Pressed Powders -MAC - Blot Powder
Lomelindi 10/18/2012 9:11:00 AM
Tentative HG powder for my oily skin! My skin is in the NC25-30 and I use "Medium Dark", so this powder actually runs quite light. It has very little color, so I would use it more as a setting powder. It's not a miracle worker, but it does cut shine instantly and it is great for setting your concealer / foundation. I actually think I get some of that "airbrushed" look after I use it because it's finely-milled and softens everything. I apply with a big poofy brush because you don't need much. (In fact, if you add too much, you'll end up looking a bit cakey). I've been using this product daily for months now and have made a dent in it, although I haven't seen pan yet. I'm fairly confident one compact of this will last you at least a year with daily use, which is great considering that it's not TOO expensive. Another winner from MAC!
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Eyeliner -Make Up For Ever - Aqua Eyes Light Taupe 24L
Lomelindi 10/17/2012 3:16:00 PM
For some reason, this Aqua liner just kept catching my eye every time I played with MUFE products. It's a light, mink brown (perhaps browner than what I could classify as a taupe) with a velvety finish, so it's an easy, soft way to line your bottom eyelid without the line looking "obvious". The color is surprisingly unique as far as browns go, I think it's softer and cooler than most brown eyeliners. I'm NC25/30 and this is a super flattering color to use on my eyes, although it's not really dark enough to liner my upper eyelid since the brown is too light to blend into my black alshes. The pencil itself (like all the Aqua liners) is very soft and pigmented, so there is no tugging or hard pressing necessary when applying it. A cheaper, browner (less taupey) dupe of this can be the Physician Formula Shimmer Strip eyeliner for brown eyes trio (the "expresso" one). Expresso is also a soft medium brown and is also very soft as far as pencil eyeliners go, so it's easy on the eyelid skin.
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Treatments -Mario Badescu - Drying Cream
Lomelindi 10/17/2012 3:03:00 PM
I am prone to hormonal acne and clogged pores / minor acne due to some makeup products, so I wanted to try this to counteract breakouts when they happen. First, this is NOT an overnight miracle cream because your pimple will still be there in the morning. However, using this a few days in a row on any pimple or breakout area will make them manageable and prevent them from getting huge / red. It will also dry them out (again, slowly over the course of a few days) to the point where they will just scab or peel off. To use this cream, I tap a TINY TINY TINY amount on a pimple and its surrounding area, enough to thoroughly cover the pimple but not enough to cover it from view. I don't usually blend until the cream "disappears" because I feel like that spreads the product too thin and covers skin that doesn't really need any treatment. Also, the product is thick, so it doesn't blend all that well. I do NOT recommend using it under makeup! It also has a strong sulfer smell due to all the sulfer in it, so I usually just use this at night when I go to sleep so I don't worry if other people smell or see the product. One huge pro is how much product you get for your money! One tub has MORE than enough for a long, long time, especially since you can spread a tiny (i.e. quarter of a pea-size!) amount over a big patch of skin if need be. I don't really like that it's in a tub (taking off another lippie for that) but you can use a spatula to bring out tiny amounts of product if you'd like.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Tarte - Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed Tarte Blush
Lomelindi 10/17/2012 2:55:00 PM
If I could give this a 4.5, I would. First, the color is lovely and very natural. Don't be turned off by how brown it looks in the pan! It's more of a mute mauve/rose color, and unlike the other Tarte AC blushes, you can apply this one with a heavy hand and still look natural. I have NC25-30 warm skin and this blush just makes me look polished without making it look like I'm "obviously" wearing blush. Overall, this is a great, go-to blush for lazy days, work days and days when you have a bright lipstick or eyes. I also love the packaging of the Tarte AC blushes because you can spot from afar what color they are and they're compact / sturdy enough that you can take them on trips! However, I do have to take off a lippie because compared to Blissful and Natural Beauty, Exposed can apply a little... patchy. Also, it doesn't seem to last as long as the other two (Natural Beauty easily lasts 12 hrs on me) although the staying power is still great, probably around 8 hrs on me.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Sally Hansen - Smooth And Perfect
Lomelindi 10/4/2012 3:56:00 PM
I currently only have this in Fog, which is the white one. Personally, I like it a lot! It's a very "clean", soft, classy color. I was hoping it'd be more mother-of-pearl-y than it is, but it's more of a glossy, milk color. The formula is strange. It's both sheer but thick (if that makes any sense) and unfortunately prone to bubbling if you add too much at once, BUT it does self-level and has a beautifully smooth, glossy finish (just as advertised). Fog is still a little translucent after 3 coats, but I actually like it that way because it almost looks like a french manicure with the white of my tips peaking through. If you really wanted opacity, though, I'd use at least 4 coats.
