Eye Shadow -MAC - Golden Crown - A Tartan Tale Collex
bethb216 11/5/2010 5:15:00 PM
What a disappointment! This was my FIRST ever mac eyeshadow... and now I doubt that I'll buy another one ever again. For years I've been putting off buying mac cosmetics because of the price, but I love all things Scottish, so I thought I'd give the tartan tale collection a spin. That and all of the youtube gurus rave about mac- I purchased Golden Crown, thinking it'd be a nice golden color, not too gawdy. What I got is a color so pale that it doesn't show up at all on my medium/fair skin, and that was with primer on! Not only that, within about an hour, all of the sparkles from the shadow had fallen out all over my upper cheeks and under eyes! Not cute for work!! I am not at all impressed. Now the "her blooming cheek" blush is another story! Great product! *EDIT* I've bumped this from 1 lippie to 3, After trying several different methods of application, I've found that if I use this over my crappy neutrogena mineral sheers concealer, it's more visible, and if I use a stiffer brush and pat it on, rather than my usual fluffy brush, I get way less fallout. I'm still not thrilled with the lack of pigment, but it does make a decent "on the go" eyeshadow for those days I'm not looking to be really made up.
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - born pretty: holiday theme nail sticker
bethb216 11/5/2010 10:07:00 AM
Disclaimer: I was provided this product for review purposes. I was sent the holiday nail art stickers, a set of 5 dotting tools, and a lovely blue nail polish. You can purchase all of these at www.bornprettystore.com This review is for the nail art stickers. The packet of stickers/decals I received contained about 220 various holiday designs; they ranged from Santa Claus, Wreaths, Gingerbread men, and Stars. There is enough for many, many manicures, and would be especially great for a kid's manicure party, or just those of use who love our holiday themed nail art. As for the stickers themselves, they range from medium to quite large (some of them may have to be trimmed for a child's use,) but the majority of them fit on my nails with no problem. The larger ones would be great for a holiday pedicure, with one decal on your big toe and the rest of your toes painted a holiday red or green. They are a little bit tricky to use at first, because, unlike regular decals, you have to actually dunk these in water for a few seconds to really activate them, and then place them on your nails and smooth out. The dotting tools and/or an orangewood stick is perfect for this. Then, blot off the water droplets, seal with a top coat, and you're good to go. Your actual procedure would be something like this: Use a base coat, then 2 coats of your favorite polish---> allow to dry COMPLETELY. Dunk the decals in a bowl of water, and than using a dotting tool or orangewood stick, apply them to your nails, blot the excess water, and then apply a top coat to seal. The only reason I gave 4 lippies instead of 5 is that it's a little tricky with the water application. The quality is great, the colors are vibrant, and the decals are very cute. Photos of my manicure to come this weekend.
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Polishes -OPI - 2010 Halloween Collection: Go Goth- Nevermore
bethb216 11/3/2010 7:10:00 PM
Nevermore is a part of OPI's 2010 Go Goth Halloween Collection. A quick overview: The go goth collection comes with 4 mini bottles in "alternative" colors. There is a matte black color, a blackened green/blue glitter color, called Unripened, a glittery blood red called Sanguine, and Nevermore...a dark blackened purple glitter. This collection is sure to be a hit. My review is for Nevermore, which as I stated, is a dark blackened purple glitter. Don't fear the glitter- it's not the chunky, tacky glitter your middle-school self would have worn, it's more of a fine glitter/shimmer. In certain lights, the polish looks royal/midnight blue, but in regular lighting and sunlight, the purple is obvious. As with all OPI polishes, the wear is great, I can get a solid week out of it, with minimal chipping, and it remains shiny. You get full bottle color at 2 coats, and the formula is nice, not too thick, not too thin. At 9 dollars on amazon, for 4 colors, this is a must have. EDIT: after wearing this polish for 24 hours in office lighting, I can say that Surprisingly, I would call this a triple-chrome. The main color is the dark purple glitter, and it has the blue glitter flash i mentioned earlier, but it also has a hot pink glitter flash as well. That caught me off guard, but I REALLY like it!
