Mascara -Cover Girl - Professional Super Thick Lash Mascara 
ThisGirl0 12/26/2010 6:17:00 PM
Definitely one of the best mascara I have tried so far. So glad I happen to see some reviews for it a couple of days ago so I went to Walgreen's and got a tube yesterday. I've been using Maybelline Falsies and TurboVolum Express and have got sick of them. The Falsies has a lot of tiny fibers in it which is good for length, but more coats results in lashes that are stuck together and have blunt ends - so unnatural and unattractive. The Turbo Volum Express (I think that's what it's called) gives a little bit of lenght but hardly any volume. Not worth messing around with those two because the combination can produce nice results if you are very careful and have a lot of time to sit around and separate eyelashes while they're drying. That's just not my thing. I tried this product and I really like it it. I knew right away that it was going to be a good product because of the wand. Big brushes are a huge plus for me and always produce the best results; fanned out thick lashes, no clumps or fibery lashes that stick together. The product is not too wet or too dry. Like I said, big wand that reaches all lashes. The packaging is cute and pink, matches my new flat iron :). Best part of all it only cost $6 at Walgreen's, so I am confident that I probably repurchase because this product is totally worth it. I gave it 4/5 because it flakes a tiny bit and it does not hold curl.
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Makeup Brushes -Sonia Kashuk - Black Domed Eyeshadow Brush
ThisGirl0 12/24/2010 4:51:00 PM
I got this brush a while ago while looking for a decent eyeshadow brush. I was tired of using the applicators that come with shadows so I decided to spend some extra money on a quality brush that I could find at any store (happen to pick up this one at Target). I think that mine is black/browh instead of just all black, but the shape is the same. The brush is really nice and soft and quite large so it can be used in a variety of ways. I find that it picks up shadow very nicely and blends well. I have only used it a few times to apply shadow to the outer corners of my eyes, and blending... this brush does both really nicely. I haven't had to wash it yet and haven't used it since I got my E.L.F. Studio collection, but mostly because I haven't worn a lot of shadow recently. The bristles are soft and sturdy, it has not shed on me yet, no weird smell, and it deposits product beautifully. The packaging that it comes in is great because it's a plastic case that the brush snaps into so you can store it without ruining or deforming the bristles. Even though I don't use it a lot I'm still glad that I got it because it's just a really nice brush to have and you can never have enough eyeshadow brushes. Love it but will not repurchase mostly because I feel that this brush will last forever, plus I have a few other brushes that are similar and can be used for the same purpose.
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Shampoo -TiGi - Urban Antidotes Re-Energize
ThisGirl0 12/24/2010 4:30:00 PM
I got this product along with the Resurrection shampoo/conditioner all in sample packs from a fashion show. I don't really ever look for products that are supposed to "re-energize" my hair, because really, what kind of a result is that supposed to achieve? But anyway... tried the shampoo with the conditioner. Didn't expect super amazing results and I didn't experience them either. The shampoo is milky white like most other moisturizing shampoos. It has a nice smells that's not overpowering... somewhat fresh and fruity, I suppose. The conditioner is the same texture same scent. Absolutely nothing special. My hair did not feel "re-energized" or any different for that matter. I would never purchase this product on my own as I know that it's not worth the price. Mediocre product that you can get at the drug store for a lot cheaper, just in a different bottle and a different name. (Honestly reminds me of cheap Suave shampoos.)
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Shampoo -TiGi - Urban Antidotes Resurrection
ThisGirl0 12/24/2010 4:24:00 PM
I didn't actually purchase this product but got a bunch of sample packs from a fashion show. I no longer believe in paying $20+ for a bottle of shampoo when I can get pretty much the same thing at the drug store a beauty supply store for about $5. It all ends up washed down the drain. Well, I tried this stuff while I was in the process of trying to change my hair color. My hair is overprocessed and quite dry so I look for moisturizing products. I know that Tigi is supposed to be a good brand so I was looking forward to giving this a try. I got both the shampoo and condition sample packs. The shampoo is a milky white color, smells like candy, and lathers nicely. The conditioner smells the same though it is thicker and a bit more yellow in color. I washed my hair with it and put in the conditioner which my hair soaked up really fast. It made my hair feel nice initially, but so does any other brand of shampoo that I don't use regularly. After washing/drying my hair I was hoping to discover some new life and moisture, but no. It's basically a drug store quality product with cute packaging and a big price tag. I would say that although it is a little bit thicker, it's the same quality as Suave and produced the same results. I get that it is marketed toward a younger crowd (teenagers) which is fine, but doesn't explain the price. The product is nothing new; nothing special. I have used it multiple times since the first time and the results are always the same - performs like any other shampoo. Will not purchase.
