Palettes -Flirt - 40-shadow LE 2008 Holiday e/s palette
8ball 12/4/2008 10:56:00 AM
I have a lot of Flirt single e/s and they are outstanding quality (huge cheer for Golden Lady and Witchy in particular). And I like their lipsticks, but that's off-topic. So when I saw this palette with 40 Flirt eye shadows, most in gorgeous wearable colors, I thought I struck gold. What a HUGE disappointment! The quality is **nothing** like the singles. I was so incredulous, I changed my e/s primer. That's how much I thought I must be mistaken about the e/s pigmentation. The neutrals are so faint you can barely tell you put anything on, even with a primer. I returned it.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Laura Geller - Spackle primer/corrector in Bronze
8ball 12/4/2008 10:47:00 AM
This isn't what I expected. "Spackle" is a misnomer. The word "spackle" makes me think that it puts a smoothing layer on your skin to put makeup on. That's not its strength. It's consistency is much too watery for that, and it doesn't fill in lines or hide pores. What it does, and does it well, is grab on to your makeup and hold it on. I let it dry a little and then put my foundation over it. It was a weird sensation - you can feel a little pull, almost like it's grabbing your makeup. I need half as much foundation because for some reason it makes it look like I have much more on (even tho it's sheer by itself). The bronze color gives a little life to my skin, and I like that (I haven't tried the colorless). Also, it doesn't make your foundation look chalky or dry. Rather, it gives me more of a dewey look which, at my age, I really appreciate. Bottom line - buy this if you like your foundation and you want to get more out of it.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -LORAC - Croc Case
8ball 12/4/2008 10:34:00 AM
I love this collection. It's a great value for the $$. I bought five eye palettes this holiday season (2008) and returned all but this. The eye colors have great pigmentation, are very usable colors, and they give you a lot. The blushes are a little bright for me, but I think NARS lovers will like them. I don't wear l/g, but there are 3 for l/g lovers. But the selection and quality of the e/s are enough to make me happy I own this palette. The package is sturdy and provides good protection for the product.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -Olay - Total Effects Eye Transforming Cream
8ball 12/4/2008 10:29:00 AM
I am so pleasantly surprised by this product. I have terrible problems with my eyes - they tear because they are dry. This makes the skin around them red, puffy, and chapped. Lovely. I read Olay products are good so I gave it a shot (I have issues with spending more than ds prices on skincare unless it has an ironclad guarantee that it will work or your $$ back). Not only is this a treatment, it's a brightener. When it dries after you apply it, it leaves a light, light-reflecting film that brightens and makes your makeup go on better. And the skin texture around my eyes started to improve dramatically after about two days. My beef is the packaging, one of those totally environmentally-unfriendly plastic outer packages, and the product is in a jar, not a tube. It would stay fresher and be more sanitary if it was in a tube. But overall I'm so happy with the product that I'm not taking off a lippie.
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Eye Primer -Coastal Scents - Eye Poxy Primer
8ball 11/28/2008 8:56:00 AM
I don't get it. I didn't have the same problem other reviewers had with the product crumbling. Yes, it does ball up and roll around but you can keep rubbing and work it until it get smooth. The thing is, it doesn't work. At all. I tried a lot, a little, wet, dry, every which way. My eye shadow fades and creases, any type any brand. And it doesn't take long to start not working LOL, within an hour. I was really surprised how bad it is. And the jar - it's one of the most unsanitary ways to deliver this kind of product. If I cannot get my $$ back (they have a no return policy) It's one of the few things I bought I'm just going to throw away, not work swapping or giving away.
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Palettes -Laura Mercier - Beauty Eye Book
8ball 11/19/2008 9:03:00 PM
The eye shadow colors in this palette are so pale and neutral that I had to look with a magnifying mirror to see if I really had any on. The colors are so unrisky that I imagine the makeup-shy would be happy with it. This palette had definite curb appeal - I saw pictures of it on Sephora's site and had to have it. It comes with 5 light, shimmery eye shadows in pinks, peaches, and golds. It has one not quite as light shimmery shadow in a gold taupe. IMO it's not dark enough for a crease shadow. In fact, I don't think all the reviews here are for the same thing, because one reviewer remarked that the shadows are matte. It also has three delectable cake liners in deep brown, deep purple, and velvety black. I didn't test them much except to see if they had more contrast than the shadows. So it looked gorgeous. I tried it about 5 times with different primers and finally gave up. Bless Sephora with its liberal return polcy.
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Eye Shadow -Coastal Scents - 28 Neutral Palette
8ball 11/18/2008 9:38:00 PM
I'm the odd man out but I don't like this so much. Most of the colors look the same once on your eyes, not a lot of variation. The lighter colors are very faint. I don't find them as highly pigmented as everyone raves about. Maybe I got a bad batch, but I am really disappointed. I like the big case tho. Makes me feel like I'm really holding an artist's palette.
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Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Colossal
8ball 10/20/2008 9:29:00 AM
Despite the raves, I've hated every Maybelline mascara I tried (Great Lash, Full n Soft, etc). I've been using Cargo Texas Lash, a tubing mascara costing $20 (which I love) and MAC Zoomlash, a non-fiberous mascara ($13) which I also love. Then I saw pictures here on MUA of people wearing Colossal mascara and I caved in to curiosity. I'm glad I did. Colossal makes me look like I have thick, beautiful, curled lashes. It's not fiber-y looking. It doesn't flake or make racoon eyes, and lasts all day. If there is any drawback, it's that I have to apply 4-5 coats to get the look I want. My tube is new and usually new mascaras are thin in consistency, so I'll wait to see if I don't have to apply so many in the future. They have two black colors - Glam Black and Classic Black. I don't know the difference. I got BOGO free at CVS so I bought one of each. I'm using Glam Black now and love it. And for the price, when it's on sale I can buy 6 Colossals for every Texas Lash! Try it!