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Polishes -Sinful - Secret Admirer
bethb216 10/14/2010 6:52:00 PM
I picked this up on a whim, thinking it'd be a glittery polish to wear over black or something, I got a nice surprise when I tried it on it's own and found out that it's quite opaque! This color is a glittery gun metal gray (don't be scared.... the glitter is very fine milled and in no way chunky, tacky, or gaudy.) It goes on very smooth, and with a base and top coat will last all week with minimal chipping. The color stays pretty glossy, and it wears evenly. I own several sinful polishes and am thrilled with all of them. At $1.99 at walgreens, these are a steal. The picture I have uploaded is after 3 full days of wear and no touchups. It's lighter in natural lighting, but I was in a pinch.
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Eye Primer -Urban Decay - Eyeshadow Primer Potion - Original (UDPP)
bethb216 10/14/2010 6:02:00 PM
two words... HATE IT! This product absolutely did NOT work for me. I purchased it, figuring that with all of the crazy good reviews here on MUA that it must work. Well, for me, unfortunately, it didn't. I smoothed it on, let it dry a bit, and then applied my eyeshadow like usual... unfortunately, I found that it creased worse with UDPP than when I put it on alone. The product burned my eyelids, and the packaging sucked. I returned this to ulta the next day.
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Lip Treatments -Burt's Bees - Beeswax Lip Balm
bethb216 10/14/2010 5:58:00 PM
This is an every day lip balm nobody should be without. It is not tinted, so it's suitable for both males and females. It is a little bit expensive, but all natural, and totally worth it. The mint flavor is exhilarating and soothing, and the formula is super waxy, which I love. It's fantastic for winter chapped, or summer sun burned lips. Not great as a base under lip color, because it breaks up the color, but by itself, or over lip stick, it's great. A++
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Treatments (Eye) -Garnier - Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller
bethb216 10/14/2010 5:52:00 PM
I am a big fan of this product. As a sufferer of horrible seasonal allergies, and not being a morning person AT ALL, this product is my every day, go to, HG eye product. In fact, the very first thing I do in the morning is swipe this on, even before I brush my teeth or whatever. The caffeine instantly de-puffs my under eye area (and will also work on your jaw line if your face is puffy due to water retention that day...) and the cold roller ball wakes you right up, and is very soothing to allergy attacked or tired eyes. I swipe it on and let it sit while I brush my teeth, and then rub whatever is still on top of my skin in. I have no problem applying concealer or any other eye product over it. It doesn't cause clumping or smearing. One tube has lasted me 2 years of daily use, so even though it is 13 bucks or so, you do get your money's worth out of it. NOBODY SHOULD BE WITHOUT THIS PRODUCT. FYI THIS IS NOT MEANT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM TO WORK ON UNDEREYE CIRCLES. YOU WILL STILL NEED TO COVER THOSE UP. THIS IS STRICTLY FOR PUFFINESS. Those who are rating it lower because it doesn't clear up circles are expecting it to do something it isn't advertised for.
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Lip Treatments -eos - Lip Balm Sphere - Lemon Drop SPF 15
bethb216 10/14/2010 5:37:00 PM
I first purchased the EOS lip balm sphere in summer fruit and was not pleased. I hated the chemical fruit scent... But I loved the texture, consistency, and packaging so I figured I'd try it in another scent. Yesterday I found this in sweet mint and lemon drop. I picked up both, because Mint & Lemon are my two favorite lip balm flavors. THESE two are great! I'm not disappointed at all in the flavors. Lemon drop is absolutely my favorite kind of lemon scent, just like lemon cupcakes or lemon shortbread cookies- NOT that artificial citronella lemon scent. ICK. I also love that it has SPF 15. The packaging is gimmicky, but super-cute :) I love that I can always find it in my bag or purse, without having to dig around...it's the only ping pong ball shaped object in there! The texture is smooth, but not waxy. My one complaint with all 3 of the balms that I own is that I feel like it sits on my lips, rather than sinking in, which leaves me frequently re-applying. Chapstick is still a better lip balm, but I'm pleased with these as well.
