Concealers -Lumiere - Mineral Concealer
violoniste 5/16/2008 12:20:00 PM
Somehow, I received the healing concealer trio in light/medium for free with my last Lumiere order. I wouldn't have ordered this otherwise. But since I received it, I had to try it. I'd switched to using pure powder concealers (from EM -- mint, intensive medium, and peach for under the eyes). I like the look and color correction of EM's peach concealer under my eyes, so I won't be tempted to try this there. However, I mised the blendability and coverage of liquid or cream concealers on the errant spots where powder doesn't do the trick. I like this for that. I'm grateful they included it for free (especially since on the website it says "out of stock"), especially because they sent the trio which has three colors that I can custom blend. (One is very pinkish, the other very yellow, and the third a neutral medium shade that is too dark for even the tannest parts of my face. Combining them, I can create shades that suit every corner of my face, from the lighter cheekbones to the tanner temples.) Applied to a blemish in the process of healing, it did seem to soften the area without aggravating it whatsoever, which I very much appreciated! It seems like this jar will last forever, so i'm not sure I'd repurchase.
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Cleansers -MyChelle - Fruit Enzyme Cleanser
violoniste 4/13/2008 4:59:00 PM
Pleasantly surprised by this. PROS: ~ not too harsh on my retinoid-sensitized skin. Avalon Organic Botanicals sensitive skin cleanser (for oily skin), used alternately with Suki lemongrass cleanser, gave me patchy red spots with flakes. I tried Aveeno sensitive skin foaming face wash to calm them down. Didn't leave my skin feeling clean and certainly didn't help calm the irritation I was dealing with. This hasn't cleared the two patches of irritation rapidly, but it is slowly improving. The other parts of my face, however, look GREAT. The percentage of AHA in this is just right for me. ~ You don't have to use very much - the instructions say "pearl sized amount." In fact, you SHOULDN'T use too much. May account for why it is so drying on some people. ~ Smells like a pina colada. Not one of my reasons for liking it, but certainly not a dislike. ~ mostly natural product. CONS: ~ easy to use too much and regret it. ~ expensive.
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Makeup Brushes -Lumiere - Duo Fiber Optic
violoniste 4/10/2008 8:46:00 PM
I agree with the reviewer below that this is good for fanning out and softening highly pigmented blushes. I was hoping for something a little more dense.
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Concealers -Everyday Minerals - Mint Concealer
violoniste 4/9/2008 7:00:00 PM
Completely agree that this takes some getting used to. Agree that concealer brush is too stiff for this product (you'll end up applying way too much). For individual blemishes, I use a bobbi brown mini eye concealer brush and dab it on and blend before applying foundation. Then I apply foundation, and if anything is still visible, I go over it either with the mint concealer and then intensive medium, or just intensive medium (depending on how much is still apparent). To conceal redness around my nose (so my beautiful lumiere blushes aren't competing with my retinoid-flushed skin), I swirl the soft twirly end of the dual-sided bobbi brown concealer brush and tap of the excess and build the coverage. Because it can look bluish/ashy. I have golden/olive skin (wear mix of golden medium and golden light in EM). My husband complemented me several times today and this is what I did different... thus prompting a positive review! Would repurchase, although I'm still on the sample size.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Lumiere - Eye Shimmer in Taupe
violoniste 4/9/2008 3:39:00 PM
Completely agree with fellow Lumiere addict Bellakahlua! :) Because there aren't nearly enough reviews listed of other beautiful colors, I'd like to share my opinions of some other lovely Lumiere shadows here. EDIT: posted some photos of my stash in the MU board... HTH! ~ Neutral Plum: My favorite. Works so well with purples *and* browns. ~ Wicked: Like neutral plum, without brown. They look gorgeous together. ~ Charmed: A lovely and demure lavender that isn't too washed out. looks great with above two shadows. ~ Lavender Pearl: a pretty and flirtatious opalescent (blueish) shade. Not for my coloring. ~ Golden Plum: reminds me of one of the shades in my Chanel Vanites quad - the lavenderish one with gold flecks. The purple barely comes out on me... it's more gold sheen with a slight lavender wash. ~ Amethyst: would look great on blue eyes. It's a redder kind of toned-down purple. I initially was deceived by the color in the jar and didn't reach for it often. On skin it takes on a very rich and luminescent quality. ~ Mint Chocolate Chip: eh. glitter chunks are too few and far between, and given that, too big. It's basically brown with a few chunks thrown in. ~ Hazelize: decent subtle khaki green/brown with sheen. ~ Mysterious: similar to L'Oreal's HIP pigment Intrepid (right?). A taupe with green, purple, and brown shimmer - chameleon-like. ~ Lemon Chiffon: would not have tried this if not for Bellakahlua's suggestion. A very pretty pale gold that looks gorgeous on brow bones and with brown liner. ~ Champagne: my HG wash of golden shimmer. Not too yellow or orange or brown... just