Lipstick -MAC - Lipstick in Creme de la Femme
CoonieR 9/5/2010 10:38:00 AM
I've been on the hunt for a frosty (but not *too* frosty) pink l/s for ages, and when I finally tried Creme de la Femme, I was thrilled. I'd tried l/s from several other brands (BB, Lancome, Clinique, Trish McEvoy), and I couldn't believed that I had never noticed this color at the MAC counter. This is a pure baby pink on me (I'm NW20/blonde/blue for reference) with a slight hint of gold sheen. Applied with a light hand it's pretty sheer, but can be built up with multiple layers or a heavier hand. It's gorgeous. It has that classic MAC "vanilla" scent that isn't overpowering. What amazed me is this lipstick's lasting power. I put it on in the morning and was amazed to still see/feel it on at lunchtime (4-5 hours later). Usually lipsticks wear off on me after about an hour. This is pretty close to HG for me. I'll keep looking, just because I enjoy the thrill of the hunt for the perfect pink l/s, but this is definitely a keeper.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Cover Girl - Lash Blast Fusion
CoonieR 7/10/2010 8:20:00 AM
Wow--what a polarizing product! From the reviews, you either love this or hate it. That said, I'm probably one of the few folks who thinks that this is mediocre. It's not terrible, but it's not great either. I was looking for something to replace my beloved Max Factor 2000 Calorie mascara and since I know that CG and MF are both owned by Proctor & Gamble, I figured I'd give this a shot. After all, it's quite likely that they use the same formulations for both brands. After trying Lash Blast Fusion, I'm pretty sure that it's a different formula. While I didn't see a huge change to my lashes (they were still thin), this did go on without any clumps or flakes and dried quickly. I did see a difference, albeit not a huge one. It seems to last for a while--I'd say about 8-10 hours, which isn't bad. It is tough to get off, though, as another reviewer said. It definitely put my Clinique Take the Day Off to the test. Overall, this got the job done, but there are better mascaras out there.
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Bronzers -Bobbi Brown - Illuminating Bronzing Powder in MAUI
CoonieR 6/26/2010 9:20:00 AM
Like the others who've reviewed this, I use Maui as a blush rather than a bronzer. I'm NW20 w/cool undertones and blue eyes. Maui gives me a healthy-looking flush and a polished look. I apply with a light hand and the BB face blender brush and this doesn't look OTT or obvious on. It's a peachy-pink neutral with a hint of bronze. There's some shimmer to it, but it's not super shimmery like NARS Orgasm or many of the MAC Mineralize products. The shimmer in Maui is very subtle. It's well-pigmented, so a little goes a long way. The packaging, while it's nothing to get excited about, it's not bad either... just a plain old black & white BB compact. Overall I'm happy with this purchase. I'd debated for about a month before taking the plunge and buying this, but I'm glad that I did.
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Eye Shadow -Bobbi Brown - Metallic Long-Wear Cream Shadow in Pink Oyster
CoonieR 6/15/2010 8:04:00 PM
Before you read this review, I should probably tell you the following: 1. I love shimmer and BB metallic e/s in general (even though they don't get a lot of love on here). 2. Pink eyeshadow looks horrible on my NW20 skin and tends to make me look sick. That said, I love this. It's a warmer-toned pink, but sheer enough that I can wear it without looking like I have the flu. It's sort of a fleshy sheer color with pretty warm pink shimmer--think Bermuda sand. It really does scream "Summer at the beach" to me. Over UDPP (or LORAC's Behind the Scenes primer) this has good staying power; I can wear it all day without creasing. It's not too OTT that I can't wear it to work. My favorite way to wear this is dabbed on with my finger over Cement cream shadow with a little mascara.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -NARS - All About Eve Duo
CoonieR 6/12/2010 9:14:00 AM
I agree with SteffeJ... this is definitely not an e/s that you wear to get noticed. Or an e/s that you wear when you want your eye makeup to get noticed. I'm an NW15/NW20 and on me, this is practically invisible. It's a nude-champagne duo in two finishes: super-shimmery and almost-super-shimmery. This is great for an almost-no-makeup look. It makes my eyes look brighter and more awake without being obvious. As I mentioned, it's quite shimmery, but not in a glittery or OTT way. I like pairing this with a bright e/l or by itself. Love the soft buttery texture too. What I'm not crazy about is the price. I don't mind paying for good quality e/s, but for that kind of price ($32), IMO it should be a little more special. If you're pale and looking for an almost spot-on nude shadow with lots of shimmer, AAE is probably what you're looking for. If you're looking for e/s that others will notice, pass on this one.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Bath and Body Works - Summer Vanillas: Lemon: Antibacterial hand soap
CoonieR 5/27/2010 7:47:00 PM
Yuck. This didn't smell like lemon or vanilla to me. It smelled kind of artificial and musky--maybe I got a bad batch. My husband complained about the pump and how it tends to stick. The only reasons I didn't give this one star: it was cheap (thanks to one of B&BW's constant sales) and my hands seemed clean after using this.
