Eye Shadow -Milani - Paint EyeShadow Palette 01
AndreaJunelle 9/1/2012 12:55:00 PM
I had heard good things about Milani's "Neutral" eye shadow palette in Spring 2012 but couldn't find it online so purchased this one instead. I didn't expect much from it, because when looking at it, it doesn't look like the kind of shades that would normally look flattering on my MAC NC15/fair skin. (dark brwn hair&eyes &am 30yrs old for reference) -But I absolutely love it! This is the palette that pulled me out of my shell of wearing "neutrals/browns" on a daily basis to wearing brighter shades! My cell phone takes very poor picture quality so I don't have a pic to upload (hopefully someone else will!) but I'll describe it as best I can :) The shadows come in a circular flip top (clear lid) compact (and it IS a bit on the bulky side *ugh* -my only gripe...) and all of the shades make a circle around the compact, all circled around the "White" shade. It's a pure white, not cream, not off white. Directly above White is Orange. Not the color of the fruit though, more of a pink-toned orange, which I love BTW :) Next is a fushia toned Pink shade, then Lime Green, Purple (a light, pink undertoned purple), Yellow, and the biggest "hunk" of color (aside from white ofcourse) is Blue. I can best describe it as a cool toned dark sky blue.. None of these shades have any glitter/shimmer (thank goodness -I have enough shadows with shimmer!) so they go on matte & have nice staying power. (I actually wore several of the shades from this palette to a wedding & did a little crying. It held up well :D) It does NOT come with an applicator or sponge. I've found I like to use these as all over lid shades, and apply with a fluffy e/s brush :) For me, the only purpose for the White shade is as an inner eye brightener (if used lightly) & as a base for other shadows. Overall I really love it though & like I said above, it's the palette that eased me into brighter shades. The Orange & Yellow are colors I NEVER would have tried otherwise & I'm so glad I did :) They're so pigmented I haven't even made any dips in the product yet & have had it for almost 6months, using it several times a week. So I imagine it'll last a lifetime -but even if it didn't, I'd repurchase. The price was only $6 USD on the WalMart.com website which is a definate steal for seven, very pigmented, matte eyeshadow shades :) 5 lippies all the way!
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Powder -Physicians Formula - Mineral Wear Talc-Free Mineral Airbrushing Pressed Powder SPF 30
AndreaJunelle 8/30/2012 5:16:00 PM
I've only used this product 2x but decided to write a review for how it's worked for me thus far because of how truely delighted I am with this product :) My local Target store has select Physician's Formula products buy one get one free right now so I stocked up on the original talc-free mineral wear (the one w/multi-colored pressed pwdr) because it's been a staple in my makeup bag for several years now. Since I could get something free, I picked up this & didn't really expect much.. First of all I expected the "Translucent" shade to be too dark (it looks darker than NC15 & *slightly* orangey in the pan) but luckily is a nearly perfect match. (for reference my skin is just a hair lighter than NC15, oily and acne/clog-prone. I also have brown hair & eyes) I also expected the coverage to be too much like the original Talc-Free Powder but it's much much better. Not full coverage, but more light-to-medium. I was also able to get more medium-to-full coverage by applying one layer with a powder fluff puff then a 2nd layer with a kabuki (NOT the "buffing kabuki" that came with it though Lol) :) I tried it for the 1st time yesterday with no primer (to see how it performed) and was very pleasantly surprised - I really can't call it an "airbrushed" look, but IMO, it's as close to an airbrushed look that a pressed powder can give, and I'm impressed! So I'm wearing it again today with primer and all I can say is wow, really. I don't notice the "sparkles/glimmer" that other reviewers have mentioned? I even wore it outside this morning when taking my son to school. I'm *hoping* I continue to NOT find it to be sparkly or shimmery in any way because shimmer is not flattering on my oily, 30yr old skin.. I DID take 1 lippie away for other reasons though.. 