Cleansers -Philosophy - Purity Made Simple (Real Purity Cleanser)
jjay7381 9/25/2011 3:56:00 AM
PROS: - Removes makeup really well, makes your face super clean - Leaves your skin feeling nice, soft and clean without feeling tight and dry. CONS: - Expensive! - Smell is so-so - Doesn't really help fight bad breakouts - The bottle doesn't have a pump. It's not as hygienic as you really want a good cleanser bottle to be.
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Moisturizers -Philosophy - Hope in a Jar - for all skin types
jjay7381 9/23/2011 11:45:00 PM
I love the way this product makes my skin feel, but the smell is SO BAD I almost can't stand it. I'm surprised the company would even put out a product that smells this bad. So sad because I really love the Philosophy cleanser and I had high hopes for this stuff.
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Highlighters -BeneFit Cosmetics - High Beam
jjay7381 9/22/2011 7:47:00 AM
Expensive? Yes, but totally worth it. Beautiful color and easy to blend. I use it every day.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Alba Botanica - Hawaiian Aloe & Green Tea Oil Free Moisturizer
jjay7381 9/22/2011 7:41:00 AM
It does an OK job, I guess. It just feels weird on my skin. I can't quite describe it, but I'm just not a fan.
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Concealers -BeneFit Cosmetics - Erase paste
jjay7381 9/22/2011 7:38:00 AM
PROS: - I have dark circles under my eyes (I'm in college and don't sleep). This does a pretty nice job of taming the darkness a bit. - It's peachy and not yellowish like most concealers. Yellowish concealer just makes the dark circles seem darker and it's not pretty. CONS: - This is that it's so thick and sticky that whether I'm using my finger or a brush, I always wind up tugging on the thin skin under my eye when I'm blending it in which isn't very comfortable. - It doesn't do anything to tame under eye puffiness.
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Highlighters -BeneFit Cosmetics - Girl Meets Pearl
jjay7381 9/22/2011 7:35:00 AM
This product is WAY overpriced for what it is, but I always feel like my face is kind of dark and this does a pretty nice job of brightening it up a little without making me look too shiney. It's not super shimmery, which is nice for those of us who can't really pull off shimmer in our normal day-to-day. The only reason I won't buy this again is because I'll be buying "That Gal" instead, which has the same effect but with less shimmer.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -BeneFit Cosmetics - Cha Cha Tint
jjay7381 9/22/2011 7:22:00 AM
I hate this stuff. The color just looks weird on my skin most of the time. This would look really nice on someone with bronze skin.The color is super pigmented, but if you're quick about it it blends pretty well. All in all, I think this pale white girl will just stick to Posietint.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Sephora - Daily Brush Cleaner
jjay7381 9/22/2011 7:17:00 AM
I bought this a while ago and just kind of forgot about it. I generally use my Clinique brush cleaner when I want to clean my brushes. BUT, I rediscovered this and I really don't know how I lived without it before! I don't understand why it doesn't have better ratings! Here are my thoughts on it: - It's not a brush cleaner you use when you want to deep clean your brushes every week, it's what you use to get the color off of your brushes so the next color you use on it doesn't get mixed in with the last one. This is just like it says, a DAILY brush cleaner. - It works quickly and dries quickly, especially since it doesn't have to be rinsed off with water. I clean my brushes SO much more often because of that! - I only use these on my personal brushes. If other people use your brushes, this is not a good product for keeping your brushes super sanitary at all times.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -NYX - Rouge Cream Blush - Natural
jjay7381 9/22/2011 6:48:00 AM
I should start by saying that I generally only use high end products (I'm a recovering makeup snob). I try to avoid cheap products because I tend to believe that you get what you pay for. BUT, NYXs cream blushes could easily dupe MACs any day (even the packaging looks identical), and they're only about $5-6. Here are my pros and cons: Pros: - MAC quality for CHEAP (I'm serious!) - Beautiful color that is VERY easy to build and blend - Finishes really smooth and nicely (doesn't look cakey at all) - Looks good on any skin color or tone - No fancy brushes needed to apply it. Really, your fingers work much better. Cons: - Greasy. Not good for when it's or if you have oily skin (it WILL make you break out the next day if you don't wash your face no matter what kind of skin you have) - Dries up if you keep it more than a year (really gross)
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -BeneFit Cosmetics - Posietint
jjay7381 9/6/2011 5:45:00 PM
I wish I had discovered Benefits tints before I got really into MAC blushes. The tints feel SO much better on my skin and blend really well for me. You need to be quick about rubbing/blending it into your skin, but as long as you are it leaves a really nice finish that lasts all day. The color can be built up really nicely so it works for both daytime and nighttime. I don't have to worry about this making me look like a scary clown if the lighting isn't perfect in my room in the morning. A little goes a long way with this stuff. The packaging is really cute and much easier to find space for in my makeup bag than be big thing of powder blush. Basically, I LOVE this stuff.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Urban Decay - Half Baked Eyeshadow
