Highlighters -NYX - Mosaic Powder Highlighter
thupham2 11/8/2011 12:38:00 AM
You will either like or dislike this product. If you can tolerate a purple sheen on your cheekbones without any worry, then this is for you. If you are not worried that people will raise their eyebrows and question as to why your face has a pale lilac strip across the 2 sides of your face, then this is for you. The more subtly you apply this highlighter, the safer it is to step out in public, but this then means that this is not a product you can build up or layer. Because it is a cool purple glow, those cool-toned ladies, this would be more flattering on your skintone than people with yellow, tanned tones. I give it thumbs up for the way it provides a lovely glow to the skin without looking too glittery or oily. Its shimmer particles are very finely milled...but it's colour base is not to die for. I won't buy again because purple clashes horribly on my yellow face.
10 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Highlighters -E.L.F. - All Over Color Stick in Spotlight
thupham2 11/8/2011 12:32:00 AM
I admit that the sticky, gloppy formula is not the easiest to work with (hence 4 lippies) but I do not want this to deter other readers from trying this out because it is an extremely affordable product and the glow you get from it is well worth the extra seconds of blending, blending, blending. Poor highlighters tend to give you this glitter-bomb effect, or else make you look extremely oily instead of glowy. Spotlight gives a pearlescent sheen & glow that doesn't make you look like a disco ball so, thumbs up for this! This also worked well on my medium skin tone which surprisd me, as very stark white highlighters in the past have always looked pure WHITE on my cheeks. This one somehow manages to blend seamlessly into my yellow undertones & give me a natural glowing effect. Must have something to do with the fact that it is cream formula and not powder... It is best applied to the high points of your face, but I recommend only dabbing it in instead of getting the product and smearing it across your face like you would war paint. Slight dab dab dabbing motions with a finishing buffing motion is all you need. Be very gentle, & you won't be disappointed. HOwever, one drawback is the amount you get. Otherwise, a very handy (but sticky) highlighting tool that certainly does the trick
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Red Earth Cosmetics - Duo Blush in CI001
thupham2 10/30/2011 12:15:00 PM
A gorgeous colour, but translated onto Asian skin - the tawny hue takes over the peachy hue and this becomes a very subtle brown-toned bronzer on my skin. The colour change from pan to skin is very very slight, but it makes all the difference if you're wanting a bright peachy perk-me-up Indian yellow & you get this tanned burnt orange. This is, as I just said, more like the latter when applied to my NW20 skin. On my own skintone, this is not flattering but actually dampens my yellow hues...it took me a while to work this out: applying this blush daily and remembering how I always felt a little disgruntled with the finish, turning my head from side to side in the sunlight, wondering what exacty was wrong with it...as if it left more wanting. When I finally worked out it was the amber orange color that displeasing, I tried to instead, apply only a thin layer but obviously if the type of orange is wrong, it's gonna go wrong on my face no matter how light-handed I try to be. I personally won't buy this again, but pigmentation, lasting powder is good. Not very good at blending though, imao.
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Pressed Powders -Revlon - ColorStay Stay Natural Powder
thupham2 10/23/2011 12:33:00 AM
First and foremost, this has very impressive oil control. I have put a lot of powders to their graves because they failed to control my uncontrollable oily skin but this, however, defied all odds. Second, it lasts for long time. I find that I repowder my face every 4-5 hours with this powder on as opposed to my usual 2-3 hours with other drugstore brands. Thirdly it "degrades" well...in other words, it doesn't do that thing that most powders do; where it makes your foundation look nice for the first 20 minutes and then turns clumpy & cakey mess after 1 hr. It MAINTAINS A "JUST-APPLIED" LOOK for a long period of time; good degradation (is that the right phrase to use? "Keeps FRESH for long" maybe?) Absolute superstar & absolutely impressed. I have one problem with this that would prevent me from buying this a second time: the finish. It's a blatant "I'm wearing makeup!" look. It's a powdery & slightly chalky finish that will disagree with all folks who only want to have natural-looking makeup. If you want that no-makeup look (natural, glowy, barely-there), this is not the go-to powder. I love the oil control this gives but if I ever come across one that provided a better finish but with similarly good oil control & "degradation", I'd have no hesitations leaving this one forever.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -BeneFit Cosmetics - Honk If You're... [DISCONTINUED]
thupham2 10/7/2011 9:55:00 AM
If you're not dark-skinned, I recommend using this as a contouring powder. I find that the brown-based contouring powders make my face look muddy & this one is more natural-looking. Warning: VERY PIGMENTED. You feel like you're swiping those art charcoal sketching chalks onto your face. The trick here is to use a fan brush because it will pick up minimal powder and it also ideally shaped to create that "hollowed cheek" line across your face. Try it out and hopefully you will find a reason to keep this blush as I have
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Pressed Powders -Physicians Formula - Multi-Colored Corrector- GREEN
thupham2 9/3/2011 11:25:00 PM
I had some doubts about writing this review as I don't have rosacea & am not ideal to judge something designed for over-reddened skin. So I waited for a day when my skin was particularly red and flushed - and after my usual foundation and concealer routine, I applied this sparingly across the areas of redness (deliberately ignored the non-red areas just so that I could test its effectiveness of actual reddened skin) but found that - to my horror - a greenish tint was becoming visible after the 1st layer of powder...I tried doing it again and with the thinnest layer possible...this time there was no Wicked Witch of the West characterization to speak of, but the amount of powder was so minimal that it hardly counts. Nevertheless, I continuously tried different application methods for 3 weeks but found that no matter what, this was a strange, too-green powder that failed to do what it was meant to do. I wonder if Physicians Formula even TESTED this out before unleashing it out into the cynical & highly demanding beauty market.