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Lip Treatments -Fusion Beauty - LipFusion XL 2X Micro-Injected Collagen and HA Lip Plumping Therapy
ThisGirl0 12/24/2010 4:04:00 PM
After reading so many good reviews on this product I decided to give it a try despite the price tag. I have tried a lot of different plumping products before and always came to the same conclusion: none of them work, especially not long term. The only reason I got it for this price is because I got a bunch of other samples and free gifts with it (from Sephora)... though it still doesn't justify the price tag. If I like it I will try to get it on sale next time. *UPDATE* After wearing this product for 4 days and 3 nights I have come to the conclusion that it is absolute crap. I cannot believe that I fell for the hype and actually spend $50 on a product that I thought would create miracles; something that you cannot achieve without plastic surgery or other types of injections. This product does NOTHING for me. Sure, it moisturizes a little bit and looks nice when you're wearing it, but so does Vaseline and any other products that costs a fraction of the price of this piece of crap. I am super disappointed that in 4 days of use I have not seen a single shred of change in my lips. I don't have very big lips, and mine tend to be very sensitive. I have always had problems with cracking, chapping, and peeling lips since I was a kid, which has resulted in a lot of lines on my lips. I basically have slightly dry lips all the time which is why I use a lot of lip glosses and such. Don't use a lot of lipstick and overly pigmented glosses because they settle in the lines. I couldn't wait to try this product because it sounded like something I would really benefit from because so many people claim that it fills in the lines. Not for me. At all. I will not return it only because I already said goodbye to the money, plus I don't like returning used products... so might as well keep it and use the rest of it as a lipgloss/moisturizer. I don't actually believe that this product deserves such high reviews and get the feeling that a lot of ladies are giving it high scores to justify paying a freakin' fortune on a 0.29 oz tube of lipgloss. Never again. This company should be ashamed of expecting people to pay $50 on such a mediocre product. Ugh! I was going to be fair and give it more time to work before updating, but I think a few days is long enough for it to do something... Nope. Never purchasing again and will definitely give up on lip plumpers because I have spent a lot of money on such product and have yet to see one do something.
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Highlighters -BeneFit Cosmetics - High Beam
ThisGirl0 12/24/2010 11:29:00 AM
I got this from Sephora yesterday as a bonus. I had to read reviews on it and am confused about the sizes. A lot of people mention the sample and the full size. The one that I got has the same applicator as a nail-polish bottle, but the container appears smaller than the one online. Not sure but whatever, it was free. Anyway, I tried it on first thing this morning while getting ready for work, and I love it! I have tried other highlighting products before and none of them produce this type of result. I have the Clinique Illiuminating highlighter which is nice but it doesn't seem to brighten as much as this one, and it basically produces a different kind of glow. I applied this product to the corners of my eyes and a little bit around the cheek bones. It creates a really nice glow that doesn't look fake or unnatural. I have relatively pale skin so it works well for me, not sure how it would perform on darker skin tones. The best part is that you only need to use a little bit so I think that this will last me a while. I will probably repurchase sometimes in the future, but these types of products last forever. I have yet to use up the entire bottle of Clinique and this. So even though it's actual price is a little bit high, it pays off because it will last for a while.
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Hair Styling Tools -Unlisted Brand - Plugged In Tourmaline Ionic-Ceramic Gem Flat Iron
ThisGirl0 12/23/2010 10:54:00 PM
Just got this iron in the mail yesterday. I am not really big into irons because my hair is straight as it is. But because it's thick and processed it tends to frizz and kink so I straighten it sometimes. I used my cheap Revlon iron for years and it worked okay. I have tried my friend's CHI before and was surprised that it was nothing special because it had no settings at all... just got extremely hot and fried my hair easily. I got this iron just because it was very affordable and had good reviews on Sally Beauty. I protein treated my hair, then washed and styled it as usual with a heat protectant and a smoothing serum. Than I used this product and I am so glad that I bought it. I think it was on sale for abour $35 and it has two settings. I used it on the low setting which hasn't damaged my hair at all, yet it straightened so much better then my Revlon and the CHI... My hair is so smooth and shiny, I absolutely love it! This iron is beyond cute and girly; would repurchase in a heart beat. Great quality and super cute packaging for a very small price. The best part is that it honestly did not cause any damage. I always "inspect" my hair the day after I straighten it, and even my cheap Revlon iron that didn't get extremely hot would always damage my hair and cause a lot of split ends that I have to constantly cut off... which is why I only used it periodically. I straightened my hair with this iron yesterday, took a look at my hair today and there's absolutely no new damage or split ends all over the place. I am sooo soooo happy with it. Only con I can think of is that the cord is way too long (which may be good for some).