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Eye Primer -LORAC - Behind the Scenes Eye Primer
CoonieR 5/10/2010 9:12:00 PM
Goodbye Urban Decay Primer Potion (UDPP)! After years of using UDPP I finally got tired of the horrible packaging and wasted product, so I decided to try LORAC's primer instead. I was very pleasantly surprised by how well Behind the Scenes (BtS) worked! When I use BtS, my shadow goes on smoothly, lasts all day long and doesn't crease. It goes on as a sheer nude (undetectable on my NW20 super oily lids). I've worn it under both cream and powder shadows and it works well with both. The packaging is awesome.... it's just a plain old black squeeze tube with a slant tip, which is fabulous compared to the tacky, product-wasting UDPP bottle and wand. Love this!It's a must-have for others out there who love UDPP's formula but hate UDPP packaging.
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Lip Gloss -Bobbi Brown - Brightening Lip Gloss- Pink
CoonieR 1/29/2010 5:40:00 PM
Meh. This wasn't a bad gloss per se, but it wasn't special enough to stand out among the hundreds of pink glosses out there and doesn't seem to be worth the price. The color is a very sheer, slightly shimmery pink on my somewhat-pigmented NW20 lips. I didn't notice any brightening effects or bigger lips; I just saw slightly pinker, glossy lips. The texture is ok--it's sticky, but lasts a long time for a gloss (2+ hours on me). It doesn't really have a smell or taste, which may be a positive for some folks. It doesn't seem terribly hydrating, but doesn't dry out my lips either. Overall, this is an average pink gloss and IMO not worth $20 when there are SO many alternatives out there for less.
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Eyeliner -Urban Decay - Underground 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil
CoonieR 1/29/2010 5:28:00 PM
Very nice! This was my first 27/7 pencil because I'm usually a gel-or-no-eyeliner kind of gal, and I have to say that I'm impressed. I was drawn to this because of the color and the waterproof claims. The color itself reminds me a lot of MAC's Satin Taupe e/s. It's just that--a good, basic, neutral taupe that really makes my blue eyes pop. I like it for a semi-natural look with a champagne or beige shadow, but I could see it working with most neutrals. The formula itself is nice too. It goes on creamy and blendable but dries in a few minutes and stays put for hours. I haven't tested the waterproof-ness of it yet, so I can't determine whether or not this is HG, but even if it's not truly waterproof, the color makes it worth rebuying if/when I use this up. I haven't sharpened it yet, but I could see how some folks may think it's hard to sharpen--it is on the soft side. I'll stick it in the freezer for a few minutes before sharpening it to see if that helps. I'd definitely buy this again; I can see this getting a lot of use.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Make Up For Ever - HD Microperfecting Primer in 1 Green
CoonieR 1/1/2010 4:48:00 PM
I'd tried and liked the original HD (untinted) version of this primer, so I thought I'd give this a shot. I'm PPP (NW20) w/pinkish undertones and occasional ruddiness. The Sephora SA had agreed that it would work with my skin tone, but since I only test on my hand rather than my face in the store, I didn't get to do a full test run. This was a color correction FAIL. It did give my skin a greenish cast instead of neutralizing the redness, which showed through once I put on my foundation (MUFE HD). I'm not sure if it's just too dark for my complexion or if it's just *too* green, but there was no mistaking the green sickly look. I guess all was not lost, though: it did serve as a decent primer, which is why I gave it 3 lippies. My m/u does go on more smoothly and seems to last longer when I wear MUFE HD primers. I like that it doesn't break me out or make my face shiny (I have oily hormonal skin that can be temperamental). I ended up returning this and buying the HD Primer in Blue, which seems to work a lot better with my skintone.