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Highlighters -Red Earth Cosmetics - Secret Potion
thupham2 9/1/2011 5:53:00 AM
I bought the one in pearl and found that it gave my skin an iridescent sheen, like someone who was fit and looked after their skin well. The pearl color meant it would make a suitable highlighter for pale cool-toned skin tones (e.g. caucasians) but on my yellow skin, it certainly appeared a tad more oily than glowy. IF applied more than an inch diameter, it will make your face look sweaty. Has to be applied in very small amounts on pin-point areas of face. I don't recommend mixing with foundation as it makes the foundation lose and thin out its coverage...only use it as an adjunct previous to having applied foundation. Wouldn't buy again coz it can appear a little too oily and lacks that subtle luminous, opaque glow I look for in liquid highlighters. Its highlighting effect is a little more shiny, glittery & in-your-face than I would like.
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Moisturizers -Olay - Hydrating Beauty Fluid
thupham2 9/1/2011 3:36:00 AM
Will never let you down regardless of how badly affected your skin is by acne. Just kept using it and had no negative reactions at all. Very gentle and me very impressed! A thick consistency but it is like fairy floss - appears thick but when you put your hand through it, it goes right through like whipped cream. So it's very light and sinks right into your skin; no troubles whatsoever. Lovely roses and baby powder sort of scent. Perfect for skincare layering coz it's just that light and fast-absorbing. I use this after toner and before serum. It acts a bit like my moisture balancing toner whereas my real toner is my astringent/pH balancing toner ;)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Natio - Young Oil Free Moisturiser
thupham2 8/31/2011 10:42:00 AM
The texture is clumpy but runny and I get the impression that this is a really cheap, poorly made product. It is nothing compared to the other Natio products I enjoyed. Absorbs quickly but not at all moisturizing nor does it seem to assist with my acne-prone skin or oil control at all. It is, by in large, a very simple but poor moisturizer and a very big disappointment. Fortunately, it does not irritate my skin when it is more sensitive from acne, but it doesn't do much else either. Sometimes I felt it left a sort of icky residual film over the surface of my skin - like it hadn't fully or properly absorbed into my skin but instead, had dried on top and formed a barrier. The smell is, as others have mentioned, unpleasant.
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Toners -Natio - Gentle Skin Toner
thupham2 8/30/2011 10:00:00 PM
Um, I don't know why other reviews complain of stinging or inflammatory reactions, but this was not the case with me. I guess it depends on each skin type. My advice is don't completely rule this out...you won't know how good or bad it is unless you try it for yourself. I really love this toner to bits which is why I gave such advice. You may find that you adore it too. The smell is botanical and pleasant, the toning lotion itself is very very gentle and soft on the skin. You also get a fair amount so it will last you a long time. My no. 1 fave about this is that there it is alcohol-free so it doesn't dry the skin out. I have never had problems with this and for that reason I can imagine myself buying this over and over again. It has proved to be a nifty reliable ol' thing. Works for me even when I have bad acne - that proves how gentle it is. Love.
