Lip Gloss -Bare Escentuals - Buxom Lips Lip Gloss in Amber
starapples 2/3/2011 12:12:00 AM
I just bought this today and I already love it! It's a flattering peachy-nude color with a tiny hint of shimmers. It is a little bit on the sticky side, but not so much so, and not at all heavy. The finish is gorgeous. This gloss is also pretty long lasting, which is really nice because I hate those lip products where you just put it on and then they're suddenly gone off your lips. Best of all, it smells like desserts! I can't put my finger on the scent; it just smells kind of like Christmas to me if that makes sense...? And though it is a bit expensive, you do get quite a lot of product. I don't expect to run out of this for a while. But yes, I really like this lip gloss. Definitely a keeper!
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Eye Shadow -New York Color - Sparkle Eye Dust - Champagne
starapples 1/31/2011 10:14:00 PM
This eyeshadow is so cute! It reminds me of pixie dust, in both consistency and color. The shadow is a pretty, sheer, peach-ish gold with shimmers, just like fairy dust. It's a really natural looking color that simply brightens your eyes, giving them a sort of dewy look. I like using this day-to-day, just to give your eyes a bit of sparkle. I also recently discovered that if you use a light hand with a fluffier brush, you can use this as a highlighter just over the top of your cheek bones, and it just brightens up your whole face. Amazing product and only for a couple bucks...!
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Eyeliner -Revlon - ColorStay Liquid Liner
starapples 1/31/2011 9:39:00 PM
My favorite eyeliner!! I always get this in Blackest Black, and it really is the blackest black. I love the felt tip applicator because it allows for a precise and controlled application; you simply just draw on the line however you want. The color doesn't fade throughout the day, it never flakes off, and won't smudge into the crease of your eye. The formula also doesn't sting, which I appreciate because the Almay version of this stung my eyes. The only negative I can think of is that it doesn't have excellent staying power against water. It won't smudge on a day-to-day basis, but I do find that when I get caught in the rain or spray Fix+ to my face with it already on, it kind of smudges onto my bottom eyelid---not like raccoon eyes status, but it's noticeable. Still, I'll always keep buying these whenever I run out because they are reliable, stay put, and is the blackest black. Love it.
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Mascara -Smashbox - Bionic Mascara
starapples 1/31/2011 8:59:00 PM
I bought this a long time ago after a friend recommended it, but no matter what I did, I ended up really disliking it. The formula was really dry and it always transferred onto my bottom eyelid giving me raccoon eyes. It also flaked off my lashes really easily. Its one good quality was that it gave my lashes a very natural look; definitely more enhanced (thicker, fuller lashes), but still very natural.
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Cleansers -Clean & Clear - Foaming Facial Cleanser - Sensitive Skin
starapples 1/31/2011 8:49:00 PM
Really good basic cleanser. It removes all dirt and oil off my face, even really stubborn make-up like waterproof mascara, leaving my bare skin fresh and clean. It is gentle enough to use everyday; no stinging or irritation. This cleanser also smells sooo good! I love the smell. My only complaint is that it's a bit drying and I already have dry skin, so I've reserved using it only once a day at night before a more heavy duty moisturizer. Besides that, I definitely recommend! (It's also super cheap! $3.something at Target!)
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Cleansers -Clean & Clear - Daily Pore Cleanser
starapples 1/30/2011 7:41:00 PM
I have dry, acne-prone skin, and ever since I started puberty, I've always used cleansers with salicylic acid. About a month ago, I bought a night cream with BHA/salicylic acid in it and it horribly broke me out (tiny bumps all over my forehead and large, painful cystic acne on my chin). So I switched all my cleansers and moisturizers to formulas that didn't contain BHA and came upon this one. I LOVE IT! This cleanser is so gentle on my skin, and never dries me out. It also removes all dirt, oil, and even make-up. I also love the tiny beads in it as they are gentle enough to use everyday, but helps with exfoliation and my acne. Miraculously, ever since I stopped using products with BHA, my skin has cleared up! I never realized that I was actually sensitive to it until I got that horrible reaction. This cleanser has helped my past break outs clear, and has prevented new ones from starting. I'm assuming this is probably because it contains lactic acid which helps promote healthy exfoliation and skin rejuvenation. I use this cleanser every morning, and Clean & Clear's Sensitive Skin Foaming Facial Cleanser at night. I like the Daily Pore Cleanser much more than the Sensitive Skin one because the latter tends to dry me out, but I also don't want to use the Daily Pore Cleanser twice a day because of over exfoliating. I honestly cannot say enough good stuff about this cleanser... it's amazing!
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Mascara -Cover Girl - Lash Blast Waterproof
starapples 1/30/2011 4:20:00 AM
I really don't think I'll ever try another mascara until this gets discontinued (which I hope is never!). I seriously love it that much. I used to not wear mascara because every one I've tried always left me with raccoon eyes or was super clumpy. Lash Blast Waterproof has done neither! It both lengthens and volumizes my lashes, and holds the curl super well. It really enhances the look of my eyes, especially since I've gotten so used to not wearing mascara at all. I also like that it stays wet long enough for me to comb through my lashes to make sure that they are all separated. All I need is a coat or two, and I'm good to go! It's a mascara that does what it says and really delivers. Great product!
