Powder -Estee Lauder - Double Wear Stay-in-Place Powder Makeup
MrsDevall 6/3/2009 1:21:00 PM
I've been comparing powder foundations on here for at least a month now, looking for one to wear for summer, and finally decided to try this one. I wasn't expecting much from a powder foundation, even one as expensive as this, but I was pleasantly surprised. This is probably the first powder I've found that gives the medium coverage that I was looking for (though you can build it up to full). My skin is very pale and it's hard to find foundations that match, not this one. The counter MUA put it on half of my face, and aside from the fact that the flaws on that side were completely covered, you couldn't find even a hint of color difference. Despite the coverage you get, it feels so light, like you're not wearing foundation at all. The only issue I've found is that I have a few large pores on one cheek, and if I don't moisturize well, it will settle and show a bit. Nothing that can't be easily dealt with. There is a HUGE amount of powder in this compact, and the size, coupled with how natural looking the foundation is, it's well worth the price. I would have liked to been able to carry this in my purse, in case I needed a touch up, but the price keeps me from doing that. God forbid it broke, I probably wouldn't be able to afford a second one. So far I haven't had any need for touch ups with this though, it does last all day without rubbing off. I would definitely buy this again, summer after summer..even if the price went up. It's just that good. Side note: This is the first Estee Lauder product I've used, and a good part of the reason I picked this over a few higher rated foundations is the counter MUAs. Usually the sales people are really pushy to get you to buy everything and everything. I've found that this is one of the only ones that doesn't do that. It might just be the specific store, I don't know, but they were great...very helpful. Not at all like the ones at other places that will chase after you.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Revlon - Makeup Eraser Pen
MrsDevall 5/30/2009 12:57:00 AM
I love this. No matter how careful or slow I am with my eyeliner and mascara I always end up fudging one of them (usually eyeliner, always the kind that sets immediately too). All I need is just a quick swipe with the pen and it's gone. Whatever you have on tends to stick to the tip, I just wipe it on a piece of tissue. I would never even attempt using this to get off more makeup than the little mistakes I make, though. It would probably take years. As for price, I can't comment. I received this as a gift, TWO years ago, and it still works like it did out of the package. I'll definitely buy it when I run out, though....whenever that may be.
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Fragrances -Clinique - Aromatics Elixir
MrsDevall 5/20/2009 4:37:00 AM
I was at the Clinique counter a few weeks ago and came across a bottle of this. The packaging is so pretty and girly, I just had to try it. UGH! It smelled so bleck! My fiance walked over and asked why in the world I put on cologne. Thank god I didn't buy this. My dad's cheap aftershave smells better than this junk.
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Mascara -Cover Girl - Exact Eyelights
MrsDevall 5/18/2009 2:19:00 PM
I got this for free in the mail, if memory serves I think it was from Harper's Bazaar sampling program. I've never been a fan of Cover Girl makeup, this is probably the first product of theirs that I've owned since middle school, maybe at all. Now I can see why. I got the one for green eyes, and, yeah the product is definitely a gimmick because it did nothing to brighten my eyes. The brush is nice, a bit on the small side, but it makes it super easy to get every lash..it just takes a bit longer. The thing I do like is that it doesn't clump up on the brush at all (I've noticed that tends to happen less with the rubber brushes than the regular ones). The color on the brush is horrific looking, kind of a gray burgundy. It's supposed to be a blackish red, but ends up brown on my lashes. So, so far it hasn't lived up to it's name at all...doesn't brighten my eyes, and it is nowhere near Black or Ruby. As far as the packaging goes, because I didn't buy this from the store, there's a possibility that it's different from the norm, but the label on mine is just a little plastic wrap. The tube itself is nice and sleek in design but that little wrap twists and makes it a pain to open. Formula wise, it goes on smooth..super easy. It doesn't do much for me in the way of length (possibly a tiny difference, if any) but it does add some volume. I have to say, whatever it does it looks nice. The biggest problem is that it lasts maybe three or four hours before it starts to flake. By the end of the day my eyes get so irritated that I look like I just spent the last week smoking pot nonstop. Yeah, I get that bloodshot. So of course, my natural instinct is to rub my eyes and then I ruin the rest of my makeup. Overall, this mascara probably isn't the worst out there, though I haven't tried many. (Once I find something I like I tend to stick to it). I believe it retails somewhere around $7-8, and with all the flaking it does and the fact that it doesn't do anything (or even look anything) like it's supposed to, I definitely wouldn't go out and buy it. It was nice to try, but it confirmed my notion about the mediocrity of Cover Girl. Maybe one day I'll try something else, but probably not.
