Palettes -Too Faced - Decade of Glamour Beauty Wardrobe Makeup Collection
Rydenfan3 6/12/2008 2:03:00 PM
I received this as a gift. Call me an ingrate but I HATE the layout of this thing. It's huge and bulky, and takes up a ton of space for such a tiny amount of product. Unlike another reviewer I think this would be horrible to travel with because it's bulky and it doesn't even include the makeup brushes you need for application. The shadow pans are tiny and the way they shaped the lipsticks and glosses makes it really difficult to get the product out unless you are using a lip brush (which they did NOT include). The colors are OK but nothing special and honestly not what I would really wear. I'd rather spend $40 on a decent l/s and a few mineral eyeshadows.
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Hair -Klorane - Dry shampoo
Rydenfan3 5/23/2008 11:36:00 AM
I picked this up at Rickys in NY. It was $16.99 for a small spray can. I only got to use it twice and there is no product left apparently. Maybe I oversprayed? It comes out of the can quicker than I would have liked, plus it's difficult to brush out of my hair without looking like I'm wearing a powdered wig circa Marie Antoinette. I'll stick with plain old baby powder for now, kthxbai.
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Foundations -Everyday Minerals - Pressed Powder-Fair Pink
Rydenfan3 4/29/2008 3:18:00 PM
Disclaimer-I do use EM mineral foundation and it works great for me & is much cheaper than BE. That's why this pressed powder is sooooo frustrating. I threw this product in the trash yesterday so I would NOT use it again-that's how bad it is. First off, it is difficult to apply with the little sponge they provide. Any time I've put this stuff on, it sinks directly into my pores and stays there, looking like I've applied a thin coat of spackle to my face. I've tried blending with my fingertips but no joy. The final straw was yesterday-after work I went out for pizza and when I went to the restroom and looked in the mirror I had a POWDER MUSTACHE that was not there when I had applied the damn stuff an hour earlier. Horrid, horrid, never again.
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)
Rydenfan3 4/27/2008 11:32:00 PM
After all the hype surrounding UDPP I decided to finally give it a try. First off this magical genie in a bottle packaging gimmick is wack. Obviously there's a small tube in the center of this thing and the amount of product you're getting is minimal. That said, you don't need much on your lid at all. The best way to apply is get some on the doe foot applicator and dab on the eyelid, then spread with a fingertip. Don't try to spread it around with the applicator. You can then dab the applicator on your other lid and should have enough left over. Voila! Lids don't feel greasy or heavy with this stuff and shadows stay on basically all day. I have retired my tube of Mac Paint in Untitled.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Ayala Moriel - Razala
Rydenfan3 4/27/2008 11:24:00 PM
Razala on me was a very close cousin to Mandy Aftel's Tango. It has a similar earthy wild note. It actually smells a bit more like what I was *hoping* the Afteliers would smell like on me. It is a nice blend but doesn't stick around long and the notes aren't really "me". I double checked the website and this blend contains real ambergris so most likely that is the ocean-y animalistic scent I'm picking out. Neat.
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Fragrances -Ayala Moriel - Cabaret
Rydenfan3 4/27/2008 11:20:00 PM
I purchased several samples of Ayala Moriel fragrances recently & this was a standout from the bunch. It's definitely a gourmand, with powdered rose and a hint of what my nose detects as coconut-although coconut is not mentioned in the description (it's probably the amber). Good sillage and lasting power on my skin (which normally soaks fragrances up pretty quickly). Sadly I spilled my sample all over a nightgown a few days ago but wow does the nightgown smell good now. May be FBW unless I can talk myself out of this one over the next few weeks.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Auric Blends Siren Natural Perfume
Rydenfan3 4/27/2008 11:17:00 PM
Auric Blends is jumping on the natural perfume bandwagon with 4 new fragrances. They're reasonably priced at under $20 each, so this is a great introduction to natural perfumes if you are not already familiar with them. Siren is a blend of top notes of Lemon, Lavender & Chamomile, with middle notes of Ylang, Geranium and Thyme, drying down to a base of vanilla & balsam. It starts out with a very refreshing citrus fragrance and dries down to a nice mellow vanilla floral. Like most natural perfumes, it doesn't have a ton of sillage and would need to be reapplied throughout the day. I like this one and bought it after sampling it on my wrists for a few minutes. For $19, it's a pleasant summer fragrance.
