Liquid -Revlon - Age Defying with DNA Advantage Cream Makeup
starbuck65 11/7/2011 11:46:00 PM
WOW! Surprised by the number of negative reviews.I love this. I waited for months for Chanel Perfection Lumiere, when it finally came out, I was a bit disappointed which caused me to go out and buy a few foundations out of sheer sadness :( Normally I love Chanel foundations. I actually bought another bottle to test the "glitter" that several people have mentioned in the sun. Neither bottle that I own has glitter. Perhaps it depends on how it wears on any one person's skin. On my skin it's beautiful. I'd say a good medium, buildable coverage. I do add a bit more on my cheeks if they're a bit more red (rosacea), it wears incredibly well on me, 12+ hours but that could be the primer and I do set with powder (MAC MSF Natural-tiny bit). I do own about 30 foundations, not sure why I have to try them all but right now this has been my favorite of them all, 3 are DS. I tried every primer I own to test out. I do have dry skin, I do moisturize as well but find that unless I use Monistat under this foundation I look a bit oily a few hours in. It does not accentuate fine lines, I can wear it under my eyes with no problem, medium beige is an absolute perfect match for my winter skin. My mother, who can't tell the difference beween any of my foundations complements me when I'm wearing this. In regards to it looking like EL DW? EL DW instantly ages my skin by 10 years + immediately and I do not consider that a full coverage foundation as quite a few people do, it's medium on me. This foundation has slightly better coverage on my skin, looks less heavy than DW although the foundation itself is a bit thicker and definitely less drying than DW. I apply with the Sigma F80, stippling then lightly buffing, then gently blot prior to setting. The finish is a natural matte/satin on my skin prior to setting, I do have to blot once half way through the day. I'm really excited about this one. Will definitely repurchase and cured my sadness after picking up the Perfection Lumiere, although I will try it a few more times before I say I dislike it completely. For reference, my previous fave foundation was Pro Lumiere, looks-wise, but had no staying power.I get a bit better coverage from the Revlon right off the bat. I wouldn't say this is a dupe in any way but I actually prefer this to every one of my HE foundations. Love the coverage, love the finish, love the staying power, I feel comfortable in daylight face to face with anyone. Good stuff. One more thing, I need coverage and do get it with this, Pro Lumiere took nearly two pumps to get the coverage I need, Revlon takes less than one pump, any more is too much! Beautiful! My first Revlon foundation! My third DS foundation ever, I feel I did really well and I'm glad I bought it after eyeing the advert rather than reading the reviews first. It clearly won't work for everyone, we all have different skin, different needs and different ideas on what we want our skin to look like but it can be returned if it doesn't work out for you. Give it a try, try different primers, different tools for application ...as with all foundations... and see if it works out.
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -MAC - 128 Split Fibre Cheek Brush
starbuck65 8/16/2011 6:43:00 PM
As efrazier pointed out, this brush is great for smaller faces. Provided I keep the 116 and 168 in their brush guards they're fine and stay small and compact enough and I love the 130 but I bought it for cream blushes, that was the only reason I bought this brush. I don't think I need the split fiber but it's smaller and more dense than the 109, it doesn't shed like the 109 (nothing does), it's just a great size, soft, blends powder well...I also bought the 235 eye brush, because the natural bristle side can splay out on these brushes it's best to keep it in a brush guard but overall decent. Personally, I don't have an issue with anything made it China generally but MAC's short handled s/e brushes are made in China, I don't find them to be the same quality as the full size brushes and that's why I dont' buy the s/e's These split fibre brushes are made in China, I don't find anything wrong with the quality of the brush itself as I do with he s/e 's however, the split fibre brushes don't "feel" like MAC brushes, the handles are lighter, almost a hollow feel, they're different, a bit cheap feeling but again, the brush itself is great. Since they didn't cost as much as I had expected it was okay. Overall, great for blush, haven't used it for anything else....not really into the whole split fibre concept but I didn't let that get in the way of me from buying it, it looked interesting. It's a great idea for someone who can use both sides and doesn't feel the need to buy two separate brushes and for the price, you're getting two brushes, not bad.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Neosporin - Lip Health Daily Hydration Therapy Suncreen SPF 20
starbuck65 7/27/2011 4:30:00 PM