1st of all I just purchased this not even 4 days ago & the pan is already loose from the compact and seems like it's about to fall out :( &No, I have not been rough with it. Also the bulky compact *ugh* PF tends to make their compacts bulky in general though so it's not a huge deal I guess, & the final thing that doesn't exactally thrill me is the "buffing kabuki brush" that's included.. It's pathetic to be honest. I have quite a few PF cosmetics & they're all very hit or miss for me, but quite a few of them have really nice brushes that come included but this is NOT one. -All are minor complaints though as long as this product continues to perform well. &Also the verdict is also still out on breakouts (just b/c it's too soon to tell) I have finicky skin that does really well with some cosmetics, then goes crazy with others but I'm hoping that this agrees with my skin because I'm loving the look it gives! Hopefully I will remember to update in a few wks but so far, so good! *UPDATE* I decided to update now that I've used this 20x times, and have changed my initial rating of 4 lippies up to 5 even though my pan is still a little "shakey" and seems loose from the bulky compact because I've been loving this so much! It has become my HG powder foundation, I can't believe how much I've been using this stuff. I actually went back up to my Target store to see if these were still BOGOfree and they were, so I picked up another as well as the "Talc Free Mineral Wear Airbrushing LOOSE Powder" (which is also nice, but not as great as this for reference) This powder works with primer, or without it. It's called "mineral powder foundation" and many mineral fntdns that I've tried leave a noticeable powdery look but this never does. This has lasted on my oily skin more than 15 hours several times now, also through sweat and rain, and has given me NO issues with breakouts or clogged pores (which was my main concern after leaving my initial review) I honestly couldn't be happier with this and have been using it daily as my foundation, and when I need a little more coverage, I can wear it overtop of my liquid fndtns and it adds to the coverage of the liquid without adding a powdery look :) This is a definate hit for Physician's Formula and I'll continue to repurchase. My only regret is not trying it sooner ;) Thanks for a wonderful powder foundation PF!!
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Biore - UV Perfect Face Milk SPF 50+
AndreaJunelle 8/26/2012 7:59:00 PM
This is everything I hoped it would be and more! I'd had my eye on it for several months after reading the rave reviews here & on the boards. I was lucky enough to acquire this via swap from a great gal in Singapore ;) so I'm not able to say from personal experience what purchasing from any of the online sellers to acquire this product is like just yet.. It's very watery/milky in the bottle as well as when first squeezed out, but dries to a matte finish and it LASTS. I also like the squeeze tube (I have the white bottle with the white cap). However I do find the tube a bit on the small side & wish it were bigger (or maybe I just wish it were bigger because of how much I love it? Lol ;D) I do have very oily skin, I'm not sure how this would work for someone with a drier skin type, but when I use it, I do not need a separate makeup primer (which is a plus!) When I first applied this I remember being worried about breakouts.. My skin reacts funny to certain products, some things cause clogged pores, other things inflamed acne.. Thankfully this has caused NOTHING but matte skin for me (another major plus!) I got this late June, early July 2012 & I've used approx. half (Aug.26, 2012) When I complete this bottle I definately plan to purchase another though, it's really amazing stuff and there's nothing like this on the U.S. market (that I've ever come across at least!) 5 lippies all the way :)
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
BB Cream -MISSHA - M Perfect Cover BB Cream
AndreaJunelle 8/26/2012 7:38:00 PM
Yes Summer 2012 I too felt myself getting pulled into the BB Cream craze. However I think it's mostly because I FINALLY got my skin completely acne-free so wanted to use lighter coverage products on my face. I had only tried several U.S. drugstore BB's, Garnier, L'oreal Magic BB, &the one that CoverGirl repackaged & *called* a BB even though the same ingredients were what they marketed as a Tinted Moisturizer for 10years.. >:( Then I got a sample of MISSHA Signature in #21, and not long after trying the sample & loving it I took the plunge & purchased this one :) I got it from Amazon.com from a seller SeoulGlamour, it was not expensive ($11 USD IIRC?), is authentic, and arrived in a little over 2wks. (not affiliated in any way ofcourse) I debated back & fourth with myself