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Lip Treatments -eos - Lip Balm Sphere - Sweet Mint 
bethb216 10/14/2010 5:29:00 PM
After purchasing the EOS "Summer fruit" lip sphere, I wasn't impressed. Don't get me wrong, I loved the texture and the packaging, but I hated the smell... fast forward 2 months to yesterday, and I ran across the sweet mint version at Walgreens. I figured $3.49 was still quite a bit for a lip balm, considering you can get chapstick or lipsmackers for a buck, but, like I said, I loved the texture and packaging of the other one, so I figured I'd try it. I AM SO GLAD THAT I DID!! Sweet mint is amazing! It tastes EXACTLY like C.O. Bigelow's mentha lip gloss, only without the sticky lipgloss feel, and the messiness of a squeeze tube. I love the ping pong ball sized container... it makes it SO easy to find in my purse, without having to empty it out an search for a tiny tube, and I love not having to worry about twisting the product up into the top by mistake. Yes, it's expensive for lip balm... but it's worth it :) I use this every morning, before I put on any other lip product, and every night before I go to bed. I also keep the Summer fruit one in my purse for on the go lip-balm, and I keep the lemon twist one in my desk at work. I admit it, I am a lip-balm o'holic. The only thing about this lip balm is it does make an awkward bulge in your pocket... but I think they make tube lip balm as well. Definitely a keeper. EDIT: This stuff smells fantastic but dries my lips out like none-other. Definitely won't be repurchasing.
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Lips -Maybelline - Color Sensational Lipstain
bethb216 10/11/2010 11:38:00 AM
I picked this up at Walgreens yesterday when I went on a mini makeup binge (I also got another maybelline shinesensational lipgloss in peach sorbet, and a covergirl liquiline eyeliner in green glow, all 5 star products btw..) Walgreens had a BOGO 1/2 off on all maybelline lip products, so I picked up this lipstain (in Rosy , which is a neutral based pinkish red, very flattering for all seasons, and perfect if you want an "I just made out with my husband for an hour" color) for $7.49 and got the shinesensational gloss for 2 bucks, not a bad deal. Now on to the review: This is my first lipstain so I wasn't super sure about application at first, but it comes in the convenient marker form so it wasn't too tricky. The first time I applied it, I ended up with a great lipstain, but also a ring of darker color on the inside of my lips, but after I applied it a second time WITHOUT smushing my lips together that didn't happen. The trick is to exfoliate your lips first, and then use chapstick about 5-10 minutes before hand (maybe when you first start doing your makeup in the AM), then wipe off all of the chapstick and shake the lipstain and apply it quickly. Be sure to let it dry for about 30 seconds to a minute before you add another layer or a gloss on top. Do not smush your lips together, and do not let the marker get to the inside of your lips, otherwise, it takes an oil based remover to remove the bright colored ring inside your lips. The stain itself DOES last all day, and wears evenly if you have exfoliated lips, if you apply it properly, even through eating, drinking, and multiple chapstick applications througout the day. In fact, After my AM shower, yesterday's lipstain was still lightly there, since I hadn't removed it with oil based remover. *BE WARNED THOUGH* as with all true lip stains, you must exfoliate or else you will have red blotchy corpse lips, which are not attractive... Overall I am very impressed, and willing to try this in a few other shades as well.
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Eyeliner -Cover Girl - Liquiline Blast in Green Glow
bethb216 10/11/2010 11:08:00 AM
This is an absolutely must-have eyeliner! I picked this up yesterday at Walgreens for 8.00, but it was BOGO 1/2 off... I wish now that I'd purchased a second green one or else the blue one, because this stuff is fantastic! This is the ONLY creamy gel eyeliner pencil I have ever used that has not budged, migrated, or faded AT ALL for at least 8-12 horus. It goes on perfectly, it glides with no tugging or pulling, or color skipping, and the color remains vibrant for hours. I suffer from horrible seasonal allergies, and usually eyeliner just exacerbates the problem, but this doesn't itch or make my eyes water at all, and even my frequent eye rubbing and/or eyedrops don't cause this to smear. The color itself is a vibrant lime green/gold, that doesn't look neon at all. I imagine this would be flattering on most people, especially those with tanned or dark skin (maybe not so great on ultra-fair complexions, but I'm nto sure.) I would most definitely repurchase this color without hesitation, and I'm willing to try the other shades as well. The picture I uploaded is after an entire day of wear... seriously, this stuff lasts, and the color is gorgeous!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Revlon - Hot for chocolate 903
bethb216 10/8/2010 7:15:00 PM
I have been searching for 2 years for the perfect brown nail polish. When I stumbled upon this in my local Walgreens I was stoked!! In the bottle, it was EXACTLY the color I was looking for...a warm, flattering chocolate brown. Imagine my disappointment when I put on the first coat only to find out it is the color of....poo. Seriously. Not what it looks like at all. Not only that, after the requisite two coats it took to get even coverage, it looked black. So disappointing!! And the formula leaves a lot to be desired, it's runny and streaky... So not worth the $4.50 I paid for it. Guess I'll keep searching.
