Eye Shadow -Sally Hansen - S Natural Beauty Inspired by Carmindy 
RitaPerfect 3/30/2010 4:31:00 AM
Lately I've been really loving eyeshadow trios and quads because I like having color-coordinated colors right in the palm of my hand for me to play around with. I used to collect eyeshadow singles and it was such a hassle to dig through my makeup drawer for the perfect gray or highlight color during my morning makeup routine. I used to have a hard time with picking the right colors to achieve the perfect smokey eyes, but this Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Eye Palette in "Storm" solved my problem! It is a wonderful little eyeshadow trio with a pale cream shade, a slate gray shade, and a taupe with hints of khaki and gray (sorry, that's the best way I can describe the last shade). All three of them are shimmery without looking overly glittery. These three colors make it nearly impossible to mess up when doing smokey eyes. I love the pale cream shade so much that I use it almost everyday as an overall wash of color. I also reach for the slate gray very often when I'm doing nighttime eyes. It's very pretty as a crease color. These eyeshadow are rather expensive, but definitely worth it!
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Lip Gloss -Hard Candy - Plexi Gloss
RitaPerfect 3/30/2010 4:12:00 AM
I really love this stuff. I have this in "Vixen" and "Dolce Vita." I like to use "Vixen" (which is red) over my rose/dark pink lipsticks to make the color more red and glamorous. This look is definitely more subtle than using a regular red lipstick. By using different shades of lipstick underneath "Vixen", I can customize perfect red lips depending on my mood or outfit for that day! Sometimes I use "Vixen" alone and it gives my lips a shiny and pretty red tint. My other Plexi Gloss, "Dolce Vita", looks like a nude shade, but it shows up clear on my lips. I just apply it over any lipstick to give it some more shine. These glosses are on the thicker side, but I personally don't find them sticky. I also love how they smell like toffee (which was a little weird for me at first because I assumed that based on its color, "Vixen" would smell like cherries or strawberries). These are cheap and available at Walmart!
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Lip Gloss -Milani - Crystal Gloss Summer Baby
RitaPerfect 3/29/2010 4:16:00 AM
This color is just so pretty that I knew there was probably a MAC or some other high-end lookalike for it. And sure enough, I saw that someone posted a picture comparing Milani's "Summer Baby" to MAC "Nymphette" (they do look very similar IMO). It's a gorgeous golden pink with gold shimmer. Everytime I wear this, I feel like I'm wearing a super expensive lip gloss, even though I got this for around $5! I love the compact and portable little tube. It smells really weird (like vanilla gone wrong), but I have to say that it feels great on my lips. It's not too thin/runny, but not too goopy/sticky either. I will definitely buy this again. I'm looking forward to purchasing more of these Crystal Glosses!
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Lip Gloss -Milani - Crystal Gloss for Lips in Whisper
RitaPerfect 3/29/2010 4:07:00 AM
The only reason why I didn't get this sooner was because I thought it would be super pigmented and wipe out the color/shape of my lips completely. Most nude lipglosses and lipsticks don't work on me, so I was extremely relieved to find out that this stuff is actually really sheer! I bought it on a whim during a Milani "buy one get one half off" sale at CVS, and I'm so glad that I did! It is a sheer light pink that looks pretty much clear on my bare lips. But when layered over my super pigmented lipsticks, I find that it really does tone down the bright color and makes it a tad paler with a milky pink tint. The scent annoys me a little bit (it smells like vanilla gone wrong!), but I'm willing to overlook it because I love the texture of this stuff. It's not overly thin and runny, but it's not goopy and sticky either. I would definitely buy this again.
