Blush -NARS - Orgasm Blush
ManhattanMermaid 4/15/2010 3:17:00 AM
I just don't give this blush enough love. It is beautiful and universally flattering IMO. It gives me a fresh healthy look. But, honestly, I don't wear it that much because I'm always trying new things. I'm only giving it a 3 because while it is great, it is not spectauclar. It's expensive and the packaging gets dirty looking fast because of the rubbery quality of it. I swapped mine out, then regretted it and swapped for 2 MORE! I ended up swaping a second one out and keeping one for myself, so I guess you can say that I have repurchased in a way. If I ever run out of this, I don't think I'll buy a new one though, I'll just swap for one here. NC25-30
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Primer -Urban Decay - Eyeshadow Primer Potion - Original (UDPP)
ManhattanMermaid 4/15/2010 3:10:00 AM
A must have for any eyeshadow enthusiast. It makes my eyeshadow stay on my oily lids all day without creasing. This is simply a staple in my makeup kit and I have and will continue to repurchase. The packaging is beautiful, it is what sold me on the product in the 1st place before I even knew it was a cult favorite among the makeup community. But as many of us now know, the packaging is lacking. I thought mine was completely gone until I was reading the makeup board and people were talking about depotting it. So I cut mine in half and sure enough, there was a TON left! I say they redesign the package but keep it cute. It reminds me of the Disney movie Alladdin, lol!
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Fragrances -MAC - Hue-Turquatic ]
ManhattanMermaid 3/25/2010 5:48:00 PM
I'm in love with this fragrance! To me it almost smells masculine, and it makes me feel strong when I wear it. It's different than anything I own. I'm in love with anything that reminds me of the water and the sea, so this is perfect for me. The color of the bottle is gorgeous. It's kind of small but the price isn't bad at $26 a bottle. I've been wearing it everyday since I bought it. It lasts quite a while on the skin too. It goes on strong but after awhile, it turns into a scent someone has to get close to you to smell. I will definatley repurchase.
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Mascara -L'Oreal - Voluminous in Carbon Black
ManhattanMermaid 2/24/2010 3:37:00 AM
This mascara is very wet, clumpy (as in spidery) and it makes a huge mess around my eyes every time I use it! I always have to clean the mascara up and it ruins all the hard work I put into my eyeshadow. It does make the lashes very black and with a couple of layers makes my lashes very full, long and dramatic looking. For me, this mascara needs to be worked with, cleaned up and combed through before looking it's best. Because of the low price, it's not such a bad thing as say Make Up For Ever's Smoky Lash but still, there ARE mascaras out there that work way better at a compareable price (such as NYX Doll Eyes, my HG). It feels heavy on my lashes and it seems to flake and smear off throughout the day as well. I won't be repurchasing.
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Mascara -Make Up For Ever - Smoky Lash Extra Black Mascara
ManhattanMermaid 2/24/2010 3:26:00 AM
This simply does not hold a candle to my NYX Doll Eyes Lengthening! It almost gives me the dramatic effect I'm looking for only when I work with it and layer it and then I have to comb through my lashes so they aren't pointed in weird directions and clumped together... And I have to comb through them ONLY when the mascara's still wet, because if not, it's hard to run the comb through and the mascara starts flaking off of some lashes making the application look uneven. It does lift my lashes up and away from my eyes, so that is a good thing. I just think with the price of this mascara, the application should be effortless
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Mascara -NYX - NYX Doll Eye Mascara- Long Lash
ManhattanMermaid 2/24/2010 3:13:00 AM
This is my ultimate HG mascara EVER! It makes my lashes very long and really lifts them up and away from my eye. I don't want any other mascara after using this. I post a lot of fotd's on my profile and I always get questions as to what mascara I use, and this is it. I have tries CG Lash Blast, MUFE Smokey Lash, L'Oreal Voluminous and NOTHING holds a candle to this. I will definatley repurchase!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -Maybelline - Expert Eyes Twin Brow & Eye Pencils
ManhattanMermaid 2/16/2010 10:43:00 PM
I use this in CHARCOAL GREY, it is and has been HG for me for at least 10 years. It's the only thing that works for my oily skin (the dryer consistency & waterproofness makes it last and last) and the color match is so natural and perfect for my sparse charcoal brows! No red, yellow or orange undertones. I am so DISGUSTED with Maybelline for DCing this! The only other thing that ever worked for me is Cliniques Charcoaled Brow Powder but it doesn't last as long or look quite as good... I don't know if I'll ever find a dupe. If anybody knows of one, please PM me. EDITED 2-26-10 I found a great dupe ladies!!! It's MAC Impeccable Brow Pencil in Taupe. Very close in color and feel. It's permanent too! =)
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Lip Liners -Bonne Bell - Lip Definer - Chutney
ManhattanMermaid 2/16/2010 10:36:00 PM
This was HG for me. A nice fleshy pinky nude color for my lightly pigmented lips. I loved the fact that it was dryer b/c it stayed on my oily skin much longer than a creamier formula. Sucks that this is Dc'd.