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Eye Shadow -Flirt - Dreamy Eyes Eyeshadow in Witchy
8ball 10/19/2008 11:11:00 PM
I have to put in my $0.02 here. I have yet to be disappointed in a Flirt e/s. The quality is amazing - hi pigment, great lasting power, beautiful colors. I wish they would come out with a palette because it's so annoying and too much packaging to buy all their e/s individually. I like this color Witchy so well that I accidentally bought it twice! It is the perfect neutral matte brown with a tinge of warmth to look natural. It's dark enough for the crease but not so dark as to look like you put eyeliner in your crease. It would work well in so many ways - the natural look, as part of a smokey eye, or by itself. Good work, Flirt! The only thing is -- I hate it's container. It's in waaayyy too much packaging, a compact that sort of unfolds open and takes up much more room than it needs to.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Laura Mercier - Eye Basics in Peach
8ball 9/15/2008 9:15:00 PM
Surprise - I like this a lot better for what it does under my eyes than over. I'm a little confused as to whether this is billed as an eye shadow or primer. In either case, it's not particularly good. But this makes an amazing, long-lasting eye brightener! Put it, in this color (peach) on the circles under your eyes and you'll be amazed how good they look! If you find it a little drying, put it over or mixed with eye cream. Cover it sheerly with foundation if you think it looks too pink. I swear - this works!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -BeneFit Cosmetics - Hold It
8ball 9/15/2008 9:03:00 PM
This is somewhere between a gloss and a lipstick. It comes in a tube and is solid. The color "Hold It" is gorgeous. It is a deep brownish berry. It is semi-sheer, non-metallic or shimmery, with a beautiful shiny gloss finish. It's much more comfortable and slightly longer-lasting than lip gloss. I always buy intense, highly pigmented lipstick and this certainly isn't one of those, but I absolutely love how this looks. The rich color and gleam are beautiful. I take off one lippy because the staying power is not so great. By the way, Hold It looks great over drying matte lipstick. It sort of makes it the best of both worlds.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Jean Patou - Caline
8ball 9/2/2008 4:04:00 AM
A gorgeous mossy green aldehyde. It's a lot like Chanel #19, not as sweet as Yendi. I think it's bliss in a bottle. All the other Patou Ma Collections dry down to yech on me. Not so Caline! It stays green and true and stunning. The bottle and box are typical of the Ma Collection style - colorful and a little Deco. I have the EDT and I wish it lasted longer. I would absolutely buy this again if I could find it. It's d/c and rarer than gold, or should I say emeralds?
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Revlon - Norell
8ball 8/10/2008 9:15:00 AM
As someone responded to my post on the fragrance board, this brings to mind mink coats and diamonds. Add a limo and a night out on Broadway. This is ***class***. I only tried the vintage Norell, and immediately hoarded two bottles. I believe it is eau de cologne but don't let that fool you - it's strong! The predominant note is a spicy, teasing carnation. At first I thought it was clove or allspice but no, it's carnation. But it has that strong, floral old school aura. Even in edc it's possible to overdo it because it's strong, lasts a long time, and has noticeable sillage. If you love old school classics like Caron French Can Can, run don't walk and find Norell. BTW, the vintage has the letters running vertically. The recent has the letters going horizontally. I haven't tried the recent so I can't speak to that but the vintage isn't hard to find.
11 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Cargo - TexasLash
8ball 7/27/2008 10:13:00 AM
This hasn't gotten a lot of love on MUA, so I am going to be the dissenting vote. I'm really happy with it. I had mascara on already when I wandered in to Sephora and tested this out. My lashes became **enormous,** in fact I put on a little too much (I am far sighted and I wish Sephora had magnifying mirrors so I could see what I am doing). I didn't buy it because it was $20, on the high end of what I am willing to pay for mascara. I use, and love, MAC Zoomlash which is only $11 or $12. I couldn't stop thinking about how good it looked when I tested it, so I went back, retested, and purchased. I am glad I did. I think the reviewer who suggested using this mascara over other mascara was on to something, although it works well without. This will give you big huge lashes. It's the "tubing" kind, so it stays on really well - unless you play with it. Don't do that, especially if you wear contacts. It's made to come off in tubes, so you don't want to get the flakes in your eyes. Otherwise, it lasts all day and holds up well. Another thing I have to get used to is not using eye makeup remover. It's pretty tough, and has resisted my cleansing oils and removers.This actually comes off better if you wash your face with a wash cloth. Work with it a little. Put on some primer or a coat of another mascara. Put on one coat of Texas lash and use a dry mascara brush to separate and get your lashes how you like. Put on some more, brush again. I wear it every day now. Zoomlash finally found some competition!
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Conditioner -Unlisted Brand - La Coupe deep conditioner for curly hair
8ball 7/27/2008 10:03:00 AM
This was on sale in Ulta, and I dunno, I guess I liked the green packaging. And the sale price. Anyway, it works. It makes my hair feel and look better. I hate deep-conditioning. I don't like washing my hair, getting out of the shower, conditioning with heat, and then getting back in the shower. So I usually put it on dry hair before I get in the shower. Sometimes I comb it in and do my gardening in the sun, or ride my bike with a helmet on. That'll do it for heating up my hair so the La Coupe soaks in LOL. Anyway, I'm impressed. It doesn't leave my hair weighed down, and I know I'm in store for a few good hair days until it's time to deep-condition again!
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