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Polishes -Sinful - Ruby Ruby
Lomelindi 10/1/2012 2:30:00 PM
Like everyone else said, this is THE perfect, bright red polish. I bought it because it looked so much like blood in the bottle that I couldn't walk out of the store without it. The formula is GREAT, very smooth and easy to work with without being thick. I actually find that this is the easiest red polish to apply in my collection because my other reds are runny and stain my hands like nobody's business. This polish stays in place where you apply it even with the average brush that Sinful Colors provides. Each coat dries quickly, so I can toss on two coats of this be out the door. (You really only need two coats, it's almost opaque with just one!) All in all, I don't even konw why I have other red polishes anymore. This one should just replace all of them. Plus, it's super cheap and part of the Sinful Color's perm line, so it's easy to find!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Sinful - Mint Apple
Lomelindi 10/1/2012 2:24:00 PM
Gosh, this is a pretty color. I can see why there's so much hype for it! For me, this actually looks more seafoamy green than "mint", because it's not really light enough to look like mint ice cream (which is suuuper pastel green). The shimmer makes it interesting to look at both close up and far away, and it's just a super flattering shade on my NC25/30 (very warm) skin. It can look a bit frosty super close up, but from far away it's just a lovely, soft color on my hands. The formula is quite good, a tad on the runny side but not hard to work with. First coat was definitely too sheer, but it looked pretty opaque / smooth by the 2nd coat. (I'd use 3 coats because I could still see a hint of the white tips of my nails underneath). The price is AWESOME, which is typical for Sinful Colors - I got this for $1.99, but I think you can get it for 0.99 somewhere. It's super easy to find because it's part of Sinful Color's perm collection. Love!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Essie - Eternal Optimist #676
Lomelindi 10/1/2012 9:31:00 AM
This is the pinker cousin of OPI's Dulce de Leche color, and ironically, they both have troublesome formulas. DdL is a dusty, brown-pink nude with a very thick formula, and a bottle tends to dry up at only 1/3 of the way down. Essie's Eternal Optimist is a pinker version of the same color, with more peach and beige in it than brown. (It looks a lot more nude in dim lighting and a noticeably pink in bright lighting). The formula seemed to be thin at first (typical of Essie), but then I realized that it became extremely thick and rather hard to work with by the second coat. I think the reason for this is that the first coat takes longer to dry than I'm used to (for an Essie color), so I was screwing up the first coat when I added the second too quickly. Key lesson: wait for all the coats to dry thoroughly before adding another!! Personally, I dislike the formula enough that I'll have to take off a lippie. That being said, there's nothing WRONG with the color - it's a really lovely, muted pink, and it's great for work and more formal occasions. If you're into bold colors or sparkles, stay away! But if you like nudes, pinks and softer, more wearable colors, this is a great staple to have.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Essie - Raspberry
Lomelindi 9/28/2012 10:59:00 AM
Picked up this polish because I wanted a berry color for the fall and because this didn't look too vampy for my tastes. The formula is a bit on the runny side so you have to be careful with it, but it dries rapidly, which is a plus. The color is a bit streaky in 1 coat, much smoother and more opaque with 2 coats, and probably perfect with 3 coats (although I only use 2). The color is a little bit of a chameleon. In the bottle, it's more much berry / purple-y than it is on the nails. In low, warm light, this looks like a rich crimson creme - beautiful, but not exactly what I was looking for. You'll only notice the berry aspect in bright, white light, or if you're outdoors in bright sunlight. Personally, that hint of berry is what draws me to this polish, but I'm going to take off a lippie because it's so hard to notice.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Berlin there done that
Lomelindi 9/27/2012 1:48:00 PM
Gosh, I love this color and I'm not sure how to even describe it. It's supposed a "mushroom taupe", which is... as good of my guess. At first glance, it's a medium, solid grey with subtle purple undertones. In really bright light it looks paler and milkier, while in warm light it pulls a bit more grey-brown. SUPER interesting color, despite being a creme with no shimmer in it. It's not dark enough to be classified as a vamp, and I think it's chic enough that it can be worn to work. The formula is lovely, neither runny nor thick. It's a bit sheer with one coat (not streaky though), and perfectly opaque with two. As usual, the wide OPI brush was great and makes application very easy and swift. Wearing power is great, but that's the norm for an OPI creme. I personally like wearing a glitter over this polish to spice it up, but it wears well alone.
