Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Colossal
RustGospel 10/12/2011 12:03:00 PM
Oh my Goodness. Maybelline Colossal is everything and more that I want in a mascara. It's at least 12 thousand times better than The Falsies for a multitude of reasons. First and foremost, I was pretty astonished when I pulled the Colossal's wand out of the tube. There was no thick, horribly globby, wet mess of excess mascara anywhere on the brush. It was lightly covered with a fine amount of shiny mascara. It was even without that extra "tail" of mascara hanging off the edge of the wand, which is unlike any thing I've ever seen before. Amazing. It applied on my lashes just the way it looked on the applicator. Colossal's formula was glossy, smooth and extra black. It built the kind of volume that I needed at least three coats of Falsie's (despite having naturally long lashes) for and also fanned and separated my lashes beautifully. As a girl who's a fan of big, dramatic lashes, Colossal gave me what I wanted without having to deal with a lot of layering, which I appreciated. The Falsies dried so quickly that it flaked off as I tried to layer it, often times leaving me with mascara flakes in my lipstick and sprinkled across my cheeks and nose. There was no sign of that at all with Colossal. I genuinely believe that it is possible to have that 'false lash effect' with Colossal too, since the formula is so slick and buildable. It's easy to coax lashes into a nice thick fan without having any clumps or chips. It was the perfect consistency for me. It was wet enough to glide onto my lashes and thin enough to adhere to each lash without clumping. All in all, I like it a lot. I feel like it doesn't get nearly as much hype as it deserves and The Flakies- ahem- Falsies really just pales in comparison. Sure, it smells like toxic waste, but the formula is pretty much on-point other than that. My only hope is that this mascara ages well. No other mascara has made me want to throw all of my other ones away like Maybelline's Colossal has. EDIT: I knocked this down to a 3 because it DOES flake after you've had it for about a week! :(
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Treatments -Ion - Repair Solutions Hair Reconstructor
RustGospel 10/4/2011 10:49:00 AM
I wish that like mostly everyone else here on this page, I had a rave review to write. While I can say that Ion's Repair Solutions Hair Reconstructor certainly hasn't damaged, harmed or made my hair any worse, I'm also not really sure if I could attribute my hair's health to this either. When I bought this product, my hair was in the most awful state that it's ever been due to this crippling combination of back-combing, dyeing and using too much heat. A sales attendant at a local Sally's recommended this to me and I walked away with a couple of the small packs (which are good for two uses on my long thick hair). My stylist also advocated the use of protein (after she cut my dead ends off and gave me a fresh start), though only once every 3-4 weeks. I was somewhat surprised when I first used this on my hair. The texture is very thick and gooey...almost like beaten eggs before they are poured into the skillet to make an omelet. This stuff smells almost like bubble gum to me as well. Though I was told by the Sally's employee that I should see a difference immediately after using it and had read that others had the same experience, that wasn't the case for me. Sure, my hair is soft after using this but not really any softer than it is when I skip the protein treatment and use just my deep conditioner. Even after incorporating this into my hair regimen (I've been using it for about 3 months now) I'm still losing quite of a bit of my hair, though I have no really discernible damage anymore. When I use this, I typically leave it on for an entire hour or so, then do the same with my weekly deep conditioner. I think that for me, this is mostly just a maintenance sort of product that isn't instantaneous and doesn't seem to absolutely work wonders. It just sort of aids my general routine in a pretty subtle manner. Eh.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Super Lustrous in Kiss Me Coral
RustGospel 9/29/2011 3:37:00 AM