for probably a month before purchasing this b/c I was certain it was going to break my skin out. I looked at that ingredient list & thought Oh boy..that's just TOO many ingredients for my clog-prone skin! -Amazingly it's held it's own & not caused even one pimple for me (yay!). I find it to be the most full coverage of the BB's I've tried, but it's not as full coverage as a foundation.. if that makes sense? For reference I have aging, very oily, somewhat acne-prone, more so clog-prone, fair (NC15 in MAC, Buff in Revlon CS) skin. While the #21 was an OK match in the sample I tried, I decided to go with #13 when I purchased the full size of Perfect Cover BB & I'm very happy I did. #13 is a nearly perfect match! It hides imperfections without looking like there's makeup on my skin, has suitable SPF, & comes in a pump bottle. I think my only minor gripe with this is that even though my skin is very oily, I still have to use moisturizer with it.. But that's only a very small complaint for such a great product :) I will definately repurchase.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Primer -Urban Decay - Eyeshadow Primer Potion - Original (UDPP)
AndreaJunelle 8/26/2012 7:18:00 PM
This has been the best thing that's ever happened to my eyelids before makeup application :) I have extremely oily eyelids, and always had issues with eyeshadows smudging/creasing less than an hour after application. That was, until I found this :) I can't believe I've waited so long to write a review for it! It has been a staple in my makeup bag for quite some time :) Since the birth of my dear daughter 4yrs ago I've been unable to return to work. so decided I needed to get on a mission to replace all of my department store cosmetic & skincare HG's with drugstore dupes. I've had a lot of luck with ALMOST everything thus far, but NOT with finding an equivillent eye primer to this. The tube is quite large, &only a small amount is needed so it lasts quite some time. I've read several rants on the makeup board that people find their shadows too hard to blend with this.. &Yes, it can be difficult if you don't blend very quickly. But I've gotten used to that b/c of how well this performs. Also having a base like this helps all of my shadows to have a little more *umph* to them. So I would reccomend it not only for those with oily lids like myself, but those ppl who are feeling their shadows look a little blah.. If that makes sense? ;) It comes in a long tube (like a mascara tube) with a concealer type wand. The wand is slightly curved at the top to help application (though I don't find that "curve" to be necessary..?) It comes out a nude/skin color & blends perfectly onto my lids. The only gripe I can find with this (which is why I gave the packaging quality 4 lippies out of 5) is that you're unable to get ALL of the product out when you get low.. Since the tube is so thin & long, you have to literally cut it open, scrape, & decant what's left into another container.. But at the same time, I can't really imagine UDPP being packaged any other way Lol :) Yes I will definately repurchase until I find that drugstore dupe I'm searching for :) I may not ever find it though..this is really the best of the best.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Bath and Body Works - sea island cotton
AndreaJunelle 8/26/2012 7:03:00 PM
This is my favorite scent of all time :) I'm NOT picky when it comes to body sprays/perfumes, I think A LOT of perfumes smell good, but my head thinks otherwise Lol I'm prone to migrane headaches so unfortunately there have been quite a few times that I've liked a scent, but 5minutes after spraying it I've gotten a headache that laid me out for a 5hours :( Fortunately for me I love this & it agrees with my head as well :) I've already repurchased this 3-4x as well as the body lotion, the EDP, shower gel & bubble bath! I feel that A LOT of B&BW stuff is overpriced & overrated.. Some products seem expensive to me when I feel like I can find the same scents that are the same quality at WalMart. I find this to be very unique though. The best way I can think to describe it is that it's how you'd imagine fresh laundry to smell :) I'm quite surprised it doesn't have a higher raging, it's very light & breezy, not too "flowery" or "musky", nor is it overbearing. This gets 5 lippies from me & I will continue to repurchase as long as B&BW continues to supply!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Revlon - Photoready Cream Blush
AndreaJunelle 8/26/2012 2:21:00 PM