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Makeup Brushes -Sephora - Professionnel Platinum Air Brush #55
CoonieR 1/1/2010 9:59:00 AM
Thank you MUA for introducing me to this brush! I'd been using my MAC foundation brush (190) and the MAC 187 skunk brush, but just didn't get the "no makeup" look I wanted, even though MUFE HD 117 is pretty darn close to my skin tone. Then, thanks to a Sephora coupon and some MUA research, I decided to give the HD Airbrush #55 a try, and was very pleased with it. It's super soft and applies makeup evenly without me feeling like I'm wasting a lot of product (as I do when it builds up on the 190). I love how it gives me a flawless look when used with MUFE HD and I haven't noticed any shedding when I wash it. I hadn't even considered Sephora brushes before, but this was a good discovery. Thank you MUA!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Bobbi Brown - Metallic Long-Wear Cream Shadow in Black Pearl
CoonieR 1/1/2010 8:48:00 AM
I know that the BB Metallic Cream Shadows haven't received a lot of love on MUA, but now that I've figured out how I prefer wearing them, they're getting a lot of use. First and foremost, these are not highly pigmented on their own, but look fabulous under or over other shadows. BP is not black, as the name would imply, but sheer with beautiful neutral and violet/purple shimmer. This is one that I would wear on its own, if I just want a simple slightly-made-up look, but this would also work over other cream shadows (I wore it over Cement w/Violet liner, for example, on Christmas for a polished and festive look). Even without UDPP and on my oily eyelids it resists creasing and I find that it lasts almost 8-10 hours w/o creasing--a complete surprise from a cream shadow. Overall, I'm impressed after being underwhelmed by other shadows in this line. It's worth a second look, IMO, when they're used to highlight other colors or add a little sparkle. At $22, though, this is more of a splurge than a must-have, but I have to say that I'm loving Black Pearl.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Bobbi Brown - Gel Eyeliner Ivy Shimmer
CoonieR 6/6/2009 4:47:00 PM
This is gorgeous! I've recently discovered how much I love BB gel eyeliners and wear them almost daily these days. Ivy is a nice alternative to black or brown. I'm NW20 (definitely on the cool side) with blonde hair and blue eyes. Usually I'm not into greens, but this is a pretty cool green that could look black on some skins, but shows up as green on me. It's shimmery without being TOO shimmery or not shimmery enough--just one coat of it is enough to add a little shimmer. It looks great with champagne or beige shades or brown. I wore it with Galaxy (a taupe) cream shadow last night which made a surprisingly good combination. Its lasting power is on par with other BB liners--it lasts as long as I do. I could apply this at 5 am and it will still be going strong at 10 pm. It's easily removed though, with a little makeup remover. I'd highly recommend BB gel liners--this is yet another pretty one that I'd gladly repurchase if I ever finish this jar.
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Makeup Brushes -Kevyn Aucoin - Small Eye shadow/Eyebrow Brush
CoonieR 5/27/2009 5:44:00 PM
Kevyn Aucoin brushes are definitely my HG... for e/s brushes at least. This brush is probably a little big for eyebrow use, but I love it for applying color in my crease. It's soft without being *too* soft or stiff. I use this, along with my KA Medium e/s brush, every day. The quality is excellent. Even after multiple washes and abuse (I'm rough on my brushes) it hasn't ever shed and maintains its great texture. The downside is that it's pricey. I'd definitely repurchase this and am considering buying another one so I can wash it less frequently (yes, I'm lazy like that!).
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Eye Shadow -Bobbi Brown - Shimmer Wash Eyeshadow - Fawn
CoonieR 5/2/2009 1:18:00 PM
Although I wasn't wowed by Fawn at first (I own more than a few taupe shadows), it's grown on me and is now one of my favorites. Bobbi Brown shadows are usually good quality and decently pigmented and this is no exception. The color is a cool-toned taupe with slight (and I mean slight) purple undertones, as others have described. It really brings out the blue in my eyes (I'm NW20 for reference) and is neutral enough to go with a variety of colors. Sometimes I'll wear it on the lid with Bone as a highlighter, but my favorite way to wear it is in the crease with Golden Peach on the lid. It's understated and sophisticated but not invisible. The quality is good too. I wear this over UDPP or TF Shadow Insurance and it lasts all day. What I really love about it is its blendability--when I first apply it, it can look harsh (I guess I have a habit of overapplying) but when I blend it, it looks soft and neutral. Love this! It looks like another taupe, but it's worth having, especially for BB fans with blue eyes.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No