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Lipstick -MAC - Viva Glam Cyndi ] [DISCONTINUED]
RitaPerfect 3/25/2010 7:19:00 PM
This is my very first MAC lipstick and I love it! I've been holding out against buying MAC lipsticks because I couldn't justify spending so much on a lipstick when I can buy 2 or 3 with the same amount of money at the drugstore. Well, sometimes I have to consider the fact that MAC makes the best shades EVER with the nicest packaging! When I first saw a swatch of the MAC Viva Glam Cyndi lipstick online, I just knew that I had to have it! It is the most beautiful corally-red shade and I know for a fact that I cannot find something like this in drugstores (or at least, not yet anyway). The color looks almost edible, like fruit-flavored candy! I love the red and black packaging, and how Cyndi's signature is the tube! I also really love how this lipstick is super buildable, so you can go from natural tinted lips to full-on gorgeous red lips. This stuff doesn't dry out my lips and the wear is pretty good too. I keep getting the urge to pick up another one of these as a back up, which pretty much means that I will be buying again!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Neutrogena - Healthy Skin Custom Glow Blush and Bronzer
RitaPerfect 3/21/2010 4:10:00 PM
This is the blush I reach for every single day! I have this in "Rosy Glow" and the name describes the color perfectly. It makes me cheeks look naturally rosy and imparts a very subtle glow. It give the perfect amount of color (not too sheer, but not way too pigmented either) and the shimmers are so fine that other people won't realize that the pretty glow coming off your cheeks is created by blush! The other side of the pan contains a bronzer that complements the blush. I rarely use this because I'm just not the bronzer type of girl. If I do apply bronzer, I use it for contouring, which is why I usually go for the darker and matte ones. This bronzer, however, is subtly and glowy like the blush. If you're looking for a bronzer that gives you a sun-kissed glow while looking completely natural (color that still lets your skin show through, no obvious glitter, and not chalky at all), this is it. I love the clear and silver packaging, and how it feels weighty in your hands. I hate to admit it, but flimsy packaging makes me automatically equate the product with "cheap and tacky", no matter how well it works. Overall, I highly recommend this blush and bronzer! I keep feeling the urge to pick up more colors, but I know I should try and control myself! NOTE: I was a little unsure whether to put this product under the label "blush" or "bronzer", but since I personally use the blush side more, I chose "blush." I hope nobody minds.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Studio Concealer Brush
RitaPerfect 3/20/2010 1:27:00 AM
I use this brush for eyeshadow. The bristles are firmer and stiffer than most eyeshadow brushes, so it works well with not-so-pigmented eyeshadows that need to be packed on for the color to show up. I also use this brush to blend out cream eyeshadows, something I can't do with fluffier brushes that have softer bristles. I like the shape and size of this brush. However, I decided to give this 4 lippies instead of 5 because I've used this as a concealer brush (which is what it is supposed to be for) and I didn't like the results. But as an eyeshadow brush, I find that it's cheap and it works.
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Eye Shadow -Wet 'n' Wild - Color Icon Trio - All
RitaPerfect 3/20/2010 1:02:00 AM
THESE ARE WONDERFUL EYESHADOW TRIOS! I have two of these, one called "Cool as a Cucumber" and the other called "Walking on Eggshells." These are both great drugstore finds. I personally like "Walking on Eggshells" better because it is more versatile. It contains a cream shade, a golden brown shade, and a champagne shade. All of them are shimmery, but not overly glittery. I follow the labels embossed into the eyeshadows ("browbone, crease, and eyelid") and the effect is very lovely. This is what I had imagined the Maybelline EyeStudio duo in "Bronze Blowout" (which totally let me down) to look like! All of the colors show up very well and I can't even tell that I'm wearing a super cheap drugstore brand! "Walking on Eggshells" is definitely the "daytime neutral eyes" trio. With "Cool as a Cucumber", I find that I like it slightly less. It has a pale green shade, an eggplant shade, and a mossy green shade. I find that the eggplant and the mossy green are NOT as pigmented as I would like, but the pale green is somehow TOO pigmented. It says to use the pale green on the brow bone, but I have never figured out how to do this without looking silly since it shows up so well. Can you imagine using it as a browbone highlighter? I think none of these colors in this particular trio are that shimmery, which is disappointing because they look like they would be such rich and shimmery colors in the pan. I also think that the eggplant shade is a tad difficult to blend. But nevertheless, if you just spend a little more time blending and packing on the color, you can get a good result. I would say that "Cool as a Cucumber" works as the "sultry and daring" trio. From the looks of it, "Steal my Thunder" (white, black, and silver) would work for smokey nighttime eyes, "Knock on Wood" (pink, fig, and maroon) would be for a feminine and sophisticated look, "On Cloud Nine" (light blue, brown, and a darker blue) would be great for fun and bright look, and "Sweet as Candy" (white, taupe, and pink) would be for a sweet and girly look. Overall, I think these are highly recommendable! I love the sleek packaging and the amazingly cheap prices. I usually wait for drugstore makeup to go on a sale before I buy them, but I don't have to do that with Wet n Wild. I can splurge on it without depleting my wallet!