I've been waiting to write a review on this product because I'm really not sure how I feel about it even now, 2 months after purchasing the shade Coral Reef. I walked past it a hundred times in the drugstore but thought it looked like a small pan for $12 so waited & waited for a coupon before finally buying(got a $2 revlon coupon in the mail :D) I was so excited to try it I busted it open in the car before I even made it home & my initial review was disappointment.. &For reference I'm a drugstore m/u guru that esp. loves Revlon so this review is NOT biased in any way Usually shades that look like Coral Reef in the pan turn out looking quite flattering on my NC10-15 skin, but this one, not so much.. It's VERY sheer, more sheer than most cream blushes out there (think NYX Red Cheeks or Maybelline's Hot Tomale..) After playing with it several times I found that the coverage IS buildable, but you have to mess with it longer than I care to mess with a blush to get it that buildable, &it also has a screw-off lid & no mirror. But I've found that I prefer it best as a base for powder blushes that need some extra staying power.Since it's sheer, it works well for this. BUT then I also started noticing little breakouts along my cheekbone every time I use this :( I tried EVERY excuse possible for it to NOT be this blush, but unfortunately I am now certain that it is.. I do have clog/acne-prone skin but it is VERY rare for me to break out on my cheekbone area from a blush. I have used many blushes (most with more comedogenic ingredients than this one..) with no issues whatsoever, but for whatever reason my skin doesn't like this one.. The breakouts it gives me are not major though, they're easily concealed by foundation (&prob.not even noticeable to the rest of the world the way they are to me Lol) &they've been healing relatively quickly, so if this was some amazing color on me, I'd probably still continue to use the blush regardless, but it's not. It pulls WAYYY more orange than it does red or pink (which never seems to look right on my fair NC15ish skin with my dark hair & eyes), it takes several layers to get decent coverage, and has *terrible* lasting power on it's own. In my mind when paying $12-$13 USD for a drugstore blush, these shouldn't be issues.. Not to mention the small breakouts that this seems to cause me along my cheekbones. Due to those things I will not be repurchasing this. However I think I would still probably recommend Coral Reef to someone without skin as oily & acne-prone as mine (I imagine my oily-ness is the reason it has such poor staying power?) -someone that is looking for a very sheer, orange based red toned cream blush. OR, who is looking for a light coverage cream blush to wear under powder blushes. Definitely a miss from Revlon for me though and I do not plan to repurchase.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Primer -E.L.F. - Eyelid Primer
AndreaJunelle 8/26/2012 1:53:00 AM
I recently purchased this for $1 at my local Target store as I noticed I was running low on my UDPP -After reading some hopeful reviews here I had high hopes but this is a dud.. For someone w/ NOT uber oily lids or someone who doesn't have original UDPP to compare this to, it may seem like a decent eye primer.. Upon 1st application, I noticed it dried nicely, and it helped make my e/s pop. But after 1-2 hrs it was like I hadn't even applied any primer at all.. Not sure yet if I'm going to give it a go as a lip primer or pass it along to my mother (she has dry skin so it may work for her, she's also not very picky about her m/u ;D) But even though this is only $1, it's still something I'll never repurchase & I'm wishing I had that $1 back Lol..
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Loose Powders -Gold Bond - Medicate Baby Powder - Corn Starch Plus
AndreaJunelle 8/21/2012 12:18:00 PM
This stuff is a GOD send for my oily skin! I've been on a mattifying powder hunt for several months now. Thanks to the SkinCare Board I recently got my skin looking good (very fair, oily, acne/clog-prone) -I've got a good routine with AHA's, BHA and am also oil cleansing with Mineral(baby oil) for makeup removal and Grape Seed Oil for regular cleansing. Since my skin is looking clear and happy I haven't been wanting to wear full coverage foundation (which used to be a must for me on a daily basis) I've been wearing more light-med. coverage foundations, tinted moisturizers, & BB Creams with setting powder. A few of my favorite loose powders that I've found to-date this summer are 100% silica powder (from Coastal Scents, TKB Trading or MUFE), ELF HD powder, Black