what champagne should be. very buildable. ~ Gold salmon: peachy salmon with lots of gold shimmer. reminds me of NARS orgasm. In fact, I blended it with Lumiere's ditto Orgasm to create something I think is closer to the NARS. Makes a very pretty crease shade with many colors, especially champagne, to give healthy glow. ~ Special dark: perfect black/brown for liner and smoky eyes. ~ Tiramisu: rich dark chocolate shade with very pretty bronze shimmer; a little too red for my taste. ~ Soft brown: LOVE. great neutral brown for lids and outer corners. ~ Golden Chocolate: I apply this one with my fingers as it is pretty sheer if applied with the brush. It's a light beigey brown with pretty gold shimmer. ~ Cappucinno: pretty sublte shade for lids and browbones. ~ Creme Brulee: meh. practically disappeared on my light/medium skin. ~ Rosewood: GORGEOUS shade, tricky to pair it though. Dusty beige/rose with shimmer. ~ Pink satin: don't reach for this very often. Probably would look great on a PPP. Bottom line: all of these shadows are just so fun to work with. They don't crease, don't drop tons of sprinkles under my eyes, blend beautifully with tons of other colors, and just offer tons of options for me to be creative and enjoy putting my makeup on. The price for the sample jar is great, and means I can afford to try tons of them, which I clearly have! :) Besides, the sample jars should last a while, since I love trying them in rotation for different looks. I've basically stopped using all my other eyeshadows and most of them are up for swap. I love that these are natural, easy and fun to use, affordable, and supporting a small business instead of some huge makeup/fashion conglomerate. Can't wait to try more!
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Treatments -MyChelle - Ultra Hyaluronic Hydrating Serum
violoniste 4/7/2008 11:17:00 PM
My one and only skin care HG. Perfect moisturizer for my retinoid-sensitized, somewhat clogged skin. If I have an irritated or scaly patch, glycerin and water is best; but for regular use, I have never tried anything better. The feel and the slight rose scent are lovely. Thanks, MUA! EDIT: I do not care for the new formula as much. Way more ingredients, including skin irritants limonene and limanool. :( Very disappointing.
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Toners -MyChelle - Fruit Enzyme Mist
violoniste 3/29/2008 12:52:00 PM
I like this. I use it before the Ultra Hyaluronic Serum, which is my moisturizer HG. The combination is great. I enjoy the smell; it's like a pina colada. :) It would probably bug me if I didn't know it was completely natural. Not sure it "balances pH" making other products more effective. All I know is I like the combo for when my skin is slightly dry and irritated. I was using Suki's White Willow Toner which worked great for about two weeks; then it, in combination with the lemongrass cleanser, gave me something I have never had -- teeny red bumps (with nothing in them) on scaly patches. I can only guess that it was from the Seaweed Extract, as it's a major irritant for some. The Mychelle fruit enzyme mist gives me the pleasure of using a nice-smelling toner, and it works and feels good under my HG moisturizer. Love that I received it as an extra in a swap. Probably would buy again when it runs out. It's a pleasure to use.
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Blush -Alima - Luminous Shimmer Blush in Cerise
violoniste 3/8/2008 3:12:00 PM
I agree with the previous reviewer's color description. I would add that Cerise is what I hoped NARS Sin would be on me. But the shimmer in this is more tasteful, and the color has more bronze undertones than cool mauve ones. This is what makes it wonderful for my light-medium warm complexion (Warm 2 in Alima, Light golden in EM). I also love to dab a bit on my lips and cover with Chanel glossimer in barely fig. It looks gorgeous. Just the right balance between natural and made up. I will add that when I dab it on my lips, it looks much more golden and shimmery than it does on my cheeks. I'm not sure why; maybe because on the cheeks, I use the teeeeeeniest amount and blend. The shimmer on my cheeks melts into a pretty glow, with no individual particles/flakes of shimmer to be seen. I'm a huge fan of Lumiere's blushes, but I have a feeling I'll be reaching equally as often for this one.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Sukí - Suki Naturals Lemongrass Cleanser
violoniste 3/3/2008 12:17:00 PM
On my retinoid-sensitized, semi-clogged skin, this is too harsh to use as a cleanser twice a day. I like it best used 3 or 4 times a week as a manual exfoliator. I tried the previous reviewer's suggestion of dissolving the sugar crystals in my hand before massaging into my face. This certainly made it less abrasive. However, when I went on a 7 mile run in the mountains yesterday -- and applied close to the 1/4 tsp of sunscreen recommended (for the record, I use only physical blockers; Dermaquest Zinclear, specifically) -- I cleansed with this first, and my face hardly felt clean afterward. I washed with my Avalon Organics sensitive skin cleanser and that did the trick. Another note: if I'm massaging this into my skin for more than 30 seconds, the skin around my eyes starts to burn. I have to avoid that area. Another gripe: the packaging. You have to dip your fingers in it every time. You'd think it could come in a squeeze tube with a screw top. All in all though, for me this is a decent exfoliator, and mainly gains marks for being a real yummy-smelling treat to use. I'd probably repurchase for that reason alone. EDIT: I hate to be writing one of those "this messed up my skin" reviews, but I'm pretty sure this is what did it. It began to sting more and more as I used it. I started getting little patches of irritation, and small red bumps completely unlike the colorless clogged pores I usually get. Of course, I can't rule out that it wasn't something else; all I know is that this began to burn my skin more than anything I've ever tried, and the bumps happened shortly thereafter. Sorry, MUA. I hoped never to be one of those "THIS GAVE ME CYSTIC ACNE" reviewers... (luckily it didn't, but still...)