Polishes -OPI - Plum Full Of Cheer
vesperholly 11/28/2011 4:44:00 AM
Fantastic vampy color. Blackened warm red-purple with a hint of brown/gold. Beautiful holiday shade and great for pedicures as well. Part of the 2010 Ulta exclusive Holi-Daze collection. The formula is to die for - smooth, even with no tugging or clumping, super pigmented. You could get away with one coat if you're careful.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Lancome - Cheek Brush #6
vesperholly 11/20/2011 7:07:00 AM
I'm not sure where $56 comes from, the Lancome website says $41. NOT THAT THIS IS ALL THAT MUCH CHEAPER :D I bought this brush when I was in college. That was 10 years ago. I would have never bought such an expensive brush (I hardly knew what good brushes were), but I had a credit at Saks from a gift return. It's been beat up, lost a few hairs, but still applies my blush like a champ! The bristles have become baby soft over time, and I actually don't mind losing some hairs because it makes for a nice, sheer, easily blended application. I can use this with my most pigmented blush (NARS Exhibit A) and trust that I won't overdo it.
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Treatments -Neutrogena - Rapid Clear 2-in-1 Fight & Fade Gel
vesperholly 10/30/2011 3:38:00 PM
I use this on acne that looks extremely angry, and when I wake up, the acne only looks mildly annoyed. It won't solve world hunger or make your skin flawless overnight (ahem, all you reviewers who bought this product "yesterday") but it does greatly reduce the scary redness of existing breakouts. As for acne scars, I'm not sure if the product is helping or just over time my skin is healing. Scarring is something that takes months to fade, and there are very few products out there that can make an appreciable difference - especially for $10!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Bioderma - Sensibio H2O (aka Crealine H20 Solution micellaire)
vesperholly 10/29/2011 2:27:00 AM
Love this stuff! I have gone through two 500ml bottles and one 250ml bottle already. Extremely gentle and if/when it gets in your eyes, no big deal! I do have to go slowly over waterproof mascara/MAC greasepaint sticks to ensure Sensibio seeps in to loosen and remove the makeup. The only makeup remover I've ever used that both removes my makeup entirely, without irritation, AND doesn't require a wash afterwards. I buy large 3x4" cotton pads and use one for my whole face. Heads up Canadians, Rexall/PharmaPlus carries the 500ml bottle, Shoppers DrugMart does not. 500ml for $30 or 250ml for $22?! EDIT: I'm finding this quite drying and harsh on my skin, and waterproof mascara just never fully comes off - I wake up with gray shadows under my eyes. I suspect I have been breaking out because it doesn't get all the makeup off my skin. :( downgraded to 3 lippies.
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Blush -Ulta - cheek color in fame
vesperholly 10/26/2011 11:00:00 PM
Not as dark as you'd think judging by the swatch on the Ulta website!! This is a matte blush with a bit of sheen when applied. Medium-deep rosy color that turns a teensy bit brighter on the cheeks. The texture is on the hard side, but I like that as you're not losing half the product to dust in the air. I like the sleek little packaging, too.
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Makeup Brushes -Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman - Brush Collection Core Collection
vesperholly 10/4/2011 5:11:00 PM
Fantastic, very unique set! This is unlike any other brush set I've seen. Most have the standard powder, blush, concealer, eyeshadow and maybe liner. But after you've bought a few kits, who needs another "meh" eyeshadow brush?? This set is different because it fills in the gaps that other sets have left. The concealer brush is extra tiny and is great for spot concealing. It's also short enough to sneak into a little makeup bag. The flat foundation brush is a little bit of an odd duck, but it's good for undereye concealing and blending foundation around the nose. The contour brush is really the star of the set, it's such an original size and shape. Great for contour, highlight, and cream blush. The buffer brush is fine, not a standout, but is good for blending blush/bronzer or spot powder application. It's a nice backup when my Sephora 45 mineral powder brush is dirty/drying. It's not very densely packed for a powder brush. The "brush holder" is a complete throw-away, not very good quality and a waste. Very weird and I hope it gets ditched on future revisions. The price point is the best part - only $16! $4 a brush, and you can use Ulta coupons on it?! Can't beat it.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Coquette (satin)
vesperholly 10/2/2011 4:57:00 PM
Do not judge by the color in the pan! Coquette is a gorgeous neutral that has everything going for it. It gives your lids a hint of shadow without being too dark or smokey. A perfect mid-tone color. It's too dark for my brows (I use Omega or the Anastasia duo) but I love it as a lid or crease color.
