Skincare - Face -Phisoderm - anti-blemish gel facial wash
flamencovixen 12/20/2008 3:59:00 PM
I was persuaded to purchase this product because it was on sale for $2.54 - plus it had a $2 off coupon attached - so I ended up spending 54 cents for the bottle. The pale green bottle is 6 fl. oz. and comes with a pump that dispenses quite a lot if you pump it all the way. I just push the pump slightly to get just enough (you don't need a lot). The gel is clear and not thick (but it's not runny either). The scent reminds me of men's cologne. It contains 2% salicylic acid and is pH balanced. I have combo skin that gets a couple of zits during the time of the month and is prone to a little dryness during the cooler months. When I first tried this, it caused a little stinging on my skin - I think it was due to the dryness (which can make my skin more sensitive). But thereafter, I didn't feel any stinging. It is a little drying so I am using it only 1x a day (at night). I may use more of it during the summer months when my skin gets more oily.
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Lipstick -NYX - Fig
flamencovixen 12/8/2008 6:13:00 PM
Fig is from the NYS Round lipstick collection. It's definitely a neutral to warm-toned medium pink lipstick. It has no shimmer or frost. It certainly brightens up my face. Contrary to what the first reviewer stated, I find Fig to be vibrant, more so when I apply several layers of this lipstick (I find this to be vibrant because I normally wear more muted, neutral colors on my lips). This lipstick has no discernible scent. The texture is creamy but not as creamy as I would like it to be. I read somewhere on the board that this is a dupe of MAC l/s in Strawberry Blonde (LE).
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -NYX - Round Lipstick - Tea Rose
flamencovixen 12/3/2008 3:40:00 AM
Tea Rose is a neutral to cool-toned medium pink rose lipstick. I find that it is a little too bright for me (I tend to wear more muted shades to balance the smokey eyeshadow colors that I use) but it is a pretty color that will certainly liven up one's face. I like the creamy texture of Tea Rose. I also like that it no shimmer or frost. For reference, I have light skin with neutral to warm undertones, MAC NC 20 to 25.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Just Enough Buff
flamencovixen 11/30/2008 3:19:00 PM
Just Enough Buff was released sometime in the summer of 2008 and is a permanent color. The name of this nude lipstick is quite accurate. There really is just enough buff in this lipstick so that it doesn't wash me out (as many nudes tend to do). In the tube, this lipstick looks like a pale, neutral-toned peachy cream without any pink or orange tones. Revlon categorizes this lipstick as a "creme" as opposed to a "pearl." This lipstick, however, is unlike the typical Revlon creme lipstick because it has silver microsparkles but fortunately, they barely show up when applied on my lips. Unlike the typical nude Revlon "creme" lipsticks (e.g. Nude Velvet, Almost Nude), Just Enough Buff is not opaque and pigmented - it's a little more on the sheer side. It imparts a subtle sheen on my lips - an attractive feature as the sheen doesn't make the color look flat. On my pigmented lips, Just Enough Buff is a pretty, muted peach (with some pink as a result of my pigmented lips). I respectfully disagree with the reviewer below who said that this is similar to MAC's 3N lipstick. I have 3N and find that Just Enough Buff suits me better as Just Enough Buff has more peach in it (3N, on the other hand, has more pink). This is a great nude for those of you who have problems finding a good nude lipstick. I will definitely repurchase if I run out of this color. FYI, the texture of this lipstick is similar to another 2008 release from Revlon called Wink for Pink (neutral to cool-toned pale pink). For reference, I have light skin with neutral to warm undertones, MAC NC 20 to 25. I wear a combination of Revlon CS foundation in Buff and Sand Beige.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Peachstock (satin)
flamencovixen 11/22/2008 11:16:00 AM
After years of reading the hype about Peachstock, I finally bit the bullet and bought it. For all the hype around it, I was a little disappointed because I expected Peachstock to be this magical lipstick. In reality, it's just a nude lipstick with no pink and no brown tones. I don't even really see any peach to it(when I think of the color peach, I expect to see some apricot/orange colors). I would consider Freckletone to be more of a peach colored lipstick than Peachstock. Peachstock blanks out my pigmented lips and it does wash me out a little bit (however, not as bad as Blankety did). I would definitely have to wear smokey eyes with Peachstock. However, what makes Peachstock more workable is that it's not super thick and super opaque in texture so when I apply it on my lips, it doesn't look like I layered my lips with a thick, chalky substance. The satin formula makes Peachstock drying and even when I put on lip balm on my lips first before applying Peachstock, Peachstock makes my lips feel dry. This also accentuates flaky dry lips. Peachstock is not a discontinued lipstick but it is hard to find because (1) it is a MAC Pro product and (2) It's a popular color. As there is no MAC Pro store in my area, I had to call the MAC Pro store in San Francisco to order it. I called that store about 3 times before they had it in stock (incidentally, I also called the MAC Pro store in NYC and they didn't have Peachstock either). For reference, I have light skin with neutral to warm undertones (MAC NC 20 to 25).