jjay7381 9/2/2011 11:48:00 PM
I've been looking for a perfect gold eyeshadow that compliments my skin color for YEARS. Nothing MAC has can compare to this with my C3 skin (believe me, I've looked). It's the perfect gold shimmer that you can wear during the day. No sparkles or glitter. Highly pigmented so a little goes a long way. Basically, it's not even worth looking for at MAC if you want a beautiful rich gold shadow. Just get this. Better yet, get the Naked Pallet. It's worth the money and then some.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Make Up For Ever - Aqua Eyes
jjay7381 8/29/2011 6:34:00 PM
I should start by saying that I have sensitive eyes and anything that even mildly scratches my waterline will cause them to tear up and turn bright red. Having said that, this has been a good find for me! It's super creamy, but sets well. It doesn't scratch AT ALL. The pencil glides really well, which helps make nice solid lines so I don't have to go back over everything multiple times. The pigment is good, but it could definitely be better. The black is nice and dark without being scary dark. It's a little pricey at $18 a piece, but if you like using pencil instead of gel/liquid, this is a great pencil to have.
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Cleansers -Aveeno - Positively Ageless Daily Cleansing Pads
jjay7381 4/24/2011 5:52:00 AM
I moved to Oregon from southern California a couple years ago for school and the change in climate wreaked HAVOC on my skin (to say the least). When I wasn't breaking out, my skin was so dry that I started getting red, flaky patches on my face. I even started getting red splotches under my skin on my face. I'd never really used cleansers before with any kind of regularity because I always had great skin and rarely broke out. The first few I tried would burn or dry my skin out even more. Then I tried these and I LOVE them. Here's why: - My face feels clean, but not dried out, which is especially important in winter - It's gentle (no burning feeling when I use it) - I can use them quickly and the pads are less mess to deal with than the scrubs and cleansers. - It doesn't leave my face smelling like foot cream (I'm looking at you, Neutrogena products!) - Using these AND a good moisturizer have improved my skin SO MUCH. It feels better and the redness is almost completely gone. - They're not expensive I definitely recommend them!
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Cleansers -Neutrogena - Clear Pore Cleanser Mask
jjay7381 7/17/2009 3:52:00 AM
I've tried tons and tons of acne/skincare products for my face from dirt cheap to embarrassingly expensive. I don't have bad acne, but I have a ton of bumps under the surface of my skin around my chin and break out occasionally around the tops of my cheeks and around my nose as a result of makeup. This product is really the best thing I have found that works in a couple of amazing ways. It's a great creamy everyday cleanser, but what I really love most about it is that it works as a deep cleaning mask when you leave it on for a few minutes and having one product that doubles as both also saves you $$$. After I use this stuff I can really feel how clean my skin is and it is so so soft. If you're one of those people that isn't really into fancy skincare products and don't want to spend a ton of time dealing with step after step of other products (like me) but still want awesome results, this stuff is definitely what you'll want to pick up! *As a note, if you're going to use this stuff always wipe the opening of the bottle off with a tissue or something after you use it because it hardens when it dries which can clog up the bottle and make it seriously frustrating to get any product out after a while.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -MAC - 181 small buffer brush
jjay7381 7/14/2009 7:03:00 PM
I mostly take this brush with me when I'm traveling or if I go out and don't want take a full size brush. It's nice and dense which makes it easy to apply and blend pressed powder foundation. It's not great for getting into the hard to reach places of your face, but it's really good for buffing out your foundation around your hairline and the edges around your face and blending out contouring powder or blush. I'm giving this a 4 instead of a 3 because it's pretty versatile and the quality is good (ZERO shedding even after 3 years!). Overall, it's a nice brush but it really just isn't necessary to have, especially since it's so expensive. Cheaper brands, like EcoTools, make versions of this brush that are just as good if not better. ***EASY TIP*** If you do decide to pick up this brush (or any other MAC brush), take some clear nail polish and swipe it over the silver MAC # lettering on your brush a few times. Redo this every year and it will prevent the number from rubbing off and keep your brush looking like new. Lots of people already know to do this, but I constantly see lots of people with brushes that have the silver lettering nearly rubbed off so it's always worth mentioning.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No