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Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - Plus White - 5 Minute Speed Whitening Gel
ThisGirl0 12/16/2010 8:32:00 PM
LOVE this product! Let me just say that I have tried almost all the various types of whitening products they have available in store, and this works the best for the price. I have tried Rembrandt (caused horrible corrosion of the gum tissue, nasty, I know... and it took me like a week to recover for it); did not work. I have also tried GoSmile which was the biggest waste of money ever. Thankfully I got it at 60% discount, still a waste of $50 as the kit did pretty much nothing at all. I have also tried the Colgate gel (don't know if it's still around) which also works like this product, but the container it comes in was tiny and more expensive, so not really worth it in the end. And finally the Crest Whitestrips, which worked well and I still use them. I started using the Classic kind because they were the cheapest, but I found that if I wanted to achieve the desired whitening level, I had to use two boxes back to back. So in the end it wasn't cheaper (except when I would find it on sale or bogo). I recently tried the new 3D strips and find that they work just as well as the Advanced version. In fact, I just got done using the 3D strips and am keeping my teeth stain-free with this amazing product. I first used it by itself as directed twice a day for about two weeks and I saw a difference in my teeth within a few days. This stuff works well on its own, but paired with another teeth whitener it is even better. I use it now about every other day as a maintenace product. Obviously it doesn't work as well as the strips, but it works and is absolutely fabulous for maintenance. I bought this product at Walgreen's for about $8 or so. The tube is huge and though I have been using it for probably a month now, I haven't even used 1/3 of it. It caused no sensitivity for me at all, it doesn't have a nasty taste, and best of all you only have to keep it on for 5 minutes! Love it and I will keep repurchasing over and over.
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Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Studio Angled Foundation Brush
ThisGirl0 12/14/2010 8:55:00 PM
I don't see why there are so many bad reviews regarding this brush. I got it in my Studio brush collection set and I love it! I didn't use foundation brushes for a long time because I thought it was kind of a pointless since I preferred applying foundation with my fingers. After hearing so much about how great foundation brushes are I went to the drug store and bought the only one that I could find. Not sure which brand it is; all I know is that it cost around $8. The bristles are really silky and soft so using it wet or dry didn't work because the bristles stuck together and created really bad streaking. After that I decided that foundation brushes probably aren't for me. Well, since this one came in the kit I had to try it (I don't every completely neglect products just because I think that they might not work.) So glad I gave this brush a try because it's so much better than my first foundation brush. The bristles are soft but sturdy enough for foundation application. I like that it is angled since that makes it so much easier to apply foundation around the nose and eye area. I have only used it dry so far so not sure how it perforems when wet. I read reviews on this brush before trying it so I made sure to use it in natural light so that I could actually see how well it applied foundation and whether or not it was going to cause streaking. With careful application and some blending I saw absolutely no streaks at all. This brush does a great job of applying foundation and blending. I love it and am so glad that it works for me because it creates beautiful results and I no longer have to use my fingers and stain all my other beauty products with foundation.
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Eyeliner -Wet 'n' Wild - Mega Eyes Creme Eyeliner - Black
ThisGirl0 12/14/2010 6:43:00 PM
I have never used a cream liner before and after seeing so many makeup artists use it, I had to try it. This product has good reviews and it's super cheap so I bought it a few days ago. Tried it for the first time today and love it. It comes in a small, round container and an angled brush for application. The liner itself is very creamy, dark in color, and goes on smoothly. I didn't use the brush that comes with it because it looks too big for precise application. I used my E.L.F. Studio Angled Brush that's a little bit smaller. I really like it. The liner is very dark, goes on sooo smoothly, and I have been wearing it for about 5 hours now with no problems at all. Doesn't look like it's going to fade significantly and it has not smudged at all. The container it comes in is small but it contains so much product that I think I will probably use this product for a long time before I have to repurchase another one. This product has completely changed the way apply liner and I am definitely not going back to eyeliner pencils again. Only issue I have with it is that the packaging is kinda blah, but that's not the important part so I am not overly concerned with it.
