Eye Shadow -Laura Mercier - Coffee Ground
LadyKolie 11/15/2012 12:24:00 PM
For Reference my skin is NC/NW 07-10 or Nars Sheer Glow Gobi I am not a big fan of the packaging. However, I am a fan of the product itself. I found that using the right kind of brush makes a huge difference in using LM's eyeshadows (so I blend blend blend with the mac 217). The color is a fantastic cool coffee brown. Personally, I am not the biggest fan of using brown as an eyeshadow, but I found this product does an Amazing job as being my eyebrow filler shade. I have had difficulty finding an shade that looks like my eye brows, just to fill in some small spots. This is THE shade for me and it lasts all day in my eyebrows. Though if you have issues with Acne I would think twice before using this. Starches feed bacteria, and this product contains corn starch as a second ingredient. Though it hasn't cause me any issues in my eye area, Just be careful.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Lancome - Color Focus Kitten Heel
LadyKolie 11/15/2012 12:16:00 PM
For Reference my skin is NC/NW 07-10 or Nars Sheer Glow Gobi. This is my Go To shade for every day wear at the office, or a lazy mu day. I mostly use it as a wash of color over my lid. It is a fantastic Peachy gold shade. The gold is a shimmer and not a glitter. I have had no issues of fall out with this product. I think it is finely milled and I have no issues blending it in. I think the color is fantastic, and I don't have to worry about over doing it when I use this color. I am on my second pan. Though, I think $18 is a bit high for a single shadow, I get an incredible amount of use out of it. I would always like to see more bang for the buck, but that's just me.
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Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Haus of Gloi Pumpkin Butter
LadyKolie 11/15/2012 11:55:00 AM
I received this item in a swap. I think as a lotion is it quite lovely. It is emollient and moisturizing and I am a big fan of pumpkin seed oil. I have used this only on my legs and hands. Now for the negative, I am not however the biggest fan of the smell. I was swapped this in Vice (the previous owner wasn't a big fan of the smell either), which is supposed to smell like "Steam billows rolling off a vessel of fresh made Turkish coffee, marshmallow goo tainted by graham cracker crumbs, toasted hazelnuts and blanketed in black chocolate." I cannot put my finger on it, but it smells fake. It does not smell like coffee to me, it if did I would probably roll around in it like a kitten in Catnip. It would be better for me if it didn't have a scent at all. Also I few of the ingredient I am not the biggest fan of, but I do tend to go more strictly natural with my skin care products.
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Blush -NARS - Liberte 
LadyKolie 11/15/2012 11:32:00 AM
For Reference I am Nars Mont Blanc, NC/NW 07-10. I am swapping away this blush today. But do not think less of this blush for it being swapped. I love, love, love this color. I thought is was a beautiful Apricot peachy/orange. I personally thought the pigmentation was lovely. I had to use a very like hand, and it Blended into a beautiful glow using my Nars Yachiyo brush (I also got the same result using my Mac 116). It is easy to get a more dramatic amount of color with this blush, though if you are interested in a stronger Orange most people seem disappointed in this blush and prefer Exhibit A. I wasn't interested in something so strongly orange. My reason for swapping away the blush is simply that the Ingredient Bismuth oxychloride irritates my skin. It is one of the bottom ingredients so the effects weren't as bad as some products, but it still caused breaking out. The one I am swapping I didn't use, I loved the color so much, that after the second time I used it, I went and bought a second box, because I didn't want to run out. Sadly, I cannot repurchase it again now. If you like Nars blushes, this is a lovely one.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Great Lash Mascara Blackest Black
LadyKolie 11/10/2012 1:56:00 PM
I have used this brand of mascara since my mom showed me how to put on mascara on our mother daughter vacation when I was 12. When I got older I tried many other kinds, but they all have clumped and flaked, and every single waterproof formula has made my eyelashes actually fall out. After all of these years, I only use two mascaras Diorshow Iconic, and Maybelline great lash. Besides Dior, this is the only mascara that doesn't clump horribly or flake all over my face in an hour. It seems my eyelashes like the formula and they play well together. The price compared to other brands of fail I have used is unbeatable. Before I knew you should change out mascara every few months, I kept a tube of this for years and it worked every day and didn't even dry up. Obviously I wasn't wearing it everyday, but it was my powerhorse of mascara. I give it 5 of product, 5 for price, 4 for packaging only because my personal tastes are different. The brush works but I have liked other brushes more from other brands. I have reparchased this more times than I can count in 16 years, so yes, I will buy again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Sephora - Microsmooth Blush Duo
LadyKolie 11/8/2012 3:41:00 PM