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Toners -Sukí - Suki concentrated facial toner
violoniste 2/21/2008 6:55:00 PM
Love this. Skin feels calmer and is less red after washing. Over time has seemed to calm inflammation. Love that there are no artificial ingredients to be found. The yummy scent is completely natural. A pleasure to use. EDIT, 3/29/08: Two weeks after writing this review, I had added the lemongrass cleanser, as I was pleased with the toner. Within a few days, I developed red scaly patches under my mouth and extending up towards where my nose meets my cheeks. On these scaly patches were teeny red bumps with nothing in them. I have *never* had this problem before -- my skin is usually pretty resilient, but then again, I'm using Ziana (.25% tretinoin and clindamycin). I stopped using them and the irritation subsided somewhat. Wanting so badly to like the toner, I tried using it again two days ago, hoping it would help to calm my residual inflammation (which I had attributed to the lemongrass scrub being too harsh and my overusing it). Unfortunately, by the second use, the scaly patches and little red bumps became worse. Must be this. I can only conclude that the offender in both products is the Seaweed Extract, as it's a major irritant for some. Am now using Mychelle's Fruit Enzyme toner before my HG moisturizer, the hyaluronic serum. It's definitely not a "treatment" like the Suki toner should be, but I find it works nicely under the serum for some extra water-binding moisture (it has glycerin and heavy water) that doesn't leave me oily. Plus, it smells yummy, and is fun to use. I really wanted to like this line, but it's clear that it's just not for me. :( Remade without the seaweed extract, I would buy it in a heartbeat!
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Lip Gloss -Lumiere - Lumi Lips - all
violoniste 2/16/2008 1:08:00 PM
English rose is my new HG ylbb lip gloss. It's soft and wonderful-feeling, has no fragrance, and doesn't bleed under my lower lip like my Chanel glossimer was. Love!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Loose Powders -Lumiere - Silk Powder
violoniste 2/16/2008 12:45:00 PM
Imparts an airbrushed quality to my skin. If I get carried away in the application of their beautiful brushes, this tones it down nicely without looking powdery. Pearl powder shall be my next experiment.
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Makeup Brushes -Lumiere - kabuki brush
violoniste 2/16/2008 12:44:00 PM
Had no clue what a difference using a highly reviewed kabuki would make in my application of MMU. (Thanks MUA!) Not only does my MMU look a whole lot better; it feels indulgent and soothing to apply it. I would certainly order another for travel or as a replacement. Incredibly soft and dense -- makes application a dream. Was formerly using BE brush which I felt was scratchy/itchy, left hairs on my face from day 1, and absorbed a lot of the powder without depositing it on my skin. I'm thinking Lumiere's blush brush should be my next stop.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Lumiere - Veena Blush
violoniste 2/16/2008 12:42:00 PM
I have a sample of the Veena Blush in Terra Cotta and I reach for it fairly often, though I prefer the more natural and transparent (less matte) texture of the Silk blushes. I also have a sample of Wild Rose, which is similar to Alima's Honey Rose. It's a nice, natural light dusty pink shade. I purchased this one for my mom for her birthday, and she enjoys using it. (She doesn't regularly wear makeup at all, so that says a lot!)
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Styling Products -Nexxus - Heat Protexx
violoniste 1/20/2008 12:00:00 PM
Nothing beats this for blowing out my curly/wavy head of hair (tons of fine hair). I've tried stuff from Frizz Ease (in all various formulations) to expensive blow-out creams (like Prive, Flat-Out, Phyto, Kerastase... all make my hair too "gunky" after a day), but I haven't tried anything I like more than this. If I gently spritz two or three inch sections concentrating on the ends, I get silky hair that isn't weighed down, and the best part is that the (highlighted and dry) ends look good. For shine and extra softness I'll put a little jojoba oil on the ends. I'm not into the highly-styled helmet head thing, so for me, this routine gets my hair straight/wavy with lots of softness and shine and minimal product dirtiness the next day. If it's too oily I know it's because I either used too much or touched my hair too much. I also like that I can spritz this on almost completely dry hair and have nicely blown out wavy hair in about 5 minutes. Would repurchase.
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