Eyeliner -NARS - Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner - Rue Saint-Honoré 
Ilse333 9/3/2011 4:35:00 PM
So beautiful! I never thought I'd sing the praises of a NARS eyeliner, but these little babies are fantastic. As for the long-wear, yes, they are. They hold up about equally to my UD 24/7 pencils and slightly less than my new Too Faced long wear pencils. Which is to say, they last an impressive length of time, and since I seal my eyeliner, I can count on this staying put. As far as the shade goes, it is gorgeous. I have green eyes and while I do like blue eyeliners, I do NOT like electric-blue shades. They look fine on some people, but I prefer deeper blues that emphasize my eye color while still looking subtle. Rue Saint Honore is a fairly vivid shade, but still looks classy on. I'd describe it as a deep blue, with hints of indigo, that stops short of navy. It's incredibly pretty and I can't imagine there being an eye color it wouldn't flatter. ETA: I've changed my review to say that I won't buy it again. It was almost impossible to sharpen and when the eyeliner was down to about half an inch, it fell out of the container and became impossible to use. The color and formula are lovely, so hopefully NARS goes back to bat and puts these in regular pencil form.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -E.L.F. - Studio Makeup Mist & Set Spray
Ilse333 9/3/2011 4:23:00 PM
I really like this and have completely replaced my MAC Fix spray with it. However, I think it's important to clarify what it does and doesn't do - for me. As a fixative spray, this does not work for me. It does not preserve or hold my makeup (MAC didn't either; Skindinavia's spray works beautifully for this.) What it does do is get rid of that overly madeup or powdery look that you can end up with sometimes, either because your skin is having an off day, or your products aren't playing nice together; rather than take it all off and start over, this helps soften and naturalize your face. It provides a softer, dewier finish as well. I have oily skin and live in a hot climate, so this is NOT my go-to product for "setting" my makeup. However, it is nice to have on some occasions, especially since I prefer to err on the side of less is more when it comes to makeup.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -MAC - Studio Fix BoldBlack Lash
Ilse333 8/28/2011 5:28:00 PM
I can't believe I'm giving a 5 to a MAC mascara, but what can I say, they're really knocked this one out of the park. My lashes are naturally good and I love dramatic mascaras like YSL. It's easier for me to get volume from a mascara than length; this mascara does just the opposite, giving me really long lashes without any clumping or spider-legs. It looks great on its own, but of course I pair it with thickening mascaras like MUFU Smoky Lash or Prestige's My Biggest Lashes. The result looks incredible and best of all, it lasts all day without flaking or fading.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Smashbox - Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Fdt.
Ilse333 8/28/2011 5:24:00 PM
This is a good foundation. I have combo skin and am always looking for something that actually stays on throughout hot AZ days. So far Shiseido's Liquid Sun Protection foundation has been the only thing that does. But I gave this a shot and was pleased to find that it really does last a long time. It also does so without looking cakey or dry. The only thing that stops me from giving it a 5 is the finish, which I did not find to be anything special. It's just sort of .... there, not dewy, not velvety, not flawless, just kind of blah. So while I would buy this again, it's not HG for me. That's either the aforementioned Shiseido or my Dior Flawless and Nudeskin foundations. I'm a NC27 and wear this in 2.1. That's not a perfect match by any means but doesn't look bad once it's on. Overall, I found the shade selection to be limited.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Prestige - Total Intensity Eyeliner-Bold Brown 02
