Liquid -Illamasqua - Rich Liquid foundation
josette 12/14/2009 12:18:00 PM
On the positive side, the shade 140 was quite a good match for my NC 20 skin and the coverage is really complete. But I would not buy it again, and in fact threw it out, because it's too much trouble to work with. I used plenty of moisturizer and then the Illamasqua Satin Primer and then proceded to try every method of application: MAC 109 brush, Napolean Perdis 19b brush, MAC 190, sponge, thinning it out with tinted moisturizer..... It just was kind of heavy feeling and 'made up' looking and I don't like to work that hard. I went back to my Favorite - MAC Studio Sculpt NC20 because it looks more natural and satiny finish.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Make Up For Ever - HD High Definition Foundation
josette 10/10/2009 10:22:00 PM
I received this as a sample at Sephora the other day. I'd read good things about it and was excited to try it. I got it in shade: 117 Marble (for light skin with yellow undertones) which was a good match as I am a MAC NC 20, Stila 20 Watts, and Bobbi Brown Warm Sand. The coverage was good but after a while I realized my skin was chalky and dry looking though I used moisturizer and primer as I always do. I won't be buying it because it costs $40 which is more than Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation, Stila Illuminating Foundation, and MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation. I feel they all have a better finish on me and cost less.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Illamasqua - Satin Primer SPF 20 
josette 10/5/2009 1:18:00 PM
I bought this to prepare my skin for the Rich Liquid Foundation and it is excellent. I put on a generous amount of moisturizer on the dry areas of my combination skin only. Then I apply this primer generously all over my face and throat, using my fingers. It makes my foundation look like a dream and go on well whether I use a 190 foundation brush or my 109 or my Napolean Perdis 19b. I also have the MAC Prep and Prime and it is good, but this Illamasqua Satin Primer is even better. I put on Blot powder over the foundation and then my Fix +. My skin looks better than ever before - not cakey or 'night time only' looking at all. Just fresh and natural but this Primer is largely why.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -L'Oreal - Extra Volume Collagen mascara
josette 9/24/2009 7:32:00 PM
This is a great product - my favorite mascara other than my HG MAC PlushLash. This too makes my average lashes thicker and a bit longer. I like the rich texture and fat brush. I got the Blackest Black and love it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -YBF Cosmetics - Transforming Eyebrow Pencil
josette 9/24/2009 7:28:00 PM
This is definitely my HG for the brows. Mine are thin and have little bald areas. I purchased this from HSN and bought several at once because I've tried everything else and this is perfect in color, consistency, and has a little spruly brush at the opposite end. Perfect!
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Illamasqua - Brigitte
josette 9/24/2009 7:12:00 PM
This nail polish should be renamed from Brigitte to "Streak". I put on a base coat, then 2 coats of Brigitte - major streaks. Added a 3rd coat of Brigitte, then a top coat - major streaks still. So am I supposed to put on a 4th coat of color now? I got this from the Illamasqua website along with several other items, some of which can only be ordered from them. No way to tell this online, but in the bottle it looks like a 'sheer fuchia' - why sheer in such a dark color? Win some, lose some.
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Styling Products -Living Proof - No Frizz Wave Shaping Curl Defining No Frizz Styling Cream for Medium to Thick Hair
josette 9/7/2009 12:03:00 PM
I received this as a sample with my latest Sephora purchases. I sprayed in on wet hair and brushed it thru and scrunced it so it would dry in ringlets. Well it was ok in that department..... BUT - The SMELL!!!!!!!!! I had to throw out what was left and it is still skinking up my hair till I wash it again tonight! Very Strong, Sweet, Artificial smell and I just can't get past that.
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Treatments (Eye) -Amore Pacific - Intensive Vitalizing Eye Complex
josette 9/7/2009 11:57:00 AM
I received this as a sample with my recent Sephora purchase. It has a sickly and strong smell. Gel like texture. I threw out the left over part and went on smelling it for quite a while.
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Blush -MAC - Mineralize Blush - Hand-Finish
josette 8/29/2009 7:56:00 PM
I received this in the mail and sent it back 2 days later. It had practically no pigment yet was Hugely shimmery. I couldn't even see color on my face. You would have to have the fairest of skin to make this blush work. I'm an NC20 and had to return this.
