Concealers -Neutrogena - SkinClearing Blemish Concealer
ChaseSpearing 7/28/2012 1:36:00 PM
I think I have found my HG blemish concealer!!!! :D In the past month I have bought and returned probably 10 different concealers, everything from the cheapest to the most expensive and NONE of them cut back on the redness of my blemishes like this little powerhouse. I don't get many blemishes, but when I do they get RED. As in, see it from across a football field red. So I needed a concealer that could cover that but wouldn't feel to heavy and cakey. This concealer does just that. It isn't SUPER high coverage, but definitely medium toward full coverage, at least for me. It covers active blemishes really well, as well as those that I've messed with and have scabbed over. (I know I know it's bad to pick your blemishes...) I have it in the color light and it matches my skin PERFECTLY. The finish of it is also quite natural, not to matte, which is something I am not fond of :P Neutrogena claims that it will also aid in the reduction of blemishes, seeing as it contains salicylic acid. I've only been using it for a few days so I can't testify to that right now but I will definitely come back with an update. I got this for 9 dollars and some change at Target, which is nice because I have seen it up to 12 freaking dollars at other places, so Target is the place to go! You can also return cosmetics there that are opened, no problem :)
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Lipstick -Revlon - ColorBurst Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti
ChaseSpearing 7/18/2012 8:12:00 PM
I was really hesitant buying this color. I mean, it's orange! But I wanted to be brave and try something new! I am impressed!! Just as with all the other butters it is moisturizing and has great color payoff. The color is something you don't see much and is a perfect summer color! With a neutral eye and cheeks the color really pops and I got a ton of compliments when I wore it to a party :) Definitely not a neutral pink or red, this color is different and could look funny on some skin tones so be sure the store you buy it from has a good return policy just in case ;)
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Eye Shadow -NYX - Nude Matte
ChaseSpearing 7/18/2012 8:07:00 PM
These are not the worst shadows ever but they also aren't the best. Matte shadows are hard to find for cheap with good quality. Granted I only have one shade which is tryst. The color appears in the pan as a neutral light brown color. I thought I could use it for my brows since it is matte. When applied to the brows, since it is not super pigmented it doesn't make a dramatic difference. It does help to fill in the gaps but I could probably find other things that do the same thing. I do like it quite a bit on my eyes, because it is not SUPER pigmented it can lightly define my crease and a bit under my eyes for a subtle definition. I'll come back later with an update when I have used it a few more times as I just bought this today :) For now, it gets a neutral review
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -NYX - Eyeshadow Single in Frosted Lilac
ChaseSpearing 7/18/2012 8:01:00 PM
I have bright green eyes and I love the way purple shadows make them pop! I have been on the hunt for a good one fro a while, but to no avail :( I was about to cave in and buy an urban decay one at Ulta today and a saleswoman said NYX made good ones so I took a look around and I kinda liked this one. I wished it was a bit darker, but I bought it anyway. I'm not sure if I'm TOTALLY in love with it yet, but I do like it. It swatches a frosty lilac that is quite opaque, but on the lids it is not as intense. But I may just be applying it wrong. For now, a neutral rating and I will come back with an update!