I was pretty underwhelmed with Kiss Me Coral at first. I suppose that since I'm more used to very bold, vibrant red lipsticks the slightly more subdued hue of coral was a little strange, especially when initially I expected it to be ultra bright. For a few days, I was completely on the fence about whether I liked it or not and I was entirely undecided about what I was going to do with it. I'd get up and try it on every morning...I'd walk around in it, peeking at myself in different mirrors and lighting around the house. Anyway, about a week later I finally put on some matte foundation with it and THAT is when it truly shone. I think that the oh-so-slight hint of fleshtone pink in this lipstick brought out the sallowness in my skin, sort of drawing out it's patchy tone. With foundation on and my unevenness camouflaged, this lipstick DID appear so much brighter than before. I'm not sure why or how, but something about Kiss Me Coral and I clicked on that day. It reminds me so much of the coral color Mad Men's Betty Draper wears when blotted down and truly Lucille Ball when slicked on. I too agree that Kiss Me Coral would perhaps work on most skin tones. It's so easy for me to imagine this lipstick on a tanned girl with peach blush, completely emulating that vintage beach bunny look I've been so wild over. *Swoon* It's this perfect mixture of red, carrot orange, and a tiny bit nude-ish pink. It works full on and looks just as beautiful if not even slightly more so blotted down to a stain against my light-meduim skin. I love how much lower maintenance this lipstick is than a typical red shade. The impact of this is just so much softer without the color necessarily being any duller or lackluster at all. You can be girly and carefree with this lipstick. It's great for days when I don't feel like being a complete full-on crimson lipped femme fatale. I also love that I can have this all in the same Revlon Super Lustrous formula that I've come to adore. I will say that I've noticed that this color, like other older Revlon releases (like Fire & Ice and Siren) go on a little more streaky than other Super Lustrous Lipsticks do. No matter, liner or a few coats from the tube will limit this. If you're looking for a beautiful, fun, vivacious, retro lip shade that won't tire you out or age you, then Kiss Me Coral is definitely worth looking into!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Revlon - Super Lustrous Lipgloss - Firecracker (Summer 2010)
RustGospel 9/27/2011 12:53:00 PM
Even though I had stalked reviews and swatches of Revlon's Super Lustrous lip gloss in Firecracker for at least a month, I was still incredibly surprised when I finally bought it and brought it home. I'd read at least a thousand times already that this shade in particular was insanely sheer, but for whatever reason, I don't think I was ready for just how sheer this applied on my slightly pigmented lips. After dipping the applicator into the gloss three times (just to ensure my lips were coated evenly) Firecracker leaves my lips with an extremely translucent medium orange tint, with only very slight hints of red. I bought this mainly to wear over some of my red lipsticks, but it's far too sheer to add any depth to those. It works the best with my more orange lipsticks, I believe. It gives them a nice little punch of opacity and a juicy shine. It's not at all sticky or greasy feeling, which also makes it perfect for that purpose as well as being worn by its self. I just don't see myself wearing this alone very much simply because I prefer lipsticks and I feel like this shade doesn't do my complexion much justice. I tend to have to play up my skin with blush to be able to pull off warm colors at all, sadly. I was hoping that this would be a shade that I could throw on during the day as a low maintenance substitute for the red lips I'm known for, but that's not the case. But, If you've got very bronzed or warm skin, I think that this would look amazingly natural and would truly bring out the gold tones in your skin. Overall, I'm satisfied with this purchase even if it doesn't live up to all of my expectations.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Maybelline - Dream Matte Mousse
RustGospel 9/27/2011 1:36:00 AM
I'd be lying through my teeth if I tried to say that I wasn't initially IN LOVE with the poreless matte perfection that Dream Matte Mousse has to offer. I ended up choosing it over L'Oreal's Magic Smooth Souffle as for whatever reason, the Magic Smooth Souffle dried my skin out horribly even with moisturizer underneath and was uncomfortable to wear. First and foremost, Dream Matte Mousse in shade 04 Nude is pretty much a dead-on match for me color-wise (NC 20-25). This is the first time I've ever actually ha a foundation match me perfectly. Granted, I haven't tried too many (I tend not to like the way that most foundations feel on my face) but this was a pleasant surprise. The texture is very creamy and light. It pretty much feels the same exact way that the Magic Smooth Souffle felt but without the extremely drying finish. It's a breeze to apply because it seems to glide over skin with such ease and doesn't set as quickly as a liquid foundation. It could be layered over my acne scars and freckles, eliminating the need for a concealer, which I liked quite a bit because it was one less product I needed to wear on my face and it saved me some