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Samples -Everyday Minerals - Free Sample Makeup Kit [DISCONTINUED/REPLACED]
josette 4/16/2009 7:25:00 PM
I tried this sample kit and was so impressed by the excellent quality and range of shades. The finish was much better than Bare Minerals and the prices are amazingly low. I'm Mac NC 25 and Stila 30Watts and I found that "Golden Light" was a perfect match for me. "Apple" was a pretty blush color and "Everyday Bronzer" is a non - glittery nice bronze powder. This is a great way to try 3 makeup shades to find your special one. The only reason I won't be ordering this for myself is that for my 'mature' combination skin; I am better off with Tinted Moisturizer or Liquid Foundation. But for a young person who want's very high quality makeup at an affordable price, you cannot do better.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -MAC - Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation
josette 2/18/2009 9:56:00 PM
I've been lemming this a long time due to the good reviews here and on You Tube, and my local Dillards still didn't have it. So I drove to a large mall an hour from my house where there is a MAC store. It is really great and I'll describe my findings as well as I can: 1] Color - I am an NC 25 in all MAC Foundations and 30 Watts in Stila. In this Studio Sculpt, NC 25 was again a perfect match for me. I'm so fussy about foundation that I bring my magnifying mirror and best foundations from home and put drops on my inside wrist area ranging from lightest to darkest; then I do the whole putting it on my jawline thing while wearing no makeup. I see color matching has been a problem with this product, but all I can think of is maybe I got a new batch where the problem has been corrected. 2] It's a gel texture which is new and cool for me. Medium coverage and definitely buildable. So much so that it can almost act as its own concealer! But I did get the Studio Sculpt Concealer and love it [NC 20 like my other MAC concealers] Since this is thicker than a liquid foundation; I think it's more important than ever to prep your face properly beforehand with moisturizer [if needed], eye creme, and primer. Then I apply with a regular Stila foundation brush or sometimes my MAC 109 brush. Then I brush on a little Blot Powder with my 139. 3] The Finish. It's probably the best finish I've ever had. I looked at myself hours later and noted that it was satiny and healthy looking- not shimmery - which is how some foundations try to give that effect. This must be new technology. I used to mess about with shimmer creams and powders - butI like this look better. I hope you have good luck with this foundation - it's the only MAC foundation since Studio Tech that I've been excited about.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -MAC - Studio Sculpt [DISCONTINUED]
josette 2/18/2009 12:12:00 PM
This concealer is so excellent that it has replaced all others as my HG concealer. I gave away my previous best ones - Laura Geller • Real Deal Full Coverage Cream Concealer and the MAC • Studio Finish Concealer. This one gives a lot of coverage without cakey - ness or endless patting because of rubbing off. I apply it with my MAC 224 brush and barely use my finger to pat at all and I prefer this method. For reference, I am LLL/MMM and got the NC20 in this concealer and the NC25 in the Studio Sculpt Foundation. Perfect color match in both.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Napoleon Perdis - Napoleon Foundation Sable Brush - 19b
josette 1/29/2009 11:50:00 AM
This is the best foundation brush ever for stick and creme foundation application. It would probably be good for liquid foundation too and I will try that next. I found out about this treasure from watching one of "loulud81" excellent YouTube videos where she demonstrates its use. The 19b is so soft yet truly dense and firm enough to deal with creamy and stick foundation - something the stippling brushes can't do without immense work. The 19b is very luxurious feeling and because it's natural bristle - it spreads the foundation on your skin without the 'lines' you can get with a 'taklon' one. My only complaint is the brush mettle grip was not glued well enough onto the wood handle so it irritatingly wobbles. But I can one day glue it better with crazyglue I guess.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Stila - #28 Smudge and Line Brush
josette 1/16/2009 6:55:00 PM
I got this a few months ago and I LOVE it. Both ends of the brush are the best of their kind. There is something about the pointy end that lets me apply my MAC Fluidline more precisely than any other liner brush - you can get the thin line you dream of. And the smudger end is the perfect size and density yet not scratchy to smudge liner pencil. Unbeatable at both tasks so I feel the money was well spent.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Paint Pot in Soft Ochre
josette 12/7/2008 10:20:00 PM
This is a great makeup product. It matches my NC25, Stila 30 Watt skin perfectly and the texture is lovely - melds with the skin. I put it all over the lid from browline to lashline, including outer eye area next to the eye because I have redish tear duct area due to allergies. It hides veins and any type of discoloration and provides the perfect base for shadows and liners. The texture is perfect and sometimes I just use this alone on upper area with Indianwood on the lid itself then put on some cat eye liner and mascara and I'm all set. I tried Painterly but it was too pink for my skin color. Soft Ochre has a yellow undertone.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No