Crème -Revlon - ColorStay Whipped Creme Makeup
xtinahb 10/2/2012 2:29:00 PM
Major staying power and shine control, but not very comfortable or natural. I am a light-tan Asian NC30/C4 gal with combination – dry skin and purchased in Warm Golden (closest match) and Natural Tan (for a hint of tan). I applied on well moisturized skin with a MAC 190 to dab on and a damp Beautyblender for blending. This formula dries QUICK so work in small areas and fast! Once I did, I had a matte, flawless and slightly dry complexion. My skin felt parched, but it paid off after 6 hours at dinner and a concert with ZERO shine or fading anywhere. The feeling on my skin is uncomfortable so it is not a daily formula or HG for me, but a great option for all night any humidity makeup and when I don’t mind that parched feeling. EDIT - 05/08/13 updating this to a 5 star product after learning how to apply using fingertips rather than tools. The skin really warms to it and it smooths on so much nicer, lasts all day! It is now HG status, whodathunkit? That's what I get for premature reviews!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Aesop - Fabulous Face Oil
xtinahb 9/17/2012 11:20:00 AM
I was looking for a moisture boost to use in the winter and received 3 days worth of samples (I used for night and day). I happen to love the fragrance and the texture is rich and moisturizing, rather than greasy. Patted onto my washed face then applied my normal moisturizer on top and indeed my skin felt soft and supple and more hydrated. The downside are the small whiteheads that appeared 3 days later around my mouth and cheek area. I'm disappointed since it did effectively hydrate, but no product is worth breakouts to me, even small ones. Will not purchase.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Make Up For Ever - Eyeshadow Brush - 17S
xtinahb 9/17/2012 9:15:00 AM
A MUST for all monolid / hooded eye MUAers out there. This is a slim, soft tapered eyeshadow brush that does creasework like a dream for people with small lids. Think the 224, but slimmer and very slightly stiffer and also made from squirrel, which means super soft bristles. It creates eye depth in seconds and I also use it for contouring around my nose. It's slim shape means blending stays where I want to stay and doesn't blend pigment outside of my lid area, which happens with bigger brushes. I love this brush!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -MAC - 224 Tapered Blending (Windshield Wiper) Brush
xtinahb 9/17/2012 9:03:00 AM
A 5 for face product blending, a 3 for eye makeup blending. I have monolid creaseless Asian eyes and prefer smaller brushes like the 239 or the MUFE 17S on my lids. The 224 was too soft and splayed too much, overblending shadows beyond where I wanted, since my lidspace is so limited, lol! But for concealer blending, this is a GREAT brush. Soft enough to use anywhere on your face (no scratchiness here) and blends base products smoothly and invisibly. A good brush for my collection overall.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Lustre in Hug Me
xtinahb 9/17/2012 8:43:00 AM
A slightly cool nude pink on my light tan Asian C4/NC30 skin (I lean neutral). Very nice texture, smooth and moisturizing, with a subtle shimmer finish. With natural makeup, it can look a little too nude on my pigmented lips and wash me out, so I often put Bonne Bell Dr Pepper on top for a bit more color. At night, though, this is a perfect nude lippie for smokey eyes; it adds just enough pigment and shimmer to my lips.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -NARS - Concealer Stick
xtinahb 8/16/2012 11:00:00 AM
Purchased in Custard for my NC30/C4/Barcelona (SG) light tan Asian complexion. It has a unique texture: dry to the touch, but creamy when you pat it on. It starts a little chalky, but then my skin soaks it in and looks dewy and natural in a couple hours. Nars foundations and concealers are the only skin bases that look better the longer I wear them throughout the day. The Concealer stick is great for redness, uneven areas, and blemishes. Not great under my eyes since it's a bit drier than I want in that area, but will use in a pinch. The Custard color is spot on for me when I wear with SG in Barcelona or the Nars TM in St. Moritz.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Lustre in See Sheer
xtinahb 7/26/2012 2:21:00 PM
A really smooth, moisturizing semi-opaque natural peach with a hint of pink on my pigmented NC30 Asian lips. It's a really great Summer color and a good formula too, since it wears evenly with no gunky lip residue as it fades. It's a noticeable color, but still work-friendly and also first-date pretty. Just a nice, pinky peach color. Compliments Orgasm blush perfectly, FYI ;-)
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Pressed Powders -Unlisted Brand - Kett Sett Powder - compact
xtinahb 7/25/2012 10:28:00 AM