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Eyes -Ardell - Brow & Lash Growth Accelerator Treatment Gel
MrsDevall 5/14/2009 2:06:00 PM
I've been wanting to try last growth products for ages now, but they've been so expensive that I didn't really find them worth it. Then I found this little gem. After reading the reviews on here, I figured it would be more of a lash conditioner, which was fine by me since I had been getting some breakage from the mascara I used. It's been two weeks now and this is what I've seen so far: -It's super easy to put on, it doesn't run and sting my eyes like I've heard these things can do. I smush it right up to the base of my lashes, I figured that would be the best way to go on this. -My lashes are soft as can be. I haven't had any breakage or lashes fall out since I started using this. -I've gotten a tiny bit of length, not much, but it's only been two weeks. -The biggest thing (and my favorite) is that I've noticed new growth in my lashes so they're a million times more full than they used to be. Being that the new ones are still growing in and I have two (maybe three) different lengths at the moment, they look like falsies. Loving that. So all in all, while I haven't gotten a lot of length added on, the volume part was unexpected, and GREAT! I don't have to use mascara now if I don't want to, and when I do now, I don't need to worry about finding one that adds volume, just length. Easy peasy in my book. I will definitely buy this again.
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Fragrances -Thierry Mugler - Alien
MrsDevall 5/11/2009 3:09:00 PM
This is one of my top two fragrances. I got a bottle free through BzzAgent, probably wouldn't have tried it otherwise because of the price but I'm glad I did. Scent wise, I can't put a finger on what it is other than that it smells good. It's strong when it's first put on but settles to a lighter scent after a bit. That quality reminds me of Anna Sui perfumes (the other half of my top two). The only way I can really describe this is that it's one of those mysterious, sexy fragrances..the kind that make you stop someone to ask them what they're wearing. Because of the strength of this stuff, I would say it's not the best for an everyday scent, but I like it. It's nice for going out at night, and is perfect for fall. I'd definitely buy this again, well, if I can afford it when I run out anyway.
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Polishes -Sally Hansen - Insta-Dri in Lightening
MrsDevall 5/8/2009 6:57:00 PM
This nail polish is meh. The color is lovely, the brush and the formula are crap though. The advertisements for the polish say they take one coat, maybe it's true for the darker shades but I needed two on this one. The brush is really awkward, and because it dries so fast (less than a minute for me) it's hard to get the two coats even. After four times of trying this and having it turn out so horrendous that I couldn't finish one hand I gave up and let it sit for a while. Last night I tried it again and maybe I figured out the trick to getting this stuff on right, I don't know.
It was a PITA but I went finger by finger, applied one coat, waited about 30 seconds and then quick did another coat. It came out opaque and even, and it looks great so far. The thing is, that DOES NOT work on toes. They were a nightmare. It took 20 minutes and a lot of cleanup and they still look bad. Considering nobody is getting up close and personal with my toes, though, it doesn't really bother me.
I would never buy this again though, in any color. The brush is the worst I've ever seen, it's awkwardly shaped and hard to use, and the formula is a pain to deal with. I'll keep using the one I have though, it is a great color after all.