time. This is truly a foundation that I feel absolutely comfortable wearing. It can't be felt and certainly doesn't feel heavy on one's skin. It provides the ultimate velvety matte, soft focus type finish that I've been craving all while still camouflaging my flaws well without the aid of another product. It didn't make my skin look dry or cakey at all initially. Now, the main thing that troubles me about this foundation is that the matte finish simply doesn't last. My skin is combination and this foundation begins to break down and wear off on my nose after about an hour. The oil starting to seep through actually makes the foundation appear slightly luminous at first, but not long after that it becomes too greasy. The way that this foundation looks as it's oxidizes on my skin also bothers me. It's as though it starts clinging to the drier, discolored spots on my face, making them turn a grey-ish color. The whole foundation itself seems to change colors and become more rosey or mauve as it breaks down. Fine lines around my mouth and eyes start to stand out. Re-powdering doesn't seem to help. It only seems to make this effect worse. I'm not sure who's at fault here exactly- Dream Matte Mousse or the E.L.F. Complexion Perfection that I set this foundation with. I'm looking into replacing E.L.F. for this reason. I suspect that it might be too chalky to set this with, which might be causing my issues with the how quickly the foundation breaks down and how unflattering it looks while doing so. I'm also thinking about getting a primer, but honestly, I really just don't think that I should HAVE TO. It just seems like a truly good foundation, in theory, doesn't need a ton of pre-application prep and setting to make it last a decent amount of time. Or maybe that's naive? Will update after changing powders and/or getting a primer. Wish me luck. EDIT: Bought a primer that makes this stay, but I'm still just not happy with the way that this looks on my skin. I've also ditched my setting powder. It goes on too dark and too orange, looks like the right color after being blended out, then sets and turns a muddy pink. Plus it still sinks into all of my fine lines (I'm only 17!) and clings to facial hair as well as dry patches I didn't know I had. Ugh, I give up. It looks okay inside around soft electric lighting but in daylight...EEK!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioning Treatment
RustGospel 9/1/2011 11:06:00 PM
To be completely honest, I just don't think that this is the right leave-in for my hair type. I had all of the same other problems as one of the earlier reviewers who is bi-racial like I am. Even though I'm relaxed, I have been wearing my long, thick hair in the "wash 'n go", scrunched, 3A-3B style just to give my hair a break after having all of the dead ends cut off (losing a few inches from my then mid-back hair in the process) and to keep the dreadful Southern humidity from blowing it up as badly. Anyway, I bought this back when I was still (futilely) wearing my hair straight and before I'd had the dead ends chopped off to give my poor, poor damaged hair a little moisture. I found that attempting to use this everyday and then sealing it with an oil of some kind the way that type 4 girls did was coating my hair and making it feel gooey but still some how mummified looking. After having my hair cut and getting chastised by my hair lady, I've only been using this once a week- after I get out of the shower and on damp hair. I'm only still using it because I don't want to waste it and haven't made up my mind about what to try next. While I did like the smell for a while, I just got tired of how strong it was and how long it lasted. I agree with the other reviewer about how it coats my hands and how it can smell a little unpleasant the next day. I can't say that I'm really a fan of the huge tub that it comes in either. I've managed to spill it on my bathroom rug a time or two and dislike having to scrape Cantu out from under my nails every time I use it. I can say that I haven't had any issues with the white residue or clumps a lot of people are talking about though. I use this in conjunction with a mousse and a moisturizing curl spray and haven't had any problems. Honestly, I think there's something out there better for me. Cantu Shea Butter weighs down my curls, doesn't control my frizz in the slightest, and does nothing to make my hair any shinier or too much softer than it already is after a shower. While I have no split ends at the moment, I do wish that there was something out there I could use after my hair has dried and been styled. The consistency of Cantu Shea Butter is just too heavy and somehow not nourishing enough for me. I don't think I'd recommend it to anyone who's new growth or natural hair isn't in the 4 category.
