Lip Gloss -Maybelline - Wet Shine Diamonds Liquid - Thread of Roses
blkwdow666 12/15/2003 9:53:00 PM
Perfectly Vampish for the fall/holiday season. Thread of Roses ($7) appears to be a brownish-burgandy in the tube, but goes on as a violet-toned berry. I wear this with a brown liner underneath to warm it up. If it were a little more brown, I'd definitely repurchase.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Moisturous - Resilient Raisin
blkwdow666 12/14/2003 5:59:00 PM
Mmmmm.....*almost* too luscious for its own good. This lipstick is an LE shade which was released in Oct., but you might still be able to find a tube around. Resilient Raisin (~$8) is a deep browned red in the tube, but on me (GGG), it is the All Hail Holy Grail of red sheer lipsticks. It's tough for me to find reds that work, as my trash can will attest; most are too blue or too light for my skintone. RR has the brown base & depth I need in a comfortable formula. When I 1st tried it on, I thought, "Now I can finally wear the 'sheer red glosses' that Kevyn was talking about in Making Faces!"
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Crème -Ben Nye - Matte Foundation- Natural Olive Series
blkwdow666 11/16/2003 10:06:00 PM
I absolutely agree with AsiaChick below! If you are a golden-olive-toned MMM or GGG, this shade range of the Matte creme foundation/concealer ($9 for .5 oz.) is the way to go! I use NO-5 (Brulee) as an undereye concealer and mix it with NO-07 (Soft Caramel) for face.
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Eye Shadow -Sinful - Oblivion [46]
blkwdow666 11/14/2003 10:49:00 PM
It's gonna be a Goth Xmas fo' me! Oblivion ($3 for 1.5g) is the long-lost fraternal twin of MAC's Beauty Marked. In the pan, it's a deep forest green. Applied dry, it's a green-toned black with *very* slight shimmer. When applied wet, the green shimmer is visible over a black base, just like the red shimmer in Beauty Marked. I've only worn this wet as a liner so far, but this would work for a green smokey eye (emphasis on smoke). I wouldn't buy this again because I prefer English Ivy (reviewed elsewhere), as it is a "true" green.
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Lip Liners -New York Color - Lip Liner Pencil- #954A
blkwdow666 11/6/2003 9:41:00 PM
Ahh....a true nude liner! I'm almost done with my Jordana Cocoa (red-toned brown) liner and brought this into rotation out of my stash. This liner ($1, but ever the cheapo, I bought this 2-for-1) is a versatile light-medium brown with a slight hint of pink. I have difficulty finding nude liners, because, as a GGG, most "nudes" which work for other skintones are a) too pink, b) too orange, c) too light. I can (and have) put this on and I'm ready to go! Maybe I got a fresh liner, but mine hasn't crumbled on me yet. I've been workin' this liner this fall, and will be this winter, too.
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Eye Shadow -Revlon - Shimmy Eye Shadow - Champagne
blkwdow666 11/4/2003 10:11:00 PM
Nice! I read the reviews of this eyeshadow (~$4.50 for 4.25g, but look for coupons!) so I knew ahead of time that the shimmer was just on the top-no problem. I bought Champagne because I wanted the base colour--a matte, golden beige. Though I still miss Revlon's dearly departed Gilded eyeshadow, it's a good non-shimmery alternative. Great texture, pigmentation, and lasting power on the lids, I'd like to see this incorporated into the line in the future.
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Eye Shadow -Ben Nye - Lumiere Luxe Powder-Golden Apricot [LX-18]
blkwdow666 10/29/2003 8:19:00 PM
Mo' Melon than Melon! This loose powder (~$9 for 8g), like its pressed counterpart, is a beautiful apricot (peach with a shot of pink) with golden shimmer. On me (GGG), this had a stronger peachy-pink tone than MAC's Melon Pigment, which only registered as gold. These powders, like MAC pigments, can be used everywhere, wet or dry, and can be mixed into other products (lipgloss, nail polish, body lotion). Unlike Pigments, Luxe Powders are in a shaker container, which minimizes spillage, making it an even *better* deal! Available at wyb.com, stageand theatermakeup.com, and theatrical supply stores.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Ben Nye - Dry Cheek Rouge-Desert Coral [DR-71]
blkwdow666 10/29/2003 7:54:00 PM
Well, rouge my cheeks! I found this blush ($6 for 4g) when checking out the Ben Nye line in person (I usually shop online). Desert Coral is a bright red-toned coral with subtle shimmer. When I got it home, it turns out that it's the exact same colour as MAC's Variety blush ($16.50/6g) that I also just bought; the only difference is that Variety has golden microglitter. However, for the price difference, I can deal. In short, Variety's going back, untouched.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Revlon - Wet/Dry Shadow in "In The Buff" (quad)
blkwdow666 9/29/2003 11:16:00 PM
What it's called is what you get. This quad ($6.50 for 6.2g). Its 4 matte shadows are a light peach, light pink, cafe au lait, and chocolate. I bought this 2 years ago and never wore it because I don't wear matte shadows often, but when looking at the BB Nude on Nude palette, decided to give "Buff" a try at 1/7 of the price. I wasn't disappointed-go Revlon! The shadows are subtle on my GGG skin and add a little polish--the "I woke up like this" look. Unlike other lines' matte shadows, these have the same creamy, smooth texture as their shimmery sisters. These shadows work with/over/under shimmery shades as well, thereby boosting its practicality. It's too bad it took me so long to get around to trying this quad, but I'm gonna make up for lost time!