14 out of 15 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Maybelline - EyeStudio Color Pearls Bronze Blowout
RitaPerfect 3/19/2010 4:32:00 AM
With all the hype that the new Maybelline EyeStudio line was getting, I was expecting a spectacular product when I bought the EyeStudio duo in "Bronze Blowout." In the pan, one side looks like a medium brown with a golden sheen, while the other side is a golden-champagne color with bronze veining. I assumed that the darker side would be a highly pigmented contour color, and the lighter side would be great to use all over the lid. However, I was a little disappointed to discover that the medium brown wasn't as richly pigmented as I had hoped. To make matters worse, the lighter color didn't really show up on me! All I got were lots of sparkles and a hint of the pretty gold, champagne, and bronze shades that I see in the pan. I haven't been wearing this because I find that it is rather bland and boring. I can't believe I paid so much for this eyeshadow when I could have bought Wet n Wild for much cheaper. Maybe I will go exchange this and try my luck with a different EyeStudio duo.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Milani - Lip Mixer (all colors)
RitaPerfect 3/15/2010 7:36:00 PM
Anyone who has ever complained that drugstore lipglosses aren't pigmented enough have obviously never tried Milani. I've even made some of my friend who are department store makeup snobs hooked on Milani! I have the Milani Lip Mixer in "703 Lip Stir" and as you probably already know, it contains three layers of colors, with the bottom being the darkest shade, the middle the medium, and the top being the lightest. For "703 Lip Stir," the bottom layer is a warm peachy terracotta, the middle layer is a shimmery peachy bronze, and the top layer is a shimmery peachy champagne. Notice that all three shades are warm and peachy, making it ideal for a summer look. This stuff is super pigmented and has tons of shine. When I coated my lips with this, the effect was so intense that I had to blot of it off with a tissue! Now I just apply one coat and then smack my lips together to even it out. I will definitely try more shades! EDIT: Today I bought another Lip Mixer in "706 Lip Party" and I am IN LOVE with this gloss! It comes out as a pretty pink that contains just enough color and shimmer. I find that it stays on longer than those super thin liquidy glosses.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Liners -Rimmel - Exaggerate - Addiction 018
RitaPerfect 3/15/2010 7:27:00 PM
This is my first lip liner ever and I LOVE it! Sometimes I shy away from nude, MLBB, or other toned-down shades because I find that they can "erase" the shape of my lips and give them a "blurred out" look. But now, I have found the solution with this lip liner! It really gives my lips shape and definition, making them look pouty and pretty. I also use it on a daily basis to line the border of my lips and make them look naturally fuller. I only wish that this stuff lasted longer.
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Lip Gloss -Milani - 3D Glitzy Glamour Gloss
RitaPerfect 3/15/2010 7:22:00 PM
When I first saw these in the Milani display at CVS, I didn't give them a second glance because the colors looked ridiculous. All of them looked bright and overly glittery, so I didn't think any of them would look right on me. But when Milani went on a Buy One Get One Half Off sale, I eyed this 3D Glitzy Glamour Gloss in "Leading Lady", a berry red shade, and decided that if I could just return it if I didn't like it. Well, I ended up liking it a lot! I assumed that it was going to be super pigmented and I would have to reserve it for nighttime looks only, but it turns out that the gloss goes on very fairly sheer. My lips have a naturally enhanced reddish sheen! It does contain shimmer, but don't worry, it's not huge chucks of glitter. The consistency of the gloss is not overly thin and liquidy, so it's fairly moisturizing on my lips and lasts pretty long too. I love the brush applicator and how it doesn't have a strong perfumey scent! Drugstore makeup has really been stepping up its game, so I would definitely check these out if you are looking for non-drying glosses that give your lips shimmer and shine!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Milani - The Perfect Red Lipstick
RitaPerfect 3/15/2010 1:53:00 AM
I saw a promotional display of this at CVS and I grabbed it because the ad said "one lipstick color for all skin tones." I assumed that this would be one of those "color-changing" lip products that look different on everyone simply because it's sheer enough to let the natural color of the lips show through. So when I got home and I swiped it across my lips, I was shocked at how pigmented this stuff is! It goes on like a full-coverage true scarlet red. Even though I tried to tone down the color, my lips ended up looking overly bright each time. I tried swiping it very lightly across the lips, dabbing it on so I could rub my lips together to spread out the color, and even blotting the color with a piece of tissue. But still, the color stayed a creamy vibrant red. Instead of feeling sophisticated and mature (as red lipstick is supposed to make you feel), I felt like a little girl playing with heavy makeup and