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Lipstick -L'Oreal - Colour Riche Lipstick in British Red
RustGospel 9/1/2011 5:14:00 PM
This is another one of those lipsticks who's color is hard to describe against my skin tone. I agree with the reviewer who noted that this lipstick can pull either cool or warm...it almost kind of looks like someone had taken a blue based red and added in just the slightest drop of orange. The undertones don't really cancel each other out but shine through and give this medium tomato red some really wonderful dimension. When I'm in broad daylight this leans more cool on me than it does when I'm inside or surrounded by soft electric lighting but I'd never describe it as being an orange-red or even ever appearing to be very noticeably orange at all. This color doesn't have any yellow tone to it at all the way that some tomato reds do, which I think makes it much easier to pull off. I have another tomato red by Revlon (Ravish Me Red) and because of the slight yellow tone thrown in, I have to wear blush to keep the color from looking flat and washing me out a little. When I first really tried British Red on, it brightened my face instantly. I didn't need any blush to put some color back into my face and it made my teeth look pearly white. I suppose British Red could be described as a neutral shade but the color isn't devoid of undertones completely or disappointingly drab. I quite the sleek gloss that L'Oreal Colour Riche lipsticks have. They're pretty thick in consistency but glide across the lips almost effortlessly. I've had experiences with these bleeding a little bit if I don't line my lips prior to putting them on. They stain your skin horrifically as a result of smearing or bleeding, which is frustrating to clean up too. As other people have mentioned, these have a very baby powder-esque scent which I particularly despise. I'm almost hesitant to buy L'Oreal lipsticks because of the scent but it only really bothers me during application. While British Red isn't bold enough to be garish or obnoxious, it does a wonderful job as a pick-me-up color that can freshen my complexion beautifully.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Revlon - Orange Flip
RustGospel 8/29/2011 11:20:00 PM
Orange Flip was the first Moondrops Lipstick I've ever owned, though upon opening the tube, I found the scent to be incredibly familiar. Ah, nostalgia. I believe my mother used to have a few of these back in the 90's when they were more available and much, much more easy to find. Anyway, I'd describe this color as being an orange with just the tiniest hint of red- not the other way around. I ended up with this while hunting down my idyllic red-orange - one that straddled both worlds equally and was stunningly vibrant. While Orange Flip is stunningly vibrant, I find that like the name suggests, it is much more of a popsicle type shade of orange than red-orange. A pinch of red is there and does give Orange Flip a very juicy and fun twist, there's not enough of it for it to be *exactly* what I was looking for. Overall, the formula is great. This might warrant a few gasps but I think I like the Moondrops formula much more than the Super Lustrous lipsticks. The Moondrops formula is slightly more thick, creamy and opaque. It's not as slick and doesn't streak as much. Unfortunately, I can see the heavily perfumed smell of the Moondrops formula just not sitting well with some people. I've noticed that it never completely dissipates and though I always remove my lipstick before eating, I can imagine the smell of the lipstick and some foods or drinks clashing and being highly unpleasant to some people. It doesn't bother me to the point where I dislike wearing this lipstick and I like the fact that Revlon has remained true to it's oldest formulas but Moondrops would definitely have more fans if it was removed altogether. I also still prefer it to the way L'Oreal lipsticks smell, strangely enough. While Orange Flip wasn't exactly what I was looking for, it's a great lipstick for anyone aching to try out the orange craze that's been going on lately. I also think it's probably much more fun than Revlon's other famous orange (Siren) which is almost an apricot on some people. I'm looking forward to continuing my search for the ultimate red-orange. Perhaps Moondrops' Hot Coral is what I'm after?
