Treatments -Elizabeth Arden - Eight Hour Cream
decoydream 10/28/2012 2:56:00 AM
I've been hearing about this product so much over the years, i just had to get it! When someone described it as vaseline on steroids, they were quite right. I've had it for a few days and already, i've found several uses for it. I have really terrible eczema that flares up all the time, and right now my hands and literally flaking because they are so dry and itchy. I've tried all the creams but none of them seemed to work - i'd have to wake up several times during the night to moisterise! But i put on a layer of this on my hands before sleeping and they were much softer and hydrated by the time i woke up. However, i used this on my neck (which is also prone to really bad bouts of eczema) and it got really itchy and red/bumpy so be careful about where you put it! I also use this on my lips and on dry patches on my face (no problems with breakouts or pore blockage). While the cream/gel/ointment is quite thick, its not disgustingly so if you use it sparingly. Another thing that seems to put a lot of people off is the scent. It smells a bit medicinal - a little bit herbal and a bit like the smell of band aids. It doesn't faze me too much though and the scent does fade eventually. I really think this is worth getting if you feel like vaseline doesn't do the job for you - this is more intensive, soaks into the skin a lot better and the results are much faster! EDIT: bumped this up to 5 lippies because it healed my face after using a particular product that broke me out into a dry, painful red rash on my face. After a shower when my face was still damp, I warmed a pea sized amount in my hands then pressed it into my skin. Did the for 2-3 nights then my face was back to normal! Hooray!
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Mascara -Bourjois - Volume Glamour Max Definition 
decoydream 10/28/2012 2:41:00 AM
(This is a review for the hot pink contoured tube with rubber bristles) I really like this product. It does a really great job at lengthening and defining and is pretty good for volume too. The colour is very black and it doesn't smudge or sting my eyes! However, using this mascara by itself does not hold a curl well at all and if you put too many layers on, the lashes stick together a bit. My recommendation (and the way i use it) is to put on a layer of a curl holding mascara (e.g. covergirl's lash blast or max factor's false lash effect) and then this on top. Voila! High drama, false looking lashes that look healthy and not at all spidery!
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Eye Shadow -Unlisted Brand - Lucy Minerals-Raisin Shadow
decoydream 10/9/2012 1:16:00 AM
Very pretty! This would make a lovely fall/winter shade! You can wear it on its own or blended with other colours. I imagine it's also look very good on top of a black paint pot that's been smudged and blended over the lids! Like the mocha one, the quality is fantastic though i feel as though the shimmer in this one is not as fine so it doesn't give it that 'glossy wet' look!
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Eye Shadow -Unlisted Brand - Lucy Minerals Shimmer Shadow in Mocha
decoydream 10/9/2012 1:05:00 AM
Love love love this soft peachy copper colour! It is such a pleasant surprise and i'm kind of in love with it. It's one of those rare eyeshadows where you don't need to take forever blending, packing on the colour or using several colours to get a multi dimensional look. The shimmer in it is so fine that the metallic finish is almost glossy looking! It stayed on all day on my oily lids without primer (only used a light swipe of lucy minerals foundation underneath to rid of my uneven skin tone). The container is a small sifter pot - i don't have any issues with the packaging because i didn't peel the plastic all the way back so the pigments are largely contained. All in all, It's gorgeous and i highly recommend this product (and Lucy Minerals) to anyone!
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Polishes -Bourjois - So Laque Nail Enamel
decoydream 9/29/2012 1:58:00 AM
I remember buying a Bourjois nail polish years ago (one of those limited edition ones in the itsy bitsy cute bottles) and it was horrible streaky and gross. Either i got a bad batch back then or they've changed the formula, because i absolutely love this one! It's shiny, opaque (you can easily get away with one coat if you're in a hurry) and the formulation is wonderfully smooth. The colour i bought is called 'Magenta Show' in number 43.
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Fragrances -Christian Dior - Pure Poison
decoydream 9/23/2012 4:01:00 AM
I've had the small bottle of this for a good 4-5 years and i still haven't finished because i don't reach for it very often. It actually works with my body chemistry, but it feels a little too sultry for school and now university. It lacks the crispness (usually from some citrus/floral that i tend to like) that i usually go for in the day time so i only use it occasionally during night time. It does last a long time on the skin though, and the scent doesn't change too much from the intial spritz on my skin.
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Makeup Brushes -Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman - Stippling Brush
decoydream 8/9/2012 1:36:00 AM
I was so excited to find out that Priceline in Australia now stocks these! I bought this stippling brush for about $20 AUD and it's really very good. It's lovely and dense and it doesn't absorb all my foundation like a lot of other brushes do. It's a breeze to use and clean (doesn't bleed or go funny), and it really buffs the pigment into the skin so everything looks natural!