Opal Translucent Mattifying Powder(pressed & loose), & NYC Smooth Skin Loose(this one is actually an old staple of mine though). Randomly 1-2 months ago I was getting ready to post a review here for J&J Baby Powder and how I love using it as a dry shampoo. I started reading the reviews already here on baby powder only to see that some oily skin gals have been using it as a setting powder with nice results. I used regular J&J Baby Powder several times (also with nice results) but the large amount of talc in J&J's Original Baby Powder is dangerous (or so I've been told..?) Sooo, I started searching for talc-free powders that can be easily found at my local drugstores and randomly came across THIS holy grail of a powder. Gold Bond Triple Action Medicated Cornstarch Baby Powder is a bit different from any regular baby powder because with original baby powder I have to REALLY dust it on to notice a slight white cast, but with this one it IS easy to go overboard if you've got a deeper skin tone and/or a heavy hand. Luckily, a little goes a very long way so you shouldn't need to use a lot for matte skin. I poured some out into a empty travel container/tub and use a fluffy blush brush to apply. Awesome stuff :) The ingredient list is very minimal (therefore good for other acne/clog-prones as long as there's no sensitivity to corn starch or zinc oxide) &This includes kaolin as well which is known to be a great oil absorbant. Now that I've found it, I swear I will NEVER be without this stuff. It's the best setting powder I've found to-date for my crazy oily skin and the price is right at LESS than $4 (USD) per container. (a steal right?!) **Update - I've already repurchased my 2nd bottle/container of this and still use it regularly :) We just got through a terribly frigid winter here so I didn't need it daily like I do in warmer months but over the past several weeks it's been gradually warming up again and my skin is noticing.. Foundations not lasting long without showing oily spots, needing to blot, etc. So I whipped this heavenly Gold Bond powder back out and it's got my oily skin back in check (woot!) I highly recommend =)
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Hard Candy - Glossaholic-Tipsy
AndreaJunelle 8/21/2012 10:33:00 AM
This is such a beautiful lipgloss! Out of the 8-10 HC items I've purchased since they made the leap to WalMart several years back, I'm thinking this is by far my favorite! For reference I have oily, fair, warm toned skin -brwn hair & eyes & I pretty much only write reviews on items that I REALLY love, or REALLY hate.. I owned another of the glossaholics called "Fairy" &did not care for it.. It was not flattering on me, so I swapped it away, &After the negative experience w/Fairy I never even glanced in the direction of HC lip items. But then yesterday, a regular FOTD posting MUA'er (a beautiful girl)posted a FOTD pic wearing "Tipsy" on her lips & It looked SO beautiful..&As I'm looking at the pic I notice that our skin colorings appear to be very close so I hoped that if I got this for myself it'd look great on me too ;P So this morning I got it & MOST lip colors I purchase I regret..For whatever reason a lot of lippies just don't look good on me &I look best in "MLBB" shades, blue-toned reds, and..uh..that's about it Lol ;) Since I've been pleasantly surprised by this I highly reccomend it to everyone, but especially those of you who are like me, & can't just throw on ANY lip color & run out the door ;) In the tube it looks NOTHING like how it does after applied.. In the tube it appears a bright, neon pink -Like something I'd pick up for my 13 year old cousin? NOT something anyone in their late 20's, early 30's would ever take a 2nd look at, But I grabbed it up anyway & am so glad I did because fortunately it's the perfect hint of a MLBB/pinky-mauve color on my lips but with some shimmer/glitter to it. It's not overly "sticky" (which is common in drugstore lip glosses), nor does it have any kind of overbearing scent (which is another common thing in cheaper glosses, though it does have a yummy scent, it's not overbearing nor is it yucky) So I absolutely love it :) My one & ONLY minor complaint is the bulky tube -WTH? I mean, I'm glad it has a lot of product in it b/c of how much I love the color Lol but I'm sure HC could have found ANOTHER way to package this with the same amount of product but minus the bulk.. But like I said, just a minor gripe - I know HC likes to do things bold & different (and that's exactally what this big 'ol tube is..) so I accept it & will def repurchase.