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Revlon - Ravish Me Red
RustGospel 8/29/2011 5:54:00 PM
Initially I can't say that I was at all very impressed with Revlon's Ravish Me Red. After a night of swatch heaven in a local Target, it's odd to admit that I walked away with the only lipstick that I couldn't pry open and test out (for the entire length of the Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick tubes are sealed in perforated plastic). This was a blind faith sort of purchase for me. Even though I'd done a little investigating before hand by pulling up photos of it and reading some reviews here on MUA, I still wasn't entirely sure just what I was getting myself into. Lately, my mind has been swamped with visions of the perfect bright, sizzling orange-red lips and I have been on a buying rampage. Three lipsticks later, I arrive at Ravish Me Red. When I got it home, eagerly ripped open the packaging and slicked it on, I realized that it was not the color that I'd been looking for. It's actually what I'd describe as a tomato red. While there is just a hint of orange in this lipstick, it shares it's warm influence with a touch of yellow as well. It's by no means blazingly florescent orange-red. Please, please, please DO NOT make the same mistake that I did by automatically translating "warm" to "orange". It's not always the case, ladies. On my lips the color looked a little flat, perhaps because my skin is pretty neutral in terms of underdone. I was pretty disappointed. It wasn't until some days later after deciding to evoke my inner Dolly Parton and swirl on quite a bit of red colored blush when Ravish Me Red got a second chance. This time, Ravish Me Red looked beautiful. It paired with (almost too much) red blush made my skin look so milky and even. I was thrilled! Not only did I find a way to make this lipstick work for me, but I also discovered a new love for blush in the process. I also received many compliments! The formula is the same typical Revlon SL formula with no smell (like L'oreal lipsticks- ack!) and pretty good lasting power. I'm thinking about picking up the SL lipgloss in "Firecracker" to layer over it and give it a little extra punch. Let's not forget how cute the name is either. ;)
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Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Falsies
RustGospel 8/29/2011 4:10:00 PM
Overall, I'm not really pleased with Maybelline's Falsies Mascara. When I was on the hunt for a new mascara I found myself at a crossroads. I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to try Cover Girl's Lash Blast mascara or go with Maybelline's Falsies. Not only did I buy Falsies on sale, but I opted for it because it claims to give exactly what I want: big, bold, voluminous eyelashes that mimic the dramatic effect of false eyelashes. Since my eyelashes are already naturally long I figured that it wouldn't take much at all to make them look that way and just HAD to leave the store with Falsies in hand. I'm just really disappointed with this. It's wet and clumps like you wouldn't believe. I've been trying it weekly, waiting to see if possibly it'll dry up a little as some mascaras are known to do, but the consistency has yet to change. The tube is a complete mess because the stopper inside doesn't do much at all in the way of controlling just how much product you get on the brush. Every time I use it, there is a plethora of excess mascara that hangs off the brush in gobs and must be wiped away before it can become even slightly usable. Even then, this mascara can only be layered a few times before it clumps or starts to create those odd little "chips" near the ends of lashes. If you're looking for length, that's not really a good thing. What's the point in having long lashes when they look like ragged twigs? While I love the volume that it gives, I absolutely HATE the how badly it clumps. I too think that the brush is just a gimmick. I don't think it does much at all at. It's actually kind of time consuming, the having to wipe off the excess, trying to keep it angled the right way, and then having to put up with smears on your brow bone or flakes later in the day. I don't know what it is, but I simply CANNOT make the brush work on my left eye. The eyelashes there aren't much different from the ones on my right, so I take it that trying to use the brush correctly with my left hand or from across the side of my face is what makes the application there so matted and undefined. Ugh. One more thing I think everyone should know before I conclude this review is that if you have allergies or your eyes water a lot, don't even waste your money on this. Even though this version isn't water proof, it's not even remotely water-resistant. If you get something in your eye and it starts to water, get your tissues ready. This will not only run a little but it will trap the water between your eyelashes and only make cleaning up more of a hassle if not irritate your eyes some more in the process. All and all, it's just not for me. Some girls get wonderful results with it but that just wasn't so in my case.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Top/Base Coats -Orly - Orly Won't Chip- Polish Shield