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Skincare -Natio - SPF 30 Face Moisturiser
thupham2 8/30/2011 9:34:00 PM
To judge a good sunscreen, read to see if the blurb says "Good as a makeup base" because those ones tend to leave a more matte & flattering finish on your skin. e.g. this Natio one. I will confess that it is not truly matte and it can even look oily at times; but the oiliness is a light, easily-removed and gentler than other facial sunscreens sold in pharmacies. This makes me respect Natio a whole lot more than I already do. Tone down the oiliness by using a small blob - about a centimeter. I love the pink colour (sooo cute!) and it has a light balm-like texture so it doesn't run down your fingers and get all over the place. Absorbs nicely too has a pleasant girly aroma - none of that typical sunscreen scent! I really would come back to get this again because the oil is not heavy and doesn't feel like it's suffocating my face. It's not that type of sheen-like oily film that adheres firmly to your skin. It floats on top and, like I said, it is rather light: it is literally completely removable with a quick swipe of a tissue/blotting paper. I also love that it is gentle on my sensitive skin (but avoid on acne days...the oil is light in weight but a little thick in texture...does that make any sense?) 4 stars instead of 5 coz I would love this to be a bit more matte. That said, it is gentle & light-weight. I really like that I can reapply this throughout the day without worrying about heavy build-up of oil.
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Eye Shadow -BeneFit Cosmetics - Creaseless Cream Shadow in My Date's My Brother [DISCONTINUED]
thupham2 8/30/2011 8:36:00 PM
Firstly: yes. This thing does not crease. NOt even a millimeter of an inch. So, Benefit does indeed live up to its claims on this little handy pot. Secondly, the colour is a metallic cool-toned pink that is pretty but probably best suited for pale skinned & blue-undertoned ladies. I mean anyone under the MAC NW/NC 20-25 shade range coz otherwise the cream might appear a bit too "white" on darker skin tones. Would I buy this again? Well, blending is the big problem. It is HORRIBLE at blending (I bought mine for 50% off from strawbrerry.net so maybe it was old stock?) and so difficult to even out. I tried all sorts of techniques to blend it right, but it was an instant fail. THat was all it took to dislike this product. A total time-waster & over-priced to boot. (Lasting power is good though, just to let you know...) Personally, I don't think this makes an ideal eye primer. I mean, yes, it will prevent your shadow from creasing, but I'm not so sure about eyeshadow adhesion since it's got this dry, sandy texture which makes it harder for the eyeshadow powder to stick onto. It also doesn't amp up eyeshadow colour that great. I'm definitely not coming back to this one.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Highlighters -Stila - Illuminating Finishing Powder - Gold
thupham2 8/21/2011 1:18:00 AM
Yep, the block of powder fell out when I opened the lid. I fixed it with a bit of fresh glue so that wasn't a problem. The real problem, however, was this: the powder is hard & not well pigmented (used a hard scratchy brush to get out a decent amount of powder). And when applied onto the skin, the powder particles are uneven, some are chunky, and the overall look is sadly a bit drying (funny, as its meant to give you a dewy, fresh look). But I want to point out that there is nothing wrong with the shade/colour/hue itself. It is an iced buttery colour (more white than gold when placed on the skin). Colour-wise, I only recommend this for pale ladies. IN MAC TERMS I MEAN NC/NW25 OR LOWER. Otherwise, the whitish sheen of the highlighter will mimic oily/sweaty skin (e.g. me); not so much glowy illuminated skin. I think the quality, pigmentation and, well, everything about this product could be better improved. Not buying again. Anyone want my one?
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Primer/ Corrector -L'Oreal - Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base
thupham2 8/7/2011 4:01:00 AM
The smooth, creamy & silky silicone texture tricked me into believing that this was a good pore-filler and oil-controller. SOOO WRONG! The texture of this primer was so smooth but it meant that it slipped on my skin a lot, so my foundation & concealer didn't stay put very well. By the end of the day, they had worn off pretty quickly. Pore filler? no, not really. I applied a cheap water-based primer to one side of my face & the L'Oreal one to the other - do the same if you have a water-based primer - then apply your foundation. You will see that the slippery formula doesn't actually REMAIN covering the pores but slips and slides so that the size of the pores on both sides looked exactly the same by the end of my foundation application. Lastly, I felt this was difficult to blend. As it was clear, it was hard to tell if I had blended it through properly enough. It was also hard to see if there was uneven coverage of primer. Just difficult to use. I also felt that the silicone base made my face feel funnily oily, like the primer was completely smothering my skin under this thick heavy layer. I would not buy again coz: no pore coverage, no staying power, no oil control & not a good canvas base for foundation. SKip this one, ladies
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -TheFACEShop - Pearl
thupham2 8/6/2011 9:32:00 AM
If you've ordered your reviews by "Date (newest first)", the review below mine (by graceyappy) states exactly what I dislike about this mask. In fact, you could stop reading this right now and just start on her review to save yourself any trouble haha. If you haven't, I will reiterate: this mask is sticky and slimy. Does not brighten my skin and I feel that the essence EMPHASIZES the dullness of my skin. Perhaps I haven't used this long enough, but so far it is quite disappointing. For a mask impregnated with concentrated essence, I would have expected some more instant results...and not a reverse in improvement (the dullness effect).
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