I cannot believe that I had forgotten to review this because it is the best I've ever used. I haven't gotten my hands on the night therepy yet.I bought this when I was back in the States and the first time I used it I absolutely hated it. It's thin, like a thin lotion and I could not figure out how that was going to work. I simply thought it was useless. I do have dry lips but not chapped and I always, always, always use a lip balm/conditioner of some sort after I wash my face in the evening. I can't stand the feel of not having something on. I've tried 'em all. At some point I tried this again and was shocked when I woke up the next morning and it was still on. HA! It said on the package that within 3 days, I believe, there'd be an improvement of some sort, I can't remember what it said but all these years that I have been using balms my lips have never looked or felt as good as they have since I started using this about 6 months ago or so. I cannot stand to be without this. The consistency did take some getting used to and now that I am I dislike everything else. This is really great stuff! Can't wait to try the night therapy. If you try it and are initially put off by the consistency, use it for a few days, you'll be glad that you did! It is thin but it doesn't fade away as fast as the others as I thought it would. I blab to everyone about this,
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Bronzers -New York Color - Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny 720
starbuck65 7/25/2011 2:38:00 PM
I have 17 bronzers. Why? Because that's what I have left after getting rid of a few. I have no idea why. I'm about an NW25, I use sunscreen every day and I self tan but not on my face...I need bronzers, not that many, but...I have NARS, Bobbi Brown, Chanel, Dior, MAC, BeneFit, Guerlain, Estee Lauder...the two that I have that are drugstore bronzers are NYC Sunny and Physicians Formula Bronze Booster in Light/Medium. I have found that darker bronzers tend to create more of a contrast rather and make me look as though just like I have light skin with dark bronzer on or juts too much, too fake...rather than make me looklike I've been in the sun and it matches my self-tanner.If you haven't tried a lighter bronzer for that I highly recommend it. I look so much more "tan", as if I were naturally tan. The packaging isn't great but considering that it was less than $3.00 USD and what's inside is fantastic, I can't complain. The texture when I swatch it with my finger isn't fantastic however, it doesn't translate to the face that way, I have dry skin and this bronzer is great, not drying, it doesn't oxidize, lasts well enough...The color is perfect! I would compare the color to two other bronzers...swatching on my hand they are slightly different, the way they translate on my face, they are nearly identical. They are PF Bronze Booster in Light/Medium and Dior Matte Sunshine in Honey Matte. Both great bronzers! Dior may last a bit longer on my skin but honestly when I run out of this bronzer I will definitely repurchase, can't say the same for most of the others. It truly is a fantastic bronzer for light/medium skin tones and I imagine it works well for all skin types as it is matte, great for oily skin yet it's neither drying nor powdery so it may work well if you have dry skin but still prefer a powder. All around great bronzer and quite the bang for your buck. Highly recommend!
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Clarisonic - Clarisonic PLUS Sonic Skin Cleansing System
starbuck65 7/21/2011 3:52:00 PM
Best thing I've ever spent money on! I use the CP with the gentle head, I have really sensitive skin. I did, and still do, use this on the one minute factory setting. I am one of those people who actually removes their make-up prior to using the CP. I use it to further cleanse basically. I didn't like the idea of swirling my make-up around my face and possibly not removing it all, or worse- grinding it back in to my skin...Just so know...It might make a difference, I don't know. Initially I tried to use it twice a day...it was far too much for my sensitive skin! I then just started using it once, in the evening on low speed. I gradually increased the speed to now, 3 months later, still on the sensitive head, high speed on the forhead and chin and mid-speed on the cheeks.For the last few days I've also reintroduced it in the morning for only 20 seconds for my whole face, just a quickie to remove my evening skin care...I kow a lot of people said that they did not like the skin care that came with the CP. I have tried MAC, too harsh combined with the CP, I tried Cetaphil, it was okay, didn't love it. I really like the Gentle Hydro Cleanser. I will definitely continue to buy it, it's fantastic! I did notice a difference, and have continuted to notice improvements, with my skin, suddenly I'm getting complimented on my skin...the real proof for me, even though I do notice big changes in my skin was going to the hair salon. The lighting in there is so bad I absolutely cannot stand being parked in front of the mirror. I actually look young for my age in real life, or good lighting, whatever you prefer, but under that lighting- not pretty. I feel as though I look like the crypt-keeper in comparison. It's horrible! Yesterday I peeked while I was getting my highlights done.... I looked like me again! No more crypt-keeper.I absolutely swear by it! Money well spent, no question! If I could buy one for everyone I most certainly would. SWEAR BY IT!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Garnier - Anti-Dark-Circle Eye Roller