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Eye Primer -BeneFit Cosmetics - Stay Don't Stray 
ChaseSpearing 7/18/2012 7:58:00 PM
I got this as a sample at Ulta, so it doesn't have the pump bottle that many don't seem to like. It is much like the UDPP with its little doe foot applicator. However, this is leagues above UDPP. I have VERY oily lids that just EAT up shadow and liner, so most products help but don't really stop the breaking down of product. This has been the best primer I have used thus far. Not only does it keep my eyeshadows and concealer from creasing it helps to even out my eyelids which I think is great!! A double use products make me feel better about having to buy the full size when I run out of my mini sample D'x UPDATE: Yeah. no. This really didn't do anything that special for me. The pump was also REALLY BLOODY ANNOYING. So I returned it. The NARS primer is better.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman - Stippling Brush
ChaseSpearing 7/18/2012 7:38:00 PM
I am convinced the real techniques brushes are made by angels. I have owned 2 stippling brushes previous to this, and my main complaint with both was the bristles were too long and flimsy to do any damn good!! The bristles on Sam's brush are short and dense, meaning they apply my Garnier BB Cream like a dream. I start by dotting a small amount my BB cream on my face and blending with my fingers to start, then I use this brush to add another layer. I start by gently swirling the product to fully work it into the skin and then start "stippling" to mimic a more natural skin like texture. This creates a flawless finish that has people asking me if I am wearing any foundation, which is always my goal!!! For less than $10 bucks this blows every other stippling brush OUT THE WATER. Totally recommend.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Urban Decay - All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray
ChaseSpearing 7/18/2012 7:19:00 PM
Wow. I heard that this stuff is great but I wasn't expecting THIS level of amazing. I am wearing this in combination with my smashbox green primer (I have a review on that too!!) and have been wearing my makeup for close to 5 hours and nothing has budged. Not even my blush. And THAT is a sign of a good product as my face tends to eat blush faster than anything else!! I got this at Ulta today for $11 for the tiny travel size. I'm sure the travel size will last me several months and do plan to repurchase this little guy when I run out!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Smashbox - Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer- Smashing Color Adjust
ChaseSpearing 7/18/2012 7:10:00 PM
I bought the green mini version of this at Ulta today after much deliberation between the green on and the 'light' one. I decided on this and so far I am impressed. I don't really think the 'color correcting' idea is all that effective unless the product stays relatively opaque, which this does not. It thins out and becomes transparent once blended into the skin. Granted, I have only used it once so I can't really say if it does calm down the redness as it claims. It is a silicone-based primer so if you are sensitive to silicones then I would try the 'light' version which I believe is silicone free :) I have been wearing my makeup with both this and the urban decay all-nighter spray for around 4 or 5 hours and my makeup hasn't budged, even my blush, which is a shocker because my face eats blush like I eat Milano orange cookies... I am very impressed. If you aren't quite sure if you will like this primer, head to Ulta because that is the only place I have seen the mini versions of most of the smashbox primers. I got mine for $17 and if I like it I plan to buy the full sized version :) update will come soon!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Clinique - Cream Shaper for Eyes-Egyptian
ChaseSpearing 7/18/2012 6:58:00 PM
My mom bought this on a whim, and as this often happens, she hated it and ended up giving it to me. I had been looking for a color like this for a while and hey this was free so I took it happily!! And happy is I with this liner! I am not usually a fan of traditional wood pencils because I find sharpening them a total hastle and wasteful, but this one is different. The color is soft enough to be easy to line with, but has enough structural integrity to not crumble when sharpened. The color is a very complex gunmetal grey-green color with a slightly golden shimmer that is subtle enough to not look like too much, but also apparent enough to catch the eye of somebody if they looked closer :) I like to wear this either a) smoked out around my eyes for a more sultry effect, very popular with the boys ;) or b) instead of using a black liner, I will put this in my lower waterline to add that definition without being as harsh as black could be. When placed in my waterline it does fade, as all liners do. But instead of smudging in a nasty way around my lower lashline it almost 'sticks' to my bottom lashes and makes them appear thicker and more defined :) I didn't pay for this, but when I do end up running out I will repurchase in more colors! And this one too of course :)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Primer -Urban Decay - Eyeshadow Primer Potion - Original (UDPP)
ChaseSpearing 7/18/2012 6:46:00 PM
I got this with my NAKED palette a couple months back and was so excited to use it from all of the rave reviews I had read and heard from all over the beauty community! Even the woman who rang me up at Sephora said it was the best on the market!! eh. not impressed. I've heard the formula has changed? Must have, because this is not the magical product I was expecting it to be. I have VERY oily lids that tend to eat any shadow I put on it, no matter if it's $1 e.l.f. shadow or $18 urban decay. I was hoping this would keep that from happening. again, eh. It also states that it will "intensify shadows". another eh. I will finish it because I paid for it, but I am not impressed and will not repurchase. I am glad it has worked for others but for me it just didn't :( EDIT: okay so I didn't end up finishing it. I ended up returning it. The woman at Sephora and I started chatting as she returned it, and she said the formula has changed. Boo.