RustGospel 8/6/2011 2:16:00 AM
This top coat is worse than some old, out-dated, probably even discontinued Maybelline top coat that I've got. The first time I tried it, it was a complete nightmare. I did my toenails the night before I left to go out of town, just because I knew I'd be busy packing and what not the day of...needless to say, I had to re-paint my toenails the day of my trip. It's like this top coat completely dried the polish out and caused it to come off in these massive sheets. I was pissed off. The next time I tried this, I made 100% sure that the polish was still wet before I applied Won't Chip over it. I was surprised at the way my nails felt when the top coat dried. They felt incredibly strong, looked wonderfully glossy, and all of the streaking from my polish had been filled in and evened out. I was thrilled but this only lasted for a day. By the next day, my nail polish was again chipped like crazy. I'm not rough on my hands at all. Actually, I'm probably less rough on my hands than most people are. I couldn't believe it. I don't plan on using this again. It makes nails look great for a minute but it does absolutely NOTHING for the staying power- if anything, it makes nail polish chip even worse. If you're thinking of buying a new top coat, it's probably best to steer clear of Orly's Won't [Do Anything But] Chip.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Hard Candy - Lash Call Lengthening Mascara
RustGospel 8/5/2011 4:15:00 PM
I don't really like this mascara at all. Since I've already got naturally long lashes, it's really not hard at all for a mascara to impress me but this one was so terrible. Initial impressions were everything in this case. When I pulled out the wand I was alittle underwhelmed. It's just a basic spiral bristled brush- very boring in comparison to the brushes that other brands are putting out. Okay, so it's boring. So what? I was actually okay with that until I actually went to use the mascara on my eyelashes. There was a ton of excess mascara slathered all over the brush and I had to vigorously scrape it off on the rim of the tube before applying it. Surprisingly the first coat was looking pretty alright for such a wet mascara. My eyelashes looked a little thicker and maybe just a tad longer but I had to wipe my lids down because it had already smeared across my brow bone. When I went in for the second coat, yet again I had to deal with the excess on the wand which was not only mildly aggravating but also messy. As I was applying this second coat to my lashes, Lash Call took a turn for the worse. Those dreaded clumps began to form everywhere! I tried so hard to fix it and clean it up but it just got worse. My eyelashes felt disgusting and stuck together. I had to give my brow bone another wipe. Over all, I wouldn't bother with this and I'm glad that I didn't pay for it. The tube I borrowed wasn't brand new or unopened, so the formula apparently stays wet like this for a good while. It's most certainly NOT a buildable mascara so length is going to be a little hard to achieve. It might be okay for natural looks but only if you're prepared to deal with the mess that the wet formula creates.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Hard Candy - 1,000 Lashes Fiberized Lash Weave Primer
RustGospel 8/5/2011 3:52:00 PM
I borrowed this specifically to review, but I didn't really have high hopes for it at all. I haven't used a lash primer since way back when...when drugstore brands were making a killing off of the latest "thing" by having double-ended mascaras with a primer on one side. Well, thankfully Hard Candy's Fiberized Lash Weave was nothing like those. I can recall them being very thick, goopy and truly doing almost nothing at all in the way of making your mascara do it's job any better. When I first opened this primer, I noticed little white "hairs" covering the wand's bristles and entrance, so naturally I was a little terrified that this would turn my eyelashes into some kind of tarantula-like disaster. Thankfully this wasn't true. For reference, my eyelashes are rather long, pretty curled, and of medium density. Yes, lots of mascaras can make my lashes look really good but there are just as many that will turn them into a clumpy mess. After applying Hard Candy's Fiberized Lash Weave to my eyelashes, I was a little wowed by how much oomph this brought to my natural curl. I suddenly looked so much more alert and my eyelashes were fanned out beautifully. They didn't feel or even look coated. My lashes looked so nice in fact, that I didn't want to put mascara on over this at all. I was in love. I'd also borrowed a Hard Candy mascara to try (different story entirely...), so I applied it over the primer. To be short, this would be be ideal under mascaras that need some extra help separating or preventing clumps. I don't think that it added much to the length as far as coating the lashes, but it did make them appear longer by aiding the curl of my lashes. It'd be great for setting lashes after curling them. I did notice that the primer made the application of the mascara incredibly wet (I compared it to the other eye by not using primer on it), even after waiting a few minutes between the two applications. It was hard to add a second coat to the mascara as well as it didn't appear to make a difference at all. While I do like this product, I think it could do a lot better. I don't think it kept this mascara from flaking off, nor did it make my actual lashes look any longer vs. the same mascara without primer.