Polishes -Illamasqua - Ruthless
JasmineJolene 4/29/2012 3:22:00 PM
I got this as a free gift at an Illamasqua artist evening. It came with a red glitter polish called Untold which I have yet to use. This polish went on nicely and one coat would have been sufficient. I did two as I am so conditioned I feel weird if I only do one! I did put a base coat on, then used Sally Hansen as a topcoat. The packaging is nice, I do like the square shape, and unlike others I did not think the cap was easy to hold. I didn't think the brush was too thin either. Very, very disappointed with the actual formula. It had chipped on one nail by the following day, and I had to remove it all in about 3 days. It stained my nails horribly as well - and the surrounding skin. This was not due to me being a messy nail-painter, this was because when the polish remover does it's job, it just smeared the colour everywhere. It looked vile. The colour is the best thing about it though - really beautiful glossy red. I am so disappointed with this. These polishes retail at £13.50, and I would not purchase a polish from Illa.
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Liquid -Lancome - Teint Idole Ultra 24h
JasmineJolene 4/29/2012 3:14:00 PM
I haven't bought this yet, I have been using a sample I got from the counter. I was colour matched by the makeup artist at colour 01 which is a wonderful match. I am also using MAC Studio Sculpt sample in NW25 which seems to be a lot warmer, yet they both suit my skin and look natural. Maybe this one oxidises to NW25? I don't know. Anyway, I digress. I applied this over Revlon Photoready primer, and layered it on my cheeks where I have some redness. I didn't experience any cakiness. It looked natural and fresh, and only wore on my nose where I am oily. I didn't notice that it was gone when I blotted actually, just that it let the oil through - this doesn't bother me unduly as I think nothing other than cement will stop oil breaking through on my nose. The price is £27 which is pricier than the MAC SS, and it also comes in a glass bottle with a pump. I dislike the glass, as there is scope for breakage, and pumps annoy me as there is always some product left at the bottom that you can't get to. However, as I haven't actually bought this yet I guess you may be able to remove the pump and get to the bottom completely so I haven't marked it down. Some people have remarked on the fragrance - I noticed it, but only as much as I notice any fragrance. It didn't bother me at all. Overall, I really like this foundation and would consider buying this soon. I do have two expensive foundations to use up first so I can't imagine I shall be purchasing in the very near future.
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Liquid -MAC - Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation
JasmineJolene 4/29/2012 3:06:00 PM
I haven't bought this (yet) I have been using a sample I got from my local MAC store. I have the colour NW25. Previously I have bought (and loved) MAC Face and Body, but am after a fuller coverage. I love that I can achieve a full coverage with F&B, but I generally don't have time to layer my foundation in the morning when I have places to go. So I got this sample. And I love it. My skin is combination, and can get very very oily on my nose. Everywhere else is pretty normal. I applied this over Revlon Photoready primer and set it with Chanel looser powder and it stayed on my face very nicely. It blended well - although you do have to be quick - and the colour was a good match. It didn't wear anywhere other than my nose, and that was only because my face is oily there. The packaging is great, allowing you to squeeze out only as much as you need, and because it's a squeezy tube there will never be any wastage. It is fairly expensive, but I have seen (and sampled) more expensive ones. Overall, I am seriously considering purchasing this foundation - maybe not right away as I have Illamasqua Rich Liquid and of course my F&B to use up first, but almost certainly in the future.
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Polishes -OPI - Japanese Rose Garden
JasmineJolene 4/28/2012 3:10:00 PM
Love this polish! This is my first high end polish purchase, as to be frank I balk at paying a lot of money for something that I will probably use not often. I got this one as a potential wedding colour. I applied a week ago over a L'Oreal base coat, did two coats and then used a Sally Hansen topcoat. No chips, wearing or anything! The colour is beautiful, and really lovely pink - the only reason I wouldn't buy again is because I am always picking up pink polishes and can undoubtedly find a cheaper dupe. Lasting power is important, but to be frank, I like changing my nails fairly often but feel I simply can't remove a polish that is lasting so well!