Skin tone and Type: nc/nw 10-15 (just as reference, I cannot actually use Mac foundations) or Nars Mont Blanc. I have Acne prone, extremely sensitive, combination, oily skin. I have a lot of topical and internal allergies/ intolerances. I Bought Five out of Six Shades offered in a Blush Haul. The shades are 01 Tangerine Tease - shimmering warm orange/ tanned tangerine 02 Fuchsia Flushed - shimmering bright azalea/ rose pink 03 Guava Glow - shimmering golden peach pink/ coral watermelon 04 Rose Emotion - shimmering golden rose/ deep raspberry 05 Tea Rose Tickle - shimmering burnished mauve/ muted pink brown 06 Mangobeam - shimmering peachy pink/ muted orange-peach The blushes are finely milled, highly pigmented. So much so I find it comparable to Nars pigmentation. They are shimmery but do not contain flecks, just finely milled shimmer. I have been leaning more towards dewier looks as of late, so I like the shimmer for that "Glow". I hate glitter or chunky bits. I am not 16 any more, I simply cannot pull that off. I did not get 04 simply because they did not have it at the Sephora I went to. Also Guava Glow and Mango Beam look way too alike so I should have just chosen one. Supposedly these duo blushes are two colors and you can use one or the other or mix to make your own shade. I just mix, I haven't tried just one side or the other, but I did swatch them separately and then together in the pictures above. Five blushes starting from the left are Sephora's. The Blush at the very right, at the end is Nars' Orgasm. I had to double swatch Orgasm ( i know orgasm isn't the most pigmented of Nars blushes) to get it to show up at the same pigmentation level as the Sephora Blushes. Also two of the Sephora swatches look the same which are incredibly close to being Dupes of Orgasm itself. Currently $17 a blush. This is a blush that DOES NOT contain bismuth oxychloride. That is the reason I bought almost every shade. Bismuth is in so many blushes, it makes my skin itch and breaks me out. It is my enemy.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -NARS - Ita Brush
LadyKolie 11/8/2012 3:10:00 PM
I am just posting this to remind myself to review it. I got this brush recently in a gift brush haul. I am extremely attracted to Matte black items. I want to compare it to another brush I received in the haul, the Mac 109. These brushes look nothing alike but are both used for contouring. I am interested to see how they both spread out pigment on paler skin (like mine) where contouring can be extremely unforgiving. Will update soon. Ideally, a brush of this price should not need to be repurchased again. Edit::11\15/2012:: I haven't used it for contouring, but I used it for Highlighting, and just wow. Lovely disbursement of product. Highlights are easy to over do on my skin because I am so pale it is hard to see. This seems to place a wonderful amount evenly considering the flat shape of the brush, which I thought my be a problem with light application, seemed to do an excellent job. Though I think brush is wonderful so far, I do not yet think it is unnecessary unless you love contouring and highlighting. Also I believe I forgot to mention that this is the longer handle, shorter length version of the brush, and not the shorter handle wider version. Edit :: 12/02/2012:: So I used this brush a few times for contouring, it is impressive. Will definitely define with a contouring powder. I am rather pale so I have to be very careful how I apply a contour, but this is great for a dramatic line, but the line can also be blended out. It even displaces pigment. Lovely brush.
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Makeup Brushes -NARS - Blush Brush 06
LadyKolie 11/8/2012 2:55:00 PM
I have no comment on how the brush actually works. I received it as part of a gift. It feels incredibly soft to the touch. I am not sure that this is a good thing, Not that soft isn't good, but there is something about the way the brush feels that makes me think it may actually make pigmented blush super difficult to use. I have read some of the reviews here, and I feel it may be proof of my suspicions. I will update this review when I actually try the brush. I got the Nars yachiyo at the same time, and I find it amazing though the brush is No where near as soft, hence the reason I have not even tried this blush brush yet. However, I am also under the suspicion that this brush may work better for creams than powders. EDIT :: 01.06.2013:: I experimented for a day with this brush, it isn't as densely packed as I would like a blush brush to be. It is however very soft. It does NOT work well with creams for me at all.
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Makeup Brushes -NARS - 27 - Yachiyo
LadyKolie 11/8/2012 2:36:00 PM
I would buy this brush again if I needed to, but the idea is that your brushes last you a long time so you may never have to. I am a sucker for black. I wear it everyday, almost head to toe without even thinking about it. I compared the Hakudoho yachiyo and Nars yachiyo reviews many, many times before it came down to this one factor, I like black more. As for the brush itself, this is not the softest brush I own. The Nars 6 blush brush is much, much softer, and even Mac 119 is a bit softer. However, This brush makes it (practically) fool proof to put on the most pigmented blushes. It diffuses the pigment evenly, so no patchiness of pigment occurs. The lightness of the weight of the brush itself forces to to use it lightly. You can layer for more and more pigment, or achieve a subtle glow with ease. Since, I used this brush, I haven't even picked up my Mac 119 or the Nars 6 blush brush (which I haven't even tried it yet). I am also a sucker for Japanese style brushes. I paint and I love cosmetics, this makes me a sucker for amazing brushes. Who want to struggle making the right brush stroke, when the right brush makes it WAY easier. ::edit:: 02.26.2013 I have recently purchased Hakuhodo brushes. And though I really liked My Nars Yachiyo, I was feeling like a lot of my brushes were rough on my skin. My skin is very sensitive. I ended up purging this brush and using the money for a Hakuhodo yachiyo. The Nars yachiyo is brilliant when being used with Nars blushes, but if you find this brush scratchy on your skin you may want to try a different softer brand like Haku. I won't lie, in comparison to hand made aligned goat hair, and Dye machine cut goat hair there is a huge difference in how it feels on the skin. I still think that the Nars Yachiyo is more beautiful because of it's hand crafted handle, and the uniform color, but this doesn't make the brush "FEEL" softer on my skin. It is still a great brush and is fantastic with pigmented blushes.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Pressed Powders -Kevyn Aucoin - The Celestial Powder: Candlelight