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Revlon - Revlon Super Lustrous in Fire and Ice
RustGospel 8/3/2011 7:41:00 PM
This lipstick perplexes me, honestly. I decided to re-try this lipstick after reading that it was a dupe for MAC's Lady Danger, which definitely made me do a double take. "What? Fire & Ice is cool-toned, not orange!" I just HAD to dig mine out and slick some on, not only to refresh my memory but to make sure that I didn't already have one of those roaring orange-reds that I've been curious about lately. On my light/medium neutral toned skin Fire & Ice is an incredibly vivid eye-catching cool toned red. The undertone is almost a violet, rather than a blue which is what I think makes this lipstick glow the way it does. I've literally never seen a lipstick this illuminated. When in my room where the lighting is much warmer (I have a red accent wall and lots of dark furniture with orange lighting) this lipstick does ALMOST appear to be absolute perfect, sizzling orange-red I've been dying over. However, outside and everywhere else this lipstick is cool toned with nothing even remotely orange, coral or even warm about it. It's an outrageously incandescent magenta-red that is guaranteed to get you some attention no matter where you go. The formula is very creamy and light. If you plan on working this on with a brush, please be prepared to blot it to keep the streaking from the brush minimal. Also, it's probably a good idea to wear a liner underneath or add several layers of lipstick straight from the tube to get it nice and opaque. Revlon's Fire & Ice is a wonderfully unique and iconic color. It's somewhat mysterious as far as the undertones go, so the only way to see if it works for you is to try it! Maybe they call it Fire & Ice because sometimes it's smolderingly sexy and sometimes it's mysteriously glacial? Hmm... EDIT: I now have Lady Danger and I must clear the air. These two look absolutely nothing alike on the lips. Both have a very neon type of quality, but the colors are totally different.
14 out of 14 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -Palmers - palmers skin success eventone brightening facial mask
RustGospel 8/3/2011 12:03:00 AM
I really wanted to LOVE this mask. Oh, how much I would have rejoiced had I truly found a mask that could be used every week to help me brighten and clear my complexion of dark spots- especially in the dog days of summer when attempting to maintain a blotch-free complexion is a hard and almost tragically futile task. It's just an alright mask. I'm not really a fan of the smell which is a very strong, sickly sweet butter cream and heavy licorice mix that can take my breath away when I first start spreading it all over my face. Thankfully the smell dissipates soon after being spread out completely. Either that or I get used to it. I'm not sure. Anyway, it's a pretty thick, creamy consistency and it does have those little flecks of glitter in it that everyone is talking about. I don't know if this is petty or not, but I do feel a little...awkward (?) when putting a mask on that leaves minute particles of glitter all over my face before I go to sleep at night. They don't appear obvious nor can they be felt but still, I find that a little off-putting. The first time that I used this mask I didn't notice a difference at all.The second time I did, but it was a very subtle difference. My face did look slightly more luminous and a little more even. I want to say that it even shrunk one of my blemishes too. This mask makes my face feel a bit stripped while washing it off but once it's been totally washed off it feels nice and clean, maybe a little taut as well but this doesn't last very long at all. For me, it wasn't nearly as hard to wash off as a Mint Julep mask. There's no scrubbing involved or finding an aggravating green residue tucked into the creases of your nose or around the hairline. Over all, I think it's a good little mask for the money. Does it work wonders? No. Is it instantaneous? No, not really. In the end I think it's one of those products that takes time to work and will only really produce results if you're taking other measures to keep your complexion even. That's just the way that a lot of these skin brightening/whitening/fade type products tend to be.
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