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Moisturizers -LUSH - Imperialis
JasmineJolene 4/27/2012 5:13:00 PM
I really like this. I bought it because I am doing OCM but needed a moisturiser for before I apply make up and after I have toned with rose water. I like the smell, the consistency is good and this makes my skin feel hydrated. I don't need a lot of it so it will probably last longer than the 'use by' date on the tub. I do find it pricey, but I will buy again, as it seems prudent to be as natural as possible on my skin (let's ignore the make up...!)
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Primer/ Corrector -Revlon - PhotoReady Perfecting Primer (color 001)
JasmineJolene 4/27/2012 9:53:00 AM
I'm not sure what I feel about this primer to be honest. I don't dislike it - it feels nice on the skin, glides on nicely and does seem to 'blur' any imperfections (mainly redness) that I have. I'm just not sure if it's a necessary step? I have simply ENORMOUS pores, especially round my nose, and I don't find that this stops them from being visible. I am trying out lots of different foundations at the moment, and I can honestly say that none of them seem to wear or even look different enough over primer to make me purchase this again. I like the packaging, although the pump - even on daily use - always clogs a little so when I pump some product out I have a grain of solidified primer to find and wipe away. I would prefer a tube as it would fit in my makeup bag easier, and also I could cut the end off when I get closer to the end. Basically this is a bit of a 'meh' product for me.
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Makeup Brushes -MAC - #210 Precise Eye Liner (Fine Point)
JasmineJolene 4/24/2012 5:05:00 PM
I own two angled brushes - a large one and a small one - and I bought a bent eyeliner brush from ELF recently as well. While I like the angled brushes, I find that as I age and the delicate eye skin is a bit baggier *sob* it is getting harder and harder to get a smooth even line. The ELF brush was rubbish as the hairs were bent in the plastic tube when I got it. So I bought this one. This was literally the only one I could find, I was initially searching for a drugstore option, but it seems fineliner brushes do not exist unless you are willing to pay £££ for it. This was expensive, £16, which did stick a bit, but I honestly can't fault it. I applied fluidline this morning, and it was perfect. I literally got it perfect first time, and the line was so fine I took it all the way to the inner eye (which I don't normally). It was so easy I sort of sat there for a minute wondering if I had done it wrong! So, although pricey, I would definitely recommend.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Studio Angled Contour Brush
JasmineJolene 4/24/2012 4:49:00 PM
Bought this for contouring but I never use it. It is too dense so picks up too much colour for contouring, but is too small for blush or bronzer. It is too big for shadow, and although pointed I can't use it accurately for shadow in the crease. Overall, this was a waste of money for me so I'm glad it was only £3.50!
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Conditioner -Aussie - Moist Conditioner
JasmineJolene 4/24/2012 2:17:00 AM
I really like this. It is sulfate and silicone free which is great for my very curly dry hair. I use it to co-wash (I don't really use shampoo at all) and I love the smell. The bottle is a pain, as rather than a flip-top cap it has a cap you have to press down to open (here I must point out that in the UK the bottles are completely different to the one shown). Also, for me, it is not very cheap as my hair is very very porous I end up using a lot of product every time.
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Top/Base Coats -Sally Hansen - Mega Shine Top Coat
JasmineJolene 4/24/2012 2:06:00 AM
EDIT: they have changed the formula so you have to put in on top of dry polish. It just doesn't work as well. Also, mine has gone very very gloopy and it's a fairly new bottle. Not impressed. This is my HG topcoat, so I am very very surprised at the negative reviews! I always use this, base coat-polish-polish-topcoat and in the main, my polish will last ages. A lot of the time my nails start growing out and I remove it before it actually chips badly. I find it applies, smoothly and smooths out any minor blips in the polish underneath. It dries super quickly to a high shine. This is great for me as I am impatient and busy so need something that is quick-drying, but find that the quick-dry polishes just peel off in one layer after a day on me, regardless of how I prepare the nail. I don't like the bottle for two reasons - 1) you can't see how much product is left in the bottle; 2) the silver flakes off and gets into the polish meaning you can easily ruin your nails with tiny little flakes of silver *annoying*. But I like the brush and find it applies well. On some polishes I do find that the brush will pick up and smear the colour, but this seems to be particular to brands not to colours - worst one was my Illamasqua red (but I am disappointed with that for a whole host of reasons!). I have scored this at 3 for price, as it varies so much in the UK. I have paid as little as £4 for this, and seen it at £8.95! Generally it seems to retail for about £6 which I don't mind paying as I use it every time I do my nails.
