Eye Primer -Too Faced - Shadow Insurance, Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer
Aneesa 12/28/2008 6:55:00 AM
Most people who have reviewed this product rave about it - and I agree. It is, together with UDPP, the best primer to use, and as others have pointed out, easier and more effiecient to use than UDPP. I bought my tube in April (2008) and I still have about a third left. And I use this religiously, everyday. I have also found the putting a thin layer on the lips before applying liptick makes most lipsticks budge-proof for a good few hours. So yet another reason why I'm never without.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Loose Powders -Make Up For Ever - HD High Definition Loose Powder
Aneesa 12/17/2008 4:17:00 AM
Based on almost a slavish following of this product on various blogs, I plunged in and bought this product. It is certainly not the worst powder that I've used, but neither is it the greatest. I grant that this powder mattifies, but on my NC35 skin, I get a whitish cast, but it disappears after a while. However, I miss the subtle glow that I get with my meteroites. So, in short - I bought it, I'll probably use it up over time, but I won't be rebuying. I think there are far better powders out there.
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Polishes -Christian Dior - Dior Vernis - Mystic Violine Mystic Violine
Aneesa 9/30/2008 3:57:00 AM
This is a deep plum/violet colour. Like with most Dior polishes, one fairly thick coat is enough to give opaque cover to the nails. I loved the colour - with one coat, it was almost black indoors, but in sunlight or strong artificial light the plum undertones came through quite well. Drying time was extremely quick (maybe because I only needed 1 coat). Seche Vite base coat, Dior colour followed by Essie "Good to Go" top coat. Lasted about a week before I noticed some chipping.
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Treatments -Guerlain - Super Aqua-Serum
Aneesa 9/16/2008 3:24:00 AM
I have been using the Super Aqua Serum range for many years now. The serum, which has been reformulated about 6 months ago, together with the rest of the range by the addition of Desert Rose, is a staple in my skincare closet. Unlike many other products where hydration = oil, this serum plums up the skin and gives it and INTENSE boost of hydration without my skin turning into an oil zone. Bear in mind that I do tend to have dry skin (especially in winter) and this is a must at least once in every 24 hour cycle. It also is a huge help in airconditioned enviornments because it continuously delivers moisture to the skin. I use this under the Super Aqua moisturiser (or any other moisturiser that I may be on). I find also that is calms the skin so I do not suffer from breakouts when I use this. This is an automatic rebuy for me.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Guerlain - Parure Aqua Fluid Foundation SPF 20
Aneesa 9/10/2008 6:30:00 AM
I love this foundation. Although being as self-confessed Guerlain junkie, I usually did not get too much joy out of their previous foundations. This one is different. It is light and extremely hydrating. Its almost in the class of a tinted moisturiser (but with more coveratge). Coverage is light to medium, and I don't think its very buildable. However, it gives the skin great luminosity. Also, the hydrating properties work throughout the day and the appearance is fresh for between 6-8 hours. I have not yet tried this with the meteorites primer, but this may extend the wear. I bought the number 3 which is slightly too light (but not overly so) for my NC35 complexion. I think the 4 would be a better match for summer. One pump is enough to do my face. I do conceal before I put this on. I think this one is a winner.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Natura Bisse - Lip Booster
Aneesa 9/2/2008 4:26:00 AM
I bought this as a lip treatment and not so much for its boosting effects. It is the best lip treatment that I own. I agree with the previous reviewer that it does not plump up the lips in an exaggerated way (but there is a slight plumping effect - which is temporary). However, since using this treatment, I have no chapped lips, no cracked lips and my lipstick stays on smoothly. Also, if the cream is used slightly past the perimeter of the lips, it has slight highlighting effects which makes the lips look fuller. At $45.00 (Strawberrynet) its not cheap. But I've been using mine for 4 months now, morning and evening, and I have only used about a quarter of the tube. So far, its the best that I have tried.
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Bronzers -Guerlain - Pearly Bronzing Powder # African Rythm
Aneesa 6/12/2008 6:26:00 AM
This is more of an intense highlighter than a bronzer. I wouldn't use it as a typical bronzer, but rather over my bronzer on strategic areas to give that polished sheen. This works well on the cheekbones (but not below), around the lips and down the nose, and of course on the eyes as an eyeshadow. It plays with the light and gives a warm glowy effect. The best brush to use is the MAC kabuki (supersoft) and polished into the strategic areas. Although I have indicated that I would buy this again, it is a limited edition and I tend not to use it very frequently, so I doubt that I will run out.
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Polishes -OPI - Charmed By A Snake
Aneesa 5/27/2008 4:17:00 PM
On my medium-toned hands this shows up as a well-pigmented caramel-gold-bronze. No red tones - more a syrupy colour. The shimmer is definately visable, but not so chunky so as to make the nails look grainy. The application was streak-free and up to OPI's usual standard. It doesn't dry as glossy, but this problem was taken care of by a decent top coat. A staple for me.