starbuck65 3/22/2011 6:48:00 PM
I really love this! I had seen a few people mention this on YT and was curious about it. I have far too many concealers as it is but, well, you know...I tried my mother's Garnier Anti-Puff roller and hated it, I prefer MAC Fast Response Eye Cream. The Anti-Puff did absolutely nothing but I heard that this one is great for puffiness although it says that it's for dark circles. I don't have a lot of darkness, I generally use either BeneFit's Eye Bright, Bare Escentuals Well Rested in the winter, but who wants powder? And I also use Chanel's Eclat Lumiere, my favorite (MAC comes out with theirs April 7th...can't wait!) to brighter. As for concealers, MAC Pro Longwear, DiorSkin Sculpt. The Anti- Dark Circle Rollerball... it's true that this does help with puffiness, I imagine it's due to the caffiene as well as the coolness of the metal ball, not sure if it's the same metal as Per-Fekt's eye primer, it's really cooling, plus the manual motion of rolling this under your eye to help relieve puffiness, whatever it is, it helps tremendously with puffiness. As far as the tint...it is enough for me to use as a concealer and it is brightening as well so I've been using this alone everday for the few days that I've had it. SO no other concealer and no other highlighter. It's been great! I don't have a lot of darkness, if you do I'm positive you'll have to use a corrector prior to this. It does not dry out my under eye area, and I do have dry skin, it does not settle in to my lines and I have reapplied this several times during the day just to test it out, to see if it cakes or creases. It does not. It's actually moisturising. I hate to admit, it's probably the best looking "concealer" I've ever worn and considering the $$ we've all spent on high end concealers, this one is really good... simply because it's enough coverage for me, I don't find it as sheer as some other reviewers, it does have coverage but more importantly, it's not drying at all. It looks fantastic. I'm fairly light, NW25ish right now so I'm not sure how well it would work on darker skin tones. In Europe there is atleast one other choice but I believe the US has only one. Maybe it is sheer enough to blend out and brighten? I'm just so happy that I found something that isn't too thick, it's not too thin, Doesn't settle in to lines, covers,brightens, de-puffs and doesn't dry out! Good stuff!
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -MAC - Cleanse Off Oil
starbuck65 3/15/2011 6:53:00 PM
Love this for removing long-wearing foundations. It's amazing! Like others have said, you just massage on to your face, when you add water it turns milky. Rinses clean with no oily residue at all. Face feels clean, looks clean, is clean and soft! Removes water-proof mascara and fluidlines beautifully... but do be aware, will cloud your vision for a bit, but I'm going to bed anyway so it's no big deal. I also use this to get foundation, concealer and other cream products out of my synthetic brushes. Love it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Makeup Remover -MAC - Gently Off Eye and Lip Makeup Remover
starbuck65 3/15/2011 6:37:00 PM
It's a dimethicone based eye makeup remover (not oily, dimethicone-y). The end...pretty much... It's MAC, I'm there anyway so I buy it. It really is no different, no better or worse, than any other product I've used (the kind you have to shake). I generally use this to get mascara splatter off my lids but I use Cetaphil to use at night to remove eye makeup. I have use this with a cotton wool and it works great to remove all of my eye makeup at the end of the day. Some have had problems removing water-proof products, for that I use cleanse off oil. If you don't care about brands, it's just your basic eye makeup remover, if you're deeply devoted to MAC and you don't want to ruin the chi you have going on in your bathroom (aka the other MAC Counter), it's $18.00 for 3.4 oz
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -MAC - Cremewash
starbuck65 3/15/2011 6:27:00 PM
This is the first cleanser not made specifically for sensitive skin that I've used that doesn't irritate my skin and it gets it CLEAN! I'm so happy with this. It removes every single tiny trace of makeup, including long-wearing makeup even without a flannel/wash cloth. They say it's good for dry skin, I have dry skin, my skin doesn't feel moisturised after I wash but it's not dry either, it is really, really clean however. I did try it on my eye makeup as well, it burns if it gets in to your eye so I just use my Cetaphil cleanser for eye makeup. Love MAC wipes as well but this is a fantastic cleanser. Use it ever night and I hear that some use it with their Clarisonic, haven't yet but I will. Oh- it says to foam up in your hands first before applying to your face, I do not, I apply it as a cream to a damp face. Good stuff and no irritation!