looking like a clown -- my lips just looked way too overdone! So I wiped it off as best as I could, and gave up trying to make this work for me. A week later I picked it up again because I was feeling bored. This time around, I applied it very lightly, looked in the mirror, didn't like what I saw, and then forgot about it. But after 15 minutes, I caught my reflection in the mirror again and saw that the color had indeed changed! It no longer looked like a scarlet red, but showed up as a berry-red stain. This was MUCH better than my initial impression, so I decided that I’ll give this a chance after all and experiment with it more. If you don’t mind looking like a clown for a few minutes after application, the lipstick shade will “adjust” slightly and tone itself down. I think I would recommend this to others. This stuff is very cheap (I forgot the exact price), so definitely give it a try if you’re looking for a red lipstick that is also a good drugstore bargain. The packaging really caught my eye because it looks so high end. It has a gold-colored casing with three ridges that run around the tube. The little knob at the top (used to pull the lipstick out of the cap) reminds me of the design of the Dior Addict Lipsticks. It also snaps shut with a comforting click, so you know the cap won’t come off in your purse. The only thing I have a problem with is the cheap plastic material of the tube. It feels very lightweight and the gold coloring is painted on top of the plastic, meaning that it’ll only be a matter of time because the paint starts chipping off.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Rimmel - Lasting Finish Blush & Highlighter
RitaPerfect 3/12/2010 9:02:00 PM
This is a relatively new product that Rimmel just launched. I found eight of these Lasting Finish blushes at my local CVS. They were in a promotional display and were not part of the permanent collection on the shelves yet. Four of the blushes contain three stripes of color, while the other four are plain blushes with only one color. I picked up "006 Autumn Catwalk", which has three shades: a stripe of shimmery pale pink, a pale rose shade, and a deeper rose shade. I expected this to come out as a not-so-pigmented plain pink, but it turns out that I was totally wrong! I know the new MAC Blush Ombres that just launched with the Spring Colour Forecast collection are insanely popular because the color of the blush goes from a dark shade, to a medium shade, and then to a light shade. You can choose just one shade, or mix them all together. Ingenius, right? Well, I find that the Rimmel blushes follow the same type of concept, only its a much cheaper find! With "Aumtumn Catwalk", you can swirl your blush brush in all three colors to get beautiful glowy pink cheeks, or you can just dip it in the darkest rose shade for a bright flush. You can even target the palest pink shade as a cheek highlighter. What I love the most about this blush is that all the colors are pigmented, especially the darkest color! I really wasn't expecting that at all! I usually go for deeper berry blushes, so the rosy pink effect of this blush is such a nice change for me. If you are sort of intrigued by the Mac Blush Ombres, but you're willing to check out a drugstore brand, look at these! I only wish that the lid for this blush was sturdier and that the packaging wasn't so light. It feels cheap and easily breakable. NOTE: I think the photos of the Rimmel Lasting Finish Blushes onto the Ulta website are pretty accurate, so go check that out if you want to get an idea of what the different shades look like.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Revlon - Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner in Charcoal
RitaPerfect 3/10/2010 4:24:00 AM
I have finally found the perfect charcoal eyeliner!!! I've been searching for something like this for over a year now. Previously, I've been using Revlon Luxurious Color Eyeliner in "Brushed Pewter", which is lovely pewter gray with shimmer that glides on effortlessly. My only gripe with it is that it tends to smudge throughout the day and then disappear. I tried other charcoal/gray eyeliners, only to be disappointed time and time again by a product that just isn't the right color, doesn't last long enough, or is way too expensive. Then I discovered Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner in "Charcoal." It's available at drugstores and I got it for only $9.99! Mine had a little label that said "new richer color", so I'm guessing that my shade is a little different from the ones described in the older reviews. I'm glad I found this newer version because the color is absolutely PERFECT. It is indeed charcoal, without being too black or too gray. On my eyes, it looks very sooty and sultry. I love it! I don't like wearing black eyeliner because I find that it is just way too harsh for daytime (and nighttime too, if you ask me). I tend to stick with dark browns, so having this eyeliner is a nice change for me. It gives me eyes definition without looking too overdone. I am also extremely pleased with the staying power (this stuff does NOT fade or smudge!) and how it doesn't tug at my eyelids as some long-wearing eyeliners do. I will repurchase this over and over again.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No