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Makeup Brushes -Sigma - Essential Kit - Make Me Blush
ManhattanMermaid 1/28/2010 11:20:00 PM
This is a great deal for all these brushes! They DO compare with MAC brushes but AREN'T as good as or as high of quality as MAC. I've had my brushes for about 2 months now and I've noticed the ferrules are getting loose and making clicking noises when I apply my mu. I am very careful not to get water on the ferrules when I'm cleaning them, so that can't be to blame. But this can be fixed with a hot glue gun once the ferrule becomes completely loose. The SS217 is the best brush they have IMO. I can't wait for the SS217 to be sold seperatley! The hairs on my SS224 break of at the ends (like split ends on human hair) whenever I gently clean it. =/ The white hairs on the SS187 & SS188 are slicker and firmer than the MAC ones and leave little squiggly lines of foundation on my face... These are best used for highly pigmented blushes only. All in all they are ok brushes and I think they're great for budding makeup artists that can't afford MAC brushes but need something to use on their clients.
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Highlighters -MAC - by candlelight
ManhattanMermaid 1/20/2010 11:06:00 PM
Gorgeous! Love, love love it! I use it to give my face an all over glow, or as a highlighter on the tops of my cheekbones. Lovely and glowy. Yes, it does compare to Glissade but Glissade is peachier with plum veining. Would buy again if I ever ran out & if it was available.
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Polishes -OPI - Italian Love Affair
ManhattanMermaid 1/8/2010 12:16:00 AM
Streaky, no matter WHAT I do! Even after 3 layers I can still see my nail shining through in areas (especially on the horizontal ridges on my nails)! Pretty color though. A super pale pearly pink. If you don't mind applying 4 coats to avoid streaks, you may like this. I have to note, it DOES help make the streaks not get worse if you let it thoroughly dry in between coats (because if it's too wet, it'll streak even more), but you will still have to apply at least 3-4 maybe 5 coats to cover the streaks. Ugh.
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Foundations -Revlon - ColorStay Makeup with SoftFlex SPF 6 for Combination/Oily Skin
ManhattanMermaid 1/7/2010 10:20:00 PM
This is some great stuff! I have super oily skin, and this stuff stays on ALL day, it doesn't slide off or move around like other foundations do. I'd say the coverage in medium and buildable. It is a bit hard to blend but I have a trick for that; put it on as you normally would, then after it dries spray some of MAC's Fix Plus onto your 188 (or any duo fibre stippling brush) and buff. Voila! I wish this had a pump though (for sanitary reasons) and an SPF of at least 15 (for health and ageing reasons) but all in all, I'd say this is some of the best foundation out there for oily skin. I speak from experience because I have used SOO many foundations from high end to drug store, and this takes the cake as far as function and value.
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Lipstick -MAC - Warm Me Up
ManhattanMermaid 1/5/2010 10:04:00 AM
I'm in love! This color is a warmish peachy/pink nude on me that leans more towards the peach side on my NC25-30 skintone & lightly pigmented lips. It's ultra creamy and pigmented, and lasts quite a while on my lips. For some reason, it tends to make my lips look fuller, which I love. This is definatley HG status for me. I would repurchase again if it wasn't LE. For referance, I wear MUFE HD foundation in 120.
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Eyeliner -L'Oreal - Lineur Intense
ManhattanMermaid 12/26/2009 1:59:00 AM
Pros: ~Very Black ~Relatively Inexpensive ~No brush to clean (as with creme or gel pot form liners) Cons: ~The color skips over my skin causing uneven application (it's a pain in the butt to apply) ~Sometimes when trying to even the color out (from the skipping), some of the liner seems to rub off. ~It tends to flake off after a while ~You have to be VERY precise with this because if it's not perfect, you WILL see it! ~If you messed up and try to remove a little so you can correct it, it smears everywhere, causing a big mess. And it's not easy to clean up the smearing neatly. It's a great eyeliner to play around with but if you want something heavy duty that lasts, I'd go for MAC Fluideline or Wet n' Wild creme eyeliner instead. Unsure if I will buy this again.
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Fragrances -Michael Kors - Very Hollywood
ManhattanMermaid 12/22/2009 6:07:00 PM
Smells clean like I just got out of the shower. Not a soap smell but like a creamy lathery shampoo. I have always had a love affair with Gardenia. Gardenia reminds me of a scent a lady from the 1920's would wear for some reason, hence I like perfumes that smell old ladyish. I'm not saying this perrfume smells old ladyish though. To me it smells fresh, light and happy. Reminds me of a sparkling spring/summer day when the sun is fully out but it's not hot out, the sky is bright blue with a sprinkling of white puffy clouds, of going shopping at outdoor strip malls & cute boutiques. The bottle is so pretty. I love the soft pink liquid and the round indentations in the glass remind me of camera flash bulbs. The cap however is cheap (there's bubbles in the paint on mine), I would expect higher quality from Michael Kors. The pink on the cap is the prettiest color pink I have ever seen though. All in all, I love this fragrance and will repurchase. I give it 4 1/2 lippies only because of the bubbles in my cap.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No