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Polishes -China Glaze - Avalanche
ThisGirl0 12/13/2010 3:37:00 PM
I love metallic polishes that aren't glittery so this is pretty close to what I was looking for. Last time I went to Sally's "Avalanche" was out of stock so I purchased "Meet Me At The Met" in hopes that it would be close to this shade since they both appear metallic gray-ish in the bottle. Well, turns out that "Meet Me At The Met"actually has a dark green-ish undertone (as opposed to blue/violet which is what I wanted). I don't wear green polish of any shade so I was slightly disappointed with the first purchase. After trying "Avalanche," I like it much better since it's so much closer to what I was looking for. I was hoping that it would have a bit more shine to it and be a little bit darker, but it's still a nice shade and a lot closer to what I was looking for initially. China Glaze polishes last pretty well without any base/top coats. I am satisfied with this purchase and look forward to wearing this shade, especially for parties and other special occasions. Would repurchased but probably will not because I don't use nail polish a lot so this bottle will last quite some time.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Poppy by Coach
ThisGirl0 12/13/2010 3:18:00 PM
I absolutely adore this scent. I just recently found out that they opened a Sephora in my area (finally!) so I went in to browse. I immediately went to their perfume section because I love scents but rarely get to just browse anywhere without getting harrassed every 30 seconds by an obnoxious sales associate. Well, after sampling a bunch of different scents and not liking any of them I was about to give up. But then a friendly Sephora lady came to the rescue. She asked a few questions about my favorite fragrances, etcetc. To be honest I don't wear a lot of perfume, sprays, or scents because I have a very hard time finding something I like, and when I do come across something it's usually way too overpriced. I am not into floral scents and anything strong and overpowering reminds me of old lady perfume, so I tend to just stay away from perfume altogether. I was pretty vague with my description about which scents I like, but made it clear that I'm interested in something very fruity. The first scent she picked out for me to try was too floral, the second was this - a winner! I love girly, fruity scents and this is exactly what it is. I am not overly into analyzing and breaking down scents, so I have no idea what types of things go into this product to make it smell so good, but I don't really care anyway. The sales lady suggested that I get the gift box which is the same price as the perfume, but contains a bonus tube of lotion. Love it! It's a lovely, sweet scent Would repurchase againbut won't have to since I don't use this perfume on a daily basis and I don't douse myself in it so it will last for a while. Only problem I have with it is the staying power. I have been wearing this about every other day since I got it, and I do not smell it on myself at all anymore. Now even after I spray it on myself a few times and pair it with the lotion, I just straight up do not smell it. Maybe it's because I am used to it or something... not sure, but I definitely do not smell it anymore, which is unfortaunte because I love it so much.
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Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - e.l.f. Studio 11 Piece Brush Collection
ThisGirl0 12/13/2010 2:55:00 PM
***MAJOR UPDATE***: I have had this set of brushes for quite some time, but since I don't use all of them frequently, I typically don't wash them regularly. I have only washed the whole set twice so far. Today was one of those days, and I learned something new. After soaking the brushes in soap and warm water for a couple of minutes, I washed them gently by hand and set them aside for rinsing. When I got to the foundation brush, which I haven't used a whole lot recently, I noticed something was off. The brustles began to slide out in a huge clump, and basically the brush fell apart! So shocked because I have used this brush maybe a total of 20 times and have washed it only twice. Cannot believe it. I also bought the Complexion brush on its own, have had it forever, and it's still thick, sturdy, and in great shape. The one that came in the set, however, has about 1/3 less bristles, the handle is already wobbly, and the bristles aren't as soft. Guess these brushes are a complete hit or miss. I know that they're cheap and okay for the price (if you get a good set), but not worth it imo. I have also noticed that some of the brushes which I haven't used a lot have dyed the plastic holders...so apparently the dye or color that the use on the bristles tends to bleed over time. Yuk. These are no longer my go-to brushes and I am currently looking into purchasing a new set in a similar price range but hopefully better quality.
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Bronzers -E.L.F. - Studio Warm Bronzer
ThisGirl0 12/13/2010 2:34:00 PM
I have to admit that I don't really use bronzers very much mostly because I am pale so blush tends to look more natural, especially in winter. I got this product because it was so inexpensive and I figure I might as well own at least one bronzer. Looks exactly like it does in the photo - black compact with a nice sized mirror and 4 separate shades of bronzer. I apply it with my E.L.F. Studio Blush Brush by mixing all four colors together. At first I thought that the color was too subtle, but than after applying it in natural lighting I gotta say that it is way more pigmented than I initially though. This bronzer creates a really nice is golden bronze glow; it is not sparkly or glittery at all. As with most other E.L.F. product, the packaging is really nice and of good quality. I would repurchase again but probably won't need to for a while since I won't be using this product on a daily basis and it's more appropriate to wear in the summer for those of us who don't tan or have a naturally tan complexion.
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Misc Beauty Tools -E.L.F. - Mechanical Eyelash Curler
ThisGirl0 12/13/2010 2:24:00 PM
Purchased this product recently just for fun and because it was so cheap. I have only used one eyelash curler in my entire life, and it's a cheap one by Revlon. I still have it but decided to purchase this mechanical one because it's a little bit different from my old one. ***UPDATE*** After using this curler for a couple of months I have decided that it really sucks. Firstly, the pads that come with it are very cheap and split after only a week of use. I purchased rubber ones - different brand - and they were too small for this curler so it is extremely difficult to use. Also, this curler is dangerous. While attempting to curl my lashes a couple of days ago, the plastic handle began cracking and a piece of it broke off, shooting straight into my face. Soon after the other side of the handle began cracking as well. Thankfully the piece that broke off didn't hit my eye, but if it did it would have been painful and potentially damaging. Bad product and I will not repurchase.
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