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Lipstick -MAC - Satin Lipstick in Brave
flamencovixen 11/22/2008 10:59:00 AM
It's interesting to read how many ways the color of Brave is described in the reviews. Brave has been described as pinky-brown or a nude or a neutral pink or a neutral rose pink or a color that pretty much disappears on one's lips. On my pigmented lips, however, Brave appears to be a neutral to cool-toned medium rose-pink color. It looks a little "flat" because of the satin texture. The satin texture also makes the lipstick a little drying as others have pointed out. I agree that this color would have looked better if the texture was that of an amplified cream. I think it's a pretty everyday color but because it's slightly too cool-toned for my skin, I don't wear it often. For reference: I have a light skin with neutral to warm undertones, MAC NC 20 to 25.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Jane - Eye Zing in Dream Cream
flamencovixen 10/12/2008 5:30:00 PM
As an eyeshadow base, Dream Cream is my favorite. It looks like a really buttery yellow eyeshadow in the pan but it on my light skin (neutral to warm, MAC NC 20 to 25), this blends in seamlessly as a warm ivory/french vanilla shaede (as others have mentioned). I love that it's not chalky at all. It's matte so it's perfect as a base. I like to apply it after putting on eyeshadow primer.
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Lipstick -NYX - Heredes
flamencovixen 10/4/2008 11:38:00 PM
I really had high hopes for this lipstick color but am disappointed. As Taralynn mentioned below, this is a medium terracotta color. However, on my lips it appears too orange-brown for me. This lipstick will probably look better on someone with a warm and duskier skintone. I do like the texture...it's matte and creamy and applies beautifully. There is also no scent/taste. I still give it a 4 because other than the color, the quality/texture of the lipstick is excellent given the cheap price.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Unlisted Brand - CQ Lipstick in Tickled Pink (253)
flamencovixen 9/14/2008 6:20:00 PM
CQ is a brand that I found in my local Walmart. This lipstick looked like a creamy-looking, non-shimmer, putty-colored pink in the tube but suprisingly is a different colored lipstick. In the tube, it looks like the kind of color that would give you the Angelina Jolie colored lips (gray-based pink lipstic). However, on my lips, it is a very cool-toned, light pink with lilac or lavender undertones. And on my lips, you can see a slight pearlescence. The texture is semi-glossy and moisturizing so it's definitely not long-lasting. But it does feel good on my lips. There is an oh-so-slight taste/scent that is hard for me to describe but it's not offensive.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Unlisted Brand - CQ Smooth Color Eyeshadow in Frosted Bronze (148)
flamencovixen 9/14/2008 6:11:00 PM
Just stumbled upon this brand at a Walmart supercenter and am thrilled to find a decent quality, pigmented eyeshadow for cheap. Frosted Bronze is actually a misleading name because it's not really frosty or metallic but does have subtle gold/bronze shimmer. Secondly, on my eyelids, it's not as bronze as I would have expected it to be - it's more of a smokey dark brown with hints of bronze. However, I still like this color especially because it doesn't have any red-tones. It's fairly pigmented and easy to blend. I will purchase this color again.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Maybelline - Lineworks Waterproof Liquid EyeLiner in Black 
flamencovixen 9/14/2008 12:08:00 PM
It's really interesting to read the mixed reviews here on this eyeliner. I read a few raves on this eyeliner on the make up board and purchased this eyeliner without reading the reviews in Product Reviews. I have to say that I am sorely disappointed with this eyeliner. Here are the only good things about this eyeliner - (1) it was cheap. Maybelline products are often BOGOF in drugstores and I was able to get it BOGOF plus use a coupon. (2) I like that it has a felt tip instead of a brush. Felt tips are great especially if you want to create a very precise, thin line. Having said those positive remarks, here are the qualities that I dislike about this eyeliner: (1) The eyeliner is runny, (2) The eyeliner does fade a little by the end of the day, and (3) While I like the fact that it has a felt tip applicator, the quality and design of the felt tip sucks. The felt tip is too stiff and it doesn't seem to "absorb" or "grab onto" the eyeliner fluid. To make this eyeliner work, I have to draw a short stroke of eyeliner on my eyelid and then dip the felt tip applicator into the bottle. I have to keep on dipping the felt tip applicator into the bottle because it doesn't "grab" a lot of the eyeliner fluid due felt tip's stiffness and due to the runny texture. This is just too much work for me and I can find better liquid eyeliners out there (e.g. Prestige).
