Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Studio Complexion Brush
pulitzer 12/26/2010 7:06:00 AM
The most versatile face brush I've ever used! The bristles are very soft but dense enough to pick up the right amount of powder - don't expect to use this to pack on color or powder though. This is perfect to use for applying finishing or setting powder such as the HD translucent powder. It also works well for bronzer and even a natural flush of color with blush. This has lasted me months of usage daily and washings with only a couple hairs shedding. I've experienced the same problem that others described with a loose ferrule but it's nothing that some super glue won't fix. I'm still giving it 5 stars for how well it works!
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Powder -MAC - Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation
pulitzer 12/25/2010 6:58:00 AM
This powder is the perfect daily quick "fix". I'm not big on liquid foundation because I can never find the perfect match to make it look natural, so I use usually use pressed powder or mineral foundation. My mornings are always hurried so I apply this on all over with a fluffy brush (ELF's studio powder brush is a good match) to even out my skin tone and cover some redness. It is easy and smooth to apply and is very buildable too. It provides a medium coverage at most if applied dry, but I prefer the sheerer natural coverage. Studio Fix hasn't irritated my skin at all. The only gripe about it as that I wish it had some oil control (I get oily on my forehead and sides of my nose) and might absorb some oil as a pressed powder. Near the end of the day, it is also easy to rub it off. The packaging could also be a bit sleeker as there is a lot of unused space because of the rounded lid.
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Lip Gloss -C.O. Bigelow - Mentha Lip Shine
pulitzer 11/14/2010 12:34:00 AM
I have this in a set with the grapefruit, tangerine and lime flavors. I don't know why I bought this in the first place as I am not big on gloss... I guess I was originally thinking to layer this clear gloss over some lipstick or tinted balm to give it some shine, but I found that this is not the best way to go since the gloss is a little thick and heavy. It is also easy to over-apply in to a goopy mess so use sparingly! I also don't really like to material of the tube...it's a matte plastic that is easy to get dirty? I'm not sure how to describe it but after a few months of floating around my bag, the outside just looks old and yucky. On the other hand, the minty feeling and "freshening breath" aspect is nice as well as the taste. It doesn't taste have an obvious fake/plasticy/ugh taste to it; it's more light and sweet. Like I mentioned above, the gloss is easy to over do (which can also be a good thing as one tube will last a while) but I apply with a light squeeze only on my bottom lip and then transfer it onto my top lip.
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Blush -BeneFit Cosmetics - Dandelion
pulitzer 11/3/2010 9:51:00 PM
I've had Dandelion for months now but never got to writing a review because I wasn't sure how to use it. I would never use it as an all over face powder because of the pink and slight shimmer in it (just me, though). It is too light for a quick swipe of blush on my cheeks - I have to build it up. I've never been the biggest luminizer/highlighter girl under the eyes or on the cheekbones because tbh, I don't see a difference in the mirror. So how do I use this lovely frustrating box of wonderfulness? On most days, I apply a more pigmented blush and then layer this on top of the blush on the APPLES of my cheeks only. Just a quick dip of a fluffy powder blush brush into the box and a sweep and I get a natural glean that is just the right amount of shimmer. (More on that below) Also, the thing that separates Dandelion (and what made it so popular, I believe) from drugstore blushes or maybe any other blush for that matter is the finer than fine golden shimmers in the blush. The shimmer in Dandelion is sooo subtle and fine that when applied normally, the barely there shimmer is almost natural looking when the light hits it...not an obvious "I put glitter on my face" sort of thing. Wayyy different than any of Benefit's liquid highlighters. Pick Dandelion if you want the glean a luminizer can bring but not as obvious or easy to overdo as High Beam or Moon Beam.