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Eye Shadow -Wet 'n' Wild - 8-pan Palette "Comfort Zone"
Lomelindi 9/26/2012 1:59:00 PM
PROS: The price is amazing (barely a few $) and you get 8 very buttery, intensely pigmented e/s. Most of these are in the neutral / taupe / brown range, which makes it handy for people who like natural colors. I cannot rave enough about the formula, it's sooo soft and you only need a little bit for your whole lid. This palette will last you a long time! CONS: Frost galore. All the colors were frosty and not a single one was in the satin or matte range, which... is fun if you like frost e/s but not great if you're a fan of mattes / more natural finish e/s. I personally find the finish unflattering on my oily lids because they actually look oily / sheen-y with the eyeshadow on. I ended up not reaching for this palette at all after I bought it because I just wasn't a fan of how shiny the colors were, so I eventually gave it to my mother. Also, due to how soft the e/s are, they are prone to breaking so treat this palette with care! Overall, great formula and colors, not great for people who don't like shimmery e/s or neutrals. I'd give this a 3.5 if I could.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -New York Color - Grand Central Station clear nail polish
Lomelindi 9/24/2012 4:56:00 PM
I'm not sure where all the bad reviews are coming from since this worked perfectly! I was using Seche Vite before and while I love it, I didn't like the price too much and I didn't like how fast it dried up (about half way through a bottle). First off, it's not exactly like Seche Vite, which is much thicker. The formula for this top coat is thinner but not runny, and it dries impressively quickly. I think it might even dry faster than SV 'cause it's thinner. When I used GCS over a glitter coat, it smoothed out the bumps and ridges better than I expected, so I ended up with a strong, shiny top coat just like with SV. The only con I can find with this polish is that I don't think it is AS shiny / glass-like as SV, but for the super cheap price, I can't complain! EDIT: This is a lot more prone to chipping that SV. I got about 3 days of wear out of it before I start losing a chip or two in my nail color, which isn't that surprising considering I work on a computer. Taking off a lippie for wear-time.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Every Month Is Oktoberfest
Lomelindi 9/24/2012 3:09:00 PM
I am NOT one to fall in love with vampy colors but I had to try this polish since everyone raved about it the moment the Germany 2012 collection came out. I have no regrets!! It's absurdly pretty and I can't stop looking at it on my nails. On my warm skin, this is a deep, rich purple with purple and red shimmer, which give it great depth when the light strikes it at an angle. It's not black by any means and unless you're in very dim lighting, it will NOT look black on your fingers. (This may be a good or bad thing, depending on how much you like polishes that pull black). The opacity is full (no streaks!) and you can get away with just 1 coat, although I always use 2 out of habit. I love, love, LOVE the formula. It's a bit thick but dries quickly and is easy to apply with OPI's standard big brush. On a random note, I accidently spilled this color on my carpet and found out that it has a very strong blue base to it since that was the color of my stain.
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Polishes -Sally Hansen - Diamond Strength - Glass Slipper
Lomelindi 9/13/2012 1:57:00 PM
I agree with the reviewer below who said that polish looks like small shards of crushed, mirrored glass. It does NOT show the nail color underneath through the flakes, so in that aspect, it's not like Essie Shine of the Times which seems to change colors depending on which polish it's layered over. (The flakes in Essie SotT are more luminescent and pearly, so there's that difference as well.) Overall, this is a great way to spice up any nail polish color without resorting to layers upon layers of glitter. I will take off a lippie because the flakes aren't THAT dense, so it takes a layer or two to get a noticeable amount on your nails. On the bright side, the drying time even for a thick layer is quite fast, which is a plus. I bought this polish thinking that it'd be a good dupe for Essie SotT; it's unfortunately not, but it's still not a BAD polish. It's easy to use, easy to find in most drug stores, and fairly cheap (~$6).
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -L'Oreal - Infallible Eyeshadow - Bronzed Taupe
Lomelindi 9/13/2012 1:49:00 PM
WELP, I am officially a believer in the awesomeness of the L'Oreal Infallibles. There's not much to say that hasn't already been said. The formula is basically like pressed loose-powder - still a bit loose, but pressed enough that it doesn't get everywhere. I need to apply with a doe-footed eyeshadow brush (big, flat surface area) because that's the only way I can get an even wash. This is THE perfect wash color for people who love taupes and naturals. It's not as bronzey as I thought it was going to be. It actually looks pretty neutral on my NC25 skin, cooler than a true bronze but not too cool to look weird. It's shimmery but not glittery, and the color darkens depending on how you look at it in the light. I really do NOT need a crease color if I wear this all over my lids because it almost becomes its own crease color in the shadows of my eyelid. This color a super easy alternate to doing a complicated eye look - I just toss on this eyeshadow, some mascara, and run out the door. Excellent product!
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No