A truly matte, invisible, unchalky and silky soft finishing powder compact. I carry this with me always. Ideally I use a powder brush and press on my T-zone but if my purse is small, a flat powder puff gently rolled does the trick. Instantly mattifies without deadening the skin, feels soft and natural (not drying at all) and there is zero white coloring on my medium tan Asian NC30 skin. This is far better for my skin and combo complexion than MUFE HD powder. It also shoots beautifully and is going into my wedding day clutch. Love it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -NARS - Key Largo Duo
xtinahb 7/23/2012 3:03:00 PM
My first ever HG eye shadow. Not a big fan of shadows since I have creaseless monolids so I'm all about lashes! This bronze shimmer and matte pale peach duo changed me. The matte peach is a perfect base on my slightly pigmented NC30 Asian lids and the bronze is impossible to mess up. For day I sweep the bronze across my entire lid for a light wash of flattering warmth using a MAC 214 or 224 and finish with the peach again on my browbone or to blend out. Top with a black pencil on waterline and voila, it's an evening look. I love this duo.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -NARS - Gilda
xtinahb 7/23/2012 2:56:00 PM
Gilda is a pigmented deep coral with no shimmer. It’s more red than Orgasm, is stronger, and photographs well. It truly looks like I am blushing with this color and adds a lot of heat to my cheeks. Great color when I have a tan. I find it easy to overapply on my NC30 Asian complexion and this formula is slightly drier than other Nars blushes and can be a little patchy, so I use a lighthand and only my Nars Yachiyo brush for the most diffused color. The wear is fantastic; at least 6 hours with no fading during a NYC heat wave which is a solid performance on my combo skin.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -NARS - Casablanca
xtinahb 7/23/2012 2:50:00 PM
A deep peach lipstick with rust and orange undertones on my pigmented NC30 Asian lips. By itself, it is just as another user perfectly described: a terra cotta burnt orange. Not my color on its own, but it is a great peach base to layer other colors since has enough pigment to blot out my lips natural color. I like to layer Nars' Bolero velvet matte lip pencil on top for a perfect peachy pink color. Formula is a bit drying, but it wears very evenly, which is a plus.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Milani - Baked Blush - Coralina
xtinahb 7/13/2012 11:55:00 PM
Sadly, I found this blush gritty with obvious, large glitter fragments. I really love my Milani Luminoso, but this shade had inconsistent pigmentation, the powder seemed drier, and the glitter was much more obvious than in other Milani Baked Blushes. The color itself was a bright pink on my NC30 light asian skin (use a light hand due to the uneven pigmentation!) and when blended (and blended and blended), looks bright and healthy, but the texture was disappointing and I have not used it since my first two attempts.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -L'Oreal - Youth Code Day Lotion Spf 30
xtinahb 7/13/2012 11:49:00 PM
Received as a generous sample with a Bluefly.com order and while it was random, it was a pleasant surprise! It applies smoothly and dries to a supple moisturized finish. It was an AMAZING base for my foundation and acted as a moisturizer, sunscreen, and primer (I used Nars HG and MUFE F&B over several different days). It really elongated the wear of my foundation and I experienced no shine until 8 hours later on my combination Asian skin in humid NYC weather. The one star is off is due to two small whiteheads that appeared on my chin, but I am not sure if the moisturizer is to blame or the humidity? I am waiting to reuse this when the weather cools down but was very happy with it overall. Felt luxurious and moisturizing.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -MAC - #217 Blending
xtinahb 7/13/2012 11:41:00 PM
One of my HG multi-use brushes. For my creaseless Asian eyes, this brush is stiff enough to pick up color but soft enough to blend all over the lid. For my complexion, I use it to blend concealers over blemishes and redness and dark circles. It has a great head size that is small enough for my monolids, but big enough to cover pigmentation around my chin and nose or anywhere on my face, really. It is such versatile all-rounder brush and essential for me. I own two and need more. One star off only for high-ish price and very slight scratchyness.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -MAC - #190 Foundation Brush
xtinahb 7/2/2012 11:40:00 AM
Great foundation brush for liquid and waterbased formulas. When using 2 pea sized blobs of foundation and this brush, I get a great, everyday medium coverage. I dip the brush in the blobs and literally paint my face in smooth, fast short strokes, starting around my nose and brushing outwards towards ears and below jawline. I pat with the brush or a damp sponge all over my face afterwards since the brush will leave slight streaks. Other than that, it's fuss free and easy.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No