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Lip Treatments -eos - Lip Balm Sphere - Summer Fruit
pulitzer 10/25/2010 8:22:00 PM
The actual balm of this product is delicious (both literally and figuratively)! The scent is a little more than subtle refreshing fruit fragrance, not overwhelming at all. It doesn't taste like waxy lip balm but instead has a little sweet flavor. I was surprised at how long lasting it is. I put it on during a bus ride and woke up a couple hours later and it was still very there. The egg shape is a novelty and a nice cute concept; I also like how the oversized semi-sphere balm applies well to your lips with just a swipe. If you keep your mouth closed, one swipe across your lips can go over both lips! Very efficient haha. My only complaint is that when you try to put the lid on, you have to be careful to not get the product on the sides of the container since there is a specific angle you have to twist the lid back on. I'd give this a 4.5 if I could just because of this, but otherwise, nice product to have handy! Beware of an addiction! I'm starting to reach for ita little too often..
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Polishes -OPI - Over The Taupe
pulitzer 10/11/2010 9:44:00 PM
Colorwise, this deserves a 5. An unique, not quite brown, not quite taupe that goes with just about everything, Over the Taupe is great (especially for this time of year). However, the problem I had was with the formula...it was a bit watery and translucent; two coats were barely enough to be completely opaque.
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Mascara -Maybelline - Full 'n' Soft waterproof mascara (vitamin E)
pulitzer 10/11/2010 5:03:00 PM
Favorite drugstore water proof mascara! The brush is great; bristles are separating and really volumnize/lengthen your lashes. No clumping or flaking at all! Found out through a sad situation that it really is waterproof :( but this stuff is great! I also like the no fuss, sleek cylinder tube. No need for the fancy chunky Colassal or Lash Blast tubes that take up space. Would buy over and over again for a waterproof mascara!
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Mascara -Almay - One Coat Dial Up
pulitzer 10/10/2010 5:49:00 PM
Terrible terrible terrible! I never should have fallen for the buy mascara and get eyeliner for free deal at Walgreens. I was looking for a new normal black daily wear mascara and came across this piece of sh*t. I mainly blame it on the brush/non existent bristles, in that it clumps your lashes like crazy when you try to apply. The formula also dries flaky and stiff. The "dial up" aspect is a joke and the self advancing eyeliner that I got with it is also crap. The tip of the eyeliner actually broke off when I tried to apply it to my upper lashline. And the liner was hard and tugged at my eyelid - not a smooth application at all. I am literally going to throw it out... This is not just an "Ok I don't like it so I'll give it to someone" kind of thing; it is a "this is so useless and trash that I'm embarrassed to even consider giving it to anyone". I know you shouldn't judge a makeup line by one product...but in this case I've tried two and it's probably my first and last time with Almay.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyes -E.L.F. - Eyeliner & Shadow Stick
pulitzer 10/4/2010 5:36:00 PM
I bought this in pearl glow, hoping for a nice highlight eye liner and shadow...the eye liner was missing when i got it along with the cap. When I removed the lid of the shadow, the entire shadow stick fell out. Packaging is cheap plastic. The actual shadow was a nice shimmery pearl white but I can't look over the packaging and quality the thing came in. And from reading other reviews on MUA and the ELF website, I'm not the only one.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Studio Small Angled Brush
pulitzer 9/18/2010 6:01:00 PM
I use this for cream eyeliner, and it is great. The bristles are not too flimsy and the shape is great for applying product. My major complaint is that the handle is so damn long! WHY does the handle have to be this long? I am sure it is much too long even if you want to use it on someone else. I bump it into the mirror every time I need to get close so I can apply my eyeliner. E.L.F. needs to stop trying to be so "professional and sleek"and make practical products.