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Lipstick -Julie Hewett - Icon of Beauty in Thandie
Rydenfan3 4/27/2008 11:11:00 PM
Thandie is a nice YLBB peachy toned lipstick with a slight shimmer. I like the formulation of Julie Hewett lipsticks-they glide on smoothly and never feel dry or sticky. This color is very neutral and would probably look great on almost anyone. Sadly it doesn't last long. I probably would not repurchase because it's pricy ($25) and the color is nice but nothing special.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Aftelier Tango
Rydenfan3 4/27/2008 11:08:00 PM
I read an online review that described Tango as the ocean dancing with the wearer. While this sounds lovely, I just don't get it. All romanticized descriptions aside, to me, Tango is the smell of the beach at low tide. I can smell seashells and wet sand. I also get the slight hint of rubber. It's slightly spicy and animalistic, never sweet. It could be something with my skin chemistry, but sadly this doesn't mesh well with me and also doesn't last very long at all.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Aftelier Linden Blossom
Rydenfan3 4/22/2008 5:03:00 PM
OH HONEY NO!!! I'm sorry but this is not working out for me. I stupidly forgot how much I dislike the fragrance of linden. This perfume has jogged my memory. I did sniff it in the store but maybe I was overwhelmed by smelling Maroc and trying to compare the two? In any case, this is headache inducing, unpleasant, and has a faint undertone of urine. I'm really disappointed in Mandy Aftel's fragrances that I have tried. I think there's a lot of potential but I'm not feeling the high prices, animalistic earthy notes, or the way they mix with my skin chemistry.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Aftelier Fig Parfum
Rydenfan3 4/16/2008 3:02:00 PM
A few other reviewers nailed it-this is Fig Newton in a bottle. There's an earthy spicy sameness to a lot of the Aftelier fragrances, IMO. This is no different. It's pleasant enough but I'm not sure that it's something I'd reach for every day. At $45 for 2.2 ml, the price does not justfiy a repurchase for me. ETA: I'm removing one lippie because my boy cat is absolutely terrified of this scent. I'm not sure if it's the fir note, or something animalic in the base, but he won't come near me if I'm wearing it & will run and hide. That's never a good feeling (although he loves the scent of bleach) and tells me that although this is a natural fragrance it may not be safe if it rubs off on my pet's fur or if they inadvertently lick it.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Aftelier cacao
Rydenfan3 4/1/2008 7:28:00 PM
I sampled this twice, once in a store where the store owner gave me her personal bottle to try, and then again a day later when I decided I had to hunt it down and try it again and possibly even obtain a bottle. I'm glad I didn't order one of the mini bottles online for $45 as I was tempted to do. A retry of Cacao confirms that it is sweet on my skin, almost cloyingly so. Mandy Aftel 'fumes IMO tend to punch you in the face-there is nothing subtle about them. I don't get the poo note that others have mentioned, in fact I do think this is a wearable fragrance, it's just that the intense sweetness of the cocoa and jasmine is not something I would want to wear frequently. I marked a "no" for would you buy this again, but since I've never actually purchased it, I don't know if this is really accurate. Perhaps at a lower price point, I could see myself picking up a small bottle.
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Highlighters -MAC - Iridescent Powder - Belightful
Rydenfan3 3/2/2008 11:07:00 PM
This is my "what was I thinking??" purchase from the FAFI collection. For one thing, I'm not big on bronzing powder or trying to look tan. I think I'm a little too old (I'll be 40 this year) to go for the shimmery cheek look too. So I don't really know what the heck I can do with this. Despite others complaints that it's got shimmer in it and little gold flecks of glitter, I tried sweeping it along the sides of my eyes as a MAC SA suggested, and I couldn't really see it. I guess I could use it as a brow bone highlight but I have shadows I like to use more for that purpose. This one was a waste of money IMO.
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Blush -MAC - Fashion Frenzy - Fafi Collection
Rydenfan3 3/2/2008 11:03:00 PM
This is a nice blue toned pink blush from the FAFI collection. It's now sold out on their site so I guess it's good that I ordered it even though I wasn't sure. The packaging is so-so, it doesn't have the cute FAFI girl on it. The color is a vibrant one that I would normally shy away from. I have fairly pale skin with pink undertones. I have to be careful when I apply this one or else I will look like a clown, especially if I pair it with the Fun n Sexy lipstick in hot pink. Applied with a light hand, it's a nice springtime fun color.
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Lipstick -MAC - Fun N Sexy- fafi collection
Rydenfan3 3/2/2008 10:58:00 PM
The description from the MAC website is Blue pink with blue pearl. Basically this is a hot pink shade that is fairly sheer. Another shade that doesn't last long on me at all. It's definitely very vibrant and fun but I would have to reapply it constantly all day and I just don't have the time or inclination to do that. Probably won't purchase backups or look for it on Ebay when I run out. It looks nice when I apply the Totally It lipglass over it, but that also disappears within about 20 minutes. Oh well.
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