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Lipstick -Christian Dior - Rouge Dior Replenishing Lipstick in Must-See Mauve
Aneesa 5/21/2008 9:03:00 AM
This is another winner from Dior. Its a perfect mix of browns, coppers and warm pinks. It is highly pigmented, and looks wonderful whether paired with light eyes or with more made up eyes. The other great thing is that one can wear it with browns and pinks - or anything in between. The texture of the lipstick is great - silky smooth to apply and fairly long wearing. It is also very moisturising. This could become a staple in my lipstick collection
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Blush -MAC - Beauty Powder in Eversun
Aneesa 3/10/2008 5:08:00 AM
This is one of the finest milled blushes that I have come across. Well pigmented and soft to the touch, it glides onto the skin without streaking. The shimmer is barely visible once applied, and give a sort of "inner glow" look to the cheeks. This item (and all the other Beauty Powder Blushes) are limited edition items, although I wish they would make this the standard quality for all their blushes. Would repurchase if this ever was relaunched.
6 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Guerlain - Kiss Kiss Stick Gloss 920 Jelly Red
Aneesa 1/28/2008 2:52:00 AM
I bought this together with 2 other Kiss Kiss Gloss Sticks, but is the first one that I have worn. Its a wonderful sheer red, which has a slightly brown tone, and would work well with warm/olive toned people. Its a great red to wear when one doesn't want a full on red. This is more of a sophisticated way to wear red - and can be dressed up or down, depending on the rest of the make up. I think it would be possible to wear a very strong eye, and still wear this lippie, and not look over the top. Texture wise, this lippie is a bit tacky, and stays that way. Its not uncomfortable, just different. I suppose its the tackiness that makes it last long. I have already been thru a cup of coffee, and there is minimal lip staining on the cup - most of it stayed on. The finish of the lippie is more a stained look then a glossy look - despite the name, it does not give the glossy finish of a lip gloss. All in all, I like it, and until something else is invented, I suppose it will become one of the staples in my lipstick collection.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Guerlain - Midnight Gold Duo 342
Aneesa 12/21/2007 4:28:00 AM
Generally, I love and adore all things Guerlain. Their makeup is cutting edge, and usually of an exceptional quality. However, this time round, I think they missed the boat a bit. I must agree with the previous reviewer in endorsing that the pigmentation of the two eyeshadows was poor. All I got was a wash of white and pale pale gold/yellow (and yes, I was using an eyeshadow primer). There are sparkles which are nice, but these fade into nothingness pretty soon. Applying the eyeshadow with a normal eyeshadow brush is useless - the only way to even get a bit of colour to show is to use the little sponge applicator that comes with the set. Turning to the eyeliner - this I liked. The texture was wonderful. It applied wonderfully with my full-sized MAC fine liner brush. And it was budgeproof. I would have loved this palette if it had better pigment payoff on the powder shadows. At the end, I had to use MAC cosmic from the MOONBATHE collection to get a festive golden look on my eyes. Maybe its a good thing that this is a limited edition, because I would not repurchase.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Guerlain - Kiss Kiss - Forever Beige 513
Aneesa 11/27/2007 4:05:00 AM
I am always on the lookout for a good beige lipstick. This is not to be confused with a nude coloured lipstick. The beige is definately a colour on its own, and not used to achieve a YLBB look. This is a wonderful, peachy beige - a warm beige which, in my opinion, will only work on warm toned people. It goes on like satin, wears like iron and has tiny festive sparkles infused throughout the lipstick. This keeps it from becoming a flat ordinary beige. I really hope that this will become a permanent colour in the Guerlain lipstick collection. But for good measure, I have already purchased a back up as this is a limited edition.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Stella McCartney - Stella Rose Absolute
Aneesa 11/27/2007 3:38:00 AM
I am constantly on the lookout for the perfect rose fragrance. While the composition of this perfume allows the rose notes to come through, my biggest gripe is that this perfume just fades into nothingness. Other reviewers have done a fine job of describing the fragrance in detail, and I concur with them. I just wish that the fragrance would linger as one would expect of a designer frangrance. I think some drugstore brands might have more staying power. Like the scent, hate the staying power. Will not repurchase.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Bioelements - Cactus Cloth
Aneesa 10/1/2007 3:21:00 PM
This is a cloth made out of cactus fibres by Bioelements (spa skin care). It is the best body exfoliator ever! I can now say goodbye to all my scrubs - I need nothing other than my favourite shower gel and this cactus cloth for a perfect exfoliating wash each time. The cloth is very abrasive, so it should not be used more than 2-3 times a week (tops). Bioelements even suggest once a week. Maybe I'll scale it down after a couple of weeks, but at the moment, with Spring in the air (I'm in the Southern Hemisphere), I'm trying to get rid of all my winter dead skin and this is really doing the trick. The upside is that with continued use, no more ingrown hairs. The cloth is a bit pricy at $18.00 (on Eby), plus shipping, but thinking of all the $$$ I've spent on scrubs, which don't work half as well, this is a bargain. Beside, it really does the job, and I step out of the shower all a-glow! Will definately repurchase if this one somehow disintegrates!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No