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Polishes -Sally Hansen - Insta-Dri Mochachino
bethb216 9/26/2010 1:01:00 PM
I believe I have stumbled upon the PERFECT nail color for fall. I think the name "Mochachino" is a little bit misleading though. If I were the one to name it, it would have been "gingerbread" or something like that. It's a rich burgundy brown with a copper micro-glitter shimmer. It's very sophisticated in it's shimmer, none of that chunky glitter, just a flash of new penny bright copper when the light hits it. As with all of Sally Hansen's insta-dry colors, it has the wide, flat brush, which I hated at first, but after a few manicures with it, I now wish all nail polishes came with that brush. It takes one, maybe two strokes to completely cover my nails, perfectly evenly. It dries extremely fast, each coat is dry in a minute or less. At $4.49 it's a pricier drugstore polish, but if used properly, it's worth the price. I have noticed with all of the insta-dry polishes, that it will chip or peel easier than a lot of colors, but this can be remedied with a good base and top coat. I've had a few insta-dry manicures last a solid week. Generally, when I do an at-home manicure, I remove all old polish, and then massage grapeseed oil into my nail beds and cuticles for about 2 minutes, then I wash my hands to remove the oil, and then clip any hangnails and file my nails. After that, I use polish remover again, just to get an extra-clean nail bed. Then, my base coat of choice is Sally Hansen's "hard as wraps gel hardener." This makes pretty much all nail polish stick like glue until I take it off. After that dries completely (IMPORTANT) I do two coats of color (letting it dry completely in between coats), Then I finish off with Sally Hansen's "Hard as Nails" top coat. As you can see, I'm a fan of Sally Hansen products. They're all reasonable in cost and work very well.
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Lip Gloss -Jordana - Sweet 'n Shiny flavored lipgloss
bethb216 9/4/2010 3:28:00 PM
I saw this at Walgreens today, and what caught my eye immediately was the fact that it was rainbow colored. Literally! It's in a squeeze tube, about the size of Victoria's Secret lip glosses. Actually, I would have confused the two if I hadn't have been in Walgreens. The cap is bright silver and it's kind of the nice heavier duty plastic squeeze tube with shiny silver writing. I got this in rainbow sherbet flavored. The gloss is multi-colored, it starts out light pink, and then goes to peach, then yellow, then lime green, then turquoise, and then finally purple. It goes on fairly clear with just a hint of tint, and the consistency is very nice, jelly-like with just a little bit of stickiness (not overwhelmingly sticky, just enough to keep it on for a while.) It's very moisturizing as well. This gloss comes in three flavors, Rainbow Sherbet, Strawberry something, and creamsicle. All are rainbow colored, but the rainbow sherbet had the nicest colors mixed in. I've posted a pic for you to see. For $2.49 you can't beat this gloss!!
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Lip Treatments -eos - Lip Balm Sphere - Summer Fruit
bethb216 8/29/2010 1:59:00 PM
Meh- I bought this yesterday after seeing this in magazines for the past few months. I finally ran across it in Walgreens yesterday and picked it up on a whim. At $3.49, it is more expensive than most lip balms I usually buy, ie; Chapstick, or lip smackers, but I figured why not, I'll try it once. I do like the shape of the container, it's easy to find in my purse while driving, without having to look...heck it's the only ping pong ball sized object in my purse. The package is bigger than I thought it was going to be, based on the magazine ads. I like the consistency of the balm, nice and creamy without being greasy, but I don't really like the scent much. It's definitely fruity, but with a chemically smell behind it. I very likely won't purchase this again, since I can get the JUMBO lip smackers for the same price, and they have much better flavors and scents. EDIT: This stuff dries out my lips and smells awful, and tastes even worse.
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