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Concealers -E.L.F. - Studio Line Concealer Pencil & Brush
pulitzer 9/9/2010 12:18:00 PM
I am a naturally lightly tanned Asian and I bought this in 'light'. At first, I was afraid the tone would be too light for my skin but now that I have lost some of my summer tan, it fits my skin quite nicely. But NOT only because of the product. The brush is amazing. It blends the concealer into my skin perfectly and the finish is really unnoticeable unless someone is starting really closely at your skin haha. To use the brush, I find patting more efficient than small strokes. If I use quick strokes to blend the product, I find a lot of it sort of disappears from the area I actually want to cover. Patting ensures that the product stays on the spot (haha) and blends in right with your skin! The consistency is relatively creamy and thick but not so that it's unblendable. It also lasts a really time! I haven't sharpened the pencil yet and it's lasted me a month on pretty much daily use. I'm not sure how much of the Salicylic acid is helping my pimples but I'm still rating this a 5 just for its concealing prowess :)
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Blush -E.L.F. - Studio Blush in Candid Coral
pulitzer 9/9/2010 11:44:00 AM
The swatch on this website doesn't do this amazing blush justice! (not blaming anyone though...i wouldn't be able to take a better picture for sht) There is a golden glean in this versatile coral shade that reminds me a lot of a toned down Orgasm. Candid Coral is the epitome of a "sun-kissed" look and looks super natural on tan/bronzed skin. I WILL be using a lot of this in the winter haha. I bought this along with Tickled Pink and I prefer this way more, not only for the shade but also for the consistency. While Tickled Pink was hard and a bit chalky, this was more powdery and blendable..basically easier to apply. The only complaint is that I wish the pan was bigger so that I could comfortably fit all the bristles of my brush. (ELF's complexion brush works great) Right now I have to do a bit of a swirl around and so powder comes up out of the pan. EDIT: not so great for daily use because it is less pigment in color and more in shimmer...
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Eye Shadow -E.L.F. - Mineral Eyeshadow in Natural
pulitzer 9/9/2010 11:35:00 AM
Well so much for my hopes of a "Natural" powder eyeshadow base. As the display picture shows, there is a LOT of shimmer in it which I didn't expect from the name. In any case though, this eyeshadow is not going wasted. It is a beautiful sweep of color over the lid if you want to blend and dull lines of matte shadow beneath as well as add some shimmer. But be careful when applying so as not to put too much or else the shimmer will be only thing people notice. Also, only uncover two of the holes in the lid (or even one if you're going for subtle) since it does get a bit messy. The only thing that I have a major problem with is the packaging...the cheap container's lid is lined with one of those cheap white plastic/Styrofoam coverings which attracts the powder shadow. When I opened the lid there was a lot of powder stuck to it! Definitely not ideal for traveling or carrying around. This, however, is only enough for me to take one lippie off and if ELF changes the packaging, I would definitely purchase the otherwise wonderful product again! :D
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Misc Beauty Tools -Shu Uemura - Eyelash Curler
pulitzer 9/9/2010 7:43:00 AM
I bought one of these for around $12 at a duty free shop in the airport. What a steal! I own a couple cheaper priced metal lash curlers and never thought that I would have to by Shu (yes, I've heard of this cult favorite for a few years) since I thought, "oh these $6 curlers look the exact same as $19 Shu Uemura so they must function the same...why would I spend that much?" Now I know. Just a little squeeze and hold for a couple seconds works TEN times better than my other curlers...and comparatively, the other curlers I have to clamp down on until my fingers almost hurt. The curl gotten with Shu is also more natural compared to the cheaper curlers. The only thing is that if I would still prolong my decision to buy it I could only buy it at $19. I would definitely buy again at $12...BUT to all others out there that are in my previous position, BUY IT; IT IS WORTH IT! EVEN AT $19
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Burt's Bees - Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream
pulitzer 9/5/2010 9:58:00 AM
The first thing I noticed about this product was the scent! Divinnnneeee. I actually hold this up to my nose for the soothing lemon fragrance when I just need to unwind. Sounds silly, but try it! It works for me haha. Anyway, on to the actual product: I apply this at night before bed because it is a bit greasy to deal with during the day. But I have found that is all I need! There are noticeable differences the next morning, and this has become a must for the harsh winters where I go to school (in New England). It is also really versatile; I apply some to dry patches on my arms, legs, or even face sometimes (no breakouts so far!). This stuff lasts for a looong time. I am still using the same tin I got almost an entire year ago and am just halfway through. Super worth the price so definitely give it shot if you are looking for a product to provide immediate relief for your cuticles!
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