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Styling Products -Frederic Fekkai - Coiff Controle Ironless Straightening Balm
vesperholly 9/23/2011 2:05:00 AM
I LOVE this stuff! Smells fantastic and leaves a whiff of lingering scent. It doesn't feel like "product" in your hair, not greasy, heavy or sticky in any way. The bottle is awkward when product runs low. The cap is heavy and it tips over easily. The key to this is to use a small amount on wet or damp hair. It won't have any effect on dry hair. I have thick, wavy hair, and this helps my hair to lay more "calmly" instead of bushy or poofy. Often I am fighting with the natural wave of my hair (it's not a pretty wave, it's like two big kinks). When I use the balm, my hair straightens much easier with the round brush and hair dryer. Though I wouldn't say it's completely replaced a flat iron, it does drastically reduce the amount of time I need to use a flat iron after I've finished blow-drying. $25 is a little overpriced, considering you only get 3.4 fl oz. Mine lasted over a year with near-daily use.
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Polishes -Zoya - Snow White
vesperholly 9/5/2011 5:40:00 PM
Fantastic pure white color. Formula is great, not streaky or pulling at all, really nice glossy finish. Opaque in two coats! Great buy!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Highlighters -Femme Couture - Mineral Effects Baked Highlighter
vesperholly 4/17/2011 2:45:00 AM
A bridal client told me she wanted "glowy", but in my hunt for a highlighter, all I could find was shimmery, if not outright glittery products. Even MAC MSFs are a little over the top. I was browsing around Sally's for some other products and came across this beautiful, subtle finishing powder. It's a little bit of a misnomer, because it's so sheer that it isn't suitable for real cheekbone/nose/forehead highlighting. However, a light dusting all over the face gives a lovely sheen, sets foundation very nicely and achieves a fantastic "glowy" look.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Unlisted Brand - High Definition Powder Brush
vesperholly 4/8/2011 8:19:00 PM
My favorite powder blush. Super soft, just the right size, affordable and applies my face powder like a dream! I would immediately run out to repurchase if I lost it.
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Gels/Soaps -Dr. Bronner's - Baby-Mild Unscented Liquid Soap
vesperholly 4/1/2011 3:34:00 AM
(bar soap) Love this for washing my face. Gets all the grime and oiliness off without drying out my face. Extremely gentle and effective. I also use it to clean oily products like lipstick and gel liner from my makeup brushes, and it's phenomenal. EDIT: Gentle? Not really. I switched to Cetaphil and all the little pimples that just would. not. die. healed up in two days. I still love this for getting the insides of my ears squeaky clean, though.
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Cleansers -MAC - Cleanse Off Oil
vesperholly 3/23/2011 5:48:00 AM
Absolutely love this! Takes off every last scrap of makeup easily, gently and quickly. No more scrubbing or pulling at my eyelashes. It smells great and the sleek MAC packaging always looks nice on your countertop. Since it's an oil, it will easily seep into your eyes if you're removing mascara and make your vision cloudy for a bit. The cloudiness resolves in less than a minute and doesn't irritate my eyes. I follow cleanse off oil with a gentle cream cleanser from Reviva and my skin is baby soft and glowing. I will repurchase this again and again.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Full 'N Soft Mascara Waterproof
vesperholly 3/23/2011 5:40:00 AM
Full? Absolutely. Soft? Ehh, not as much. But who runs around checking how soft someone's eyelashes are? I can't tell a difference between brownish-black and black, either. The WP formula is far superior to the regular one. This is the only mascara so far that can come close to my beloved Max Factor Lashfinity (RIP). I love the bristle brush, which is so much better for separating my lashes and really coating every single one with product. It doesn't flake off or smudge with normal wear. Maybelline goes on sale so often that if you're attentive, you can catch it for 40% off + those $1 coupons on the displays = $4 mascara. If that isn't winning, I don't know what is.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Vaseline - Intensive Care Healthy Hand and Nail Lotion
vesperholly 3/23/2011 5:30:00 AM
I bought this hand cream after months of desperation and frustration with peeling, weak nails. I've been using it 3-4 times a day for a week (making sure to slather my nails), and already I can tell my nails are stronger. The peeling that usually causes them to split and break seems to have slowed down. I whacked my fingernail into a drawer yesterday, typically a situation where it'd break into a jaggy mess - but behold! Fingernail intact! After that, I'm a believer. As far as qualities strictly as a hand cream, it's fine. Not the most moisturizing I've ever used, but does the job well. The scent is a little powdery, but it's not bad. The real beneficiaries here are your nails.
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