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Moisturizers -MAC - Complete Comfort Creme
starbuck65 3/15/2011 6:04:00 PM
This cream is fantastic to calm down red/irritated skin. I've used a few creams over the years that claim to calm skin but strangely found them irritating which made me even more red? I've been a MAC fan for about 16 years but hadn't really gotten in to their skin care until the last year/year and a half or so. I have dry skin but this is moisturising enough for me during the day, if you have very dry skin you may have to apply a heavier product over it. I haven't had to. It calms my skin from rosacea, calms my skin after exfoliating (not recommended for rosacea sufferers-that won't stop me, it doesn't make the rosacea worse).It also does an amazing job calming the redness on my chest! I also have hyper-sensitive skin however, I haven't had a single problem with MAC-at all. Ingredient-wise this is an absolutely amazing product as I'm finding most MAC skin care products are! Who knew? A lot people have said MAC should stay out of the skin care business... I disagree, my skin's never looked better. EDIT***I ran out of this a few weeks ago and thought "I'll be fine". Well, I'm not fine! I need this. My skin looks so much better when I use this, especially now that it's cold (rosacea), this is great! I never want to be without it again.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -MAC - Fast Response Eye Cream
starbuck65 3/15/2011 5:26:00 PM
I love this, I've tried everything out there and continue to try new things but this is still HG for me. I use it primarily for puffiness, works better on me thatn any other I've tried thus far, and second it is a great under eye primer. I was really bothered by some reviews on here, I'd hate for someone to miss out on something great, so if you have dry skin and were misinformed, read on. This is FANTASTIC for dry skin, it's got an emollient texture to begin with, the first ingredient is dimethicone(silicone), the second is isododecane which is an emollient, and also contains quite a bit of sodium hyaluronate, or hyaluronic acid (HA) which is an AMAZING humectant. It also contains skin brighteners as well as Vitamin C and Vitamin A. Because of the dimethicone based product it can smooth out the under eye as a dimethicone primer can for the skin, it also makes an excellent primer for under the eye, provided you like those primers (I LOVE!). The consistency is in between a dimethicone based primer (think SMASHBOX) and a gel. I have dry skin, I'm extremely dry under my eyes and I rarely wear an additional eye cream during the day. Do wear sunscreen as this does not have an SPF. Now that I've said what I have to say for dry skin, I have a few friends that have oily skin and love this and dimethicone based primers in general, they say that they're great for oily skin. Worth a try!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -MAC - So Sweet, So Easy
starbuck65 3/14/2011 5:31:00 PM
First let me say the new CremeBlend vs the old BlushCreme...so much better. It's not think and pasty! As others have mentioned, So Sweet, So Easy is nearly identical to Pink Swoon so if you love Pink Swoon and you love the fabulous new formula of the cream blushes, you're gonna love this! It is really a beautiful light, cotton candy pink... it's buildable to a point but it can sheer out well if you're extremely fair, some of the in between shades may not wear this well, as in it won't show up well, but I'm thinking that it would on some darker skin tones? It's fantastic.