Ilse333 8/10/2011 6:56:00 PM
So thrilled to have found this product. My favorite brown liner - and I wear a lot of brown eyeliner - is MAC's Pearlglide in Molasses, which is d/c and has to be ordered from Ebay. This is a fairly close, though not perfect, dupe and of course is far cheaper. The color is a rich brown with some shimmer; there are no odd taupe or burgundy tones, just brown. It is a beautiful shade. Now: It is incredibly creamy as well. Which means it needs to be sharpened a lot (which is okay since it's so cheap) and prone to smudging. This last doesn't bother me because all liners smudge on me unless I seal them with a product like Liqui-set or FullDay Liner Sealant. So I seal this and I'm fine.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -TheBalm - Frat Boy
Ilse333 8/10/2011 2:09:00 PM
Can't believe I just bought a blush called "Frat Boy" but whatever. I'll say right here that I am a blush snob who at this point only buys Nars, Illamasqua and Tarte. That's it. So for me to buy this, says something. I was taken by the color, which on my NC27 face is a soft but vibrant pinkish-apricot. It's a year-round color but does suggest autumn and back to school makeup, so perhaps that inspired the name. I already have peach blushes galore but this does add something unique and really gives a fresh, glowy look to your cheeks. I have oily skin and was pleased that this didn't go streaky and retained its soft, natural effect for so long - many blushes on me either look chalky, or go streaky then melt off. This stayed pretty and when it faded, did so naturally. The texture is soft and finely milled and it's quite pigmented, so you need to use a light hand and a good brush for application.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -NARS - Fathom
Ilse333 8/5/2011 3:41:00 PM
I'm not an eyeshadow person and debated on buying this for months. I'm glad I did. It is the perfect tulle pink to make your eyes look sexy, not too candy-pink or too nude. The silver glitter doesn't last, that's true, but it didn't bother me terribly. I do wish the shadow itself lasted longer and if it had, I'd be rating this a 5. As it is, it's still quite pretty.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Too Faced - Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner
Ilse333 8/5/2011 3:38:00 PM
Dream eyeliner. Goes on so smoothly, no dragging or skipping, applies evenly and lasts flawlessly. I am very picky about pencil liners - I love them but have oily eyes so they tend to smear on me - and I rate this up there with my MAC Pearlglides and Urban Decay 24/7. The shades are beautiful, the effect is soft and sexy, and the lasting power is phenomenal. I bought this in Black Orchid, which is a very deep purple. While many purple eyeliners tend to be plum-based, this is more of a pure dark violet - more so than say UD's Rock Star, and it's deeper than Laura Mercier's Black Violet. As a green-eyed person who loves dark purple eyeliner, this has just become my all-time favorite. The only warning I would give is that it is a very deep shade and not a bright or colorful purple; this clearly is more about showcasing the color of your eyes, not calling attention to your pretty eyeliner. If you're a fan of bright liners, this may not do it for you. But for me, it's the liner I've been dreaming of. ETA: I bought this in Perfect Brown as well, a matte medium brown that isn't a deep dark brown or a bronze - it really is a warm, medium brown that looks fantastic on my green eyes. It is now my favorite brown eyeliner, excepting my MAC Pearlglide in Molasses. I know there are a lot of long-wearing eyeliners flooding the market right now, the most high-profile being NARS; I have to say, though, that I find these Too Faced liners superior to all of them. The creaminess, the endurance, the ease in sharpening and application - I love them. I think the only drawback is that the color range is limited, and they don't offer the more unusual shades that, say, Urban Decay does.