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Makeup Brushes -Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman - Stippling Brush
JasmineJolene 4/3/2012 3:56:00 PM
I bought this brush without really thinking about what I would use it for. I started off using it to apply blush, as I tend to have a heavy hand with it so with the very pigmented stuff this is great! However, I am now using this to apply a blend of Illamasqua Rich Liquid foundation and Mac Face and Body, and let me tell you, it is FAB! I don't use a primer as for some reason it accentuates rather than fills in my pores, so I apply the mix with my fingers and then buff, buff, buff with this brush. It really does give an airbrushed finish. I also own the Real Techniques Buff brush (from the Core Collection) and while I love it, I tend to use it for powder application and I don't get such a good finish with such a dense brush. Washes and dries beautifully as well. Really pleased.
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Powder -Chanel - poudre universelle libre(natural finish loose powder)
JasmineJolene 4/3/2012 3:48:00 PM
I really love this powder. I don't generally buy HE powders as I have found that the £1.99 one I get from Boots is almost identical to the Clinique loose powder so dropping the extra cash didn't seem worth it. I decided to treat myself to this though, and I'm glad I did. It is the finest texture I have ever used, which is good for my oily nose and large pores. It is a good colour match - but then translucent powder normally is! I think the pot it comes in is lovely, although a bit cumbersome for travel. I prefer the puff that it comes with it to the brush the Clinique one comes with. All in all, if I'm feeling flush I would buy this again. Otherwise, my £1.99 powder is perfectly adequate.
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Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Falsies Waterproof Mascara
JasmineJolene 4/3/2012 3:36:00 PM
I bought this for two reasons - 1) I get married in 8 weeks and need a waterproof mascara; 2) I saw a YouTube tutorial that recommended curl-waterproof mascara-curl to make the curl hold. I am not disappointed! I like the brush, the actual mascara goes on nicely and unlike Benefit They're Real isn't so wet that it splatters all over my face. The 'spoon' shape of the brush takes some getting used to, but I feel it gives a nice look without clumping. The shorter bristles are also great for doing lower lashes. I can't comment on staying power as I have only used it twice - but I notice it flaked off on me a bit. This always happens to me with waterproof mascaras though. It was easy enough to remove as I use coconut oil and that gets everything off! Overall, pretty pleased and would buy again.
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Lip Treatments -Soap and Glory - Sexy Motherpucker Lip Gloss
JasmineJolene 4/1/2012 4:15:00 PM
I really like this gloss. Don't know if it has any plumping qualities, but the nude one is pretty on and has just enough colour to make lipstick look nice, or even bare lips. I don't find it any more sticky than any other gloss I have used in the past. I do find S&G (all the products) to be a bit pricey for a drugstore brand if I'm honest.
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Concealers -Laura Mercier - Secret Camouflage
JasmineJolene 4/1/2012 1:04:00 PM
I am so annoyed I bought this. I had a makeover done at the counter, paid £10 deposit so I had to buy something or lose the deposit. For a start, the makeup artist DID NOT do my makeup - the regular MUA did. And all she did was remove what I had on, and despite me asking for a wedding look, reapplied it almost exactly the same. I mean, WTAF? Anyway, onto the product. I told the MUA that I wanted to try a full coverage foundation as I normally use sheer. I don't have blemished skin, but I do have large pores and quite a red undertone which is hard to cover. He dismissed totally what I said and used foundation and then this concealer on the red bits. Now, I do own a concealer, but I only use it for blemishes and under the eyes. I don't like it to tone down red especially, as it looks caked on and looks nasty once the oils start breaking through, especially on my nose. Granted I didn't tell him this, but I did say I had combination skin that was particularly oily on my nose. This product is ok. I don't find it easy to blend, I gather you are supposed to pick up a bit of product from each side and blend till it matches skin tone. Ok, except it doesn't really work that way! I goes on fairly nicely and I admit the colour matching is very good, but I just don't like using concealers! Therefore, this was a £26 mistake that will probably only be used on the very rare occasions when I go out in the evening.
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