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Bronzers -Rimmel - Natural Bronzer - 025 Sun Glow
decoydream 8/9/2012 1:20:00 AM
I was looking for a bronzer but was dreading the idea of orange-y oompa loompa overload. Luckily, i stumbled upon this Rimmel one which is light enough to not look like overload when i've got a heavy (sleepy) hand in the morning but still dark enough so it actually shows up on my NC20-25 skin. It's still got a little bit of sparkle but you can barely see it. The pan is huge so its well worth the $12 AUD!
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Moisturizers -Clinique - Moisture Surge Intense
decoydream 8/9/2012 1:16:00 AM
I love this a lot more than the original moisture surge (which sat on my skin funny and made it tingle - not in a particularly nice way either). I spritz my face lightly with Avene thermal water then i blend a bit of this in till it sinks in to my skin. Surprisingly, this doesn't make my skin any oilier than it already is, and using it in conjunction with my usual pore serum and foundation, my 'face' stays on a lot longer than it would usually.
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Lipstick -Revlon - ColorBurst lipstick in Petal
decoydream 8/9/2012 1:11:00 AM
A lovely everyday lipstick that isn't so opaque it looks overdone. The colour is exactly like it's name - petal. A dusky pale-midtone pink with a slight hint of peach. I add a tiny dab of Revlons "wine with everything" to deepen the colour to suit my complexion a bit more :)
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Sunscreen -Unlisted Brand - Ego Sunsense Daily Face Matte Formula SPF30
decoydream 8/9/2012 1:07:00 AM
I generally avoid the sun (i'm a winter kind of girl anyway) but since it's unavoidable at uni, i bought this sunscreen for my sun protection needs (since my foundation only has SPF15 or something like that...). It has a peachy kind of tint to it that disappears when you put it on and it's as matte as sunscreens go (and oil free i believe - though anything on my face tends to feel oily). However, it changes the general composition of my foundation that sits on top of it, making it slightly more oily than usual. It's not something i reach for often because it hasn't been integrated into my routine yet, but during summer i will definitely put it on (because oiliness is still better than getting burnt...). I'm not too sure whether i would repurchase, but its pretty good nonetheless :)
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Eyeliner -Maybelline - Unstoppable Eyeliner
decoydream 6/8/2012 12:08:00 AM
This eyeliner is soft (but usable) and very pigmented. I use it for smokey looks only because the fading and smudging isn't as prominent that way. For my everyday looks though, i can't use this because it goes all over the place even when i use it very lightly.
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Mascara -Max Factor - False lash effect
decoydream 6/8/2012 12:03:00 AM
Fluttery and dense lashes - just the way i like it! I admit it doesn't give great length but that's okay because i prefer fanned out and more voluminous lashes. I am a fan of these rubbery brushes - i feel like they do a better job of 'multiplying' the lashes. This MF one is better than CG's Lash blast though because it does not smudge underneath my eyes and is easy to take off with some warm water or make up remover! Max Factor still does the best drug store mascaras in my opinion...
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Eye Shadow -Max Factor - Earth Spirits burnt bark
decoydream 6/7/2012 11:59:00 PM
Silky and creamy with great pigmentation. The colour is kind of a medium shimmery taupey colour that steers clear of gold (which is a good thing because gold shadows tend to enhance the sallowness of my asian skin, particularly around my eyes). There's zero creasing with primer (haven't tried it without yet) and no fading. I'm not fazed by the simple packaging - i actually think its quite good because i prefer pots to palettes which can be bulky when i'm trying to travel light.... Also, it's pretty cheap for $13 Australian at Priceline!
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Liquid -Estee Lauder - Maximum Coverage Foundation
decoydream 6/6/2012 4:24:00 AM
My skin is: super oily yet dry in patches (its winter), large pores just about everywhere, pitted acne scars and a bit of redness here and there. This foundation doesn't lie when it says maximum coverage! It covers all those problems listed above without the need for any additional concealer! When used in the right amount (which is very little - about a small pea size), it looks really lovely on the skin. Even the oil control isn't that bad - i don't need to use MAC's blot powder when i wear this, i just dust some Laura Mercier's translucent powder on. The only slight con i have is that it looks a bit patchy on the bridge of my nose.. it may be because the foundation seperates a little because i'm just so oily... But it's really not a big deal unless someone comes up and inspects your face :P The packaging is simple and sanitary - simply squeeze out the amount of product you need. The price is a little high at $68 in Australia, but for such good pigment, it's worth it! For reference, i'm Asian and i wear NC20 (MAC), 52-53 (Bourjois Healthy Mix) and in Estee Lauder's max coverage, i wear 03 Creamy Vanilla :) EDIT: As i'm a little less pale now it's spring, i need to mix a bit of Bourjois's healthy mix in 53 in with the foundation to darken it and make the finish a little bit more dewy!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No