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Lipstick -Wet 'n' Wild - Tropez Lipstick - Reckless [#324]
blkwdow666 9/25/2003 8:46:00 PM
I know this brand is hard to find (marketed toward women of colour), but if you can, snatch up this lipstick. Reckless ($1) looks *exactly* like MAC's Spanish Fly--a medium reddish brown with green iridescence. Tropez's version isn't as pigmented as MAC's, but for the $13 I saved, I don't mind wearing 2 coats. I've worn one coat for a softer look, and two coats (blotted before and after application) for MAC-like depth. I'll probably snag SpanFly in the future, but for now, I'm sticking with this!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Snappy (Frost)
blkwdow666 9/25/2003 6:04:00 PM
Brilliant, I tell ya. Snappy ($12.50 for 1.5g) is a beautiful caramelized pumpkin tease, because it's LE. It's labeled as a frost, but compared to Stimulated Copper, it has more of a velvet finish. I've been wearing this on the lid with beiges, browns, and forest greens, and golds (the usual supporting players), and they work well together. I got this in exchange for Paradisco, and haven't looked back. GGGs like myself really should check this colour out before it's gone!
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Palettes -MAC - 15-PAN
blkwdow666 9/21/2003 3:10:00 PM
As usual, MAC innovates its way into every gal's traincase. These palettes (12.50US$) can be used to house a variety of shadows--MAC, Urban Decay, Ben Nye Pearl Sheen, LaFemme Ultra Pearl (+ cake liners + Wet/Dri), Milani/Jordana, Jane, Girl Cos. and many, many more! I have both the 15- and 4-pans, and use the former for organization (colour family, brand, etc.), ease of access (no searching through tens of pots!), and, of course, spacial economy. Moreover, by purchasing $9 MAC eyeshadow pans (as opposed to the $12.50 pots), you'll save the price of the palette after buying 4 pans, and you'll still have 11 slots to fill with the brand(s) of your choice. My only criticism is that I'd prefer a clear lid such as the one the 4-pans have.
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Palettes -MAC - 4-pan
blkwdow666 9/21/2003 3:04:00 PM
As usual, MAC innovates its way into every gal's traincase. These palettes (3.50US$) can be used to house a variety of shadows--MAC, Urban Decay, Ben Nye Pearl Sheen, LaFemme Ultra Pearl (+ cake liners + Wet/Dri), Milani/Jordana, Jane, and many, many more! I have both the 15- and 4-pans, and use the latter for travel (transplant into empty palette) or a custom-coordinated look (pre-filled). Moreover, by purchasing $9 MAC eyeshadow pans (as opposed to the $12.50 pots), you'll save the price of the palette right off the top!
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Eye Shadow -Revlon - Wet/Dry Shadow [DISCONTINUED]
blkwdow666 9/21/2003 12:27:00 PM
Everything you need-at a corner drugstore near you. Revlon wet/dry shadows (~$4 singles, ~$4.50 duos, ~$6 quads) are one of the best drugstore eyeshadows out there, especially the quads. These shadows have a creamy texture, blend well, and look good both wet and dry, and, unlike some other brands where quality varies from shade to shade(*koff*-Maybelline), I don't *have* to use them wet in order to get colour payoff. Dollar-for-dollar, they're the best value per shade, and if you have a coupon, even better! If I could, I'd give extra lipsticks for a) Availability-every drugstore has them, and b) The quads have a dual-sided applicator that can be effectively used for lining on the go. Though I'm a little disappointed that Revlon has discontinued some of its yellow-orange-gold warm shades (Sunflash, Gilded, Bronze Beam, Bronzed & Brassy, etc.), the shade range of the W&D line generally favours neutrals that anyone can wear. If you haven't checked out these yet, get up 'n go!
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Eye Shadow -Sinful - Pansies [25]
blkwdow666 9/14/2003 3:20:00 PM
My new buddy. Pansies ($3 for 1.5g) is a neutral medium taupe with shimmer. It reminds me of MAC's Satin Taupe without its plum tones. Pigmentation is good, though, of course, better wet. I've used this in the crease with English Ivy as a liner, on the lid by itself for a "dressed on the fly eye", and wet as a liner. While it certainly isn't a "wow" shade, it's so basic that it would fit into anyone's kit. While "Pansies" is an odd name for this colour, I'm paletting it, so who cares?
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