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Eye Shadow -Victoria's Secret - Silky Eye Shadow in Fierce
AndreaJunelle 8/16/2012 6:01:00 PM
I can't believe I waited so long to write a review on this eye shadow! I usually only review products I REALLY love or REALLY hate Lol :) I've had this in my stash for 5-6yrs now, and still have only BARELY made a dip in the middle -it's pigmented enough to last a lifetime, but even if it wasn't, I'd still repurchase ;P For reference I have pretty fair, warm toned skin w/ brown hair & eyes. This DOES have shimmer/glitter, but as mentioned below, it's noticeable, but much more noticeable if you apply wet. I usually do not care for things with any glitter,(I'm 30yrs old now, kinda hard to pull off the glittery eye look on most days Lol) -but this is different, it's a complimenting kind of glitter, very beautiful & kind of hard to explain I guess.. I like to wear it as a crease shade for a smokey eye, or, if going out for a "night on the town", an all over bold lid shade! I also have the navy/dark blue shade (forget the name off the top of my head!)from this line (in the black compact) as well as a palette called "Exclusive" -all of the shadows I've tried are extremely pigmented, and wearable for a daily look or a bolder one. I also usually don't care for cosmetics sold by stores that sell clothing (like VS for example! ;D) but these shadows are A-MAZ-ING! Definately a must have for any eye shadow lover. *UPDATE* I've taken my initial rating down a lippie from 5 to 4, and changed my "Would you buy this product again?" from Yes, to No. Reason being is I've found the *exact* same color, for less than a quarter of the price, but with more pigmentation (Wet 'n Wild eyeshadow single in "Trashed" for reference) While this is still an excellent shade, I can't neglect the facts here.. I can't make myself repurchase a $12-18 Victoria's Secret eyeshadow, when I've found the same exact color available at every drugstore for $2-3 :) If this is something you are considering purchasing, it's a very lovely eyeshadow, but I'd reccomend trying WnW Trashed for just a few dollars first before taking the plunge :)
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Blush -Rimmel - Berry
AndreaJunelle 8/2/2012 1:16:00 PM
This isn't generally a color that I'd ever purchase just by walking past it in the store.. For my skin tone, usually bright reds & pinks jump out at me when it comes to blush shades.(For reference I'm fair & warm toned -N10-NC15 in MAC, Ivory in Rimmel 25hr, Ivory+Buff in Revlon ColorStay) but I recently received this as a RAOK in a swap & my first thought was to just toss it to the side with the rest of the many blushes I never wear.. but I've been in the market for more natural looking blushes lately and grabbed my blush brush(the one included is pityful), applied, and boy was I happy that I did!! This goes on (on my skin at least..) as a very deep warm pinky plum. It definitely doesn't look as muddy on my skin as it does in the pan so I LOVE it! I don't find it bold enough for a "Bold Blush Look" but for a fresh-faced / everyday kind of look - this is ideal. I never thought I would love a color in this shade range so much but I do! &I actually have a $1 off Rimmel product coupon I'd been wanting to use and so since Rimmel is well known for discontinuing good things rather quickly, I'm going to pick another one up to have on-hand! I highly recommend!
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Skincare - Body -Unlisted Brand - Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel
AndreaJunelle 8/2/2012 1:09:00 PM
I love aloe gel! I always had some laying around to apply for certain things that can happen in life like, sunburn, rashes, etc. But I've recently got on a DIY/homemade kick & am trying to make as many things at home as I can :) I googled & found a few "homemade facial recipies" online & so far, with aloe have managed to make a makeup setting spray, a light moisturizer, and thanks to the help of another oily skinned, friendly MUA'er, a makeup primer :) I used up all of the Fruit of The Earth Aloe that I'd had laying around, and purchased another brand new bottle at my local Walmart for just under $4 USD. That's a steal for all of the great things I've been able to make with this stuff :) If anyone reading this is ever interested in using any of the above recipies, please don't hesitate to PM me, I'd be happy to help :) YAY FOR ALOE!! ;D
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Pressed Powders -Maybelline - pure stay long wearing pressed powder
AndreaJunelle 8/2/2012 1:04:00 PM