11 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Unlisted Brand - Fullday - Clear Eyeliner Sealant
Ilse333 7/31/2011 10:42:00 AM
This product needs to become better known. What it is: a clear liquid you brush over your eyeliner to set and preserve it. It is NOT a mixing medium to turn your eyeshadow into liner. It is a sealant to keep your liner - pencil, gel, cream, cake, liquid or powder - on and clean and lasting for hours without smudging. I would say that Beneft' s She Laq and Ben Nye's LiquiSet are the best known products for this. I prefer Fullday because it's easier to use. It looks like a liquid eyeliner and you brush it on with the tiny brush the same way. There's no mess, no extra sealant going anywhere, and you dont need to bother with extra brushes. It also doesn't change or darken the color of the liner. I have super oily lids, wear eye cream, and generally have a face that eats makeup - it just does not stay on me. I love eyeliner but tend to get smudges under my eyes no matter what. Sometimes the "lasting" liners tend to be the worst in this regard, as they do last even in their migration, leaving me with faint ugly shadows that are hard to get out. In that regard, Fullday has been a small miracle - now my eyeliner stays on for hours, no smudging (something I never believed would really happen.) No more ugly shadows or embarrassing smears or racoon eyes. The only downside to Fullday is that you have to buy it online from their site - it's easy enough to buy through Paypal and I got it quickly, but I was a little surprised that it wasn't available through any retailers. Maybe if it becomes a popular product, this will change.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Tarte - tarte Lipsurgence Natural Lip Luster in Sweet 
Ilse333 7/30/2011 12:17:00 AM
I really liked this in the store - it looked like the perfect summer lip color, a slightly bronzed pink-peach. Unfortunately it barely shows up on me and has zilch lasting power. Given my great experienced with Tarte's clay blushes and cheek stains, I was expecting more from them. Not a terrible product by any means, but not one worth buying twice.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Guerlain - Bronzing Powder
Ilse333 7/15/2011 2:28:00 PM
I'm an NC27 and bought this in #4. Sephora has this categorized as "for blondes" and I'm more bronde, but it's by far the best shade for me - a warm golden-brown with no orange or muddiness. It's sort of a matte, deeper Laguna on me and looks like a real tan. Years ago, I tried 1 and 2 because they get the most press, but honestly, I never found those shades to be anything special. Don't be afraid of the darker shades; try them, blend well and you might be surprised.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -Maybelline - Define-A-Brow
Ilse333 7/10/2011 12:18:00 PM
Thank you, MUA, for steering me to this gem. I prefer pencils for my brows, because I hate messing with waxes, powders and gels; my HGs have been Shu's pencil and Dior's Brow Styler. But I wanted something cheap to carry in my purse so I tried this, and to my surprise, I love it as much as my more expensive products. It reminds me a lot of MAC's pencil (except that it doesn't break as easily) and my Dior Styler. I can't see any reason to spend money on that when this does the same perfect job, so I'm a pretty happy girl right now.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Stila - Papaya Lipglaze
Ilse333 7/8/2011 8:49:00 PM
I've avoided this forever, because I felt it would be too loud. But it's summer, I'm wearing bronzer, and I decided I wanted something bright. so I picked up Papaya. First off - the smell is not an issue for me, I don't know they modified that or what, but this simply doesn't smell strongly of anything. As for the shade, it's a really pretty bright peach-pink - it stops just shy of flamingo. It's perfect for summer, and looks great with a tan, but I will say I probably wouldn't wear it in winter.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Stila - Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Rock Candy
Ilse333 7/8/2011 8:46:00 PM
I'm going off liquid liners in general, because pencil looks so much softer. But this one is so pretty and lasts forever on my oily skin. Don't be frightened of the word "sparkle;" it has shimmer, yes, and that shimmer shows up, but it looks pretty and elegant rather than loud and tacky. I would call this a shade a warm deep bronze. Flash has more of an olive base to it, Rock Candy has more of a golden-brown base. It gives me the same effect the bronze smudge pot did, but of course stays neat without smudging and lasts for hours and hours and hours... So basically you get the endurance of a great liquid liner, without the harshness.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Tarte - Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Dollface
Ilse333 6/30/2011 3:55:00 PM
I love all of these Tarte Amazonian blushes and Dollface is no exception. As you probably already know, these stay on forever, even on oily skin like mine. So I'll get to the color: a neutral baby pink that is girly and almost demure. Unlike Amused, which is a brighter candy pink, Dollface is more muted and seems designed for paler complexions or women who want a blush that gives them a bit of color while still playing it safe. I'm NC27 and on me it's a very feminine, subtle powder pink. I'm not wearing it much at the moment because it's summer and I'm favoring Amused and Exposed more. I think this will be more of a winter blush for me. But it looks lovely even now paired with a light bronzer. The only downfall I could see for this is that it might not show up on deeper skin tones, and could look powdery if too much is applied. Otherwise, it's beautiful.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No