LadyKolie 11/8/2012 2:26:00 PM
Skin tone and Type: nc/nw 7-10 (just as reference, I cannot actually use Mac foundations) or Nars Mont Blanc. I have Acne prone, extremely sensitive, combination, oily skin. I have a lot of topical and internal allergies/ intolerances. This is one of like three Highlighters I have found that DOES NOT contain bismuth oxychloride. I have had to turn down highlighter after highlighter for this reason. So it is a huge Plus that this is a shade of highlighter I can use, but also that it is a formula that will not tear up my skin. The color is more Champagne than yellow or pink, which very much compliments my skin tone. I like the product itself. It isn't chalky, but when I use my brush it seems to get powdery. Which basically means it kicks up powder that I cannot use, so I feel like I am losing product even when I gently pat my brush in. The packaging closes securely. However, I am not a fan of how big the packaging is compared to the amount of product, and the brush is a joke and a waste of plastic. Literally cut the packaging in half and drop the price because it is simply wasteful. Considering the Price, it's a little hard to drop that much money on a highlighter. I do not need a highlighter, honestly, because of how pale I am, but I rather enjoy them. I actually do like the product itself enough to purchase again.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Acure Chlorella Growth Factor + Pomegranate Night Cream
LadyKolie 11/2/2012 11:37:00 AM
I love this product, but I do often pair it with an oil at night. I use two pumps. My oily skin just eats up moisture surprisingly. Since using this, either alone or with tamanu oil, I have noticed my skin is much, much happier. Oil is controlled and I not longer have break outs. It makes my skin feel fantastic in the morning. I will say I wish this was in a squeeze tube or a pot to get the product out easier. The glass containers and pumps are nice, but the clog easily and when the product is low make it difficult to get the rest out (sitting it upside down all day and shaking it out). I always wish I got more for my money. It is pricey, but that is the cost of all natural, organic, gluten free, cruelty free products.
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Skincare - Face -Unlisted Brand - Acure Eraser Balm
LadyKolie 11/2/2012 11:31:00 AM
When I was first getting into organic products, I was worried that oils would make me oilier. Surprising this is not the case. Even though this product is oil based, it is organic cold pressed oil, and my skin just eats it right up. I put this over three places, under my eyes (because I have very dry eyes) around my month because of a scar, and right between my eye brows because I have had a line there since I was a teenager, furrowing my brow too much from angst (ha!) This really did moisturize, which is the cause of most lines. It also did a great job of lessening the line between my brows. Sometimes I use it one my lips if my lips are super chapped and nothing else is working. I think it is fantastic. It comes in a pot, which works fine for me. As far as price, I think it is pricey, but that is the cost of organic all natural products that are gluten free. I wish I got more product for the price, but this hasn't stopped me from repurchasing it yet!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Acure Organics - Radical Resurfacing Facial Lotion
LadyKolie 11/2/2012 11:26:00 AM
I just purchased this item recently, and I am using Arcure conditioner, Orange body lotion, Facial Day cream, Superfruits eye cream, Night cream, and Line eraser, and anti aging cream. I think the whole line is just fantastic honestly. It hydrates my skin just enough. Keeps me moist without being oily. It is all natural, Organic, Gluten Free, and cruelty free. It doesn't break me out and has actually stopped my break out all together and kept me break out free. I actually haven't used this particular product yet, but I am going to this week and I will update my review then. ^^
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Treatments (Eye) -Acure Organics - Eye Cream Superfruit + Chlorella Growth Factor
LadyKolie 11/2/2012 11:19:00 AM
I have a super dry eye area. But also, products I have put around my eyes either burn or they cause milia. This is the very first eye cream I have ever used not only hydrates my eyes, but doesn't cause problems of any kind. The packaging is potted, like typical eye creams which works just fine. It is a bit pricey, but it is an organic, gluten free, green, and animal cruelty free company plus some money from this company goes to cancer research, so at the very least I know that I am getting something good for myself and it is going something good for others (even if it is a small amount). I always wish I got more product for the money, but I still think this is an amazing product none the less. This is my second container, and I will buy again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - ACURE Oil Control Day Cream
LadyKolie 11/1/2012 5:33:00 PM
Organic line of Skin care product. All Natural and Gluten Free (which is a big plus for me) I have oily to combination facial skin. Depends on the time of year. I have tried a couple of all natural brands but this is my favorite. My skin just absorbs it up with out breaking out or having a reaction of any kind. I find it moisturizing. Since using all Natural Products in my skin care, my skin has gone through a change. I haven't had the same issues with oils. I do not find my skin being more or less oily with this product. Regardless, I use this product every day and I love it. Very much. A easier bottle would be nice. I have to tilt the bottle upside down when product is low and shake to get it out. I wish it was in a squeeze tube or a pot or something, however the glass bottle does look nice enough.
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