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Everyday Minerals - Pressed Olive
flamencovixen 9/14/2008 11:45:00 AM
I am a fan of green-based eyeshadows and I generally like the quality of EM's eyeshadows but am so disappointed with Pressed Olive. It's considered a shimmer eyeshadow. It does have shimmer but there really isn't much color pay-off on my light skin. It looks light green in the jar - similar to to the mint green concealer. But on my eyelids, it's quite sheer and I do see some shimmer but very little of the green color.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Everyday Minerals - Starry Eyed
flamencovixen 8/30/2008 9:54:00 PM
Everyday Minerals' web site describes this shimmer shadow as "a rich dark brown with a beautiful collection of silver sparkle." On my eyelids, Starry Eyed is an intense dark brown color with hints of dark plum (I would say more of a plum than a purple) on my eyelids. Though its quite shimmery in the container, the shimmer is not quite shimmery when applied on my eyelids. I would say that Starry Eyed is more neutral-toned. As a dark brown shade, this is better suited to me as compared to Samba Lessons, which is also a dark brown but which has some red undertones. However, if I had to pick amongst EDM's darker shades, I would say that In the Garden and Room Addition are top on my list as favorites followed by Starry Eyed. For reference, I have light skin with neutral to warm undertones, MAC NC 20 to 25, combo of EDM original glo in Buff Fairly Light Neutral and intensive in Buff Fairly Light Neutral, Revlon Colorstay combo of Buff and Sand Beige.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Everyday Minerals - Room Addition
flamencovixen 8/23/2008 11:43:00 AM
I am thrilled that Everyday Minerals has added this color to their collection. EM has placed under its "pearl" category and the description is a "dark but sophisticated color with an elegant touch of taupe and brown shimmers..." On my eyelids, this color appears as a pewter-silvery-gunmetal gray with some taupe to add warmth. It's really gorgeous and it's definitely sophisticated and is great for day and night looks, especially to add some smokiness. This can definitely be used as a crease color. As far as texture, this is silky and easy to blend. I have only used it dry but I can imagine that it would be even more lovely when applied wet. For reference, I have light skin with neutral to warm undertones, MAC NC 20-25, and wear a combination of original glo fairly light neutral (buff) and intensive fairly light neutral (buff); combo of Revlon Color Stay in Buff and Sand Beige.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Maybelline - Moisture Extreme lipstick in Naturally Almond
flamencovixen 4/16/2008 2:21:00 AM
Naturally Almond is one of five lipsticks released in the Naked Beige Collection released by Maybelline in Spring 2008. I'm actually on the fence with this lipstick (I have 3 other colors from this collection - Naturally Blushed, Naturally Rose, and Naturally Petal). If you like brown-based lipsticks, then you may like Naturally Almond, which is a light to medium, creamy, nude caramel-colored lipstick (no shimimer). This is definitely a warm-toned lipstick. But truth be told, I'm not wowed by this lipstick. I think it's because this lipstick doesn't have any peach or any pink to liven up my face (I much prefer Naturally Blushed/Petal/Rose lipsticks to Naturally Almond). The saving grace of Naturally Almond is the wonderfully moisturizing formula that is typical of all Moisture Extreme lipsticks. This moisturizing efffect prevents this lipstick from looking opaque and muddy. For reference, I have light skin with neutral to warm undertones (MAC NC 25sh, Cover Girl in Buff Beige, N
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No