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Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Studio Kabuki Face Brush
ChaseSpearing 7/18/2012 6:40:00 PM
This. Is. Perfection. In. A. Brush. I do not like long handled fluffy complexion brushes, I find they are more often than not hard to control and flimsy. I got this from a friend who had too many kabuki brushes. This may sound weird, but I really like the two-toned bristles. The black ones at the tip tell you how much product is on the brush, so if you need to tap some off you know. The white ones are also good indicators of how dirty the bristles are, the more beige "stained" they are the dirtier it is!! It is SO soft. I am not kidding, better than some higher-end brushes of its kind. It isn't quite bunny fur soft, but it is damn close!! This has also never shed a hair. I wash it weekly and it never budges. It has also kept it shape shockingly well. Every other kabuki I have ever owned has "drooped" after about 2 months of use and washings. You can get this at Target now too and it is a great deal for 3 bucks (I think it's 3 bucks...)!!!
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -NYX - retractable eye liner
ChaseSpearing 7/18/2012 6:32:00 PM
Before buying these I had been using the Covergirl line blast and was unimpressed. These are only a little bit better. I was hoping to find the slide-on glide-on but of course those were out of stock so I brought the black and brown in these. They stay MUCH better than the Covergirl ones and are more opaque as well. They say on the packaging that they are waterproof and I would say that's about right. They stay in my tightline and waterline for a pretty long. I'm very picky about my eyeliner but these are okay, I will finish the two I bought then I might just cave in and buy the urban decay ones I have been eyeing for months.
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Hair Styling Tools -Goody - Spin Pin
ChaseSpearing 7/18/2012 6:25:00 PM
I have no idea how I lived without these little guys. My hair is thin and silky and a million bobby pins is not only annoying and time consuming, but also ineffective. I can literally twist my hair into a bun anywhere on my head until it wraps into the shape I want, spin these in, and have a bun that looks cute and will LAST in about 2 seconds. The box tells you not to cross them but I always do, I find it helps to hook them together better and hold the hair, just like when you cross bobby pins over one another for a better hold. You can get them in a darker color or a lighter one, and most people are in one of those two categories! I've seen these everywhere from grocery stores, to Target, to drugstores, to Ulta. So it won't be an epic quest to find them! If you are sick of hair ties or bobby pins, or both then check these out! I have thin hair that is a few inches longer than shoulder length and they work great for me!! I have also tried them on a friend with very thick hair down to her waist and they worked great for her too, she just had to add another set ;) You can also get little short ones if you have really short hair!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Bare Escentuals - Matte Foundation spf 15
ChaseSpearing 7/18/2012 6:18:00 PM
I am not in any way a super oily skinned gal, but there is nothing in this world that I hate more than sparkle ALL OVER MY FACE, which is what turned me off the the bare minerals original formula. This does not have nay of that shimmer. And for that reason I love it. I was breaking out something fierce a few months back due to an allergic reaction to a makeup product and my mom was concerned my foundation at the time (Rimmel Lasting Finish) was breaking me out further, so she bought me this. Becasue bare minerals is natural and very light (it claims you can sleep in it!!) it let my skin breathe and let it heal. And it did! My skin started to settle down and now I wear this whenever I notice my skin acting up. It definitely doesn't compare to a real liquid foundation in coverage, so if you are expecting that kind of coverage you may want to try something else. But it isn't totally sheer, it does cut back the redness on my cheeks and forehead considerably and makes it look very smooth and even, not quite flawless but even :) I will for sure be continuing to use this (just for reference I am in the color fairly light and I'm about an NC15-NC20). I would suggest going to either a bare minerals store, an Ulta, or a Sephora to get matched for color :)
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Everyday Minerals - Multi-tasking Concealer
ChaseSpearing 7/18/2012 6:10:00 PM
My mom has been using bare minerals products for decades and recently bought the wrong color concealer and gave it too me (it was too light for her). After watching some youtube videos and doing some reading I learned that this works like a dream for mattifying under my eyes after applying concealer and pumping up the coverage and staying power. I don't really use it anywhere else on my face, just under my eyes and it works great to keep my concealer from migrating into the little lines under my eyes. (I'm 17 and I have lines under my eyes, SO NOT FAIR.) Its $18 for a pretty big container and since you only need a very small amount, this will last me probably though the rest of the summer and into the school year.
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