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Blush -MAC - Wonder Woman blush in Mighty Aphrodite
starbuck65 3/14/2011 5:08:00 PM
I swore I wasn't going to buy anything from WW, I bought plenty. No need to go in to the packaging as we all know what it looks like but on the upside it does have a mirror, strangely the MSF's do not. I've read and heard alot of people claiming that this is similar to NARS Orgasm. I have both, I doubted it...but they're right! In the pan Orgasm looks darker than MA however swatching only the lighter side of MA, MA is slightly lighter and a tiny bit more pink, in a side by side ccomparison Orgasm looks straight up peach, MA looks peachy pink. After swirling both sides of MA together, very close to Orgasm but still ever so slightly to the pink side but still that peachy pink even after mixing the two. Personally, of the two, I prefer MA over Orgasm. And although the lighter side is a frost it's not overly so as in it's not like applying an MSF to your cheeks and there's no glitter, much softer of a finish than Orgasm which is chunky? Can a blush be chunky? I don't know...It's not a smooth blush.. As far as colour comparison..they were just swatches on the inside of my arm, so how they translates on the face, I'll check it out tomorrow. I will say that MA swatches chalky but does not apply chalky and for whatever reason the darker side of MA, if you can get a swatch on your finger it's difficult to then swatch that on your arm/hand but it's no problem with a brush, works just fine. It is a beautiful blush, I bought 2.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Pressed Powders -MAC - Studio Careblend
starbuck65 3/12/2011 4:08:00 PM
Ok...I'm 45, dry skin. I always set my foundation with powder no matter what. I have found a few that I really like. One is MAC's Prep and Prime Transparent Finishing Powder, love it! Will always love it! I also like MAC's MSF Natural however, I cannot wear mineral makeup in warmer weather, it makes me itch, I break out in hives, my skin burns...so I only used it in the winter. CareBlend... It's amazing, I've never used anything like it. As far as wearing a powder that doesn't look powder-y, P+P doesn't but it's different...the only other I've used that I could compare it with is Chanel and this is hands down so much better. It doesn't have the opacity/coverage that MSF Natural has but it's not sheer either. It has about the opacity of Chanel and you can see that powder ever so slightly on the skin. CareBlend does NOT look like powder, it's the neatest thing I've ever seen. It's soft, that's all I can think to say, even in my horrifyingly over-magnified mirror...nothing. In broad daylight, which is when I feel powder is most noticable, nothing . Maybe not nothing, it's better than ever! But it's definitely there, it sets my liquid foundation perfectly. I promise you I look years younger! I must have been so used to the look of powder. I never realized how aging a powder that even I thought was great looked until I used this. How is it on younger skin? Oily skin? I don't know. Try it anyway. It's MAC, you can get your money back, hassle-free if it doesn't work for you. I've heard it described as creamy. Maybe, but I wouldn't call it moisturising, it's a powder but I'm positive it wasn't created to absorb oil so if that's what you're looking for try Blot powder. It's like a soft focus look, definitely not drying, not even slightly and you can pack this on 'til the cows come home. It's neither luminous nor mattifying, it's truly age -defying. I've used loads of powders that claim to soften a look or great for dry skin, soft focus....blah, blah, blah....Maybe you have to be of a certain age or certain skin-type to appreciate how amazing this really can be. That's not say younger guys and gals won't love this. Finally! If ever there was an appropriate time to use foul language on MUA, this would be that time...and that chosen word would be followed by the word BRILLIANT!!!! Thank you, MAC! You will surely be remembered in heaven for this. You should have made this years ago....I forgive you.
27 out of 27 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Chanel - Precision Purite Ideale T-Mat Shine Control
starbuck65 2/19/2011 2:40:00 PM
If you have very oily skin I can't imagine that this would be a favorite. If, on the other hand, you have mature skin that tends to be more combination/dry with a bit of shine in the T-zone that you'd like to control, this may be a great product for you. I'm 45, although I don't mind using blotting linens (love Shiseido's), I don't love blot powder and have to use the blotting linen first anyway otherwise it cakes up around my nose. Plus, adding more powder doesn't always look that great particularly on 45 year old skin.This works really well on my skin. The consistency is thin, unlike most marrifying products which I see are more suitable for very oily and/or younger skin, it's not pasty or thick so it doesn't gunk up around my nose, this isn't overly mattifying either as in drying. So I neither dry out nor cake up from this product. Nothing is going to stop anyone from producing oil anyway, it's not a titatium shield. What it does is mattify without drying, it does allow me to go a few additional hours without blotting. It's the best I've found out there so far for my skin type and I think I've tried just about everything... and I will repurchase.
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