough alone, having finally learned that the majority of their products make a lot of promises but have little actual substance.
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Mascara -Maybelline - The Falsies Flared Waterproof
stephani99 3/20/2012 6:08:00 PM
This is an Epic Fail for Maybelline which is sad because they've made some of my favorite mascaras ever (especially the wp formulas), but this is just plain bad with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Ok... maybe the purple and blue tube is attractive and I don't think it flakes but that's all I can say for it. It's bone-dry right out of the tube and we're talking brand new, which causes it to clump like nothing I've ever seen. The brush is useless; it doesn't separate or deposit enough product on your lashes to do anything. I get absolutely NO curl holding at all and that's the ONE thing I buy wp mascara for. And Falsies? Nope; I get no volumized false-lash look with this whatsoever no matter how I apply it. All I get are stick-straight wimpy clumpy-looking lashes that do flare- straight into nothing even after three coats and combing to death hoping something might be gained or at least salvagable but nope. I bought this during a sale to get a Bouncy Blush half off because I didn't want to pay full price for that either but this is just horrible and going straight into the round file as fast as I can chuck it there. Back to Maybelline Colossal, CGLB Volume and L'Oreal False Lash and Carbon Black Voluminous waterproof versions. Any and all of these are ten times better than Falsies Flared ever could hope to be.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Bare Escentuals - Buxom Lips Lip Gloss - ALL
stephani99 3/19/2012 8:37:00 PM
I love these glosses for quite a few reasons. I"m finding more and more that I can easily own and use just these and be perfectly happy, and I've never been exclusive with lip products especially. I just love the wide variety of shades to choose from in this line. Everything from pale to vampy with different finishes: sheer with shimmer, sheer minus shimmer, opaque full color, diamond/sparkle, and the original. They do give me a little plumping action without the usual "burn" and they last a very long time for a gloss (hours as opposed to minutes). They have inoffensive if not downright tasty scents (I'm on the picky side in this area); they seem to give you a lot of product for the price, have the cutest packaging and come out with mini sets and a variety of different kinds of collections a few times a year. There is almost always something I want to try.
I think my only real complaint would have to be the ginormous tubes. They're just so heavy and bulky, more so than any other gloss I can think of. I seriously doubt the walls of these tubes need to be as thick plastic as they are, but on the other hand I never lose any of them due to the size! Of all the 'girls' they've had that I know of and since I started wearing these a few years ago, thus far I have Dolly, Clair, Brandi, Skipper, Melonie, Liberty, Roxanne, Ginger and my most recent additions, Candi, Sugar and Betsy. Love them all except for Skipper which I got it sight unseen and didn't realize it had a light green or blue duochrome-like shimmer that clashes with my warm skintone. The rest are so well-loved and carried around the writing on my tubes are starting to wear off, if it hasn't entirely in some cases.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Korres - Mango Butter Lipstick in Natural Pink 13
stephani99 3/19/2012 5:50:00 PM
Apparently I left my makeup bag on my bed and my dog decided she wanted to wear my current favorite MLBB lippie (Sonia Kasuk's Sheer Orchid, which of course I can no longer find and not sure they still make) so I had to find something similar to take it's place, if not something better. This is better :) and my first Korres lippie which I adore. How nice it is was a pleasant surprise after my disappointment with their tinted butters which weren't as moisturizing as I wanted and a PITA to apply (pot balms + nails = gooey mess). I was at Sephora picking up my birthday freebie and ran across this by complete chance. It was in a set they had on display or I'd never have noticed it I'm sure. However, I only wanted the lippie out of the set so was thrilled to find it available solo. So far it's run circles around my former go-to neutral lippie (the SK) and pretty much all other MLBB pink lippies I own, which is quite a few by now.
I'm guessing the reviewer below me got it on sale because I think they repackaged these. Now the tube is a shiny dark brown with white print, not white with dark print like the pic here. The shade itself looks TTL though and the name Natural Pink is perfect. It's a lovely neutral medium pink. Not cool nor bright, no Barbie-pink or pastel, no peach or brown. Just perfect. My natural lip color is more mauve than this is though, so I like that it neutralizes the coolness of my natural tone without muting my entire lipcolor, if that makes sense!
This stuff is so incredibly moisturizing it feels like heaven on my poor constantly chapped winter-dry lips. This has a lovely shine to it, which makes my lips look fuller and plumper without any shimmer (the other thing I didn't care for with the SK, shimmer and lack of moisture). This is probably the most moisturizing lipstick I own and I mean to the point I want to call it a tinted balm which in turn would blow all other tinted lip balms and butters out of the water, even their own! It is definitely sheer as it says on the tube so it takes a couple layers to show up, especially if you have pigmented lips to begin with. Given the sheerness and moisturizing properties this does not last long at all unless topped with a heavier clear gloss or balm. I find having soft, smooth lips and a lippie I can apply without a mirror that doesn't get thick and cake-y or settle into every nook and cranny worth the extra swipe or two. I don't notice a taste or scent, good bad or otherwise. I also don't find it expensive for a lipstick of this size and quality and despite that it's probably not the most unique shade in the world I'd still repurchase. I don't think they had more than four or five shades in the line and the other one that caught my eye was the Rose, which I may pick up when I replenish this shade, as it is already in heavy rotation in my makeup bag.
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Lipstick -Sonia Kashuk - Luxury Lip Color - Sheer Orchid
stephani99 2/27/2012 2:44:00 PM
This is my first SK lipstick (possibly first actual SK makeup item ever, in fact) and I like it quite a bit. For some reason, "Orchid" always makes me think of purple or lavender but thankfully this is neither. I picked it up for $2.98 on clearance, the last one so I figured it was a sign. I believe this shade was recommended in some magazine not too long ago as a good neutral pink for fair skintones, which it is. It's a great everyday no-brainer shade I can grab and apply without a mirror and doesn't require a liner. The square white tube with the color swatch on the top makes it easy to find in my cavern of a purse. Nice texture, smooth, not waxy or thick, and decently pigmented (especially for being called 'sheer'). It has a slightly shimmery finish without being metallic or frosty with a slight vanilla scent similar to MAC. Like most drugstore brands it's not terribly moisturizing but on the other hand is not really drying either. Either way, I tend to use a lipbalm underneath to offset this as my lips lean dry. The color stays true and although I can't say it's one I'd immediately pick out of a crowd it is surprisingly flattering and I'm glad I got it, sale or no. It seems to polish off my normal daytime look and make my lips look fuller which is a bonus :) The lasting power is as you'd expect, an hour or two depending on eating/drinking/etc. It's a somewhere between nude, pink and peach without leaning any way in particular which allows it to go well with almost everything. The shimmer is not a cool or silvery shimmer like some pinks seem to have (and which makes them unwearable on my warm skintone). If anything it's probably a gold shimmer, but so fine that you barely know it's there because all I see is shine, not "shimmer". I'd certainly pick up this shade again when I run out because I can see myself wearing this a lot. Granted, I don't think I have ever finished a whole lipstick but stranger things have happened!
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