Here are some pics after I finally got this stuff right. It does look nice, I'll give it that much:
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Mascara -Flirt - Lash-a-delic
MrsDevall 5/5/2009 11:39:00 PM
Even though I made the trip to Kohls just for this, I honestly can't say I was expecting much. But because I was in the market for a new mascara, flirt isn't too bad plus it was on clearance, I figured what the heck. The brush is nice, not anywhere near what my Dior was (unfortunately Dior went right out of my price range with the economy being such a mess), but it works well, and I get a good amount of length. It doesn't do anything in the way of volume but I've been lucky enough not to need it. The thing that surprised me the most is how unbelievably waterproof it is. I usually use either the MAC pro eye makeup remover or my Almay creme makeup remover but NEITHER of these did much to make this budge. It took quite a while to get the bulk of this off. I love that it stays put 100%, I haven't found any mascara that doesn't smudge even a tiny bit. I'll take five minutes with a makeup remover for that anyway. For the price, the mascara is great. I paid $11, regular price is $14. I will probably buy it again. It's definitely one of the better mascaras that I've used. EDIT: After using this for two weeks it's gotten so clumpy. I usually have to wipe off the brush and start over or else it gets everywhere. I switched back to my Rimmel Sexy Curves.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Jane - Eyeshadow Brush
MrsDevall 5/2/2009 1:53:00 PM
I wasn't expecting much when I got this. I was in Rite Aid and just grabbed this on a whim without checking here first. I'm surprised at how much color this cheap little thing packs on. It's great...does better than some of my more expensive shadow brushes. I've only had it a few days, but so far it's worked great on both my lids and my crease. I think I might go get a backup in a few days.
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Lip Gloss -E.L.F. - Super Glossy Lip Shine SPF15 - ALL
MrsDevall 4/25/2009 7:09:00 AM
I'm a bit half and half on this gloss. It's not great, but it's not bad either. I'm not sure which color I have (it's all the way in the other room at the moment), but the color payoff is great. It smells good and it isn't sticky but it doesn't last very long. I'll probably buy it again though. For the money it's pretty good. After all, you get what you pay for.
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Loose Powders -Jane - staying powder loose powder
MrsDevall 4/25/2009 7:06:00 AM
I really love this powder. I use it to set my foundation and it really does make it last all day. Also, it doesn't rub off on things like some other powders that I've tried. I had to take off a lippie based on the fact that the packaging is total bullpoo when it says colorless, it does have a good amount of color to it. For those with darker skin it would be way way too light and probably really noticeable, but on my fair skin it doesn't show much at all. I'm not a fan of the packaging though, it can get a bit messy. The little poof isn't that great but I put that on top, flip the jar upside down, then use what come out of the sifter with my ecotools brush instead. Works great. Like all my other Jane products, I probably wont be able to buy them again, but I did buy the two I could find, along with one of the pressed powders.
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Blush -Jane - Be Pure Mineral Crushed Blush in 03 Rose Silk
MrsDevall 4/25/2009 7:02:00 AM
This is definitely my HG blush. I've tried so many different brands and so many different colors but for the longest time couldn't find one that really looked great on me. The color looks great on my fair skin, it has an itsy bitsy bit of shimmer to it, but not too much that it makes me look weird. It's easy to blend and it lasts all day. As far as buying it again, like I said in my other Jane reviews, the stores near me aren't selling it anymore. I did go to the three stores in my area that still had them and bought them all out though.
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Liquid -Jane - Be Pure Mineral Skin Perfecting Foundation SPF 30
MrsDevall 4/25/2009 6:59:00 AM
I agree with the other reviewers on the fact that this foundation barely gives any coverage. It does have a slight tint to it. I use it over the regular Mineral Foundation and it evens out the color perfectly. I love that it has SPF 30 in it, plus it smells like sunscreen and even in the winter it's like instant summer as soon as I get a whiff of it. When I heard that the stores were going to stop selling Jane makeup I went out and bought three. So I'm stocked up for a while.
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Liquid -Jane - Be Pure Mineral Liquid Foundation
MrsDevall 4/25/2009 6:54:00 AM
I really love this foundation. It gives full coverage without feeling heavy, and it's the only foundation I've found so far that hasn't melted off halfway through the day. I had to take off a lippie for the poor color choices, the one I use is near perfect, but when I use it along with the Sheer Mineral Liquid it adds enough to make the perfect shade for my face. The bottle annoys me a little bit because I usually get just a bit too much with one pump, but it's nothing too bothersome. As for buying it again, the stores that sell it near me (Wallgreens and Rite Aid) are discontinuing it, the girl at Wallgreens said she thinks the entire line might be going down the tubes. But..when I heard that I hit all three in my town and bought the three that they had left haha.
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Polishes -Essie - Damsel in a Dress
MrsDevall 3/29/2009 10:57:00 PM
I've never gotten an Essie polish I didn't like until this one. The color looked great and shimmery in the bottle..and very purple. Once I got it on my nails it looked very dull and more brown that purple. Maybe I got one from a bad batch, I don't know. I know I probably won't be using this one.
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