Everytime I use this powder foundation it really WOW's me. I'm always feeling like I have to try the newest things that come out so this gets pushed to the back or bottom of my makeup collection from time to time, and I forget it's there until I find it again in a month or two.. I've been using this again for the past 6-7 days in a row (which is more days in a row than I used it in the past) and have to say I'm impressed! My skin is fair and warm undertoned (NC15ish if I wore MAC) and also oily (yet can get dehydrated in cooler/changing weather) and very clog-prone. This powder has never given me any issues with clogged pores or breakouts and controls my oil surprisingly well, even without a primer or another powder "setting" it overtop. I used this powder on and off in High School (more than 14yrs ago! o_O) but couldn't remember much else about it other than that I liked it. After reading a few recommendations on the MakeUp Board of this being a lot of MUA'ers favorite powder foundation, I went out and picked it up again about 6 months ago. My initial reaction when I saw the poor shade selection was that the lightest shade would be too dark for me but I picked it up anyway for right around $7 USD at my local WalMart. It seems that every drugstore has this ALLLL the way at the bottom of their Maybelline display, barely noticeable to anyone who's not *looking* for it, which is disappointing to me :( I think for as awesome as this powder is, it should be promoted by Maybelline a little more.. Regardless, the lightest shade (Ivory) IS indeed a good shade match (actually it's a near PERFECT match) So if you are on the lighter side of N/NC15, the lightest shade SHOULD indeed work for you. If you're more fair with pink undertones (NW10-15), then the Ivory shade may be a bit too yellow undertoned for your taste, but it's so inexpensive I'd say give it a try anyway ;) The first time I tried it I used the enclosed sponge - bad idea.. It gave a patchy application (IME at least..) So I ditched the sponge and used a brush, which is typically what I use for powder foundations anyway, and while the brush made application much easier and even, it provided very light coverage this way. So if very light coverage is what you're looking for, I'd definately recommend brush application for Maybelline PureStay. I've since switched to a powder puff for applying this. I've found that dabbing/bouncing the puff around on my skin blurs out imperfections best (rather than swiping, which seems to emphasize my large/visible pores) and this method provides light-to-medium coverage and is easily buildable to full on medium coverage without looking cakey. If you DO apply a bit too much and get the "cakey/powdery" look going on, just spritz a little RoseWater (or something like MAC Fix+ Spray) and it will tone it down to a more natural finish. (I like Boot's RoseWater Toner at Target - I've decanted some into a spray bottle just for situations like this) Plus it lasts all day on my oily skin, with OR without primer :) I kept glancing at myself in the mirror quite a few hours after my initial application and just thinking WOW, I can't believe my makeup still looks this fresh and perfect! &Those of you with difficult or oily skin and large pores (like mine) know that this isn't something we get to say too often when we see ourselves in the mirror many hours after we apply makeup (I know I don't at least..Lol ;D) If you're someone who needs full on heavy coverage on a daily basis I'd still recommend this to you, and would just suggest you would use this more as a setting powder for another foundation rather than using it alone. I've found that sometimes layering two light/medium coverage foundations can give a better, full coverage appearance and more staying power vs. a full coverage foundation on it's own. Needless to say Maybelline PureStay will NOT be getting pushed to the bottom of my makeup collection anymore, and has made its way into my high rotation makeup bag (where I keep the products I love and use most often) and I certainly plan to repurchase and highly recommend
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Revlon - Cream Blush - First Blush
AndreaJunelle 7/7/2012 4:52:00 PM
This was the 1st cream blush I ever owned :) I purchased back in 2004-ish I believe?.. &Since then I'm pretty sure this shade has been discontinued, however the "berry flirtatious" color is extremely close to this.. ANYWAY, I'm NOW 30yrs old, w/fair, warm toned skin, brown hair & eyes. Not sure what posessed me to reach for this back then, but I'm so glad that I did :) Not only was it my 1st cream blush, it is the 1st blush that I remember getting complimented on :) I'll never forget a girlfriend of mine said "omgoodness your cheeks look so beautiful! What blush are you wearing today?" I pulled this compact out of my purse & she said "this doesn't look like the same thing you're wearing - are you sure this is what you put on today??" ..Lol! What I'm saying is, that this color looks SO much brighter and more red in the pan than it does on the face. On me, it's the perfect "flushed" look :) I loved it SO much that I bought a "back-up"! &I still have the back-up from 2005 right now, in 2012!! :) I also purchased the berry flirtatious shade when it came out & it's nice. Rosy Glow didn't look good on my fair skin - IMO, it would look MUCH better on a darker skin :) This cream blush will always hold a special place in my heart!
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