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Skincare - Face -MAC - Fix+
starapples 1/30/2011 2:00:00 AM
I am in love with this stuff! At first I felt like, "geez. I just spent a crap ton of money on nice smelling water..." but since I've been using it, it's totally lived up to its hype! I mainly use it for two purposes: (1) to fix caked on powder. My skin is really dry so sometimes when I accidentally powder too much, it goes on cakey, and no matter how much I try to buff it out or dust it off, it looks awful. Fix + completely fixes it! Just mist your face once, and it's all good! Your powder looks nice, more dewy, and natural again. And (2) on liquid foundation that goes on cakey because of my dry skin. I put on my foundation, spritz a little bit of this stuff, and it leaves me with a re-hydrated, dewy finish. It's amazing!!! I personally don't like spraying this onto my bare skin after cleansing and before moisturizing to hydrate it, because I feel like it leaves my skin a little tacky or sticky. But it totally works wonders after applying make-up. I agree that it is expensive, so I don't recommend it if you don't need it. I think it's a great product to have for dry skin types like me who have a harder time dealing with products because of dry skin. **Update 3 Feb. 2010: I started a retinol treatment for my acne and it started making my skin look like a prune since my face isn't acclimated yet. So I have started spritzing this onto my face after cleansing, and now that my bare skin is drier, it no longer feels tacky when it dries. It really is hydrating! No more tightness, and I just moisturize as usual after.
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Pressed Powders -Maybelline - Dream Matte Pressed Powder
starapples 1/29/2011 4:41:00 AM
Hands down my most favorite pressed powder ever! It's so cheap, but works amazingly well. I usually use it to set my concealer and liquid foundation. The finish is kind of satin-y, not completely a flat matte finish. It's really natural looking. This powder is also really sheer, so it doesn't really add any coverage; just a good powder to keep shine at bay. It absorbs oil super well and never cakes. The powder is also really fine, so it never bunches up into tiny cracks. I also sometimes like to use this all over my face on days where I don't wear foundation. It just gives your bare skin a softer finish. It's so nice not to have to buy a good powder from a department store. I will definitely keep repurchasing!
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Lipstick -Clinique - Almost Lipstick - Black Honey
starapples 1/28/2011 6:09:00 PM
I always, always carry this in my purse (and that's saying a lot since I only carry my wallet, phone, keys, and lip balm besides that). Black Honey is a nice, sheer plum color, and I love it when I need just a bit of color. It's also super moisturizing, which I love because my lips get so dry so quickly. Almost Lipstick is the perfect name, because you can build the color up to get more drama, but it's not chalky or thick. No matter how much you layer on, it always feels like lip balm. Comfortable, moisturizing, and a super flattering color. Love.
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Bronzers -New York Color - Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny 720
starapples 1/28/2011 5:35:00 PM
This is my go-to everyday bronzer. It's a nice matte shade that isn't orangey or looks ruddy on my skin (I'm an NC30/35 for reference). Excellent for contouring, not shimmery, gives me healthy looking color. And best of all, I bought it for $2 at CVS...! Hooray for cheap, quality products that are amazing!
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Concealers -MAC - Select Moisturecover
starapples 1/28/2011 5:21:00 PM
This is by far my favorite concealer ever!! Every other one I've tried was really drying and looked cakey, and I hate hate HATE cakey looking make up. For a while I've been settling just using a tinted moisturizer and setting it with powder to at least even out my under eye color a bit more. Moisturecover really is moisturizing, and though it's not a heavy duty concealer, it gets the job done, brightens my appearance, and has a natural finish. I did notice it settling into the tiny cracks, but setting it with powder helps it dry and not slip around. Since I've been doing that, no creasing! This also works really well on blemishes when I don't want to wear foundation or a tinted moisturizer. My skin is already dry, and the blemishes are even drier because of spot acne treatments. Though the blemishes don't "disappear" or anything when applying this, it does soften the look of them a lot and doesn't cling to or make dry skin flakies. I love this stuff and definitely recommend to people who have drier skin.
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Moisturizers -Olay - Night of Olay Firming Cream
starapples 1/27/2011 3:14:00 AM
Fantastic night cream!! First, it's super, super cheap ($5.something at Target) and a little goes a long way, so it'll last you a couple months. I have dry skin, but it is really moisturizing, not greasy, and absorbs quickly. My skin is left nice and soft. I don't know if it's "firming" because I am relatively young, but my skin definitely looks and feels refreshed in the morning. It does have a slight baby powder scent, but it goes away pretty quickly after applying. I also don't mind that it's in a tub. I wash my hands before washing my face, so when I put it on after cleansing my hands are always clean. Night of Olay has also never broken me out, which is a bigggg plus because my skin is very finicky about what I put on it. Overall, I think it's really great. Everyone is different, so just try it... it's only 5 bucks anyway. :P
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Moisturizers -Philosophy - Hope in a Jar - for all skin types
starapples 1/27/2011 2:54:00 AM
Wow... I can't believe there are so many bad reviews about this moisturizer. I just bought the trial size a few days ago to test it out, and I actually really, really love it. I have dry skin with flaky patches and my skin is pretty temperamental about what I put on it, but Hope In A Jar quickly absorbs into my skin and is very moisturizing. It also doesn't clog my pores. The flaky patches have disappeared and it even controls the oil around my t-zone... how it's doing that, I don't know, but it's fantastic! My skin looks much, much healthier. It does have a medicinal/herbal scent, but I didn't find it overbearing and it quickly dissipates. I actually like it; I feel like it smells clean. I will definitely be repurchasing the larger jar when I run out. I guess though it says for all skin types it must not be for everyone...?
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Tinted Moisturizer -MAC - Studio Moisture Tint SPF15
starapples 1/26/2011 9:33:00 PM
Really, really disappointed by this... The make-up artist put this on after spritzing my face with Fix+, and it looked and felt awesome! So I bought the two, but as soon as I got home (30 minutes later), my face was starting to itch. When I looked in a mirror, I had splotches of redness on the right side of my face!! I knew it was my skin reacting to the tinted moisturizer because he had spritzed my whole face with fix+, but only applied the TM on the right side so I could see the difference. I washed it off immediately and the itching/redness stopped. I'm probably allergic to something in it?? Sadly this will be returned to the store tomorrow...
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